- Watch and stream subbed and dubbed episodes of Fate/stay night online on Anime-Planet. Legal and free through industry partnerships.
- Start your free trial to watch Fate / Stay Night and other popular TV shows and movies including new releases, classics, Hulu Originals, and more. It’s all on Hulu.
List of Fate/stay night episodes | |
---|---|
Cover artwork for the first DVD collection of Fate/stay night, featuring Saber | |
Country of origin | Japan |
No. of episodes | 24 |
Release | |
Original network | TV Saitama, CTC, KBS, tvk, Tokyo MX, Sun TV, TV Aichi, AT-X |
Original release | January 7 – June 17, 2006 |
Season chronology | |
Next → Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (2010 film) |
The Fate/stay nightanime is based on the visual novelFate/stay night by Type-Moon. The episodes are directed by Yuji Yamaguchi, animated by Studio Deen and produced by the Fate Project, which included Geneon Entertainment, TBS, CREi, Type-Moon and Frontier Works Inc.[1][2] The plot of the episodes is primarily based on the Fate storyline in the Fate/stay night visual novel, although certain elements of the other two storylines, Unlimited Blade Works and Heaven's Feel, are incorporated into the plot.
Watch Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works for free on AnimeLab.com! AnimeLab is exclusive to Australia and New Zealand. Enter your email & we'll let you know when AnimeLab is available in your country. The Fate/stay night anime is based on the visual novel video game Fate/stay night by Type-Moon. The episodes are directed by Yuji Yamaguchi, animated by Studio Deen and produced by the Fate Project, which included Geneon Entertainment, Tokyo Broadcasting System, CREi, Type-Moon and Frontier Works.
The episodes were originally aired from January 7 to June 17, 2006, in Japan on TV Saitama and at later dates on CTC, KBS, tvk, Tokyo MX, Sun TV, TV Aichi and AT-X.[3] The series later received its international television premieres on the anime television network Animax in 2007, also receiving its English-language television premiere on Animax's English networks in Southeast Asia from June 2007, as well as its other networks in South Korea, Hong Kong and other regions.[4][5]
Five pieces of theme music are used for the episodes: two opening themes and three ending themes. The opening themes are the first two singles made by Japanese singer Sachi Tainaka: 'disillusion', which is a remixed version of the visual novel's opening theme 'THIS ILLUSION', is used for the first fourteen episodes,[6] and 'Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni' (きらめく涙は星に, lit. Glittering Tears Change To Stars) is used for the remaining episodes. The first ending theme was 'Anata ga Ita Mori' (あなたがいた森, lit. The Forest In Which You Were) by the J-pop band Jyukai, which was used for all episodes except episode fourteen and episode twenty-four.[7] Episode fourteen featured Jyukai's 'Hikari' (ヒカリ, lit. Light) and episode twenty-four played Sachi Tainaka's 'Kimi to no Ashita' (君との明日, lit. Tomorrow with You).[8]
Eight DVD compilations, each containing three episodes, have been released by Type-Moon in Japan.[9] The first of these compilations ranked number five on the Oricon listing charts as of April 5, 2006.[10]Geneon Entertainment has released six DVD compilations, each containing four episodes, in North America, with the sixth released on October 9, 2007.[11][12] The original soundtrack for the episodes, containing forty tracks of music, was also released by Geneon Entertainment on January 16, 2007.[13]
Episode list[edit]
No. | Title | Original air date[14] | |
---|---|---|---|
01 | 'The First Day' Transcription: 'Hajimari no Hi' (Japanese: 始まりの日) | January 7, 2006 | |
In Fuyuki City, a duel between two Servants destroys the entire area and engulfs it in flames. Ten years later, Shirō Emiya, The sole survivor of the destruction, devotes his life to following the ideal of his late adoptive father Kiritsugu: to become a hero of justice. In the present days, he helps out with tasks at his school and the local businesses freely with the aid of the magical powers taught to him by Kiritsugu, but is concerned about the sudden rise of violent crimes and lethal gas leaks in the city. At home, he is raised by his legal guardian Taiga Fujimura, with some assistance by his classmate Sakura Matō, who secretly has a crush on Shirō. While walking home one night, Shirō comes across the ruins left by the fire ten years ago and muses about a warning by Kiritsugu that if he saves one life, he will lose another. He then comes across a silver-haired girl who warns him to summon a Servant before abruptly vanishing. Meanwhile, another student at Shirō's school, Rin Tōsaka, summons an Archer-class Servant in preparation for the Fifth Holy Grail War and begins her search for magi with other Servants. | |||
02 | 'Fateful Night' Transcription: 'Unmei no Yoru' (Japanese: 運命の夜) | January 14, 2006 | |
After having a dream about her father, who participated in and died during the previous Holy Grail War, Rin expresses her disappointment at not being able to summon a Saber-class Servant as she originally intended. She then asks Archer to reveal his real-life identity, although he is unable to recall his past. At school, Shirō learns from Ayako Mitsuzuri, head of the archery club, that Sakura's older brother Shinji has been acting more aggressively, presumably due to having his pride damaged after being rejected romantically by Rin. When he tries asking him about it, Shinji dodges the topic and later requests Shirō to clean the school's kyūdōdojo, which he accepts. The following night, while still at the school, Rin and Archer are confronted by a Lancer-class Servant, who engages Archer in battle. The duel is witnessed by Shirō, who is noticed by Lancer. Shirō tries to flee, but is caught by Lancer, who kills him before escaping. Moments later, Rin discovers Shirō's corpse and revives him with a magical jewel in a moment of pity, despite the Holy Grail War's rule that innocent witnesses must be killed. When Lancer comes back to kill him again at his home, Shirō accidentally summons Saber, the most powerful Servant. Upon spotting her, he becomes astounded by her beauty. | |||
