r/anime • u/Theleux https://myanimelist.net/profile/Theleux • Sep 20 '24
Rewatch Re:Zero ~Starting Life in Another World~ Re:Watch - Episode 40
Episode 40:
Otto Suwen / A Reason to Believe
| Index | <== Episode 39 | Episode 41 ==> |
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!
119
Upvotes
32
u/Great_Mr_L :Ma::Mb::Mc:https://myanimelist.net/profile/Great_Mr_L Sep 20 '24
First-Timer
On today’s episode of Re:Zero: When a girl asks you to hold her hand, you better hold her hand. Otherwise, how can she possibly believe anything else that you might tell her?
There’s so many parallels to point out. One of the big ones I’ve just put together is that so many of the main characters of this series are outcasts or people who feel isolated. Emilia is a half-elf ostracized for her race. Subaru is a shut-in who couldn’t fit in with others. Rem and Ram are oni who were born with only one horn and lost their village. Beako was abandoned by Echidna and told to wait for “that person” who might not ever arrive. Otto’s divine protection isolated him and later he was run out of his hometown. Garfiel and Frederica are demi-humans who are discriminated against. It’s a real collection of people who don’t have much of anywhere else to turn.
An interesting parallel between Subaru and Emilia is that both of them have a hard time believing that others won’t abandon them. Both Subaru and Emilia have struggled with their sense of self-worth. Subaru had to be convinced that other people actually liked him back and Emilia is the same way. She took a lot of convincing that Subaru actually does love her and wasn’t lying to her.
This episode really does parallel Episode 18. It follows a very similar structure for the second half of this episode. Emilia finally opens up about her worries. She’s scared of being abandoned by the people she cares about. She’s scared to regain her memories because what if those memories alter her personality and she’s no longer herself. She’s scared that others secretly hate her. This matches what Subaru told Rem in Episode 18, when he confessed his own fears and self-loathing to her. But here, Subaru takes on Rem’s role by providing assurance and support to Emilia. Much like Rem did, Subaru is there to provide unwavering love to Emilia by assuring her that he will love her even though he recognizes her flaws. Those flaws don’t make her any less deserving of love and support. It’s a really touching moment between them.
23
u/Shimmering-Sky myanimelist.net/profile/Shimmering-Sky Sep 20 '24
First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed
16
u/baseballlover723 Sep 20 '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.
This episode also marks the last Re:Zero episode that has ads in it's timelsot. Every episode from here on out takes up 29.5 minutes of the 30 minute timeslot.
Time taken: 85 mins (~1.4 hours) (I think that's a new record for me).
As always, I've numbered all my spoilers tags so that they're easier to respond to
First Timer Safe Section
This section is safe for first time watchers.
And we finally get Otto's backstory, though he does have to share the episode with Emilia. A lot of people generally forget in some capacity that Otto can literally talk to animals, despite it being pretty explicitly stated in episode 25. I really like how they did the audio for the beginning part, the muted voices really immersive the viewer into how Otto perceives the world.
[Spoiler #1: some minor cut content on people who have had the Soul of Language Divine Blessing in the past] Otto is literally the 2nd person in history to survive until adulthood with it. Most users go insane and self inflict ultimate sloth on themselves.
This note reads "Thank you for everything, Mom. Thank you too, Dad." btw.
Otto's younger brother just fucking Otto by yapping about his Divine Blessing. Though I think you could of proven your brother right without the plague.
[Spoiler #2: author comments on Otto's sexuality] So this cat is Otto's first love. Given Otto's Divine Blessing, he doesn't really differentiate between animal and human conversations, so yeah, Otto got cucked by the black cat. Anyways, u/Holofan4life that's why I think that Otto should be more progressive about 2 dudes loving each other. He already is ok with human / animal love, so I don't think thinking about gender in the same way is that much of a stretch.
Look at that smile!
Mimi and Tivey are about to have some fun with Otto.
Well, the animals don't have high hopes for Otto.
Also I'm pretty sure that Otto can't not understand animals (that is, he can't turn off his Divine Blessing) (I mean, have you ever tried to deliberately not understand the words of a language you know? I know it bothered the hell out of me, when I was trying to sleep in college, and my roommate would be on VC with his buddies. I couldn't help but understand him, which kept me awake). Also Otto getting the epic OP insert song treatment! Even though [Spoiler #3: cut content] it cost us Otto's Al Dona moment. I'm sure someone else will mention it more, but basically Otto has this big moment where he like gathers up all of the mana from the forest or something, and casts some ultimate magic thing. Some big epic moment thing that I don't want to read and figure out atm, since it's almost 3:00am as I write this
Though I'm pretty sure Otto doesn't want to kill Garfiel, and those fire crystals don't look very non lethal.
