Carnival Phantasm

The Nasuverse is a setting filled with an immense amount of backstory, an extremely complicated set of rules for its Functional Magic, and protagonists who sometimes have to ask hard questions about themselves and the people around them. In any given work, death, deceit, and betrayal abounds.

So, let's ignore all of that and focus on the characters involved having fun!

Based on the official Type-Moon gag manga Take Moon by Eri Takenashi, Carnival Phantasm takes the casts of Tsukihime and Fate/stay night and places them in a series of wacky situations, such as the Fifth Grail War being reduced to a game show.

There are 3 'Seasons', with the first released mid-August 2011, the second released at the end of October 2011, and the third getting its day at the very end of the year. Included on the final disc release was the OVA "Fate/Prototype", a short animation showing off concepts and designs meant for the original incarnation of Fate Stay Night.

As this is essentially a spinoff of both Tsukihime and Fate/stay night, many of the tropes used on their respective pages would also apply here. Please limit the tropes used to examples specifically pertaining to Carnival Phantasm.

Tropes used in Carnival Phantasm include:

Rider: <gasp!>
Saber: Lancer died!
Shiro: (to Gilgamesh) You're not human!

    • Repeated multiple times in the Ilya's Castle special. Furthermore, the exchange of those lines is actually a parody of South Park. It's what the Japanese dubbed version of South Park says when Kenny dies.
  • Arc Words: "Death is always close by." This is only in Final Dead Lancer, but it still fits the trope.
  • Awesome but Impractical: Lancer's Gae Bol Car is a dragster. Incredibly fast, but...

Rin: Hey Archer. Did you know? Dragsters can't turn. (Lancer's Gae Bol Car explodes after crashing to the wall.)

  • Badass: All seven servants during the montage that talks about the Holy Grail War in episode 1- perhaps the only serious moment in the whole series.
    • Badass Adorable: The Saber Lion, a ferocious man-eating animal that happens to look like a chibi Saber in a cute lion suit.
    • Badass Boast: "I am an elegant gothic lolita waitress, sir!" Even better is that Saber Alter uses it to take down Gilgamesh.
      • After Shirou tells Shiki it's impossible to be in two places at once, Shiki retorts with, "I'll make it happen!" (Otherwise he'll be killed.)
    • Badass Unintentional: Berserker. Without making any deliberate effort on his part, the time he was sent to do an errand for Ilya was also the same day he won the 5th Holy Grail War by himself.
    • Back-to-Back Badasses: Hilariously subverted. Shiki and Shirou do wind up literally back to back at one point, both facing the same lethal threat. Unfortunately said lethal threat is Saber and Arc, who are epically pissed each respective guy tried to be a player all day to their universe respective love interests. Needless to say, the end results involved a lot of unmanly screaming from each guy as Saber and Arc kicked their asses.
  • Bait and Switch: Done with the Holy Grail War in the first episode. The intro montage portrays it as the usual epic and bloody battle while introducing the seven Servants, until Ilya makes the sudden announcement that the rules have changed.
    • Wow! You mean Lancer actually survived the final battle in the Ilya Castle special? Oh, wait...
    • Wow! You mean Lancer actually survived every death in the series? Oh, wait...
  • Bait and Switch Credits: Done by the Tempest: Ilya's Castle game.
  • Batman Gambit: Somehow, someway, Sakura already knew Shiro's plan in Episode 12, given her sneaky way of following Shiro around all his other dates, and subtly brings his plan crashing and burning down. Why else would she be the only one smiling as the rest of the girls were having a tense staredown with Shiro and Shiki?
  • Beach Episode: Episode 2, centered around the Tsukihime cast enjoying themselves at the beach.
  • Berserk Button: Lancer still doesn't like the word 'dog', which distracts him during a card game with Archer.
  • Bland-Name Product: The sponsors littering episode 9.
  • Boke and Tsukkomi Routine: This is the standard format for Back Alley Alliance.
  • Big Bad: Possibly Shirou of all people in the 2nd season of Phantasmoon, based on his ominous presence behind the three new enemies in the preview.
  • Big Ball of Violence: Standard interaction between Arcueid and Ciel. Apparently, they're actually friends.
  • Big Damn Movie: Phantasmoon: the Movie premiered in Extra.
  • Bitch in Sheep's Clothing: Sakura in episode 6 and again in episode 12. Most of her internal monologue the first time ends with how awesome she is.
    • Not to mention the fact that Sakura is disappointed that Shinji is turned into a good guy. See Demoted to Extra below as to why.
  • Breaking the Fourth Wall: All the freaking time.

