Kinoko and Takashi Q&A - Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works]

Published in 「Fate/stay night [UBW] Animation Material I」 in 2015 March
Translation by T.Roy

This is a Q&A from a booklet bundled with the soundtrack found in the 「Fate/stay night [Unlimited Blade Works] Blu-ray Disc Box I」, which was released on 2015/3/25. The questions were submitted by fans through the UBW website in 2014.

*Per the publication, certain portions of the text were modified before printed in the booklet.

If you were summoned as a Servant, what class do you think you would be appointed to? <AhoNoN>
Nasu Kinoko	I would be the 14th fallen angel (Assassin) who came down to the corrupt golden age known as Millennium.
Takeuchi Takashi	At my age, there wouldn't even be a place for me.
Nasu	Guess we can't help that, can we. Why don't we make you a Lancer called "president" who fights against the dystopic, controlled society?
Takeuchi	How am I the president yet just a Lancer!
Nasu	That's exactly why, you're always on the frontlines. And death will come easy so you just have to be careful.
Do you have motifs for the Command Seal designs? <Shido Kei>
Nasu	We're straining to make something that matches the characters' inner characteristics.
Takeuchi	With few exceptions, our basic rule of thumb is to have something that symbolizes the traits of the magecraft of the Masters. Shirou's is a sharp sword. Rin's has a circle in the center to depict harmony, which is also the first image we had thought of.
This question is for Mr. Kinoko and Takashi: Out of all the Fate characters, who would you want as a bride? (Without worrying about gender) <Ritsuka>
Nasu	Rin has been at the top of my list for the last ten years, since she could totally lead such a lost cause as myself. But now, as useless as I am, I would plot to make Kitsune my someone special.
Takeuchi	With a thought like that you really are hopeless.
Nasu	And what about you? Probably Saber, right?
Takeuchi	It's because she's a glimmering star just out of reach that she's beautiful. I couldn't call her my bride. Though for some reason I think Shielder from Grand Order would be the ideal bride.
Nasu	Really? No kidding (smirks). I guess you can look forward to the next volume of Grand Order!
Berserker took no damage from Archer's A-rank Noble Phantasm "Broken Phantasm" (Caladbolg), is it ineffective due to Berserk's Noble Phantasm, or was he simply able to withstand it naturally? <Not Mr. Shanoa>
Nasu	Oh, that. In the original work it was like "Even though up until then none of the attacks had been worth dodging, this one would have been fatal, so Berserker counters → the resulting explosion from the Noble Phantasm is devastating." Yet in the anime version it was handled as "Berserker could not respond to it due to a severe injury from Saber → losing one of his lives, and regenerates," which may be something to think about. In all he lost 2 lives because of it.
Takeuchi	Oh, so that's why God Hand in the anime version needed 3 days to recover!
In the anime version, Rin has a few different ways of firing her Gandr. Is her multi-finger firing method any stronger than her original single-finger firing method? <Fruit-punch Samurai M>
Nasu	That isn't her true Gandr. Her index finger shot is definitely the strongest.
Takeuchi	Then why does she do that? Is it some kind of homage to 004?
Nasu	Rin is just an intense woman, so if she did that her Finn shot would turn into a Finn machinegun. We call it the Miura-style Gandr. It's really a new Gandr, along with the Finn rocket launcher that comes from her knee. With proper timing she could catch her opponent and strike their torso or face at point-blank range. That person would definitely die.
Takeuchi	I know, that's why she's the Shining Wizard!
What would your "ideal mushroom (Kinoko)" be? <School of Bamboo>
Takeuchi	I have no idea what this means. Does a mushroom even have anything to do with "ideal"?
Nasu	Not really... Though I guess a fungus lacks the ability to think... It just clings to a controller like a zombie...
Will there be any specific scenes or action sequences for the authors (and the viewers) to look forward to in the most recent anime adaptation of 「Fate/stay night［Unlimited Blade Works］」 (Heretofore referred to as 「UBW」)? <Ishigami>
Nasu	All of the scenes with Rin while she's at the western-style Tohsaka residence!
Takeuchi	The Gáe Bolg, Tsubame-Gaeshi (Swallow Reversal)... after 10 years I'm ecstatic to show all of these things in a new way.
Nasu	And we can't leave out the Berserker fight in episode 3. No matter how many times I watch it, it's on a whole different level.
In the anime there is a good deal more destruction in Fuyuki City (at the school, specifically) than in the original work, yet the next day everything goes back to the way it was before. How hard is Kotomine working? <Orange>
Nasu	I'd like you to take a look at episode #3 of the director's cut. As anything inorganic that is destroyed can be repaired, Kotomine put together a small budget and hired a repair specialist.
Takeuchi	And what about the media?
Nasu	That's thanks to the Church's connection. They have infiltrated the media and the political world.
