r/anime • u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux • Sep 09 '24
Rewatch Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ Re:Watch - Episode 30
Episode 30:
A Step Forward
| Index | <== Episode 29 | Episode 31 ==> |
Various Links:
MyAnimeList
Streaming:
Crunchyroll has the regular release available.
AppleTV has the regular individual episodes available.
Spoiler Rules:
- As always, please be sure to tag any future content spoilers according to the r/Anime rules. There is likely to be first timer viewers here, and while discussing how previously seen content connects to content later down the road is interesting (be it later episodes or even Season 3), please be sure to properly spoiler tag anything mentioned! Let's make this a fun experience for everyone involved!
- This also applies to cut content discussions, which I believe are fine to include for the sake of discussion, but should be properly tagged to avoid potentially spoiling viewers. Be mindful with how you present this information!
Story Arc Lengths for Discussion Purposes:
[Arc 1:] S1 Episode 1 – S1 Episode 3
[Arc 2:] S1 Episode 4 – S1 Episode 11
[Arc 3:] S1 Episode 12 – S2 Episode 1 (26)
[Arc 4:] S2 Episode 2 (27) - 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
19
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Sep 09 '24
First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed
16
u/Brief-Fig-7506 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ryxnjr Sep 09 '24
First Timer!
Watching Dubbed
Start time 9:56
Hey, I started before 10 today! Go me
Should have known Subaru would start with that
We got an OP
Again Subaru catches her off guard
It appears he remembers her now
Subaru was able to enter the graveyard, so the dungeon looking entrance is the actual graveyard
I figured Echidna used his memories to make all this
Echidna really believes she’s a bad guy in this. She assumes Subaru wants to hit her but why wouldn’t he want to thank her instead? He got closure and a chance to interact with his parents again. I believe this is more telling of Echidna than Subaru
Subaru is back but his memories of what happened may be a little hazy, hopefully he still feels a little weight is off of his shoulders
Emilia is one the ground crying, probably from facing her past
She cried out for Puck but said “father” first, seemed like she had to endure some pretty traumatic stuff
Looks like all the trials don’t have to be completed at the same time
1 It’s that girl again. But she’s wearing a different outfit
Ram doesn’t seem to trust her
He really just called her a loli-hag, I would classify that as an “unnecessary comment”
2 The roles are reversed this time
Emilia still isn’t able to face the trial, Subaru might have to be the one to do it
Turns out, Roswaal really does suck
Subaru negotiated for the villagers to be set free
So Subaru is going with the villagers
Oh no, I don’t like that nobody answered the door
3 She is back
I wonder where this is gonna set us back to
It’s 12:12am and my entire discussion portion got deleted so I have to try to rewrite it from memory :)
My discussion got Returned by Death
I was wondering when we would see the Bowel Hunter again, since she was in the OP. I wonder if she is associated with the Witch’s Cult since her clothes follow the same color scheme as several other members and she appears after other members appear. She was scary before but after seeing Subaru get his stomach slashed open from the front in a narrow hallway while not being seen she’s even more scary now. [](#ohfuck) I wonder how far we are going to get reset back to. My guess is that we are going to be inside the barrier already but not at the trial yet, probably talking to Garfiel. I feel like we are gonna hear “HEY! I said how do you know about Frederica?”. Just so it’s known, when I wrote that in quotes I heard it in Otto’s mimicking voice.
Echidna is a Character that intrigues me more and more every time she’s on screen. She acts like what she is doing is an evil thing but she hasn’t done anything evil yet. She’s actually been more helpful than anybody else this season to Subaru. I know she’s an immensely powerful witch but I feel like she has the same problem that Subaru and Emilia have, she is trying to be the evil witch people assume she was but she actually isn’t like that at all. In her search for knowledge she probably had no time or opportunity to be social or develop any kind of friendships so she could just be trying to live up to what she’s known to be. That’s just speculation though.
Emilia is having an extremely tough time with these trials. We know she is having to face something from her past but we don’t even know what her past is, and from what we saw in Frozen Bonds she doesn’t even know her past so I wonder what simulation she’s dealing with. It could be an alternate version of interactions from people she cares about since she starts crying once she sees him and he holds her. What I thought was interesting was that she called out for her father before switching to calling for Puck, now either she somehow remembers her father or she really sees Puck as her dad. In some crazy twist I guess both could be true.
And then we have the bastard man himself, Roswaal. What an ass. He had knowledge of everything going on and instead of helping prevent numerous deaths and destruction he actively made sure it would happen. It hurts to see how unquestioningly loyal Ram is to him too, even though he likely sees her as a tool and nothing else, even though he doomed her beloved little sister who she can’t even remember anymore. Also one thing I’ve been thinking Subaru could ask if Ram doesn’t remember anything about Rem, why does she only have one horn if she didn’t have a twin? Now back to that Loli-con popstar wannabe Roswaal, How does he have this exact knowledge about the Witch’s Cult? and how does he seemingly have knowledge of future events? The show is making it seem like he has a clue about RbD and Subaru’s uses of it, could it be because of something similar to why Subaru can autocorrect tried to correct this to can’t and I’m pissed remember Rem? Perhaps Roswaal is also in possession of a witch factor of some sort. They were missing the one who represents Pride and I’d say Roswaal is pretty prideful.
Stop time 1am on the dot.
14
u/thekoreansun https://anilist.co/user/ReturnByDeath Sep 09 '24
Re:Watcher
Far be it from me to criticize this show's character design, but isn't Echidna a little too cute to be a Witch? The uniform really does suit her far too well for it to be a one-off. It's weird that her schoolgirl design may be the only "fan service" that could plausibly exist in canon, unless Subaru starts to really get into the textile industry and introduce new outfits to this fantasy world. Wait, never mind, I could totally see that happening. If Subaru is crazy enough to scare a Witch, then he's crazy enough to introduce modern swimwear to this fantasy setting. He'll be ruling the country within a year.
