F/SN and F/Z - Should I just skip the F/SN anime?
 

I have interest in the 'Fate' series. It is hard to view Fate Stay Night at the moment. The DVDs are about $20 a piece. It looks like it'll be re-released on Blu-ray, though. I hear F/SN isn't that good, and I hear Fate Zero is much better.

Does Fate Zero stand on it's own, storywise? I'm wondering if I could just skip the Fate/Stay Night anime and then just watch Fate Zero. Some have recommended the Fate/Stay Night visual novel. Could someone tell me more about that, as I don't know where to start with that. I've never played a PC visual novel. Do I have to buy a Japanese DVD of the game and get a translation patch? How much should this cost? Depending on different factors, I might not wanna bother with this route.

I always tell people that the visual novel is the best way to enjoy the fate/stay night series. Fate/zero is a prequel to the visual novel and not the anime afterall.

However, this comes down to your personal preferences and financial situation. I am not aware of how much it would cost to buy F/S N visual novel today, but really this is the best way to enjoy the story personally IMO. Especially if you don't mind reading.

The Fate/Zero anime can be watched without watching fate/stay night, but you'll get nowhere near the same appreciation out of it as someone who read or watched fate/stay night. Somethings will also remain a bit too unclear. I don't recommend it personally, but it's doable.

Through legal means, yes you would need to purchase the Japanese PC visual novel, then look up a translation patch which are readily available online.

Again, through legal means...

Urzu, I'll direct you to this thread so that you'll get clearer answers. ;)

*facepalm* I know I asked in another thread sometime recently, but I thought it was only kind of recently.

If I get the visual novel, I'll just buy it, unless it isn't at a low price. I'm expecting it to be at a cheap price.

What can I expect from a visual novel? I've never experienced one. Is there a lot of text and just some visuals in there? I think I'd prefer the anime, then.

The anime might be a lot, though. Amazon has preorders for F/SN on Blu-ray. However, it is collection 1. They will probably release two collections. Collection 1 is $48.99. Collection 2 will probably cost the same, and then there is the F/SN Unlimited Blade Works and that is $20.

The visual novel is sounding more appealing now. This anime is only 'solid' or 'decent'? Not worth the $120, eh? Better off going with the visual novel?

Also, I found a Fate Zero bootleg on Amazon. I'm not sure if Amazon supports that. They probably don't know it's a bootleg. So, the price is a lot, lot cheaper than the $700 price tag of the Fate Zero official release. By like...$675. I was thinking of getting it, but there is a significant audio issue with it. The image quality is great, I read, though.

Might as well just watch it on Crunchyroll. If I really like the series, it'll probably get a re-release on disc that is, ya know, actually affordable.

You don’t have to buy the Unlimited Blade Works BD though. It’s not important really.

As for the anime itself, like I said in the previous thread, Fate/Stay Night is actually decent as a stand-alone story focusing on the romance between Saber & Shiro.

I suggest you to watch Fate/Zero first since chronologically that one is before Fate/Stay Night so you’ll get a good grasp of things when you watch Fate/Stay Night after Zero. Don’t forget to lower your expectations when you watch Fate/Stay Night after you watch Fate/Zero.

I'd have to watch it on Crunchyroll. That expensive release of Fate Zero on disc is absurd. I hope more companies don't do that.

I'm waiting for the Dog Days series to be licensed and released on Blu-ray. I'd be very pissed if they end up releasing it for like $350.

I would never ever recommend buying fate/stay night the anime.

As far as visual novels go, yes it's mostly text with lots of CG images, but there is voice work and music to go along with it. It's not quite at the level of an anime by nay means, but it's fairly immersive. That's why I said it depends on you, if you really don't mind reading, go for the VN. Otherwise you can try the anime, but I really don't think it's worth purchasing.

Also Fate/Stay night came out before Fate/zero for a reason as fate/zero spoils many things about fate/stay night.

