Fate/Kaleid Liner Prisma✫Illya 3rei – 6echstse

…recurring jokes, recurring battles…can mapo kill them?

We start where we left off last time, so let’s get the show on the road…

Plot Devices and Chill

I love Erika’s expression…

Well, in starting off, I have to say I genuinely like and understand the why of Darius. His vision of dramaturgy and thaumaturgy as linked assets is not only a great bedrock for a mage character, but it’s cracking good for drama, and a damn fine vehicle for all the associated Fate esoterica. The Holy Grail War is a magical stage when all is said and done, and all the players have their parts; we know this, and practically anyone can grasp the basics of a F/SN/UBW pretty instantly. Of course YMMV, not to mention your specific level of interest and investment. But the point I’m making is that they got a solid idea here in what Darius, as a character, is trying to achieve as a mastermind. But this level of execution is just…

“Papa, you’re over-acting again”

He’s just off the scale of interesting to me. While the other characters rise to the occasion by hauling hard on their own thematic lines. He’s just kinda there to stop them from going to far. There isn’t enough give and take. It’s there, but it’s frustrating to see none of it really connect all that much. I see a great amount of value in an (seemingly? let’s lay the groundwork early) implacable villain, to show that the characters have a way to go yet to reach the right level. I can stand the taunts. I even like the idea of some rando dude in his sweats and sandals that can suddenly “come out of nowhere” and be the bad guy.

Yeah, he’ll just stop it with dullness…his weakness is his strength…

But he just comes off as predictable and kinda boring. At best, I’ll dub him a scene-chewer, but he barely reaches that, and it wouldn’t be any better. But then, he’s a Fate character, so either this level of introduction is not to be trusted in total or every detail must be poured over or taken with a grain of salt – yadda, yadda, yadda  – I’ll just skip to the bloody end, thanks. At least Erika gives him some personality by proxy; she also lends Miyu’s scenes some real emotional contrast. Overall, this is not a good place for a villain to be, in my opinion. We’ve seen this already, the taunts and seemingly unstoppable force, from Beatrice and Angelica. Nothing new, let’s move on shall we?

Crap, I get to be a plot device again…

But, we do have some early dots to connect to later ones. Tanaka being able to side-step the Apneic Beauty Noble Phantasms gives us a bit, we can add more to her overall character when she imitates a gas heater. Tanaka is hot, folks. What we can glom onto readily is her sudden claim of Darius being a “counterfeiter”. That has a nice connection to later on in the show. With that in mind, I’ll gloss over Darius’ torture of Miyu in this writing. It happened,and it was awful…moving on. But the reveal was interesting, I’ll give it that. That was a chilling effect with the plinths coming to life. But really that just means Darius is cheating! If he can divine part of the future, then it’s not really his path he’s walking, not really his part that he’s playing. Or is it? They got some layers going on, but I’ll have to leave that under future spoilers (use tags!) for now…you can discuss the other dots…

..and all the jerkwad can say is “Hey”

Gil’s Treasury

Don’t hate the shouta, hate the game…

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All in all, pretty shabby. I like the ideas, not the execution. In fact, I’d like to forget this one, and champion my idea that an adaptation can function greatly as a second draft that can edit out whole blocks that don’t work, cause this one doesn’t work. Animation for it is just above average, it’s pretty much stuck here doing time. I’ll give it more points for some great texture here and there. I loved the levity that Erika brings, but I also enjoy that she can center it with a sweet seriousness. The window link was a nice touch in terms of chilling behavior, even though I quite disliked the scene. Kuro’s exasperation over her lack of control is getting to be poetic, and same with Bazzett. All fine. For now I’m waiting for it to get into it’s more inspired manga chapters….

Yay, what Hiroyama does best!

About skylion

All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion