The release of the second episode of HF (Heaven's Feel) immediately sparked intense reactions.
According to fans, in the absence of the Shinji Matou movie, everyone relied on this series to survive. Even though everyone knew that HF would eventually release a complete box set, or even an extended version, they still eagerly anticipated the release of each new episode every month.
Of course, no matter how passionate the fans were, only a small portion, like Alice, would choose to queue up all night. Most fans waited until the official release the next day to purchase their copies. During this time, many fans instinctively avoided spoilers.
It wasn't until the second day after release that HF once again became a hot topic in film discussions, after a month of anticipation.
Compared to Japan, the situation in North America was significantly better—not only because North American audiences didn't need to buy physical discs to watch HF, but more importantly, because as HBO's flagship show of the fall and winter season, HF's premiere aired during prime time.
Since HBO is a subscription channel and doesn't need to worry about content ratings, the hype surrounding HF's second episode in North America intensified faster than in Japan.
The internet had now become a critical battleground for Type-Moon Film and Television Company and Time Group. News and discussions about HF flooded various websites and forums.
At that time, audiences weren't as aware of marketing bots as they are today, so they assumed that such widespread promotion meant HF was genuinely popular.
Although that was indeed true, if it weren't for the tireless efforts of the online PR (marketing bots), HF wouldn't have achieved such high levels of discussion.
This was especially true for IMDb, one of the most significant platforms for movie discussions, which was controlled by Type-Moon.
Under Shinji's leadership, IMDb maintained a fair and impartial stance on other movies, but showing a little extra favor to their own works was only natural, right?
Over the past two days, the second episode of HF consistently maintained a rating of 9.7, with overwhelmingly positive audience reviews.
Although HF's mature rating meant it couldn't achieve the same phenomenon-level success as previous versions, it didn't affect the booming sales of HF-related merchandise.
This was an advantage unique to HF—since most of the merchandise was tied to the FSN (Fate/Stay Night) and UBW (Unlimited Blade Works) movies, the success of HF merchandise essentially supported the ongoing popularity of FSN merchandise.
For companies like Bandai and other merchandise manufacturers, it wasn't so much that HF-related products were selling well; rather, HF was helping sustain FSN's overall merchandise popularity. As the most unique route in the FSN trilogy, HF still had its own exclusive merchandise.
For instance, just the appearance of Black Saber alone was enough to give merchandise companies plenty to work with.
Despite only a brief appearance in the second episode, Black Saber quickly became the most-discussed topic related to HF.
In response, the official team wasted no time in announcing that her name was Saber Alter, hinting at her significant role in upcoming episodes.
Due to the need to keep the plot secret, the official team didn't reveal much more about Saber Alter, but this only fueled the fans' imaginations.
One fan left a comment on IMDb: "Black Saber is just too cool! I'm really looking forward to seeing her fight other Servants in the upcoming episodes."
That was a relatively tame comment. Over on 2CH forums, there were many less serious messages:
"Miss Saber Alter's gaze is so sharp! I really want her to kick my butt with those high heels!"
"The classic Bandai color-swap money grab: they just changed the blue to black, altered the hair and eye colors, and added lace to the skirt. For those who already have the 1/4 Saber statue, this is just not worth it. But the fact that she's now more dominant and sadistic... yeah, I can't resist."
"No man can refuse the temptation of a strong woman, let alone a strong woman in black! All I have to say is: I want to be Saber Alter's loyal dog!! Woof woof!"
Faced with such borderline obsessive posts online, Arturia had no choice but to block herself from internet access to avoid these overly enthusiastic fans, deciding to wait until the hype died down.
Not everyone was focused solely on the coolness of Black Saber, though. As time passed, many fans began diving into deeper analyses of HF's storyline.
HF's dark, deep, and tragic themes naturally drew people into analyzing its core. And when it comes to interpretation, some fans on the internet are even more talented than the creators themselves.
These various interpretations left even Shinji, the director, feeling amazed and entertained by their creativity.
Only a minority were willing to sit down and study the story in-depth; most of the audience just wanted to have fun.
So, instead of analyzing the plot's deeper layers, they were more interested in Lancer's running form.
When the official team launched the mini-game Run, Doggie, Run!, fans were immediately hooked.
To make the game more accessible, Shinji greatly simplified the original bonus content, turning it into a straightforward 2D side-scrolling coin-chase game.
However, to encourage players to spend more time on it, he added an achievement system.