Sakura (to Rider): You got more votes than me in the popularity polls anyway!

  • The Bully: Fits Gilgamesh to a T. To quote Caster:

Gilgamesh: Your things are my things!
Caster: He's the oldest bully in human history...

  • Butt Monkey: Lancer is abused constantly and dies nearly every episode with the cameo in the Phantasm Moon skit being one of the Butt Monkey-est moments in the whole show. He even gets dragged into completely unrelated scenes just to be abused throughout the series, especially in the second season. It may be a reference to Lancer's E-grade Luck from his Fate/stay night Servant Status page.
    • While Lancer is the definite buttmonkey for the show in general, especially in the Fate sections, Ciel takes most of the abuse in the Tsukihime ones. Maybe it's the blue hair?
    • Shinji is one to a lesser extent as he very rarely appears without getting defeated or kicked around. Lancer simply one-ups him in that he appears more often. Once again, blue hair.
    • Waver Velvet gets to share a moment of this with Lancer in the season three finale as they are both lifted up by Berserker with Saber Lion biting on Lancer's arm.
  • The Cameo: Aoko Aozaki in her Mahou Tsukai no Yoru form shows up briefly in an advertisment on the back of a book Arcueid was reading.
    • The opening also showcases a whole bunch of Type-Moon characters that never made it into the episodes proper such as Caren Ortensia.
    • Kara no Kyoukai fans may spot a familiar blue kimono/red jacket combo in the audience in the first episode.
    • If you look very closely to the right side of the first time we see the audience in the first episode, you can spot Saegusa Yukika, Makidera Kaede and Himuro Kane. They can also be seen as bystanders in Episode 10.
    • Arcueid herself constantly pops up in Fate sections, usually completely unruffled by the chaos occurring around her. Some are easier to spot than others such as being a customer at the cafe in episode 8.
    • The finale of season two also has Red Saber popping up during the Tiger Dojo.
    • Season three's finale has brief glimpses of cast members from essentially every Nasuverse continuity, even ones that debatably aren't part of it or definitely aren't.
  • Catch Phrase: "This is all within my calculations." by Sion, minor variations of which are used to end the Back Street Alliance gags at the end of the second through fourth episodes as well.
  • Cat Smile: Done by the male protagonists of all people. It's also the Neco Arcs' default expression .
  • Chewing the Scenery: Comes as no surprise that Gilgamesh would be an expert at this, though Assassin and Lancer have more than their share as well.
  • The Chew Toy: Lancer. If an episode isn't providing physical humor where he's grievously abused, it's because it has no Fate segment. Even then, he'll probably be abused.
  • Chick Magnet: True to their source material, both Shiki and Shirou have several hot girls vying for their attention all at the same time. Trying to figure out a way to accommodate all of them is the subject of at least two of the shorts.
  • Christmas Cake: Caster, Caster, Caster. Fortunately, things are looking well for her.
  • Close-Call Haircut: Berserker pulls this off on Caster while using a tennis ball.
    • Done again in episode 2 by Miyako on Ciel during the volleyball match.
  • Cloudcuckoolander: Being a gag series, every character is subject to Character Exaggeration and Flanderization... except Arcueid, who, simply by being herself, is right at home with all the insanity occurring around her.
  • Cool Car: Rin gets one near the end of the Ilya Castle special, and she doesn't care who or what gets in her way. Poor Sakura.
    • BerSer-CAR also counts.
    • Everyone gets one in the 9th episode.
  • Covert Pervert: Aoko is one of these to Shiki.
  • Crazy Prepared: Assassin, with an emphasis on Crazy. In order to compete in the 5th Holy Grail war race he brings the Ryudou Shrine gate with him on a semi-truck, then has one of Caster's Protection Charms to ensure that he does not have an accident while driving. It's only because of Ilya and BerSer-CAR that he loses.
    • Also overlapped with Crazy Awesome. Both Rin and Archer think what he did was both impressive and completely insane.
  • Cry Cute: Poor Tohsaka Rin, driven to a rolling bundle of tears by the epic difficulty of operating a Blu-Ray recorder. Aww...
    • Also, when Caster cries in joy like a little-girl when Souichirou not only continues to love her in spite of her Saber-stalking hobbies, but asks for her hand in marriage and a honeymoon together in Hawaii. Double Aww...
  • Curb Stomp Battle: Season 2 Episode 1: Berserker vs. the other Servants. Most of it inadvertently.
  • Determinator: Akiha is superhuman, true, but she's simply nowhere near the same level as Arcueid. However, she persists in matching Arcueid point-for-point in a volleyball match up to five hundred and twenty five points through sheer, single-minded determination (and long after everyone else had dropped out of the running), all for the sake of the grand prize - having Shiki all to herself. Of course, at the end of the match, Akiha is completely exhausted while Arcueid doesn't even look winded, so it creates the implication that she wasn't even trying.
  • Dancing Theme: The opening, Super Affection, with all the main heroines dancing along to the tune. That it is extremely derivative makes it no less awesome.
  • Day in The Limelight: The second season seems to have a lot of these;
    • Episode 5 follows Berserker as he attempts to get batteries for Ilya. In the process he singlehandedly wins the 5th Holy Grail War as well.
    • Episode 6 gives us the previously ignored Sakura and to a lesser extent Rider going into some... darker, but not too dark places.
    • Episode 7 partially focuses on Caster, Soichirou, and Assassin finally appearing instead of the cardboard cutout.
    • Episode 8 is about Saber. All of them.... except Lilly.
    • In the third season, Lancer finally gets to try and avert his destiny of always dying. And ultimately succeeds.
  • The Day the Music Lied: Played for laughs in episode 4 when Shirou & Shiki are making plans for their dates which all overlap with other girls. They are accompanied by a rocky BGM just for it to stop when they realize that the plans they made are all impossible.
    • Same in episode 1: when Shirou decides to destroy the Grail and end the war, the music sweeps up until the Grail is broken and its contents revealed... to be Neco Arc.
  • Delayed Reaction: It takes Lancer a full 3 seconds to realize that the pretty girl he was accosting is actually Bazette. Their reaction to said realization is priceless.

