Fate/Zero

Season 1 – 90% – If I slightly feared that the story of the fighters from the previous War, the final pair of whom I already know thanks to Fate/stay night, would have nothing to offer, I couldn't be more wrong. Fate/Zero actually corrects practically all the mistakes its older brother had. It divides the time on the screen among all the Masters (though my favorite Kariya definitely gets the least of it), respect emanates from the strong Servants, the villains instill fear instead of mockery, and a guy like Kiritsugu just loads his weapon and lights a cigarette and still manages to steal the whole episode. Moreover, the intoxicating magic that permeates the whole story also obscures the fact that the last episodes occasionally come to a complete halt. Thickening intrigues and a pleasant cliffhanger teasing a coming action inferno promise a grand experience surpassing the current rating for the continuation. Season 2 – 100% – Occasionally about the power of dialogue, occasionally about perfect action – and the overwhelming majority of the time in gloomy contemplation that those who want to help the world the most also have to sacrifice the most. Kiritsugu, Kariya, and ultimately even the whiny Waver or Kotomine Kirei, who becomes more rotten over time, are flesh-and-blood characters, whose every decision ripens carefully and has immeasurable and irreversible consequences. And watching them, considering the rising number of dead main characters, truly hurts. Fate/Zero has matured into a depressingly toned saga that surpasses its predecessor in every way and, somewhat paradoxically, has changed my view of its characters fundamentally for the better. I have no desire to leave the world of the Holy Grail while walking through the burned city. Jumping on the train called "remake of Fate/stay night" seems like the best possible idea. (09/24/2014)