{"id":646635,"date":"2024-12-12T19:20:22","date_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:20:22","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/en.buradabiliyorum.com\/fate-heroines-look-back-on-20-years\/"},"modified":"2024-12-12T19:20:22","modified_gmt":"2024-12-12T16:20:22","slug":"fate-heroines-look-back-on-20-years","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/buradabiliyorum.com\/en\/fate-heroines-look-back-on-20-years\/","title":{"rendered":"#Fate Heroines Look Back on 20 Years"},"content":{"rendered":"
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For longtime anime<\/a> fans, <\/span>Fate\/stay night<\/span><\/i> needs no introduction. Released in 2004 by video game<\/a> company <\/span>Type-Moon<\/b>, the visual novel follows the story of Shirou Emiya as he navigates the Fifth Holy Grail War, where heroes of the past \u2014 summoned as mages\u2019 familiars \u2014 fight to the death for the chance to have their deepest wish granted. The game\u2019s runaway success and deep worldbuilding have allowed its universe to expand into a massive franchise chock full of adaptations and spin-offs.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Voice actors <\/span>Ayako Kawasumi<\/b> (Saber), <\/span>Kana Ueda<\/b> (Rin Tohsaka)<\/span>,<\/b> and <\/span>Noriko Shitaya <\/b>(Sakura Matou) attended the Fate 20th Anniversary Event in Los Angeles, where they discussed the history of the visual novel, reflected on key story scenes, and signed autographs for lucky attendees. <\/span>Anime Trending had the chance to speak with the three of them<\/span> as they looked back on their long tenures as the iconic heroines of the beloved franchise.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

This interview was conducted roundtable-style via interpreter and has been edited for clarity and brevity. This article only contains the questions posed by Anime Trending and the concluding question from the interpreter, omitting those from Anime News<\/a> Network and Otaku Network.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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The English version of <\/b>Fate\/stay night<\/i><\/b> has only been out for a few months, which means a lot of folks are encountering it for the first time. Can you please talk about your first involvement with the series<\/a>?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Ayako Kawasumi:<\/b> I knew that [<\/span>Fate\/stay night Remastered<\/span><\/i>] hadn\u2019t been released yet, but there would be times when I\u2019d see a lot of people cosplay servants that hadn\u2019t been out yet, so I could tell they were enjoying the Japanese version, as well as the anime and other entries. I think it\u2019s different being able to play the English version that\u2019s been localized and perfected, so I want people to enjoy it. My first involvement was with the 2006 <\/span>Fate\/stay night<\/span><\/i> anime.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kana Ueda:<\/b> My first involvement was also the <\/span>Fate\/stay night <\/span><\/i>anime audition because it was put together with the PlayStation audition. The first time that the fans heard my voice was at the Japan event in 2006. They hadn\u2019t announced the voice actors\u2019 names yet, but they just played a trailer with the voices and I could hear the fans\u2019 surprised reactions. That\u2019s when I realized this was what I was going to be a part of.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Noriko Shitaya:<\/b> The anime audition was also my first involvement, and I knew <\/span>Fate\/stay night<\/span><\/i> was a very popular game, so I still remember clearly when I got the call for the role. I felt some pressure, so I was nervous every week for recording. I didn\u2019t think that I would be able to be a part of this for so long, so I want to show myself 20 years ago what I\u2019m doing now!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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What do you miss about the early days of the Fate franchise?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Ayako Kawasumi: <\/b>Yes!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Of course, when it\u2019s been twenty years, there are a lot of things that have happ<\/a>ened, so there are some things I can\u2019t remember. I want a Fate timeline to reference in interviews like this \u2014 even just watching the footage from today\u2019s event made me feel really nostalgic. Of course, I can remember things from back then, like the studio, how it was, and what we talked about very clearly. So, I think maybe it\u2019s because we\u2019ve always been involved throughout those twenty years. Even when we\u2019re not there recording, the series is always in our lives.<\/span><\/p>\n

Your characters \u2014 Rin, Sakura, and Saber \u2014 have been portrayed in various forms throughout the years, whether in different series like <\/b>Fate\/stay night<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>Prisma Illya<\/i><\/b>, <\/b>Today\u2019s Menu for the Emiya Family<\/i><\/b>, or alternate forms like <\/b>Fate\/Grand Order (<\/i><\/b>FGO). Which iteration of your character stands out to you the most \u2014 not necessarily your favorite, but could be \u2014 and why?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