Lancer: "WHOOOOAAAAAA~!!!"
Bazett: "WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH~!!!!!"

  • Demoted to Extra
    • Not Satsuki Yumizuka, who in fact gets a decent chunk of screentime considering her low overall importance. She has a dedicated slot concerning her and the Back Alley Alliance at the end of the episodes during Episodes 2 through Episode 4. Rather, the person who got hit with this trope the hardest is Sakura. One of the three main heroines of Fate/stay night, and she doesn't even get a speaking role for the entirety of season one! Isn't it sad, Sakura? When she finally gets an episode devoted to her, it focuses more on Rider with the joke being that all Sakura has going for her is putting up with Shinji.
    • Assassin is STILL at the Temple Gates being forgotten about as the opening points out. He is represented by a cardboard cutout everywhere that's not the Temple Gates (including the beginning -and- ending credits). He's unable to leave the shrine gates, so he can't appear much in the series. Until later he participates in the race... with the gates riding on his racecar.
    • Bazett has been in the opening and closing the whole time before she finally shows up in Extra in a moment which clearly defines that being Lancer's Master affords her the same status as her Servant.
  • Disappears Into Light: Taiga actually encourages this when the characters are fighting Ilya at the end.
  • DVD Commentary: Each episode has an extra running commentary track in the form of either a Tiger Dojo or "Teach Me, Ciel-Sensei!" segment. The commentary for the second episode is notable for confirming that the remake of Tsukihime is still in the works, and asking the fans to look forward to its release.
  • Elegant Gothic Lolita: Saber Alter names herself as such in episode 8.
  • Epic Fail: Remember that date plan Shiki and Shirou had in Season 1? The one that they themselves thought was impossible? In the very final episode, you get to see them try to pull it off. And fail. MISERABLY.
  • Expressive Hair: In the EX Season scene where the Emiya household are discussing what to do with the money Caren left them, Saber's ahoge changes to match her mood and expressions.
  • Fan Service
    • Aside from the Beach Episode of the Melty Blood/Tsukihime faction, we have Caster, proving a surprising number of Panty Shots.
    • Bazett makes her appearance in clothing that leaves very little to the imagination, accompanied by camera angles that leave even less.
    • And Saber Extra/Red Saber, who's damn proud of it.