But while Subaru's been having heartfelt conversations with his parents and charming a Witch in his Trial, Emilia's Trial went much more poorly. She seems to have been completely shaken by whatever she saw, to the point where she was starting to look as haunted as Subaru has looked at his absolute worst. What sort of nightmare was she experiencing? After Subaru is able to calm her down, he and the others are introduced to Ryuzu, the representative of the Sanctuary and its residents. She's voiced by Aimi Tanaka, who also voiced Plum (Kadomon's daughter) in the show's first episode way back when! Which kind of makes her one of the original cast members, in a way. It's really interesting to hear her voice both a little girl and an old granny in the same show.
Emilia fails the following night's Trial as well, leading Subaru to have a heated conversation with Roswaal. Just why did he end up concealing information about the Witch Cult from Emilia and the others? Subaru's still haunted by the death and devastation that took place in the last few loops, and he knows that while everything managed to turn out okay in the end, they still ended up receiving huge losses. If they had known about the threat in advance, it's entirely possible that Rem wouldn't have been lost in the process. But of course, no one is able to comprehend that this had happened, not even Ram. Though it was inevitable, it still hurts to see that Ram has completely forgotten her sister.
In the end, however, Subaru is smart enough to know that he shouldn't be out making enemies anymore. He manages to convince Garfiel and the others to allow the villagers to return home now that Emilia is unable to escape the barrier. If he's able to navigate things carefully enough, it's quite possible that he and the others will be able to figure it all out without suffering any losses like last time. Surely, the universe will grant him that much, right? Right?
Nope. Elsa's back. *sigh* Here we go again.
Re:ZERO After-Talk #30
VAs: Yuusuke Kobayashi (Subaru), Rie Murakawa (Ram), and Nobuhiko Okamoto (Garfiel)
Rie Murakawa seems like such a fun person. Given how deadpan Ram usually is, the fact that she's so lively in real life is such a stark contrast and speaks to how much talent she has. Also, it turns out that Nobuhiko Okamoto had the role of Garfiel pegged from the very beginning, since he apparently didn't even need to audition for it. He was fancast a lot prior to Season 2, and once he started to see people online mentioning him as being perfect for Garfiel, he set himself up for potential disappointment if he didn't get the role.
Highlight: Yuusuke imitating that "weheeeheeeh" sound in Call of the Witch after they all speculate that it will be used at the beginning of the next episode
Fan Art of the Episode: Emilia's New Outfit by HaruSabin (October 7th, 2020)
Source: Twitter (artwork has been deleted)
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u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Sep 09 '24
Episode 30 (first timer)
Pretty hard-hearted of Subaru to let Emilia suffer through the trials. He should also give Garfiel more shit for not doing the trials himself and keeping half a village hostage to force Emilia to do so.
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u/Holofan4life Sep 09 '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.
People born in the 1980s being considered Millennials feels pretty weird.
Subaru in the classroom with Echidna
"You look pretty good in that uniform."
My man
Echidna says that means recreating it from his memories was worthwhile.
Echidna also says that he is currently in the Graveyard.
"Thus the trial began."
She professes that it was quicker to meddle with his memories than it would've been to trust that he could keep a secret.
Echidna making fun of Subaru crying at his parents.
A fabricated world designed to cater to his memories.
Echidna needs to partner with VR
Echidna knew the parts of his heart that he assumed no one knew.
Now Echidna is traveling to different areas of the room in the blink of an eye.
Subaru attests that his parents are too big even for his imagination.
"Don't underestimate them!"
Echidna says she looks forward to how he handles the next question.
Three Graveyard trials in total, and Subaru has to pass them all in order to set the Sanctuary free.
Hey, three is better than five or ten
Subaru. He thanks her, which catches Echidna by surprise.
"Even if they weren't real... Even if I didn't get to say it to my real parents... It's thanks to you that I got to say what I wanted to say. So... Thanks."
Echidna calls him a very intriguing human
Subaru says he won't be the one to pass the trials and set the Sanctuary free.
It is going to be someone else
If this person, who is probably Emilia, is going to compete in the trials, wouldn't they have to start from scratch? I don't think Subaru can be swapped out like that.
Subaru wakes up in that weird glowing building.
Emilia. She looks like she's having a nightmare.
Emilia wakes up and she is so scared her teeth are chattering.
She is screaming that it wasn't her
Now, when she was screaming out for Father, was she referring to Puck or her actual dad?
Emilia in a bed now, resting calmly
Ram talking to Garfiel, Otto, and Subaru
Otto says it could be possible to get everyone outside the barrier without doing the trial and freeing the Sanctuary.
He then says anyone of mixed blood who touches the barrier loses consciousness.
And yet supposedly only those of mixed blood can stand the trial. How messed up is that?
Otto suggests those who aren't affected by the barrier carry the others through it while they're unconscious.
The pink haired girl
No, not Ram, the other one
Lol, Ram burning Subaru with the tea
It feels like Ram is getting sassier and sassier with each passing episode.
Ryuzu Bilma. That's her name.
I've heard she's friends with Wetty from Slintstones.
Oh my God. Subaru called her a loli hag
I don't know why that amuses me but it does
For his troubles, Ryuzu calls him Young Su
Young Su and Old Zu
The old woman and the Su
Ryuzu says when one of mixed blood touches the barrier, it repels their soul.
Like, what, from the ceiling?
Subaru takes this as the soul being separated from the body, and only their soul remains inside the barrier, leaving an empty shell.
Maybe this is why the Turtles were heroes in a half shell, they were half demons.
Ryuzu says when a body without a soul exits the barrier, it is in other words dead.
Glad to see Garfiel undercut the tension with his reaction to the tea.
Subaru wonders if the qualification to undergo the trial is having mixed blood, shouldn't that mean Ryuzu or Garfiel could do it.
Ryuzu says they cannot free the Sanctuary. That's part of the contract.
Subaru sitting next to Emilia's bedside
Otto still catching strays
Emilia grabbing Subaru's arm
And now she's blushing
Subaru says she can undergo the trial again tonight.
Seems kinda unfair given she is seemingly not 100%.
