Each has recently lost the person that they are most used to working with, but instead of turning to one another for support, they continue on working alone. The first duo shown, Kiritsugu and Saber, have little relationship to speak of, much less friendship. The first theme I noticed was that a good portion of this episode was dedicated to showing the differences in relationships that each pair of Master and Servant had. I do apologize for the lack of flow and cohesion that I usually strive for in my posts. So instead, I’m going with mini-essays in order to cover everything I want to. This particular episode proved to be a bit of a challenge to write about primarily because there isn’t a central theme I could focus on. Thankfully, each episode is packed to the brim with enough material for two episodes of most other shows, but in some cases this can be more of a curse as well. Unfortunately, the countdown at the end of each episode stands as a vivid reminder that like all good things, this too must come to an end. With such a large swath of the moral spectrum represented in this series’ ensemble cast, the dynamics between the characters are even more complex than the already superbly choreographed action sequences, and that’s what makes this series unique, and it’s why I savor every second, hoping each episode will never end. Just as I enjoy watching every swing of the sword, every parry and every riposte, dissecting the dialogue of this series phrase by phrase and word by word gives me the same enjoyment, if not more. There’s never a dull episode in Fate/Zero, even when most of it revolves around character interactions on the eve of the final battle.

Koukou gurashi 0.22