Rejoice

This might change depending on the contents of the next episode, but for now, Kotomine has risen to become my favorite F/Z master. I find his inner moral struggle pretty interesting--I mean, it's expected for someone like him to deny his own sadistic nature, but to deny it to the point of willful ignorance takes a lot of determination. It wasn't until Gil smooth-talked Kotomine into confronting his warped sense of pleasure that he even became consciously aware of it.

At this point, he's no longer "conflicted" so much as he is a flat-out twisted bastard, but it should still be pretty interesting to see how things unfold from here on out. Poor Kariya better watch his back. ;_;

I also started watching Avatar: The Legend of Korra, which has been GREAT. I like Korra and Mako a lot; the latter makes me think of a somewhat more normal, much less emo Zuko. ^^;;

The End of Honor

WARNING: MAJOR spoilers for Fate/Zero 16 below. Tread carefully...

NO, MR. DIARMUID!!!! YOU'RE TOO BEAUTIFUL TO DIE.

Okay okay, I got spoiled for this episode a while ago, and so Lancer-kun's death wasn't actually a surprise for me. But what WAS a surprise was trigger happy Kayneth, and how he and Sola met their ends. Damn, Kiritsugu. Even to a gal like me, that's cold. :(

Even though Kayneth was one of my least favorite Masters, I couldn't help but pity the poor bastard. Kind of wonder how Waver would've felt if he had witnessed that debacle...

Judging by the preview, looks like the Kotomine/Gil pair will be making their triumphant return next ep. Gil has inexplicably become my 2nd favorite servant in F/Z. I really can't tell you why, except that I find him entertaining. ^^;

Other anime I've been keeping up with:

- Lupin the Third: A Woman Named Fujiko Mine: Loving this so far. I hope Lupin himself is in the series more now that they've given Jigen and Goemon their respective episodes.
- Kids on the Slope: Liking this so far, but I'm a little skeptical as to how long a premise like this can hold my interest. Especially since the romance plotlines don't interest me at all. (Unless you count the bromance between Nishimi and Kawabuchi. :P)

EDIT: Since this is the last time this will be relevant:

Once upon a time, there was a man.

He was a foolish and ridiculous fellow whom, despite having a body made of mud and soil, set his heart to stand shoulder to shoulder with gods. Of course, his hubris and disrespectful arrogance offended the gods in heaven. The man suffered divine retribution and lost his life.

Even to this day, the King of Heroes still couldn’t forget the way that he passed away with tears streaming down his face.

Why are you crying? The King of Heroes had asked. Could it be that, only now, you are regretting having taken my side?

It’s not that –
He had answered.

“Who would understand you after I die? Who else would march forward by your side? My friend… when I think that you will live on all alone henceforth, I can’t help but shed tears…”

Like so, when he saw that man taking his last breath, the incomparable king realized – the way that this man, who was human but wanted to surpass humanity, had lived, was even more precious and more brilliant than all the treasures he had collected.

“You fool who stretch your hand towards realms not of men… There is only one person in heaven or earth who’s worthy of appreciating your destruction, and that is none other than I, Gilgamesh.

Sink into my embrace, oh you glorious and illusionary men. That is my decision.”

The golden majestic brilliance disappeared in the night mist, leaving only an evil laughter echoing long after.

--------------

Apparently, this is a flashback from the fate/zero novels that got cut out of ep. 15. I can understand why they decided to leave it out, since a flashback like this would be too abrupt after such an action-packed episode. But still, though the chances are slim, I'm hoping for this scene to pop up later on, maybe when Gil is sipping wine with Kotomine and feeling pensive. :)

Anyway, from what I've heard, the next episode is going to be a total shitstorm. I can't wait~ *o*

SAIKOU NO KUUURUUUU

I don't know why Waver is in a maid outfit. DON'T ASK.

So watching fate/zero on nicovideo is my new favorite hobby. I'M OBSESSED WITH ALL OF THE SERVANTS, AHHHHHHHH.