Having clear goals provides players with motivation, and although some might find an open-world approach with endless objectives overwhelming, having a few small achievements to complete isn't a bad thing.
Unlike typical games that have players reach certain milestones to earn achievements, Run, Doggie, Run! instead rewarded players for getting Lancer killed in specific, humorous ways. Whether it was smashing into a wall, being struck by a softball, getting his head stuck in a lampshade, or being hit by a car—Final Destination mode was filled with bizarre death scenes.
Thanks to Carnival Phantasm, Shinji had a vast array of Cu Chulainn's tragic (and comical) deaths to draw inspiration from, and he named the achievement system "Death is Here!"
Despite only taking up half the available achievements, the sheer range of ways to "fail" left a strong impression on players.
The ones enjoying the game the most were none other than Shinji's Servants.
To make sure Cu Chulainn felt their "care," they would blast the game in the break room, turning the episode to max so he could hear his own screams echoing throughout the company.
As a result, Cu Chulainn found himself in a similar depressive slump as Arturia.
Unlike Arturia, who could simply avoid going online, Cu Chulainn's tormentors were all right there offline, so blocking them wasn't an option.
Shinji, on the other hand, remained indifferent. After all, when Cu Chulainn had been smug in the past, he hadn't cared about others' feelings, so it was only fair for him to get a taste of his own medicine.
Luckily for Cu Chulainn, he could still employ the "just get out of there" strategy, escaping to the film set for a bit of peace and quiet.
Seven X's primary crew members had all been recruited, and although they weren't quite ready to start filming, Cu Chulainn managed to use script review as an excuse to hide out on set.
Interestingly, in Super 8, Cu Chulainn had played the suit actor for Ultraman Jack, and now he was cast in Seven X. Decades ago, Eiichi Kikuchi had done the same—stepping in as a temporary suit actor for Seven for a couple of episodes before taking on the role of Ultraman Jack.
Connections really do come full circle.
"Man, this gag never gets old," Shinji muttered, glancing up, then told his secretary Ophelia, "No need to jot that down."
Looking puzzled, she asked, "But, boss, didn't you say I was supposed to record everything you said during meetings? That was your rule."
"Yeah, but I didn't say to record my small talk and jokes," Shinji replied, shaking his head. "You need to be a bit more flexible, girl."
The others in the meeting room were already immune to Shinji's sporadic nonsense, casually sipping their tea like retirees.
Ophelia, though, continued to diligently scribble notes, though it was unclear if she actually paid attention to Shinji's side comments.
'Wonder if she's just stiff or secretly scheming,' Shinji thought as he eyed her.
As he reached for the dessert tray in the center of the table, Arturia also aimed for the same treat.
Smack!
Arturia's hand landed firmly on his, pressing it down onto the table with a satisfying sound.
"Master, you're definitely playing favorites, you know," Arturia said, after clearing the tray of treats. "You've given Cu Chulainn such an important role. Diarmuid too—he's off being a movie star. And here I am, the top star of your company, just sitting here collecting dust."
"That's because Cu Chulainn's sad face fits the role," Shinji replied, rubbing his hand, "and as for Diarmuid, I think he's got the potential to be this world's Tom Cruise, so I cast him in an action movie."
Diarmuid's acting skills were fairly average. Good for a Servant, sure, but barely a pass in the professional acting world. However, his impossibly handsome face and impressive combat abilities more than made up for his lack of talent, just like Tom Cruise back in Shinji's previous life.
Shinji's plan was for Diarmuid to become a dashing action star like Tom Cruise, with this movie just as a testing ground. Once he gained more fame, Shinji intended to recreate the Mission: Impossible series.
"I get it... wait, Master, you're dodging the issue again! We're talking about me!" Arturia slapped a piece of paper on the table and demanded, "What's this about me being a backup actor?!"
Shinji replied, "It means exactly what it says. If I can't summon a Servant in time, you're the last resort."
"So, you're saying I'm just a backup?"
"Absolutely. Your acting is just too awful," Shinji said bluntly. "You can only play yourself."
"You're making it sound like I'm completely useless." Arturia glared at him.
Shinji sighed and said, "If I had another choice, I'd take it. With that flat physique of yours, you could probably pass for your own son with a simple ponytail. But for a braided village girl role, you're just too flat! Every time we shoot, you'd have to wear a slime suit to pad your chest. It's a hassle for both of us!"
Bang!
That was the sound of a dessert plate smashing directly into someone's face.
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