We try again, with "Fate/Stay Night"
I wanted to like this anime, I really did. It has everything going for it.
For its' time, the original series was drawn quite well. The general art is acceptable, and of course the characters are quite good; some are drawn quite fetchingly. This is especially true of characters like Saber, and not as well but quite good, Rin Tohsaka.
I realize there are other versions of this anime, but we're just dealing with the original anime.
The music is mostly well done, and the incidental musical score is appropriate for most of the series.
And the story, is predictable, but well written. Boy meets girl. Can't have her, both must survive against overwhelming odds. Boy loves girl. Girl cares for boy. Girl has serious business that forces her to ultimately leave. Love is never requited. Other characters dress the sets, occasionally they are useful.
I especially like the historical tie-ins and romantic ending of the life of Arthuria Pendragon (Saber). This is especially poignant for those of us who have seen the movie 'Excalibre', as the ending of Miss Pendragon, is almost exactly the same as the King in that movie.
She orders her servant to return the sword 'Excalibre' to the Lady of the Lake, and promptly dies. The male King Arthur Pendragon is a clear failure, after a valiant effort; just as Arthuria Pendragon realizes, too late, she has also failed to make a permanently better World.
Now that is romantic writing at its finest.
But I have one criticism. Just one, and it's fairly serious. Fate/Stay Night has a "Holy Grail". This Holy Grail is not a prize at all. It is an unreasoning monster that always rewards the winner of the contest with despair, death and destruction. If the players knew (but they don't) at the beginning of the contest, what the prize was, most of the 'Heros' would just stay home.
This same concept was used in another movie called "The Fifth Element". Great dark sphere appears on the Universal Horizon, with one purpose. To destroy all Life as all of us recognize it. Some people actually like the idea of dealing with an omniscient seeming godlike being, only to discover too late; that they have invited Hell into their midst.
In other words, as romantically engaging the rest of the story is; the prize at the end is just a total negative, a turn-off, a great big dead-spot; that I found very disheartening. The viewer wants to see something of some kind of victory after so much pain and turmoil; dealing with not only the Holy Grail, but also the Wizard that wants to make big messes that only the Holy Grail can provide. There is no possible positive victory, only a bittersweet acceptance by Saber, the destruction of the Holy Grail and then her imminent death.
So for all of you who like beautiful romantic stories that have as much to say about people in love as any other Anime; but can also stand a tragically bittersweet ending, Fate/Stay Night might be your anime.
But for me, I would have taken a pass, if I knew Fate/Stay Night as I do now. I give this tragic Story a very strong 8.