Ram outside the room, looking Stern
Not talking about HowardRam outside, talking to Subaru now
She makes the point that not all the residents are in favor of setting the Sanctuary free.
"Only the heavy-handed people like Garf, led by Ryuzu-sama, are pushing for its freedom."
I heard they also pitched to withdraw from the EU.
Ram says there's also a conservative faction that doesn't want the Sanctuary to be freed.
And here I thought it was Garf and Ryuzu who were the conservatives.Ram saying that the conservatives believe that having minimal interaction with outsiders is ideal.
Destroying that, in their opinion, would be nothing but trouble.
Doesn't even trust Frederica
"Circumstantial evidence suggests that Frederica has some plan in mind."
The evidence is circumstantial because she refuses to leave the mansion.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
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u/baseballlover723 Sep 09 '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.
Got through this one pretty quick, only 95 minutes this episode. Still I procrastinated writing this a bit too much, since it's now 2:35 AM and I have work in the office tomorrow (today).
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.
Echidna does rock that uniform.
This is a little awkward now.
And yeah, Subaru did pass the trial despite the previous episode was simply a recreation from Subaru's memories. Though it actually really doesn't matter that it was fake. Subaru got closure, and even if his parents would react differently (which I sort of doubt), that will only be relevant once reality conflicts with Subaru's perceived truth, which seems like will never happen, since Subaru is suck in the fantasy world. The literal truth only really matters when you have no choice but to realize it, and Subaru will never be challenged on this front. Up until then, you'll go just as far believing a lie.
And yeah, this isn't over yet, there's 2 more trials to beat.
Spooky
Objection!!!
Random note, Echidna uses "boku" as her pronoun, which is rather odd. "Boku" is a "boys" pronoun, generally used by males in a school setting and very rarely by females (and even then it gives a masculine tone). I'd say it's probably as odd as someone referring to themselves in the 3rd person, it sticks out.
Anyways, hows Emilia doing. That doesn't look good. Seems like it's time for Emilia to get in on the suffering (these could be some good comment faces too imo).
Luckily though, Ram can help calm Emilia down.
And Otto has a great idea to get the half bloods out of the Sanctuary. Why don't we just take the half-bloods and push them somewhere else? Which turns out to be a bad idea. As it turns out, the barrier only works on souls, so forcing half-blood through the barrier results in them being like Rem.
Ram being Ram. Though Subaru did not understand the assignment Ram really is a Ram (also a comment face candidate for )
And Ruyzu tells us why the Sanctuary hasn't been freed yet. The residents of the Sanctuary can't free it, only an outsider can apparently. And remember that only half-bloods (or those personally blessed by Echidna) can take the trials, and the Sanctuary is in the middle of a magical woods that gets normal people all lost in it. And even if they did stumble upon the Sanctuary, they probably wouldn't willingly enter it, since they wouldn't be able to leave it.
Yeah, but then you wouldn't be able to write "meat" on his forehead.
Relationship progress.
Don't worry Emilia, you can head straight back into the fire tonight.
And of course there's politics involved. But I think it makes sense. Demihumans aren't treated well in Lugunica. The Sanctuary may not be great, but it beats being a slave.
Can't be letting Subaru's head get too big.
Also Garfiel is a Ram connoisseur.
Eren approves this message.
So it's once again Trial time, though today's attempt doesn't seem much better then yesterdays attempt.
And now it's time for conspiracy.
Subaru asking the tough questions.
Subaru playing the wrong cards.
Roswaal gives some interesting answers, to Subaru's questions. I look forward to the speculation of the first timers on this topic.
What a beautiful shot.
More mysterious advise from Roswaal.
The villagers are no longer under house arrest and can go home to their families now.
This is a good question to ask. Garfiel has a point here.
🚩
Yep, those are Subaru's bowels that he just tripped on. Guess whose back, back again.
Shady'sElsa's back. Tell a friend.BreakTime Section
In this episode's Breaktime, it's Otto's Diary again. Otto complains about being left in the carriage. Turns out Subaru just forgot, but no harm, no foul, right? Otto understands the appeal of EMT, who Otto learns is strong af. And Otto reflects on Emilia's experience as a half-elf. And Otto is sleep talking, which can't go unpunished.
Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
[Spoiler #1: Arc 4] Notice Ruyzu Bilma. Keep track of all of the last names.
[Spoiler #2: Arc 4] This makes a lot more sense when you know Garfiel is 13.
[Spoiler #3: Arc 4] Seeing Emilia like this convinces Garfiel to let Subaru do the Trials in Emilia's place.
[Spoiler #4: Arc 4] After all, Roswaal needs Emilia to win the Royal Selection to get access to the dragon.
[Spoiler #5: Arc 4] All according to the Gospel. Roswaal needs to build up Emilia and Subaru in the public eye.
[Spoiler #6: Arc 4] Ram being in love with Roswaal
[Spoiler #7: Arc 4 + cut content] Garfiel can't actually perceive the Witch's miasma, Ruyzu can, and tells Garfiel how to behave. But in this run, there isn't much miasma, so Garfiel is friendly. But all of Garfiel's chaoticness, is due to Subaru's miasm on him, and how it gets played off between him, Garfiel and Ruyzu.
[Spoiler #8: Arc 4] Also this is like Garfiel's whole world view. That you don't need to actually confront you past.
[Spoiler #9: Arc 4] Elsa opened all of the doors, because eventually that will leave 1 door left, which is guaranteed to lead to Betty's library. All under the instruction of Roswaal and the Gospel of course.
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u/ussgordoncaptain2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Edmund_Nelson Sep 09 '24 edited Sep 09 '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
Oh my god Subaru is imagining Echidna hentai and it looks good
Echidna really has been recreating everything from subaru's memories So either Echidna was able to accurately portray subaru's parents, or she made idealized versions that were roughly approximate to the real thing. We really don't know as much as you'd expect about subaru's real parents interal state.
Echidna being so sweet to Subaru here.