Thoughts on ep. 14:

- The Gilgamesh/Berserker fight was so ridic, I can't even.
- You know, Gil might actually listen if Tokiomi didn't spend all his energy kissing Gil's ass. Mongrel indeed.
- Kariyaaaaaaaa. I hate that some viewers are utterly repulsed by him just because he looks gross now and has insects swarming all over him 24/7. It's not like it's his fault. IT'S WHAT'S INSIDE THAT MATTERS. (AND I'M NOT TALKING ABOUT THE WORMS.) ;_________________________;
- lol Kiritsugu. I actually find the Caster/Ryuunosuke bromance weirdly endearing, though.

Also, Game of Thrones season 2. "The night is dark and full of terrors" seems to be the new "winter is coming." :P

mini-essay: the concept of a hero

I've always remembered watching this one episode of Sailor Moon as a child, where Sailor Saturn is on the verge of destroying the world, and Sailor Moon, who knows that Sailor Saturn is innocent and isn't acting of her free will, refuses to kill her. At the time, my cousin and I were screaming at the TV saying, "WHAT ARE YOU DOING, JUST KILL HER ALREADY!!"

Of course, because it is Sailor Moon, everything works out in the end. But the question has never really left my mind: what is the right thing to do in that situation? And it's this exact question that has been plaguing my mind as I make my way through the final route of the fate/stay night VN.

Never would I have guessed that a story about mages summoning the spirits of mythological heroes to fight in a war for the Holy Grail would in reality be a philosophical exploration of the concept of a "hero." In particular, the heaven's feel route turns the story on its head and goes the furthest in questioning what is truly "the right thing to do" when a hero's personal interests clash with their larger responsibilities. In relation to the Sailor Moon example, the heaven's feel route essentially argues that, even though letting Sailor Saturn live was an illogical decision, it was a human decision, and one's responsibilities as a human being outweigh one's responsibilities as a hero.

That said, I think the idea that heaven's feel completely rejects the "superhero ideal" is a bit misguided. The VN itself is a little unclear on this matter. My understanding of it is, the true "superhero ideal" is Shirou's wish to save everybody, in every situation. In which case, Shirou's actions are consistent throughout all three routes. That was basically the major conflict in the UBW route, that Shirou ultimately refuses to compromise on this ideal (i.e. he refuses to sacrifice a minority to save the majority; no matter the odds, he wants to save everybody). The same is true in heaven's feel: when Shirou is forced to choose between saving Sakura or saving a greater number of people, he goes for option C--somehow saving everybody.

That is not to say that there is no difference between the three routes. UBW and heaven's feel in particular provide a more nuanced analysis of the concept of a hero, something that is noticeably and intentionally absent from the fate route. (Which is why I think it's a shame that the fate/stay night anime was adapted from the fate route, as a huge and vital chunk is missing from the "big picture.") What I take issue with is, a lot of people have the impression that heaven's feel is the "true route" of the game, and thus all the moralistic pandering throughout the first two routes can be completely ignored. But I think the ideas presented in heaven's feel are simply a piece of the puzzle, albeit a rather large piece.

My reading of the overall message of fate/stay night is:

While the "superhero ideal" is a good thing to strive for in general (fate route), when push comes to shove, the most important thing is for a person to protect the people they care about most (heaven's feel route). Failure to realize this will result in tragic, self-destructive "heroes" like Kiritsugu and Archer, and to a certain extent, Saber (UBW route).

Of course, this overly-simplifies things, but what I'm getting at is that heaven's feel simply stresses the need for a hero to change their priorities when the circumstances call for it. If a "hero" coldly sacrifices their loved ones simply because it is the most logical option, then they can no longer rightfully call themselves a hero, no matter how many people they ultimately end up saving. And worse yet, once a hero crosses that line, the damage is likely irreparable.

I find it funny that so many people lament that Shirou didn't turn out more like Kiritsugu, what with his dirty, underhanded tactics and his "badass old man" swag. But these people always fail to take note that, above all else, Kiritsugu was one miserable dude.

That said, Kiritsugu is my favorite master in fate/zero and Archer is my favorite character overall. I guess I'm weak for the tragic ones. xD