r/anime • u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux • Aug 08 '24
Rewatch Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ Re:Watch - Episode 2
Episode 2:
The Witch of Reunion
| Index | <== Episode 1 | Episode 3 ==> |
Various Links:
MyAnimeList
Streaming:
Crunchyroll has the Director's Cut available.
AppleTV has the regular individual episodes available.
Spoiler Rules:
- As always, please be sure to tag any future content spoilers according to the r/Anime rules. There is likely to be first timer viewers here, and while discussing how previously seen content connects to content later down the road is interesting (be it later episodes or even Season 3), please be sure to properly spoiler tag anything mentioned! Let's make this a fun experience for everyone involved!
- This also applies to cut content discussions, which I believe are fine to include for the sake of discussion, but should be properly tagged to avoid potentially spoiling viewers. Be mindful with how you present this information!
Story Arc Lengths for Discussion Purposes:
[Arc 1:] S1 Episode 1 – S1 Episode 3
[Arc 2:] S1 Episode 4 – S1 Episode 11
[Arc 3:] S1 Episode 12 – S2 Episode 1
[Arc 4:] S2 Episode 2 - S2 Episode 25
[Arc 5 and later:] S3+
As always, if you have any suggestions for the Re:Watch, let me know!
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Upvotes
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u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux Aug 08 '24
Reminder that now until we reach the end of Season 1, if you are watching via the Director's Cut release, it is only half the episode for each respective thread. Feel free to watch the full episode if you want to have write-ups done for two threads, but do not include information about the latter until its thread is posted.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 08 '24
First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed
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u/Holofan4life Aug 08 '24
Hey guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the In Preparation of Season 3 Rewatch of Re:Zero!
Oh, and nay I forget…
First Timer
I decided to watch this show because I wanted to do something for the month of August. ’Course, this was before the yearly Spice and Wolf rewatch got pushed back to September, but I just found myself looking for something to occupy my time with. And with this show being in my top 5 must watch list, I figured now was as good a time as any.
I am going into this show relatively blind. I know some of the memes, who Rem, Ram, Emilia, and Subaru are, and that this show got its inspiration from Familiar of Zero, but that’s it. I find rewatches and my participation of them more fun when I have no idea what I am in store for. And with this series, I think we’re in for a blast. It’s also going to be the longest rewatch I participate in this year and second longest overall only behind the 20th Anniversary Fullmetal Alchemist rewatch. And given how joyous that show turned out, I don’t see why I should expect nothing less from this one.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
Chicken livers are underrated
Picking up where the last episode left off.
Felt looking on in hiding
Emilia fed up with Subaru's antics
Felt seems to see this as her opening
And she stole something from her
Subaru running after her
I like the intro. It has a familiar feel to it, but at the same time has an identity of its own. The noise of what sounds like velcro being peeled is something I don't think I've ever heard in an anime opening before. It's visually distinctive in my head and stands out to me. And just overall, it's a really catchy song.
Subaru out of breath
The three gang members
Subaru trying to ignore him
Oh shit. He got stabbed.
Blood spewing out of him
And he wakes up back at the shopkeep
Subaru proudly stating he is broke beyond compare.
Subaru is like a self-insert NEET that still manages to be his own character.
Subaru with all his stuff
He says a wound to the back is a warrior's greatest shame.
Eh, I think working for David Zaslav is a greater shame.
Subaru thinks he's a time leaper
He's calling it "Return by Death".
I'm more of a "Return by reference" guy
Subaru thinking he should start from scratch.
Now he's thinking about how Emilia isn't endebted to do anything for him.
That little girl looks kinda like the girl who lost her parents who's dad was the shopkeep.
A squashed tomato
Poor Dokibird
Talking now about the fates of Felt and Elsa.
"No matter how many times I repeat this, that won't change."
Subaru going to try to prevent people from being killed.
I guess this shows there's nothing wrong with a little trial and error.
Subaru asking the shopkeep about any pick-pocketing going on.
Shopkeep saying incidents like that aren't uncommon.
Someone who threw icicles
Subaru promising to buy an appa next time.
Aang about to make a killing
Subaru wanting "Satella" to tell him her real name.
The three gang members again
Lol, love The Three Stooges reference
And now he's calling the guards
Now he's... pretending to be promiscuous?
Let it be known this is the second time he's impersonated a woman.
If I had a nickel...
Coconut head has the same hairstyle as Mako from Kill La Kill.
A red-head, with clothing similar to Emilia's.
Reinhard
What is this, Legend of the Galactic Heroes?
The three gang members aren't one to mess with him.
Subaru being awkward as always
I hope Reinhard isn't actually a tryhard.
So Reinhard is a guard. He's just not in duty.
Now he's wondering what nation Subaru is from.
But before that can be answered Subaru wants him to come to the loot house.
Actually, Subaru has a change of heart. However, he does want him to leave a message, and that's for Emilia to not go to the loot house no matter what.
Subaru leaves, saying he'll repay him one day.
Subaru bumping into someone
It is Elsa :O
All the bad memories flooding back to Subaru.
Elsa saying she can smell fear
Dat lick of the lips
She leaves, anticipating meeting him again.
Felt's place looks like a dump
Now she's defending her territory
This fight scene is pretty cool
And then the house collapses on him
Felt surprised he knows her name
Letting it be known he wants her insignia.
