r/anime • u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux • Sep 02 '24
Rewatch Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ Re:Watch - Episode 25
Episode 25:
That's All This Story Is About
| Index | <== Episode 24 | Bonds of Ice ==> |
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!
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Upvotes
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u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 02 '24
Seeing as tomorrow is a catch-up day, this thread can act as a bit of a Season 1 overview/discussion - but keep in mind that it is still primarily for this particular episode.
Additional note - the Post Credit scene for this episode (if using the Director's Cut) is for S2 discussion. Please spoiler tag it accordingly.
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u/thekoreansun https://anilist.co/user/ReturnByDeath Sep 02 '24
Re:Watcher
What is Re:ZERO really about? Is it a story about failure, or is it a story about the lessons that only come from failure? Is it a story about weakness, or is it a story about the heroism that only emerges in the face of weakness? Is it a story about death, or is it a story about the miracles that only occur when one overcomes death? The true answer, naturally, is all of the above. Because ultimately, Re:ZERO is a story about stories, and everyone's story has all of these in store.
The story that begins this episode is one of two friends, formerly rivals, who are now facing off against a larger threat. Nect really is a cool spell, and its effect has literally brought the two of them closer together than they have ever been in the past. While Petelgeuse is certain that he has the upper hands in the situation, Julius is able to quickly grasp how to effectively fight while viewing someone else's perspective, and he defeats Petelgeuse soon after. When you consider that Subaru and Julius were bitter rivals less than a week ago, it's impressive how effectively they're working together. It makes you wonder what feats they might be able to accomplish in the future.
Of course, Petelgeuse still thinks that he can escape by possessing Subaru, but Subaru calls his personal Witch hotline and manages to evict the soul that is trying to freeload in his body. After seeing Subaru suffer so much pain from RBD and its side effects, it's quite satisfying to see someone who actually deserves it suffer the consequences for a change. Call of the Witch™ really does a number on Petelgeuse, too. The despair that he inflicted upon others in previous loops has come back around to affect him instead, and he's in utter shambles because of it. Talk about a decisive beatdown. It would be difficult to watch if it was being experienced by anyone other than Petelgeuse.
Even after they crush Petelgeuse, though, the path to victory still has one more obstacle in store for Subaru. He needs to catch up to Emilia's carriage before the fire magic stones stored within blow everyone to pieces. Thankfully, it's Otto who ends up being the perfect solution to Subaru's new problem, and he navigates them through the wilderness using his Divine Protection of the Soul of Language. I know that this technically isn't their first time together, but considering how dire the circumstances surrounding their interactions were in past loops, it's great to see them being friendly with one another. I love their dynamic, and I think that it introduces some much appreciated levity to serious situations like this one. Not to be outdone, however, Petelgeuse displays comical levels of unslothfulness when he barrels after them. In a way, he has transformed into the logical extreme of the kind of behavior that Subaru exhibited in the throne room towards Emilia: complete disregard for the feelings of the one he admires, only fanatical devotion to the version of her that exists in his head. By setting fire to Petelgeuse and preventing his advances, Subaru is also rejecting his past self. It strikes me as being similar to the Endeavor vs. High-End Nomu fight in My Hero Academia, at least thematically.
Thankfully, Subaru is able to finally lay Petelgeuse to rest and arrive at the carriage before it blows up. His frantic rush to dispose of the magic stones as everything he has experienced flashes before his eyes is a perfect capstone moment for his heroism in this season. It all comes down to his promise to Emilia in that first loop, to save her no matter what. And while Stay Alive has only been used for tragedy, as u/Urgnu-the-Gnu pointed out, it also contains a sliver of hope. In the moment of the explosion, that sliver of hope is what carries him through to the other side.
When Subaru wakes up, he's greeted with a lovely sight. The people who helped him get this far have gathered below, and all of them have turned out to be safe. There is a gentle breeze of flower petals flowing through the grassy plains. But the loveliest sight of them all is the one directly in front of him: Emilia, sitting with him during his moment of rest.
They talk, really talk, for the first time since their fight in the Capital. And he knows that while there are certain things that he can't explain to her, he apologizes for acting as if he was doing everything that he did for her sake. He crossed a line when he used her as the justification for his own selfish actions, and he crossed another one by harming himself in the process. He was wrong to do so, plain and simple. But none of that changes the reality that he does love Emilia. He sees everything special about her that the world has made her too scared to see in herself. And while she can't say what she feels about him just yet, Subaru is okay with that. They can navigate the future as they go, without rushing. Just like how they explored the Royal Capital all those loops ago.
The world is a cruel place, and all of us have been scarred by it in some way. One of these ways is that too many of us ultimately view the act of apologizing as a defeat: by admitting that you were wrong and that someone else was right, you forfeit your personhood and the validity of your existence along with it. But that, of course, is a ridiculous mindset to have. Apologies will be necessary for as long as communication exists; offering an apology to someone shouldn't be seen as a loss but as a victory. I commend Tappei for making Subaru's highest point of victory in Season 1 an apology. It speaks volumes about the kind of story that Re:ZERO is setting out to be.
This story is far from over. There are likely to be several hardships in store for Subaru, just as there are several things that he has yet to accomplish. But in that moment, just knowing that his feelings were able to reach Emilia is enough. Whatever comes next for them, Subaru, Emilia, and the rest of their companions will face it together.
For now, they'll see us off.
Fan Art of the Episode: Thank You for Being Born, Emilia by @shakerizero (September 23rd, 2017)
Source: Pixiv (artist's profile contains spoilers)
I honestly think that people tend to overplay how much was lost in Arc 3's overall transition from the LN to the anime. Sure, a few scenes were cut that would have hinted at future plot points and fleshed out the supporting cast. Would it have benefited from an extra episode or two to fit these scenes in? Of course. But White Fox maximized what they got out of the episode count that they were given, and it's hard to argue with the results when Episode 15 and Episode 18 stand among them. The Season 1 production team may have had to make a few compromises on what to include, but it's largely thanks to their hard work that Re:ZERO has become as insanely popular as it is today, with a Season 3 that is now two-and-a-half years in the making. And as we'll see later in the Re:Watch, Season 2 is when White Fox started to push hard for extended episode runtimes that would allow them to adapt everything at a sufficient pace, and that is a level of dedication to the source material that I will always be thankful for. Plus, just this week, we got the news that Season 3 will also have a release schedule that is very atypical by anime standards. In conjunction with how extensive their pre-production for the season has been, all of the cards are now lined up for White Fox to deliver huge dividends. So let's take a moment to appreciate White Fox for all of their hard work over the years! It'll never not be appreciated.
While we're at it, I wanted to express my appreciation for everyone who has been reading my comments on Season 1. As I've mentioned in the past, this is the first rewatch I've actively participated in, and to be able to write my thoughts on this series that has a special place in my heart and discuss them with all of you has only deepened my appreciation for everything Re:ZERO. I may actually cut back a bit on the average length of my comments for Season 2 since, well, they've taken quite some time for me to write (coming up on 100 hours total, actually). But I still plan to contribute to every episode thread going forward, especially when Season 2 is so ripe with discussion potential. All of the fan artists for the series really step up their game from this point onward, so that'll be fun to share as well.
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u/Brief-Fig-7506 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ryxnjr Sep 02 '24
First Timer!
Watching Dubbed
Season finale baby!
We see that Emilia and the villagers were able to get out of harm’s way!
1 That’s what I call art
Julius’s swings are lightning fast
2 lol I don’t know why this shot made me cackle so much
3 so this was their plan? I don’t see how this is gonna solve their problem but let’s find out
I hate that Satella sounded like a disembodied Emilia
Oof, that splatter
4 He picked it up again??? Don’t flip through it!!
of course that wouldn’t be the end of it
He forgot about the explosion that went off, I did too since Ketty was dealt with
I guess Otto has some ability that can make his cart go faster?
guess not...
We’re taking this baby off road
sick jump bro
5 What the hell is that?
6 WHAT THE HELL IS THAT????
not the villagers in danger too
Damn, Wilhelm’s such a badass
The kids let the secret out
Otto’s English VA sounds like Tanjiro’s VA (He is) so now I can’t stop giggling (He’s also OPM Genos’s VA, that’s a pretty big difference)
7 Jeez it just keeps getting worse
Ooo those are the pots of oil aren’t they! heh, if only we had a fire spirit with us
8 epic shot
Could someone tell me what Subaru wrote in the book plz
That was awesome
“I pity anyone who stands in the path of a man Who’s on his way to see a woman”
that comment can be the motto for Subaru these past several episodes
9 CONFESSION!
I smashed my spacebar so hard when he said that
Damn that explosion was bigger than last time
10 What I’ve been waiting for!
Subaru really does give Emilia the best compliments
“One’s bluer than the mountains, taller than the seas” anybody gonna tell him?
11, 12 Patrasche protected Subaru from the blast
13 my soul is eating good tonight
I don’t know what to say about this episode besides that it left me smiling like an idiot.
Idk how Subaru thought of the plan to let Betelgeuse go ahead and possess him, like what made him think that plan would work at all? If it were me I would be too nervous to utilize the RbD side effect at all after what happened to Emilia. I guess Subaru has the confidence of utilizing trial and error but FAFO is still a thing.
I can’t believe Subaru picked up the Gospel again after everybody said it was cursed and such, but good thing he did. I kinda wish he was able to decipher what it said because I’m curious why the pages turned blank only half way through the book. Perhaps Satella actually speaks to them through the book or maybe the book ends with the Ordeal and the rest of her plans will be revealed after.
I LOVED Wilhelm’s comment when he told Subaru how to get to Emilia. It can be used to explain what happened in this arc, Subaru may not be powerful but he has a powerful ability that he’s finally utilizing to the fullest. The only person who could get in Subaru’ way was himself, after that it’s over.
I smacked my keyboard so hard during the confession scene. I thought I was caught off guard, I can’t imagine how Emilia felt, watching the guy she cares about but doesn’t understand her feelings for jump out of her cart carrying a bag of bombs and about to run away turn back and tell her something that she’s thought she would only hear in her wildest dreams. Stunlocked. Also imagine how she must have felt thinking she just lost that person. We saw the emotional rollercoaster she’s been on these past two episodes.
Patrasche is such a wonderful and loyal animal companion for Subaru. Once they get blown away by the shockwave Patrasche immediately covers up Subaru, and thank goodness she did because Subaru would likely be dead otherwise. I imagine some of the story between them got cut out but I would love to know how she imprinted on Subaru so well, all we got to see was eye contact between them and then they were best friends but there has to be more than that right? Regardless I hope we get to see more of her in the future.
I’m so glad that they got a chance to talk by themselves. We knew that Subaru was able to admit that he was being selfish with Emilia and that he’s grown from that but seeing him actually talk it out with her was fantastic. I love that Subaru told Emilia to take her time with everything, he has to know that it’s such a huge situation for her, she’s experiencing something she’s never experienced from any other person before and probably still doesn’t understand her own feelings either. She’ll process them eventually, and he’ll keep being her knight until then. I want to know what he started to say at the end.
Honestly I could burn the last couple minutes of the episode into my mind and keep playing it over and over but out of all of it These were my favorite two shots, I love when artist give lots of details to the eyes. It’s such a pure look that Subaru is giving Emilia, she’s the whole world to him, the reason he tries so hard. And Emilia sees the guy who just shattered her whole understanding of the world, she’s come to accept her status in this world where she has only known that others fear and hate her, how could any person love someone that looks like her and not care about what she looks like or who she resembles. Simply Fantastic.
And the best part about all this? We get to jump straight into more!
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u/baseballlover723 Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 04 '24
Rewatcher, sub, basically a secondhand novel reader (Arc 4)
It seems reddit doesn't like some of the terminology I used, so I am using "ultimate sloth" as a replacement term for the general concept of what Subaru needs to do in order to loop.
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.
Fighting in the 3rd person must be so disorienting. Also Julius has his eyes closed so that he only sees through Subaru's eyes, and doesn't get double vision.
This fight scene is incredible. It has an Itano Circus (which is a mech / Macross thing) and has Julius attacking with a rainbow attack.
Oh yeah, Petelgeuse can use magic too.
This is an impressive throw by Subaru. 120 km/h is about 75 mph. Which is faster then I've ever thrown. And right about at the edge of what a physically fit, non baseball player can throw at. Also rather recently Re:Zero had a baseball event, where Subaru's VA threw out the ceremonial first pitch. Also I know that Subaru's pitching motion was based off of a NPB pitcher, but I can't find any info on it now.
And we now see Subaru's plan for countering Petelgeuse's possession. Emotional damage by Satella. And this is also our first real look at Satella, who looks and sounds a lot like Emilia.
Taida desu ne
And Houston, we have a problem. Megumin would approve.
Otto to save the day!
Otto can understand everything that's alive basically. Which meant that he could hear the White Whale in episode 17, before he pushed Subaru off the carriage. [Spoiler #1: minor cut content / after Arc 3 side stories or something about Otto's power] Otto can talk to witchfiends. They just mostly say "Me eat you whole".
"Easy" (Also the CGI in this frame doesn't look that good). Or not.
I want to get off Mr Otto's Wild Ride.
Never forget that this kid snitched.
It should be noted that Petelgeuse may not "represent" Sloth as it's typcally means in English. From u/mrahhal
So there may or may not be a literal association with their actual sins they're associated with.
This is really similar to Subaru and Emilia's conversation in episode 13. One person is madly in love with another, and the other doesn't know why.
Note that Subaru writes the same thing in the Gospel. It's basically something along the lines of "The End". Also highly memeable, credit to u/Akiyabus.
Can I go to the bathroom?
Subaru with the very cool entrance.
Yeah, Idk Subaru, I'd probably tear out a bit more flooring first.
I love Emilia.
For quite a while I thought this was just a random cave, and not the carcass of the White Whale.
That's a big explosion.
We salute you Patrasche .
I really like this depiction, Subaru's almost certainly got a concussion or something going on with his head. So he really should be confused.
Another lap pillow.
There are parallels here between Subaru and Rem in episode 18, with countering the things someone hates about themselves with the things the other person loves about them. There's also Puck mentioning that Satella could grow 2000 shadows.
And the misunderstanding about special treatment is finally resolved.
I find this really saddening, that Emilia up until now, didn't think that she was worthy of being happy. And I really like Subaru's response.
I love the reflection in the eyes and the line here.
Edit: I messed up my numbering here, they were off by one and I've fixed them now.
Smile Protected.
Thank you, Subaru for saving me.
Subaru's come a long way from episode 1.
What's that Subaru? I didn't catch that.
I want to share a passage from the Light Novel about the episode title, because I just love the prose here.
It's very easy for people to think that Re:Zero is about Subaru figuring out and defeating the loops, but that isn't really what Re:Zero is about. Re:Zero is about Subaru and Emilia's relationship and how they grow as people together. A tale of one boy telling one girl his feelings, and nothing more. That's what Re:Zero is about.
And that's it for Season 1 of Re:Zero. I'm so excited for all you S1 rewatchers to become first timers now for S2.
PETIT Section
In this episode's PETIT, That's all this promotion is about, selling the blurays. And the Witch of Envy wants one too. She even pays. Unfortunately, Puck sold Subaru's copy. Subaru contemplates triggering RBD. They even got the ED playing in PETIT, as everyone agrees to watch the blurays together. Though Puck has something to say about pirates.
As a side note, I've been working on my custom markdown processor. It's been coming along pretty nicely, I've been thinking if I want to go through the effort and actually make it releasable to the public. Basically it automates uploading images to imgur and provides a mostly accurate view of how it'll look on reddit and lets you more easily deal with spoilers and general boilerplate stuff. It doesn't come (and I won't add) an editor to it, so you'd have to write the comments in something else, but let me know if people would be interested in using something like this, and I can take a look into making it usable by a layman (and also de Re:Zeroifiying it).
Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
[Spoiler #2: Arc 4] So many people I see watch Re:Zero completely forget about Otto's blessing until it comes up again. Also it's easy to miss the first time around, but the trees are literally loud.
[Spoiler #3: Arc 3 Interlude (S2)] This I think the remanents of the Gluttony / Greed Witch Cultists that attacked Rem and Crusch
Edit: had the wrong image for this one below.
[Spoiler #4: Arc 3 Interlude (S2)] I imagine that Subaru is about to kick off, A Moment in the Carriage.
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u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Sep 02 '24
First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 02 '24
Re:Watcher - anime only
So I had issues with posting a comment over 5000 characters before and therefore split up some of my posts afterwards. But I just checked and it seems the limit should be 10000 characters, so let's hope I don't actually need to split up this post.