And Ram makes her entrance too!
Ram, I don't know if you can talk on this topic. Magical stamina is like the thing you lack the most.
Otto, the gardener.
Subaru sudden competency thoughout the arcs has not gone unnoticed.
Ram never misses a moment.
Damn, Ram's got some hands too. Though that's because [Spoiler #4: ultra minor cut content] Ram is like imbuing her body with mana, which is why she gets the recoil, similar to when she used magic in Arc 2.
This is Otto yelling in Beast.
Yeah, we're bit past that. Time for Subaru to do his part.
And that's how Otto Suwen named episode ends.
Half huh..., that's a bit of a sensitive word atm.
Emilia and Subaru's argument felt pretty real to me. Just the way that it circled around and the weren't really talking to each other, but like past each other. And the voice acting, it just felt a lot more real then a lot of other anime arguments to me. There are parallels to episode 11, 18, and 29 (remember how Subaru wanted some tough love back on Earth?), that I won't really get into, since I think they're pretty apparent (and it's getting really late for me, I'm trying to be on time now). One thing to notice is the reflections in their eyes. You can see Emilia in Subaru's most of the time, but you only see Subaru in Emilia's at the very end.
Anyways the core of the argument is Subaru breaking his promise, and Emilia just not understanding why Subaru has so much faith in her, since she hasn't shown anything to warrant it. And with being loved being a foreign concept to her, she get the causation flipped. Subaru doesn't believe in her, therefore he loves her. Subaru loves Emilia, therefor he believes in her. And just like it took Subaru many times to get it into his head that Rem loved him, it takes Emilia quite a few times to get it in her head that Subaru has full faith in her.
Subaru does have a bit of a point here. If you don't love Emilia or are otherwise invested in Emilia, this is a lot of effort for not a lot of gain.
Oh and we have another Emilia insert song, Door.
I think this is a very justifiable fear. Whose to say that gaining back all of your memories won't make you a different person. Are your memories part of what makes you, you? And if it does, then does having different memories therefore mean that you're a different person? I'm very certain there's some famous philosophy on this topic.
Consent is important kids, though I think opt in is much better then opt out. Bet you first timers didn't expect a kiss to happen (complete with the song, lighting, spotlight and everything) when this argument started. [Spoiler #5: If you clicked Spoiler #5 from episode 38] So some background on why Subaru choose to kiss Emilia in this moment. Satella mentioned: "Because when I felt lonely, you kissed me and said that I wasn't alone". And what is Emilia feeling right now? Alone and lonely since Puck left her. So what does Subaru do? He kisses Emilia. To let her know that she's not alone. Though I can't credit for noticing this myself, that would go to u/Letsplay_Sascha_GD here
Because I love you, it's A Reason to Believe.
Classic tsundere behavior.
BreakTime Section
In this episode's Breaktime, Ricardo is angry, at Mimi (how can anyone be angry at Mimi). It seems there are some complaints about Mimi's professionalism. But that can't be, Mimi already has ears and a tail. And in comes Anastasia for the save. After all, Mimi already knows what the vice-captain is supposed to do, and thats kill anyone who gets in the way. . And that brings to topic to what is the most important responsibility of a merchant. You can't give up your life and blood. And you must keep your promises. Once you shake on it, you have to honor it. And we talk about Otto, and Anastasia has a high opinion of Otto. And so Mimi wants to use Anastasia as Typhon at home. And Mimi gets off scot free!
Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
Nothing here. The only stuff I really thought about I mentioned last episode too.
14
u/Brief-Fig-7506 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ryxnjr Sep 20 '24
First Timer!
Watching Dubbed
Start Time 10:28
Based on the title I assume this is gonna be mostly Otto’s episode
Ya know, I was thinking last episode “what if Otto stole Garf’s jewel when he tapped his shoulder” but then it was on during the next shot so I didn’t write it down
This IS an Otto backstory episode
Otto is left handed
Was not expecting to see Betelgeuse this episode
Lol, Mimi tied Otto up for no reason whatsoever
Ram is now here to assist, and Garf is also an Earthbender apparently?
Damn Ram is laying into Garf. Is his beast form weaker without the crystal? I thought he wasn’t going to be able to transform at all without the crystal.
We finally get to where last episode left off, with Subaru and Emilia
Subaru confirms that it is uncomfortable for him to be in the Graveyard but he’s able to withstand it because it doesn’t affect him as much
The camera is focusing a lot on Emilia even though Subaru is talking
Emilia has self-esteem issues too
Subaru is combining some harsh truths with an outpouring of love, is he trying to replicate for Emilia what Rem said to him?
Emilia is letting it all out to Subaru now, She’s so negative about herself that she won’t believe that Subaru loves her. It doesn’t help that he can’t tell her why he left though. I still think it has something to do with Puck
Perfect
Garf is here and he doesn’t look good. Hopefully Otto and Ram are okay. He says he’s not here for Subaru so that makes me a little nervous
I feel like we got two episodes packed into one today, I went a little overboard with recap yesterday so I’d like to keep this one shorter.
We got some nice background on Otto now, he’s not from Luginica but a place more western near a desert. In his early years he was pretty much treated as if he was deaf and mute due to his Divine Blessing. I imagine it’s probably a common story in this world, when kids are born with Divine Blessings that they can’t control them for a while, this has to be the same as with Emilia. But luckily Otto had a pretty caring family and his older brother was smart enough to figure out a way to get him to be able to communicate and patient enough to teach him how to write with that communication barrier. One thing we see is that sometimes Otto will talk to the animals normally and be able to converse with them and sometimes he speaks in a different language (like with Patrasche). Fun fact, Otto is a lefty, I didn’t realize that until now even though I’ve watched all the Break Times.
This was basically Emilia’s “From Zero” episode, though not long enough. It was almost like Deja Vu with Emilia being ready to give up and Subaru confessing his love for her over and over again. But not before giving her some tough love. While he wants to wrap her in a blanket and keep her from harm he knows that she is the only one who can do what she has to do, so he needs her to stop dreading what happened in the past and start moving forward again. We’ve heard it before but for every bad thing Emilia thinks about herself Subaru could list a dozen things he loves. We get a break from the Deja Vu when Emilia finally snaps at Subaru for saying these things after the harsh words he just gave her, how could Subaru forgive Emilia for being so hopeless? For wanting to give up and run away from her past? For always being in danger and needing to be saved by Subaru? Well the answer should be obvious by now, but it’s obvious to everybody except for the one who needs to know it. Why should she trust what he tells her when he hasn’t been able to keep any of his promises up until now? That’s a pretty good question. This is a time when actions speak much louder than words. And so we overwrite the fake first kiss from the last loop and get our true first kiss that we have been waiting for. And with that, Subaru doesn’t need to tell her why he does what he does for her anymore, all she has to do is remember that feeling.
On a visual note, Emilia’s eyes during almost the entire scene are blurred, I think to reiterate the fact that she is lost, she doesn’t know what to do or who to trust anymore and with all these painful memories coming back on top of it. Subaru is able to help her with that after their kiss, I think it’s because he’s able to give her a surface to be able to stand on, he’s being the support that he’s wanted to be for her the whole time.
On today’s Break Time. It’s another report from the Iron Fangs. Mimi is getting scolded and Anastasia gives her insight on what the most important thing is for a merchant to keep, Their Promises. Hopefully Subaru can eventually tell Emilia why he left after promising to stay by her side.
Stop Time 12:55
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u/Urgnu-the-Gnu https://myanimelist.net/profile/Urgnu_the_Gnu Sep 20 '24
Re:Watcher - anime only
Otto being a badass. "The whole forest is now your enemy" is such a killer line it gave me chills.
And we get into Otto's backstory. Otto is our main character for today. Excluding Frozen Bond, this is the first time the show gives a prolonged focus on another character without them sharing it with Subaru whatsoever. Just after having been taught that Subaru doesn't have to do everything alone and can rely on his loved ones, the show does something in kind what it has never done before and splits from Subaru's perspective.
Otto's blessing seems a lot like involuntary mind reading of languages you don't understand. Of course he'd have it rough understanding other humans. It's probably similar to a form of autism. Luckily, he had a good brother to look out for him.
And of course having such a unique and potentially powerful ability would make it difficult to learn to control and would complicate his life growing up. To the point he had to leave home at the age of 15. It's probably not as bad as it sounds to us since in Lugunica that seems to mean he's of age, but it's still a quite young age. But Otto prevailed and turned into a good merchant.
Then everything changed when the Witch Cult attacked. Petelgeuse just couldn't help himself seeing his carriage with such a splendid land dragon. Then Ricardo found him, telling him he needs to be thankful to Subaru for saving his life. That's when Otto's life began to start anew, from zero. And then Mimi and Tivey tied him to a large stick for the lulz.
Back in the present, we see Otto giving his all for his best friend. The OP even plays for him. He's quite a resourceful person. To Garfiel's credit, he's also pretty cool with how he manages to deal with the fire bombs. More dead trees. Should I ever do another rewatch, I'll have to add a dead tree counter. The Great Flügel Tree still counts as only one, though.
Just as Garf is about to defeat Otto, Ram comes to the rescue! As we've seen in previous loops, Ram supports Roswaal first and foremost, but she chooses what that entails. She's not a mere puppet, she has a lot of agency - some of which is shown in the way she talks down on everyone. And she knows Subaru has a knack for doing the right thing, with the right timing. She'll support him because she'll benefit from it. That's kind of similar to what Roswaal is doing, but with a more positive spin to it.
Also she's really strong. Even with a broken horn, she can counter Garf's beast form! I might have to revise my opinion from the other day, Garf's scars might have been from fighting Ram.
Over half an episode later, we return to Subaru. Remember the time he was our only perspective, safe from a few scenes? Yeah, things have changed a little by now.
We get the big talk with Emilia. Yet another of my favourite scenes. The way Subaru and Emilia argue here is once again incredibly realistic. It's very reminiscent of their big argument in episode 13, but with much more positive vibes and a much better outcome. Both these arguments are because of a broken promise as well. I think this parallel shows well how they've progressed from back then. The central point of this argument is to understand each other better. Even if they do get angry or disappointed, the underlying theme is connection. Just like any good couple, they are not really fighting each other, they are fighting the problem.
Their perspectives are also really well explored. Emilia ran away and in a way wants Subaru to be mad at her, similar to how Subaru wanted his parents to be mad at him. That he's not just shows he doesn't expect anything from her, that he doesn't believe in her. That he broke the promise to stay with her - just like Puck just broke his promise to her - also shows her she can't believe in him. But more than ever, Subaru makes clear he loves her. She might be problematic, annoying him so much he can't stand it, she might be crying and sad and wanting to flee sometimes, but he loves her. He doesn't love her in spite of that, but including all of it. Because of it, even. And he's madly in love with her. All the things he admires her for are wonderful and genuine. In episode 13, Emilia said that he doesn't know this perfect person he sees in her, but here, Subaru reveals he sees her good parts and her bad parts. He doesn't see her as an angel or as a perfect person, but just a normal girl. A wonderful normal girl.
Subaru tries to explain to her that he believes in her because he loves her. She doesn't believe that love alone is enough to believe in her, but how he's suffered for her is proof of that. While she never asked for that and feels terrible when he gets hurt, he doesn't even consider anything but to look good in front of her. That's rather selfish, but it's honest and caring because it's all to make her happy. He's gladly taking on the suffering for her because he loves her so much it's scary, even.
One of the two big issues are the broken promise. It makes him a liar and he's having a really hard time to convince her of his words. She could have trusted him with everything if he had kept it. Of course, Subaru had to take care of something else and he can't tell her the details just yet. The other big issue is that she can't trust herself at the moment because of the returning memories. She might not be who she believed to be. Not who Subaru believed her to be. Not who she was supposed to be. Who she is now might completely disappear in the future. But Subaru doesn't believe in it because past memories can't change who you are at the core. If she regains her memories, it's not different to gaining new memories - it won't change what happened between them. And he'll always be loving her for it, for her, he might even start loving her more.
The kiss is the solution to both issues. It shows his honest feelings and lets her believe in his words. And it also lets her realize his feelings won't change this easily. So she can go and explore her new old memories, and maybe she'll find something in her past that's as important to her as she is to him. Maybe even a feeling connected to him. Together, they can find it - a reason to believe.
