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Fate/stay night

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Fate/stay night (Japanese: フェイト／ステイナイト) is a Japanese visual novel game created by TYPE-MOON in 2004 that has been adapted into an anime television series, currently being broadcast in Japan, as well as a manga series, currently being published in the monthly Shōnen Ace magazine. It has enjoyed immense popularity, especially in Japan, spawning numerous adaptations, merchandise, memorabilia and amassing an extensive fanbase around the world.

Fate/stay night
File:FSN.JPG
Screenshot from the Fate/stay night anime television series
GenreAction, Drama, Fantasy
Video game
DeveloperTYPE-MOON
PublisherTYPE-MOON
GenreVisual novel, Eroge
PlatformPC
Anime
Directed byYuji Yamaguchi
StudioStudio DEEN
Manga
Written byNishiwaki Datto

Fate/stay night was TYPE-MOON's first commercial work since transitioning from a dōjin soft group and when released in January 30, 2004, broke all records on its opening day, quickly becoming amongst the most popular visual novel games ever released. It appears to take place in the same world as their signature work, Tsukihime, although they explore different themes. A "fan disk" sequel, Fate/hollow ataraxia, was released on October 28, 2005. Both the original visual novel game and the sequel are adult-only eroge, but like many other visual novels such as Kanon or TYPE-MOON's own Tsukihime, it is well-known mainly for its expansive, comprehensive story and characters. Fate/stay night is scheduled to be released on the PS2 platform in 2006, in a version that will be intended for all ages.

The Fate/stay night anime television series, produced by Studio DEEN, TYPE-MOON and Geneon, has been airing in Japan weekly, every Friday, since January 6, 2006. The official announcement and teaser trailer were first shown at the Rondo Robe 2005 "-Gate to Date-" event in Japan on June 26, 2005, and a rapidly selling curtain-raiser DVD was released soon after in Japan on November 2005.

Story

Fate/stay night chronicles events in the life of a 16-year old second-year high-school student, Shirō Emiya, who resides in Fuyuki City. At a young age his parents died in a fire and he was adopted by Kiritsugu Emiya, an enigmatic man who called himself a sorcerer. Eventually, Kiritsugu passed away as well.

Unknown to him and the rest of Fuyuki City, their city is the battleground for a secret war. When the time is right, sorcerers from near and far will gather with their Servants - the summoned spirits of legendary souls so mighty they exist outside of time - and fight a war for possession of the Holy Grail, a relic said to grant its owner a wish. The true names of the servants reveal their weaknesses, and so they are usually referred to by a classification of type instead: Saber, Archer, Rider, Berserker, Lancer, Caster, and Assassin.

When returning from cleaning his archery club's dojo one day, Shirō accidentally sees two of the servants, an Archer and a Lancer, battling in the school yard. To preserve the secrecy of the war, the Lancer mortally wounds him, but Rin Tōsaka, a girl who seemed like just another ordinary classmate until now, saves his life using a magical pendant. As he continues home, bewildered with the encounter, he is again attacked by Lancer. Just as he is about to be killed with no hope of surviving, a Saber-class servant appears before him, greeting him with the words "I ask of you, are you my Master?"

Inexorably, he is drawn further and further into the Grail War.

Characters

As with Tsukihime, the character base in Fate/stay night is extremely comprehensive and expansive and many of the characters have special, mysterious abilities.

Main characters

File:Emiya.jpg
Shirō Emiya
  • Shirō Emiya (衛宮 士郎, Emiya Shirō): Shirō is the main character of the story. He is a serious and honest teenager, as well as a hard worker who loves helping others. Shirō is in his second year of High School, and his hobbies include fixing a variety of broken things, from VCRs to stoves, as well as cooking and cleaning. He has some slight proficiency with reinforcement sorcery, though he was discouraged by his foster father Kiritsugu Emiya from improving it. Initially, he is confused about the Holy Grail War, and irrationally attempts to shield others from danger, even his own Servant, Saber.
 
