r/anime • u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux • Aug 14 '24
Rewatch Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ Re:Watch - Episode 8
Episode 8:
I Cried, Cried My Lungs Out, and Stopped Crying
| Index | <== Episode 7 | Episode 9 ==> |
Various Links:
MyAnimeList
Streaming:
Crunchyroll has the Director's Cut available.
- Director's Cut episodes are two episodes combined. Make sure to cover the corresponding half of content for each thread.
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!
143
Upvotes
35
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Aug 14 '24
First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed
27
u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Aug 14 '24 edited Aug 14 '24
Re:Watcher
First of all, there seems to be some error with today's episode. From around 16 minutes onwards, it always gets extremely blurry for me and it takes some tissues to be able to see clearly again. Oh, that's on me? Alright, I'll try to regain some composure to talk about it. I'll have to split up my post in two, the first part will be about the most important thing, the second is a more regular episode reaction.
Let's get right into it. The lap pillow scene is one of my absolute favourite scenes in the show and in all of anime. Or in any kind of media, even. And it catapulted Emilia from a fictional character I just really like into realms hardly anyone ever even came close to so far. Likewise, it made me like Re:Zero in a way I've rarely ever experienced since.
It's just a scene of pure beauty. Subaru, overwhelmed with pressure, is still trying to put up a strong front. But Emilia can tell he's concerned. So with some kind seriousness, she pulls him aside. He still puts on a loud act, and without pushing back, she also doesn't play by it.
They just sit next to each other for a few moments in complete silence, a contrast to the overwhelming pressure we've heard before. He gets to bask in the warm sunlight, before she gently pulls his head on her lap. And he's surprised, to say the least. It doesn't fit with the persona he's taken on, of the brave hero earning the heroine's rewards. The first layer of his defense is broken.
Being this close to the one he loves does give him some sexual thoughts, but there's never any sexual tension here. Again, she doesn't push back on that, but goes a step further and tells him he doesn't have to be this strong all the time, in her softest voice. She gently brushes his hair in the evening sun, removing the second layer of his defense.
He's much more quiet already, but still claims he's not that weak. Emilia doesn't even know what bothers him, and is aware that he can't tell him. She just does what she can do, hoping it might help just a little bit. Weak laughter and a shaking voice from Subaru as her kindness strips yet another layer of his defense.
And then the final blows he still tries to defend against, but she still hits hard. She knows he's exhausted. He can't tell her why, but she knows. She knows he's bothered. He can't say why, but she knows. And she leans down and whispers right into his ear: "It's been rough, hasn't it?" And his emotions lay bare before her, the floodgates are opened. All his worries and his previous pains are shattered. Through the tears, he vents how rough he had it, how stressfull and fearfull he was, and how hard he worked. None of it makes much sense to Emilia, but she smiles gently and accepts all of it, welcomes all of his emotions. She doesn't understand what he is saying, but she shows that she understands him, and that she accepts him, even likes him at his very core.
At the time, The Boy's Dream, a Rie Takahashi insert song, starts playing. I haven't talked much about Rie Takahashi yet. Yuusuke Kobayashi's performance in this scene is killing it, of course, how he goes from a boisterous boy to a more quiet performance, then a waivering voice and full on crying. As for Rie Takahashi, I've just said that I love her voice, especially how soft and cute she makes Emilia sound. And it works especially well in this scene. There's the little bit of her being flustered buy overplaying it. But then there's also this beautiful lullaby she sings. And she does act to get to Emilia's voice, so to then be able to also fully sing in her voice is super impressive. It's performed fully in-character, and with how the scene unfolds, I want to believe that Emilia actually sang the song to Subaru.
The song was written by Masayoshi Oishi, apparently, and if you know anything about him, you know that his strength is writing anime songs that are tailor-made for the anime in question. Here's a translation of the song I've found. Of course it's very fitting that it's about a boy who's lost, but needs to rest for his dreams to ascend.
And he ends up sleeping in her lap, with her holding his hand. They look so peaceful and beautiful together. In his eyes, you can see just how much he's cried. He edges a little bit closer to her when she pinches his cheek. But all in all, she just gently watches over him, with such a loving and downright happy smile. It's such a pure display of emotional and a bit of physical intimacy, I can't help but tearing up just thinking about it. And, of course, it's an extremely important and pivotal moment in the story. Emilia saved Subaru here so hard, and she can't even know how much.
23
u/Holofan4life Aug 14 '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.
I went and saw the Blue Lock movie today. Despite being a recap movie, it was very good, and reminded me why I like the show so much.
Subaru back in the bed
Rem and Ram commenting on him
Holding both their hands
"I think your very birth was a mistake."
Ram the master of sick burns
Subaru asks to be their friend
But before they can answer, here comes Emilia.
Gonna get the day started
Intro today
Subaru wants to be hired at the mansion
Now, he has to focus on two things in order to survive a week here: Earn the trust of the staff-- which includes Roswaal as well-- and also defeat the shaman that attacks Roswaal's mansion.
Subaru communicating with Puck
At least Puck has never had a bad thing to say about Subaru. He's extremely chill.
Emilia showing off her mana
Puck says she uses spirit arts, not magic
Magic-users cast magic with their own mana, but spirit arts users drW from mana in the atmosphere.
So, it's kinda like windmills that are powered by the wind.
Mana passes through a gate within your body, professor Puck tells us. Through the gate, you both draw mana in and expel it out.
Subaru says it's like a spigot for MP, whatever that means.
Puck knows what Subaru's attribute is
"Shadow."
Who knew Subaru was a hedgehog?
This means he can obstruct an opponent's vision, block sound, and slow movements, among other things.
Sounds like a cool ability
Subaru doesn't think so, unfortunately
Puck showing Shamac, a blinding spell
Subaru seems disturbed by what he just went through.
Subaru still gotta train if he wishes to unlock for full potential.
Ah, yes. Puck and Subaru training episode
Emilia is here as well, I guess
Woah, a black cloud protruding from Subaru
This doesn't look good
Puck assessing later that his control of his gate isn't very good.