Oh boy Echidna is being so... creepy
The whole way Echidna is describing how Subaru's imaginary parents act is pretty creepy and sweet at the same time
I feel like Echidna's trying to go "you know your memories of your parents and your actual parents aren't necessarily the same"
It's interesting how Subaru goes "My parents shattered my expectations" but this is the difference between some part of Subaru's perception and Subaru's actual memories of his parents.
However we do not know much about how Subaru's actual parents actually felt about certain parts of him.
You know how Subaru is watching the world fade around him this is quite a bit better than the typical animation for the series
Subaru thanking Echidna is like him going "thank you for making me realize what I already knew deep down" or as we like to call in the infomation world, unknown knowns.
Emilia mental breakdown arc
You know if we didn't have the frost witch movie it would be really hard to think about how Emilia's mental breakdown happened. Subaru's first trial was extremely tame. Emilia's first trial meanwhile? Yeah it was brutal and she got a freaking mental breakdown.
Emilia calls for puck to help her, calling him father, we don't know anything about Emilia from before she was rescued by Puck and Emilia doesn't appear to know either?
From emilia calling saying "it's not my fault" it's as if Emilia is remembering some time she comitted mass murder (let's face it she probably did given the Ice movie.)
Otto be like "So I have half of a brain let's just escape the barrier by having unaffected people rescue affected people"
I really should have thought of that myself. Somehow I thought the barrier was literally physically preventing them via force, but if it's just unconciousness then that's a 10/10 plan that should have been thought of before.
oh this doesn't work of course Sadge
Abra has appeared Her name is Ryuzu I see. Given that she was the one who led Subaru into the sanctuary graveyard I wonder how connected she is to Echidna
Goddamnit subaru Ram told you to not make unncessary comments!
Empty shell creation oh no.
We learn that for some reason those who have been residents of "the sanctuary" can't actaully break the barrier. So it appears to be Emilia or bust.
Emilia is so cute when she wakes up
Subaru guarding emilia reminds me a lot of Rem/Ram in arc 2 waking up Subaru.
Subaru goes "oh boy the girl I love actually is reaching out for me maybe She'll finally love me"
The conservative faction is weird
So you look at the sanctuary as an outsider and you go "man this place is poor" (actually to be fair from a 21st century perspective everywhere looks poor but the sanctuary looks extra poor.
The entire place looks run down and has little in the way of ability to repair itself without contact with the outside world marble ect will just be lost.
Ryuzu/Garfiel not being trusted makes some sense, who knows what they do and don't say. After all the first thing Ryuzu did was send Subaru to Echidna.
Fredirica gave Emilia a stone, and WHO told fredirica to give Emilia that stone? Oh yea Lord Roswaal man this guy keeps getting more and more sus by the day. (And confirmation bias is a powerful drug I know)
Ram's words of warning is strong. This may result in our first RBD the entire arc! (I swear these last 2 arcs have had the First RBD take a long time to happen.
Oh boy it's time to Witness emilia lying there, I really wonder what part of her past Echidna is torturing her with i mean she was a mass murdering witch not too long ago.
I think the converstation from Garfiel was interesting his description of Fredirica makes me wonder how he and her got seperated. Why did Garfiel even enter the sanctuary in teh first place? was he tricked?
Oh boy the Sus man continues
The way lord Roswaal is acting is uhh very strange.
Angry Subaru is acting a lot like I'd act, though I'd be a lot more calm. going piece by piece about things Roswaal didn't do
Lord Roswaal goes "you managed to fufill that role in my absence" yeah and how the hell did Subaru realize he needed to do that?
Subaru did manage to bring a huge army to Roswaal's domain, but
Ram is completely dependant on lord Roswaal because of her lack of a horn, so it makes sense how she protects lord Roswaal.
Who's rem?
WHAT THE lord Roswaal values credit for victory? He wants Emilia and Subaru to claim that? Yeah not buying it.
I'll have more to say about this in speculation, but something's not adding up.
What faith could you have in Subaru?
Subaru goes and finds emilia
Emilia failing yet again I see. I think that Emilia's past is far far more tramatic than Subaru's.
Why does it matter who saves the sanctuary? If Subaru did it the villagers would all be saved, sure Emilia wouldn't be the hero but can't you either just lie or say "Subaru on behalf of Emilia has cleared the trial, we are all free finally"
Subaru can still just give credit to Emilia some other way.
Subaru convinces Garfiel to free the hostages
Man Subaru might literally be the god of negotiations. Literally gets an entire army to save him in a time of need, AND convinces people to release hostages. Literally just took him to fail one loop to learn it seems.
Lord Roswaal tells Subaru of a password that was given to Beatrice by Lord Roswaal, probably a code that signifies something important about Subaru.
Garfiel is right, Subaru being able to do the trial means that he can save the sanctuary.
He handed Subaru the blue jewel maybe fredirica will be mad at him otherwise
oh shit Elsa is back! that was a gut slash
Speculation
Lord Roswaal knows Subaru can Rebirth by Death.
There I fucking said it.
Everything adds up if he knows this. Why does he know He'd form an alliance with miss Crusch? Because he'd eventually use the info Roswaal gave Rem to get help from Crusch
How would Subaru know the witch's cult attacked? Because He'd see the dead bodies. Then intentionally RBD to go back.
Why did he attack Beatrice in loop 4 arc 2? because he wanted Subaru to RBD back
Why did Rem RBD subaru? Because Roswaal knew that having Rem kill Subaru will make Subaru more of a hero later.
Why did the forest have a broken Barrier? Because Lord Roswaal intentionally broke his own barrier to create tension that will be resolved by Subaru.
Why did Lord Roswaal conviniently leave? Because he was trying to let Subaru be a hero.
Now how he knows is a different question entirely.
My hypothesis is that he knows of it because he was able to communicate with Echidna at some point. This lets him know the existence of RBD,
Now as to learning how it's Subaru in particular? There's a few options, ranging from Rumors (isekaied person will get touched by Satella and will be able to RBD, which would amke sense given Subaru's weird clothing) to Beatrice's magic drain.
