Fate/Zero.

Imagine all the epic heroes of antiquity resurrected by the playful hand of a cruel, sadistic yet devilishly inventive artist to embark on a new EPIC journey… Imagine if such an adventure with such a crew could be reported not in an epic poem, nor in a play or novel, but rather in a much more challenging form: the anime form.

By wit or witchcraft, such a journey with such elements was born and we could enjoy one of the best works of art any human being was allowed to contemplate. The piece of heaven (or hell) I am engaged in describing to you is Fate/Zero.

Fate/Zero contains two seasons but with no actual clean cut between the two parts; and another “extension”, Fate/Stay night which carries the same epic fight with the same principle. Let me now list all the elements that make me believe and staunchly assert that Fate/Zero is just EPIC, literally EPIC: 

• §      The Skeleton of the plot relies on the quest pattern, but not ANY quest pattern: It is inspired from a primarily European Christian myth of the Grail: It is said that the bloo of Jesus Christ  (some of it) was put in a grail (a kind of big chalice or plate) which has healing powers. The Grail animated many epic chivalric stories of the medieval-era such as those of the fisher king and Lancelot (WHO FIGURES IN Fate Zero too). Similarly it animates the plot of Fate zero seasoning it with its mysteriously epic quality.

• §      The Characters are EPIC (ET point a la ligne). Here I can categorize Fate/ Zero’s characters into two: Anime-made epic characters and History-inspired epic characters. The former includes the heroes of the Anime: Kiritsugu, Irisviel, kirei,Tohsaka… . They proved to be truly epic hero: devotion, courage and nobility are coupled with sense of self sacrifice, elevating thus the characters created by Gen Urobuchi to the rank of Epic Heroes. The latter is the category of the heroic spirits invoked by the actual heroes of the anime to fight for the Grail. Here one MUST congratulate this anime’s creators for the successful investment of the epic heroes past and the twist inserted in each one’s peculiarities. King Arthur, Alexander the Great, Lancelot, Lancer, Gilles de Rais… in all their grandeur are what make us so mesmerized with the anime.  

• §      If the old epic stories were told in a special language and a special epic form, which gave them their distinguishable characters and their “chilling-when-heard” effect. Fate/Zero conserves the same effect related to the epic genre, not through its language but through its drawings: the graphics of the anime are just amazing. Artistic in its details, lively in its animation and precise in its craft, the anime is one of the best-drawn ones (reminding me with Clamp Studio in some of its works).

• §      If Fate/Zero is epic it is also because it contains purely epic fights: none knows the powers of the characters and their servants, not even the characters themselves. I still remember the excitement I felt when Alexander used his ultimate skill: WAAW (I won’t spoil on you such a pleasurable experience though it is so tempting :3). Another point here should be explained: the anime is not free from violence, from overtly graphic scenes. However, bloody scenes were to the point, as to what concerns the aesthetic effects it seeks to generate. It all serves the general whole; nothing in excess.

• §      The Ending, unexpected and striking, is epic. I shall devote a whole Doctoral thesis on Fate/Zero’s ending, its significance and symbolism *_*. 
  

• §      The Cherry on the pie, what even in isolation would make any anime epic is (****Roulement de tambours****) Kiritsugu: His life was made of choices, of epic choices where he had to face destiny to accomplish his own destiny: to defy his fate only to accomplish it; to start from fate and to end with a zero, with a null. His whole life was as great as fate, as divinity itself, and as wide as the absolute nothingness.

 Conclusion: FATE/ZERO IS EPIC.      

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NB: the video I chose to share with you is one of my favourite Anime endings, especially if you finish the episode in which the ending occurs.

Tunisian Otaku: A growing cultural phenomenon

Here I am with fervent enthusiasm writing about a phenomenon I, till recently,  have though impossible or at best possible no sooner than some 100 years. 10 years ago, when Internet connection was a luxury only 7% of the population in Tunisia enjoyed, my brother and I were the only two in our village and prep-school who knew that the “cartoons” or  “الاصدقاء الصغار” in Tunisian appellation, were Anime that were primarily drawn in a kind of booklet called Manga.