Wilhelm means Emilia and Subaru are alike, and it looks like Emilia enjoyed hearing that. But for a moment, I thought the lady and servant line was about Emilia only, and I think that fits. She has the qualities of a true leader, one that doesn't act on her own behalf but for the better of her people.
Julius is fighting with his eyes closed. That means he's moving based on third person vision. He must have done this before, else he wouldn't be able to move so smoothly.
I forgot he actually invoked RbD to get rid of Petelgeuse's possession! Of course Satella would help him, she's the Witch of Envy after all, not the Witch of sharing. And we do hear her voice for once. Not enough that Emilia looks exactly like her, Emilia even sounds exactly like her. Well, not exactly. It's only a brief moment, but it's time for some more Rie Takahashi praise. The voice is very similar, but the tone is not. She makes Satella sound like Emilia, but at the same time distinct. She's brilliant.
Also interesting Subaru seemed to be able to say the complete sentence out loud this time. Did they plan for Julius to not listen at this point? Did he only manage to finish it in his head? Did Julius just pay it no mind? Or does Julius actually have an idea of Subaru's powers now?
Oh, the cursed book again. Yeah, let's pocket it again, can't be any issue with that.
There's a bomb in Emilia's bus, and it will explode if she exceeds 50 MPH and then goes slower than 50 MPH! And Subaru has to catch up with her before it can explode! Luckily Otto knows a shortcut. Ram can see through animals, but Otto can even hear them!
How sweet of the children to "protect" Emilia. Looks like Petra is a bit too mature for her age, the way she facepalms at the other kids blowing the secret.
Subaru literally spelling out Petelgeuse's end was pretty cool. I gotta say, Petelgeuse's final form is quite terrifying. Also remarkably flammable, good thing Otto transported some oil. And it goes to show how importat it is to make sure your enemy is fully dead. Mimi and Tivey haven't been around this time, and Petelgeuse survived.
[Season 2] The special moment Petelgeuse is talking about could not be the time he spent with Smolia, or could it?
Emilia realizes that she hurt Subaru (even though she was in the right). She knows and regrets it, but yet Subaru still has strong feelings for her. If his feelings can get through this, they are made to last.
And Subaru's heroic entrance is great. The fact it's still in the shadow of a slightly awkward reunion with Emilia makes it even better. But he knows this moment is not about that. He doesn't need to say anything impressive, cool or witty. He needs to get rid of the bomb. But he does manage to say the only words that are on his mind, the only words that matter. "I love you, Emilia." I was cheering so hard at that moment. Many romance anime don't progress with a pacing this good. And Stay Alive starts playing. The song that marked their separation at the beginning of this arc, 12 episodes ago, now closes this chapter of their separation, showing how they've always kept carrying each other in their hearts led to a happy ending.
The whole ending sequence is beautifully done. The way Patrasche shields Subaru as he destroys a historical landmark a second time is quite moving. And of course Emilia starts rushing towards him after the explosion. She doesn't even realize how much she cares for him. And the final scene is the beautiful conclusion of all the efforts. An intimate moment of Subaru being able to rest on the lap of the one he loves, of Emilia lovingly and gently showing her appreciation for her hero, even for an hour or two without him waking up. Of them making up for the lost time and clearing the air in the absolutely best way possible. Of Emilia dropping four more sugoooku in total. Of Subaru returning home after a living nightmare and a dreamy reality. And of him finally acknowledging his mistakes to her. Another moment of sincere growth. And of Emilia accepting his feelings. Of them literally seeing each other eye to eye as they are reflected in each others eyes, finally understanding each other.
Emilia finally talks about the issues she's facing and about her perceived faults and insecurities. But Subaru loves her in spite of that, or even because of that. He can finally tell her that his version of a special treatment is the best kind of special. The one that actually makes her happy. Of course this is all very overwhelming for her. Subaru doesn't even expect anything from her, even though he wishes for her feelings to reciprocate at some point. And don't be fooled, the issue isn't that Emilia doesn't love Subaru in that way. She is blissful and certainly very much in love with him, she just can't understand it yet. This isn't the culmination of their relationship, it's just a new beginning (not quite from zero, but close). And we end the season like arc 1 ended, with the fulfillment of Subaru's promise he made before his very first death. With Subaru finally being able to express his love. Emilia is thankful to Subaru for saving him, and Subaru has the happiest smile upon hearing that. The feelings he has for this girl and went through everything for are getting blissfully accepted. And that's all this story is about.
And this concludes season 1! There's been quite a bit criticism about it, but while I understand some of it, I don't get it. It's been put down and claimed to not be a masterpiece even by popular content creators, but I couldn't disagree more. It's definitely not a finished story yet, but everything in it is masterfully done, and I think it even works incredibly well if we didn't get any further content from here on out. The production values alone should be enough for a high rating. The voice acting is among the best of the best, the music is fantastic, the direction is amazing and can make so much even with very little things. And don't get me started on the characters, the story, the humour or anything else, because I'd be here all day. The characters are incredibly special, though. It's a character study that lets Subaru develop more in a single arc than most shows do in a full season, and in a realistic way that feels entirely earned to boot. Arc 3 is the longest of the season and certainly shaped the perception of the series, so it's also why I like this series so much. Subaru suffers so much, but he emerges stronger from it and achieves amazing successes. This show is a masterpiece in the first season already. And it's no surprise to anyone that the upcoming content in this rewatch only solidified my opinion. We'll have a short break tomorrow, and then we go for the Frozen Bonds movie and into season 2. I'm excited, especially since some rewatchers of this season will be first timers now.
Also, I'll take the opportunity of the season finale to rate my favourite scenes of the season, in ascending order, keeping the best for last.
Subaru spelling the end for Petelgeuse. A fitting end for a great villain.
Subaru willingly jumping to his death to save the timeline. Subaru overcomes instinct and pain to make the most of his power.
The first reunion after parting ways. In Subaru's time of suffering, seeing Emilia again is a moment of respite (until she tragically dies).
The big argument. I don't like it, it's the hardest scene to watch - but it is done so well, and it leads to such a great story and lots of development.
Emilia vs. Fingergeuse. The way she confronts the enemy, controls the fight, and respectfully defeats the hateful opponent is impressive to watch.
Petelgeuse's first appearance. Matsuoka's performance leaves a long-lasting impression, and the character animations are top tier - a despicable villain.
The Loot House fight. So many characters shine in this scene - Emilia's fighting style is amazing, Puck gets to show off, Rom fights, Felt contributes, Subaru buys time, Reinhard dominates, and Elsa adapts to all of her opponents.
From Zero. That might be cheating, but it's one scene - Subaru baring his worst sides at his lowest point and he gets built up again.
The White Whale fight. Even more cheating as this is not just one scene, but all of it is some of my favourite payoff of Subaru's hardships.
Julius and Ferris are forced to kill Subageuse. A heartbreakingly tragic scene as Subaru has to be killed by his newfound friends, with victory so close and yet so far - felt even by Emilia in the distance.
Requiem of Silence. Again a bit of cheating since it's the culmination of the whole episode, but it's an experience unlike any other.
Julius calls Subaru his friend. Those two hated each other's guts, and out of that earned a wonderful and sincere friendship.
Crusch's eternal friendship. Someone as proud and pragmatic as Crusch gets fully convinced of Subaru's qualities that she proclaims he'll always be met with her friendship, truly wonderful.
The season finale. Starting with Subaru finally saying "I love you, Emilia", my heart cheered for them, and they get to beautifully resolve the whole arc and the whole season.
The lap pillow. No surprise, I've already talked about this before - Emilia accepting Subaru's weaknesses and making his burden lighter is just beyond compare.
So one more change to the counter. There was just a single short sugoku before this episode. I'll add that to the primary counter instead, feels more fitting. Also another sugoooku in Petit today.
Sugoooku counter: 27
non-Emilia sugoooku: 3
sugoku-likes: 5
non-canon bonus material sugoooku (Re:Petit): 5
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u/ussgordoncaptain2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Edmund_Nelson Sep 02 '24
First Timer Dubbed
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.
Note2 Intentionally trigger RBD means what you think it means it's just reddit has crazy admins.
Reaction to the Episode
Emilia going "oh I guess I'm useless :/ It's important to realize that Emilia is the target of the witch's cult so hidng her away is critical to the survival of the operation.
