Just Anime

The more observant of you might notice that this entry is about a month late.  Between working retail during the holiday season and grad school, lets just say I haven't had to much time.  But lets see if we can at least get this project finished, shall we?

There are two major intertwined components of the eleventh episode of Fate/Zero.  The banquet of kings revealed the tragedy of Saber, filled with a propensity for self martrydom that mirrors the personality flaw of a certain silver haired, red robed heroic spirit.  But that is not the part I want to talk about.  Tonight, we celebrate Iskandar for being awesome.  Someone declaring one's ideology is common.  Someone producing undeniable support for one's ideology is not.    

Iskandar believes a king must be one that lives a life that compels worship.  He must be grander than all others, laugh louder, rage harder.  Saber declares them the thoughts of a greedy tyrant.  But tyrant is a word we associate with a king that rules over a populace that despises him.  And what of Iskandar?  His greatest treasure is his bond with his subjects, a bond so strong they continue to pledge their loyalty to him after death.  It is not without irony that the ED theme shows him returning from battle worshipped by the populace while Saber strikes down her own people in a civil war. 

To Iskandar I raise a ladle of wine.  Keep being awesome.

I finally catch up with Fate Zero during winter break. Iskandar is a very likeable character. I didn't like the Holy Grail plot and how history repeats itself with meaningless slaughter.

I didn't catch the irony in the ending. Poor Saber. Her tragic past didn't make it easy for her to rule a society whose ideas has been radically changed. Iskander is pretty lucky that all he has to do is be the hero and defeat the enemies.