Analysis - Fate/Zero (Ep 3: Part 3)

So here it is, final part of Ep tiga. Apparently...

Note that most suspicious bloke...

Firstly, why I up the song so sad one? Very simple. 'cuz majority of the scenario is all abt Saber and Iri. Yet, we must note that throughout the entire duration, Kiritsugu is the main focus and herein lies the POV masterstroke: while it's very common to use the most direct method, i.e. using the same character's POV to understand said character, what we're seeing here is a case of Emiya Kiritsugu in the eyes of those around him. Three women to be exact-his Servant-turned-potential daughter in law, his sexual partner only capable of satisfying him, and lastly, Iri herself.

Perempuan satu-der Diener

Currently, there's nothing exposing Saber's character apart from whatever we know via Fate/stay night. In short, Fate/Zero has always been about Emiya Kiritsugu since he's the one justifying everything and ****ing everything up also.

However, it's also worthy of note that at this point of time, Saber still has not understood the full extent of Kiritsugu's dishonourable nature. This is solely due to Iri knowing the real Kiritsugu and even then, I truly doubt she knows more than 40% of the truth. It's either that or she knows the real Kiritsugu 100%. Must one day go listen to that drama CD ep. >.<

Curiously enough, Iri can be said as a character closest to Shirou than anybody else. You see, no one understood Kiri better than Iri, that's why I'm a fervent K-I shipper. Granted Iri most likely never knew Kiri's past in his native Japan, but she could literally see his hurt. Back then, she knew nothing apart from being the Grail's physical vessel. Now, Kiri has given her an actual reason to live. Even though she knows what has to be done.

Of course it seems that she's actually trying to hide Kiri's methodology from Saber. Why? Because she wants to heal whatever rift between Kiri and Saber! You see, Saber is Arturia, Arturia is Queen Arthur. We're talking abt the King of Knights ffs, knights will always live and die by their code of honour. As we will see soon enough, the imminent conflict between Servant and Master is the greatest joke pulled off by fate itself.

Ironic logic 1-Iri is the only one knowing Kiri best, but even Iri herself couldn't prevent anything from happening. Literally and way beyond our wildest nightmares. Also by playing the good lady, Iri might have manufactured an atomic bomb unwittingly. Figuratively ofc since it's all abt hiding Kiri's way of doing things from Saber-chan.

Perempuan dua-die Hure

Yes, I'm being misogynistic here, I blame it on my ****ed up past. Coupled with me feeling paranoid over how my fellow locals might see living children living lives 10 x more ****ed up than yours truly, I believe either I'm 100% barking mad like how ppl in the past tend to perceive me, OR I'm actually a genius. Either way, this is me digressing. Don't understand my meaning? Then you're dumber than this barking mad virgin bastard here.

Now let's go onto Hisau Maiya. Why I called her "the whore" in German is due to two reasons:

1. I'm trying to sound intelligent here.

2. German isn't the universal language, English still is.

Anti-feminist jokes aside, Maiya is actually Kiri's most able assistant. Literally. You see, the only reason why Kiri looked to her for sexual comfort is down to an empty life lived thus far. Sexual partner=/=practical partner, folks. Best evidence? Her analysis on True Assassain's "death".

Remember how I said Waver Velvet's analysis being rather spot-on? That was pertaining to Gil's Noble Phantasm being the Gates of Babylon. Maiya's analysis, on the other hand, is 100% military, 100% professional. She only know 70% of the situation, but this 70% is down to suspicion rather than cold hard facts presenting themselves naked.

So where does the 70% come from? One simple question asked-why timing and situation seem so kelong one?

I happen to know a certain pakcik melayu in work where his kelong song is concerned, military kelong is diff from football kelong. Football kelong is all abt locals and Czech footballers playing illegal bailout, military kelong has nothing to do with $$$. The problem with timing is this-everything seems fake and I'm not talking abt Koreans. Firstly, given Tokiomi's character, surely he should have expected the Assassin Servant class being legit! Secondly, why True Assassin so bodoh one? Solo sneak into other ppl's house, confirm sure know scally got sentries one wat! Bounded fields? Check. Detecting a non-Assassin fellow Servant hiding somewhere? Total bullshit. Given Gil's prideful character, discretion is nvr in His Holy Majesty's dictionary, I dunno abt "discretion" translated in Sumerian/Akkadian.

Ironic logic 2-Is there any? Dunno b/c I think this particular section lagi convoluted one srsly.

Perempuan tiga-das reiche Mädchen, both in $$$ and heart.

Remember Saber's section? Well, I did say a bit on Iri, now let's see what I can write further on. Firstly, Kiri isn't someone willing to open himself up. When Iri stated that Japan has hosted too many painful memories for Kiri, it's not necessarily that she knows everything. Mr Eric Soh once said that women tend to be more emotional, I now interpret this as being more easily empathetic. Yes, Iri IS indeed an empathetic character, perhaps this is why Kiri broke down upon remembering holding an infant Ilya years ago.

I believe Iri is still trying to get Kiri to open himself up, for all we know, she might have discovered Kiri's "affair" with Maiya already (note the quotation marks b/c Kiri is still technically a bachelor).

One interesting area abt Iri's entrance is this-when she entered Japan, I doubt there's nothing wrong with Saber wearing tux. But the greatest laugh is this: Iri's wearing something out of place in a country like Japan. Can you imagine an angmoh girl wearing winter wear in local SG? Sure confirm will have ppl alerting IMH and Ward 46A@SGH one.

So what should we deduce from Iri's character? Firstly, she's a fashionista when it comes to other ppl. Secondly, she's NOT a fashionista when it comes to herself.

Yet, her sheltered upbringing is what matters most. You see, she had nvr stepped beyond the walls of House von Einzbern, Iri is actually an innocent girl at heart (altho it didn't really prevent Kiri from doing horrible things to her knowledge). I believe her reaction towards wading in the beach says it all. Does she know the cruelties of life? Yes. Does she understand why life must be lived forward rather than backwards? Yes. Kiri taught her to ask herself both questions seriously, Kiri will forever be the one giving her the strength to live.

Ironic logic 3- pls read below further...

Abschnitt Nachbesprechung

Doubt can say much abt Kiri, allow me to just debrief everything in terms of his inner fragility. I've said before earlier here that Kiri broke down upon remembering holding an infant Ilya in his hands. In the original novel, he said it in self-derision. Why? Self-derision is NOT about self-deprecating. Self-derision can be seen as a mentality more severe than merely self-deprecating humour. Laughing at your own stupidity is one matter, mocking your own life being quite another.

Kiri is, without a doubt, mocking at his own life. He used to live a life where killing is the only way out. Not in terms of surviving, but rather to save many more lives. Ironically, Archer (as in GAR-cher himself), never understood such cruelty until he became a Counter Guardian. And Emiya Kiritsugu is quintessentially a human Counter Guardian.

Schicksal Ironie-Emiya Kiritsugu is indeed a man of steel, but made of steel he is not. He believed himself as beyond emotions, Irisviel von Einzbern proved him wrong. Hisau Maiya lives an identical life, this is only why Kiritsugu seeks her for comfort.

Note Koyama-san's key statements.
I can only say Emiya Kiristugu got a ****ed up childhood amounting to überhaupt keine

On 100% unrelated note...

And on 200% unrelated note and 300% self-plugging note...

"They tried raising him as a pup, they ended up feeding a cub instead. I was equally guilty, I still am. Like my brethren, I am a hound and nothing more. Aeranath is my son, he shall always be a wolf. If there's anything a father can do for his son, it'll be righting my people's wrong done to him and reversing my sin committed against him. Aeranath, I'll be waiting... waiting for the moment where you will right everything through ripping out my heart."

~Rowein of Steel

Analysis - Fate/Zero (Ep 3: Part 2)

So here we are, now at Bro-skander's end. This time round, we will get to have a glimpse on why Bro-skander is everybody's bro. But firstly, some OST to hype shit up.

Irony dua-idiot=genius

A certain friend of mine deserves some major credit. Everyone calls him dao-you* (导游) including me, I've yet to know his real name apart from the fact that I need to ask him again what's his name in Top 11 Football Manager (albeit mine is FB ver while his is phone app ver, so you all catch the drift...).
*Oh, and one more thing... suddenly recalled that Taiwanese girl jape. O_o

You see, he once said (juts last week lol!) that there will always be a fine line separating genius from an idiot. More often than not, when a person acts like an idiot, it means he/she is truly one. Yet, there will always be that 1 out of every jipaban ppl born who is truly a shining diamond hidden six feet underneath a pile of debris. These are the kind of blokes/gals acting like a cretin, but who are definitely NOT cretins.

Remember the late Steve Jobs? He's an eccentric bloke, some will even say an egomaniac. However, back during the 90s when he was touting that "I have a dream..." idea, people thought he's howling mad like a lone wolf infected with rabies. Even though he's now six feet underneath, I truly doubt racial lineage plays a part in the iPod technology that kick started the iPhone and iPad technology (note of self apology: I actually got it wrong when I first assumed him to be an American Jew where in fact he's Arab-American). They say he who laughs last is laughing at you, I'm not talking abt He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. Emma Watson is uber hot though, but that's beyond my point.

Now back to Bro-skander. Is he an idiot? Well, he does act like one when His Macedonian-Greek Majesty made that first appearance. Playing GTA is one thing, only Bro-skander is allowed to pull off RLGTA. Don't believe me, go re-watch Ep 2.

One of the greatest false indication lies in the fact that he managed to declare the great US of A to be his next greatest enemy/rival. Critics tend call the actual US of A as an imperial asshole nation, but trust me when I say Bro-skander is too manly for insult-hurling. He saw B2 stealth bomber, he declared that he wanted to buy that type of aircraft. He saw Mr Clinton talking cock on TV, he declared Mr Clinton as his next worthy rival due to my aforementioned B2 tech.

Ironic logic 1-This has nothing to do with US of A, but it's worthy of note that modern day Iraq is actually part of the Persian Empire. Bro-skander only sees Mr Clinton, Al Hussein nowhere to be found. Also, let us remember the correct Berserker while I'm at it.

So now comes the lamest question in the history of Man himself, Is Bro-skander really an idiot? A BIG FAT NO. Alexander the Great is called Alexander the Great for a very good reason. He's the greatest conqueror history has ever seen, not even William the Conqueror should be seen an equal, let alone his better. You see, the Normans managed to conquer Britain, but the Macedonian-Greek Empire managed to stretch its arms like an almighty sotong (or maybe some gaijin tako like this one below).

Now it must be stated that the Macedonian-Greek Empire was an empire massively steeped in warfare. Of course every empire had its own history written in blood, but the Greeks in particular were quite war obsessed so as to speak. Remember Sparta, remember His Badass GAR-ness.

But Achilles and Perseus MIA, sad...

Now this is NOT me bullshitting here b/c Alexander the Great was a military genius. You see, the enemies he had to overcome are those of unknown quantity and quality. Quantity b/c of deployment, quality b/c of strategy and tactics never seen before. However, Alexander the Great still managed to do what he does best in the business: making war first, then love. In fact, who knows how history would be rewritten had he not died an untimely freak death? Son of a gun ended up marching all the way till the Persian Empire itself, I shit you all not.

Now, it's virtually a no-brainer that Bro-skander=Alexander the Great and I'm not talking abt you, AnalAlex. You're an Aussie, not Foin's fellow country Greek. Back to the topic at hand here. Now it's pretty clear that Bro-skander is damned whimsical, only Gil can be his certified equal.

If there's any proof pointing to His Macedonian Greek Majesty's character, it would be that certain running gag called war video games. On the first glance, it really seems like one, however, such an otaku hobby only highlights the only way where Bro-skander can stamp his mark. He can only wage war and conquest, for his life is that of a conqueror, not a ruler. In fact, I suspect the only logical cause behind his ambition to "rule the world once again" stems from his imminent failure in conquering the Persian Empire.

A military man is always a pragmatic man, but we must also say that no man should be deprived of his right to dream. Bro-skander IS a dreamer, make no mistakes about that. Ironically, the only reason why he never achieved that dream of his wasn't down to a lack in ability, but rather getting shit outta luck.