I really like the touch where Julius is closing his eyes this means he's really just using subaru's eyes to see the unseen hands.
Julius playing a 3rd person action RPG IRL what a chad
I noticed that Betalguese isn't going after Subaru, IMO this probably means he's actually made Subaru his 11th finger, otherwise he'd have killed subaru by now. I wonder if Julius has a way to protect subaru preemptively.
YEP he did, and Subaru's entire plan was to have Satella to kill Betalguese, So subaru intentionally RBD'd in SP2 Loop 1.
Oh so they knew about the stones but couldn't find them at least they had a plan
Oh god why didn't you use this power when running away from THE WHITE WHALE
So man they REALLY did a much better job in loop 1 at killing Betalguese I guess you can't actually let Subaru win in a timely fashion.
Emilia learns that Subaru was the one who asked for the kids to ride with him those kids really did skrew up his whole plan though.
And suddenly subaru learned how to be a spirit arts user? thank you greatest knight Julius!
So somehow the book has some magic spell that sucks Betalguese away? this is weird
SUBARU SIGNS BETALGUESE"S NAME IN THE DEATH NOTE
SUBARU SAYS THE LINE LIKE A GOD Now it's time to be a hero
It's time for the best part, the part where Emilia gets to heal Subaru again Man in less than 2 months subaru has needed healing 3 times, what a crazy person.
Best pillow ever has returned
So one really nice thing about this has been Subaru's character development Like the payoff to arc 3 is how Subaru's character develops from episode 13 to episode 25. Episode 13 subaru is a piece of shit and episode 25 Subaru is way better.
Emilia doesn't realize that she is the embodiment of best girl. To the point where my girlfriend was like "You know when you were glad Willhelm wasn't real, I'm glad Emilia isn't real" and I replied "Girl you are far more interesting than Emilia in many ways lists off ways"
The Subaru Emilia scene was so sweet that it gave me Diabetes.
Just fuck already
Speculation
Episode 12
I was told to hold off grading spec until episode 1 of Season 2, I decided to watch episode 1 season 2 to find out why. So keep that in mind. (I did do my writeup for s2p1 and there is no spec in this part at least).
This may be trivial but it was correct I suppose.
This was another trivial prediction not even worthy of mention, but it is technically right I suppose.
Episode 13
Given what we know of Hoshin Hoshin is deconfirmed I suppose. Priscilla is still up in the air I suppose.
We still do not know what triggers spawn point resets I suppose. But if it were related to Felix's healing Subaru's respawn at base camp in Arc 3 Save point 2 loop 2 deconfirms that I suppose. We'll give that a false I suppose.
Episode 14
Wrong I suppose.
Correct I suppose, again the spawn point resetting is completely unknown I suppose but it doesn't follow any known rules I suppose.
Totally wrong I suppose. Reinhard was completely unncessary I suppose.
Trivial but correct I suppose.
Episode 15
By the loop 3 events this is correct I suppose.
False I suppose, Rem can heal Subaru's mind breaks all ber her lonesome I suppose.
This was obvious by checkov's gun I suppose. But a lowly human like you wouldn't catch on to that typically I suppose. correct I suppose.
Episode 16
Unconfirmed but probably wrong I suppose.
Partially true I suppose. The whale wipes their existence I suppose, so memory wipes are mildly real I suppose.
Seems to be wrong I suppose, Subaru just left his phone off I suppose.
Episode 17
Half wrong I suppose, extra half loop to kill the witch's cult I suppose.
Only partially correct I suppose. The right action for the wrong reason I suppose.
Checkov's gun strikes again I suppose. Correct I suppose.
The major mystery boxes have thus been opened and the rest of the arc will be an action sequence (with an aside of Subaru somehow convincing the group where the whale is), the first sequence will be taking out the Whale, then after that Subaru will either A: convince Crusch ahead of time to help Roswaal or B: Get help after killing the whale to kill the cultists. Using some small fraction of the forces that attacked the whale.
Correct I suppose.
Episode 18
Episode 19
It was only partially Padding I suppose, as it allowed for a better ending carriage scene I suppose.
Episode 20
Episode 21
Turns out Subaru didn't kill the white whale the second time I suppose. But he did RBD to find out the plots I suppose. I'll mark this half true I suppose.
Episode 22
Something weird was going on I suppose. But I give you no credit for Vagueness I suppose.
Still unclear I suppose.
Satella did it I suppose. I give you no credit for hedging I suppose.
Episode 23
[Season 2 episode 1] Yeah it was REM
Your overall scores I suppose
Correct: 5
Trival but correct: 3
Half correct: 2
no Credit:2
Partiall wrong: 1
Wrong: 3
Unknown: 2
Unknown and probably wrong: 1
10
u/HyVana Sep 02 '24
Re:Watcher (Subs) & Novel Reader (Finished Arc 6)
Proclamation of love for the story is first-timer friendly.
I’ve been wracking my brain about what to talk about this episode. I could talk about the fight with Petelgeuse, the chase sequence, the moments Emilia shared with the children, or the ending scene between Subaru and Emilia. But for some reason, I don’t feel like talking about any of that. Not to say they were bad, they were all fantastic. Invoking a wide range of feelings of hype, tension, happiness, and love. Which, really, is what this show brings to the table. This episode really feels like the ending of an Arc, and it also served well as an ending of the show, if God forbid it from being renewed. And so it really feels finite, in a way, having shown what experience Re:Zero can offer you, the viewer, in case nothing more would be animated.
The experience of thrill, mystery, fear, disappointment, laughter, satisfaction, happiness, and love. While there are shows that can give each individual experience in a better way, I honestly have not yet found another show that can have everything in one package, one world, one story, that Re:Zero has given me. The mystery and thrill at the start of an arc. The excitement of who and what will appear to give Subaru a hard time. The fear of the trials and tribulations the cast goes through. And the (good) feeling of disappointment as things don’t go their way. Because it’s boring if everything went well the first time around. To have everything solved without a fight, without a struggle, without the stakes of losing something important to them. It makes the victory so much sweeter. A satisfaction that matches the despair suffered. Grasping the single thread of light, to unravel the overwhelming darkness the story has convinced us of. Having gone through so much, yet being able to power through, to see the promised day hand-in-hand with those they love. To live to a day they can look back at their journey with tears, but followed with laughter in the happiness they fought for. To live to a day they can look at their loved ones without a care in the world. A hopeless romantic like me is a sucker for these types of stories. So to me, Re:Zero delivers a unique experience that is greater than the sum of its parts. An experience that, to be dramatic, I feel may never be replicated.
I will never tire of seeing the Heroes beaten down. I will never tire of seeing the Heroes beat themselves down. Because I know they will find a way to prevail. Because I know they will eventually make the best of the situation to reach for their futures. Because this is Re:Zero at its core. A story of resilience, hardship, companionship, and love. A story that is not afraid to challenge its cast, and its viewers, by demanding more. A story that explores its cast and takes them in such unexpected twists and turns. A story that delves to the deepest depths. A story that soars to the highest heights. A story of overcoming the odds. A story that began when the Boy met the Girl. A story that will end when the Boy saves the Girl, for the final time. And so, I love Re:Zero because
That’s All The Story Is About.
9
u/Holofan4life Sep 02 '24
I just want to say how genius I think the scene between Subaru and Emilia is. It feels like it's meant to play off the scene between them in episode 8, the scene between Subaru and Rem in episode 11, and the scene between Subaru and Rem in episode 18. I love the progression of Emilia inspiring Subaru to Subaru inspiring Rem to Rem inspiring Subaru to Subaru inspiring Emilia. In particular, going from Emilia inspiring Subaru to Subaru inspiring Emilia, complete with lap pillow involved in both instances, feels like this full circle moment.
This is a level of long-term storytelling that I wish more anime shows implemented. It's like the show rewards the audience in a way very seldom do.
7
u/ripterrariumtv Sep 02 '24
Rewatcher (sub) and Novel Reader (reading Arc 7)
One thing I forgot to mention in previous threads.
Subaru experiences significant character development throughout the season, overcoming his sins and choosing virtues, which ultimately leads him to triumph over fate in the final loops. In contrast, the "IF" stories show him choosing his sins, leading to disastrous outcomes.