The 「UBW」 anime was created with a pretty tight arrangement alongside ufotable. How exactly did that come about? Also, as there were various original scenes in the anime, who was the one who came up with the ideas? <Rio>
Nasu	Explaining even only the details regarding that arrangement would take up this entire interview, so I can't discuss it here. The original scenes were scenes proposed by the director. He would let us know where he wanted a new scene, and I would make it.
Takeuchi	The additional episode in the 2nd season was brutal... they wanted a 5 minute scene added, and this guy writes and submits a scene big enough to fill a whole episode!
Nasu	Blame the people who gave it to me.
For the battle scene between Rin and Ilya in the anime, did Ilya just get way stronger?! Was her strength based on 「Fate/Zero」? <UMA>
Nasu	If it's at the land that houses the Holy Grail, then Ilya is indeed that strong. And being able to make a familiar from her hair was in the original draft. The work this time around was especially hard, so I ended up using an "Iri's replacement" approach. By the way, the name of the technique is Elfen Lied [German for Elves' Song, 天使の詩 - Angel's Poem]. The bird's name is Storch Fieseler [German term for a type of plane]. The Ibis that shoots bullets is Zahre (tear), and she can also transform them into an Épée (a sword).
Takeuchi	Woah, that's the first I heard of that.
Nasu	Yea, and it all sounded rather neat when I submitted it. Director Miura can create good results as long as I force everything upon him. Kinoko, remember this.
Mr. Takeuchi, Mr. Nasu, how do you feel about revisiting 「Fate/stay night」 after 10 years? <Taiwan's Shotsuki>
Nasu	Heh heh, it sounds like forever but really 「Fate」 has always been influencing me. These 10 years really just feels like something very close to me has been doing well.
Takeuchi	Like we're almost wondering how it's only been 10 years. But I guess in the end, when you see the main character's clothes and designs, you can really feel how long it's been.
Nasu	Really though, by all rights we buried the thing. For it to come back and see new light after only 10 years is so rare. We know just how fortunate we are for this.
In the anime, there is a fight scene between Rin and Ilya, but are there any mages who could even win against Ilya in a magic fight in the actual 「Fate/stay night」, 「Fate/Zero」, or 「Fate/hollow ataraxia」 games? <ukw>
Nasu	Frankly, she is the top mage in Fuyuki. Still, first-class mages would follow the "since she's a child of nature, just cut her off from the land first" plan, so it's not like she's invincible. Kayneth and Tokiomi may be able to best her in a magic duel. Rin is just relentless. But if we're talking about the dark girl who contaminates the land itself...
Takeuchi	...Sakura's magecarft skills are really fit for a boss, aren't they.
I was wondering why they changed Gotou's character designs. <Kusakaki>
Nasu	Don’t be silly. That Gotou can change at will.
Takeuchi	Right? If you've ever claimed to see him, it was really just a figment of your imagination. But really, we just thought the designs were a little bit outdated, so we went with those changes.
Did the blonde Servant wash his clothes after talking with Shinji in Episode 10? <Mongoose>
Nasu	Of course, he immediately washed it and applied disinfectant spray.
Takeuchi	I loved that scene because of how mysterious it was. You gotta have abilities like Shinji's complete indifference to survive in this world.
Sasaki Kojiro spent his entire live sword training in the mountains, so how did he acquire a sword like the Bitchu Aoe (備中青江 - Blue River of Bitchu)? Was he not spending his time farming on the farmlands? <Sunday>
Nasu	Kojiro is the son of an ordinary farming family, living an ordinary farm life and separated from ordinary common sense. Ordinarily He met a master swordsman who had retired deep into the mountains, and began his ordinary life in the mountains himself. He was enthralled by the swordsmanship of the master, and he began training under him the next day. After one month, the master swordsman drew his last breath, and Kojiro completely threw himself into the path of a swordsman. By the way, what the master swordsman talked on about was the refined behavior of a swordsman--a communion with nature, so to speak. He did not instruct Kojiro on anything related to sword techniques. The Bitchu Aoe may have been the master's, or perhaps he received it from the Holy Grail when the legendary soul was summoned. It is simply something thought to be part of who he is.
Takeuchi	So he only witnessed the opening of a performance [referring to swordsmanship]... so he's really a genius among geniuses isn't he!?
Nasu	Isn't it obvious. Don't underestimate a chivalrous man person who is eligible as a Servant despite being nameless. He was raised in both mind and body in those mountains. Even without a katana that master swordsman can cut through dimensions. Sengo Muramasa, that which can cut even casualty.
This question is for Mr. Takeuchi. Which drawing of Saber of yours is your favorite? <Garlic Nabe>
Takeuchi	The next Saber I draw will be my favorite!
Nasu	Woah... (shedding tears of gratitude in response to the remark)
Takeuchi	Hey, why are you crying?