Saber
  • Saber: She is Shirō's Servant, an agile but powerful warrior. Saber is loyal, independent, and reserved; she appears cold, but is actually supressing her emotions to preserve impersonality. Her class is considered the "Most Outstanding", with excellent rankings in all categories. Saber's Noble Phantasm is a sword, though it appears transparent due to an enchantment, and serves to obscure her identity. Because her Master cannot effectively provide her with mana, she eats and sleeps constantly to preserve what she has. Saber is bewildered by Shirō's "protective" tendencies, and believes his erratic and reckless behavior jeopardizes her chances of winning the Holy Grail War.
File:Small rin.JPG
Rin Tōsaka
  • Rin Tōsaka (遠坂 凜, Tōsaka Rin): The idol of Shirō's school and secretly a sorceress in the Grail War. Rin is a member of a family of sorcerers and powerful in her own right. Her father died in the fourth Holy Grail War, and she is fighting in this one to succeed him. She seems to have a great personal interest in Shirō. Rin, as powerful as she is, initially tried to summon the Servant Saber, but accidently called upon Archer.
File:Archer1337.jpg
Archer
  • Archer: He is the Servant of one of the series' main heroines, Rin Tōsaka. Due to an incomplete summon, he apparently has no memory of his previous life or even his identity. Archer is sarcastic and cynical - but under his apparent hardened exterior lies a complex and dark persona that unfolds throughout the story. Although traditionally a ranged warrior, Archer can hold his own in mêlée combat, favoring a pair of twin Chinese swords, Kanshō and Bakuya. His bow is said to be made out of a future material that has yet to be invented. He considers Shirō Emiya to be weak and delusional in his idealistic endeavors, and recognizes Shirō's mentality of "wanting to save everyone" as a foolish and impossible task.
File:Matō Sakura.jpg
Sakura Matō
  • Sakura Matō (間桐 櫻, Matō Sakura): A student in her first year of high school, and the sister of Shinji Matō. After Shirō's father Kiritsugu died, Sakura often visited Shirō's home to help him with his daily chores. She is outwardly shy and timid, but possesses great inner strength. Sakura has a long standing and obvious crush on Shirō Emiya.
File:Ilya.JPG
Illyasviel von Einzbern and Berserker
  • Illyasviel von Einzbern: A young German aristocrat, she traveled to Japan to participate in the Holy Grail War as a Master. Illyasviel has an angelic apperance and an unsurpassed degree of magical power. She lives in a castle on the outskirts of Fuyuki City, accompanied only by her servant and two maids. Illyasviel asks those she feels comfortable around to simply call her "Ilya".


  • Berserker: The Servant of Ilya, he is a giant with adamantine skin and gross brawn. As a Berserker, he was stripped of his sanity and reason, acting feral and animalistic in combat. Berserkers are praised as members of the "Strongest" class, though they are difficult to control and always turn on their Masters. Illya, however, appears to have little difficulty managing Berserker.
File:Kotomine.jpg
Kirei Kotomine
  • Kirei Kotomine (言峰 綺禮, Kotomine Kirei): Through an agreement between the Mages' Association and the Church, the Holy Grail Wars are moderated by a priest. Kirei's father was the mediator for the 4th Holy Grail War, and when he died, Kirei felt obligated to replace him. His selection is enigmatic, because Kirei is a member of both the Church and Mages' Association, though both organizations are on hostile terms with one another. Although ranked far lower in the Church than Ciel (from Tsukihime), he employs many of the same techniques and weapons she does.
File:Lancer1337.jpg
Lancer
  • Lancer: The first hostile Servant to appear in this story, Lancer is a fierce but balanced warrior who enjoys combating a worthy opponent. He has a playful attitude and takes a very carefree approach to life, but is quick to work himself into a frenzy during a heated battle. Lancers are hailed as the "Most Agile" of Servant classes.


Secondary characters

  • Kiritsugu Emiya (衛宮切嗣, Emiya Kiritsugu): He is the adoptive father of Shirō, after having found the boy in the street near the wreckage of his childhood home. Little else is known about him, save that he passes away prior to the the events of Fate/stay night.
  • Taiga Fujimura (藤村 大河, Fujimura Taiga): Taiga is an English teacher at Shirō's school, and the supervising teacher for the archery club. She is widely called "Tiger," a nickname she dislikes ("Taiga" and "Tiger" are homophones in Japanese), though Shirou refers to her as "Fuji-nee" (older sister Fuji). She and Shirō are rather close and she regards him as a younger brother.
  • Gilgamesh: Nothing is known about Gilgamesh until later in the story.
  • Sōichirō Kuzuki (葛木 宗一郎, Kuzuki Sōichirō): A male teacher at Shirō's school. He wears glasses and looks fairly serious.
  • Shinji Matō (間桐 慎二, Matō Shinji): The older brother of Sakura, and an old friend of Shirō. Shinji feels unconfortable with his sister's daily visits to Shirō's home. He has an open crush on Rin, but she does not return his favours. Shinji is narcissistic and a chauvinist.
  • Zōken Matō (間桐 臓硯, Matō Zōken): Little is known about him aside from the fact that he is the grandfather of Shinji and Sakura.
  • Rider, Caster and Assassin : At the start of the story, nothing is known about these three servants beyond their existence.