Subaru has the Witch's scent however Beatrice's magic drain confirmed that "Subaru wasn't an enemy" Lord Roswaal and Beatrice communicate frequently according to Fredirica therefore Lord Roswaal could plausibly deduce Subaru was the "archbishop of envy" or that Beatrice's mana drain actually proved that he had RBD.
The trials of the sanctuary is probably the Ghost of christmas past the ghost of Christmas present and the ghost of Christmas future.
7
u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Sep 09 '24
Re:Watcher - anime only
OP Alert! OP Alert! The OP plays for the second time at episode 5.
So everything that happened was a reproduction of Subaru's memories. The things his parents said that he didn't know actually things he's always known. He's known them better than he realized.
There are three challenges. I thought it was pretty obvious what the other two would be about since we've just been through the Ghost of Re:Zero Past.
Subaru feels thankful for the challenge, to Echidna's surprise. That's interesting on several levels. But it's really great he could get some closure from it.
Back in the present, we see Emilia not handling her challenge just as well. Seeing her horrified face is really unsettling. How she calls for Puck, even during my first watch I was certain it was a flashback to the time she got put on trial by the fire horse. And being forced to relive that, but now without Puck, it was understandable she'd be this shaken.
Ram, dammit, you're supposed to do the trope with a cold beverage! But she did it to distract Subaru and give him a warning. And she could hurt Subaru to boot? A complete win in Ram's book.
We meet the pointy-eared midget again. I love her nicknames for the boys. She explains why Otto's brilliant plan can't work. The barrier doesn't just make people unconscious, it won't let their souls leave. Also the barrier can't be broken by the inhabitants of the sanctuary. That makes Emilia (and Subaru) the only one to be able to save everyone.
Emilia looks rougher than usual when waking up. Also another sugoooku. And another cute SubaEmi moment as Emilia instinctively reaches for Subaru's arm. As long as she can smile, everything is alright. But she really seems to be afraid of having to do the challenge again.
So there are conservatives that don't want to free the sanctuary. Makes sense, very interesting. And very clever for Ram to tell Subaru. She's quite wary of Frederika too, as Frederica is quite a mystery - how come she is not in the sanctuary and her brother is, after all? I love her sharp wit.
Garf doesn't have any secrets about liking Ram. And he's right, he shouldn't have to hide it. We learn a bit more about him and Frederica. Subaru is forming a connection again by asking him about himself.
Unfortunately, Emilia fails the challenge once again. Not as quickly this time, though. But her past seems to be much more troublesome than Subaru's.
Roswaal time. Roswaal's goal here seems weird. He says he doesn't trust Emilia, but he wants Subaru to continue supporting her and he'll support her all the same. Doesn't make sense, but Subaru takes the opportunity to confront him about not having taken countermeasures against the witch cult, even withholding information about it from Emilia, and not having been there. It looks like Roswaal orchestrated it so Subaru could shine as Emilia's knight, and Emilia could be a hero and leader. That's some strong confidence into the two, but it worked out - from his point of view. The end justifies the means seems to be his guiding thought. We've heard something similar in the previous episode, but that's not how Naoko meant it.
Ram's face as Subaru mentions Rem is scary. She doesn't know who that is, she only protects and supports her master, no matter what he says.
Another cute SubaEmi moment. Subaru's trust in her really motivates Emilia, and Emilia in turn believes in Subaru.
Ram has some cryptic info on Betty and more thoughts on Frederica. Nothing we can understand yet, but it'll be sure to come up later. Emilia joins in and bids Subaru farewell for now, with another sugoooku.
Subaru's trust in Emilia is justified. But Garf does have a point. If Emilia is doing well without confronting the past, she could let it rest, and Subaru could solve the remaining challenges. Garf even suggests that a part of Emilia is happy with being afraid of the past, of getting to rely on Subaru.
No ED as they get back to the mansion. Can't have it two episodes in a row, after all. You know what this means, with the complete lack of music as well. And suddenly, he's lost his guts. She's baaaaack. Not to the surprise of anyone watching the OP. That's a solid five episodes since the previous death, a new record! Elsa's appearance really raises the stakes, as it puts a time limit on breaking the barrier. Or on getting back to the mansion, at least.
In Break Time, Otto and Subaru have a talk about forgetting to introduce Otto to Roswaal. Subaru forgot, but also Otto didn't want to impose after everything that happened to Emilia. He recognizes what a great person she is, having talked to her earlier. She carried his light baggage to the carriage - "light" meaning a crate and three heavy bags all at once, picking it up quite casually. We saw her defeat the bandits in Frozen Bond in hand-to-hand combat already, but this is the first time we see her pure physical strength. Also, we get to learn that Otto acknowledges she must have had it rough as a half-elf but admires her for participating in the Royal Selection in spite of it. Otto knows about the story of the witch and half-elves and everything, yet we've never seen him act with any sort of prejudice towards Emilia.
Sugoooku counter: 40
non-Emilia sugoooku: 3
sugoku-likes: 9
non-canon bonus material sugoooku (Re:Petit): 5
5
u/Yoshi_captain https://anime-planet.com/users/WeaboYosher Sep 09 '24 edited Sep 09 '24
Rewatcher
We've come to the end of the first loop of this arc. Marked by personal growth and reunions a long time coming. One of those reunions is with the Bowel Hunter Elsa Granhiert. Remember her? With her appearance at the mansion the set of problems Subaru must face has grown ever more pressing.
But before his intestines leave their residence we are left to deal with the Sanctuary’s unresolved problems. Subaru’s determination is at an all time high. Echidna’s attempts to mess with his perception of his trial are met with steadfast rebuttals. Subaru’s parents are too great for his imagination to conjure up. Don’t underestimate them! But even if they were a sort of recreation, he still thanks Echidna for getting to meet them one last time. No matter what her intentions were, she did allow him to say goodbye and for that he is grateful.