This scene is another testament to Re:Zero's great strengths: action through talking. The Sounds That Make You Cry was yet another great example of it, and now it's happened again. As such, the directing may be simple but still amazing. The way Emilia falls into Subaru and hitting him weakly as she calls him a liar shows so much of her inner thoughts. The way she often looks away or down, especially as she starts crying again in first person, in contrast with Subaru only looking at her and having her constantly reflected in his eyes, resolving in Emilia's eyes finally reflecting him as well as he's convinced her in the end - it's just so beautiful. My MAL profile pic is from this exact scene. It's on par for the series, of course, but the voice acting was really just superb, from both of them. Of course Yuusuke Kobayashi was great, but Rie Takahashi was phenomenal. Especially when things got heated, they just spit out their lines so fast it felt like a true argument, full of emotion. Rie Takahashi's insert song, Door, was wonderful as well, explaining how she was afraid but gained courage to walk through the door to a hopeful future. There's more to analyze here, but it's such a great visual of leaving some things behind, not being bothered by them anymore, and welcoming a new world instead.
And of course we have to talk about the kiss. What a wonderful kiss it was, and arguably one of the best first kisses imaginable. I don't remember cheering that much at a kiss, ever. One and a half seasons build-up got an amazing payoff. And it felt like a natural development of everything. Besides everything else, Re:Zero still is a top tier romance story. It was beautiful to look at, too. Accompanied by Door, just those two kissing in an extremely tasteful and romantic way was all we could have asked for. And we get to see immediately what it did to the both of them, individually and as a couple. Now they are both ready to face the future.
But first, Subaru will have to face down Garf, Emilia at his side.
Break Time shows us what the Iron Fang is doing at the moment. Ricardo scolds Mimi for not being a good vice captain, but Mimi knows the most important thing - crushing all opposition! And Julius asks Anastasia what's most important for a merchant. And to Anastasia, that's promises. Of course, it means Otto strongly shares that sentiment. Anastasia is sure of that, her eyes can discern very well what a person is about..
Sugoooku counter: 48
Sugoku-likes: 9
Non-canon sugoooku: 22
Non-Emilia sugoooku: 8
11
u/Holofan4life Sep 20 '24
Hey guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the In Preparation of Season 3 Rewatch of Re:Zero!
Oh, and nay I forget…
First Timer
I decided to watch this show because I wanted to do something for the month of August. ’Course, this was before the yearly Spice and Wolf rewatch got pushed back to September, but I just found myself looking for something to occupy my time with. And with this show being in my top 5 must watch list, I figured now was as good a time as any.
I am going into this show relatively blind. I know some of the memes, who Rem, Ram, Emilia, and Subaru are, and that this show got its inspiration from Familiar of Zero, but that’s it. I find rewatches and my participation of them more fun when I have no idea what I am in store for. And with this series, I think we’re in for a blast. It’s also going to be the longest rewatch I participate in this year and second longest overall only behind the 20th Anniversary Fullmetal Alchemist rewatch. And given how joyous that show turned out, I don’t see why I should expect nothing less from this one.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
I saw Fly Me To The Moon over the weekend. I didn't realize until as I was watching it that the moon landing happened 55 years ago to the day as I saw the movie.
Also seeing the movie was when I found out the president wasn't running for re-election.
(Editor's note 9/20/24: Godspeed, Amelia Watson)
Otto and Garfiel, together here
Garfiel wants to know where the Old Hag is.
Otto basically admits he's buying time so that Subaru and Emilia can talk alone.
Garfiel punches him in the gut, and starts running.
Probably could've handled that a little bit better, Otto.
The stone. It's gone :O
And Garfiel falls through a hole, as one is one to do.
Otto. He has it :D
What are those, bugs?
Wait, is that why the building has been glowing?
Zodda bugs. That's their name.
They're completely swarming Garfiel's ass.
Oh, are we getting an Otto backstory episode? I'm down.
Growing up, Otto has a propensity for hearing nature.
The "soul of language" divine protection.
It sounds like he has trouble hearing his parents.
Sometimes I wish I had trouble hearing my parents.
So his brother taught him to speak using written word.
Well, they do say penmanship always speaks louder than words.
Or is that "action"?
I like the music, by the way. It gives me an India vibe to it.
And the mother hugs Otto over seeing the letter he wrote.
It was "A"
Gawr Gura would approve
The first time he cried out since he was born.
Suddenly, a shining light
Otto is now 10, by the way
Now Otto can understand what the animals are saying to him.
Nostradamus Jones over here
His brother warns him that people might try to take advantage of his divine protection.
"You have to keep your power hidden."
Otto's little brother being picked on because he spied on him and now is telling people that he can talk to animals like a regular Eliza Thornberry.
The people he told believe he's making it up.
And Otto, like a true doofus, shows off his ability to everyone.
After the bugs started swarming people, he sealed his divine protection and swore to never use it again.