Minor Characters

  • Leysritt and Sella: Illya's maids.
  • Ayako Mitsuzuri (美綴 綾子, Mitsuzuri Ayako): The Captain of the Archery Dojo, and one of Rin's friend.
  • Kaede Makidera (蒔寺 楓, Makidera Kaede), Kane Himuro (氷室 鐘, Himuro Kane) and Yukika Saegusa (三枝 由紀香, Saegusa Yukika): Rin's classmates. All three are on the track team.
  • Issei Ryūdō (柳洞 一成, Ryūdō Issei): The Student Body President of Fuyuki High, and another close friend of Shirō. His father is the head priest of Ryūdōji Temple, and his brother was a classmate of Taiga and Neko-San, Shirō's employer.
  • True Assassin: Very little is known of this character, and he appears in only one scenario (see below).
  • Zelretch: Known as the Wizard Marshall, he is a powerful magician introduced in Tsukihime who makes a cameo apperance in the Heaven's Feel scenario.

Scenarios

Main article: Fate/stay night scenarios

"Fate", "Unlimited Blade Works" (UBW) and "Heaven's Feel" (HF) are the three branching storylines found within the game. Each diverge at certain points from the story and, depending on player selection, then will end in one of several possible scenarios.

"Fate" focuses primarily on the heroine Saber. Though Rin Tōsaka is the main heroine of "UBW", the story mainly focuses on her servant Archer. "HF" focuses on Sakura Matō. The plot of the anime series is an amalgam of the three storylines.

These scenarios are discussed at the scenarios subpage.

Expansions

Main article: Fate/hollow ataraxia

Fate/hollow ataraxia is an expansion disc released in October 28, 2005. It features extra episodes where you can enjoy your time with the FSN characters and couple of mini games. But there's also the important serious plot line. The story takes place half a year after the FSN game. It's not necessary a true sequel that follows a single ending, but more like a side story.

Music

The original Fate/stay night visual novel game features two fully animated opening sequences, highly uncommon for visual novels, both consisting of the song "THIS ILLUSION", composed and arranged by NUMBER201, written by Haga Keita, and performed by M.H..

The music for the Fate/stay night anime series has been conducted by Kenji Kawai. The opening theme for the first 14 episodes of the anime series is "disillusion", a rearrangement of "THIS ILLUSION", arranged by Kenji Kawai, and performed by Sachi Tainaka, which has been released as a single on 26 February, 2006. From episode 15 onwards, a new opening theme is used, "Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni" (Japanese: きらめく涙は星に), also by Sachi Tainaka. The ending theme for the anime series is "Anata ga Ita Mori" (Japanese: あなたがいた森), by Jyukai, which has also been released as a single on 15 March, 2006. In episode 14 of the anime series, a special ending theme is used, "Hikari" (Japanese: ヒカリ), also by Jyukai.

Trivia

  • In episode eight of the Fate/stay night Anime, the cat ears Rin wore as a magical girl in Fate/hollow ataraxia are seen on her desk.
  • Sasaki Kojiro is a famous swordsman from Japan's feudal era, and has been portrayed countless of times in Japanese pop culture. In particular, James of Team Rocket is originally named Kojiro in the Japanese version of Pokémon and his Seiyū also provides the voice for Kojiro in Fate/stay night.
  • As seen in episode seventeen of the Anime, the news program that services Fuyuki City is called "FSN NEWS", an acronym for Fate/stay night.

Translation Projects

The original Fate/stay night visual novel game is currently being completely translated to the English language by the fan translation group, Mirror Moon, and the anime series is currently being translated into English,Chinese,Spanish and French subtitles by fan translation groups. The trial version of the Fate/stay night visual novel has also been translated by the fan translation group, insani.

Official sites

Anime Profiles & Synopsis

Walkthroughs

Fan sites

Translation Projects

Discussion Boards

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