What a laugh.
Gilgamesh claims that because all the other servants are gone, the grail wanted Kirei’s wish. What Kirei desired was to witness destruction.
But is this really the case? The grail exploded before Saber died, so I don’t think so. This is the twisted wish of the grail, and nothing more.
The most telltale sign is when Kirei sees Kiritsugu wandering through the rubble searching for survivors. Kirei thinks Kiritsugu is coming to challenge him. But Kiritsugu doesn’t even notice him as he frantically searches through the rubble.
Kirei can’t understand this, nor can he understand the grail’s “answer”. And in a way, I think that this is the answer to Kirei’s question of what he desires. Kirei is jealous of Kiritsugu, and despises himself. He doesn’t understand how such an “upright” father, a man of the cloth, could give birth to such a twisted creature as himself. He and Kiritsugu are very similar. But what Kirei lacks is Kiritsugu’s empathy.
Further Thoughts
Kids sure can be heartless.
Ahahaha. He isn’t embarrassed at all.
Kirei definitely seems to be enjoying this. And Rin was quite spirited even when she was a little kid. Kirei must have quite the poker face to maintain his joy as she gratefully accepts the gift of the knife he used to kill her father.
Waver looks like a housewife going through the stages of mourning. It’s good to have at least one bright spot in this show’s ending (and for the only character I really cared about, too!). Not to imply that tragic endings are a bad thing. I quite enjoyed watching Saber cry her heart out on a pile of corpses.
Although I don’t know much of Lancelot’s story aside from the actual tale (I guess in the Nasuverse Guinevere bisexual?) this was an interesting comment. Lancelot failed to find atonement because Saber would not judge him in her anger.
This reminded me of the story of Job, which Kirei read from at Tohsaka’s funeral. In Job, a righteous man is punished as part of God’s gamble with the devil. This leads Job to descend into madness because he can’t figure out why he’s being judged. Both of them desire what they think they “deserve.” But the world doesn’t work like that. We see this with pretty much everyone’s ending in Fate / Zero. Kirei is given a new life while Matou dies, alone and forgotten. Gilgamesh is given flesh while Rider returns to Valhalla (or whatever it’s called). Kiritsugu continues to live, while everyone he knew dies. Life isn’t fair.
But is this really the case? The grail exploded before Saber died, so I don’t think so. This is the twisted wish of the grail, and nothing more.
You’re right. Well, it’s not like Gil is always on the mark. Kirei claims his wish was that everyone around him should disappear, but that fire only happened because Kiritsugu ordered Saber to destroy the vessel and not the mud. Since I can’t remember the VN right now, I can only believe that this was mentioned in one of the three routes. Personally, I bet on UBW or Fate.
About Kirei: That image is imo fitting
http://sonohara.donmai.us/data/e2a3d758a902b106fb6585b12593cfc8.jpg
Just replace Shirou with Kiritsugu and it still fits. They are very similar and at the same time the complete opposite. I loved Heaven’s Feel for this because it made Kirei a character and villain I can sympathize with. FZ is indeed closest to HF, including Kirei and Gil’s portrayal. Btw…
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBsXNOaS5M4
One more thing: They left out the scene with Gil being showered by Angra Mainyu and the curse. As stated in Fate(and HF too I believe), his ego was so big and he was so arrogant that Angry Manjuu accidently acknowledged his existence as the King in a place where this is supposed to be impossible, spat him out and gave him a real body.
Kids sure can be heartless.
Didn’t see it the way it was portrayed, when I read the novel. Sakura showed confusion and fear (especially after the only person of the Matou family that she actually likes dies miserably). Well, they at least showed that she is already broken. However, she again gets the worst treatment and the hatred from the fans is again increasing. She doesn’t deserve that…
It’s good to have at least one bright spot in this show’s ending (and for the only character I really cared about, too!).
I think it’s actually cool that he becomes a badass magus afterwards. Maybe not in one-on-one combats, but his knowledge is outrageously fantastic. He for sure is a worthy successor of the El-Melloi title.
Kiritsugu continues to live, while everyone he knew dies.
Considering he also died at the end of the episode, I think he at least had it better than Kariya. 😛 Kiritsugu shared a wonderful memory with Shirou that Shirou would always remember in FSN and Kiritsugu, although losing everything he had, including his magic abilities and his daughter, found peace and salvation at the end thanks to Shirou. I loved that scene, but I think it would have been better with this theme here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3L1DEvzsftw
And now waiting for the bluray…
I agree that Fate / Zero gives off a feel that’s closest to HF. That was by far my favorite part of the game as well.
Hahaha wow. Gaining a body through pure arrogance. Sounds kind of like how some religious groups believe that God created himself.