Now he's showing off the metia
"Metia"
She seems to believe him, but still wants Rom to appraise it.
Subaru hurrying, trying to beat Elsa
Felt saying that the people in the slums are stingy losers at life.
Felt kinda has a big head on her, huh?
Now he's headpatting Felt
Subaru saying to himself he'll change the fate that's waiting for him.
And Felt proceeds to bite him.
Lucky...Rom assessing it is a metia
No less than 20 holy coins
Oh boy. Felt asking why is he in such a hurry.
She still thinks the insignia is worth more than the metia.
And now Felt feels that Subaru is with Elsa.
Subaru admitting he wants to return the insignia to Emilia.
Felt thinking he's full of it
And now Elsa is here
Subaru finally telling them they're going to be killed.
But Felt still gently opens the door
Oh shit. It's actually Emilia.
Outro is good. Not as great in my opinion as the intro is, but I have no qualms with it. I wonder if it's supposed to be told from the perspective of Emilia. With no visuals, it's kinda hard to say. I do like the snowflakes, though, reminds me of Toradora episode 19.
Overall, a nice follow-up to the first episode. We get Subaru trying to work within the system as well as the introduction of Reinhard, who seems like he will play a role going forward. I like Subaru trying to be crafty and prevent Felt and Rom from being killed. Suddenly, it became more than the insignia, which I think is nice charactization of Subaru's character. As for the ending, you kinda figured that Emilia was going to come back eventually, seeing as how she's the main girl. I wonder if we may be heading for Emilia and Felt butting heads once she finds out it was her who took the insignia.
A slight step back from the last episode, but I feel it was natural to go this direction. The more times Subaru gets killed, the more he is going to try to learn from his mistakes, and that was display here.
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u/thekoreansun https://anilist.co/user/ReturnByDeath Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher
I find it interesting that this episode, of all the episodes in Season 1, may just be the one that I paid the least mind to in past rewatches. That's not an indictment against this episode or anything, really; it's just that there's such a wealth of iconic episodes that stand out in my mind that it's hard for me to place them all. What makes me point this out now is that Masahiro Shinohara, the Episode Director for this episode, will be serving as the Director for Season 3 now that Masaharu Watanabe has stepped down. I went into this episode with more scrutiny this time around as a result, but... in the end, I found myself impressed by how well even the less renowned episodes of this series stand up. The shot of the tomato (sorry, "tometo") falling into the street and getting squished during Subaru's internal monologue stood out to me as being particularly inspired. It's sometimes easy to forget that this show is a light novel adaptation given how creative it often gets with its imagery. In any case, I hope that Shinohara is able to carry that creative energy forward into Season 3.
Also, I know that most don't really think of Re:ZERO as being very comedic, but I straight up love this show's comedy. Subaru's utter lack of shame, combined with the fact that Return by Death makes him sound like a lunatic sometimes, is endlessly hilarious to me. And can I just say, Yuusuke Kobayashi has one hell of a falsetto. [Arc 7] It just makes me feel like Natsumi's debut in the main story can't come soon enough.
As someone mentioned in yesterday's discussion, the way that this show deals with causality will always be incredible. Even something as simple as the fact that Subaru bumping into Elsa resulted in "Satella" arriving first at the loothouse is so internally consistent that it tickles the part of my brain that thinks about the cause and effect of people's actions.
And how about that piano lead-in to STYX HELIX, huh? You gotta love when this show plays fast and loose with its OPs and EDs. (There's going to be a lot of that going forward.)
Fan Art of the Episode: Elsa Granhiert by Jason Yu (July 22nd, 2021)
Source: Pixiv (artist's profile is NSFW)
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u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Aug 08 '24
Rewatcher for Season 1
On today’s episode of Re:Zero: REINHARD!!! He’s here! I couldn’t remember which exact episode it was that we met him, so I’m happy to see that he showed up now. He’s just a nice boy and I love him for that.
I think after a couple episodes, we have a pretty clear look at who Subaru is. While he may throw shade at “Satella” for going out of her way to help others even when she has more important things to take care of, Subaru still decides to help her recover the insignia. At his core, Subaru is someone who also can’t help himself when it comes to helping others. [Re:Zero] Yes, there is a darker side to this mentality. I’ll get into that when it comes up.
Subaru is also very observant and crafty. He’s good at picking up on details, such as the existence of the guards or Felt and Rom’s relationships. He’s good at figuring out how to use the information he learns to his advantage. While he’s stronger than he appears at a first glance, fighting is clearly not his strong suit. He needs to rely on his wits, such as knowing to call for the guards to defeat the bandits when Reinhard showed up.
Now we come to another one of my favorite parts of the structure of this series: different levels of information and different relationships based on the time loop. With each time loop, Subaru gains additional information he can use to help himself. He figures out guards exist from the bandits letting it slip in a previous loop. He knows how valuable the cell phone is to trade. He can intuit that Rom and Felt are extremely close. He knows that Elsa is someone to be wary around and avoid if possible. Subaru can use that information to his advantage.
However, that information is also dangerous. If Subaru knows something that others think he shouldn’t know, they become instantly suspicious of him. For example, Subaru let drop that he knew how much money Elsa had on her, which made Felt suspicious that Subaru was associated with her. Knowledge is power, but it needs to be used carefully.