03 | 'Opening' Transcription: 'Kaimaku' (Japanese: 開幕) | January 21, 2006 | |
Saber refers to Shirō as her Master, which puzzles him, before she runs off to battle Lancer. She is wounded by Lancer's Noble Phantasm, from which she deduces his true identity, the ancient Irish hero Cú Chulainn. Lancer voices his disappointment at that before leaving, citing that his Master specifically ordered him to return. Shirō and Saber then introduce themselves to each other, though Shirō finds himself confused by Saber's strange terminology. Saber then attacks an approaching Rin and Archer, but is stopped by Shirō, though not before she badly injured Archer. After Rin discovers Shirō does not know even the most basic of spells, or the fact that he is a participant in the Holy Grail War, she takes him to a magus and her legal guardian, Kirei Kotomine, the overseer of the Fifth Holy Grail War. Shirō learns more about the Holy Grail War from him and decides to join it after learning the fire he survived ten years ago was a product of the previous war. Afterwards, Shirō, Saber, and Rin are confronted by the same silver-haired girl Shirō encountered earlier, who is accompanied by a massive Servant. | |||
04 | 'The Strongest Enemy' Transcription: 'Saikyō no Teki' (Japanese: 最強の敵) | January 28, 2006 | |
The girl introduces herself as Illyasviel von Einzbern, then has her Servant, identified as being of the Berserker class, attack Saber, who is still wounded from her battle with Lancer. Shirō and Rin are both helpless to stop Berserker, known in real life as the ancient Greek hero Heracles, from severely wounding Saber. Unable to see Saber suffer so grievously, Shirō eventually blocks a fatal blow intended for her. Puzzled by this, Illyasviel has Berserker de-materialize and leaves. As he dies, Shirō has a flashback to the night where Kiritsugu died, in which Kiritsugu confessed his wish to become a hero of justice and Shirō decided to take his place in accomplishing that wish. The next day, Shirō wakes up at his home to find that his body has miraculously healed itself, similar to Saber's self-regeneration ability. Later, he finds Saber at his dojo and starts to understand more about the type of person she is. As they walk back at the main home, Shirō begins contemplating about his feelings towards Saber. | |||
05 | 'Two Magi (Part 1)' Transcription: 'Majutsushi Futari <Zenpen>' (Japanese: 魔術師二人<前編>) | February 4, 2006 | |
Feeling guilty about how he has been making Saber hide away from plain view, Shirō decides to introduce her to Sakura and Taiga during dinner, saying she is a distant relative of Kiritsugu's. Feeling threatened by her presence, Taiga challenges Saber to a kendo duel, but winds up losing quickly and having to allow her to stay. Meanwhile, as they investigate the gas leaks occurring throughout the city, Archer asks Rin what she would do if she comes across Shirō, her sworn enemy, again, to which she replies she will kill him. After eating breakfast, Shirō heads for school alone, but not before Saber urges him to use a Command Seal to summon her if he ever thought he was in danger. At school, he learns Mitsuzuri had gone missing and that Shinji is suspected of having a connection to it. Afterwards, once school is out, Rin unexpectedly attacks Shirō, with the chase being witnessed by an unknown female Servant. | |||
06 | 'Two Magi (Part 2)' Transcription: 'Majutsushi Futari <Kōhen>' (Japanese: 魔術師二人<後編>) | February 11, 2006 | |
A fleeing Shirō is eventually cornered by Rin, who offers to spare his life if he gives her his Command Seals. However, he refuses, prompting Rin to try and kill him. Both are then distracted by a scream downstairs and he and Rin find an unconscious girl. As Rin attempts to heal her, a dagger flies through an open door, aimed for Rin, but Shirō blocks it with his arm, wounding himself in the process. He runs outside to find the female Servant, which is of the Rider class, and repels an attack by her. Shirō considers summoning Saber via Command Seal, but decides it is too risky to get her involved and resolves to confront Rider himself. Rider resumes her assault, and Shirō is nearly killed by her until Rin rescues him. At Rin's home, Shirō and Rin decide to form a temporary truce to find Rider's Master. Later on, Rin learns more about Shirō's magical training, which infuriates her, as Kiritsugu unconventionally prioritized fatherhood over the responsibilities of being a magus, something she found unforgivable. Shirō is later escorted home by Archer, who expresses his disapproval of Shirō's ideals and warns him that Saber will dislike not being able to fight because of Shirō's concern for her. | |||
07 | 'Despicable Act' Transcription: 'Shundō' (Japanese: 蠢動) | February 18, 2006 | |
