I realize I've mentioned this anime several times on this board, so I guess I'll pimp it out by giving it its own topic.
Taken from animeinfo.org description:
Quote:
Based on a game by TYPE-MOON...
It is said that the Holy Grail grants wishes to he who wields it. To materialise the Holy Grail, a ritual is about to be held. The Holy Grail will choose seven wizards (Masters) and give them seven familiar spirits (Servants).
Saber, Lancer, Archer, Rider, Caster, Assassin, and Berserker.
The Master contracts with one of seven familiar spirits that plays one of the above roles (classes). The Master must prove that he is most qualified to have the Holy Grail, meaning that he must eliminate the other Masters to show he is the strongest. This ritual is called the "Holy Grail War."
The story takes place in Fuyuki City. It is a city surrounded by the sea and mountains. In this common city, a shadow encroaches.
The main character, Emiya Shirou, had lost his parents in a fire when he was a child. He was adopted by a person who called himself a wizard, Emiya Kiritsugu. Disobeying his father-in-law, the Shirou has studied magic. However, because he lacked talent, he could master only one magic spell despite several years' training.
One day, the Shirou got accidentally involved in a fight between two opposing Masters. As he lay dying, a girl suddenly appeared and saved him.
"I ask of you, are you my Master?"
He contracted with one of the seven Servants, Saber. Willingly or not, he has become a master, and plunges into the war over the Holy Grail...
Pic of Saber...
And pic of Shirou...
Now, the story is much more than just the brief summary I outlined above. The story is incredibly deep and intricate and maddeningly confusing and paradoxical at times; if you think Full Metal Alchemist and the Philosopher's Stone was confusing, you ain't seen nothing yet.
As you may have noticed, the anime is based off of a game. It's a PC game, to be precise, Japan-only, released 2 years ago. Actually, it's not really a "game"; Type-Moon calls it a "visual novel." It's like a "choose-your-own-adventure" book where the story plays itself out on your computer screen, with illustrations and voice acting in additions to mountains and mountains of text, and although the images are all still pictures, the game uses a number of visual tricks to make it seem like a movie. At certain intervals, the player must make a decision; typically, the wrong decision quickly ends the game.
Oh, yeah, one more thing: Fate/Stay Night is a hentai game.
Now, I can see you all shaking your heads and ready to hit the "back" button, but wait: when I say hentai game, I mean that it's a story with sex in it; not just sex and a slapped-together story. In fact, the story could work without the sex; the anime quietly skips over the 18+ scenes and continues business as usual, something I think that benefited it. Well, at least in the Fate scenario; I don't know enough about UBW or HF to make a proper judgment call on that.
Although to be fair, the game really earns its 18+ rating.
The game had three scenarios in it: "Fate," "Unlimited Blade Works," and "Heaven's Feel." The anime is pretty much a carbon copy of the Fate path, with some less-than-subtle hints and homages from the UBW and HF scenarios.
Each scenario has a different ending: UBW and HF have two endings to them. It's a bit difficult to say which one is the most canon ending.
OK, that's enough about the game.
If you ever chance upon an F/SN discussion forum, you may also see many references to "Tsukihime," which is another H-game done by Type-Moon and was turned into an anime. Apparently, F/SN and Tsukihime both happen in the same world and Tsukihime definitely influences F/SN (Tsukihime occurs a few years before F/SN). Unfortunately, I have little interest in Tsukihime so don't come to me for more info.
All 24 episodes of Fate/Stay Night are available on Youtube, last time I checked. Fansubs done by Eclipse, who have redefined speed-subbing: seriously, these guys had the subbing done within 24 hours of airtime, and they were quality subs as well. Animejunkies got pwned.
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