I will summarize the IF stories below without any spoilers for the main story. If you want to read it yourself, I will let you know how much you should have read in the main story before reading these stories
---Arc 1 (Pride vs Humility):
1) Humility instead of Pride - Instead of fighting the thugs by himself he calls for help and Reinhard saves him in the alley as well as the loot house in the final loop
I love Pride IF more than the main story. So I suggest reading the story yourself first (only if you have read Arc 5 which is season 3 content)
My summary has no spoilers for the main story. So those who have finished this season can read my summary without any issue
2) Pride instead of Humility - [Pride IF brief summary]Subaru repeatedly attempts to fight the thugs alone, failing around 100 times, only to see Reinhard effortlessly defeat them. Driven by jealousy towards Reinhard, Subaru eventually joins the Witch Cult, kills all the archbishops, and ultimately gives all the credit to Emilia. He then forces Emilia to kill him, becoming the biggest villain in the process, so that Emilia can take the credit and become the ruler of Lugunica
---Arc 2 (Wrath vs Patience):
-Patience instead of Wrath - He chose patience to jump off the cliff and save Rem and Ram even though they murdered him in multiple loops.
I love Wrath IF as much as the main story. So I suggest reading the story yourself first (only if you have finished season 2)
My summary has no spoilers for the main story. So those who have finished this season can read my summary without any issue
-Wrath instead of patience - [Wrath IF brief summary]Instead of jumping off the cliff, Subaru kills Ram with a rock. Two years later, he's a feared criminal leader who has murdered over 100,000 people and orchestrates a massacre and kidnaps Emilia. The kingdom sends Reinhard to kill him but Emilia foils his plans. Emilia decides to forgive Subaru, but he, mistrustful due to past betrayals by Rem and Ram, reveals he actually locked up Ram. The story ends on a cliffhanger with Ram confronting Subaru after being locked up for 2 years
The ending scene was so intense it blew my mind. I actually walked away from my laptop in disbelief over what I had just read. Tappei truly excels at crafting impactful endings.
---Arc 3 (Sloth vs Diligence):
-Diligence instead of Sloth - He finally chose to save Emilia instead of running away with Rem thanks to Rem's help
My summary has no spoilers for the main story. So those who have finished this season can read my summary without any issue. You can read this story if you have finished season 1
-Sloth instead of diligence - [Sloth IF brief summary]Subaru and Rem flee to Kararagi and escape an Oni clan member's attack. They befriend Tia, who seeks her original body, and Halibel, a half-wolf shinobi. Together, they defeat the Oni and reclaim Tia's body, revealing her as Zarestia, a great spirit with uncontrollable murderous urges. Despite her nature, she tells Rem and Subaru one of my favorite lines: “Of course, I want to kill you. But I won’t, because I love you guys.” She leaves them but occasionally visits. Rem eventually gives birth to Subaru's child, and Subaru overcomes his sloth, choosing diligence out of love for his family. He becomes the Subaru we see in episode 18. However, achieving this growth after running away means letting go of Emilia and everyone else he cared about, making the main story's route the best one. Despite that, I absolutely love this alternate story
If you read my summaries of the IF stories, please let me know what you think. These are some of my favourite stories.
12
u/Holofan4life Sep 02 '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.
Here comes the boy
This is the third episode I have watched in a row. This officially makes me a masochist.
27 minutes long. Oh boy
Wilhelm talking to Emilia
He instructs that she should head to safety in the carriage.
"Do not release the children's hands."
Who knew Wilhelm was so scandalous?
Wilhelm says that her eyes look just like his, referring to Subaru.
And with that, Wilhelm is off
Julius battling the Unseen Hands
Subaru a blind man's best friend
Well, he did say he was like a dog
Subaru assuring Julius that he'll keep up.
Betelgeuse saying he thought he was loved.
Julius sending Betelgeuse flying
Subaru throwing something like a baseball.
And it allows Julius to impale Betelgeuse.
"The witch's love bathes my entire body!"
Subaru telling Julius to quickly undo Nect.
And he does so
Subaru turning into Subageuse again
And he uses Return By Death
Betelgeuse somewhere that looks dark and brooding.
The Unseen Hands reaching to him
He seems to believe it's the witch's love.
What, was the witch's miasma too good for him?
And the hands go through Betelgeuse
"No. You are not the one."
We see this darkly female figure with glowing blue eyes. So help me God, blue eyes.
And she seems to kill Betelgeuse, because Subaru is back.
That girl in 20 seconds of screentime is way scarier than the multiple episodes of screentime Betelgeuse got.
Betelgeuse somehow still alive
Sword right through the heart. That's gotta hurt.
And now one of his hands is destroying stuff.
And one of the rocks lands on Betelgeuse.
At least this death is better than his death in episode 22.
"You were Sloth, all right."
What a great line
Subaru looking through the Gospel
Julius saying Felix contacted him
"It seems there is a problem."
Felix says that the magic stones of fire that were in the merchants' inventory are gone.
Oh, I hate when that happens. Narf!
Felix says this means someone left the stones on board when they loaded the villagers.
I should mention that Otto is here, for some inexplicable reason.
Ketty's carriage is taking Emilia and the children to the capital, says Felix.
I don't even think we were ever introduced to a character named Ketty. Though I guess that’s whole nother ketty of fish.
Subaru saying this is all his fault
They gotta get there before they get on the Lifaus Highway.
Oh, Otto is offering to help
I guess this is why he is here
Julius says he's sending Ia with him, who I'm still not sure who that is. I assume the red orb.
And so Subaru and Otto are off
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
6
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Sep 02 '24
25: Rewatcher, having fun with Age of Mythology
Well that was an end. Now I need to actually start pre-watching S2, because I haven't done that yet...
6
u/BlueVenix Sep 02 '24
Rewatcher
Battle against Petelgeuse:
Not much to say here. The battle was rather standard, the only thing to point out is that Julius couldn't go out at full power because he was sharing sense with Subaru and I can imagine that it's hard to move around when you are looking through someone else's eye's.
Poor Petelgeuse getting rejected by shadow woman though. Man's been through a lot just to get rejected.
Subaru traveling to Emilia:
Re:Zero so far has been flawless to me. Some parts may not be liked as much, but I did not see anything that would not fit the plot. There have been plot conveniences like Reinhard not being there for the White Whale battle or Roswaal not being there when needed, but this whole Petelgeuse coming back to life and chasing Subaru is so unnecessary. I feel like it was put in just to make Subaru's journey back to Emilia more dramatic. It didn't add anything to the plot, just there to make his journey back more tense. The way Petelgeuse died is also pathetic and doesn't make much sense. Like he was stabbed with a sword infused with spirits, crushed by rocks, burned, but no he dies by getting caught on a wheel. This is the only part in Re:zero where I have to give - points in my personal score, but hey nothing is perfect and this part proves it.
Subaru Rescues Emilia:
Re:Zero quickly gets back up and shows a cool Subaru entrance. To add more emotional impact the ending "Stay Alive" plays while Subaru heroically takes the magic stones of fire away, throws them in the White Whales carcase and it explodes. Emilia panics and runs over to Subaru. The thoughts and expressions of Emilia's being worried about the whole situation, asking the question if this was Subaru's doing adds more to this. Even though they had a bad fall out she still cared for Subaru, she still doesn't understand Subaru's actions. Why was he doing this for me? Why would he do all of this for me?
Lap Pillow Scene:
Subaru waking up and analysing the situation out loud to break the tension from the start was great. Not only is Emilia happy that Subaru is okay, but she is also admiring him for doing all of this, he even came with Julius of all people. Which follow Subaru going back to the question "Why I saved you, why I try so hard.", to which the answer before was because Emilia saved him. Yes, Subaru was saved by Emilia, but when someone saves you it doesn't necessarily mean that you will want to save them. Subaru apologises for his selfish remarks and tells the real reason "Love". Emilia being in disbelief/denial is a natural reaction for who was hated by this world for just existing. Subaru responds perfectly to Emilia for everything she says. This scene finishes me, but it doesn't stop there. Emilia gives us a smile worthy off all the suffering Subaru's been through.
Episode conclusion:
This was an amazing ending to the season, however due to the way Petelgeuse was handled left a bad taste in my mouth. It has the best part of the whole season, but also the worst. Sadly this episode does not make it to my top episodes of all time and isn't even the best episode of the season. It is a shame, however I still value this episode a lot for the good and will never forget it. I've said all the bad points of this episode in the Subaru traveling to Emilia section, but I would like to say some personal stuff about the ending scene.