Taiga: Your dress is see-through.
Red Saber: Fool. It's not see-through, I'm letting people see.

  • Fish Out of Water: At one point, Arcueid enrolls herself in Shiki's school in order to spend more time with him. This backfires quickly - not only do the demands of work and his schoolmates keep Shiki from her anyway, she's hopelessly unused to the regulated and regimented lifestyle of being a student. She quits school after a single day and gets herself hired as a janitor instead.
  • Foil: The series outright admits that the only thing Shinji has going for him is that he makes the people around him look good.
  • Freeze-Frame Bonus: Chock-full of it! Just about every eye catch passes on screen for barely five frames, and so do many mini-gags. Probably done on purpose, as the series was released straight to disc.
  • Funny Background Event: In the second episode (the beach volleyball competition), after Ciel crashes into Nanako trying to save the curry plate, the camera pans back to Sion and Akiha commenting on what just happened. Just a little beyond them, Hisui can be seen brainwashing Miyako with her classic finger-spinning motion. Internal Shout-Out and Mythology Gag, anyone?
    • Don't miss the Mt. Rushmore of Fate villains in the background during the second stage of Tempest: Ilya Castle.
  • Gag Series: The entire show is based around throwing the quirky cast of Tsukihime and Fate Stay Night out of their depressing stories and into one that allows them to be completely and amusingly insane.
  • Game Breaker: In-Universe example. At one point, the various Servants get involved in a Pop-up Pirate game, with Lancer being the pirate.[1] Saber inserts her sword, Archer inserts his sword... cue Gilgamesh with Gate of Babylon.
  • Game Show: The first episode involves the Fifth Holy Grail war being turned into one of these.
  • Gratuitous English: Taiga is just full of them.
    • In episode 3...

Shiki: Are you sleeping??