Ironic logic 2-Underneath a massive jester's guise lies a military genius capable of calm and composure. His attitude adopted towards Gil's actual Noble Phantasm (i.e. Gates of Babylon) should be the best proof pointing to a military thinker rather than just merely a follower.

So now let's get to Waver "Velvety" Velvet. What's so special abt this wussy coward, you might ask. Maybe just put it this way: in Waver Velvet, are we seeing a velvety guy or a sharp analyser of situation? Everybody in the Clock Tower despises him because he comes from a half-assed family, yet in this ep, we managed to see his other side. Looking back at how he observed True Assassin's "death" before the Gates of Babylon, it's quite unthinkable to see him formulating a conclusion. Granted the answer has yet to out itself from the closet, but still we have to give credit where rightfully due. Yes, Waver IS the first character to have an inkling of an idea pertaining to Gil's Noble Phantasm. Period.

Ironic (?) logic 3-Remember how Bro-skander perched himself and Waver on top of that bridge? Can't be sure whether it's Fuyuki Bridge I'm talking abt, but any bet on whether Bro-skander possesses Noble Phantasms amounting to ranged weapons is on. After all, Archers are known to be adept tacticians capable of reconnaissance. Ironically, this is also Lancer's role during the beginning of Fate/stay night where in fact, he doesn't like GAR-cher a single bit. Don't believe me, go ask Rule 32.

Next-Still got Part 3, guess who?

Analysis - Fate/Zero (Ep 3: Part 1)

Amazingly, I guess this will be a short post on a relative scale. Need to get back into the groove of things. Thankfully, I decided that Marvel Avengers Alliance is more than enough of a FB app for me to handle.

Problem irony?

Ep 3 is basically a bit of filler ep here. Apart from the very end where Lancer finally made his most handsome debut, there's nothing much of a progression. However, this is also quite a character driven ep (unless we're talking abt military analysis).

Irony satu-What Gil said and Fate/stay night

Despite being a sneaky bastard, I really pity Tokiomi. Why? Because he ended up summoning the wrong Servant. Or rather he ended up summoning Gilgamesh into the sallah Servant class. You see, Archer Servants do have that one unique ability/skill called Independent Action. For Gil, I think it's like A+. Which means he's absurdly OP'ed. In Toki's own terms, the only way to rein him in is to use a Command Spell. However, we all know shit can only be spammed thrice. They say the 3rd time is a charm, 3rd time in this case means game over.

Ironic logic 1-Tokiomi is a certified schemer, that's why the Holy Grail chose for him the Archer class (i.e. Archers are certified tacticians). Tokiomi is also a prideful bastard, that's why he will get himself into major trouble. Period.

Secondly, Tokiomi FEARS Gil. No, I doubt I'm shitting myself here. If you're a boliao person who enjoys observing ppl for teh lulz, you'll most likely notice his body language when Gil suddenly spirited himself into full glory.

From relaxed mode to tensed up mode, if this isn't called nervous, then Ser A.Fergie should be cosplaying as Hello Kitty (or is it Hello Daniel?).

Ironic logic 2-What I said up here. Literally.

Interestingly enough, Gill actually commented that 'our' world (as in the modern world), is full of ugliness. That was his answer towards Tokiomi asking him whether 'our' world is to His Holy Majesty's liking. Laughably enough, Tokiomi has effectively downgraded himself by asking this plp question. It's virtually a case of the tail wagging the dog, an actual ass backwards hierarchy order if I say so myself.

But enough of Nasuverse rhetoric here. What I'm trying to say this:

Gil called 'our' world an ugly world, but why is it that he's still wanting know any form of beauty most worthwhile?

Ironic logic 3-Because he's a whimsical bastard who enjoys doing things in spite of the apparent obvious. In short, he's just wanting to double confirm what 'our' world is all about.

So what's the biggest irony thus far? Two things, my Nasuverse khakis.

1. Gil's self centred opinion (or most say personality even) is an ironic precursor to the main course so as to speak. Just as how Emiya Shirou viewed Saber as a living dream years later on, likewise Gil would also see Saber as a living form of absolute beauty. They say the most beautiful dreams are meant to be unattainable, this is Saber's only meaning of existence.

2. Tokiomi thumbed down his nose on Kiritsugu, but that's only because an elitist prick can never understand that sibeh suay fella born to suffer and endure (suddenly remember years ago a Wee Shumin farce for no reason at all). Kiritsugu IS indeed a one man terror organisation, but osama.co.jp he is not. Is he a despicable man? Yes. Is he a noble man? YES. That's why he ended up summoning Arturia (i.e. Queen Arthur) as Saber. Although, on a major hindsight, Arturia can only be Saber Servant class, so you can dismiss this as me talking cock (but only the last part b/c only bullshitting idiots will disagree with me on Kiritsugu's noble beliefs).

P.S: There's such a thing called catalyst for summoning and said catalyst will always have close ties with the Heroic Spirit summoned. But still have to give it to Nasu when it comes to all things symbolism. :)

Next-Food, sex, sleep, and war... enjoy everything to the max, live life to the max. This is Bro-skandar speaking here, no bullshitting you peons. And yes, both vids below highlights me as a GAR-cher fan.

体は剣で出来ている。
 血潮は鉄で心は硝子。
 幾たびの戦場を越えて不敗。
 ただの一度も敗走はなく、
 ただの一度も理解されない。
 彼の者は常に独り
 剣の丘で勝利に酔う。
 故に、生涯に意味はなく
 その体は、きっと剣で出来ていた。
{無限の剣製. ver. アーチャー}

体は剣で出来ている。
 血潮は鉄で心は硝子。
 幾たびの戦場を越えて不敗
 ただの一度の敗走もなく
 ただの一度の勝利もなし。
 担い手はここに孤り
 剣の丘で鉄を鍛つ。
 ならば、わが生涯に意味は不要ず。
 この体は、無限の剣で出来ていた。
{無限の剣製. ver. 衛宮士郎}

Analysis - Fate/Zero (Ep 2: Part 2)

Suddenly realised it will be far easier for me to do anything compared to rewriting ART. I must have gotten way too 龟毛 liao... -_-

Part 1

P.S: Can't find the ED sequence clip=not my fault. -.-

Add P.S: But heng still have Kajiura Yuki.

Who's your daddy?