For the new outfits, did Mr. Kinoko have any opinions or personal requests for them? Or is it something he left entirely to Mr. Takeuchi and ufotable? <Rouge>
Takeuchi	First I would propose any changes I was keen on, then when the designs would start coming together Nasu would give his opinion on them.
Nasu	There was never anything too gaudy, and the designs I felt gave proper respect to the character's image, so it was an easy thing to approve and move on with.
Saber's so cutely drawn that many are asking: Is this Saber's route? Was this Mr. Takeuchi's idea, given that she's his absolute favorite? <Yuma>
Takeuchi	Oh no, Saber is definitely cute, but aren't Rin, Sakura, and Fuji-nee just as cute?
Nasu	Don't forget about the trio.
Takeuchi	Having passed the 「Fate/Zero」 animation adaptation, my understanding of the characters and the world has gotten much deeper, but there's also a feeling of love on top of that. For an author, there's nothing greater than seeing your characters being loved.
Nasu	Of course. It's just like a father wishing for his daughter's happiness.
What were Archer's feelings like when he tried to kill Shirou, saved him, and later when he put his faith in him and tried to change his life and way of thinking? <Aisaka Riku>
Nasu	When he was attacking Shirou, he was simply devoid of much emotion at all. He was in agony, and was only holding on to the sliver of hope that this would forge a different path for him. His whirlwind of emotions towards Shirou (and himself) were not pleasant for him. It is not simply that Archer feels the need to explode in anger, nor is it that he wants to save him. He simply wants to single-handedly sever any possibility of a murderer coming along under the mask of justice in this world line, it is the least he could do to atone for those who have already been taken.
Takeuchi	So... what does that mean exactly? Details, please.
Nasu	This is how it works when you don't want to spoil it! You have to wait for the 2nd season!
When will I finally get my own route? <Ilya>
Nasu	There already is one! Say hello to 「Prisma☆Ilya」!
Takeuchi	You really gonna let it go with just that?
Nasu	Of course. Someone was bound to finish what I can't do myself. Humans are amazing beings!
In episode #00, Rin tries to summon without any sort of catalyst, but is that even possible? And assuming she did not get the time wrong, would she have summoned a different Heroic Spirit? <Short Sleeves>
Nasu	With the proper procedures and Command Spells, it is possible, though the summon itself would be random, yes. But even given the time, for a certain reason Rin does wind up summoning Archer in Fuyuki City.
Takeuchi	Even if it's random, Rin is amazing to summon a legendary soul comparable to SR.
What does Saber do during the day? <Takatakashi>
Nasu	As Shirou doesn't offer her any magical energy, Saber wastes her own magical energy by going into sleep mode. She sure has a lot of freedom during meals though, doesn't she.
Takeuchi	Wait, I know it's very little, but didn't you say she can also get magical energy from eating!!
This is a question about the battle in episode #07! As opposed to the game, Saber evades Kojiro's Tsubame-Gaeshi when seeing the complete version for the first time. But isn't that only because she had her instincts and put all her power into her Invisible Air [風王結界 - Bounded Field of the Wind King]?! <Shirosuki>
Nasu	Exactly, and I can only say it was because it was the anime version. I could go on forever about Tsubame-Gaeshi, but probably even Caster would be driven crazy after 5 minutes.
Rider invoked Blood Fort Andromeda despite Sakura being in the school. If the barrier was sustained, would Rider have went to save Sakura even if it meant disobeying Wakame [Seaweed, Shinji's nickname]? <Teacher Blossom>
Takeuchi	I'm actually wondering about that too.
Nasu	I hate to be mean, but Sakura has enough magical energy such that she would only be in a coma. To Rider that's not a problem, which is why it was done in secret from Sakura. Had she talked to Sakura instead, it would have become much more chaotic like "stop her brother → her brother becomes more of a Wakame."
What kind kid was Shirou before he became Kiritsugu's adopted son? <Mackerel Sandwich>
Nasu	Full disclosure, he was a "Capsule Servant!"
Takeuchi	I've always thought that Shirou had been getting a bit weird, so that's what it was!
Nasu	Yea. We wrote him based on "what would happen if he were raised more timidly." It was more fun than I thought it would be, to take a character so straightforward and make them docile...
With Berserker's Noble Phantasm God Hand, you gain resistance to an attack once you're hit by it, but do you only gain this resistance by having died once? Would the same attack be effective multiple times as long as it was before he died? <Madao Gingetsu>
Nasu	You don't have to die. For example... if you were to take fire damage, once you recover you would gain +100 resistance to fire.
Takeuchi	Oh, feels like it has been toned-down. Wouldn't it have completely nullified it before?
Nasu	I said it won't work, but I don't think I've ever said it'll be negated. BB: "Mine is to nullify all attacks, Macho-san's is to triple his defense! What's the difference!?" Heracles: "It's not even close (to your hacked ability)!"