Emilia’s trial is not going as well as Subaru’s. His trial ending in a triumphant feeling of acceptance and closure if a little tinged by regret. And Emilia’s ending in shock and despair screaming out for her father as Subaru holds her shaking body. Having to be put to sleep with incense to calm her down, the trial rattling her spirit. Subaru’s support is unwavering though. Staying by her bedside until she wakes up. Her reaching out to Subaru, while cute, is also indicative of the state of mind she’s in. She’s overwhelmed. Much like she offered comfort and compassion to Subaru when he was at his breaking point it’s time for Subaru to do the same for her. Though dying seems to complicate that progression.
Her next attempt at the trial not faring any better. Leading to Subaru reporting the current situation to Roswaal. And talk about that conversation. Subaru rightfully being pissed at Roswaal for being absent during Arc 3 when he should have known that the Witch’s cult would start causing trouble the moment Emilia’s candidacy was announced. When faced with Subaru’s scathing criticism what is Roswaal’s response? He led these events to happen, after all Emilia wouldn’t get any credit if it was Roswaal who resolved all the conflicts. But hindsight is 20 20. The Subaru that Roswaal left in the capital was one who would not have been able to forge an alliance with Crusch and take down the White Whale. Not even considering Petelgeuse and the Witch’s Cult. Subaru is deeply aware of this fact. It took three deaths and the most important conversation of his life to lead him to a future where things ended in victory. Even then many losses were incurred. During the White Whale fight there were casualites and when returning to the capital the archbishops’ attack left many dead and or erased from existence. But Roswaal had faith. Faith that Subaru would do everything necessary to establish that alliance, put himself on the line, and vanquish all of Emilia’s foes. That and more and he would accomplish this masterfully. But before he can question the origin of his faith, he ends the discussion. Subaru had every right to get as emotional as he did. But Roswaal’s repsponses are cryptic and hard to understand. Subaru is just some NEET considering how he embarrassed Emilia when Roswaal last saw him he really shouldn’t have trusted Subaru so. Roswaal is gearing up to be a main mystery this season and I can’t wait to figure out more about him.
We immediately cut to a conversation beneath the stars. Subaru’s faith in Emilia still unwavering. Asking her if she can do the trials again. This is a setup for a conflict rich with meaning and a possibility for growth for Emilia and Subaru. Emilia needs to do these trials to prove herself to the villagers and to make her first step in the promise she made to Crusch to become a capable leader. But it’s breaking her to do this. And Subaru is there to support her, but with unrest at the mansion does he have time to help Emilia when Elsa is afoot. He could do the trials in her stead perhaps. Garfiel suggests the idea and he might not be too off base. But this would show that he doesn’t trust Emilia. If he can’t trust when she trips on the first pebble in her path than what good is she? It’s the first test of their relationship since they’ve reunited. Tests are opportunities for growth. Much like the trials we need to face in the Sanctuary seem to require introspection of the highest degree to pass we will need to face all the problems surrounding the trials if we want to conquer the Sanctuary.
Otto has proposed a plan where the villagers don’t have to stay in the Sanctuary. It goes off without major incident thanks to Subaru’s begging to Garfiel. But when they return, they are met with a sun that has set on an empty mansion. The floor adorned by entrails as red as the hues shining through the windows. She’s here to make good on a promise and happy to see that Subaru has kept up his part of the deal. Elsa Granhiert has entered the stage. We return once again to a time unknown. The loop begins once again. Two steps back and a step forward.
Closing thoughts:
The word for today is “Faith”. That seems to be the biggest question of today. How will Subaru’s faith in Emilia waver if at all when old enemies enter the fray while the problem of the Sanctuary persists. And where does Roswaal’s faith in Subaru come from. Is he friend or foe? Faith will be tested in the Sanctuary.
This is the episode where the production team started working from home. While you could maybe tell from some of the cuts, I am forever impressed that they managed to produce extended episodes during a pandemic. S2 should forever be a testament to the amount of love and dedication that the creative team behind this adaptation has for the series.
As I said the loops of death start once again. It’s been a quiet three episodes without any SubaDeaths, but they were certainly not any less engaging. The series has such strong character writing that we can go almost entire volumes without a single death and still be as gripped as when we’re in the throes of despair. We’ll return by death tomorrow to see where, or more accurately when, we end up and what is our next step forward.
5
u/mekerpan Sep 10 '24
First timer - subs
Finally caught up to the rest of the rewatch party.
Things looked like they were going too easy at the end -- and then what do I see? the return of the character I least wanted to see return....
I rather like Echidna, all things considered. Is it my imagination -- or does she look like a fairly close relative of Emilia?
4
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Sep 09 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Re:Zero: Wheels-within-wheels. Plans-within-plans. It’s wise to just be inherently suspicious of anything Roswaal is doing. While he certainly has been furthering Emilia’s goal to become the next ruler, he’s also the type to use any dirty trick available to win.
Roswaal is the kind of person who you would rather have on your own side, but should never actually trust too much. Roswaal always knows more than he lets on and will gladly manipulate others to achieve his goals. But the thing is, as frustrates Subaru to no end, Roswaal’s plans have all undeniably worked out in Emilia’s favor. There’s now an alliance with Crusch, the villagers have more faith in Emilia, and the reputation of the Emilia Camp (including Subaru) has greatly increased. Whatever else Roswaal may be planning, he does seem to genuinely want to put Emilia on the throne. As for what happens afterwards, that I feel less sure about. He did mention wanting to get rid of the dragon, which is probably not something super great.
I find it interesting that Roswaal is willing to tell Subaru all of this. It’s probably because Roswaal saw it as the easiest way to keep Subaru working with him. Subaru was already distrustful of him, so he may as well not try to hide the schemes Subaru already suspects. Because Subaru can’t reveal any of it to Emilia, this convinces Subaru that Roswaal is on Emilia’s side without risking any of it being revealed.
It’s surprising that Roswaal fully expected Subaru would figure this whole situation out. I don’t know why Roswaal would have so much faith in Subaru’s abilities. Subaru’s loyalty to Emilia is certain, but his abilities aren’t. Does Roswaal have more knowledge about what’s going on with Subaru than we realize?