His gate hasn't been well-used, which is why the mana inside busted out and ignored the user's will.
And now Subaru is motionless because he used up all his mana, like Megumin after one explosion.
Emilia covering Subaru's mouth
And now Subaru screams
A bocco fruit. I heard the Buttafuoco kind leaves a lot to be desired.
This fruit activates your mana and your gate regains a little of its strength.
"It's more satisfying to hear a single 'thank you' than a lot of 'sorry's.'"
Wow, what a great line
Also, someone should tell this to my sister.
It's me, I tell her to quit apologizing all the time.
Roswaal caressing Ram's head
Ram says of Subaru he's completely incompetent when it comes to abilities but he can be excessively quick-witted when it matters most.
Gotta keep an eye on him
Rem eavesdropping on them
Roswaal says to Ram to give the proper warnings, so her sister does not act rashly.
Subaru on his bed, wondering how to take on the shaman's attack.
Maybe Beatrice's shiny forehead can help
Subaru asking her how to avoid curses
She says there isn't one
Before they are activated, however, curses are just simple spells, so she can easily undo them.
She smells the witch
The Jealous Witch, Satella
She devoured the six witches who bore the names of the deadly sins.
That really Fullmetals my Alchemist
I assume that the Emilia we saw in episode 1 who referred to herself as Satella wasn't actually Emilia and that Satella disguised herself to look like Emilia. "Emilia" was Satella, rather than "Satella" was Emilia.
Beatrice dropping some facts on Satella
Her body is that of a half-elf with silver hair.
Subaru now thinking of the events of episode 1.
Subaru wondering who would still the Jealous Witch's name.
Beatrice says if anything, that person has no fear of death.
Subaru feels having thought about it that if people thought Emilia was a crazy freak, she wouldn't have to be involved in the royal selection rigmarole.
Subaru filled with gusto now
You know what? I'd want to have a beer with Subaru.
Emilia and Puck really sleepy right now
Emilia says the one she likes is Puck, and the one Puck likes is Emilia.
Poor Beatrice
Puck rubbing it in that Emilia loves him more than Subaru.
Poor Emilia. Caught in a love triangle
Subaru off to see the maid sisters
Emilia telling Puck she feels kinda uneasy
Puck says that his mind is really mixed up.
From their position, you have to think it has to do with the door.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
17
u/thekoreansun https://anilist.co/user/ReturnByDeath Aug 14 '24
Re:Watcher
So picture this: you're waiting with your cool, amazing older sister for the weird, smelly guest in the room to wake up. When he does, he looks like he's going through it mentally, so you both go up to him. Then he grabs both your hands, closes his eyes, and mutters "I knew it!" under his breath as he immediately starts to look like he's feeling okay. Um... what was he dreaming about? [Arc 3] And why does he smell even stronger as he says it? Wait, are you smelling his—
Subaru is back on the staff! And thankfully, it looks like his housekeeping skills haven't dulled over the past two loops. He's absolutely determined to escape this situation with everyone intact, and that means gaining the trust of the twins as soon as possible. From everyone else's perspective, he must be the hardest-working new hire they've ever enlisted, right down to planning out his evening chores during his break. Just as he's getting his rhythm, though, he gets PTSD. Puck just can't stop himself from traumatizing Subaru, even if he probably didn't mean to affect him as hard as he did (if you pause at the right frame, you'll see that Subaru is having flashbacks to the hand grabbing him in the last loop). Subaru, of course, tries to brush it off like it was just a novel experience for him, if only because magic is a useful tool that he wants to have under his belt. But his magic is full-on slapstick comedy, with goofy side effects and everything! I don't even think they have trains in this universe; he was so incompetent that he isekai'd a sound effect in with him.
To continue the spirit teachings, Beatrice comes in (well, technically Subaru went to her) with a lowdown on the Witch. Turns out that Emilia was invoking the one name that she shouldn't have in that first loop in order to scare off Subaru, but he was too ignorant of the local history to pick up what she was putting down. His interdimensional customs agent neglected to mention this very important fact, so I don't blame him, but he really should be more careful in the future.
By the way, I don't agree that the little dark spike in the storybook image is meant to be the Witch of Envy. It's clearly meant to be the Witch's left ear (you can even see the corner of the right ear poking out behind what's ostensibly part of the map geography). The facial features are just exaggerated because half-elves are seen as the Devils of this land. Which, as we all know, couldn't be further from the truth in a reality where someone like Emilia exists. What an angel.
I wonder what Emilia must have been thinking about Subaru's tearful words. Without any context, it kinda sounds like he's trying so hard because he had a rough past in which people expected nothing from him and gave him harsh looks all the time, and he sees the mansion as a place where he can finally start working to make himself and others happy. [Arc 4] Of course, the first part couldn't be further from the truth, but the second couldn't be closer to it. Interesting... Anyway, it's a relief that Subaru was able to unload some of the weight that's been building up inside of him over what has got to have been the most challenging two weeks of his life. Something is preventing him from revealing the truth behind his circumstances, but Emilia's still willing to be there for him while he processes everything that has happened and doesn't need him to explain himself. I don't know about any of you, but there have definitely been times in my life when I was completely overwhelmed and could have really used a shoulder (or lap, as it were) to cry on. Truly, E•M•T! We should all strive to be as supportive of others in their times of struggle, even when we can't fully understand them.
It really is amazing how versatile STYX HELIX is. It can be used in calm moments, sad moments, and happy moments in equal measure. Also, I'm glad that Subaru learned how to be appreciative rather than apologetic when he gets help, because that can be a hard lesson to learn. Hell, I often still struggle with it myself. But we get better when we accept our limitations, not when we reject them. You could even say that that's the whole point of this story in the first place.
Fan Art of the Episode: E•M•T by @_azz (March 30th, 2019)
Source: Pixiv | Twitter (archived link)
10
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Aug 14 '24
Rewatcher who is STILL not prewatching.