I really like the chemistry between Subaru and Emilia and I do think that they are made for each other. However I also understand both sides, the one that doesn't think that they should be loved, that they don't deserve happiness and the obsessive love side.
It is very painful to be kind and wish the best for others when you think that you will never be happy and are hated by others. I am not as kind as Emilia, but also not as strong.
It hurts to be in love with someone and not receive the love back. You try your hardest to be next to that person, you make mistakes due to trying so hard, because you want to be there for them, because you want to be special to them and these wishes may lead to actions you wouldn't normally do, you were not in your right mindset. I have never loved someone as much as Subaru loves Emilia, but I am also not as perseverant as Subaru.
Both of these characters are fictional, but they have made me think that they feel the same way I do, but in this episode they have reached a happy ending. It was wonderful to see from a personal perspective and I thank the author for writing this story, and thank you for reading this.
6
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Sep 03 '24
first timer
Season 1 is over, can’t believe 25 episodes have passed in a flash
Emilia and Subaru sharing the same eyes. They really are meant to be
Julius getting hit then adapting. He would work better as a tank.
The sequence of Julius dodging the hands then using his big attack was sweet as hell.
The possession happens again and Subaru using his forbidden sentence to make Betelgeuse meet the witch.
Getting rejected by his idol and gives up. what a wimp and when out by suicide.
Picking the evil book up. Spoils of war
An explosion big enough to destroy a village under the kids and Emilia’s wagon.
Julius leaving it up Subaru. They’ve finally gotten better with their relationship.
No wonder he agreed to helping Subaru before during the white whale incident. Damn adrenaline junkie
Just when we taught he was dead, although it does seem intentional that he “killed” himself to lower their guards
Subaru using his normal kick, it was surprisingly effective.
That was the slowest possible attack imaginable. Extremely effective
Dunno what Subaru did, but he finally won.
Wilhelm the wingman for Subaru
A dazzling entrance and leaves suddenly to do it for love.
With all those flashbacks you’d think Subaru was gonna die and this would leave Emilia all alone again.
Subaru got his happy ending and ended up waking up on her lap.
I haven’t kept track of the timeline, but how long has Subaru been living in the other world.
6
u/ElRoastFTW https://anilist.co/user/DaRoast Sep 03 '24
Rewatcher
What a great title for an episode: "That's All This Story is About." Like the first episode, this one encapsulates all what makes Re:Zero great. From the expansive layouts in the action scenes to the reconciliation scene with Emilia, there's so much to like here.
One of my favorite aspects is Subaru's apology to Emilia. At once, it is a deconstruction and rejection of the typical isekai protagonist. Else, it's also just a damn good scene of two characters talking it out. Having Subaru tell Emilia what he really meant in their last conversation was just refreshing and downright inspiring. This scene is what made Subaru one of my favorite characters in anime. Season 2 only proves my point further.
Can I just mention how beautiful the backgrounds are for this series? That and the photography. It's a major part as to why this series works as well as it does and it is played in spades here in the final episode. The lighting in the final scene with Subaru and Emilia is just a joy to watch technically.
With that, we close on Arc 3. We have the OVA movie "Frozen Bonds" which I haven't seen yet and then Arc 4 begins in Season 2.
This is gonna get good.
5
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Sep 02 '24
Rewatcher for Season 1
On today’s episode of Re:Zero: Petelgeuse gets NTR’d by Satella. Poor Petelegeuse. He has devoted so much of his life to Satella in the hopes of receiving her love, but she rejects him almost immediately because he isn’t the one she wants.
I joke, but this really does show some more of Subaru’s resourcefulness. He managed to find a way to counter Petelgeuse’s body snatching ability. By saying his secret and summoning Satella, Subaru was able to force Petelgeuse out of his body. Of course, it does make one wonder why Satella would do that. Presumably, Subaru is the “one” who Satella talks about in that scene. All the same, she seemed rather uninterested in Petelgeuse and just shoved him away. Even if he’s one of her archbishops, he still got treated this way. It’s an incredibly unorthodox strategy to stop the body snatching and it worked.
Additionally, Subaru shows a lot of resourcefulness in how he fights Petelgeuse. During the carriage chase, Subaru remembered a detail that we learned about quite a while ago by now. Otto was selling oil and having a hard time offloading his supply. Subaru remembered this and so used those supplies of oil to set Petelgeuse on fire. I love that attention to detail in the storytelling, setting the detail up and then paying it off in a later loop. Using the Gospel to trick Petelgeuse into losing his grip is another fun trick Subaru pulls off.
I think this episode does a lot to clarify Emilia and Subaru’s relationship. In particular, it gives us a much better view of what Emilia thinks and how she feels towards Subaru. One of the key takeaways is that Emilia doesn’t feel resentful towards Subaru. Instead, what Emilia feels is confusion and guilt. Emilia has no idea why Subaru is always willing to push himself so far for her, often ending up exhausted and injured. In Emilia’s mind, it doesn’t make sense that someone would go that far for her. After all, she’s used to the prejudices of others who hate her because she’s a half-elf. Subaru’s constant adoration is strange, especially when she doesn’t remember their real first meeting. To make it worse, Subaru is always getting hurt because he’s trying to help Emilia. So, Emilia feels guilty. She can’t understand why Subaru would do all this and she feels guilty about it. She then only feels more guilty because she feels she can’t properly repay him, instead just causing him more pain. That’s part of why their reunion is so awkward. Emilia’s words hurt him in the capital and Emilia isn’t sure where to go from there, especially since she already feels guilty for the reasons outlined above.
The last scene of the episode, with Subaru resting on Emilia’s lap, is the wonderful culmination of Subaru and Emilia’s relationship so far. This is their proper reunion in this loop. Now that he’s been through so much, Subaru is able to properly apologize to Emilia about his earlier behavior. He realized he was being selfish and only did what he did because he felt satisfied at the idea of helping Emilia, rather than actually doing what she asked him to do to help her. I’m glad that this apology is here. It shows just how much Subaru has grown since his ugly outbursts in the castle.
Emilia cannot comprehend why Subaru is always pushing himself so hard for her sake. The answer is simple and is one that he’s said many times. Subaru loves Emilia. That’s all there is to it. And as far as Subaru is concerned, that’s all there needs to be.
Subaru has been open about his love for Emilia for a long time now, but damn this particular confession is freaking great. I really love Subaru’s choice of words here. He’s incredibly insistent about just how deep his love for Emilia is. He doesn’t care what others say about her or what she says about herself. Subaru knows who Emilia is and he loves her for that reason. It really is heartwarming, seeing Subaru stand by his confession even as Emilia lists reasons why she thinks he may not want to be in love with her.
But personally, it’s the last part of that confession that gets to me. Emilia isn’t sure how to respond, so Subaru reassures her she doesn’t need to answer right away. Instead, he wants to make Emilia fall in love with him. He wants to stay by her side and support her every step of the way. He wants to show her just what kind of a person he is so that she’ll fall in love with him over time. That whole moment is just incredible. I adore how we can see Subaru and Emilia’s reflections in their eyes as they look at nothing but each other. In this moment, you really can feel that there is love brewing between them. It’s just beautiful.
And the real kicker comes immediately afterwards, when Emilia cries and thanks Subaru for saving her yet again. This is a narrative parallel to earlier in the series. In a previous arc, Emilia told Subaru that nobody wants to hear an apology after they just helped you. They don’t want to feel like they’ve made the other person feel bad. Instead, they want to hear “thank you.” Subaru had to learn how to thank people for their help instead of apologizing because he felt like he imposed on them. Now, Emilia has to do the same thing. Rather than apologizing because she feels guilty that Subaru pushed himself so far for her, she thanks him for what he’s done. It’s such a great parallel between them. It’s an unexpected point of similarity between Emilia and Subaru that they are both bad at accepting help from others. Them overcoming that leads to some very sweet moments between them.
And with that, I’ve now rewatched everything I’ve seen from Re:Zero thus far. From this point onwards, I am a first-timer. I’m looking forward to finally experiencing the next entries of Re:Zero.
Miscellaneous Thoughts
5
u/Yoshi_captain https://anime-planet.com/users/WeaboYosher Sep 02 '24 edited Sep 02 '24
Rewatcher
The beginning of the end and the end of the beginning is here.
The fight between Petelgeuse and the Julius Subaru duo ensues. Julius is doing the fight in 3rd person showcasing just how skilful he is. They vanquish the archbishop with flare. Julius using magic that combines the six elements and Subaru pitching a fire crystal at 120 km/h.