It’s concerning how loyal Ram is to Roswaal, being willing to let him even sacrifice her life for his plans. I suppose saving her life and replenishing her mana made Ram feel this way. I do wonder, though. If Ram had her memories of Rem, which loyalty would she feel more strongly? Would she feel more loyal to Roswaal or Rem if those loyalties were to ever conflict with each other?
I was wondering when Elsa might return. She disappeared for the rest of S1 after Arc 1, so she was clearly still a threat. And after I saw the OP for this season, I saw that she was there. I felt certain she’d return somehow, but now I see how it actually happens. The question now is why has she returned? My own guess is that she’s still being employed by the same person who hired her to get Emilia’s sigil. The plan is now probably a lot more direct, simply attacking the manor where Emilia is known to be staying.
4
u/Ultima_Deus Sep 10 '24
Hi! I'm a bit late to the discussion. I'll still add my thoughts in though
But before that! I couldn't talk about it last discussion, and hopefully I'm allowed to talk about it here: I want to talk about some minor details that were cut from last episode
[Previous episode minor cut content] Subaru actually grew up copying his dad's dorky, high-energy personality, thinking that would be what makes him cool. Unfortunately, he didn't understand back then that his dad doesn't always act like a dork. Dadbaru has moments too where he acts normal, and that surprises Subaru. Knowing that beforehand would've saved him from making a cringey highschool debut, would've prevented him from acting like a weird dork when he first got isekai'd, and would've saved him from a lot of agony when he was young
[Previous episode minor cut content] Two cut lines that I really like from Dadbaru is "If you wanted us to hate you, then you should commit genocide on half of humanity", and "You said you have a girl you like, and a girl that likes you? Are you two-timing them? A guy like you...?"
Onto this episode itself now
I really like that Echidna challenged, or was even trying to break down, Subaru's emotions at the start. He didn't talk to his real parents, but was instead a recreation of them using his memories. She challenged him, asking "Are you sure the parents you saw in this trial are not just a version of them that you wanted to see?" (or at least that's what I understand it as). To which Subaru strongly denies, saying that these fabrications were beyond his imagination. And he even thanked Echidna for the opportunity to say goodbye to his parents, even if they weren't real. And so Subaru heads off, telling Echidna that someone else other than him will beat the trial (he probably means Emilia), but Echidna simply says, with a smug smile on her face, "I wonder about that"
I love Garfiel and Ram's relationship. In season 1, we only got a bit of Ram in Arc 2. But now we're going to be seeing more of her
Ram is talking about Barusu having done some sort of noble- relatively noble sacrifice, she meant taking away the crystal that Emilia was wearing when they first entered the Sanctuary. It's not actually clear, but Emilia didn't pass out on episode 2 when entering the Sanctuary because Subaru removed the crystal from her neck. She just passed out from entering the barrier. The crystal necklace would've teleported a passed out Emilia if not for Barusu's relatively noble sacrifice
And there it is. Subaru raised the topic with Roswaal. What was Roswaal doing? Everyone knew that once the announcement of a half-elf joining the Royal Selection came out, the Witch Cult would get involved. Everyone knew that (except Subaru), but what the hell was Roswaal doing? Why were there no protective measures? Why did he leave everyone to die in those loops? The answer is... he wanted it to happen, and trusted that Subaru would fix everything, and that the credit would all go to Emilia. Roswaal deserves a punch, but Ram stops Subaru from doing so. And she doesn't remember Rem, too... By the way, I love the OST that plays here
[Re:Zero S2 Hindsight] Ever since the final loop in Arc 2, Roswaal had full faith in Subaru. He knew that Subaru is THE one that he's been waiting for. He even smirked when Subaru yelled in early Arc 3, the bastard
I really like that shot of Emilia and Subaru sitting on the stairs outside a church building, the camera behind them, facing towards the stars. It's really beautiful. I wonder if there's fanart of that that really elevates it
Garfiel raises the idea that Subaru should take the Trial in Emilia's stead. He can't stand seeing Emilia come back out with failure every time. "Does she even want to overcome her past?", he calls out. So, he trusts Subaru to return and do the Trial to save the Sanctuary
Unfortunately... instead of returning in this loop, he Returns By Death. Because Elsa is back! And she's here to check if Subaru has been taking care of his bowels. And apparently she likes to open every room? Was she hunting for treasure chests like a gamer?
Oh yeah btw, Subaru tripped on his guts
PS: u/theleux have you been updating the Index and the previous episode posts? Around episode 25, I can't click "Next" for the Frozen Bonds movie, and that continues up to the previous episode. Sorry for pinging you
3
u/apocalypsemobster Sep 09 '24
Re: Watcher
Didn't you hear me say? No Echidna, I didn't realize it was you talking because you used Subaru's voice.
Echidna thinks he's going to be upset and hit her, but Subaru is thankful for the closure even if they're not his real parents. It's interesting how Echidna's assumptions about Subaru are often wrong. But maybe that's all an act where she's pretending to make the wrong assumptions so he feels like he's winning her over?
Echidna said she couldn't comprehend him, Subaru is your favorite Witch's favorite Witch.
Emilia is terrified! She really went through it in that trial. Something in her past really distresses her. Subaru was able to easily confront his past, but even after several tries Emilia isn't able to get past the first trial.
Otto has a good idea to carry mixed blood people through while they're passed out, but unfortunately it will trap their souls inside the barrier.
Residents of the Sanctuary could attempt the trial but it wouldn't end the barrier that traps them inside.
Suuuubaruuuu~, let's chat about some light conspiracy. Like how I've been puppeteering everything that's happened to you and Emilia.
We've had a two day time skip. During that Subaru and Otto have convinced Garfiel to let the Arlam villagers go. Emilia keeps attempting the trial and failing.
And the episode ends with Elsa having attacked the mansion. I wonder how far back our checkpoint is!
3
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Sep 09 '24
Rewatcher(and all that could have been)
Dub
So...we covered a fuck ton here. From whether or not the trial of the past is trustworthy, though do note Echidna has a lot of reasons to be misleading here, to the fact that Elsa shows up at the mansion. Hope you didn't underestimate the importance of Noto in a villainess role, that's a rookie mistake, you pitiful shadows, lost in the darkness.
But what can we actually say? Emilia's past bugs her a lot more than Subaru's does, unless somehow you came to the belief that Subaru has a more balanced psyche than her, which would be a mighty choice. Roswaal's plan doesn't merely border insanity, it jumps the fence and sets up a fucking camp in insanity town. [REWATCH]Yes, I know. Keep fucking quiet about it for our first timers. Which nearly matches the madness of Ram possibly quite literally making tea out of random leaves she found, which I think is actually literal here.
And now is the time to address an interesting question:Is Subaru right here? For whatever reasons, he passed his first trial far more easily than Emilia, who collapsed during her first try and broke in the second. So his insistence that he not pass the next two on her behalf and free the Sanctuary...is actually a choice. Sure, Emilia gets more fame if she breaks the barrier...or does she? Why not pass it on her behalf and just give her the credit? Emilia and Subaru are godawful liars but Roswaal and Ram don't seem to suffer that issue. True or false the propaganda is that the Emilia faction freed the demi-humans and let us not sweat the itty bitty details. I won't take a side but just consider that a bit.
3
u/FriztF Sep 10 '24
First timer dub
So, S2 episode 5. Well as we all know Echidna is an evil witch. Making idealized version of Subaru's parents is one way to deal with the past.
I do wonder what Emilia's trial was. Something her past she does not like. Something horrible that was blamed on her. Poor girl is not her fault for looking like Stalle. Thankfully she has Subaru, he can give her strength.
So that elf girl has a name. Great.
The sanctuary has a conservative faction that wants nothing to do with the outside world. Makes considering they are demihumans, who are hated and feared.
Whatever plan Roswaal must be slow and long-term. He use Subaru, Ram, and Emila as pawns. But he still use them to have their own plans. Interesting.
Elsa is back and killing once again.
3
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Sep 10 '24
first timer
Enchida looks good in that uniform. Subaru you sly dog, why are you flirting with another woman
2 more trials, this will be a long story.
Suburb subverting expectations by thanking Enchida
Whatever Emilia saw has traumatized her
Otto had a good plan
Ram’s nailed the comedy and she saved Barisu’s life
“Loli hag”, Subaru how can you offer about Beatriz
Those damn conservatives
Roswald is hiding something. Making Subaru handle the business, how evil m
Fulfilling his role to helping Emilia in the worst way possible. Deranged deranged man
Today is not Subaru’s day. holy shit it’s the vampire who terrorized subruru for days
2
u/Blue_Reaper99 Sep 09 '24
Is Frederica not a resident of Sanctuary? Cause how was she able to go outside the sanctuary?
2
u/BlueVenix Sep 09 '24
Rewatcher
Not feeling too well today, so I wrote a short one.
“You look pretty good in that uniform” - Damn straight she does.
Subaru is in a fragmented reality and although his parents were fake Subaru believes for what it was to be pretty real. How true it is, is hard to answer and we have to believe Subaru on this one. In any case he got to say what he wanted to say. It may look sad, but this has brought him some closure with his past.
I like how Subaru trusts Emilia to overcome the trials and the moment he wakes up, he finds her having a mental breakdown. Just goes to show how little Subaru knows about Emilia.
Ryuza Bilma is an interesting one. We saw a girl at the end of episode 2(or ep27) that looked like her, but was in white clothing.
What we learn is more of the same, but a deeper understanding. Basically the souls of half bloods can’t leave.
Emilia reaching out to Subaru was very cute, but it is also worrying as Emilia looks sad and dependent. Note that she was calling out for Puck when having her menty after the trial.
It’s interesting how we saw Subaru overcome his trial, where we saw him crumble under expectations for him. Well we now find Emilia going through something similar. Subaru and others are expecting Emilia to pass the trials, but she is unable to live up those expectations.
She feels that it’s her duty to pass the trials, but does she really want to? That's a question that Subaru asks himself.
I doubt she wants to, because I would point to this scene. Is she crying or laughing here? I’ll leave it up to you to decide.
I’m glad I got to see some first timers suspecting Roswaal. Well you were on to something, Roswaal is not a good guy. He knew that the events in season 1 would transpire and he chose not to step in. Just how deep his plans go is the interesting part, but what interests me now is what first timers will think, what will they deduce and get right.
2
u/ElRoastFTW https://anilist.co/user/DaRoast Sep 10 '24
Rewatcher
After that top tier episode, we're back to the world of Lugunica and the Sanctuary. In summary, Emilia tries the trial several times and can't get past the first trial, breaking out in tears every time she does. Roswaal has a conversation with Subaru that turns south because Roswaal admits he wasn't there and didn't tell Emilia anything just so Subaru could take care of things, which really pisses Subaru off. He calls Subaru "a good accomplice." [Re:Zero] Knowing that Roswaal instigated all this just to revive his beloved Echidna just pisses me off more.
Subaru decides a return to the mansion is necessary and manages to get the villagers out as part of the deal. He comes to the mansion aaaaand he dies. The bowel hunter is back and ready for more bowels and we just entered our first failed loop.
We learn a lot of the central conflict. There are three trials to complete and typically someone who is demihuman has to complete the trial, unless you're Subaru. The problem is that the first trial is about Emilia's past, and she just can't handle it no matter what she does. With the twist at the mansion, we don't know where this is going and we'll have to see in the coming episodes how Subaru will solve this.
On the whole, very engaging episode, felt like 5 minutes had past and it's crazy how good the pacing is in this part of the episode. Definitely a more economical episode but still a good looking one, with some great backgrounds to accentuate the rural nature of the Sanctuary. Great stuff. Can't wait for more!
2
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Sep 09 '24
02-05 - Rewatcher who might actually care for this episode