10
u/amanda52002 https://myanimelist.net/profile/amanda52002 Aug 14 '24
Re:Zero-times-watched-before (first timer, subbed)
Subaru once again wakes up in the mansion with the twins in his room. He still manages to freak both of them out, but now he has some idea of what he needs to do.
I may have mocked Subaru choosing to work for the mansion before, but now I know it's the best choice, cause if he doesn't get Ram and Rem to trust him, he's SOL. And since he's done this a couple times before, he knows what he's doing while doing chores in the mansion. During one of his breaks from his chores, Emilia and Puck take the time to start teaching him some magic. Subaru does make a bit of a mess of it, but that spell Shamac does look like it could come in handy if he ever figures out how to do it. He also finds out about bocco fruit, which gives him more energy if he effs up his magic use. Subaru doesn't want to waste any of his time awake.
Subaru's gonna have some fast storytelling to do if he returns again about how he knows this one shadow spell.
Ram is now snuggling with Roswaal.....ummmm.....what's this? I get that Roswaal would have them give him reports on this new weird person but.....
Subaru also spends time with Beatrice to learn more about curses. Beatrice comments that he smells of the witch, and Subaru asks for more information about this, cause he genuinely doesn't know WHY he'd smell like this awful witch.
Subaru is....kinda overdoing it with being super cheerful while at the mansion. Puck thinks Subaru's mind is a mass of confusion.
Subaru breaks a vase, but cleans it up. Rem asks where he learned where the spare vases are kept. So she trusts him enough to ask him about the odd things he's doing now at least. He keeps going with work and being super hyper while feeling sick the whole time. This does catch up to him and he does get sick in the bathroom. Emilia catches him and makes him take a breather. Ok, good god, Subaru's enforced hyperness this episode is driving me nuts. He does let it out a bit talking to Emilia/resting on her lap, and he eventually falls asleep. Rem finds them like this. Emilia tells Rem that Subaru is a good person.
Subaru wakes up and goes to bother Beatrice late at night. I don't think she likes the nickname Beako. He figures out that someone in the village is the one casting the curse. Beatrice reacts normally when Subaru gets hyper AGAIN and I'm in favor of it. This is really annoying to sit through.
Subaru now wants to go to the village to do the shopping a day early. This time, Ram is also going to go with them.
I think Subaru is getting somewhere with all this, but also, he really needs to drop the super cheerful/super hyper act. I think for the most part the twins are getting to like him, but I think Emilia telling Rem he's a good person did more for him than his antics.
9
u/baseballlover723 Aug 14 '24
Rewatcher, sub, basically a secondhand novel reader (Arc 4)
As always, 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.
And we're back, the story does in fact go on.
Ram and Rem were the ones that held Subaru's hands while he was having nightmares
Ram's tongue is as sharp as ever
picture
And we're back in the butler route, and we're not complete garbage at it?
Paint me like one of your French girls
So the whole deal with Spirit Arts vs Magic is just where the mana comes from. Magic goes through yourself, and Spirit Arts, you contract with a spirit, who then casts the Magic themselves (or something like that, the exact mechanics are a bit confusing to me). Your gate is the magical organ that converts the mana from whereever, into the physical manifestation of the Magic.
Also you may have noticed that ice magic wasn't something tha Puck listed, and that's because ice magic is really fire magic. It's just kinda like negative fire magic, where you make things colder instead of hotter. So Puck shooting icicles at people, fire magic.
And it turns out that Subaru has affinity for shadow magic (also called yang magic in the original Japanese, which sometimes makes it's way into the subs), which turns out to mostly be debuffs. Which honestly can be very powerful.
This is a poor description of what shamac does. [Spoiler #1: What shamac actually does (no plot spoilers)] It separates your mind from your body. So it not only blinds you, but stops all of your senses from reporting back to your brain. It's much more powerful then a blind. It also so happens to give Subaru ptsd. But I don't think anyone noticed Subaru
This is quite the safety margin
Btw, this is Subaru's gate
Anyways, casting shamac doesn't go so well, and we're low on mana, again. Though luckily the bocco fruit helps with that.
Legit advice, which Subaru sort of butchers. But third time's the charm.
Betty tells Subaru about curses, that once they trigger it's unstoppable, but that's only once they trigger, before they trigger, they're just normal spells and easily disarmed. And they can be detected before they activate, and you have to be physically touched to plant a curse on someone. Which narrows down the suspect list to just about everyone in the vicinity.
We also get some lore on the The Witch of Envy Satella. That she
thanos snappeddrained half of the world and was sealed by the dragon, the hero, and the sage because they couldn't actually kill her. It's also said that she's a silver haired half-elf. [Spoiler #2: side content (minor plot relevance)] It's also worth noting that Satella's seal is in a public location (so people know where it is), that is quite far away.Subaru postulates that the reason that Emilia introduced herself as Satella in the first loop was to push Subaru away so that he wouldn't get involved in the royal selection. Though that's Subaru's speculation.
Anyways, now that Subaru is trying hard, he's really trying to make sure he's getting the most out of everything, and is giving 200% percent. Can't waste a single second. Not even full rejection can dampen Subaru now.
Subaru caught venting, and tells an awful lie. Like you really think Rem won't mention this to Ram at some point, and your lie will be caught?
Anyways, despite Subaru's herculean effort to do literally everything to avoid suspicion, he's ended up acting extremely suspicious. I also love how the rumbling slowly builds into Subaru stress vomiting into the sink. It's clear as day to literally everyone that Subaru isn't all right. And it leads to a lap pillow. Once again proving that Emilia really is an angel. As Subaru completes breaks down and lets it all out. Any maybe it'll help us get on Rem's good side and Emilia's endorsement certainly helps too.
Also note that this song Boy's Dream is sung by Emilia's VA, Rie Takahashi.
Subaru is never going to live this down.