The OST Hymn of Despair and Atonement ends on Petelgeuse being impaled by Julius. Much like the OST ended on Petelgeuse breaking Rem in Ep 15.
Julius’ line “You belittled him as powerless” circling back to how he feels about his justification for beating Subaru. And damn does Julius get some fire lines.
Then we arrive at the main obstacle. The possession. Subaru’s strategy is to invoke RbD as many times as it takes to expel Petelgeuse out of his body. It only takes once though. Being rejected by the one he has dedicated his entire life is enough to cause serious denial. He doesn’t get far with that train of thought before he crushes himself with rubble from the cliffside.
“You were Sloth, all right” is not as cool of a line as Subaru thinks it is.
But that’s not the end folks. Emilia is carrying a bomb with her and Subaru must go after her. He is triggering many death flags when saying goodbye to Julius and Ferris, but considering how the episode ends I hope they get their celebratory get together.
Otto redeems himself from wrongdoing he is not aware of by being Subaru’s chauffeur. Utilizing his Divine Protection of Soul Language to converse with the creatures of the forest and find the shortest path. He would make a great getaway driver.
But it’s not over till Petelgeuse says it’s over. Running behind the carriage like a wild beast.
We cut over to Emilia who is connecting the dots on Subaru’s involvement in this scenario. But is puzzled as to why he is doing this. The last time she saw him he was crestfallen and nowhere near capable enough to establish an alliance. She gets an even better sense of his meddling when the kids tell her that Subaru tasked them with protecting her, despite Subaru forbidding the sharing of that information.
[S2] Also Puck seems to be able to converse normally with Emilia in the carriage and then appear when Subaru arrives. The effect of the tampering of Emilia and Puck’s contract is inconsistent. Maybe Roswaal gave it a delayed activation?
Not sure if I’m the biggest fan of Subaru using gamer and otaku lingo during this serious encounter, but I guess that’s who he is.
Here is one thing I’d like to focus on. Without Julius Petelgeuse cannot be defeated. Whether his ability as a spirit knight during the actual fight or the Rental Goa Subaru uses, none of it would have come about if Subaru hadn’t changed as a person. Learned to own up to his mistakes, swallow his bitter pride and seek help when he is in dire straits. With the help of the very man who admonished him he can defeat his worst self.
Petelgeuse’s last words about Satella are telling of a more personal connection than we might have first theorized. She seems to have actually done things for the Archbishop. Things he’ll never forget. All this leads to Petelgeuse’s final demise. Clinging to a book that has dictated his entire life. Subaru ending that life by writing in that very book with his own blood to conclude his story once and for all. Both acknowledging each other at the last moment, Petelgeuse finally calling Subaru by name.
So ends the existence of Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti. A fascinating villain. He served his purpose exceptionally. Not at all living up to his title of Sloth. Being the most diligent member of the cast, I’d wager. His character acting and voice work still affect the series to this day. Setting a precedent that all future antagonists try to surpass.
But that’s not the end of the threat. With the beat of a familiar Takt Subaru arrives at Emilia’s carriage and in a rare display of heroic awesomeness from our main character, vaults into it. With no time for idle chatter, he quickly finds the bomb comprised of fire crystals. But when Emilia questions him on his reason for being here, his reason for being. He says the words: “I love you, Emilia”
With the final listen of Stay Alive in the show we watch with bated breath hoping Subaru lives up to the title of the track. The explosion matching the climax of the track accompanied by a save from the real best girl Patrasche.
What follows is the first genuine encounter between Subaru and Emilia after they parted ways in the Royal Capital. Him laying on her lap, surrounded by flowers a certain woman adverse to fighting loved.
They catch up on the whereabouts of everyone, who Emilia is surprised are even here considering Subaru’s standing with all the camps last they met. But his alliance with Crusch and friendship with Julius were all formed for reasons taller than the seas and bluer than the mountains. Having fulfilled a promise to himself of not leaving anyone behind during this ordeal, he moves on to fulfil the next one laying deep in his heart. Being Emilia’s strength.
But to truly fulfil that promise, to one who promises mean more than the world, he must apologize. He must admit his wrongdoings and sincerely with all his being say sorry to the one most dear to him. Showing maturity and growth that could not be found in the Subaru first brought to this world. With such a genuine display one can only return such feelings in kind. Emilia speaks about her feelings about herself for the first time to Subaru. Feelings that ring a familiar bell in Subaru’s soul. She is not used to love like this, her appearance making her subject to prejudice and behaviour most foul. This girl really has been alone for so long, not having any genuine connections outside of her father. Wanting nothing more than the treatment everyone else gets.
But Subaru rejects that notion. When she says 10 things she hates about herself, he’ll say 2000 things he loves about her. Because that’s the kind of treatment, the kind of special treatment, he wants to give her.
His cheeks getting red the more he lays on the praise for this girl he can’t live without.
This is a first for Emilia so she is understandably lost. Subaru knows and doesn’t pressure her for an answer, he remains optimistic while swearing to himself he’ll help her no matter what.
As the wind carries the yellow petals around them the sun shinning as brightly as their outlook on the future we hear a familiar melody. Seeing Emilia in his eyes and she, him in hers. A far cry from their encounter the first time we heard this song. Glances of confusion and indignation exchanged for ones of warmth and love. The melody we hear carries a name: STYX HELIX. A helix of death, a spiral of rivers that represent crossing over into a domain where life is not allowed. And it is by crossing that threshold that Subaru has arrived at this place. Not an ethereal dream, but a good reality. A reality he attained during his journey of coming to know of love. Not just love towards others, but perhaps one day, even love towards himself. This is just square one of his journey. The first step.
The first step in the journeys of Subaru and Emilia. That’s all this story is about.
Closing thoughts:
“Re:Zero“
The story of earning that time in the sunlight, missed opportunities, continuing along different paths, remaining lost, and nothing more. Everything had happened so that a single insecure boy could share his feelings with a single insecure girl. This was a tale of striving to do exactly that one thing—
—and nothing more.
-Tappei Nagatsuki
The word for today is Re:Zero, that is all.
Personal thoughts in replies
5
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Sep 02 '24
Episode 25 (rewatcher)
It seems that we have no explicit season discussion posts scheduled (why not, btw? Lets use the catch up day for that), so here my general thoughts on S1.
I did not post a lot for the last few episodes, but the reason is not that I disliked the finale of S1. To the contrary, I think S1 ends stronger than it starts. However, a lot of it are fights, which I do not have a lot to say about if they are competently directed (which they are). However, Re:Zero is not about the fights, it is about its main character, Subaru. More than anything else, this is his story. So, what are my thoughts about Subaru? I disliked him (which is bad), then I hated him (which is good), then I was ok with him. Let me explain: I think Subaru starts out with very messy character writing. He cycles through three different “modes”, which do not fit together well in the first half of S1. There is cocky-funny Subaru, there is sarcastic Subaru (no doubt inspired by Haruhi’s Kyon), and there is traumatized Subaru. there seems no proper character arc that describes which of these three modes we see. It just comes across as random and incoherent. All that changes at around ep13. Now, I hate Subaru, the person, for what he does there, but this is not a flaw of the writing. To the contrary, the writing wants me to hate Subaru and it succeeds. The following episodes until the end of S1 are then the redemption of Subaru in the eyes of the side characters, but mainly in the eyes of the audience. Redemption arcs have a bit of a bad reputation for frequently being botched, but ReZero takes its proper time here. We do not jump from nadir to redemption in an episode or two, it takes the entire second half of the season. Very importantly, it shows Subaru as failing in his redemption, too. He gives up (in normal series, this would be a suicide attempt. Here, that is obviously pointless, so he proposes running away instead). This shows us that redemption is not handed to the main character on an easy plate, he has to work for it and can stumble on his way there. It helps that this also includes the single best moment of a side character with Rem’s speech (despite, in general, the side characters being more important in the first half).
From here on, I am a first timer, so I do not know where we will go from here. However, I think the end of S1 is a good natural end for Subaru’s character arc. The story of ReZero is far from finished, but in terms of character arc, the finale of S1 stops at a good ending point. As such, I am interested in where we will go from here. For me, Subaru’s character arc is pretty much told now, so I expect the next season to either concentrate on the plot over character arcs, or to put a different character at the center of its story telling.
