Another year has passed with Reverse Thieves being the premiere Type-Moon and Galaxy Angel themed blog on the Internet. (A title bestowed on the blog but no one but myself.) As that is the case it is only logical that I look over another year of Type-Moon news and events and pick some of my favorite moments. While there are several things we are still waiting for like the Tsukihime remake and Girls’ Work there were enough new anime, manga, figures, and various other pieces of merchandise to warrant a new Type-Moon Weekly News Roundup every week. Therefore I had more than enough to pull from to whip up my eleven favorite items from 2013.

This is hardly the definitive list of the coolest things that happened with Type-Moon this year. But it is a list of the things that meant the most to me.

11. Birth of the Type-Moon Weekly News Roundup

I have to start the list with a bit of reflection on the blog itself. At the start of the year the Type-Moon Weekly News Roundup was spun off of our existing Sunday APB posts. Kate realized that I was consistently getting enough news articles in just that one part of the APB that it was worth making it is own weekly post.

I’m not going to pretend that the weekly post has made the site some sort of nexus of the English-speaking Type-Moon fandom. I think only about a dozen people regularly read the post from what I can see of the website statistics. But when push comes to shove I was going to look for all the things I put in the Type-Moon Weekly News Roundup anyway so I might as well write it all down for posterity. If a few other people benefit from it as well all the better.

But I think at this point that is the motto of the Reverse Thieves website.

10. You Can be Saber Everywhere

Monster Hunter Frontier G, Phantasy Star Online 2, and Valhalla Knights 3 all had the option for the player to get Fate/Stay Night costumes for their characters. Sadly these were all Japanese only options but it was still nice to know that it was going on. I know I would have bought those games with the “play as Saber option” but that is hardly enough to justify an English release.

Also I have a Saber Mii on my 3DS. This should surprise NO ONE.

9. No, Really. Saber is Everywhere.

She is even in the Hana no Miyako! manga. And that is an alternate world version of Tsukihime’s Miyako Arima in her own battle school manga. That wily blonde haired green-eyed girl finds her way into everything. Can’t wait to see the chapters she is in get translated.

8. Archer-Ko Dazzling The Stage

The Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya anime was distinctly a guilty pleasure. There were some stand out awesome moments in that show despite the somewhat creepy vibe at times. The one everyone remembers was Illya using the Archer card for the first time. When Emiya started playing the scene went from pretty good to amazing. It also made Archer-Ko go from a mildly popular headcanon creation to an actual piece of the greater Nasuverse. That in of itself is amazing.

7. Bazett Fraga McRemitz!

The other fantastic part of Fate/kaleid liner Prisma Illya came in the last few seconds of the show. As part of the set up for the next season we only saw her for a few brief moments. In fact they deliberately do not show her face. But it is obvious that Bazett is finally entering the stage. While she was previously animated in Carnival Phantasm that is hardly her at her best. I consider this her formal animated debut.

Until there is a Fate/Hollow Ataraxia anime I will take what I can get. She is a somewhat ignored character despite being rather cool so I’m glad we get to see her being heroic and badass even if it is just in a silly show like this.

6. Sakura Saber

I actually could point to BOTH versions of her if I wanted to. As Takashi Takeuchi has realized that Saber is an eternal money machine he decided to make Okita Souji into a new version of Saber. And she is already becoming a figure from Good Smile. A figure that I want.

Yes. I am the reason that Saber will never go away. I’m sorry.

5. The Birth of Mysterious Heroine X

Oh and this girl exists as well. But I think I bring her up once a month on the blog so how much more can I say here. I love this version of Saber. She is just so wonderfully tomboyish. I still think it is criminal I don’t see any figures of Heroine X. I love Sakura Saber but where is the love for the Saber who hunts Saber clones?

Sufficed to say of all the amazing parts of Rojiura Satsuki Chapter Heroine Sanctuary this was my favorite part. Plus I think if I said it was the Joan of Arc from the 2013 April Fools’ event I might get shanked at Otakon next year.

4. Fate/Do Over

While it has never been as hated as the Tsukihime anime there has never been a great deal of love for the Fate/Stay Night adaption by Studio Deen. The anime tries really hard to adapt the full impact of the Fate path by taking elements from all three paths. It could have succeeded a bit better.

But Ufotable’s work on Kara no Kyoukai and Fate/Zero on the other hand were universally beloved. So when they announced that they were making their own version of Fate/Stay Night to could feel the fandom squeal with joy. It is not clear what part of the game they are adapting. They might just do Heaven’s Feel as it the only path that has never been adapted but most people are hoping they are just going to go whole hog and animate all three paths as their own arcs. We shall see what happens. No matter what the expectations are high but Ufotable has proven they can live up to those lofty hopes.

3. A Gift for the Gaming Mongrel Masses

Fate/Extra CCC let you play as Gilgamesh. I am fairly certain that was Kate’s one wish for the series and she did not even know it. I think the best part is his class is just GILGAMESH. While the gameplay is mostly the same they have made some major improvements that make it slightly less painful. Also the plot is very different but intricately tied into the story of the first in some unexpected ways. So I am really looking forward to playing this soon. Hopefully Aksys Games will pick up this game as well. Hope springs eternal.

2. Year of Luigi … I mean Sakura

It did seem like Nasu’s single solitary goal was to cultivate a fanbase for Sakura. She is the center of attention in Fate/Extra CCC, she gets her own opening in the Vita version of Fate/Stay Night [Realta Nua], and she got her own chapter in Rojiura Satsuki Chapter Heroine Sanctuary. I’m not sure how well it worked but I’m glad to see an attempt to win her some love so she is not always a low tier heroine like some curry loving members of the Burial Agency.

1. Saber X Deedlit

All my dreams manifest. There are very few blonde heroines I would like to see team up more. Both of them are grace, beauty, and power all in wonderfully lovely packages. Seeing these two together and then drawn by Takeuchi made my year. I really want to see a translation of the drama CD that came with the December Comptiq that also has the poster with both of them on it. Another thing to throw on the pile of things I wish translated.

Also when are we going to get Saber X Lafiel? It would be Ayako Kawasumi goodness squared.

Is there anything Type-Moon related that you loved this year that I left out?

– Alain