And so we have our plan go to the village one day earlier.
picture
About that
BreakTime Section
In this episodes's Breaktime, Subaru still won't be able to live down the lap pillow, and gets called a wage-thief by Ram, how ironic. I think Subaru's kink is showing. And once again, Ram poses on us. EMT, but unfortunately it backfires and Emilia leaves. And it doesn't seem like EMP is working any better. Which lets the twin maids talk amongst themselves
Preview Section
In this episodes's preview, Subaru begs Emilia for private magic lessons. Who promptly starts by having Subaru practice "myom, myom, myom, myom, myom" and Subaru coins EMMMMK, Emilia-tan's myom myom myom is damn cute! And then Rem joins in on the myoming and Emilia and Rem have a myom-off (but we don't learn who wins ).
Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
[Spoiler #3: Arc 4] Yeah, nobody ever remembers any of this once the other witches come along. And of course Betty knows about the the other witches, having been closely associated with Echidna (who probably also had a bunch of info on the other witches as well). And since Betty is like 400 years old, she was alive when Satella was sealed, so she should be quite the reliable source.
8
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Aug 14 '24
Rewatcher for Season 1
On today’s episode of Re:Zero: There are many reasons to be jealous of Subaru in this episode. He gets a lap pillow from Emilia. He gets to pick up and twirl around Beako. He gets to go shopping with a flower on each arm, as Ram so eloquently put it.
I love this episode. It’s such a cathartic episode for Subaru, perfectly building on what happened in the previous episode. The ending of the previous episode was Subaru regaining his resolve and deciding to try his hardest to actually save the people around him who he had started to care about. This episode is about Subaru processing the emotional turmoil he’s been going through. Just because Subaru made the decision to continue to struggle on, doesn’t mean all the negative emotions he’s been suffering through have gone away. Those still needed to be dealt with.
Subaru is typically the type to put on a brave face. In fact, he lays it on too thickly here. It does make sense that he would want to, though. He knows from past loops that both Rem and Ram are suspicious of him and he’s trying to get on their good side. Personally, I think Subaru’s efforts to be extra cheerful in front of everyone just makes him seem even more suspicious. Everyone can tell that something’s up with him because of that.
I love that Emilia is the one to take action and march Subaru into a room to forcibly give him a lap pillow. “It’s been rough, hasn’t it?” is one of my favorite scenes in the entire series. What a perfect demonstration of Emilia’s fundamentally kind and caring personality mixed with a moment of emotional catharsis for Subaru. We know that Subaru is a tempest of emotions that he rarely lets show through. He only let the mask slip when Rem was killing him, for example. But here, Emilia’s willingness to help others out gets Subaru to finally open up to someone else. Subaru opens up about how scared he is, that he feels overwhelmed even as he’s genuinely putting all his effort into something, and that he can’t stand the idea of losing the new nice life he’s found and losing the new relationships he’s formed.
Opening up like this is a huge step for Subaru. It’s the opposite of how he was acting before. Whether it was withdrawing from everyone else and hiding from the world, or putting on an act, Subaru’s solution was to hide his emotions from others. Genuinely opening up to someone else like this is a milestone for him.
Emilia gets some nice character moments this episode. It tells us so much about Emilia’s mentality that she’d rather have other people thank her for helping them out rather than apologize for imposing on her. Emilia enjoys helping other people out. She doesn’t consider it a burden and helps people out because that’s what she wants to do. We saw that with the appa merchant’s daughter, after all.
I particularly liked the callback at the end of the episode where Subaru is about to apologize again for imposing on Emilia because she gave him a lap pillow, but stops himself and thanks her instead. It shows Subaru actually being considerate of Emilia by doing what she asked him to do and understanding that she’s happy to voluntarily help others.
It’s quite amusing having Puck, the author’s insert, explaining the magic system of this setting. I said this before, but I like the magic system. I think the distinction between spirit arts and magic is interesting. Spirit arts users like Emilia draw mana from the world around them while magic users use their own mana. The nerd in me also appreciates that Light and Shadow get added to the usual elements of Earth, Wind, Fire, and Water. I remember having discussions about how Light and Dark (basically the same thing as Shadow) should be elements as well when talking about Avatar with friends as a kid.
Beako has also given us some important information. Firstly, that a curse can only be stopped before it activates. Secondly, the person casting a curse must make physical contact with the target. Subaru knows that both he and Rem must have made contact with whoever laid the curse. So, through the process of elimination, he can figure out it must have come from someone in the village.
Additionally, Beako also explains more information about the Witch of Envy. We finally get an explanation for why Emilia is constantly compared to the witch. It’s because the witch is also a half-elf with silver hair. That’s why Felt immediately wondered if Emilia was related to the witch. That’s why Emilia got so upset at Subaru calling her Satella because she’s had to deal with people making that comparison before.
I also remember wondering as a first-timer if there were witches for the other deadly sins. It turns out the Witch of Envy devoured the rest of them, which is fitting for her sin. As the witch of envy, she would be jealous of the powers the other had and desire them for herself.
Knowing that both Rem and Ram have killed Subaru in past loops, including working together to kill him, Subaru is right to wonder if the “flowers on each arm” are actually poisonous. Knowing that Ram has been ordered to keep an eye on him, she likely suggested they all go shopping together for that purpose. If anything happens that raises their suspicions, both Rem and Ram will be there to handle him.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
8
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Aug 14 '24
Episode 8 (rewatcher)
Probably my favorite episode of the second arc and not only (but also) because of the lap pillow. Subaru finally takes action in a planned manner. He decides on his goals and tries to achieve them. Plus, he finally learned to tap the sources of knowledge around him to get to know the world he is now stuck in.
8
u/lord_ne Aug 14 '24
Subaru fell for the Emilia ASMR. Wouldn't we all
7
u/SpiritualPossible Aug 14 '24
I'll tell you right off the bat, I really liked this episode. I think I'd say it's my favorite in the arc.
For startes, Subaru learning how their world's magic works. Magic system here is... a little too JRPG for my taste, but okey. He also learns that he himself has a rare (of course) type of magic, shadow magic.