Saber confronts Shirō over not summoning her against Rider. Later on, she insists on accompanying him and Sakura to school. The exchange becomes even more tense when Rin stops by, lying that she and Shirō have agreed to walk each other to school, which causes Sakura to believe the two of them are dating and rush off in tears. Rin then successfully negotiates with Saber into allowing Shirō to walk with her alone. At school, after making up with Sakura, Shirō learns from Rin that Mitsuzuri was found alive, having been attacked by a Servant, presumed to be Rider. After discovering that Shirō can detect sigils related to a magical barrier placed over the entire school, Rin and Shirō set out to destroy most of them. Afterwards, the two bond over drinks and Shirō learns about Rin's late father. At the end of the day, after Rin leaves, Shirō feels the presence of an extremely large sigil and discovers it in the school dojo. He is then confronted by Rider and her Master, who is revealed to be Shinji. | |||
08 | 'Discordant Melody' Transcription: 'Fukyō no Oto' (Japanese: 不協の旋律) | February 25, 2006 | |
Shinji defends his decision to set the barrier up over the school, explaining that it was a defensive measure against Rin. He also denies his involvement in Mitsuzuri's attack, and informs Shirō that the entire Matō family was once a clan of mages. Shinji then offers to form an alliance, stating that he too barely has any experience in using magic. Shirō turns down the offer and later informs Rin and Saber about a witch at the local shrine, Ryuudou Temple, who is also a Master, information that was given to him by Shinji. Saber insists they attack the Master directly and immediately, but Shirō and Rin believe it is more tactical to prioritize Illyasviel and Berserker over Rider and the Master at Ryuudou Temple. After this, Rin decides to officially move in with Shirō to make communications between them easier, which shocks Sakura and Taiga when they learn about it. Meanwhile, Shirō and Saber still cannot meet eye to eye regarding the strategy against the Master at Ryuudou Temple. Eventually, Saber decides to disobey Shirō's wishes and heads off for Ryuudou Temple alone. | |||
09 | 'Moonlit Elegance' Transcription: 'Gekka Ryūrei' (Japanese: 月下流麗) | March 4, 2006 | |
Arriving at Ryuudou Temple, Saber battles an Assassin-class Servant claiming to be Sasaki Kojirō, who is guarding the temple gateway. Simultaneously, Rider breaches the temple's perimeter, but is attacked by skeletal beings called Golems and confronts their creator, a Caster-class Servant. Sensing the danger Saber is in, Shirō rushes to Ryuudou Temple on his own. After dodging Assassin's specialized attack, Saber uses whatever mana she has and prepares to use her Noble Phantasm, which gives Rider an opportunity to escape when she is outmatched by Caster. Saber's Noble Phantasm is then interrupted by an arriving Shirō, which prompts Assassin to leave and Saber to collapse from a lack of mana. Shirō then carries her back home, where she regains consciousness. When Saber criticizes Shirō for repeatedly protecting her and forcing her to not fight, Rin responds that it is because he simply does not want to see her hurt. As a result, Saber agrees to teach him how to fight with a sword. | |||
10 | 'A Peaceful Interlude' Transcription: 'Odayaka na Makuai' (Japanese: 穏やかな幕間) | March 11, 2006 | |
Shirō has his first training session with Saber but fares poorly against her in battle. That same day, Shirō meets Ilya in town and they converse in the park. After he returns home, Rin tells Shirō to swallow a jewel, which switches on his power to use magic. | |||
11 | 'Fresh Blood Temple (Blood Fort Andromeda)' Transcription: 'Senketsu Shinden (Burāddofōto Andoromeda)' (Japanese: 鮮血神殿(ブラッドフォート·アンドロメダ)) | March 18, 2006 | |
Shirou is tricked to come to school by Shinji, and he finds himself in the midst of a trap after the Blood Fort Andromeda is activated by Rider. He manages to hold his own against Shinji, however, Shinji orders Rider to kill him. Rider's blade is unable to deal Shirō a killing blow, so she kicks him out of the window. With Shirō's death imminent, he summons Saber just in time. Saber fights Rider, and Shirō defeats Shinji, forcing him to call off Blood Fort. Rider uses her Noble Phantasm to escape from the school. | |||
12 | 'Tearing The sky' Transcription: 'Sora o Saku' (Japanese: 空を裂く) | March 25, 2006 | |
Shirō and Saber travel through town trying to find Shinji and Rider but are unsuccessful at first. When the fight between Saber and Rider commences, Saber is forced to unleash her Noble Phantasm, Excalibur, to defeat Rider, after her plan to defend to wait for an opportunity for Rider to be defenseless falls through when Shirō appears on the roof. Shirō carries Saber back after she collapses from using her Noble Phantasm. | |||
13 | 'Winter Castle' Transcription: 'Fuyu no Shiro' (Japanese: 冬の城) | April 1, 2006 | |
Rin tells Shirō that he will have to use a command spell and make Saber assault humans in order to regain her mana. When Saber is sleeping, Shirō is shown a glimpse of her past, learning that she pulled Caliburn from the stone and became king of Britain. Archer tells Shirō that Saber knew using her Noble Phantasm would result in her disappearing and did not plan to do so but used it because she chose to protect him over everything else. While Saber is still weak, Shirō is captured by Ilya, who gives him the proposition to become her servant, which he refuses. After Saber wakes up, she, Rin and Archer go looking for Shirō. | |||
14 | 'End of The Ideal' Transcription: 'Risō no Hate' (Japanese: 理想の果て) | April 8, 2006 | |
Ilyasviel sets Berserker on them. Archer battles Berserker while Rin, Shirō and Saber get away. Archer manages to defeat Berserker once when he is battered by him to the hall. Ilya is surprised when Archer calls her by her nickname, saying she is still as merciless. Archer knows that he will lose in the end but decides to deal as much damage as possible first, and uses his Noble Phantasm - Unlimited Blade Works, a reality marble. Archer manages to take five of Berserker's lives in total before he is ultimately defeated. Rin's last Command Spell disappears and Saber collapses in the forest. | |||
15 | 'The Twelve Trials' Transcription: 'Jūni no Shiren' (Japanese: 十二の試練) | April 15, 2006 | |
In order to replenish Saber's mana, Shirō gives a part of his magical circuit to Saber, which means that he will never be able to use some sorcery or be on par with other magicians. After the transfer, Ilya and Berserker come back for a final match. | |||
16 | 'The Sword of Promised Victory' Transcription: 'Yakusoku Sareta Shōri no Ken' (Japanese: 約束された勝利の剣) | April 22, 2006 | |
After Shirō manages to trace a sword powerful enough to defeat Berserker - Caliburn, he and Saber work together to defeat him. Afterwards, Shirō takes Ilya home with him. | |||
17 | 'Branded As A Witch' Transcription: 'Majo no Rakuin' (Japanese: 魔女の烙印) | April 29, 2006 | |
With mass comas now occurring within the city, Shirō and the others decide to go after the Master and Servants at the Ryudōji shrine. After confirming that Sōichirō Kuzuki, one of Shirō's teachers, is Caster's Master, Sakura is taken captive by Caster to serve as a sacrifice in order to summon the Holy Grail. | |||
18 | 'Decisive Battle' Transcription: 'Kessen' (Japanese: 決戦) | May 6, 2006 | |
Shirō, Rin and Saber attempt to rescue Sakura and to stop the Holy Grail from being summoned. While Saber fights Assassin, Shirō attempts to fend off Kuzuki, and Rin tries to save Sakura. | |||
19 | 'The Golden King' Transcription: 'Ōgon no Ō' (Japanese: 黄金の王) | May 13, 2006 | |
With victory all but won for Caster, an eighth Servant in golden armor appears and kills Caster and Kuzuki. After Shirō and the others escape, Saber reveals who this new Servant is and how she knows him. | |||
20 | 'Distant Trace of a Dream' Transcription: 'Tōi Yume Ato' (Japanese: 遠い夢跡) | May 20, 2006 | |
Upon realizing his feelings for Saber, Shirō asks her to go out on a date with him around town. Afterwards, they get in a fight and Shirō ends up running off back to his house. | |||
21 | 'The Star of Creation That Divided Heaven and Earth' Transcription: 'Tenchi Kairisu Kaibyaku no Hoshi' (Japanese: 天地乖離す開闢の星) | May 27, 2006 | |
While walking back home together, Shirō and Saber are attacked by the Servant Gilgamesh, who had previously saved them from Kuzuki and Caster. After Shirō traces a sheath for Excalibur, they manage to repel him. Later that night, Shirō makes his feelings clear to Saber and tells her that he wants her to stay with him after the war is over. | |||
22 | 'At The End of Wishes' Transcription: 'Negai no Hate' (Japanese: 願いの果て) | June 3, 2006 | |
After going to Kirei's church, Shirō is captured and nearly killed by Kirei, but Saber comes in time and heals his wounds. Kirei orders Lancer and Gilgamesh to kill Shirō and Saber, but Lancer battles Gilgamesh in order to allow the two to escape. He is subsequently overwhelmed by Gilgamesh and slain. | |||
23 | 'Holy Grail' Transcription: 'Seihai' (Japanese: 聖杯) | June 10, 2006 | |
After Ilya is taken by Kirei, Shirō and Saber head to the Ryudōji shrine in order to defeat him. Saber fights with Gilgamesh while Shirō goes after Kirei. | |||
24 | 'All Too Distant Utopia' Transcription: 'Subete Tōki Risōkyō' (Japanese: 全て遠き理想郷) | June 17, 2006 | |
By combining their powers, Shirō and Saber are able to defeat Gilgamesh and Kirei together. The final order Shirō commands to Saber is to destroy the Holy Grail. As Saber disappears, she admits her love for Shirō. An epilogue then takes place, with everyone returning to their normal lives, as if awakening from a long dream, and with Shirō satisfied with the life he has led forever remembering Saber and to enjoy a good life with Rin, Ilya, Sakura and Taiga. Meanwhile, Saber has returned to her own time, where she tells Bedivere that she had a wonderful dream, and asks if one can relive dreams, to which Bedivere replies 'of course'. She then asks Bedivere to return Excalibur to the Lady of the Lake and, moments after Bedivere has accomplished her order, Saber peacefully dies under a tree. |
See also[edit]
References[edit]
- ^'「Fate/stay night」 ブルーレイにて発売決定!' (in Japanese). Fate/Stay Night. Archived from the original on 2009-04-14. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^コミックマーケット73出展情報(2007.12.29~12.31) (in Japanese). Frontier Works. Archived from the original on 2009-02-01. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^放送局・放送日時 一覧 (in Japanese). Fate/Stay Night. Archived from the original on 2009-04-23. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^'Animax Rave April Issue'. Animax. Archived from the original on 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^'Animax East Asia'. Animax. Archived from the original on 2007-06-14. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^'TV anime Fate/stay night intro theme: disillusion'. cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^'Anata ga Ita Mori'. cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^'Aitaiyo. / Kimi to no Ashita'. cdjapan.co.jp. Retrieved 2009-06-09.
- ^'Item|Fate/stay night フェイト/ステイナイト' (in Japanese). Type-Moon. Archived from the original on 2007-10-11. Retrieved 2007-09-24.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night #5 on Oricon — Anime News Network'. Anime News Network. 2007-04-05. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night — Advent of the Magi (Vol. 1): DVD: Fate,Stay Night'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night, Vol. 6: The Holy Grail: DVD: Fate,Stay Night'. Amazon.com. Retrieved 2007-10-07.
- ^'Fate / Stay Night :: CDs'. Geneon Entertainment. Archived from the original on 2007-09-23. Retrieved 2007-09-25.
- ^'Fate/stay night'. Media Arts Database (in Japanese). Agency for Cultural Affairs. Retrieved September 30, 2017.
External links[edit]
- Official website(in Japanese)
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=List_of_Fate/stay_night_episodes&oldid=916740479'
Fate Stay Night Anime Characters
(Redirected from Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works)
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works | |
Promotional artwork for the Bluray box of Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works. | |
Genre | Action, dark fantasy |
---|---|
Anime television series | |
Directed by | Takahiro Miura |
Written by | Akira Hiyama Kazuharu Sato Tatsuki Ichinose |
Music by | Hideyuki Fukasawa Yuki Kajiura Number 201 |
Studio | Ufotable |
Licensed by | Hanabee |
Original run | October 4, 2014 – June 27, 2015 |
Episodes | 25 (List of episodes) |
Original video animation | |
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works - sunny day | |
Directed by | Takahiro Miura |
Written by | Kinoko Nasu |
Music by | Hideyuki Fukasawa |
Studio | Ufotable |
Licensed by | Hanabee Aniplex of America MVM Entertainment |
Released | October 7, 2015 |
Runtime | 10 minutes |
Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (officially stylized Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]) is an anime series produced by Ufotable. It is based on the visual novelFate/stay night produced by Type-Moon. The plot of the episodes is primarily based on the Unlimited Blade Works storyline in the Fate/stay night visual novel, in which Shirou Emiya, a high school student and amateur magus living in Fuyuki City, Japan, is dragged into the Fifth Holy Grail War, a secret magical tournament. In it, seven participants, known as 'Masters', and their 'Servants', reincarnated personifications of legendary heroes of history, fight in a battle royale for the Holy Grail, an omnipotent magical chalice that can fulfill any wish or desire for its victor. Shirou and his Servant Saber, are forced to team up with Rin Tohsaka, another Master in the Holy Grail War, but Shirou finds himself earning the strong dislike of Rin's mysterious Servant Archer, whose motivations are unknown.
Fate Stay Night Anime Episodes Youtube
The ideas for the 'Unlimited Blade Works' anime originated from Hikaru Kondo who wanted to create a new anime adaptation based on the visual novel though many staff members were not on agreement due to Fate/stay night possessing three storylines. Eventually, they chose the 'Unlimited Blade Works' route where they wanted to further explore the protagonist across his conflicts with Archer while also providing new scenes not featured in the original visual. The music was composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa, Yuki Kajiura, and NUMBER 201. The series was first announced in early 2014 while the 26 episodes were divided into two seasons that aired from October 4 to December 27, 2014. The second half ran from April 4 to June 27, 2015. The series was released in DVD and Blu-ray in both Japanese and English speaking territories.
Unlimited Blade Works was a major success in Japan, selling multiple home media releases while being the winner of multiple awards from the magazine Newtype. The series received high marks from reviewers who called him even before the premiere on television the most anticipated anime of the end of 2014 against the background of the general popularity of the franchise Fate and the success of the previous adaptation of the studio Ufotable Fate/Zero. Despite finding the series not as appealing as its predecessor, most critics enjoyed the work Ufotable performed, most notably in the handling of Shirou and other characters, while also noting the animation was visually striking.
- 2Production
- 2.2Music
Plot[edit]
The story revolves around Shirou Emiya, a hardworking and honest teenager who unwillingly enters a to-the-death battle royale called the Fifth Holy Grail War, where combatants fight with magic and Heroes throughout history for a chance to have their wishes granted. Orphaned and the sole survivor of a massive fire in Fuyuki City as a child, Shirou was taken in by a retired magus named Kiritsugu Emiya, who would die years later. His responsibility to those who died and his own salvation through his father formed a strong desire for justice and peace in him. Thus, he earnestly trains his body and minuscule ability with magic to someday greatly help others, even if at his stage people often abuse his generosity. One evening, after seeing two devastatingly powerful beings trading blows at his school with two warriors known as Archer and Lancer, he is attacked, as witnesses to the Holy Grail War are generally supposed to be eliminated. Archer's master, Rin Tohsaka manages to revive the nearly dead Shirou. However, few moments later Lancer attacks again. Shirou is about to be killed when he is saved by his own servant Saber. In her supposedly accidental summoning and the appearance of the marks on Shirou's hand, his entry as a Master into the Holy Grail War is formalized.
As Saber forces Lancer to flee, she engages in combat with Archer. Shirou accidentally stops her with his magic when seeing Rin, his schoolmate. Due to Shirou stopping Saber's attacks, both masters form an alliance to fight against other mages. Through the priest Kirei Kotomine, Shirou learns about the Holy Grail War's context and decides to participate to avoid catastrophes happening due to the Holy Grail. During the story, Shirou starts developing skills he imitates from Archer with Rin noting a striking similarities between the two. However, Shirou loses control of Saber when the servant Caster uses his guardian as a hostage. As Saber becomes imprisoned, Shirou still aims to fight with his own magical strength to stop the war.
Archer betrays Rin during a fight against Caster, but she reforms her alliance with Shirou. With Lancer's help, the duo manages to free Saber from Caster who is then killed. Archer then challenges Shirou to a fight hoping to destroy his story of being a hero, revealing himself to be a Shirou from the future who became a heroic spirit and regrets his the path he took. However, Shirou accepts his future regardless of the regrets and misery, deciding to stick to Kiritsugu's ideals of being a hero. Gilgamesh, Kotomine's former servant tries to kill Archer and Shirou, with the former sacrificing to protect the former. Having killed Kiritsugu's blood relative child Illya, Gilgamesh takes her heart and plans to use his other master Shinji Matou in order to summon the corrupted Holy Grail. In order to follow Archer's hopes, Rin passes Shirou her mana to fight Gilgamesh to replicate Archer's powers. As Shirou nearly kills Gilgamesh, Archer uses his last strength to deliver the final attack at their enemy while assisting Saber to destroy the Holy Grail. With the war concluded and the servants gone, Shirou and Rin move to London to learn more about magic although the former decides to also keep with Kiritsugu's ideal. In the final scene, Archer appears in a dimension as he remembers his past self's words, disappearing as a person with as a younger hooded person appears in the same field.
Production[edit]
Shirou Emiya designed by Tomonori Sudo in the Unlimted Blade Works artbook[1]
In 2011, Type-Moon portedFate/stay night to the PlayStation Vita. Type-Moon intended to include animated cutscenes for each of the routes for the port.[2] Studio ufotable was tasked to animate the cutscenes. During production, Ufotable president Hikaru Kondo had an idea about the possibility of creating a full anime series - an adaptation of the visual novel, despite the fact that by that time, there were already two anime adaptations of the game, both of which were animated by Studio Deen. The two adaptations were the 2006 animated series and the 2010 Unlimited Blade Works movie. Kondo proposed the idea to Type-Moon CEO Takashi Takeuchi, and it was approved.[2]
In the original visual novel, there were three routes - 'Fate', 'Unlimited Blade Works' and 'Heaven's Feel'; they were distinguished by the different focus on the main female characters - Saber, Rin and Sakura. The production committee had differing opinions regarding the development of the new anime series - some favored the idea of following the source material down to the last detail, while others, such as Hikaru Kondo and Takashi Takeuchi, wanted to re-adapt the Fate route to emphasize Saber's character traits that were displayed in Fate/Zero. However, this idea was not met with unanimous approval with the rest of the production committee. As a result, the idea was scrapped, with consensus that the Fate route serves as an introduction to the setting of the Fate universe.[2]
Producer Atsuhiro Iwakami proposed that an adaptation of the Unlimited Blade Works route would be a logical continuation to the events of Fate/Zero. Iwakami was certain that the plot of this route would be better presented as a TV series rather than a full-length film.[2] Ufotable said that they wished to develop the series in a dark tone similar to Fate/Zero with Shirou Emiya's characterization also being altered from the original visual novel.[3] As a result, Miura pointed out that in future work he would prefer to focus more on revealing the character of Shirou as a character in his traits rather through women associated with him in contrast to the game. The CEO of Type-Moon believed that only Nasu himself was able to convey all the ideas he put into Shirou, and help them reflect on the screen correctly and deepen public perception of the hero.[4] Another character that Miura requested Kinoko Nasu to expand was Illya through the second half when she learns the past of her father and is driven by angst as a result.[5]
The characters were designed by Tomonori Sudo. He was handed materials and key animation for review. Being a Type-Moon fan he was conflicted in the expression each character was supposed to have. He tried to fix those expressions so when they appear on screen, they will match. In order to deliver the best product, trusted the screen and animation directors to do their best to work together. Before finalizing the product, he reviews his work to see if anything else is needed. Sudo stated that he was satisfied with the battle choreography and animation throughout the television series.[6]
The Glastonbury Abbey ruins were used in the epilogue of the series (visible in the center is King Arthur's grave).[2]
Voice actors[edit]
All the Japanese voice actors from the Studio Deen adaptation of Fate/stay night reprised their roles. In contrast, the English dub recast the roles of Shirou, Saber and Archer to Bryce Papenbrook, Kari Wahlgren and Kaiji Tang, respectively.[7] Papenbrook felt that the story took a 'different path in Unlimited Blade Works' and that the creators 'wanted a different take on Shirou'. He was told to play Shirou in a 'real' way. As a result, Papenbrook had to get himself into a 'deep mindset'.[8]
Noriaki Sugiyama noted that he was tense before he started recording for Unlimted Blade Works, since he had not been involved in the mainstream Fate series since 2010. Sugiyama expressed concern that voicing Shirou in comedic spinoffs like Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya and Carnival Phantasm would affect his performance for Unlimted Blade Works.[9]Ayako Kawasumi, Saber's seiyu, noted that the characterization of her role differs in Unlimited Blade Works from the Fate route due to her lack of romantic feelings for Shirou. Consequently, Saber was portrayed with a more stoic demeanor, seeing Shirou as merely just her Master.[10]
Music[edit]
Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] Original Soundtrack I was composed, arranged and produced by Hideyuki Fukasawa, Yuki Kajiura, and NUMBER 201. The vocals were performed by LiSA for 'This Illusion'. The album was first released in Japan on March 25, 2015 by Aniplex, a subsidiary of Sony Music Entertainment (Japan), with catalog number ANZX-11636, and was re-released as part of the North American Limited Edition Blu-Ray box set on August 25, 2015.
There were more than four hundred compositions for the entire Unlimited Blade Works soundtrack, which significantly exceeded the average figure for a 24 episode anime series, which normally range around 40-50 tracks. As a retrospective scene accompaniment, two revised compositions by Yuki Kajiura from the Fate/Zero series were used.[11]
Originally, the series' second opening theme was 'Last Stardust', composed by Aimer. However, the staff did not find it fitting for the video's sequences and instead used 'Brave Shine'. Writer Kinoko Nasu decided to use 'Last Stardust' for the Heaven's Feel arc, but the staff instead found it more fitting to use it as an insert song in episode 20 during Shirou's fight with Archer.[12] The vocals focus on the fire that destroyed Shirou's city while dealing with his acceptance of Kiritsugu's death as he decided to follow his dreams regardless of any regrets he takes in his life. Aimer also did research in the relationship between Jesus and his disciple Judas Iscariot while handling the relationship between Shirou and Archer with the latter often showing intentions to kill the former, believing he should have never been born; similar words were said between Jesus and Judas.[13][14]
Original Soundtrack I[edit]
Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] Original Soundtrack I | |
---|---|
Soundtrack album by | |
Released | March 25, 2015 August 25, 2015 North America |
Recorded | 2015 |
Genre | Soundtrack |
Length | 73:25 |
Label | Sony Music Publishing (Japan) Inc. |
Producer | Hideyuki Fukasawa NUMBER 201 (track 25) Yuki Kajiura (track 26 & 27) |
No. | Title | Length |
---|---|---|
1. | 'Unlimited Blade Works' | 5:30 |
2. | 'Rin:Remembrance~召喚' | 2:35 |
3. | 'Archer' | 3:11 |
4. | 'Shirou:赤い記憶~Invocation' | 2:01 |
5. | 'Face to Face' | 1:01 |
6. | 'Souls to Fight' | 3:39 |
7. | 'Storm' | 1:18 |
8. | 'Vortex of Fate' | 4:29 |
9. | 'Rin's Melody' | 1:04 |
10. | 'Daydream' | 1:45 |
11. | 'A Sword, No Words' | 1:52 |
12. | 'Purple Shade' | 2:19 |
13. | 'Into the Battles' | 1:26 |
14. | 'Arrow' | 0:33 |
15. | 'Rin:my wish' | 1:00 |
16. | 'Two Hearts' | 1:51 |
17. | 'Reason to Kill' | 1:25 |
18. | 'Fist of desperate~Awakening' | 4:27 |
19. | 'Dark Glow' | 2:53 |
20. | 'Unacceptable' | 1:56 |
21. | 'Rule Breaker' | 3:43 |
22. | 'Shirou:Nowhere to go' | 2:03 |
23. | 'Each Choices, Each Steps' | 5:39 |
24. | 'Far Away from You' | 2:11 |
25. | 'THIS ILLUSION' (Season 1 Ending Theme. Vocal by LiSA.) | 4:04 |
26. | 'count it from zero' (Produced by Yuki Kajiura) | 4:34 |
27. | 'down in the zero' (Produced by Yuki Kajiura) | 4:56 |
Total length: | 73:25 |
Release[edit]
The series was first announced in early 2014 while the official announcement about its cast and storyline was uncovered in July the same year.[15][16] The anime is jointly produced by Aniplex, Notes, and Ufotable, the same studios that co-produced the 2011–2012 anime adaptation for Fate/Zero. It is also directed by Takahiro Miura, with music composed by Hideyuki Fukasawa; character designs by Tomonori Sudou, Hisayuki Tabata, and Atsushi Ikariya, based on the original designs by Takashi Takeuchi; and art, 3D, and photography directions by Koji Eto, Kōjirō Shishido, and Yuichi Terao, respectively. The first half of the series ran from October 4 to December 27, 2014. The second half ran from April 4 to June 27, 2015.[17] An advanced screening online premiered on September 28, 2014, in several countries across the world, including Japan, the United States, France, Germany and South Korea.[18] A total of eleven DVD volumes collected the series in Japan. They were released from November 26, 2014 to September 30, 2015.[19] Two compilation Bluray disks were also released. The first disk containing the first season was release on March 25, 2015.[20] The second disk was released on October 7, 2015.[21]
Aniplex of America acquired streaming and home video rights to the 2014 series for North America.[22] They released an English dub for the first half of the series on DVD and limited Blu-ray Disc on August 25, 2015.[23][24] A ten-minute original video animation episode was featured on the Blu-ray release for the second half of the series, which was released on October 7, 2015; the episode was based on an alternate ending from the visual novel, titled 'Sunny Day'.[25]
To promote the anime, Shirou, Saber, Rin and Archer were added to the video game Summons Board.[26]The Alchemist Code, which is also a crossover game, was used to promote the anime as well.[27]
Reception[edit]
The series has been popular in Japan. The first Bluray sold 33,876 units, topping charts.[28] By March 2015, the Fate franchise became the #1 franchise in collective CD, book, and video sales.[29] 76,222 Bluray volumes in Japan by the end of 2015.[30] In the same year, the series also won the 'Best Work' award on the Newtype magazine. Theme song 'Brave Shine' won Best Theme Song award on the magazine, while the general soundtrack was second behind Aldnoah.Zero. Takahiro Miura was also awarded as Best Director while the character designers were ranked third.[31] Aimer's single 'Brave Shine' appeared in the fourth spot of both Oricon and Billboard Japan Hot 100's charts.[32][33]
The series was highly rated amongst critics; they liked the way Ufotable handled the main characters.[34][35] Solidworks 2016 crack. Critics also praised the animation quality of the series. Kotaku reviewer Richard Eysenbeys noted the smooth transitions between individual frames and the chosen range of colors, creating a cinematic effect, which went beyond the framework of the anime industry templates adopted in those years and even surpassed previous works produced by ufotable.[36] In addition to this, Nick Creamer from Anime News Network highlighted the computer generated special effects, which led to an increase in enjoyment.[37]
Chris Beveridge of The Fandom Post enjoyed Shirou's characterization in the series, especially in regards to his contrasting ideals with Archer and Kiritsugu,[38]Japanator found his decision in regards to becoming a tragic warrior as uncommon in storytelling, showing depths in the character.[39] Seb Reid praised the television series produced by Ufotable more than the 2006 Studio Deen adaptation due Rin's larger role in the series alongside Archer; he believed that they are the best characters from the series.[40] Beveridge shares similar sentiments with Reid; he also found Rin more appealing than Saber due to the former's role in the series' finale.[41] Japanator stated that Archer's betrayal towards Rin felt like a sad plot twist due to the duo's contract and bond in the previous episodes. This made Rin's development take a gloomier direction according to the reviewer.[42]
The series' epilogue added a new scene where a person with a striking resemblance with Shirou is seen walking in Archer's dimension. This generated many questions from fans in regards to Shirou's destiny. However, Kinoko Nasu remained ambiguous regarding whether that person was Shirou or not.[43]
References[edit]
- ^Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works Blu-ray Disc Box I Booklet. Type-Moon. 2015. p. 5.
- ^ abcdeFate/stay night 「Unlimited Blade Works」岩上敦宏╳近藤光╳武内崇:「UBW」アニメ化の発端となった出来事. Type-Moon Type-Moon. 2015. pp. 16–21.
- ^'New Fate/Stay Night Anime To Be More Serious Like Fate/Zero'. Siliconera. Archived from the original on December 28, 2018. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^Fate/stay night 「Unlimited Blade Works」 : 岩上敦宏╳近藤光╳武内崇:「UBW」アニメ化の発端となった出来事. Type-Moon — Tokyo : Kadokawa Shoten. 2015. pp. 16–21.
- ^Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Part 2 (Blu-ray). Funimation. 2015. studio: Ufotable
- ^'Tomonori Sudo Interview @ Fate/stay night: Heaven's Feel Premiere'. T Ono. Retrieved May 18, 2019.
- ^'Aniplex USA Details Fate/stay night: UBW, Durarara!!×2 Shō Release Details'. Anime News Network. Retrieved 2019-04-30.
- ^'Episode 118 - Fate/Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works w/ Harold'. The Animation Station Podcast. Archived from the original on January 10, 2019. Retrieved January 9, 2019.
- ^Fate/stay night 「Unlimited Blade Works」 : Special Interview 杉山紀彰╳諏訪部順一. Type-Moon // Type-Moon ACE. — Tokyo : Kadokawa Shoten. 2015. pp. 34–37.
- ^'Ayako Kawasumi Interview @ Anime Expo 2015'. T Ono. Archived from the original on 2018-12-28. Retrieved December 27, 2018.
- ^Fate 10周年! : 武内崇 インタヒユ— : / Type-Moon // Type-Moon ACE. — Tokyo : Kadokawa Shoten, 2014. — № 9. — P. 8—13.
- ^'【Aimer/I beg you】歌詞の意味を徹底解釈!Fateの主題歌で間桐桜の暗くも切ない思いを描く!?' (in Japanese). Salute Project. Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^'Aimer「LAST STARDUST」の歌詞が知りたい!アニメ挿入歌をPLAY♪' (in Japanese). Retrieved March 15, 2019.
- ^'Aimer「LAST STARDUST」の歌詞が知りたい!アニメ挿入歌をPLAY♪' (in Japanese). Retrieved March 16, 2019.
- ^'New Fate/stay night Anime by ufotable Premieres Fall 2014'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night Anime Remake's Cast, Staff Revealed'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^'New Fate/stay night TV Anime is 'Unlimited Blade Works''. Anime News Network. July 27, 2014. Retrieved July 27, 2014.
- ^'Hulu, Crunchyroll to Stream Fate/stay night Unlimited Blade Works'. Anime News Network. September 10, 2014. Retrieved September 10, 2014.
- ^'Rental DVDs' (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 5, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^'Blu-ray Disc Box Ⅰ / 早期予約・店舗特典' (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 10, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^'Blu-ray Disc Box Ⅱ / 早期予約・店舗特典' (in Japanese). Type Moon. Archived from the original on August 18, 2015. Retrieved April 25, 2019.
- ^'Aniplex USA Streams 2 English-subtitles Fate/stay night Remake Trailers'. Anime News Network. May 25, 2014. Retrieved May 26, 2014.
- ^'Anime Expo to Host Fate/Stay Night UBW's Singers, Voice Actress, Staff, English Dub'. Anime News Network. June 13, 2015. Retrieved June 13, 2015.
- ^'Aniplex USA Details Fate/stay night: UBW, Durarara!!×2 Shō Release Details'. Anime News Network. July 2, 2015. Retrieved July 4, 2015.
- ^'Fate/stay night UBW Blu-ray Box 2 Adds 10-Minute Short'. Anime News Network. August 3, 2015. Retrieved September 26, 2015.
- ^'Collab Fate'. GungHo Online Entertainment. Archived from the original on February 3, 2019. Retrieved February 2, 2019.
- ^'Limited Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] Crossover With The Alchemist Code Smartphone Game'. Manga.Tokyo. Retrieved April 28, 2019.
- ^'Fate Is #1 Franchise in Collective CD, Book, Video Sales for March'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^'Fate Is #1 Franchise in Collective CD, Book, Video Sales for March'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^'Top-Selling Animation in Japan on Blu-ray Disc/DVD by Series: 2015'. Anime News Network. Retrieved February 27, 2019.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night, Psycho-Pass Film Win Top Newtype Awards'. Anime News Network. Retrieved April 24, 2019.
- ^'Aimer | Billboard Chart History'. Billboard. Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^'Aimerのシングル' [Aimer singles]. Oricon (in Japanese). Retrieved January 1, 2019.
- ^'The Fall 2014 Anime Preview Guide: Fate stay night'. Anime News Network. 2014-10-04. Archived from the original on 2017-07-27.
- ^Kestrel Swift (2014-10-14). 'Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Episode #01 Anime Review'. The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on 2018-07-30.
- ^Richard Eisenbeis (2015-09-02). 'Unlimited Blade Works is More Than Just Eye Candy'. Kotaku. Archived from the original on 2017-07-08. Retrieved 2018-08-27.
- ^Nick Creamer (2015-03-07). 'Review: Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (Limited Edition BD Box Set 1)'. Anime News Network. Archived from the original on 2017-11-16.
- ^Beveridge, Chris. 'Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Limited Edition Box Set 2 Blu-ray Anime Review'. The Fandom Post. Archived from the original on July 16, 2018. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^Tolentino, Josh. 'Final Impressions: Unlimited Blade Works'. Japanator. Archived from the original on December 9, 2018. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^'Fate/Stay Night: Unlimited Blade Works - Part 1'. UK Anime Network. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^'Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works Limited Edition Box Set 2 Blu-ray Anime Review'. Fandom Post. Retrieved November 23, 2018.
- ^'Annotated Anime: Unlimited Blade Works episodes 13-14'. Japanator. Retrieved December 8, 2018.
- ^'竹箒日記 : 2015/06'. Type-Moon. Archived from the original on December 30, 2016. Retrieved December 14, 2018.
External links[edit]
- Official Japanese website(in Japanese)
- Fate/stay night: Unlimited Blade Works (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
Retrieved from 'https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Fate/stay_night:_Unlimited_Blade_Works_(TV_series)&oldid=916627077'