Lancer uses his special technique, Gae Bulga, which seeks out the opponent’s heart, homes, and ignores defense, but Saber manages to barely dodge taking serious damage. From this attack, Saber realizes he is Ireland’s champion, the Hound of Culann (Cúchulainn). His identity discovered, Lancer decides to run, as per his cowardly master’s orders. Saber then turns her attentions to Rin and Archer.
Saber’s fast attack surprises the pair, and Archer has to body block Saber at the last second. He takes a pretty devastating wound, and Rin dismisses him before he can be vanquished. Rin then tosses a jewel at Saber (which does nothing), and Shirou stops the onslaught at the last moment. Then it’s time to meet Rin’s teacher, Kotomine Kirei. Kirei babbles on and on and on about all the various rules and important moments in the War of the Holy Grail (like that big flame that blazed because the last winner was found to be using a bot) which confuses Shirou enough that he agrees to participate. As Rin and Shirou gratefully leave, they’re approached by the little white-haired girl from before, and her servant, Steroid-Man.
While the beginning and end were exciting, the large majority of this episode was boring as dirt. I can’t fault Shirou for getting the audio version of the rulebook read to him, and I fear that Kirei will intervene at inopportune moments like the judges in Final Fantasy Tactics. Speaking of which, the ability for the loser Masters and Servants to team up adds a layer of complexity to the battle, but it sucks that no one really knows WTH the Holy Grail wants. More than likely, the Holy Grail will force your Servant to go get it some Starbucks coffee or something (hey, you know a foamy latte makes the Holy Grail farty and bloated!)…
Rin was pretty cool again, keeping her eyes on the prize by dismissing Archer, and playing it coy with Saber. Shirou is such a noob, it’s almost painful. It’s like some uber player selling his account to some 10 year old kid who has no idea what he’s doing.
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>> the large majority of this episode was boring as dirt.
I disagree, but only because I’m a sucker for Jouji Nakata and I was busy drooling every time he uttered a line.
Shiro may end up becoming an uber sorcerer at then end, if he’s this pathetic.
The episode was indeed very wordy, but the good part – we’ve got it spelled out now, it’s DONE. After dozens of Mai Universe episode, where alot of arguments would develop out of theories how this and that is supposed to work and what the “rules” were, it’s almost refreshing to see them defined upfront. Let’s face it, it’s like reading the rulebook of a computer game first: It’s annoying, because you impatiently want to start with the game, but it’s necessary, at least for complex ones. Here we go.
This is where my knowledge of this show ends. Let the games begin, and may they be flashy ^_^
> So you’ve been spreading rumors about me having a crush on you, eh Saber?
Why are you embarrassed, Rin? It is because you’ve just been using me for sex!? Uwaaaaaaah!!!
kekeke :P
They had to cancel the last War of the Holy Grail because all the Masters kept summoning their Servants for booty calls.
Ahh, this anime looks so promising ^_^ … this gweat entry from the Mighty Kabitzin looks just .. fine in my respect. It seems we all can enjoy some pretty fun by following the story and stack up the backstage comments here like in Suzuka.
BTW, imo, this ep was so great in the action part, and, after the loong speech, we are left now eager for the next. It’s rather unusual to have a checkout of the “rules”, without having to wait for the 99th ep to sum up things. It was quite boring, admittedly, but it adds to this slow pace…I don’t complain much. Now I’m a bit worried now, because I have high expectations for this show…let’s hope it doesn’t fall to some low-life cheesy story.
And I like Shirou and Rin sooo much ^_^ (i’d make a booty call for Rin!)
She didn’t dismiss archer… well not as in releasing him back into the wild more like sending him to spirit form…
what happened to your ArcherXRin rooting Kabitzin? And boy will you be surprised when you learn who archer really is… kekekee
That’s what I meant, and I’m still rooting for Rin x Archer. Gawd, I hope Archer isn’t Robin Hood, but don’t spoil me if you know!
I found out who Saber was due to my own damn curiousity and googled a fansite and I’m pissed! Really shocked at Saber’s identity tho. And if not Robin hood for Archer then who? William Tell? Diana the huntress? Might be a clue in his use of dual swords, but I can’t pick it up…….Drizzt? :/
And I don’t make booty calls unless I see what Saber’s packing under that chainmail skirt. Rawr.
Mentar: Maybe this is a personality flaw but I never read the game manual. Or anything manual. I dive right in and ask questions later. I can usually figure out most things myself and it’s a lot more exciting that way.
I prefered Mai-Hime’s style. While it did get out of hand (it seemed like the writers themselves didn’t know what the hell was going on and kept changing their minds half the time), it was a much more exciting plot with lots of twists, driving the viewer on and on in a torrent of action. Or a less lame metaphor. Anyway, there better be some more mystique or intrigue to this anime (other than the obvious Shirou angst), otherwise it’s crashing and burning in my book.
I’ve read the plot of the story in the H-game, and some endings (spoiled myself like a n00b…but I was just too curious to discover who these servants were in their previous life). The only thing I have to say is that I’m totally _shocked_ by the twists of this story. Only a really twisted mind could imagine something like that, methinks.I’m just curious about the *H* part of the game…I don’t see where it fits in.
Oh yeah, booty calls…
http://www.thehoya.com/guide/013103/guide15.cfm
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