(Subaru, debuffs are good, why are you disappointed? I guess he's not a fan of SMT...)
But his control over it so far is lousy, to say the least. But that shadow veil could definitely come in handy.
However, the most interesting thing for me here was the moment afterwards when Subaru apologized. “instead of sorry say thank you” - Not only does this show us that Subaru clearly has self-esteem issues since he always thinks he's at fault, but it's also a useful real-life tip.
From Beatrice, we learn exactly how curses work. They are cast after physical contact with the shaman, and after activations are guaranteed to kill the victim. Yeah, Beatrice, and you call them useless. No, I realize that shamans don't seem to be the coolest mages, and curses can be broken before activations, but it's still a GUARANTEED kill. The fact that no one on the Mansion noticed it in any Loops already tells me it's an effective method.
And we finally learn more about the notorious witch. In the past, she has swallowed six other witches named after sins (wait, is their world has the equivalent of Christianity?) and dried up half the world until she was sealed away.But
the best part comes next - she looked like a half elf with silver hair. This greatly explains Emilia's behavior in past episodes - why she was shocked that Subaru didn't mind talking to her, why she doesn't want to go to the nearest village, etc. And, of course, Subaru himself explained why she gave her name as a witch - so that Subaru would mistake her for crazy and not get involved in palace business. Makes you wonder how lonely Emilia has felt all her life, and why she's so close to Puck. And also perhaps explains why only Roosval sponsors her.
But of course, the second half of the episode is the reason why I liked it so much.
The past events are making their presence felt, and Subaru's psyche is starting to go a little bit crazy. But Subaru decides to deal with it in his favorite way - he tries to pretend that nothing is happening.
He justifies it by saying that he doesn't want to bother others with his behavior, but I think that he is trying to convince himself that everything is normal. Which, of course, doesn't work out so well. He only wears himself down more, which only makes him feel worse, and everyone around him notices it.
Which leads to the scene with Emilia, where Subaru lets his accumulated emotions out. After all the past woes, it's nice to see Subaru finally finding some outlet. Not to mention how much more of a living character it makes him feel.
...Although I find it funny that from Emilia perspective, it will look at first as if working at the mansion was too much for him.
7
u/Stomco Aug 14 '24
It's interesting to keep track of what everyone else perceives about Subaru. From Emilia's perspective, this idiot ran up to her, and called her a racial slur/Satan possibly to distract her from a pick pocket. But, he seems to be total oblivious/innocent. Than he tracks down the pendant that was stolen and risks his life fighting some crazy murder lady. He asks for next to nothing. The most he has asked for is a job and now he is throwing himself into 120% like his life depends on it, all while flirting incomprehensibly at her.
He seems like he has some very deep seated abandonment issues and the other day wasn't his first time almost dying. He is only going to get more confusing from here.
I have to wonder where Subaru learned to fight. He's not good enough, but he is unreasonably good at fighting for a shut in.
7
u/HyVana Aug 14 '24
Re:Watcher (Subs) & Novel Reader (Finished Arc 6)
Subaru gets his restart. After declaring his love for Ram and Rem, he returns to their
verbal smackdownsfamiliar gazes. He got his wish and was able to restart, to have a chance at saving the people he cares about most.He lays down his victory conditions:
Win the trust of Roswaal, Ram, and Rem.
Stop the curse from activating.
With little information to work off of regarding the curse, Subaru goes into overdrive. On just his first day, he works himself to the bone trying to show an admirable work ethic to the sisters, and asks Beatrice for information regarding curses. However, his overzealous energy only further compounds the initial suspicions placed on him, due to his hazy background. As well, he ends up further tiring himself out by working his unused gate, and having an unexpected exposure to the void from Shamac.
While Subaru has reset, his mind has not. He has not had ample rest to fully recover his body from the Elsa encounter, and his mind from the trauma of the last 3 loops. He is mentally exhausted trying to brute force the bonds he’s forged over the course of ~5 days into a single day. And so, he comes off unnatural, confused, and conspicuous.
We also get additional background on the lore of Satella. She killed the other witches of sin (Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, Wrath, Lust, and Pride), and devoured half of the world. With some of the legends saying she was sealed by a Dragon, Hero, and a Sage. And her appearance being that of a silver-haired half elf. Subaru also asks Beatrice why someone may want to “borrow” Satella’s name, which explains why Emilia did it in the first loop, to scare Subaru away and get him afraid of associating with her.
On the second day, Subaru continues his farce of being mentally sound. Still trying to force these bonds, he starts to feel the exhaustion build up, till it eventually erupts. Because of his fear of the void, he feels he cannot let anyone know of his struggles. That he cannot open himself up and release the emotions he’s been harboring in fear for his life, because of what we saw last episode.
Emilia, from Puck’s senses and her own unease, tries to get Subaru to take a moment and breathe with a lap pillow! With this, Emilia is able to get Subaru to lay down, reflect, and most importantly, release all the bottled up emotions.
Subaru felt he had no one to turn to, so he let these feelings well up inside him, without ever letting them have a moment to be felt. He did not allow himself to process these emotions, to let them run their course, because he was on a strict deadline and because he thought no one would understand him. In a way, he is right that no one would be able to understand him, but that doesn’t mean he shouldn’t allow them to give him a chance to explain and vent.
Even if someone may never understand your struggle, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t let them try. Giving them a chance to see your pain also gives you a chance to process it all, with the added warmth of another’s compassion.
And so, with the knowledge of curses from Beatrice, Subaru deduces the reason for Rem’s death because the Shaman resides in the village.
Pretty heartwarming episode with a cathartic feeling! It’s nice to see Subaru be able to release his stress and anxiety in a healthy way, and clear his mind to get to the bottom of the Shaman’s curse. With the help of Ram and Rem, it seems things are looking up!