So let's get this out first. Namely Kiritsugu's scene. Now it's much noteworthy to see that Saber-chan had gotten off to a worst possible start with her Master (although Iri's reaction wasn't anywhere near saintly as well lol!). One extremely interesting facet of her character is this: She has never seen herself as a girl, but hey, she IS one lol! At this point, we didn't know anything much on her past (that is if we're to discount Fate/stay night, which ironically was released a few years earlier back). Yet, it seems that she really detests any kind of girl treatment. Okay, scratch that. She already showed that to Shirou anyway. But still, it's pretty refreshing to see a far more naive Arturia (i.e. Saber's actual name is NOT Arthur). Her dream all the while at this point of time was only to save Britain. If not for the Battle of Camlann... (and no, I shit you all not. The Battle of Camlann is NOT something Nasu pulled off from his ass).

So what is it that Arturia wants from the Grail since her mission to save Britain was a certified epic fail? I believe any potential conflict would have gotten worse had not Iri playing the mediator. In fact, Arturia is... well pretty much reserved towards Kiritsugu in terms of trust. It's not that she resents Kiritsugu as a Servant (hello, folks~ one Gil is already bad enough! -.-). But rather as we will find out soon enough, it actually runs way deeper than just a bad impression (lol she even tells Shirou that they only ended up talking like... wtf, 4 times or so?!).

Interestingly though, Arturia is actually together with Iri in the Einzbern Castle rather than with Kiritsugu. And this was when Arturia is willing to stoop down a notch so as to speak. In short, she's willing to cut Kiritsugu some much wanted slack and credit should go to Ilya. In short, the Kiritsugu before Arturia is nothing more than a normal father indulging his daughter. In fact, after listening to Iri and watching Kiritsugu, Arturia manages to make up her mind. That she doesn't see any difference between her and Kiritsugu in terms of saving the world (although I need to add in the spoiler fact that Arturia is pretty much stupid in believing a common goal to be sufficient).

Now let's talk about Kiritsugu and Ilya. It's actually a very simple, yet heartwarming moment. Eight years ago, he didn't dare calling himself a father. Eight years later on, he did the only thing affordable. And that is to be a gentle father promising his daughter that he will be back. Of course we all know this is a literal Mission Impossible come Fate/stay night, but at least Kiritsugu has to do something. Something reminding him that someday and somehow, he'll be able to live out his ideal as a "Seigi no Mikata" (正義の味方/Ally of Justice). In fact, this will be his final battle no matter what. If he can survive, he will come back for Ilya. Of course Ilya didn't know anything, but that doesn't mean Kiritsugu should try lying to himself.

And lastly allow me to comment on Kiritsugu's little white lie. You see, he knows what will happen to Iri once the Grail War is done. And Kiritsugu actually ended up going the distance by telling Ilya that "Mother won't be around for a little while".

Ilya's response? "Mother says she won't be around for a LONG time".

And here we see Emiya Kiristugu the human being, NOT Emiya Kiristugu the one man terrorist organisation. He knows certain things can never be kept in dark for long, yet he doesn't want Ilya to get hurt by knowing the cold hard truth. In a certain respect, Iri is far more of a brutal liar while Kiritsugu is more towards the gentle liar. Of course Iri's motive in being brutally blunt is down to her belief that so long Kiritsugu is still alive, he will protect Ilya after she's gone. Ironically, she had to remind herself constantly on helping Kiritsugu realising his dream of global peace. Does Arturia truly understand why Iri has to do so? I dunno, but without Kiritsugu, Iri will just be a mere vessel for the Grail. With Kiritsugu, she will still remain being the vessel.

The only difference? You can either be a vessel without a self purpose or you can be a vessel with an actual purpose.

Like a Bro...

And lastly let me conclude this analysis post with the starting sequence of episode 2. Namely Waver Velvet and Bro-skandar. Now this is the most interesting Servant/Master pair in the sense that we can't really be sure who's the Boss and who's the little Bro.

Firstly and foremost, there's nothing much to discuss where Bro-skander is concerned. We don't know how badass he is atm(although it has to be stated that he's still the undisputable greatest badass in the story), we only know that he's a Rider class Servant. Yet, via his interaction with Waver, it can be said that Iskandar the Greatest Bro, is... well quite a whimsical Bro lol!

Now if there's any scene hinting at Bro-skandar's sheer badassery, it will be that most impressive pimp ride called the Bro-mobile.

Problem, Bruce Wayne?

Of course, everything is NOT just about that Bro-mobile. If you know your history, Persia was an important life chapter for the REAL Alexander the Great, i.e. Iskandar himself. In fact, this could be why he end up asking where is Macedonia (i.e. all my base are belong to me) and Persia upon a successful bookshop heist.

Yes, Bro-skandar IS that whimsical...

So what does Macedonia and Persia have to do with Bro-skandar's aim? Very simple. He just wants to conquer the world.

To finish an unfulfilled dream due to his untimely death.

To ride across the globe with his super badass army marching behind.

And in the process of doing so, recruiting worthy Servants as his... well, Servants lol!

One interesting flashpoint here is this: what is Waver's wish once he obtains the Grail? Very simple, guys. He only wants everybody in the Clock Tower to recognise his own self worth. In a very real sense, Waver doesn't really have any friends there and Kayneth's derision towards his so-called "half-assed thesis" only made things worse. From this retrospect, I do believe every one of us do have an inner Waver Velvet, i.e. a desire to be recognised and treated seriously.

Of course no one has ever tried asking him this question. Apart from the one and only Bro-skandar himself. Have you ever seen a Servant asking his Master this type of question? Only Bro-skandar can be that daring. The only catch? Not everyone is that lucky. Bro-skandar's reply? Waver has to try growing 30 cm more. No, this is not me bullshitting. Bro-skandar really did say that. And that's on top of him bitchslapping his Master.

But still, we all know Waver is now stuck with a problematic Servant. A Servant so incredibly badass, he can easily make hardened soldiers out of men and women alike.

Because there can be only one Bro-skandar, he's everyone's best and baddest Bro.

Analysis - Fate/Zero (Ep 2: Part 1)

Note: Tongue still hurting, tongue kenna scalded, I got cat's tongue. If the Engrish too powderpoo, please forgive me.