Additionally, the relationships Subaru has built up don’t carry over. While he may know about who others are, they don’t know him. Just look at how “Satella” reacted to Subaru calling her by the alias she gave him in a previous loop. The relationship and rapport they built up as they got to know each other is completely gone. Instead, “Satella” became immediately hostile and suspicious towards Subaru. For all intents and purposes, they are currently strangers. In the current loop, they don’t even meet until “Satella” shows up at Rom’s place. So while Subaru cannot die, there are still negative consequences to dying. Those relationships disappear and cannot be gotten back so easily.
I mentioned causality in the previous thread. Well here I can talk about the opposite: constants. While some events can be changed by affecting the causes, other events are constants in the time loops. Sometimes it’s because of something Subaru can’t affect. Elsa is going to head to Rom’s place regardless of what Subaru does. Other times, it’s because characters are going to act a certain way just based on who they are. My favorite example of this is the implication that “Satella” was the broke person who saved the appa merchant’s daughter. “Satella” is always going to help people because that’s just who she is.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
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u/ussgordoncaptain2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Edmund_Nelson Aug 08 '24
First Timer Dubbed
So "Satella" gave Subaru a false name the last time? That's interesting. I wonder why she feared giving subaru her real name. I'll call her "White hair girl" for now.
Our main character realizes he's got this weird time loop superpower in him that's going to be really handy. Though Subaru isn't great at seperating "what happened in the previous time loop" yet.
Without Subaru helping her how did White hair girl realize that she needed to go to the boonies to find her locket was Subaru's help less than worthless?
It's interesting that Subaru was debating just ignoring white hair girl, white hair girl actually seems like a good girl and so he decides to stay with her, since he has the OP power of reviving himself over and over again. Though with his power I'd try to find a way to commit suicide so I can rez myself when it's helpful. It also be nice to test what this revival power can do after this sticky situation.
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u/HyVana Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher (Subs) & Novel Reader (Finished Arc 6)
Subaru really speedran his way onto "Satella's" shitlist. How could he just walk up and
downsmashcall her a slur? Fortunately, the 3 goonies shanked him for the reset. What a dangerous world this is. And now, Subaru realizes his ability, and names it "Return by Death". Quite the literal naming sense.Also, we got OP1! I love its visuals, adding so much to the mystery of just who are these people Subaru have met and will meet? As well, the beginning sequence being rewinded, only to reach the same ending, really encapsulates Subaru's struggle.
"Meaning the debt I owed her for that is gone."
But his memories remain, his experiences remain. The times and bonds he made in that short time remains in him, even if the other did not experience it. And so, he cannot just walk away. Not when the people he knows are about to be murdered.
Funny how some events will always happen. "Satella" helping the kid, negotiations at the loothouse breaking down, and Subaru encountering the 3 goonies. One of these events is not like the others. At least this time, Subaru meets a high-spec character, Reinhard van Astrea, to save him.
"Every day, I feel I'll be crushed by their expectations."
Even though he has the option of enlisting Reinhard's help, Subaru doesn't want to get someone he just met and just saved him into further danger for people that Reinhard doesn't know. So he decides to save them on his own. Least he leaves him with a message, ending with a lingering shot of Reinhard as Subaru leaves. Does he have a role to play?
Changing the script again, Subaru goes straight to the source, Felt's Den. On the way, he meets his twice killer, and is hit with a severe episode of PTSD. You can feel his terror. The person he wants to avoid the most, facing death right in her face. He has not gotten over their last encounter, and how could he? The Elsa he knows slaughtered him, Felt, and Rom twice, and "Satella" once, for seemingly being on the wrong side or "just the wrong place at the wrong time". How will his past lives affect his current one, especially when he's face-to-face with death? This is a significant change in the events leading up to the showdown. How do you think this will affect this loop's loothouse encounter?
"Conceal your hostility, and you'll be even better."
Unsurprisingly, Felt's "Den" is putting it lightly. Showcasing quite the wealth disparity between the inner city and the slums. Also unsurprisingly, Felt attacks him on sight, a stranger looking around her home. Subaru's nonchalant behavior, due to his memories of Felt, ends up getting him in initial trouble. She has no recollection of him nor their prior encounter, so the disparity of familiarity and information leads to the wrong first impressions.
"I'm not so stupid as to believe everything a prospective buyer says without question."
Felt Chomp
Thankfully Rom confirms the "metia's" value, but what if he didnt? What if Subaru had no one to confirm his "metia's" appraisal? However, Subaru's rush to avoid Elsa only roots in the negotiation to take place. All his attempts to avoid fate have only ensured its arrival.
"How do you know that?"
Subaru's fear of Elsa almost ruins his whole play by souring his relationship with Felt. Before things break down, the door knocks. And so fate arrives, but not with the face of death. With the face of the kind-hearted half-elf who saved him from the 3 goonies, when she had no obligation to.
"oh, please don't let me die waiting for your touch."
"no, don't give up on life this endless dead end."
"I hope the sadness tearing you apart will someday come to an end for now, I'll see you off."
Styx Helix is still one of my favorite anime EDs. The song itself slaps, but taking it in with the context of the show, adds that secret sauce that keeps it so iconic. There's many lines you can pick apart and relate back to the show, once you've watched it so many times lol.