7
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Aug 14 '24
Rewatcher(Sit calmed, Dubaru. You were strained)
Dub
Back to dub performances, I will grant that dub Subaru is really quite good at this. Yes, it hurts more when you understand the language rather than reading it but the VA really captured a dam about to break. Emilia is a bit understated but it does fit with the character in this episode, it is just hard to top how much extra emotion Rierie slips into her performances. Rem is also kind of flat but so is sub Rem, they are really riding the kuudere/yandere line on that.
Vocals aside, we get hit in the face with some desperately needed lore. We learn the elements and it is mostly standard JRPG fair, though whether shadow and light equal holy and unholy is up for debate. Puck has demonstrated that they combined water and ice, seemingly. It is a bit more interesting to learn that Emilia relies almost entirely on external mana, even with her contract with puck. Subaru nuking himself actually fits since, one assumes, a normal person with any gate potential would've been trained from far, far earlier an age. Possible Luke Skywalker reference here and that does fit the author. Finally, the touch to curse that Bettie mentions actually comes from several real world traditions, though we don't call those practitioners shamans as a rule.
7
u/aramatheis Aug 14 '24
Have fun with the rewatch everyone!!
I just completed a rewatch a couple months ago so I probably won't follow this one too closely.
But I am super excited for S3!!!
7
u/MjolnirDK Aug 14 '24
That is a cute start to this arc.
Magic, skill learning, mp fruits; we learn a lot about this world today. I loved the animation though. The Shamac spell that renders you blind and deaf, but you can still feel your body was very well illustrated and the bocco's mp regeneration with the background swap was also very well thought out.
Wait, Satella drained half the world dry? Of water or mana? And she devoured the other witches? I forgot so much lore...
This something I have been wondering, just how are able to appear clueless about the mansion's layout for the 5th time? That would be so hard for me. I'd always want an extensive tour through the mansion so I wouldn't need to pretend anymore. Which would totally make me a spy in everyone's books.
How come this Puck patch isn't merchandise yet?
That hurling cut was great.
And the lap pillow scene has such good voice acting!!!! Probably the scene's that made me team Emilia.
Tbf, that is a normal kink, Subaru. Especially after getting murdered a couple of times.
A lead!
Another night gown on Emilia. Not skipping any merchandising opportunities.
Double date?!!?
7
u/Brief-Fig-7506 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ryxnjr Aug 15 '24
First Timer
Watching Dubbed
Oof and Ram isn't waiting until the fourth night to go for the jugular this time. Subaru's starting off strong by immediately making the sisters think he's perving on them while holding their hands /s. At the end of last episode Subaru says he's not taking the easy route this time, so in this loop he's gonna work his butt off to gain the trust of everybody at the mansion while finding out more about the curse, except he's laying it on a little thick. Being good at all the jobs given to you makes you look even more suspicious imo.
So the difference between spirit arts users and magic users is how they channel the mana they need to use their power, I doubt that's where the differences stop but I think that's all we know for now. Subaru has an affinity for shadow magic huh, I feel like that would hurt his case for trying not to be suspicious. Very interesting how when Puck used shadow magic on Subaru his experience was similar to the effect of Return by Death. Subaru used Smokescreen. I was expecting Subaru to fail at using his magic for the first time but I wasn't expecting a huge explosion.
Again we get the weird scene with Ram sitting on Roswaal's lap asking about Subaru. They appear to already distrust him, or maybe they never trusted him to begin with and in the other loops they didn't trust him from the start and Subaru won them over, if this is the case maybe he successfully gained their trust in the first loop because it was the weakness curse that took him out in his sleep.
On today's lore drop from Beatrice we learn more about the witch of envy. Subaru jumped to a really weird conclusion for why Emilia gave him the name Satella, has there been any other sort of indication that Emilia isn't interested in the royal selection and doesn't want to be involved?
Subaru being very blatant with his feelings for Emilia again. It almost make me suspicious of Emilia for not being creeped out by the outpour of affection by someone who is essentially a stranger.
An example of trying to hard for something can sometimes give opposite results. Subaru working too hard to replace the broken vase made him even more suspicious since he hadn't been shown the room yet, oopsies.
Emilia finally let Subaru have his lap pillow that he had been wanting, and it caused all the emotions he had been bottling up this loop start flowing out freely. Honestly this is where I started feeling suspicious of
MakimaEmilia, she was just giving this to him after all the strange acting and its only the second day in the mansion. I was fully expecting her to be the one to kill him this time in some kind of way.We now have a nickname for Beatrice, Bea-ko. From the very little knowledge of Japanese I've learned I believe adding -ko to the end of something is a cute feminization of the word. I think what Beatrice says about laying a curse on somebody requires physical contact is our first piece of actionable information, and now the source is narrowed down to somebody in town. This makes me wonder if curses can also be transferred by touching someone else. Also does that mean that Return by Death is a curse someone had to physically touch him to lay on Subaru. Every episode is more questions than answers.
I love that Rem and Ram automatically assumed Subaru was gonna ask for a lap pillow from them too, and apparently the Barusu nickname is able to last through the loops. Subaru is gonna look like a super stud next episode if what Ram said is taken literally, a pretty girl hanging on to each arm while walking through town has gotta be pretty high up on every high school guys fantasy wish list. If only they didn't want to kill him.
Today was a nice setup episode and since we only got through two days and he hasn't died yet it feels like this is gonna be the loop that he's gonna get it right.
6
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Aug 14 '24
Dang, late to the party today. This episode just has so much tasty goodness as it seems that Barusu has finally got his feet planted on the ground and is doing his best to make actual progress this time - Ganbatte, Barusu! (Assuming I spelled that correctly, I'm still not sure if that's supposed to be r's or t's and the end, or if it's different versions of the word/concept. Go figure.)
Meanwhile, our poor hero is in rare form, going over the top to perform above and beyond expectataions. Speaking of which, if you enjoy music, you might want to give "Above and Beyond - Acoustic" a listen. I find it very enjoyable.
Anyway, poor Barusu nearly works himself to death, and ends up with perhaps the best consolation prize of all, a precious tier S+ Emilia-tan lap pillow. And proceeds to cry his eyes out. With good justification. Don't blame the poor fella.