Takeuchi	No matter how you put it, it's an overpowered skill.
Does Lancer's Gáe Bolg not have any effect on anything without a heart, like certain creatures and machines? <Madao Gingetsu>
Takeuchi	It's you again.
Nasu	Placing a karmic reversal curse on something without a heart would not work. But you can definitely still use it for stabbing, physics permitting.
Takeuchi	Oh, I see. So like coming in clean from behind and destroying their central cavity.
What effect does a "– (minus sign)" as far as stats are concerned? I've been wondering this forever and I've been losing hair trying to figure this one out. Please help me and give me an answer! <Lord Baldy>
Nasu	That's a tricky one. A minus sign is like that one thing, you know? It's like a B in terms of rank, but for your ability it's less than a B, maybe even a C. Something like that. Think of it as a number that's not very stable. Also, take care of your hair.
Takeuchi	I see. Kind of like when a new game you've been waiting for causes your writing speed to become unstable.
Nasu	A clear, perfect example, thank you... Please be gentle to mushrooms.
The terms "Tradition Protection" and "Anti-Purge Defense" come up all the time, what are these! <TG09>
Nasu	For tradition protection, if an attack does not follow specific rules it will not connect. This is possessed by Alice Kuonji's Ploy Kickshaw, for example. Basically, it's not an actual defense, per se, but something with restrictive conditions. Anti-purge defense is something we'll be talking about in more detail soon, so please wait just a bit longer on that one. For now, I can simply say that it is an ultimate defense against a level of attack that could even end the world.
Takeuchi	That term came about around the same time as the Panzer World Galient OVA ...did you really like the term that much?
Nasu	Enough to make it the most ultimate defense ever.
What is the role of the eyeball that appears in Blood Fort Andromeda? Is it the Backbeard's? <Aisaka Riku>
Nasu	Everyone forgets this, but that is Medusa's eyeball. It seals other people within oneself, hence why it's called Blood Fort Andromeda [Outer-Seal, Blood Temple]. The entire school building has been pulled into the eyeball of a monster.
Takeuchi	Like a Conceptual Barrier? If it goes too far, won't it turn into the Shapeless Island?
Nasu	Oui, Monsieur. The devil's den that Perseus escaped is invoked by Shinji, it is meant to be ironic.
On the subject of「UBW」, regarding Heroic Spirits, have you two visited historical landmarks with a connection to those Heroic Spirits? For example, going to Great Britain and visit King Arthur? <Hiro>
Takeuchi	Actually, last year I had visited Great Britain while collecting materials for a certain project. I did stop by the visit, thanking him for taking care of me for the last 10 years, and to apologize for doing whatever we want with his appearance and story. There you have it.
Nasu	Glastonbury is a great place, you have to go at least once.
This is about Kuzuki-sensei who is physically stronger than regular people. Aside from his fists being strengthened by Caster, are the rest his own strength, or did Caster strengthened other parts of his body as well? <Soujuurou of the Hill>
Nasu	In the anime version his entire body is strengthened. When the excessively worrying Caster buffed him to ten times that of a normal human, since Kuzuki's base strength is higher than a normal human, he became even more ridiculous, and did the unthinkable during his fight with Saber. Caster was surprised herself: "What the? Isn't my Master a little too strong?!"
Takeuchi	On a side note, it was also thanks to Caster's help that Kuzuki was able to move inside to Rider barrier.
Tell me your favorite character and setting!! If possible, tell me both the one you really like as well as the one used for jokes! <NiceKnock>
Nasu	When I wrote Fate, we thought the concept of Gáe Bolg would work, and so it became the first Noble Phantasm, so it is always special to me. I never dreamed of being able to use it for humor so easily later on.
Takeuchi	My favorite would have to be Excalibur. Young women, knight, and beam weapon, it's every boy's dream. As for humor probably Shinji's hair. Finding humor in things like that is something I wouldn't have even thought of at that time.
Why do you love drawing Saber's face so much? <Sareruno>
Nasu	I need to know this, too.
Takeuchi	What is this atmosphere? Now I just feel like a pervert. An eccentric old man.
Nasu	After doing this for 10 years of course you're eccentric. The only thing you're missing now is to keep doing it till you die. Isn't it great that you've done what you set out to do all along?
Takeuchi	The person who yells "I don't wanna" while continuing the Fate franchise, and to this day still creating more lores, is telling me this...
Nasu	You should just give up, we have a lot more work to do. As proof, take a look at this mountain of questions! This time we received over 2500 questions from everyone! Thank you so much everyone. We carefully selected a few and answered each one as best we could, so I hope you enjoyed it. ...Speaking of which, we didn't expect to spend a whole day just reading all the questions!
Takeuchi	Okay. Sounds like you have your work cut out for you.