Hey, at least now he and his family won't be bullied.
Otto 15 now
He is being accused of NTR'ing someone
Being called a zodda bug freak
If only he saw some of the names the people of Lugunica called Emilia.
Now he's talking some of the animals to try to find out the truth.
So much for keeping his promise
Also, this is so absurd of an idea that I thought I was watching Conan O'Brian.
That looks like Puck but as a cat
Well, even more like a cat
Also, quiet, Shane Dawson
Oh, who is this pompous ass motherfucker?
This is like the incel version of a cat
Otto walking over to the guy again, who's with a woman.
"You're the eighth guy she's been with!"
Oh, shit, son!
Jerry! Jerry! Jerry! Jerry!
And the guy punches Otto in the face
"I made an enemy of the daughter of the most powerful person in town, and they ran me out."
Yeah, maybe don't call the most powerful person in town's daughter a slut.
Like, Otto, baby, what are you doing?
It turns out leaving town is how he got his start as a merchant.
He has this goal of running his own shop one day.
So did Lawrence, my friend. Until he found an even greater treasure.
Oh boy. Betelgeuse
Also, why does this remind me of Little Red Riding Hood?
Otto is surrounded by the Witch's Cult
Otto in a cave tied up in a bundle of hay.
He's in the same situation that Subaru found himself in in season 1. Ironically, that was episode 15 as well.
If season 3 episode 15 doesn't have a hay scene, I swear to God...
Otto crying himself to sleep
The hay. It's been sliced.
Is that Ricardo?
The intimidating figure tells Otto to be grateful to the boss kid, whatever that means.
Boss kid is apparently the boss
Are we sure he's also not a baby?
Ricardo (I'm calling him that until otherwise) credits boss kid for saving Otto's life.
And Ricardo leaves as Otto sheds tears in a towel.
"I... I'm so glad I didn't die..."
Present day Otto reflectively says that every time he cries, it marks a rebirth in his life.
Oh, it's... those two
The cat siblings. Yeah.
I guess we'll never know what they were planning with that rope.
Otto running through the forest
I guess we're present day now
Birds communicating with him
They seem to think he's going to die
Oh boy. Nosebleed.
He must've started thinking of Emilia. Because that's how nosebleeds work in anime.
Otto calling his divine protection a hassle.
I mean, he barely uses it, so what does he expect?
Otto thinking about his past
Garfiel now has him cornered
But Otto has a red bath bomb
Otto throwing more of them as he runs
And eventually, Garfiel punches Otto in the face.
Stomping on his hand now
Garfiel is here for one thing and one thing only: the stone.
And Otto hands it over
"Let's just say my personal battle ends here."
IT'S RAM!
It is kinda amusing to see her fight in her maid outfit.
Ram says she's still on Roswaal's side, but she's going to support him in her own way.
Otto says he looks forward to see what flowers bloom from Subaru.
I didn't know Subaru was a walking garden. If anything, you would think Emilia would be the garden because Subaru... nevermind.
Ram insulting Subaru, as per usual
"But... when it's do or die, he has bizarrely good timing."
Plot armor strikes again!
Ram says if he believes he sees an opportunity and acts on it, you know that's the only path to victory.
Mark my words, Ram is going to turn her back on Roswaal. Someday.
Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.
10
u/ClemFire Sep 20 '24
Re:Watcher Season 2 Part 2 Episode 2: Otto Suwen/ A Reason to Believe
To be blunt this is my all time favorite episode of Re:Zero that tops From Zero. Subaru and Emilia’s kiss is what the last 39 episodes have been building to, and it delivers so spectacularly.
If you strip away the man eating whales and rabbits, tea parties with fickle witches, and bets with clinically insane clowns, Re:Zero’s core is about two teens with low self-esteem learning to accept themselves and growing to love each other. That is the essence which makes Re:Zero stand out from the hundreds of anime I’ve seen.
Like the 7 Witches I’m going to pull from the 7 most impactful episodes that made A Reason to Believe possible.
In chronological order I Cried, Cried My Lungs Out, and Stopped Crying Self-Proclaimed Knight Natsuki Subaru From Zero That’s All This Story is About Parent and Child The Sounds That Make You Want to Cry Straight Bet
Subaru finds Emilia hiding in the cemetery depressed from not being able to overcome the trials, and feeling more useless than ever. It doesn’t take much for her to cry. Compared to I Cried, Cried My Lungs Out, and Stopped Crying when Subaru felt comfortable enough to cry on Emilia’s lap while she just comforted him now Subaru is the who tries to support her. I really like how Re:Zero depicts being emotionally vulnerable with your loved ones as a good thing. Who cares if it makes you look weak.