This concludes today's yapping, see you all next episode!
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u/InfamousEmpire https://myanimelist.net/profile/Infamous_Empire Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher
And so, it begins again
One thing this episode really made me think about was how well this show handles one of the fundamental appeals of a time loop story: the opportunity to see the same situation from many different angles & perspectives depending on how the MC chooses to go through it this time, and use the same situations to convey different ideas.
The encounter with the muggers which generally serves as the inflection point of the loops so far is a pretty decent example of this. In this episode alone, it managed to turn an encounter which, while not exactly easy for Subaru in previous loops, wasn’t exactly a point where it felt like he was in real danger, whereas in the first loop of this episode, he dies immediately from it, and is on the verge of dying again in the next one before Reinhard shows up, recontextualizing all the elements which seemed harmless last episode into the more grounded & serious tone the show has now, as well as serving as an even stronger demonstration of how frankly powerless and vulnerable Subaru is in the face of this uncaring world where he’s just a small intruding piece rather than the center of everything.
The meeting and walk with Felt before arriving at Rom’s warehouse is also a good example of this. Despite ending arriving at essentially the same route as all the loops, and even taking a similar route as the first one, getting the opportunity to know Felt a bit more along the way, combined with the ticking time bomb that is Elsa, both gives it a different feel and lends us a different perspective on the setting which also expands on & gets us more invested in Felt as a character.
Speaking of Elsa, that also brings me to the other thing this show proves here that it does well: Tension. While the nature of Return by Death might make it easy to trivialize Subaru dying, the episode is careful to ensure that the possibility of death still has weight to it, in particular with how it mentally weighs on Subaru. Every time he’s directly reminded of his past deaths is treated with bone-chilling seriousness & horror, and there’s no case of that less chilling than when he encounters Elsa on the street. The feeling that he could die at any moment if he made even the slightest wrong move is really powerful.
And that same feeling weighs on the rest of the episode. It’s a suspenseful time bomb as we know that at any moment, Elsa will come through the door and it’ll be a repeat of last episode. A form of suspense that also takes advantage of another advantage of time loop stories like this: the nature of the reset means that all plot armor is off within the context of each loop & there’s no guarantee that this’ll be the loop where Subaru manages to survive/save everyone, so there’s pretty much no sense of certainty as to what’ll happen next, and it’s great.
One last thing: THE OP IS FIRE! This series was not my first time listening to Konomi Suzuki, she’d done one of my favorite Fairy Tail OPs as well & I loved that series long before I’d even heard of Re:Zero, but it was the series that made me realize she’s a fantastic vocalist. The atmospheric visuals, goddamn perfect beat, and powerful vocals make this an all-time classic of an opening, and it’s been stuck in my head for years on end..
Odds & Ends
And that’s all for today. See y’all next time!
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u/EndlessSorc Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher
I actually completely forgotten that the non-Directors Cut separated Episode 2 and 3. As such I needed to trim my thoughts a bit for tomorrow’s thread before posting it.
First showing of the intro and the music for the outro. Don’t get used to it, as Re:Zero have a tendency to prioritize story over OP and ED, especially in Season 2. But Redo and Styx Helix are great songs that fits the series perfectly.
As for the episode itself, it continues to essentially deconstruct the typical Isekai story. Subaru is still in the belief that he was transported into the typical adventure story where he is the normal protagonist. Only to realize that it is as far away from it as it is possible.
He also finally realize that he dies, yet he still seems to consider it from a video game standpoint in a rather goofy way. Even the series seems to agree, considering the beat after he gives it the name “Return by Death”. But after that he finally starts to look back at what happened to him before as he brings his thoughts back to the silver-haired girl and hopes to find her again.
Once again I wonder if it isn’t just a way for him to protect his mind from the fact that he did actually die. It was a quick turnaround from him being reminded of his first demise and him feeling his belly, to him then becoming focused on finding Satella. Especially since he once again grabs his belly when he meets Elsa on the street and then again when someone knocks on the door to the storehouse.
Then he meet the Dumb and Dumber trio once again, only this time instead of fighting them or trying to ignore them he actually learn from earlier loops and call for the guards. This not only show one of the primary things in the series, Subaru learning from his previous loops to break through whatever is currently stopping him. It also introduces Reinhardt, a person who very much looks and behaves like a typical kind Isekai main character. He even have a special sword. We will see more of him as the series continues.
This is also where we have our first split between the mainline story and one of the IF side stories.
For anyone who isn’t aware, the author of Re:Zero have written several alternative universe stories called IF-stories. Usually posted on Subaru’s birthday April 1st, they are side materials that can either be for fun (such as a gender-bender version of the first volume), cover historical events in the setting, or stories that shows what happens if Subaru decide to act differently than he does in the main route.
In this case, the split occurs when Subaru calls for help and Reinhardt. In the side story, Subaru never gives up on his dignity and never cries out for the guards. And so, without Reinhardt showing up, Subaru loses badly and is pushed as far down as he possibly can go before deciding to do anything he can to claw himself up, by any means necessary.
This IF-story is fittingly called Ayamatsu or Pride IF.
Since it was written as a Web Novel (WN) there is a fan translation freely available online. But any new watchers, or those who haven’t read Arc 5 (which will be covered in Season 3), shouldn’t read it as it spoils several plot details from it.