I totally agree that Sakura doesn’t deserve more hatred. I don’t get why nobody likes her. She’s my favorite character from the game.
And I didn’t know Waver becomes a badass mage. Pretty sweet!
Yep. Waver returned to London and helped restore the reputation of the Archibald family (since he was indirectly responsible for Kayneth’s death), which was on the verge of ruins after having lost their heir and their Magic Crest. And the Archibald girl who should inherit the El-Melloi title gave it to him as acknowledgment of his achievements for the family and to bind him to her, making him Lord El-Melloi II.
Waver is the best and I believe most popular lecturer of the Clock Tower, as well as a chick magnet and the best talent producer (I presume his theories in ep1 were true). During Rin’s stay in London he becomes her custodian (but not her instructor).
http://sonohara.donmai.us/data/7e3be7b8d36bbcf47f1d6d9d26d84820.jpg
http://hijiribe.donmai.us/data/cf10274a9184814786592decd11cf85a.jpg
Guess Rider influenced him for the rest of his life, even his outfits… And yes, he likes Japanese video games (and hates Rin for being a technology-illiterate :D)
Oh, and did I mention that it is Waver who in the end dismantled the Great Grail in all routes where Shirou doesn’t(so… everything except for HF)? 🙂
Oooh that’s awesome! I do remember Rin was studying under someone in London, now things are starting to come together… I keep making fun of the Nasuverse for being so big and complicated, but really, I think it’s a pretty cool world. It’s neat how everything fits together like this, although you have to dig down pretty deep to see how. And this reminds me, I still have to finish Kara no Kyoukai…
Yeah, this was one depressing series. The fact there’s potential for a brighter conclusion in the future does help a bit though, I suppose.
Overall the show was a really powerful set of interwoven tragedies. The fact that all the pain everyone went through led to nothing but a Troll Grail is a little much though, IMO. =/
Oh well, still a great series. Glad that at least Waver made it through all right. :>
I think how everything led to a troll grail was the best part. 🙂 (aside from Waver and Rider, of course!)
All, right. My comment on this is – please do not delete it, as it is only my opinion:
I found hard to find anyone to root for. Well, yeah, after some time, you become “fond” of Waver and Rider, not because they are pinnacles of morality or goodnes, but because they are being pushed by the show to be the unlikely heroes, and all the other are jerks pure and simple.
It has two exceptions – Kariya, which I don´t know from the novels, but appear to be just a cool, good guy, among all the madness and backstabbing the anime brought to life. Kariya Matou gives his life to try and do some change in a little girls life and her mother, the woman he loves. For me, a true hero.
The other is of course Kiritsugu. He is a hero, trying to do what he can, even if misguided sometimes. But he is a hero.
And that´s it.
By the way, Sakura is a biatch. I totally disagree with the first one up there saying she don´t deserve the hate: she does. Her character becomes obnoxious and downright evil by the end of the anime.
That´s it, not even the kids are ok in this show! This is how much it sucks to find someone to root for.
Kariya is a struggling hero – only in this anime doesn´t pay off to be this guy. He is weaker and thus ends up dead. But he was trying to do good.
The others are just selfishly fighting for whatever desire they have. Kiritsugu and Kariya may be selfish in some level, someone might argue, but their goal is not selfish in itself, not when you factor in what the others are fighting for.
The others are just selfish m*therf*ckers. All of them, and yes, even Waver, just on a different level. It´s just that by the end of it all, he comes out as an unlikely protagonist, but that´s it. Almost none of the characters come out in a good way, not even the servants. Maybe Lancer was a bit nice. And that´s it.
http://crowinacloudysky.blogspot.com.br/2013/02/anime-review-fatezero.html
Cheers
A question from a fellow blogger – those pics that you use, they are not considered breaking author´s laws or something?
Yeah, it’s definitely hard to find anyone to root for. My favorites are pretty much the same as yours, although I was half rooting for Caster and his master for a bit just because they made things interesting. I also find it amusing that the Servants are summoned heroes from the past, but their masters are the only ones who really act like heroes.
Eh Sakura’s great. She’s only a little girl so give her a break. If you were being eaten by worms you might be a bit bitchy too.
No, it’s considered fair use to take screenshots. It’s akin to using a quote from a book, with a citation. (in my understanding, I’m not a lawyer)
Really?
Cheering for Caster?
No wonder you consider Sakura ok.
For Caster? The psychotic serial killer, really?
I now begin to question your morality as well. Delete my comment if you like it. I don´t really care.
End of discussion here.
I of course don’t *agree* with Caster, he’s a horrible murderer, I just think he is way more entertaining than Saber and Lancer chatting about chivalry.
And I pretty much never delete comments unless they are spam, I don’t know what gave you that impression. I certainly don’t delete them just for disagreeing with me.