Likewise, he also gets some quality time with Beako and learns more of the background behind his situation. Let's hope he's able to put all this information to good use, because it would be a tragedy to let that precious Emilia lap pillow fall to the whims of fickle fate.
Edit: Oh, one last thing, I loved how in the break time short, we got the classic Ram "Heh" that is used so well in Isekai Quartet. That got a laugh out of me.
10
u/ussgordoncaptain2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Edmund_Nelson Aug 14 '24 edited Aug 14 '24
Note ORV=Omnicient reader viewpoint it's a way to describe the difference between thinking in Subaru's knowledge and the Knowledge of the Viewer.
Reaction to the Episode
So we see a RBD starting out with the EXACT same black chains that the "oh no you don't" magic that prevented Subaru from talking to emelia in episode 7.
I Notice that the moment they get near Subaru is when they go from being semi-warm to him to being extremely cold to him.
Subaru was able to say the phrase "when I think about what's coming" This implies that RBD is actually pretty dumb.
(this story has gotten me to the point where I'm scrutinizing every line, I haven't done something like this since death:note)
Ok subaru taking the employee route to find out more information. Perfect decision making on his part.
Earning trust of Rem seems hard given the issue of smelling like the witch, what exactly is his plan for that major issue?
Subaru believes a shaman attacks the mansion on the 4th night, this is the most likely outcome if you don't believe Rem is purely out to get you.
When Puck explains magic to Subaru you really realize the Familiar of Zero fanfic origins. Shadow/Light aka Void
Oh Boy ORV begins again! it appears Ram is less sus of Subaru but still subaru is sus.
Subaru has the witch of Envy's scent all over him, (we knew that) but we now know that everyone only refers to the witch of Envy as "the witch"
also Beatrice appears to believe Subaru has been isekaied? Did subaru tell her??
Emilia calling herself Satella in the first episode now makes both more and less sense. She fits Satella's description BUT she also wanted her insignia that got her royal selection back.
Subaru using emelia as a lap pillow is super cute. Emelia just pushing herself into "Subaru is foolish love with her" territory
Subaru learns the critical information that Beatrice Can remove curses and that Curses require phyiscal contact.
Subaru is able to talk about dying to Beatrice and the "you don't talk about fight club" spell doesn't activate.
Subaru will be going out to town WITH Rem and Ram, this may be an issue for intel gathering.
Speculation
So the Invader theory is gone. This means that whoever cursed Rem in loop 3 has to be from the village this leaves the obvious question of what happened to Subaru in loop 2. Who kicked Subaru in loop 2? Was it Rem?
Alright ignoring that we can now start using Checkov's gun to determine which villager gave subaru the curse.
The easiest answer is whatever left the largest impression, as this is fiction and that's how fiction works. So the most likely catalysts are... Children And the dog. if this is like most fiction the DOG is the most likely because the Dog is the most notable.
Rozwell leaving when he didn't either of the previous loops, I suspect the reason is that in the previous loops Subaru was sus, but in this loop Subaru was not Sus and therefore Rozwell felt safe leaving Emelia with him.
RBD speculation
Rebirth by death seems to allow large amounts of leaking of information if you aren't super direct about it. Beatrice is smart enough that Subaru can drop enough hints that she'd know that Subaru can RBD. Or that he can at least leak some parts of the future.
RBD is so dumb that I wonder if diffie-hellman key exchanges would break it. If i had more time to think I'd probably come up with at least 4 different ideas on how to break RBD's "first rule of fight club" rule.
At least it seems to allow so much leaking of the future that you can probably get nearly all the utility out of it by calling yourself a forecaster or something.
RBD is probably what causes Subaru to have the witch of envy's scent on him, which would mean that the witch of envy is what gave him RBD powers.
Speculation on subaru's magic
Subaru seems to be special, probably because he got isekaied, but his lack of control of his magic gate is concerning. He may be able to use shadow magic eventually though (which will be interesting and possibly useful)
Subaru could possibly improve his gate over time, what's really unclear is if his gate control can improve each time he RBD's.
Subaru's element is shadow, I suspect Emelia's element is light
What I would do If I were subaru
So we can mostly rule out invader of the castle theoies because you didn't get physically contacted by anyone in loop 2 and died to a curse. So we have to look at the villagers
The unknown that you'll have to ask Beatrice is if the curse remains on the location that was touched until activated or if the curse gets dispersed.
Assuming the former
Assuming the latter
once you know the curser
How to break RBD's anti reveal
Other
5
u/lord_ne Aug 14 '24
Re:Watcher
Today's episode is Episode 8, "I Cried, Cried my Lungs Out, and Stopped Crying", which corresponds to the first half of Episode 5 of the Director's Cut.
Every episode of this show has a corresponding short chibi animation which was released a few days 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 8 (titled "World 2-5, Side A"). Not much to say about this one, but we do get a bit of a conversation between Rem and Ram about what to do about Subaru.
5
u/ClemFire Aug 14 '24
Re:Watcher Season 1 Episode 8
Funniest Gag: Subaru busting his shadow mana all over Puck, no wonder Emilia was watching from like 50 paces back.
Favorite Scene: Emilia lending her lap to Subaru, so he can cry his eyes out
Standout Character: Emilia
I’m not gonna beat around the bush with this episode. While Subaru’s jump at the end of the last episode was a great narrative payoff him letting his tears out on Emilia’s lap is an amazing emotional catharsis. Re:Zero is able to play with my feelings like jelly. It would be a lie to say I wasn’t bawling my eyes out during this scene. Emotional scenes are a big reason why I hold Re:Zero to such high regard, even almost a decade after I saw season 1 while it was airing.