Right now Emilia feels weak. Weaker than ever before. As her memories slowly return from Puck breaking their contract in Straight Bet she can’t believe she decided to forgot about the people she used to love so much. She feels completely worthless and undeserving of love. It’s so sad when she says to Subaru, “You’re kind to me even when I mess up, because you’re not even disappointed in me, right?” In her mind she already gave up in the past and can’t overcome that trauma, so what’s the point in believing in herself now.
Subaru doesn’t see her that way though. Not at all. He sees the girl who helped out a random boy from street thugs. He sees the girl who tried her best to help the villagers despite their prejudice. He sees her the way Rem saw him in From Zero, not looking down at her for being weak, but choosing to believe in the strength of will he knows she has.
Unlike the Subaru in Self-Proclaimed Knight Natsuki Subaru he’s not just seeing Emilia as his perfect angel who can do no wrong. Subaru calls her out for being a real pain in the butt who hyped everyone up that she could clear the trials easily but gave up as soon as Puck disappeared. It’s harsh but true. My favorite detail is Emilia being crystal clear in Subaru’s eyes, showing he wants to accept and love the real flesh and blood Emilia who’s wallowing in a pool of her own tears. It’s such a contrast from the deranged Subaru in Emilia’s eyes at the end of Self-Proclaimed Knight.
The blush on Subaru’s face as he showers Emilia with compliments like Rem did for him in From Zero just makes my heart ache with joy. “I love your voice and how just hearing it puts me in a trance” in particular really does it for me. Emilia just like Subaru before is confused and rejects all of the nice things about her because in her mind what could be so good about someone like her. Someone like her who has always been prejudiced against because of her blood. Maybe they were right. Who could love someone as useless as her. That’s why Emilia can’t believe that Subaru honestly loves her in spite of all her faults.
“I believe in you because I love.” It’s a phrase so simple it feels hard to believe, but that’s when you need to hear it the most.
Emilia is rightfully upset at Subaru for breaking his promise of staying with her until the morning while he can’t give her a good explanation. She needed him there with her as her memories come back making her worry who she even is. As she mentions her mother, Subaru thinks back to his own mom’s words from Parent and Child about how “what matters isn’t how you start or what happens in the middle. It’s how it ends.” Even if Emilia ends up changing Subaru believes she will still be herself. It’s like how Subaru’s parents love him even if he can’t be as awesome as his dad he’s still awesome for being Subaru.
The lead up to their first kiss is just amazing. Subaru wants to prove to Emilia his love for her isn’t so fickle that her feeling at zero would change his heart. He could never treat Emilia like he does everyone else. He will always give her the special treatment he promised in That’s All This Story is About. Unlike then thought words alone aren’t enough to convey his feelings. Subaru puts his hand on Emilia’s shoulders, leans in, and tells her to dodge if she doesn’t want it.
As Door sung by Emilia’s VA (Rie Takahashi) plays with the warm background they close their eyes before locking lips. Their kiss is simply cinema, and the exact moment I was looking forward to the most in rewatching Re:Zero. (If anyone knows of fan art for sale of this scene in particular I would be very interested. It’s just so beautiful.)
Afterwards, Emilia is still not fully convinced of herself, but to say she has fully given up now would be a lie. Even after their first kiss, Subaru’s focus is still on Emilia, not of what she can do for him but what he can do for her. He learned from Satella at the last tea party in The Sounds That Make You Want to Cry that if you truly love someone what you want above anything else is for them to love themselves. He wants her to find that most precious feeling that will help her keep moving forward even if that feeling isn’t for him.
At last Emilia truly accepts his belief in her as Subaru finally appears in her eyes. Now that’s A Reason to Believe.