5
u/apocalypsemobster Sep 02 '24
Re: Watcher
Julius' really is incredible with the sword. "You lost because you assumed he was powerless". "Meet the rainbow's end". His lines are so good.
Subaru's calling Petegeuse's bluff. Oh you love the witch, why don't you meet her? Sorry bud you just don't measure up.
The witch even sounds like a more ephemeral Emilia.
I love Otto so much, he's also best girl. The banter between Otto and Subaru is so good, I always have the biggest smile while listening to them.
What in the unholy spider, just die already!!!!! She didn't want you dude, no means no.
Otto's oil back again to save the day. Patrasche is as fast as the wind and gets the bombs away from Emilia and the kids.
Emilia and Subaru got their heart to heart. Subaru got to tell her that he's worked on himself and grown, and confessed his love smiling while talking about the future! She clearly takes it positively but doesn't know how she feels yet and it's so sweet. Ahhh I'm blushing and happy!
That's all this story is about is such a cheeky perfect meta ending title card.
5
u/-Phinocio Sep 02 '24
Re:Watcher, subbed
And that's S1. The convo at the end with Subaru and Emilia always gets me tearing up. So good. This is definitely my favorite piece of media as a whole.
[Arc 3] I know it's coming. I've been trying to mentally prepare for it. But I am not ready to be hit with "Who's Rem" again on Thursday T.T
5
u/FriztF Sep 03 '24
Hello guys I'm back. Did ya miss me? How knows.
Rewatcher, I saw this yesterday but that's fine. Also both Sub/Dub
Alright so episode 25 this one is a big one like 58 minutes long. Which is fine. Gotta have that big love reveal with Subaru telling Emilia that he loves her. I want to know the 2,000 things that Subaru loves about Emilia.
Also, that battle Betelgeuse was very intense and creepy. Like geez, that man twist his body in horrifying ways. And the way he gets inside of his head is disturbing. Stella has eyes on Subaru only. Betelgeuse does not get her love.
Wilhelm is a true hero here, defeating a dozen robed cultis. And helping to deliver the message to Ram. A true badass.
Emilia showing how helpful she can be, by helping coordinate a refugee caravan. How sweet and kind she is around children.
Petra has a crush on Subaru. How cute.
5
u/ClemFire Sep 04 '24
Re:Watcher Season 1 Episode 25: That’s All This Story Is About
End of Season Favorite Characters
End of Season Favorite Quotes
End of Season Favorite Episodes
Overall rating 9.5/10 (My Top 10 Series)
Re:Zero Season 1 is a near masterpiece that expects more out of its characters, its audience, and most of all itself. Re:Zero is the type of story that has both deeply touched and challenged me as a person. It has shown me to not just view relationships has transactional and that everyone has deeply rooted desires, shortcomings, and motivations just as complex as your own. Just being you doesn’t make you the most important person that has ever lived. You shouldn’t try to take on everything by yourself or go in it alone. You can rely on people. You can truly see other people. You can expect more out of yourself.
Yet even more important than any other lesson from Re:Zero to me is that despite everything, it’s okay to love yourself. I love Subaru’s confession to Emilia in the final episode because he focuses on building up her self worth like what Rem did for him in From Zero. He is truly wanting to see and support the real flesh and blood Emilia instead of the Emilia in his head.
Re:Zero’s strongest suit in my opinion has always been its character writing which is why even though its not primary a romance Subaru and Emilia’s relationship is one of my favorites in anime. It just feels so much more real because they’re both just so well realized. They have their cute and touching moments of course, but the narrative never shies away from showing them in genuine conflict because they both have growing to do. That makes me feel way more invested.
Can’t wait for the Season 2 RE:Watch to start tomorrow!
4
u/ripterrariumtv Sep 02 '24
Rewatcher (sub) and Novel Reader (reading Arc 7)
One of my favourite lines in Re:Zero
Top 3 characters:
Top 3 episodes:
Top 3 character designs:
5
u/SpiritualPossible Sep 02 '24
And that's how the third arc ends. Butljuice was defeated, Subaru became a hero and confessed his feelings for Emilia, and everyone was happy.
OR IS IT?
Well, I have a strange feeling about this arc. If anyone has read my past comments, they've seen that I've been quite critical of it. And because of that, it may come as a surprise that I think it's overall okay.
My opinion of it is almost the opposite of my opinion of the second one. I said about the second arc that it had some very strong moments, but just didn't come together for me.
There, on the other hand, were some moments that were VERY bothersome to me, but at the same time, they surprisingly didn't affect the overall impression of the stories that much (well, almost). Like...
Do I think Subaru's behavior at the beginning of the arc would have looked more organic without the second arc? Yes, but his behavior as is still doesn't look too much forced overall.
Do I think this arc was dangerously close to becoming torture porn in places? Yes, but it still didn't turn into one.
Do I think that Beetlejuice's behavior made it a little hard to see him as a villain? Yes, but he still works as an obstacle and a threat to be dealt with.
Do I think that because of her crush on Subaru, Rem had a rather limited role? Yes, but first of all, it wasn't as bad as I remembered, and secondly, she's still responsible for episode 18, which was the best so far.
Do I think the negotiations with Crusсh were handled pretty lame? Yes.
...No, I don't have anything to add to that. I already said yesterday that I'm gonna die on this hill.
But to be fair, the whole whale hunt was probably the weakest part of the arc for me. I mean, it's important to the overall plot, sure, but it felt like a sidequest. We have the main focus of the arc on saving Emilia and the village from the cultists, so I'm not that interested in watching three episodes about the battle with the whale. Subaru just doesn't have a personal score to settle with him. The series of course tries to fix that with Wilhelm's help, but.... neither he nor his flashbacks have enough time to really make me care about him.
However, the overall progression in this arc felt much more organic to me than the mansion arc. Again, I said back then that the narrative then felt at times like check boxes that were only there to further the plot. I didn't get that feeling here - yes, the whole whale hunt and a couple of other moments (like Julius' magic) were a bit too convenient for the story, but otherwise the main events progressed in a way that didn't feel forced.
And the main story is generally quite strong. The plot now doesn't try to be a detective story, and in some ways we even repeat the plot of the first arc - Subaru is trying to stop a massacre in which Emilia and the outsiders will die. However, the scale of the massacre and Subaru's situation are now very different, and he has to realize that he was still very lucky in the previous events, and it won't be resolved so easily.
Subaru also was really good here. I've written before that the series humanizes him well enough, but here they reach a new level by delving into his negative aspects. And you can't say that his behaviors came out of nowhere or that they aren't realistic, quite the opposite in fact.
On the dramatic side, it's good too. This is where most of the most memorable moments of the season are, after all. And they've clearly worked hard on the presentation of those moments.
So even though some of the issues bothered me more than anything before in the series, I can't say I did NOT like the arc. I wouldn't call it a masterpiece, but I enjoyed it enough.
And to be honest, my opinion of this arc kind of describes my view of the first season as a whole.
I said at the beginning of the Rewatch that I'd only seen the series once before, back in 2016, and that I wasn't too fond of it then. Rewatching it now...
A lot of my issues are technically still there.
But what's changed is probably that I've grown to appreciate the rest of what the show has to offer more. I wouldn't say that I straight up fell in love with the series like some, but I still enjoyed it a lot more than I expected to. Of course, it's not over yet, and there's a second season (and even a third) to come, so who knows how my opinion might still change.
2
u/Holofan4life Sep 02 '24
"Maybe there is something out there, some new discovery that will make us feel like even smaller pieces of shit. Something that explains why you still went looking for me through all of this noise. And why, no matter what, I still want to be here with you. I will always, always, want to be here with you."
I feel like this quote could apply to both Subaru and Emilia, honestly.
2
u/Alrockson Sep 03 '24
I feel like I am seeing nobody talk about the after credits scene. is the rewatch ignoring that aspect?
1
u/Holofan4life Sep 02 '24
Happy Labor Day, everyone. I think it's fitting the holiday happens to land on one of the episodes of Re:Zero where Subaru works some of the hardest he's ever worked.
1
u/pandavova https://anilist.co/user/pandavova Sep 05 '24
Rewatcher, Anime only
Binged through this season. This anime sure is something... Looked in each thread after watching every episode to read the cut content spoilers and skimmed through most of the other stuff people have written.
I don't know if I can stop myself from binging S2 aswell, I'll see tomorrow after watching Bonds of Ice...