As I continue to watch more and more episodes of Fate Stay Night Unlimited Blade Works, I think I’ve begun to sense a pattern emerging. Even numbered episodes seem to showcase fun, exciting, incredible action-sequences, while odd numbered episodes seem to provide “cool-down periods” which give the characters, the audience (and perhaps the animators) time to catch their breath before the next big fight scene. I don’t know if this pattern will hold true as the series continues, but episode 10 DEFINITELY provided enough fun twists, exciting turns, and fist-pumping pulse-pounding superhuman smack-downs to qualify as an “Action” episode (and give me a highly pleasing viewing experience to boot).
The episode begins casually enough, with Rin going through her usual morning routine. Waking up, getting ready for school, and denying Archer’s request to kill Shirou. When Archer begins arguing with Rin, demanding to know why the normally pragmatic Rin is continuing to do something as tactically impractical as maintaining her alliance with Shirou, the two of them have a conversation which tap-dances around a certain elephant in the room that both Archer and Rin are aware of, but which neither one wants to say aloud (that Rin has feelings for Shirou), before Rin shuts Archer down, saying she has to go to school so that she and her ally Shirou (whom she WILL NOT betray, no matter how much Archer might want to) can try to take the next step in winning the Holy Grail War. == TEASER ==
At school, Rin and Shirou make a spectacular breakthrough. They learn from talking with Issei (whom they wrongfully suspected of being Caster’s Master in episode 9) that even though Issei hasn’t been involved in any strange occurrences that have happened recently near Ryuudou temple (Caster’s home base), Issei knows someone who has. One of the school’s teachers, Souichirou Kuzuki, has been living in Ryuudou temple. With a strange woman. Who seems to have an unusual hold over him. Even though he’s only known her a short time. To the point that Kuzuki recently told Issei he’s planning to marry her.
Armed with this new knowledge, Rin and Shirou quickly deduce that Kuzuki must be Caster’s master. They challenge him to a duel that very night, confronting him on his way home from school and demanding to know (on penalty of death) if Kuzuki knew about Caster’s nefarious plot to drain the life force out of the city’s inhabitants for her own evil purposes. In a double surprise, Kuzuki tells Shirou and Rin he had no idea that Caster was stealing people’s life energy, BUT, now that Kuzuki has been informed, he doesn’t necessarily view it as a bad thing, and sees no reason to ask Caster to stop. (Kuzuki has no interest in the lives of strangers, just as strangers who don’t know him would logically have no interest in his life. So if there’s a way to strengthen Caster and win the Holy Grail War, and the only people who’ll be hurt in the process are strangers Kuzuki doesn’t know or care about…well…so be it.)
Enraged by Kuzuki’s answer, Shirou summon Saber to kill him, and that’s when our heroes get the biggest surprise of the night. UNLIKE other Masters who order their servants to do the fighting because they aren’t strong enough to fight mystical servants themselves, Kuzuki is imbued with a special kind of magic that escalates his personal combat ability so much that he is EASILY able to fight off any foe, Master or servant, who would dare to challenge him, and he proceeds to beat the ever-loving daylights out of Saber and Rin and Shirou! All with his own bare hands!
The only reason Kuzuki and Caster didn’t murder all three of them right then and there is because at the very last moment, when Kuzuki was about to strike Shirou dead, Shirou reaches inside of himself, harnesses a new form of magic which he’s never been able to use before, and summons a pair of swords sharp enough to wound Kuzuki. (The first injury Kuzuki has suffered all night.)
Kuzuki, not terribly interested in facing off against a new as-yet-unknown enemy power, and not feeling any overwhelmingly urgent need to kill our heroes right at this moment (it’s not as if they’re much of a threat after all), decides to call the evening a draw and walk away, leaving our heroes to lick their wounds and reflect on the fact that, whether it be inside or outside of the classroom, it looks as if this teacher is going to be giving Shirou and Rin some very challenging tests.
Watch "the Fifth Contractor" and decide for yourself, then read my thoughts on the previous episode.
Kaita Mpambara works every day to try and create shows, stories, and characters that are as exciting, energizing, and entertaining as the very best works that have been given to the world by both the western and eastern animation industries. Keep up with his musings on life, the universe and everything by following him on Facebook.
from Anime Vice Site Mashup http://ift.tt/1AgF1x0
No comments:
Post a Comment