  • Gretzky Has the Ball: The rules of beach volleyball are stated to not be in play even before starting, which is fortunate. Even if Ciel did manage to keep the ball in play and not rescue the curry, her team would have lost the point anyway because she was the last one to touch the ball despite it bouncing off her face. (Official rules of Volleyball state that the same player may not touch the ball twice in a row during a play.)
  • Grievous Harm with a Body: After losing his club early in Episode 5, Berserker uses Lancer as a replacement for the rest of the day, culminating in Berserker becoming so proficient in wielding Lancer that he becomes Berserker's Noble Phantasm.
  • Grotesque Cute: Grail-kun has a cute voice and looks like a fun representation of all the world's evil while spewing out liquid darkness. In episode 11, he "helps" Lancer avoid his deaths, while watching from afar like a strange stalker.
  • Husband Husbandry: Aoko has apparently been pulling this on Shiki.
  • Hyperspace Arsenal: You thought Ciel pulling multiple Black Keys out of her school uniform was weird? Let's see you guess where she hid them on her skimpy bikini.
  • Idiot Hair: Never make Saber remove her ahoge. You will regret it (or love it, like Gilgamesh).
  • I Know Mortal Kombat: Gilgamesh is good at riding motorcycles because he reads bike enthusiast magazines, plays racing games, and builds models.
  • Incredibly Lame Pun: Boomelancer, a pun that works betters in Japanese due to the ambiguity of 'L' and 'R' for them, which gives us 'BoomeRancer'.
    • In episode 9, Berserker can apparently transform into a car. He is dubbed the "Berser-car."
  • Insane Troll Logic: Someone who can change into the shape of a beast must make a pretty tasty meal; just ask Arcueid.
  • In the Blood: EX Season showed us that Caren inherited just a little bit more of her father's sadism than she would like to admit.
  • In the Name of the Moon: Phantasmoon, for obvious reasons.
  • Ironic Echo: Inter-Works example. At one point Arcueid gets seriously pissed off at Ciel 'stealing' Shiki away, but Shiki reminds her that Ciel saved his life once, so he can't be cold towards her, and that Arcueid should treat her better. This is an echo of what happens in Ciel's Good End of Tsukihime, where Ciel's attempts to make Arcueid go away is foiled by Shiki reminding Ciel that Arcueid was the one who saved him from Roa in the end, so he can't be hard on her.
    • Also within the same episode: when Arcueid transfers into Shiki's class, she drags Shiki away from Ciel when the bell rings, throwing Ciel's previous line (with appropriate changes) right back at her.
  • It Got Worse: Shiki and Shirou imagine their failed date plan in episode 4 to either culminate in the destruction of the town or their own deaths. It's completely justified.
  • Large Ham: Gilgamesh and Neco Arc primarily. A lesser example is Rin as Kaleido Ruby. Even Saber Alter gets into the act.
  • Lemony Narrator: The narrator of "Berserker's First Errand" seems to be cheerfully oblivious to the Comedic Sociopathy that is taking place in the story she's describing.
  • Lethal Chef: Inverted. Babble the Nodding Cat makes a Ramen that tastes so delicious that eating it is akin to the sensation of falling in love... Even though it looks so toxic and hideous the Directors could not show it onscreen without censor-blurring it.
    • Arcueid's attempt to make okonomiyaki from a very vague description also counts. She didn't even butcher the pig and octopus (Which she thought was a squid when she caught it) before trying to cook them.
  • Lighter and Softer: This show is so cheerful and heartwarmingly cute that you can hardly believe it originated from two of the most violent and depressing sagas in the H-game industry.
  • Loads and Loads of Characters: Acknowledged by the closing credits, which have all the characters form a "chain" of people, where in most cases, every character has some kind of relation to the two ones next to him, with varying degrees of how obscure that connection is.
  • Lover Tug of War: In Beach Episode, three-way one between Arcueid, Ciel, and Akiha. Shiki is perfectly fine with this, and grins happily while he unconvincingly "protest":

"It hurts, so stop it....."