A Tale of 3P

And no, 3P as a term has nothing to do with pr0n. 3P in short means 3 Pairs. Namely 3 pairs of Servants/Masters. Now at this point of time, I need to get something across the system. Namely I do NOT classify Tokiomi/Gil and Kirei/Assassin as part of the 3. This is down to way too many ambiguity going on at this point of time, i.e. Ep 2 (altho I do roughly know what is the driving force behind the sudden wtf twist so early on).

So let's out the last pair first

Last pair as in Uryuu Ryuunosuke and Caster. At this point of time, it's worthy to note that while Caster called himself Bluebeard, it's NOT his actual name. Bluebeard in actuality is a French literary folktale (La Barbe bleue). One of the suggested sources is a certain Gilles de Rais and perhaps this is where Urobuchi/Nasu has gotten the inspiration. In fact given Nasu's interest in Western fairy tales (as per so blatantly shown in Mahou Tsukai no Yoru), it might not be a long shot in saying that it's the most likely reason, i.e. Urobuchi Gen wrote the plot and characters, but copyright still goes to Nasu/TYPE MOON. And yes, Gilles de Rais IS Caster.

Now onto Ryuunosuke. I really have to say that trying to decipher his character right now is no different from trying to murder my own brain (shitty pun intended). Hence, I'm not going to say anything cerebral here. But what we can see at this point of time is this: Ryuunosuke is outright crazy. He enjoyed killing young women and children in particularly, but it's still not clear atm why. Whatever speech he spoken in his debut episode alone is something you'll associate the closest to a true blue psycho killer. We all have seen this type of character archetype in every cop drama, but trust me when I say no one comes close. Ofc since this is Urobuchi Gen we're talking abt, it's actually a no brainer. He's truly someone not being a stranger in creating deranged characters with a purpose (altho I still can't put a finger on Ryuunosuke's plot purpose).

Interestingly enough, his offhanded comments on demons is somewhat of an accidental prophecy. He never realised what kind of monster will end up being his Servant, but it still serves as an eerie foreshadowing.

In fact come at this point of time, one might realise this: out of all the Master/Servant pairing thus far (with asshole Kayneth's Lancer yet to be outed), this has got to be the closest deal persona wise. In fact, I suspect that what we may be seeing from Caster and Ryuunosuke will be a far more profound case of Master-Servant character dynamics.

However, it should also be stated that Ryuunosuke has never seen himself as Caster's Master. Rather at this point, he sees himself as Caster's follower. As in Ryuunosuke seeing Caster as his idol while Caster on the other hand sees Ryuunosuke as a literal kindred.

On a side note, Ryuunosuke's admiration only took form after seeing what Caster had done to that nameless poor kid who got offed in the most harrowing manner. Before that, we did not know how he murdered the entire said family. However, upon Caster's personal philosophy on fear and death, Ryuunosuke bought the whole thing hook, line, and sinker. Why? Because that IS his own manner of ideals, no matter how twisted.

In short, Caster believes in fear and death being an inter-dynamic cycle and this has been something Ryuunosuke had been living for. What a pair of sick ****s.

Conclusion: They say the Grail chooses the Master and Servant. For this psychotic pairing, it cannot be anymore truer. In fact, Ryuunosuke only ended up doing the ritual out of a whimsical curiosity. To him, it doesn't matter whether it's a success or failure. In short, he's pretty much of a YOLO person.

To be continued (b/c my head is now feeling light)

Analysis for Fate/Zero: Episode 1 (final part)

Note: If by any chance you guys can't see my Batman meme logo, it means that something went wrong with my Chrome browser updating. In short, it's not anybody's fault unless it's some dumb hacker hacking into something without any actual value. Meanwhile at work today, I've managed to master the art of self-suggestion where I can be absurdly efficient if I want myself to be so.

Kotomine Kirei

Now without trying to spoil too much beyond the 1st Ep, let me just say that Kirei has always been a lost youth. A lost sheep so as to speak. But if there's anything to go by, he's indeed a wolf in sheep's clothing and the scariest fact is that he doesn't really realized it until later in-plot. Now this is a man wholly evil as proven by Fate/stay night, but what truly caused the devil for what he is? You can just ask any Christian on what made Lucifer Satan and he/she will tell you it's down to pride and arrogance. For Kirei, we're talking about a Satan incarnate without the ego factor.

In fact, there's a very good reason why Kiritsugu FEARS him. Because out of the other Masters, Kirei was that sole unknown factor. The wild card, the joker of the deck... or perhaps even more fittingly, the sole Devil within a stack of tarot cards.

Now what was Kiritsugu's verdict on Kirei? Someone whose background was perfectly sounded out just like the rest, only to realize that whatever being understood only served to throw up a far greater question unanswered. Namely why did the Grail choose him as one of the seven? Kiritsugu knew why he was chosen just like how he knew why the rest were chosen (apart from Uryuu Ryuunosuke whom I'll NOT be covering here due to him not yet revealed officially), but not Kirei.

So what's Kirei's ambiguous factor all about? According to Kiritsugu's research/analysis, Kirei is someone who could have been one of the greatest masters in whatever field of expertise he partook in. Yet, he chose to bail out upon nearing that most desired end called "success". Why? Kiritsugu couldn't come up with an answer as well apart from the fact that Kirei couldn't really find fulfillment in whatever he tried and ultimately excelled in. Everything being known about Kirei was merely superficial in nature, but perhaps what truly struck the fear in Kiritsugu himself is this: He sees a certain mirror of himself in Kotomine Kirei.

Ironically however, no one actually understands Kirei right from the start as in no one actually noticed he is a broken young man still trying to find a purpose in his life. Apart from Emiya Kiritsugu that is. And this final part, my friends, should be what truly made the whole logic utterly ironic since both are essentially strangers only knowing each other via third party sources more than anything else.

Interestingly enough, the only reason why Kirei was to join Tokiomi as his protege is down to his father, Kotomine Risei.

As a father, Risei only wants the best for his son, yet he has never understood his son.

As an expert appraiser of his talent, Tokiomi has never cared about whether he should try understanding Kirei firstly and foremost.