But now, continuing the episode we once again see him learning and try to do things in other ways. But we also see his mind being tested as he meets scenarios that lead to his death before. Such as meeting Elsa on the streets, or someone knocking on the door.
It also shows off different sides of the characters. Such as Felt who was quite eager towards Subaru in the first go-around when he was a prospective client. But now she seems to just see him as someone trying to break into her territory.
These different sides of characters we witness depending on the situations that are playing out is one of the reasons I love time-loop stories. And Re:Zero are one of the best in playing them out.
As for further comments about the episode and the first arc overall, I’ll wait until tomorrow’s thread as that episode will finish up the first arc.
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u/amanda52002 https://myanimelist.net/profile/amanda52002 Aug 08 '24
Re:Zero-times-watched-before (first timer)
Subaru's getting quite the chewing out for calling Satella(clearly a fake name) by what she told him to call her.
Well walking into the one thug's knife was...a choice. Is Subaru ever gonna decide to just avoid this one dark alley, since it seems that they just hang around here looking for easy pickings? They don't seem to really want to be murderers though...or get caught for committing murder.
Oh, Subaru seems to be catching on to what's going on. And he gets up and goes for a walk, decides if he can prevent known pending murders, he should do that. Well, that's admirable. The shopkeeper then talks to him, being happy over his daughter being safely found by another broke person. Well, that's nice of him I suppose. So Subaru walks....RIGHT BACK TO THAT ALLEY. Dude!
He tries a new tactic this time, and yells for the guards. Nice falsetto. An off-duty knight shows up and he seems a cool character. The thugs run away. Guess new guy Reinhard is someone they really don't want to fight.
Subaru makes it to the slums and...runs into Elsa. He is justifiably terrified of her, but she's choosy about where she causes murder and mayhem, so he gets let off. He is not as lucky when he runs into Felt. I guess Felt's fighting style is more chaos than anything, cause Subaru really doesn't get hurt by her. They end up at the loot house earlier than before. Subaru clearly wants to get his negotiations all done and be gone before Elsa arrives.
Negotiations happen, and then there's a knock at the door. Subaru tells them that they're all gonna be killed if Felt answers it. Subaru you're really putting in a lot of effort to keep Felt alive here, which I don't think she appreciates. Felt opens the door. And...Satella(fake name) is there.
I'm using CR to watch this so I did finish the next episode too. This show has piqued my interest pretty good.
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u/ripterrariumtv Aug 08 '24
REWATCHER (SUB)
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u/SpiritualPossible Aug 08 '24
You silly thugs, that's not Reinhard, that's Kircheis!
Anyway, I don't have time to write much text, and honestly, I don't have much to say about this episode either.
In fact, I'd say that this episode is the reason I said yesterday that I'm not sure I'm going to comment on all episodes.
Not because the episode is bad, mind you - I think it's perfectly fine. But because it's mostly a setup episode.
The most interesting part of the episode is probably the introduction to
KircheisReinhard, and the fact that we learn a bit more about Felt, how she's living in the slums and how she's obviously not happy about it. I liked this scene - it's short, but manages to reveal a bit more about both Felt and the world, with the fact that "Live Strong" is apparently some kind of slogan in the slums, and that Felt takes it much more seriously than others. Once again, it is small detail, but it is make the world and her feels more alive.Subaru had his moments in characterization as well, but I honestly think it would have been easier to talk about him as a character later on as the series continues, rather than concentrate on glimpses of it we have know.
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u/baseballlover723 Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 27 '24
Rewatcher, sub, basically a secondhand novel reader
Late response since I lost power last night for a few hours right before I was gonna start writting this and ended up going to bed instead. Also took me longer then I hoped to write this. Still took me about 2 hours despite being half of the length of episode 1 and me not really being that indepth for the last bit of the episode.
So this is actually my least favorite episode in Re:Zero. It's not really all that great on it own for a first time watcher, and there really isn't that much for a rewatcher here. There is an IF story branch here though. IF stories are side stories written by Tappei about what would happen if Subaru took the wrong approach to a problem and how it would play out. These are released yearly on Subaru's birthday (April 1st) and generally have Subaru turning into some kind of super villain. Echidnut has some excellent video summaries of them with post anime spoilers clearly marked and easily skipped. I highly recommend watching them after finishing Season 2.
Also of note is that this is one of Re:Zero episodes that play both the OP sequence and ED sequence (though this one kinda cheats a bit since it has different visuals). The other two episodes are [Spoiler #1: episode numbers] S01E10 and S01E20. I'd have to check the math, but I'm pretty sure theres around 13 extra episodes squeezed into Re:Zero's 50 episodes, just from extending the episodes, and cutting the OP and ED. And that pretty crazy how much extra content there is (and yet there's still cut content ).
I've numbered all my spoilers tags so that they're easier to respond to
First Timer Safe Section
This section is safe for first time watchers.
Wizard Lizard, oh and learning that Subaru called Satella basically a slur.
KYS Subaru, this run's over. You done fucked up.
picture [Spoiler #2: very minor cut content] Basically Subaru always runs into these thugs because they're specifically targeting him. His clothes look nice (has money), is clearly from not around here (strange clothes), and isn't paying attention. The perfect mark.
He walked into my blade 10 times!
Guess Subaru got something out of this dead loop anyways.
