Shiro Emiya is a seemingly average high school student with a unique ability to tap into mechanical devices. However, this seemingly normal life is shattered when Shiro finds himself entered into an age-old battle between Magi and the spirit warriors, legendary heroes in the vein of King Arthur and Gilgamesh, who fight for them. All are fighting for a powerful artifact known as the Holy Grail.

The animation of the series is very clean and looks very new age. I personally like computer aided animation, and it's clear that this series is computer aided. This certainly has an advantage by allowing the action to be very smooth and exciting. The battles between characters are a lot of fun to watch, and it is a very beautiful looking series. Likewise, the characters are very cool looking, specifically the major antagonist and the lead, Saber. Overall, the characters are unique, but also take on the personality of their according legend, which makes it quite enjoyable to watch.

Although the characters in Fate/Stay Night are quite interesting to watch, and the universe that this series takes place in is a fascinating world, the problem with Fate is that its focus is too spread out. Questions remain after the series, and some things even seem to come too quickly. The series really needed a great deal more episodes, and it needed to take its time. This would have made things seem more normal and not so jumpy. Despite some pacing issues, the explorations of the characters are the best part of this series, specifically the exploration of Shiro and Saber's relationship. It's the continued exploration of these characters, and their legends that keeps the series lively and exciting.

The performance for the characters is adequate and enjoyable. Each voice is suitable for its character and there is a certain charm here in the fact that each legend seems to be of a higher quality vocally, just as they are character-wise.

The theme song in particular wasn't very enjoyable for myself, but did suit the series well. Despite not being terribly great with myself, it does get an eight for fitting the series very well by nailing down the feeling of the series.

The art stayed true to the original game. From the characters' costume design, to the serene backgrounds of Fuyuki City, a perfect rendition of the cult hit PC game.

What first captured me were the first few minutes of episode one, a short flashback of the previous Holy Grail War. It briefly shows Saber fighting an unknown opponent in a fiery scene. She deflected the unclear projectiles coming at her, followed by a crashing blow from up above; I could already tell that great fighting sequences will occur. Another cool action scene element is when motion lines are displayed. When reading manga, you see black lines indicating directional motion or highlighting the character's movements. In Fate's indication of motion they have strips of motion blur, in motion. This is quite original. The elements of the characters' designs that stood out for me were their eyes, and Saber's warrior maiden outfit. It appears feminine, but still gives out an impression that she's a fighter.

Fate/Stay Night is about a war between mages through the use of their \'servants\'. The ultimate prize: the legendary Holy Grail that can grant the winner's wish. The story is about Shirou, and his involvement in the war. This includes his relationship with the other characters in the story, but mostly the relationship between him and his servant, Saber. What makes this story intriguing is figuring out and keeping track of who is the master of which servant, and the outcomes of each encounter.

The sound effects, to me, are a minor element that is easily overlooked/overheard. Sounds, like energy bursting out and slashes of steel, made the anime feel more real and in your face.

The musical score is another YES of why fans should appreciate this anime. I don't know whether it came from the original game (coz I haven't played it. . .yet), or if it's unique. Melancholic scenes or events are highlighted with no voice work, and just listen to the tranquil violin musical score.

The visuals are nothing short of beautiful and brilliant. They're one of the best things about this anime. You'll find it hard not to drool at the beauty of the animation, and design in this one. The textures and design's quality are gentle and serene, even when they're at their most intense; as if to give the audience a detached feel from the action in terms of emotional resonance.

The story revolves around a young and enigmatic loner named Shirou, his "servant", Saber, and their general involvement in an epic battle known to a select few, called the Holy Grail Wars. One of my only main complaints about Fate/Stay Night is that the series starts off a bit slow, starting with episode one. Not a lot happens in the first episode, to be quite honest, which makes the story come across as a bit quiet and un-dynamic at first. Fortunately, it doesn't stay that way for too long. Things quickly pick up by the beginning of episode two, and only get better.

Most of the soundtrack has a relaxed vibe to it for the most part, which creates a kind of transcendent atmosphere to match the visuals, with the exception of fight scenes scattered about.

There are some very memorable and well-played performances here, not to mention the strength of the cast, who also do a good, solid job for the most part in terms of portraying their various parts.

Once I got a few episodes into this one, I absolutely loved it! This title easily accomplished the goal that any great new anime title should accomplish. Hook you, reel you in, and keep you coming back for more. All in all, I enjoyed it a lot and can't recommend Fate/Stay Night highly enough to everyone.

Whereas Tsukihime was a flop, Studio DEEN has found its chance to redeem itself to TYPE-MOON by adapting newest hit, Fate/Stay Night, into an anime. Having finished it, all I can say is that they more than compensated.

The animation flows well, especially in the fights between Master and Servant pairs. Most of the human characters look plain and unoriginal; the girls falling into set harem stereotypes. But, I loved the care taken into designing the servants! Each one is really unique and original.