Laughably enough, the entire farce is caused by an underground alliance of sorts between the Tohsaka family and the Kotomine family, i.e. between Tokiomi and Risei. In short, the need to honor an alliance for the sake of victory has effectively forced Kirei onto a path of no return.

A solitary path reaching all the way to Emiya Kiritsugu himself...

A mere stranger whom Kirei has subtly deemed to be his mirror image...

And his only hope to self-discovery and perhaps self-purpose as well.

Emiya Kiritsugu

While it's arguably true that every Master is a selfish bastard in his own right (Kariya included of course), there's a very good reason why I adore Emiya Sr the most in the entire series. Episode 1 actually portrayed forth TWO different Emiya Kiritsugus. The first Emiya Kiritsugu is the devil himself. Someone used to being vilified, yet so valuable as a pawn in the eyes of the Mage's Association. The other Kiritsugu? Well, he actually appeared right at the beginning before Tokiomi and Kirei delivered their individual takes on him. Now let's dissect the difference on three different levels. Or rather three different characters' POV.

Firstly, let's talk about Tokiomi

To him, Kiritsugu is indeed nothing more than  a pawn for hire. A mercenary hired to kill heretical Magus, i.e. those who escaped from the Association. Now the rule about any Magus is this: no Magus, and I really mean NO Magus should be revealed as such under public scrutiny. This will invite unwanted trouble for the Association mainly because the Association itself has effectively detached itself away from the everyday society. Secrecy is the unspoken golden rule and anyone breaking this rule will surely invite trouble.

In the worst case scenario, such individuals will end up creating unwanted disaster for the society at large. Simply put, he's being hired for a price, his mission is to accomplish the dirty job for them. In exchange of course, the Association can just easily feign ignorance should shit truly happen.

Yet, Kiritsugu's record as the Magus Killer is pretty much a 100% sure kill rate and a 0% failure rate. The biggest reason is down to his unconventional methods of being a one man terrorist. Yes, folks, Emiya Kiritsugu IS a terrorist no matter how you look at it. In short, he's utterly capable of bombing public places full of innocent people if it means accomplishing whatever that is at hand. Yet at the same time, acts of frontline assassination will always be used in conjunction with such heinous means. And why all the unwanted bloodshed? Tokiomi's verdict was that of derision. To him, the name Emiya Kiritsugu is nothing more than a stain or a random social scum. To him, Emiya Kiritsugu is most likely killing only for the money.

A/N: To try understanding why such tactics can truly work against any heretical Magus, maybe we should ask ourselves one very simple question: if you're the one being hunted down, should you opt to hide behind multitudes of innocent people or will you just bust your own cover away just because you happen to believe yourself to be the second Onslaught? (cue the Marvel comics reference in case you still don't understand the parallel)

Then let us come to Kotomine Kirei

Now this is one interesting POV we're seeing here because the Emiya Kiritsugu in his eyes is NOT a mercenary. Unlike his aforementioned mentor, he actually bothered to go a further mile in trying to understand why such an extremist individual has to exist. Is it down to an innate instinct telling him beforehand that this Emiya Kiritsugu may not be that simple? Maybe we should just narrow it down to Kirei understanding Tokiomi's character in order to make the reason easier for us to digest.

Of course by then, both teacher and student would have known that the Magus Killer had gone MIA for 9 years in total prior to receiving the relevant information. Of course since Kiritsugu is pledging his service to the Einzbern family, Tokiomi would have definitely still remained defiant in his stance.

But not Kirei. To him, there HAS to be a reason behind that 9 year hiatus defying the much feared repute rightfully earned. Upon understanding that Kiritsugu was also being a freelancing hitman during periods of war, Kirei's curiosity was finally piqued for good. Because he realized one very special common ground: that Emiya Kiritsugu will always make his presence known when/where the fighting would always be at its fiercest.

Now anyone understanding the basics of warfare can AND will tell you that when the fighting is at its very peak, be it any specific front or any specific period, that can only mean one thing:

The difference between victory and defeat will more oft than not depend on such moments.

Kirei isn't a fool because he knew what this truly means. To put things in a nutshell, it's a case of "kill or to be killed". Or rather "win or to be killed". Which is why he actually stated to himself that Kiritsugu seems to be someone "constantly chasing Death". Is it his own death or the death of others? I truly doubt Kirei knows the answer of yet, but if there's anything to go by, it's very likely that Kirei is now starting to believe that like him, Emiya Kiritsugu is an empty shell of a human being trying to find his own purpose as well.

And lastly, we have the most (?) unexpected candidate...

Irisviel "Iri" von Einzbern

Upon the first opening scenario, we're greeted with a picture filled with warmth behind the backdrop of a heavy blizzard (which in an imagery sense, can be seen as a case of foreshadowing where the upcoming slaughter is concerned). Within the comfort from one of the rooms in Einzbern Castle, Ilya was born (yes, I'm talking about that loli in Fate/stay night). Upon Iri's plea for Kiritsugu to embrace their daughter (and it's true that Ilya IS their daughter), what was Kiritsugu's answer? He said that "he has no right to embrace the child" and fullstop. So why did Kiritsugu say that?

Was it down to playacting? If so, then what did he have to gain from the whole episode knowing full well that a flat "no" can just do the trick equally well, if not better?

But if it's not down to playing up a facade, then why did Kiritsugu choose to condemn himself in the worst verbal manner possible?

He never faced Ilya even once, why? Because the reason is very simple.

The devil has never been truly black as others painted him out to be. Emiya Kiritsugu is a selfish bastard, make no question about it. But Emiya Kiristugu is also a character on a specific mission. In short, he has something to achieve in life. And he has to be utterly selfish for the sake of that something.

Simply said, everybody has the right and choice to despise Emiya Kiritsugu, but NOT Iri. Why? Because she understands the real Emiya Kiritsugu.

Interestingly enough, Iri said that if not for Kiritsugu, she would still be a puppet. Why? Because her only fate is to be the Grail's physical vessel, yet somehow and for some reason, Kiritsugu gave her another life far more deserving. That even though she can never escape from such a fate, she's able to at least live like a human being until then. To her, it's the best gift she could ever wish for. And Kiritsugu has granted her that gift called a purpose in life.