  • Magical Girl: Up through episode 6, Arcueid-as-Phantasmoon shows up at either the beginning or end of each segment to do a spoof commercial for various episodes of a Magical Girl anime centering around her.
    • Kaleido Ruby, Magical Amber and Magical Caren also appear in the second season as rivals for Phantasmoon.
  • Magic Versus Science: Played with in a short where Magus Prodigy (and Walking Techbane) Rin has to do Shirou a favour and help him record a television programme when his job keeps him working late. By the end of the epic ordeal, Rin is more or less in a blind panic and requires Archer to explicitly tell her the correct procedure, step by step. And then she ends up recording the wrong channel.
  • Man Bites Man: Ilya really likes sleeping next to Shirou.
  • Meido: Saber in episode 8.
  • Mood Whiplash: Episode 6 opens with Shinji's Domestic Abuse of Sakura, with shouting, smashed plates and Shinji KICKING a crying Sakura in the ribs. It did NOT feel right for a comedic series.
  • Ms. Fanservice: Red Saber, an in-universe example.
  • Mundane Utility: Saber works at a cafe to help out and make money to buy Shirou a birthday present. While there, her B rank Charisma comes into play, meaning that while she's an awful waitress, the customers and staff worship her and do whatever she says.
    • Caster's crafting of a good-luck charm for Soichirou. It gives him actual, insane luck. Justified as Caster's Crafting skill is actually exceptional, even though, like Saber's riding skill, it's not something that plays any part in the main game
    • Rider's A+ Riding skill can be used for anything. Including riding a bike faster than a motorcycle and classic car.
  • Murder Is the Best Solution: At least Grail-kun seems to think so, if his "Hero Creation Kit" and "Friendmaker" are anything to go by. This is another Mythology Gag, as the Holy Grail in FSN was a Jerkass Genie that would interpret any wish as slaughter.
  • Mythology Gag: All over the damn place, considering this is a crossover gag manga/anime OVA.
    • Perhaps too many to list, so here's a particularly obscure one. During Episode 4, the Neco Arcs are playing Fate/Stay Night... and reaching this bad ending. That specific bad end is considered by the game itself to be among the hardest bad endings to get, as it requires playing very specifically to piss Saber off as much as possible. The Neco Arcs complain that "the choices are too difficult".
    • An interesting one to Hollow Ataraxia is during the Holy Grail Grand Prix where Rider and Shinji's vehicle is a "Mamachari" or Granny's Bike. in Hollow Atraxia Shirou and Rider argue over whether Rider should take Bike No. 1, which is implied to be a speed bike or Bike No. 2 the aforementioned Granny Bike.
  • Noblewoman's Laugh: Rin, in episode 4. While assuring Shirou that, because she's a genius, recording a TV show will be easy for her. The results are hilarious, especially when she realises it's a Blu-ray player and she doesn't know what to do. Or rather, is told by Archer that it is a Blu-ray recorder. She thought it was a MegaDisk.
  • Nosebleed: Aoko gets one of these about every time Shiki talks to her.
  • Noodle Implements: Len, what is the seaweed/chikuwa/snack food for?!?
  • Oh Crap: Upon realizing that Shirou has a Blu-ray player, and not a VCR, Rin is struck dumb with horror.
    • Caster gets an epic one in episode 5 when she turns around and sees Berserker about to land on her from above.
      • Assassin too in the same episode; and basically for the same reason.
    • Even Saber has a few of her own: one when she gets caught trying to nap with Shirou in episode 3 and another when she sees Gilgamesh is her next customer in episode 8.
    • Shiki and Shiro constantly in episode 12 whenever there's a hiccup in their Zany Scheme. Given the potential that their lives are on the line, it's completely justified.
  • The Other Darrin: For the entire Tsukihime cast; they went with the Melty Blood cast instead.
    • It's more like Type-MOON acknowledges the Melty Blood cast as the true cast of Tsukihime rather than the Shingetsutan one. The cast has been used in every other Tsukihime-featuring products, aside of that one anime.
  • Only Sane Man: Satsuki seems to be the only member of the Back Alley Alliance who can avoid entering Cloudcuckoolander territory.
  • Out-of-Character Moment: In the Ilya's Castle segment, Saber becomes a high-pitched fast-talking loon, while the rest of the characters stay relatively in-character. This is specially hilarious during the Mushroom Trip and Die, Lorelie stages:

"Ilya, I'll stop your madne- ah, Mapo Tofu!!! Outta the way, outta the way!!! MAPO! MAPO!!! Invincible!!! Ilya, I'll stop your madness."

    • Rin loses her poise when Gilgamesh insults her in the closing moments of the race in Episode 9. Archer had to step in to keep their car going straight.
  • Phrase Catcher: Lancer.

"Lancer died!"
"You're not human!"

Lancer: WAIT WAIT WAIT! WHAT'S THAT SUPPOSED TO MEAN!?

Shin-Ji Go-Home.....

    • Episode 9's Holy Grail Grand Prix intro has some similarities with Fuji TV's F1 Grand Prix intro during the 90's.
    • In that same episode, Berserker transforms into the Berser-car.
    • Episode 11 is a shout out to the Final Destination franchise, with Lancer trying to avoid all his deaths and failing anyhow. Complete with custom credits!
      • The end credits use the same "flowing blood" style as the opening credits of the 2004 version of Dawn of the Dead.
      • And the way he averts his death by car is by saving a kid who was playing ball too close to the street. Basically, a reversal of the first chapter/episode of Yu Yu Hakusho.
    • One of the movie tickets that Shiki has for Arc in episode 12 is for Michael Jackson's This is It!
    • The Warning screens for Ilya and Akiha in episode 12 are right out of the Darius games. And does the close-up of Sakura's face imply she has a Persona?
    • There's also an internal one in episode 12 when Shirou walks by a poster for Phantasmoon Season 2.
    • The Seihai-kun segments in the last Season stylistically resembles a typical episode of Doraemon.
    • Rin watches The Ring with Shirou in episode 12.
    • The stages in the Tempest: Ilya's Castle special were all based on challenges found in the Takeshis Castle Game Show. Yes, even the one with the giant spinning mushrooms.
    • Archie would be impressed by Shiro going as far as three (okay, that was technically even four) dates in one episode.
      • Note as well the similarities between Rin and Veronica, as well as Saber/Sakura and Betty.
  • Show Within a Show: The Magical Girl Phantasmoon show apparently exists within the Fate universe, seeing as Rin recorded it by accident.
  • Sickeningly Sweethearts: Lancer and Bazett are obviously portrayed as a lovey-dovey couple here. Caren gets annoyed by their antics real fast.

Caren: "The world is ruled by money, right?"
Gil: "It doesn't really work for sweetheart couples like them..."

  • Sleep Cute: Ilya tries to take advantage of the nap that Shirou was having.... until the other girls wanted in too!!
  • So Beautiful It's a Curse: Sakura, according to... herself.
  • Soft-Spoken Sadist: Caren discovers that she really enjoys hitting Lancer with large wads of money.
  • Spoiler Opening: There are some fairly obvious ones, such as Rin's Walking Techbane moments and Berserker's new Noble Phantasm, but there are parts where the credits show a series of blink and you'll miss it still shots of the current episode and future moments. Such as Saber dressed in Meido.
  • Stalker with a Crush: Caster has... a lot of Saber pictures, clothing, models and what have you.
    • Episode 12: Sakura to Shirou during the zany scheme to date everyone.
  • The Stinger: The season 3 finale has Ayaka Sajou, the female protagonist of the original draft of Fate Stay Night making a phone call to the deserted cafe to lead into the Fate/Prototype OVA included on the DVD.
  • Stop Helping Me!: Sakura kicking Rider around just to make her point.
    • Rider gets Shinji to feel this way by doing a sadistic version of this that keeps getting him hurt every time he tries to be a Jerkass, basically an animated version of a doujinshi with the same plot. Bonus points for milking his perception of how useless she is and weaponizing it.
  • Super-Deformed: All the cute-and-funny time!!
  • Super-Powered Evil Side: Saber's is so powerful she can make GILGAMESH say, "I'm sorry."
  • Suspiciously Specific Denial: Shirou gets one while on three simultaneous dates. He's not a very good liar.
    • I'm so excited about our date that it looks like I'm acting suspiciously!
  • They Killed Kenny: Poor Lancer gets this treatment.
  • Throw the Dog a Bone: After being killed in essentially every episode, even in episodes where he didn't have a proper appearance, Lancer finally gets an episode devoted to going back and preventing each death. Sadly, the person giving him the chance is basically in it to see Lancer suffer even more, so it doesn't quite go as planned.
  • Troll: Archer could remind Rin that programming a Blu-Ray Recorder is extremely simple, but after she refused his assistance he prefers to simply hang back and watch her flail about while enjoying himself immensely, up until the very last moment. Rin is not amused.
    • And then there's Shinji, who is an actual Internet troll.

Shinji (in front of his computer): Some idiot fell for my elaborate trick again! Dumbass. You mad? You mad?