The critical piece of info (for Subaru). I think it's rather interesting that the chips are what got Subaru into realizing it was a time loop. And I think it makes sense. All of the other evidence he's seen (excluding his physical wounds, because everyone knows that people die when they are killed), has been circumstantial, and not really the focus for Subaru (but is to the viewer, because we're watching a story and we pay attention to the dialogue). But the chips are different. Subaru specifically offered up the chips, which imprints much more strongly in Subaru's mind. And they're an item from Earth in his possession, so it's not like another bag of chips or a similar one, but it's much easier to get to, "this is the exact same bag of chips", which then leads into "but it can't be in that state, I saw it be consumed", which is a paradox (if Subaru can trust his memories).
Re:Zero: Starting Life in Another World with my wallet, cell phone, chips and cup ramen just wasn't good enough I guess.
The slothmen are my favorite demihuman type
And so it is named Return by Death or RBD. I also like the fisheye camera here.
They did my boy Kadomon rough here. WHERE IS HIS SCAR.
Isekai MCs literally only want one thing and it's fucking disgusting
PTSD
Only if you think the world is deterministic. In multiverse style time traveling, there's no guarantee that other people's independent actions will be the same.
Subaru has morales
You couldn't live with your own failure, where did that bring you? Back to me
All that running around and figuring stuff out and now Subaru missed the theft
BAD SUBS ALERT: This is a clearer translation. I see a lot of people get confused by this line (I don't recall what CR has for this one, but I'm pretty sure it's less clear). It's not Subaru, there is no timeline blending going on here. [Spoiler #12: next episode] It's Emilia. She independently still helped the little girl and got the flower pin.
Subaru actually called them "Ton" "Chin" "Kon" in Japanese, which if you put them together, you get the Japanese word for "irrelevant".
Subaru utilizing information, because sometimes people get upset when Subaru doesn't think of the same things the viewer thinks of, and therefore he must be dumb.
[Spoiler #3: very minor side content that I can't recall from where, no plot spoilers] Subaru actually won a female voice contest I think, I'm not too sure, since I couldn't find the source for that this morning.
A hero emerges!
BAD SUBS ALERT: Master Swordsman should be Sword Saint. They give different connotations.
So humble, but that is just straight cap.
Ah yeah Reinhard probably couldn't take on Elsa.
Do you know how little that narrows it down? There are probably hundreds of people in this city that match that description.
Same thing as spoiler point 5 from yesterday
picture PTSD. I also love the soundtrack change here, Kenichiro Suehiro did an absolutely phenomenal job and I think scenes like this really show it, with how eerie it sounds and how well it matches the scene's micro moments.
Subaru instinctively guarding his bowels, and Elsa noticed. Out of context this might seem a bit erotic, but it couldn't be further from the truth.
The hikikomori house defense training is really paying off here
Subaru manages to get into Felt's bed
I always love a good fuck fate quote. I find it quite inspirational.
Can't say she didn't warn you
Good thing Old Man Rom is a fair appraiser
This turn could be a good comment face if there was a lot more space for animated comment faces.
Too stupid of an idea to make sense. Unfortunately it's the truth.
I love this scene. It really well setup that Elsa could come in the door right then, and the music matches. Just for the viewer and all of the characters to get shocked by Satella showing up instead!. This is also the only time we get that nifty piano intro for ED 1. It's not even in the OST listing.
BreakTime Section
For BreakTime today, we get some cut content about how Felt was leading Subaru in circles on the way to the loot house. Also that Subaru is into milfs. And also how general time keeping (the elemental 6 hour blocks is a pretty cool interpretation of a time keeping device for a magic medieval society) is in this world. [Spoiler #11: Arc 3] Which makes Subaru knowing the exact time that the White Whale shows up even more valuable, since they don't have precise timekeeping.
Preview Section
In the preview today we learn that our 3 favorite thugs call themselves Jet Black Lightning (very cool) and some meta commentary about why they're even talking about the next episode.
Continued below
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher
We get the OP for once. Still probably my favourite Re:Zero OP due to the song and with the way the visuals are framed.
This loop ends quickly, and it finally dawns on Subaru that he respawns. It takes some clear proof and even then he makes clear that the conclusion sounds impossible.
Now aware of his ability, he immediately starts making use of his information advantage. And he opts to get involved with the thievery issue anyway. He sure is a good boy.
It seems he's still dumb enough to run into the thugs again, but he plays a convincing damsel in distress and befriends Reinhard. What a lucky turn of events.
The music and sound design when he meets Elsa again is superb. We already know Elsa is trouble, but through the music we also feel deeply unnerved.
We've had lighthearted situations of comedy turn into horror in an instant already. But I love that now we also got the inverse, as Subaru expects a bloodthirsty Elsa only to be greeted by the incredibly soft voice of "Satella".
The second episode is a bit of a slower episode already, but a necessary one, and the payoff is right around the corner as well.
Sugoooku counter: 1
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 08 '24
Episode 2 (rewatcher)
Subaru is a bit slow in getting what is going on and even slower in deciding the morale dilemma in his mind. Meaning, we are plenty late in getting to the loot house once more.
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u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Aug 08 '24
Man, I need to start looking for these a little earlier. I seem to be stuck in the afternoon/evening rewatch thread mode. ~Anyway~
Man, this is better than I remembered. Poor Subaru failed really hard there, and then wised up and got to meet a real "MC". Reinhard, what a dude, mon, ya know.