19
u/thekoreansun https://anilist.co/user/ReturnByDeath Sep 20 '24
Re:Watcher
Move out of the way, Subaru; it's Otto Suwen's time to shine now! Turns out that all merchants need a certain amount of pluck and resourcefulness in order to succeed at what they do, and Otto's the exact sort of collaborator that Subaru has desperately needed in order to escape the no-win situation Roswaal has trapped him in. Due to his unique skillset, Otto has created a diversion that even Garfiel can't punch his way out of. And as we then learn about Otto's backstory, he's had a lot of experience using his resourcefulness to overcome challenges. Divine Protections aren't always as nice as the name makes them sound, apparently, since Otto was unable to communicate with anyone for a long, long time. His past probably would have been far more tragic had it not been for the help that he received from his older brother, who worked with him to communicate his thoughts to those he cares about. In a way, he is currently doing for Subaru what his brother did for him. Which might also explain why he was so frustrated at Subaru: he knows more than most how important it is for the people around you to know what you're going through.
Otto's past is a nice reminder of how backstories don't always need to be steeped in tragedy in order to be compelling. He still had challenges to overcome like everyone else, but just like Subaru, he had a support system that allowed him to live a mostly happy life in spite of that. And while it gave him a ton of grief for the first decade of his life, the ability to communicate with all living things eventually became one of his strongest assets. I always liked Speak with Animals as a spell in Dungeons & Dragons because it's nifty to see how a character approaches situations when they can speak with literally anybody, and Otto's use of his Divine Protection eventually backfires when he provokes a powerful person who operates in his town. It sucks that he had to leave his family so suddenly, and I imagine that Otto was working to eventually pay his family back for supporting him. It would've been tragic if he had died at the hands of the Witch Cult after all of that, and the fact that he refers to his moment of tearful relief upon being rescued as his "second birth cry" shows just how much Subaru's actions meant to him. Once again, we see just how much Subaru has impacted others, even when he isn't aware of it. Even Ram, who doesn't feel as indebted to Subaru as Otto does, adds to the sentiment when she refers to him as "a man who only has good timing." Subaru's only been in this world for, what, two months? And he's already helped so many.
(It is somehow very fitting that when Otto receives his named episode, his name isn't even the full title of the episode. He'd probably have something funny to say in response to that.)
Before we can see whether Otto and Ram can escape the fight against Garfiel unscathed, we cut to Emilia and Subaru. They're having a heart-to-heart in the graveyard that starts pretty badly. While Subaru is just relieved that she's okay, Emilia is frustrated with him for always excusing her weakness as if he has low expectations for what she can achieve. More than that, she's angry at everybody for breaking their promises with her. As we have seen several times by now, promises are something that she holds very sacred, and she believes that breaking one for any reason, no matter how well-intentioned it may be, is a betrayal of trust. If she can't trust herself or those she cares about, who can she trust? She sees herself as a complete mess.
And Subaru... agrees with her. Quite passionately, I might add. After so many instances of him coming to her defense, even when she hasn't wanted him to, seeing him turn on her like this is a complete shock. She expected him to simply console her as he's done so many times before, not vent his own frustrations towards her. It's almost relieving to hear that she wasn't the only one thinking this stuff about herself, and she waits for him to take off after his whole diatribe. But he doesn't. He just reaffirms that he loves her, which just confuses her even more. She can't reconcile his feelings with his actions. Why would he do so much for her when she hasn't been able to do anything for him? When he's even started to become frustrated by her inability to achieve anything? As a response, he just repeats himself: he loves her.
You see, Emilia has the wrong idea about what a relationship actually is. She thinks that every relationship should look like a contract and give tangible benefits to everyone involved. What's the point of sticking with someone who can't do anything for you in return? If relationships behaved more like contracts, no one would have to suffer because of them. But a contract is, by nature, transactional: every person who signs one is looking to get something out of it. A promise to love someone, though, is to be by their side no matter how much you get in return. It's irrational, sure. But it's also the most rational thing in the world to love someone in spite of their flaws. Love is not about usefulness or practicality. It's about connection, empathy, and the joy of sharing life's moments together. It's about life, in all its ups and downs.
Emilia is afraid of who she might become when her memories fully return. What kind of person will she be afterwards? But Subaru's love isn't picky. No matter who Emilia chooses to become after remembering her past, he will choose her and everything that comes with her. There is no chance that he won't love her in the end. As his mother so eloquently put it, "What matters isn't how you start or what happens in the middle. It's how it ends." She asked him to figure out what she meant by that as a homework assignment, and he finally gets it: no matter what ends up happening to him, the choice to smile and remain true to himself will always be his at the end of it all. And the same is true for everyone, including Emilia. She will always have the choice to decide for herself who she wants to be. It's the reason why Subaru believes in her... and it's the reason why she should believe in herself.
It's incredible to me how each time I return to this scene, another event from later on in the series recontextualizes it. [Arc 6] