Spoiler Alert: Fate/zero

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Fate/zero was an anime created as a prequel for Fate/stay night, the anime that produced the line we’re all too familiar with – “People die if they’re killed.” Oh, Fate/stay night and your amazing ability to make an awesome idea and concept translate into an infamously hated-on show. Fate/zero, however, has received extreme praise from many viewers. The series is based in a world where magic and mages exist. Three ancient families of mages once summoned the Holy Grail, an omni-potent wish granting goblet in search of knowledge. Once it arrived however, the grail took matters into its own hands. The Holy Grail places red marks on 7 chosen mages’ right hand. These 7 mages or masters then summon a servant each from the seven classes – Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Castor, Assassin and Berserker – who then fight amongst each other until there is a single winner left. The winning master and servant are granted their one true desire. The grail then disappears for 60 years until it starts choosing the next set of masters again. The servants in the wars are famous or known heroic spirits such as King Arthur (Sabre class), Alexander the Great (Rider class) or Sir Lancelot (Berserker class).

Fate/zero is twenty five episodes long. It starts off slow, describing the premise of the show and the back stories of the main characters. Although a little confusing at first, the anime slowly picks up momentum as it unravels its riddles and mysteries. The anime efficiently and effectively exploits the concept of pairing ancient heroic spirits with people living in the present world as it emphasises their differences and similarities to weave a tale that questions each and every single reality but offers no answers. The characters are well written – layered and confusing – just like the story. It is dark, brutally honest and unapologetic. Moreover, by sneaking in younger versions of the characters from Fate/stay night in the storyline, Fate/zero leaves you with an irking desire to re-watch the not so great anime series you watched a few years ago and wondered how someone could so massively f*ck up as cool a concept as bringing random heroes from every time and every world back to life to fight each other with magical arms.

All in all, the anime is a good watch. Although, sexism alert, it does go on and on a bit at the start about dreaming little girls not being fit to be leaders. Let me know how you felt about it.