The storyline is what piqued my interest in the first place! The writing quality is superb, although I have to admit that Shirou is probably one of the worst heroes I've ever seen. He keeps getting into situations way over his head, and yet doesn't call Saber because he doesn't want her to get hurt for his sake? Noble, yes, but THAT WAS WHAT SHE WAS SUMMONED FOR YOU FREAKING IDIOT.

The Japanese cast was okay, but at least they fit their respective characters. Dub did its best to stay true to the original, but some of the acting was lack-luster at best.

This show has some of composer Kanji Kawai's better scores, and they didn't just fit the mood—they added to it. I can't say that the first opening theme (Disillusion) left much of an impression on me, but I fell in love with "Kirameku Namida wa Hoshi ni" (the second one) after hearing a rendition of it by one of 2006's AX Idol contestants. The ending theme was okay; it was relaxing, and gave a nice transition out.

As soon as the introduction comes on, you know that there's something special about the animation. The attention to detail is astounding, for instance, how the characters' clothing and hair seems to flutter in the wind. Every movement is carefully chronicled in the animation, and I love it. As far as the character designs go, there isn't really anything special about them when you are first introduced to the main players. As the series goes on; however, you'll see that attention to detail again in Saber's armor, Archer's attacks, and all of the various battle scenes. The animation is truly beautiful.

After doing some research on the origins of Fate/Stay Night, I discovered that the plot was based loosely on an h-game (Japanese dating video game), which really surprised me. Except for a few innuendos and awkward situations, there is very little evidence of its video game roots. Perhaps that was for the better. The plot is very character driven and keeps you on the edge of your seat with all of its twists, turns and action sequences. For all of its complexities, the writers did a really good job in breaking it down for the audience especially when dealing with the rules of the Holy Grail War and the different servants. Hands down, this story rocks.

What can I say about the soundtrack other than it was AWESOME! I loved the musical choices for this series; it really fit the various dramatic scenes that the characters were faced with. I love the opening song Disillusion. At first I didn't think that it really fit with the basic concept of the show until I read the lyrics, and listened to the entire song without just glossing over it. I love the jazzy undertones and the really dramatic and mysterious feel of it. Also the special ending song Hikari was really appropriate too, and actually made me tear up! The second opening song was also really well chosen and the operatic pieces during the action scenes really gave it a dark and gothic feel, which I think was the main theme of this anime. I would recommend the Fate/Stay Night soundtrack to anyone.

The most noticeable thing about the animation of Fate/Stay Night is the sheer attention to detail. Every particle of a character's costume is delicate and beautiful; the main character's beautiful blue and white dress is a prime example of this. In the ending credits, purely being able to see her dressed in such a beautifully drawn piece of textile, makes the viewer always want to watch the ending sequence of each episode fully. The characters are designed in a fairly unique way; however, this uniqueness cannot be seen in the character of Archer, who appears to be the splitting image of Knives from Trigun, apart from this, there are very few that are so blatantly similar to other anime characters. The colours of all the scenes are bright, fresh, and very clean; they are also very well paced, giving a well-drawn animation.

The story of Fate/Stay Night is very bizarre; it's not simply the quest for the Holy Grail, it's considerably more than that. It doesn't follow in a simply linear fashion; it bends, twists and changes. It's another anime that is hard to follow without your full attention, best not watched when tired because the viewer would have to take himself or herself back an episode to catch up. The story is anything but leisurely, but it's still fun and interesting to watch, once a viewer has broken into approximately 10 episodes, then there will be no turning back due to the intrigue and suspense that builds as the episodes carry on towards the finale.

The striking thing about the English voice actors used for this series is that they are subtly similar to the original Japanese, I can't say that any of the voices are hands down perfect however most are fairly good and are nothing worth getting disappointed about, it's nice to listen to in either language, original is always best, however no viewer would be at fault for watching the dub instead.

The beauty of the animation is only matched by the beauty of the music. The first ending theme: "Anata ga Ita Mori" by Jukai, is one of the most fantastic anime tunes, and for that alone the soundtrack is worth purchasing.

Fate/Stay Night's animation is nothing new. The same level of animation can be seen in many different animes. Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying that it's bad. Nothing extravagant was added to make this series memorable. The background animation was rather plain. Probably due to the fact that most of the time the characters were taking up most of the screen, and the background wasn't allowed to come through and be seen. What made the animation really shine were the fight scenes. With slightly overdramatic and flashy attacks it made the animation come through. The characters' wardrobe was pretty descent, for the most part. It had the basic school uniform outfit, which can be annoying to some, and happily received by others. Everyone knows that high school kids always go on journeys to save the earth from great evil. But all in all, the character design is what really sets this anime apart from the rest: from beautiful heavy armored blondes to guys with spears in blue tights.