Analysis for Fate/Zero: Episode 1 (part 2)

Note: While my body is now feeling much better (at least enough for me to report to work tomorrow), I realized that I need to split this post into 3 parts due to me not wanting to rush things in any way or form (and hopefully my workload won’t be too heavy as well).

Tohsaka Tokiomi

Firstly, there's very little I can write about him as of now apart from the most obvious. Namely he's your typical Nasuverse Magus. And by that, I mean having the desire in reaching the Root (Nasuverse's equivalent of the Holy Grail from Arthurian legends). Interestingly enough, unlike Kayneth, Tokiomi isn't the your typical "god of versatility" because he's a specialized fire user unlike his nearest competitor specializing in Alchemy, Spiritual evocation, and Summoning. However, there's a very good reason why our main hero Emiya Sr regarded him as one of the two most dangerous opponents during the upcoming Grail War. Because Tohsaka as a Magus family have a very long history dating all the way back during the Japanese feudal era. In fact while it's a fair enough statement to say that Kayneth is most likely the strongest competitor, the only reason why Tokiomi is regarded as that no.2 was only down to the Tohsakas not having the kind of immense magical lineage during the start. In short, the Tohsaka family can be seen as a slow burner finally coming good. Now interestingly enough, Tokiomi's statement of the Tohsakas "being the only one out of the original three still yet to lose its direction in trying to reach the Root" was indeed true. Because together with the Tohsaka family, the Einzbern family and Makiri family (later to be known as Matou) were the ones creating the Holy Grail. In short, you can say the Big 3 are the ones causing the shit. Now while it's true to say that every Master in the series is a selfish bastard, I'll have to say that in a very twisted sense, Tokiomi's selfishness has always been one that is the most acceptable in the eyes of every Magus. Because you know something, guys? Every Magus can tell you that reaching the Root should be the highest aim in life (which is why we end up seeing ambitious characters in the Nasuverse like Araya Souren and Aozaki Touko). In fact come to think of it, didn't Aozaki Aoko herself managed to reach the Root momentarily during Mahou Tsukai no Yoru? (Okay, I know I'm bullshitting here on Aoko's front. >.<)

Matou Kariya

Firstly and foremost, I really like this guy as a character. Out of all the 7 Masters, he has to be that one man most willing to jump straight into the fires of hell for whatever he believes to be right. Even though whatever that's “right” in this instance is all about his love for Zenjou Aoi. Now in spite of his utterly wrecked character (which was ultimately justified in the most horrific manner nearing the end), Kariya has be the MOST innocent character I’ve ever seen in the entire cast. To him, his aim was very simple. Something which EVERY decent guy (like yours truly) can truly empathize with: to protect the ones he loved the most. For him, it has never been about protecting Aoi because prior to the 4th Grail War, she had to leave Fuyuki City together with Rin (yes! That tsundere Tohsaka Rin).

But what about Matou Sakura? We all know that Sakura in truth, wasn’t part of the Matou family, let alone whatever magical lineage to do with it. Sakura was literally Rin’s younger sister. Both being daughters of Tohsaka (Zenjou) Aoi and Tohsaka Tokiomi. However upon news that Sakura was being given up for adoption to the Matou family, Kariya sorta broke. You see, Kariya might be someone still pining for Aoi’s love, but at the same time he accepted wholeheartedly the fact that Aoi had, in the end, accepted Tokiomi rather than himself. He could have said “**** it” and leave, but he never did so when it comes to saving Sakura.

Interestingly enough, a lot of his personal motivation has to do with how much he hated his own family. Now this is one man with a whole load of balls. Ballsy enough to even effectively say **** you to Matou Zouken through his decision to bail out of his family. However, it seems that he had to swallow his pride for good. Because he never foreseen Tokiomi’s decision to send Sakura away despite whatever Kariya knew about his corrupted old man (which interestingly enough doesn’t really mean that this is the type of knowledge privy to Tokiomi as well).

Now at this point of time, I need to highlight one very interesting fact about Kariya and the Matou lineage in general. Simply put, the magical lineage within the Matou family has essentially dried out for whatever reasons I don’t know about. Kariya was the only one capable of reviving the family due to him truly having a Magus’ lineage literally. In short, the others in the family (excluding Zouken of course) are a bunch of certified failures.

Most classic example: Shinji.

Now let’s just talk a bit about Sakura because she’s the actual catalyst behind Kariya’s “kill or to be killed at all costs” persona. If we understand the fundamentals of the Heaven’s Feel route in Fate/stay night (and Fate/Zero IS the prequel after all), we’ll understand that more oft than not, creations most twisted foul exist for a reason. And that includes the penis worms above all. Now I’m not about to go in depth about whatever insidious plans Zouken has for Sakura since it has nothing to do with the major plot here (apart from justifying Kariya’s worth both in-plot and in-character), but seriously guys, Zouken is a sick buggery ****. And that’s why we end up seeing Kariya rage-quitting.

A/N: Because I want to prove that my assessment on Kariya is truly spot on, try imagining the kind of pain and insanity you’ll have to go through by having countless worms eating your body away. That’s the kind of living hell Kariya had to live with and ultimately endure greatly without going 100% broken.

The above picture was Kariya before he was disfigured self-voluntarily.

Just a brief note to end this post:

Is it any wonder why I find him so endearing? I believe this was the basis behind his final design. Because there's a need to create a vast contrast between Tokiomi's sophisticated aura and Kariya's average Joe nature prior to that thrice damned agreement with Zouken. Tokiomi had always been a far more self centered character than most while without an overwhelming desire to save Sakura and salvage Aoi's happiness, Kariya would still be that plain looking bloke looking to earn a mundane living.

My most ambitious analysis post ever... Fate/Zero

A certain exchange N years ago (before this blog was started)

Friend X: Well, you know the drift about manga/anime? That the main male character will always look and act like a slacker, but somehow or another he will end up being very powerful in fighting. That's why all the impressionable youths are prone to imitate them.

Me: Erm, that's not really the case...

Friend Y: No, X is right, you're wrong.

Me: Well, not every manga/anime is like that...

Friend Z: No, X and Y are RIGHT. Because I know what they're talking about.

Me: ......

NOTE/DISCLAIMER!

This will be an ongoing series of analysis posts. If luck will have it, 24 parts in all. In short, you won't get to see a 24 episode running series since I do have my own life (read: my own personal excuse for that stupid delay in watching Fate/Zero until tonight and that's due to a prolonged bout of food poisoning). At the same time, any views portrayed here are mine and mine alone. I do not demand myself to be the correct party because I only see human beings as fallible. And by that, it also means I'm equally human as well.

Foreword

As per stated, I've only started watching Fate/Zero tonight on my mom's laptop. Thankfully, I remembered to transfer the files from my desktop. I think like more than 20 GB in all at least, so it will take me quite a lot of time to finish this 24 part post, not to mention the likeliest chances of seeing random posts being wedged in between (and you all have seen that before in my Fate/stay night Fate route multi posts). Now since I've only watched the first episode (and it's a whopping 40+ mins long duration), I think I should just get started on whatever character analysis based on debut introduction. But firstly...

WHY NO CASTER???????!!!!!!!!!

Amazingly enough, it's been implied that Uryuu Ryuunosuke was already active by then due to the TV news report on some missing little girl being found murdered by that unknown serial killer. And we all know who by now anyway. But whether Caster had been summoned by then remains a big question mark. Because Assassin was actually summoned way earlier than the other 5 Servants so as to speak (bar Caster of course since we can't be sure on Gilles de Rais himself)

A/N: Apparently, trying to dissect Ryuunosuke's persona might be my greatest nightmare ever due to his wildly inexplicable nature as a psychopathic killer. In fact, he's already beyond your stereotypical "I kill for lulz" serial nutjob murderer to be fair. Urobuchi Gen, I know you're the one behind this knowing full well what you're truly capable of. *cough*Saya no Uta*cough*

The 7 Masters (in no order of preference/merit)

Kayneth El-Melloi Archibald

Firstly, my only impression was "a bloody elitist prick" to be honestly fair. Now let's give credit where it's truly due: that he's indeed a talented Magus by his own right. For not only is he a versatile Magus, but he's also very damned strong in his learned fields. Out of all the seven Masters, he has to be arguably the most dangerous bloke upon the merit of sheer capability. In fact, this could be very likely why he was a stubborn prick as well. You see, the Archibald family is a respectable family within the Mage's Association due this very family boasting a whopping 9 generations of recognized Magus lineage in all. Which is why he was pretty much pissed off by Waver Velvet's thesis where reaching an equal height of ability by sheer efforts alone would be equally plausible. Simply put, should such a thesis be put to test and proven true, his value as a Magus together with the entire Archibald family will be reduced to crap. Period.

Waver Velvet

If Kayneth should be seen as an idealistic elitist who believes in lineage above all else, then his student here will be seen as a pragmatic idealist. Simply put, his thesis mentioned above in Kayneth's section was one built upon the foundations of pragmatism where everything is far more inclined towards the concept of meritocracy through hard work and studies unlike Kayneth's views that repute in lineage should be the one taking the highest priority. As we all know by now, Kayneth trashed Waver's thesis and Waver stole Kayneth's most precious parcel. Although it's more towards a case where shit happens and that the UPS man delivered the parcel to Waver knowing full well that he is the intended client's student. Of course what happened afterwards should be an ample proof of Waver being able to somehow walking his talk where a practicing student hailing from a 3 generation's worth of recognized lineage was able to detect vital details in no  part due to whatever talent he had in terms of "giving your best shot". In short, this was where we first see his own sense of opportunism and hunger in self-efforts. Traits justifying his own thesis, but subtly hinted in justifying how he's able to connect the dots through sheer immense effort (read: library will always be your best friend).

To be continued...

(because my head is getting light at the moment)

@all in my dept...

And no, it's NOT DDR. I'm leased to that side, NOT part of their side. Although I do know a few of them working at both levels. But anyway, it seems that there a couple or so of blokes in blue believing that my mind was occupied with girl(s) yesterday where in fact I was just going through what I should write in the next post. >.<

1st Part: 2 things on Footie

Fact: House of Commons is now replaced by the Greater Manchester Police for reasons most obvious.

Fiction: Woody's bitch slap is merely a visual effect. Problem Tobias???? :P

2nd Part: 2 things spammed on Random Insanity, i.e. I actually shared these two before.

Two cold hard truths of note:

Dwarves in standard epic fantasy will always enjoy their brew, and well... <3 that Hobbit girl. (*¬*)

3rd Part: I should have updated this far more often. Die Fuhrer needs far more love.

And herein signals forth that halftime break...

It would have made perfect sense. In fact it should be until I realised that this was a comment made towards a Die Untergang parody vid that shouldn't be taken that seriously. And to think people tend to say S'preans can't take jokes.

James Steal tried to troll like a stealer...

den Swagman gave him an Ultra 2 instead

Now for 2nd half:

Note - I still remember Mrs Yoga of 1995 and Ms Lau of 1996. Seems that my years of studying at Gan Eng Seng School wasn't that shitty after all, due to this bloke being the odd one out having a certain interest in History.

Kuok Minghui's cold hard truths:

"Handicap? Talk about handicap—I'm a one-eyed Negro Jew."

- Sammy Davis Junior during a nice little talk with Jack Benny

We all know Steven Spielberg as the film director of "Schindler's List", but apparently, he's a Jew as well.

Schwarze in German basically means "black" as in the colour, not the race.

Apparently, this was why die Fuhrer hated to be called Snoop Dogg's dawg. Discretion advised and parental advisory as well. Snoop Dogg ain't no Bieleber.

Music and the Muse: After a massive turmoil incurred up above, it's high time for me to do something sensible.

Order Of Disclaimer!

Due to the nature of the clips below, I'm very sure SHyn Corp will have me hanged, drawn and quartered if I ever get caught in the comfort of my own home. But then again, I don't profess myself to be a fan of K-entertainment. Or just about any given entertainment circle. But then again, is it a sin for me to say that PSH is really pretty? (*¬*)

Japan: I've yet to get started on Fate/Zero

The remaining three labels called The Known World:

A Game of Thrones HBO means the same ol' blood/gore/etc

And lastly, Saber's most traumatic moment bar that part on Kiritsugu saying "bust the Grail pls"

The answer to everything in the final section. And some might say in relation to SHyn Corp as well. :P