    • Neko Arc in spades when it comes to the Holy Grail.
    • Betweeen this and Chewing the Scenery, Trolling seems to be Gilgamesh's sole reason for doing anything: every time he shows up he tries to either derail the plot or have fun at the expense of everyone else, and he almost always shows up in time to steal the show.
    • Arc is a shameless troll of Ciel and is clearly enjoying herself.
  • True Love's Kiss: Ilya claims that she is the only one who can break the sleeping spell she cast on Shirou by kissing him, as she is the Princess; however, one can't help but wonder how effective Saber would be at the task.
  • Tsundere: Rin and Akiha.
  • Two-Timer Date: Episode 12 has Shirou and Shiki trying to juggle three and five dates respectively all on the same day. It goes as well as one could expect, especially when it turns out that they'd each forgotten one other date that they'd also scheduled on that day.
  • Unusually Uninteresting Sight: None of the Tsukihime cast in Episode 2 appear to care that there is a crashed rocket ship at the Tohno Family Beach.
    • Then again, they are playing volleyball for the right to spend a night with Shiki. Volleyball with special skills and super-powers in use. Which means they don't really care about anything else.
    • Also, Arcueid vs. just about anything. Berserker assaulting the cafe she's eating at? Waitress pulls her Idiot Hair and turns into a superpowered monster? "Eh." Completely in character for her.
  • Unwanted Harem: Subverted for both Shiki and Shirou - they both want to date all girls, and pay price for it. Or at least, Shiki wants to date them all while Shirou just wants everyone to be happy, but has the handicap of being, well, Shirou.
  • Visual Pun: BerSer-CAR.
  • Wacky Racing: Premise of episode 9.
  • WAFF: The entire segment about Caster and Kuzuki. Caster gives Kuzuki a good luck charm which proceeds to give him multiple wins in multiple events, Issei attempting to out Caster about her Saber-stalking hobby, and ending with Kuzuki not giving a damn about it complimenting how well sculpted her latest Saber Figure is. He then proceeds to give her a beautiful wedding ring and asking her to go with him to Hawaii. DAWWWWWWWWW....
    • Saber's birthday gift to Shirou in Episode 8. Naturally, a cooking implement, but the whole reason she started a part-time job was just to do this.
    • Lancer and Bazett share a lovey-lovey moment before Caren Ortensia yanks him away in the Extra Episode.
  • What Do You Mean It's Not Awesome?: Almost everything in this show, to some extent, but the crowning example has to be the beach volleyball game, which ends up getting spoofed as a Melty Blood match, complete with Miyako pulling off epic kung-fu poses before striking the ball, Ciel activating Blood Heat and bringing the Seventh Holy Scripture to bear, Akiha inverting to give herself a power boost, and Arcueid channeling Red Arcueid and dropping the moon onto the court.
    • From Episode 1, the Holy Grail War...as an EPIC Game Show.
      • Berserker... IN... A POLO SHIRT.
      • Also, see Game Breaker.
    • Kuzuki Souichirou and Nrvnqsr Chaos sitting in a restaurant.
    • A Spin-Off arcade game featuring the Fate cast assaulting Ilya's castle? Fund it!
      • Not only that, but the character select screen has the Fate heroes and Servants as 8-bit Final Fantasy style sprites!
    • In the Holy Grail Race, it looks like Gilgamesh is about to win until...Shirou and Saber come back on the Lion, with Shirou pumping in his term deposit into the machine like a maniac, and telling Saber they will be eating next to nothing for a month. And then, when it looks like they won't make it, Shirou projects Caliburn, and cuts through the finish line first. Their wish? Give them their money back.
  • White-Haired Pretty Girl: White Len.
  • Wounded Gazelle Gambit: Caster attempts to do one when Issei exposes her Saber fetish to Kuzuki. It fails, only for him to start praising the figurines she made because of their high quality, and then propose to her.
  • X Meets Y: The Nasuverse taking a holiday in the universe of Haruhi-chan with truckloads of anti-depressant laced ice-cream and cake.
  • Yandere: Sakura, Episode 12.
    • Also part of a Funny Background Event as it's very easy to miss her being the first to get wise to Shirou's Zany Scheme when she begins showing up everywhere else that Shirou goes to during his segments and always gets there before he does!
  • Zany Scheme: Shiki and Shirou's plan to keep all their potential love interests happy falls square into this trope. It starts with Shiki having to be in two different places at exactly the same time, and it only gets worse from there.
    • Shirou's plan can be recapped thusly: "I'll just tell them all to deal with it because I want everyone to be happy! They'll understand!"
    • Also, Akiha Vermillion's plans in the Phantasmoon segments. Coming second in manga contests and starting a cosmetics line? You fiend!
  • Zettai Ryouiki: Rin Tohsaka, Sion Eltnam Atlasia, Phantasmoon (Arcueid Brunestud), Magical Amber and Magical Caren, and Saber when in Meido outfit.
  1. ↑ For those not in the know, a barrel with various slots has a character deemed a pirate placed within, and the players take turns inserting swords into the slots. One of them will trigger the pirate to pop out, and the winner is the first one who does so.
  2. ↑ Explanation: In the Japanese-dubbed version of South Park, the "YOU BASTARDS!" part is translated in Japanese as "You aren't human" instead.
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