This “knowledge” was by virtue of a channel called “Manga” and a dictionary (MDR as simple as that). It was with unequaled joy that I found in the Pioneer School other Anime lovers! Imagine the impact! And here we are in 2014 witnessing the rise of the otaku kingdom (I know certainly it’s too melodramatic but I’ve always wanted to say such stuff =D). I noticed graually the rising number of those who could recognize the anime genres, who knew Japanese words, and who could acknowledge the “Grandeur” of this art. However, what made me certain that the Otaku culture has become a TRUE palpable phenomenon in Tunisia was the tremendous work done by and within the group of التوانسة الي يحبوا الانمي “Tunisians who love anime” and the due fame and success it has among those who at least “know anime” and want to learn more about it. 

one of the activities on the group aiming at widening the fans' anime knowledge

The least one can say about the page and the group (having the same name), which are backed up with a YouTube channel, is that the administrators and many of the members are trying their best to enrich the participants’ knowledge about and interest in this rising field. I fully encourage anyone to just have a look at the YouTube channel of التوانسة الي يحبو الانمي: You won’t regret it! I love the reports on the different events as well as the debates and discussions. Another important detail is that the quality of the posts (content, amount of work provided) are better in the page that in the group. The use of the Tunisian language and the funny aspect of the videos, represent also things the participants are to be praised for.

The activity on the group is livelier than that on the page. Games, debates, questionnaires, discussions, news … are coupled with a passionate mixed (age, sex, studies…) “audience” to create an “animated” atmosphere. Yet the audience is sometimes too passionate and too mixed (Hello generation gap!) that the atmosphere shifts from “animated” to “agitated”: “virtual fights”, mutual disrespect, public humiliation …. This is quite revelatory of the major feature of the otaku in Tunisia (with some exceptions of course, still it is the salient feature): immaturity. This shouldn’t be taken as an offense for it is quite understandable and normal for a second generation anime and manga lovers: Greeks were the “venerated” second generation philosophers though they believed fire went up for it desires to join its original place. 

What I want to say is that since the Tunisian otaku is still at the beginning of its exploratory journey towards anime/ Manga discovery, over passionate clinging to one’s own choices, dogmatism and superficiality (in some cases) is understandable though it must be vanquished. This is the war many people are waging in the group التوانسة الي يحبوا الانمي . However what many  blame the group for is its focus on mainstreams, the simplistic way of dealing with anime, and its “alienated clinging to another foreign culture” -_-  (yep such people exist here). 

 

On the other hand, (I forsake now the role of the bad guy) the roaring echoes of the anime lovers, the manga oriented events, Cosplay festivals, celebrations of Asian culture … fill many Tunisians with pleasure and pride. Generally, the amazing phenomenon quenches the thirst of many for cultural diversity and ensures to all that Tunisia will never deviate from the optimistic, open, diverse and tolerant model. Here I cannot but thank and acknowledged the role played by JET (Japanese Events in Tunisia Organization) in nurturing the Japan and anime related events (to which I should consecrate a whole article).

ALL HAIL THE OTAKU KINGDOM  IN TUNISIA!!!!

X (1999) The Beauty of complexity

X (1999) or X Clamp is a 23-episode anime that, surprisingly, is not that famous. Personally I think It didn’t get its due attention and fame. What first drew my attention to the anime (In France2 around 17.00, several years ago) were the beauty and the new technique it uses in its “drawings”. It has an extremely charming and even mystic touch embellishing the general anime: it is central European style mixed with Japanese modern and traditional cultural features and some pastiche from the oriental mode.

Another colossal aesthetic point is the characters’ profiles, and chiefly the intricate links between all of them that oscillate between love and hatred, pity and destruction … philosophy, theology, pure aesthetic ism, sociology, psychology… the anime incarnates all in a general harmonious pleasurable whole. If such a combination was made possible it was owing to the ingenious battle- plot: each mini “chapter” centers around the pivot of a fight between members of the two teams; the dragons of the Earth and the dragons of Heaven. Both parties fight over a decisive act to be inflicted or not on earth. I leave for you the pleasure of discovering the epic but fatal decision each camp adopts.

The impossibility of judging the motives of characters or classing them to categories of good and evil makes this anime perplexing while at the same time alluring. It clothes it with a highly complex mesh of themes, motifs and symbols … the audience finds itself smoothly indulging in a game of interpretation with the anime, its characters, its events and motives. 

However, (there must be always a however, HAHA, till now it seems perfect) the ending is unfortunately … hmmm … euphemistically, catastrophic. That Ending, Man!!! They spoiled a tremendous work done on such a perfect anime (till we reach the ending). It seems that the group wanted to close the anime and finish with it (since X 1999 was meant to be the crowing of other animes by the same Studio): this led to a hasty conclusion that ruined in a way the anime.

But, still, the anime is worth watching! Even with the abrupt ending it s still one of the most amazing ones: plot, characterization, animation, graphics … I ardently recommend it; you won’t regret it!

 waiting for your comments!