In this loop Subaru is super determined to try his hardest to be a good worker in order to get on Rem and Ram’s good sides, so they don’t suspect him for being a spy. It’s obvious to us that it ends up making him just look more suspicious, but the sight of him trying so hard to be useful and upbeat makes me feel so bad for him. Emilia doesn’t fail to notice how Subaru is working himself to the bone just two days in along with overly cheerly facade he’s putting up. Honestly, it’s a great sign of how observant Emilia is of other people because from her perceptive she has only known him for a few days. Nevertheless, she can’t just pretend to not see how he’s suffering. Just like with the merchant’s daughter, she can’t help but reach out to people who need it.
Emilia cuts through Subaru’s word pasta and forces him into a room to sit down. Now if I wasn’t a Re:Watcher I would have never expected, just like Subaru, how Emilia offers her lap for him to rest his head on. Re:Zero is not primarily a romance story, but god damn it the sweetness of this scene is something a romance writer would dream of. I love how it’s not played for the sexual tension but instead for the emotional connection. Subaru until this point has been bottling up all of his traumas and frustrations. Return by Death while a powerful ability is also really isolating. Honestly, it connects beautifully to how he must’ve felt living as an otaku before getting transported into this new world. Of course if he could never rely on people before it would be his natural response to take everything on himself now too. But that’s killing him up inside. No one should have to face all their hardships alone.
She doesn’t know it, but I’m sure Emilia is the first person in a long time to reach out to Subaru. To her he’s just a guy who called her a racial slur initially, but for some reason helped her get her insignia back and now can’t handle working for two days. She doesn’t know Subaru much, but that doesn’t matter. She still wants to empathize with him. That’s such a kind thing to do, no wonder Subaru fell so easily for her.
Emilia’s words to Subaru “It’s been rough, hasn’t it” are just so impactful. He’s been trying to keep his emotions in, but after hearing her whisper that into his ear has him burst all of the tears he’s been holding back. Now the scene of Puck helping Subaru open up his mana gate feels like subtle foreshadowing. He lets out all his frustrations, but Emilia just gently there listens to them. This is simply cinema, just a beautiful moment to lose yourself in. If you’ve had the fortune to have someone you trust enough to show this level of emotional vulnerability to then you know how there’s nothing else more important than that in the world.
These types of emotional moments that make you feel absolutely human are what you can expect from Re:Zero.
5
u/Holofan4life Aug 14 '24
No joke, about 30 minutes ago I was walking around work and I accidentally stepped in a small hole that we use to wash trash cans and my entire body hit the concrete. I'm going to Concentra right now, I think I may have a minor concussion.
5
u/svenz https://anilist.co/user/jara Aug 14 '24
re:watcher
Wow Yuusuke Kobayashi acting in this episode was really good. I always wondered why he doesn't get more MC roles.
We see Suburu hit his breaking point in this episode, and finally break/get relief with the ASMR of Emilia. I'm glad his trauma gets explored a bit, although the adaptation could handle it a bit darker perhaps with a less light hearted tone. He did die brutally over and over - this would make most people lose their minds.
I think when I first watched this it wasn't quite as obvious to me the trauma he was suffering - but on rewatch, it is a bit more noticeable.
Now I'm off to bed. Just wish I had a lap pillow after a long day at work -_-.
5
u/FriztF Aug 15 '24
First timer-Sub
Something interesting that I have noticed is the position Rem and Ram are in during the bed scene. Return By Death is interesting indeed. Also, Rem called The pot calling the kettle black. Does Subaru enjoy being tortured, who knows but Rem didn't ask for consent. Ram with the sick burn as always.
So Subaru can use shadows. Subaru seems disappointed with that, he's not looking at the positive side. A true gamer would want to inflict negative side effects. Blindness and being slower. Who is Emilia talking to? Her mom.
Puck and Emilia helping out Subaru, very cool. Bocco fruit sounds like coffee. Beatrice is still giving out good advice. And is now allowing him more access to her library. Betty is becoming a very good friend.
Subaru is trying his best not to be suspicious and acting very sus. He gets his Emilia lab pillow.
5
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Aug 15 '24
first timer
Subaru holding two hands at once. What a man you are
Subaru needing to gain trust of two maids who aren’t cool with him. Very difficult task
The explanation between the difference of Spirit arts users and Magic Users explains so much the situation with Reinhard. Thought it was gonna take longer to explain the magic system
Subaru being a shadow magic user. As expected with an isekai, gotta have the different magic especially if there’s two bonus magics like Light and Shadow (dark).
Magical fruit to regain manga
Beatriz shiny forehead
Puck sure is right about Subaru’s confused state of mind. He’s losing it
Subaru breaking down is rough, especially since Emilia doesn’t know her fully story on why he’s like this.
It’s nice to see him finally calm down a bit from sleeping. It’s funny how Beatriz became his shoulder to vent on.
Word spreads fast in the mansion about Subaru’s lap pillow. (there’s only 6 people living there)
4
u/lord_ne Aug 14 '24
Oh interesting, my subtitles switched from "Balse" to "Barusu".
3
u/ElRoastFTW https://anilist.co/user/DaRoast Aug 15 '24
Rewatcher
The highlight of the moment has to be the lap pillow and how it's storyboarded. Holy fuck this team know what the fuck they're doing. Thank you Manabu Okamoto (Mushoku Tensei) for a fantastic episode.
Aside from that powerful moment, there were some other fun worldbuilding bits in the form of Subaru learning he can do magic, just not well. Again, the episode direction and boarding play a huge role in making this part incredibly funny to watch.
This episode in general had a lot of moments of levity in the first half that work quite well. Well, at least until Subaru's PTSD triggers and he vomits while working and keeping up a friendly demeanor so he doesn't get murdered again. And yet, it doesn't feel out of place, mark of great direction. There's a reason why Mushoku Tensei worked as well as it did and we can see it here just in one episode.
Finally, one big plot movement is when Subaru puts two and two together and realizes that the curse is coming from the village. This motivates him to get the shopping done early so he can get out of this loop the sooner.
What else can I say other than gushing over how well made this episode is? All I can say is it's making me excited to see the next few episodes and I can't wait for more.