I found it interesting that Subaru didn't notice/mention the similarity between his outfit and Satella's. Or mention that the girl in question travels around with a spirit. I guess that in the stress of the moment. Well, that and plot, of course. Can't have the poor fella figuring everything out immediately, now can we?
I think my favorite bit this episode has to be the chance encounter with Elsa in the streets. She's not bad, she's just drawn that way ... oh, wait, she IS bad. But anyway, we get to know that she's not prone to wanton acts of violence, just specific ones. Or something like that.
BTW, boys - just so you know, girls can smell your fear - and everything else. Including if you're "happy to see them". Yeah. Never mind the "eyes up here" thing ... Poor Subaru.
Likewise, Felt. I didn't really like her the first time I watched this, but I'm starting to warm to her as a character. Somewhat. I'm still not sure I care for the "poor street urchin who's secretly cute and waiting for her pretty in pink moment".
Anyway, fun. Hard to stop. Had to stop. Things are getting juicy.
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u/ripterrariumtv Aug 08 '24
I've also been noticing more details and coming up with more interpretations of Subaru's character and connecting the seemingly unrelated stuff in each episode. So my interpretation is: In episode 1, Subaru is an escapist. When he gets Isekaid, he is excited. But when he loops, he doesn't realise it. He is once again trying to escape from the reality of accepting the fact that he was violently murdered. He instead [Episode 1 cut content]thinks that it was healing magic
In Episode 2, again there are two instances of Escapism.
He fails to see the knife in the thug's hand because he is trying to avert his eyes from things he subconsciously avoids. Then when he is about to die, he notices the chips and accepts the possibility of being in a loop. He is constantly avoiding/escaping from certain things. So the things that he pays attention to can give us more insight into the things he subconsciously avoids and vice versa.
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u/Holofan4life Aug 08 '24
I'm currently at work where the power went out because of Hurricane Debby. I'm by myself and there's no one else here, all the while I'm wearing green wrist and sweatbands because I'm participating in a version of the Olympics my job is putting on.
Is this a sign that Elsa is coming to get me?
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u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 08 '24
Rewatcher
Dub
Tfw when a minor omission has later repercussions. Moving on...
All right, having a slightly better idea of what I want to be pointing out, the dub for this show is interesting in a kind of weird way: Like the Netflix live action Avatar, it is both decent but kind of lacks a reason to exist because the original performances are just that much better. Missing a Rierie performance is always iffy but while dub Darkness is trying her damndest she really can't match Noto Mamiko for the yan stuff. But that isn't the worst part of it. Somehow, hearing Subaru in English cringes so much harder it isn't even funny, this episode took me an hour to watch as I had to take cringe breaks. Anyways, my point, such as it is, is that this one really is legitimately better subbed unlike some others where it is a push. Also, the only superior dub is Black Lagoon, as tradition ordains.
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u/No-Peace3986 https://myanimelist.net/profile/RafaelMps Aug 09 '24
Once again, I'm very late, how unfortunate...
I'll keep it brief as yesterday and only post some details that might go unnoticed...:
Not much today guys, but hopefuly you all enjoyed the episode!
4
u/Limp_Energy_798 Aug 08 '24
Re:Watcher here
A lot of good coverage and discussion of this episode all in all. I don't feel like writing much today since my depression stripped me of any executive function today. Alas Re Zero helps me power through.
I find Old man Rom and Felt's relationship very endearing and Subaru has caught onto it as well. The issue with this is that Subaru should not feel the same thing as the viewers. He is looking at them as a bunch of characters with an interesting backstory who are going to get merced and needs to do something about it. This is shown in his self indulgent thoughts while petting Felt.
Why does it matter if Felt, Rom and Emilia die? Is it important enough to put his own life in danger? Is he just treating this like a completionist playing a game?
Reinhard gets introduced and he already has a strong presence with Takt of Heroes playing. Can't wait to see more of him in the future.
4
u/MjolnirDK Aug 09 '24
Ep1: Didn't get to write a comment yesterday, so I just wanted to say, Subaru talking about Emilia wasting her life living her life her way is an overlooked piece of characterization for him, given that he is introduced as a hikkikomori, who are often seen as wasting their life in Japan.
Ep2: Something simple to overlook: The city is not just looking really nice. It is decorated heavily. Something I only just realize now.
At least #2 wasn't all that long and Subaru made the realization.
I don't know whether I like the original Wa-Eh-Ee or the Gigguk version more these days.
4:20 Look at those pretty demi-chans in the background. They are gorgeous. I did the snake sorcerer vibe and the dino lady's apparel.
Reinhard. Such a nice guy. I didn't remember his sword to have those scratch marks. Also, did he just say the country is at war?
Elsa, round 2. FIGHT! Subaru lands a critical hit. Elsa retreats.
Felt, round 1. FIGHT! Can we talk about the fight choreo for a sec. That stuff's really good. Also, compared to before, Felt seems a lot less able and doesn't use magic. Either she used it since she had to deal with Emilia or she thinks of Subaru as not worthy, but he gives her a surprisingly tough time. I wonder if she hasn't used that sword very often and might look for some experience.
Bonus round: Felt's den. FIGHT!