Now while watching the F/S N anime is permissible (If really need be), STAY THE HELL away from the UBW movie. That thing is an insult beyond belief as a film. It makes absolutely no sense and practically has no story. They condensed basically a route in the VN that is longer than the route they adapted in the original anime into a 2 hour film (Or even less?), basically gutting the thing to a bunch of senseless action without context, or reason. Not to mention many of the fights are inaccurately portrayed as well.

Fate/Zero is one of the best grim/dark action animes I've ever seen.

Fate/Stay Night is a mediocre hackneyed mashup of an eroge game and an action anime.

Just watch Fate/Zero on crunchyroll.

The ironic thing is, that’s basically what the source material is. So that part is not really the anime’s fault :heh:. It really has different tone compared to Zero. It's not as grim and depressing.

I agree with prioritizing to watch Fate/Zero. Watching Fate/Stay Night after that is optional. ;)

Why not watch it online first? 0_o
And for FREE!

If you like it, buy it. If you don't, then don't buy it. Why waste money?

Anyway Fate/Stay Night series give conclusion to Fate/Zero series so in a way they are important.

But if you are stuck up on buying then do buy Fate/Zero. Fate/stay Night anime is not really worth the money since it is not that good, just watch it online or something.

I think I'll check around to see if F/SN is streaming online. Last time I checked several weeks ago, it wasn't. The visual novel is sounding appealing. The anime on Blu-ray would cost $100, and what people are saying is that is way too much just to legally view that anime.

Reckoner says the visual novel is the best way to experience F/SN. I know he said that at least a couple of times, and I've noted it. Fate Zero is linked to the visual novel, not the anime, right? Didn't someone say that? Also, which arc in the visual novel is Fate Zero linked to?

I have sent you a PM, hopefully it'll help ;)

Actually, Fate/Zero is based off a light novel by Gen Urobuchi who also wrote the second season of the anime adaptation.

This confused me at first because I didn't understand that:

Visual Novel = Computerized Novel with animations and choices/gameplay

Light Novel = Basically just a style of novel with anime illustrations.

Yeah I mean, I didn't think Fate/Stay Night was terrible, but it was just the most generic kind of popcorn anime. Very much akin to Mai Hime (though this is much better than F/SN) or Sekirei. I dunno what you call this genre but it's basically a mash-up between Kill Em All tournament and Romcom.

Fate/Zero is a light novel prequel to fate/stay night visual novel. Fate/Zero was penned by Urobuchi Gen, but he was basically mentored by Nasu (Who wrote fate/stay night) while writing it.

Nasu wrote the fate/stay night visual novel which consists of 3 routes. They are called Fate, Unlimited Blade Works, and Heaven's Feel. The fate/stay night anime is basically the fate route with some elmeents of unlimited bladeworks in it, and little heaven's feel, but basically is just all fate. Albeit, in my opinion a very poor adaption of fate.

fate/zero is a prequel in general, so it is a prequel to any of the routes, but the route it would spoil you on the most is heaven's feel which is the final route of fate/stay night that is unlocked after playing through fate and UBW.

The tone of fate/zero is decidedly a bit more dark than any rendition of fate/stay night, though not much more than Heaven's Feel. But in the end, fate/zero is more enjoyable with having seen or played fate/stay night.

Just so people can be sure you're not claiming this out of nowhere here's a an extract from a Urobuchi interview

I'd honestly recommend to play the Visual novel first then watch Fate Zero. Although i doubt that you can buy F/SN in english translated since the ones who worked with it, Mirror Moon or Beast's lair are just fansubbers if i remember correctly.

F/SN is my first visual novel too. It's tiring at first since the prologue is freaking long but you will soon get a hang of it. I'd also not recommend to buy F/SN blu-ray.
If anything we should hope for a Ufotable adaptation of F/SN :D

Heaven's Feel, to be precise ;).

I really don't think that heaven's feel is enough for a 24-26 episode adaptation. If they will have one they will of course add some scenarios from Fate and UBW.