Ayako Kawasumi: <\/b>For me, it\u2019s <\/span>Fate\/Zero<\/span><\/i>\u2019s Saber. The Holy Grail War from ten years ago [<\/span>Fate\/Zero<\/span><\/i>] talks about what happened in the past, but time-wise the origin is what happened during <\/span>Fate\/stay night<\/span><\/i>, so I had to really think about and tackle how to act like Saber within myself and how to act out the character. In <\/span>Fate\/Zero<\/span><\/i>, I thought about how it affected <\/span>Fate\/stay night<\/span><\/i> Saber, and thought a lot about the past and the future.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kana Ueda: <\/b>The Unlimited Blade Works (UBW) route is the most impactful for me, and in the TV series, UBW Episode 0 is from Rin\u2019s point of view. Rin has experienced the Holy Grail War before, but while it is starting again, she feels that something is a little different this time, like it\u2019s a bit heavier and the stakes are higher.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Compared to the other heroines, Rin has been in a lot of different series, so she never felt jealous towards the other heroines, like Sakura or Saber. I want to respect the characters that are the main characters of their own route. However, in <\/span>Fate\/kaleid liner Prisma Illya: Vow in the Snow <\/span><\/i>movie, there\u2019s a different Shirou in a different world, and he keeps on saying this girl\u2019s name, \u201cMiyu! Miyu!\u201d I felt jealous for the first time when he was calling another girl\u2019s name this much.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Noriko Shitaya: <\/b>I just can\u2019t accept it!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kana Ueda:<\/b>\u00a0 Exactly! I just can\u2019t when it\u2019s a girl other than these three characters!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Noriko Shitaya:<\/b> Same for me! During the <\/span>Prisma Illya<\/span><\/i> recording, when we were all recording in the same room together, I would be watching Shirou and Miyu interact with each other and I felt jealous as well!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Of course for me, it would be <\/span>Heaven\u2019s Feel<\/span><\/i>, but other than that, it would be <\/span>Carnival Phantasm<\/span><\/i>! After <\/span>Heaven\u2019s Feel<\/span><\/i> ended, Sakura has been more like a main character in other series, so she\u2019s getting the treatment she deserves! I mean, she is one of the three main heroines, but she always felt kind of insecure, which explains how she\u2019s treated in <\/span>Carnival Phantasm<\/span><\/i>.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Before we end, do you have any closing thoughts for fans of Fate?<\/b><\/span><\/p>\n

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Ayako Kawasumi:<\/b> Today, we\u2019ve been saying \u201c20 years ago\u2026\u201d here and there, but when you think about it, there are so many fans that have watched so many of the shows, and we were able to meet them directly. It makes you realize that there are so many fans on the other side of the screen, and people are still posting about Fate all the time. There\u2019s still so much more content to put out, and it\u2019s really thanks to the fans. Please keep on loving the series!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

Kana Ueda:<\/b> Whether you\u2019re a voice actor or a live actor, there aren\u2019t many opportunities where you can play a role that you want to play. Being able to play Rin Tohsaka is really a miracle looking back on these twenty years. The reason why Fate was able to continue for twenty years was because of the fans who came today: those who read the novels, played the games, and supported all kinds of genres of Fate. I can\u2019t thank you enough, even if I say it a hundred times or a thousand times.\u00a0<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

The 20th anniversary is really not the end. Things are just now starting, so it\u2019s a strange feeling, but I\u2019m very honored. Over the years, there were many times when we had to say goodbye to things, and I\u2019m not sure how long I can keep playing Rin, but I would like to keep on being involved with the rest of the team and keep on working hard. Thank you for your support!<\/span><\/p>\n

Noriko Shitaya:<\/b> These past twenty years really feel like I\u2019m supported by the fans and being able to keep on playing Sakura and come to visit other countries. I really feel so many people love the franchise, and I really feel the love. Having people hear my voice, putting out the series just the way it was made, and having people love them is not something to be taken for granted. I think it\u2019s really a repeated miracle that happens over and over again, and that\u2019s something to be very proud and happy about. The franchise will keep on putting out new content, and we\u2019ll keep on working hard to act out our roles, so keep on supporting and loving Fate!<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n

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Interview conducted on November 23, 2024 by Nico Monterosso and James Mizutani. Questions contributed by James Mizutani. Special thanks to Aniplex for the opportunity.<\/span><\/i><\/span><\/p>\n

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