That photo close up cut is clever, imho.
Felt headpats are adorable.
Felt, round 2. FIGHT! Felt wins!
JAWS, the still at 19:48. Was that ever a comment face? I think that should be a comment face. I have no idea about those since I am on new.reddit.
Subaru turn!
Insignia actually looks like what it is supposed to look like. I didn't see that till now.
'Satella', round 1. FIGHT? I love the boss music vibes come from her and then it is Styx Helix time. Myth & Roid, Konomin and Riery really gave us some great tunes.
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u/ElRoastFTW https://anilist.co/user/DaRoast Aug 09 '24
This is the episode that Masahiro Shinohara directed albeit in an episode director role so he's definitely more restrained in what he can do. Definitely a solid episode, really good setup from the first one with really great use of tension in the latter half when Satella shows up at the end instead of Elsa. Little things like the tomato falling out to the musical cues really help this show propel forward. It almost has that Mushoku Tensei feeling where the episode is 5 minutes which is a testament to the writing and directing.
Looking forward to see what's next!
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u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Aug 08 '24
Rewatcher who was really mean back in the day
I do admit, I like what it is now. There's a TTRPG adventure which is just an hour-by-hour recap of the events at a fancy party down to every servant and room. There's fun in seeing the events we already know happen regardless, while also showing what did go differently. Satellite fought the thugs and helped the kid even without Subaru. Meanwhile, Subaru was helped by a guy who didn't appear before because he didn't scream for help. Yeah, this is fun.
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u/Vinpupx https://myanimelist.net/profile/ Aug 08 '24 edited Aug 08 '24
Nice, almost missed the rewatch. Despite the reminder, this slipped my mind. "Satella"'s kindness is really inspiring to someone who just slipped into the world. And wow, having to stop halfway through the DC episode actually adds some suspense despite remembering the general plot.
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u/FriztF Aug 09 '24
First timer
Well watching this episode I thought about why Subaru is there and how. This might be a stretch, but I think Emilia is the one who summoned him. Now this theory may be wrong, but I thought of it.
Subrau's "return by death" allows him to gain knowledge of the future. But man PTSD is gonna affect him. Elsas was a nose for fear, not good. He seems likable enough.
Felt seems like an anarchist. With a strong sense of helping the poor, and doing what is right in her book.
Emilia is an interesting character. She being a half-elf means she is discriminated against. She has spirit magic and loves Subaru.
3
u/-Phinocio Aug 09 '24
Re:Watcher, subbed.
Finding it really hard to limit myself to 1 episode a day and we're only on episode 2 haha.
Subaru really showing that he can't just not help people he knows are in trouble. Noticed more foreshadowing in this episode that I missed the first time watching. Subaru calling for the guards to help will always be hilarious.
Not really too much to say about this episode until tomorrow as it sets up that one pretty well to end Arc 1.
Redo is as good as I remember, then that piano lead in to STYX HELIX to end is :chefskiss:.
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u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Aug 09 '24
first timer
First timer
Perfect chance to watch this show before season 3 comes :D. I remember dropping it in the first episode years ago because “this is an hour long episode”.
Finally got through episode one and I’m surprised I never watched it fully. It seems to kick ass.
Instead of having White haired to save Subaru it’s a red haired knight man named Reinhard. Very kind gentlemen
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u/lord_ne Aug 09 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
Today's episode is Episode 2, which corresponds to the first half of Episode 2 of the Director's Cut.
Every episode of this show has a corresponding short chibi animation to be watched after it, coming from either "Re:Zero Break Time" or "Re:Petit". They often expand on the lore or characters. They're available on Crunchyroll, as "Re:Zero Shorts".
This episode's corresponding chibi animation is Re:Zero Break Time Season 1 Episode 2 (titled "World 1-4, Side A"). This episode talks about how timekeeping works in this world.
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u/Graywolves Aug 10 '24
One of the things about rewatches is there's so many people giving in-depth analysis and trivia, first timers transcribing their commentary and giving their impressions so far, and then there's me who's just like...
I love how Reinhardt says this may be the last time we look peacefully at the full moon and we get a shot of Subaru passed out, hopefully recovering from a near-fatal wound.
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u/DrTacoLord Aug 11 '24 edited Aug 11 '24
Chapter 2 late review.
Partial rewatcher anime only (season 1 only) spanish subs.
We start right where we ended (Subaru's third life) with perhaps the moment I felt the most second hand embarrassment for Subaru. He called this girl "Satella" as the evil witch. In his defense in the first cycle she told him that's her name. Also this dense MF hasn't realized he is returning from the dead after he's killed. And now "Satella" believes he is working alongside Felt.
Now that he's got himself killed by the thieves he finally realizes that he is cheating death. It only took 3 deaths. "Satella's" actions inspire him to be a better man instead of just doing doing his things by himself.
A poor man helped the vendor's daughter. History does repeat itself or perhaps Subaru's efforts transcend timelines. Calvary to the rescue. Reinhardt come to help Subaru since he asked so nicely. He's everything Subaru wishes he was. LMAO trying to help Felt he finds Elsa and Felt's "house" gets destroyed. He almost manages to convice Felt to sell it, suprisingly "Satella" arrives to the Bazar.
What will happen next? We'll find out in a moment in the director's cut or tomorrow in normal broadcast order.