Que the Queen and David Bowie because I am Under Pressure.

While I got back from AnimeNext in one piece (albeit a very tired one piece) I still have con reports, The Speakeasy, Case Closed reviews, SWAT reviews, Otakon panels, secret projects, my job, and planning my upcoming vacation to work on in between trying to get some small modicum of sleep. So if I am a tad terse and bit late with this post please forgive me.

The end is in sight. After this episode all the dangling plot threads have been resolved. (Unless we consider the mystery of Sakura an unresolved story. If that is the case you refer you to the upcoming Heaven’s Feel movies.) All that is left is the final test of Shiro’s growth. His resolve might be indomitable, his ideals may be tempered, and his power might be far greater than it has ever been but Gilgamesh is still a demigod who is the Servant equivalent of the Wenger 16999 Swiss Army Knife. Rin and Saber are no slouches but the Reality Marble named Unlimited Blade Works is really going to have to pull its weight in this fight if Shiro’s team has any chance at victory.

Spoilers: The route this story is based on is named Unlimited Blade Works. It might just work.

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I also wanted to call this post “Whisper Sweet German Spell Incantations in My Ear and then Tell Me You Love Me” but I think “Under the Sea” is a bit punchier.

I’m sorry this post was a bit late. A combination of Kate and I covering Special Edition and preparing for AnimeNEXT means that I have had 1,001 things to do. That it turn meant that this post got a bit delayed. That also means that my post for episode 23 is going to get just as delayed. If Special Edition is a middle-distance running race then AnimeNEXT is a long-distance triathlon. Most of this episode is just crystal dolphins so I don’t think anyone desperately needed my analysis but I do regret that my Incarnation post is going to be delayed as well. Hopefully I will be back on schedule after that so everything should be on track for the finale.

The funnest part of this episode was probably the meta comedy around ye olde fluid mana transfer scene. I think most reasonable people realized we were getting the Réalta Nua version of Shiro getting Rin’s magic circuits. There was this somewhat misguided hope/delusion that we would get Bow Chicka Wow Wow version but that was never meant to be. I think parts of Kara no Kyoukai might have given people the impression that Ufotable might throw in a soap opera sex scene but that was always a false hope. First of all being a TV anime makes that very improbable. Sex sometimes happens in TV anime but it is almost always surprising when it does. Other than Garo: The Animation the last time I can remember something like was the controversial scene in Gundam SEED.  Also I think at this point Réalta Nua has become the face of Fate/Stay Night. It is far more accessible which is important because I don’t think they would want to alienate any of the new fans they got from Fate/Zero.

Plus let’s be honest: People actually like to complain about the crystal marine life scene. Much like the CG dragon it lets everyone come together. It lets people complain how corny the original sex scenes are while also letting fans mention how silly the family friendly revisions are.

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