old rin/archer related interview from the fate stay/night premium fanbook (2003)
Archer - The sarcasm is a form of affection.
Interviewer: Together with Rin, a lot of people have grown to really like Archer.
Nasu: It’s a huge surprise!
Takeuchi: He became quite popular, didn't he? Even though he is such a sarcastic, cynical guy.
Interviewer: Perhaps the great chemistry between the duo really shone through. That banter they have.
Nasu: Personally, I really love the Archer and Rin duo. So I am very happy that people have come to love this pairing.
Interviewer: I heard that the personality of the original Saber from the early concepts was reflected in Archer?
Nasu: In the old prototypes, Saber was polite but had a stubbornly reckless side. He would look down on his Master, who was the weakest magus... not exactly looking down on them to be mean, but treating them with a teasing attitude. Like a cynical but good-natured young man who can't help but tease the girl he likes... I think that cheeky, sarcastic side of his personality became Archer's personality. (Keep in mind that in 2004 fsn polls, nasu wrote archer getting called a don juan for teasing the girl he likes aka rin in archer's bio)
Takeuchi: In the original concept, the protagonist was a moping girl, paired up with that Archer.
Nasu: The original protagonist was a girl with glasses, and the strongest Servant, Saber, would snap at her at every turn... She would react like, "Whatever, someone like me is no good anyway, I'll just go mope and die." But when she snapped, she would show a scary, tough (?) disposition. He (Saber) actually has the strength, but he doesn't realize his own tsundere nature and thinks that he himself is a useless guy. That kind of protagonist and a Saber who playfully teases her was the original main duo. That concept was shifted directly onto Archer and Rin. Furthermore, because Rin has such a strong, unyielding personality... they ended up having a great, balanced dynamic with each other.
Okay something that confuses me is that since this fanbook was from 2003 (i checked, they all say december 2003), i'm assuming this is about people loving rin/archer during the trial version of the fate stay/night visual novel? so rin/archer were already that loved before the 2004 official one released? Crazy.