This anime has great potential to become an amazing work of storytelling, but the lack of time and episodes hinged the story from becoming more clarified, more specific, and lacked interaction between characters. The basis of the story is interesting enough already, basically seven people call one random "Hero" or Villain" from the past (or future, don't want to spoil) and have them fight for their master in order to win against the other six people. The winner gets the Holy Grail along with any wish they desire. Interesting isn't it? It is, but the lack of episodes really made the story dumb down and made it less fascinating.

The soundtrack was descent; the opening of the anime was pretty standard. The second opening was a better song out of the two openings. But the ending of the anime was something different. As of right now, the ending sequence of Fate/Stay Night is my favorite of all the animes that I have seen, and the music goes beautifully along with it.

The Holy Grail, legend is that it is the cup that Jesus drank from at the last supper. There is also another legend that the Holy Grail is a symbol of God's grace. In the hit anime series Fate/Stay Night, the legend of the Holy Grail is retold with a twist.

In Fate/Stay Night the Holy Grail is a sought after item, one that if obtained can grant the user wishes. In order to get the Holy Grail every sixty years there is a Battle Royal event appropriately named the "Holy Grail war". Enter Shiro Emiya; ten years ago he lost his parents in a huge fire that engulfed the city. Little does he know that his life is about to change dramatically as he is selected to take part in the next Holy Grail War. When I first started watching Fate/Stay Night I had little background knowledge about the series; however, from the minute that "Disillusion" started playing I immediately saw the really detailed graphics, and before I knew it I was hooked. From Rin's on and off attitude problem, to the first time that we saw how much Saber can really eat (its amazing how much food she can really pack away). Fate/Stay Night is truly one of the best Anime series to come out in the U.S. recently.

Fate Stay/Night has some of the most creative visionary techniques that I have seen in a while, the little details in the characters hair, clothes, even to lighting and shadow techniques in the fight sequences are simply amazing. When I'm watching the opening sequence it looks like I'm playing the PC version of Fate/Stay Night, which is a nice touch. The music in Fate/Stay Night was pretty good. I especially liked how the creators used subtle tones and more dramatic scores to not only foreshadow an upcoming event (E.G. a battle), but also the music really helps move the story along. The only drawback I had with Fate/Stay Night was the English dialogue was a bit sluggish at times making it kind of hard to continue watching; however, when I switched it over to its Japanese language track the quality in the voice acting rose dramatically making it more bearable to watch. Not to mention that all of the characters are designed very well, even down to their own individual personalities; both really make the characters in FSN come to life!

Describing the animation, one word comes to mind: inconsistent, or at least that's how it seemed. One thing I just couldn't get past was the series' total overuse of shadowing its characters, props, and scenery. Light effects are incredibly exaggerated, but it seems that it was done for dramatic purposes. It's still hard to pass on it though, as there will be times where you see the entire right half of a character clear as day, and the other half is pitch black. Another slight problem is the tendency for there to be a lot of scenery pans during long monologues. In the first quarter of the series, where monologues reign supreme, this gets annoying fast.

But despite its flaws, Fate/Stay Night knows exactly how to animate a fight scene, and as they become more and more frequent as the series progresses, that's a very good thing! Each and every battle is painstakingly detailed in the flow of the battle, and the detail of the attacks.

The character design is not only good-looking, but very innovative as well. Many of the servant characters give off very big hints to their true identities in their clothing, size, and body structure. Also, each character is unique enough to be able to tell everyone apart. With a huge cast like this one; that greatly helps to remember who is who.

The animation in Fate/Stay Night is quite good, but when it starts off, it doesn't seem to be too spectacular. The fight scenes; however, are some of the best I've ever seen, with great lighting and special effects thrown in to make it all the more amazing. I especially like the character designs of the servants; their outfits are trendy and fitting. Also, the use of electrical wiring to symbolize Shirou's magic was very fitting. Fate/Stay Night is a well-animated story with great characters.

The story moves quite slowly at the beginning, but is still engaging. By the time you are about a third into the story, nothing much has been explained (it's too intricate), but that is the nature of the Fate/Stay Night. Because it was originally a game that had to be played, the viewer is put through the same experience as the player, and you are left with nothing but to figure things out on your own. Though the game was mostly a dating sim with fights thrown in, I liked how the producer cut out most of the obvious romance until the end. However, by then, it was out of place and it ruined the ending for me. I love the characters, especially Saber and Tohsaka, as they were well rounded, and seemed to grow the most in the series.

The voicing in Fate/Stay Night is awesome, and they all fit the characters well. However, the dialogue sometimes seemed forced, unplanned and almost unrehearsed. This was usually the case if Saber was involved, but that was part of her character, so it was easily overlooked. I had to love Tohsaka; she just had the awesomest voice. Rider did too, but that's because she's Rider... can't give too much away, can I?

The music in Fate/Stay Night is nice. I liked the openings and ending a lot, especially the Archer ending song... it was beautiful. I liked the background music. It had nice flow and melody, and concentrated a lot on harmony as well. My favorite song from Fate/Stay Night has to be Hikari... amazing job!!