ufotable does it again. As I said for God Eater, ufotable is a superb studio. The characters have a fine quality of sketching that is not too sharp nor too colored, but just in between. One of the best-animated anime, undoubtedly.
Sound. LiSA's legendary opening "oath sign" and a brilliant soundtrack make this even more enjoyable. Operatic vocals punctuate the fight scenes -- which are awesome too, quick and furious and bloody realistic like fights should be -- with a rolling thunder of symphonic majesty. The themes in this anime are pretty dark in hindsight, in comparison to other anime. A lot of blood is spilled, and betrayal and trickery go hand in hand. Is Kiritsugu Emiya justified in how he fights this war? He is quite the character in that he has quite the sad backstory and I just love the spiky hair. Kinda like that of Lenka Utsugi in God Eater. This is the chronological prelude to the events of Fate/stay night, so I recommend seeing this first, although fans may tell you to do otherwise. This way you know the past at the beginning, and see how it influences Shirou Emiya's motivations in his time. Plus if you see Fate/stay night first the ending of Fate/Zero is revealed.
You have these Servants, each of a certain class, to fight in this Holy Grail War. Lancer, who uses a red sturdy lance with eye-aweing skill. Saber, swordswoman, superb as well. Rider, the horseman whose physicality is undoubted. Assassin, the surreptitious killer in the shadows. Archer, commander of a mighty arsenal of weapons from times past. Berserker, brute force manifested. Caster, the sanctified agent of God to spill blood with his foul creatures and ancient book. Who will triumph in this war? What exactly is the Holy Grail? Why do they fight?
Highly entertaining, as the plot is purely combat-based. Has some of the best fight scenes you will ever encounter in anime.
one word to describe this anime: poignant
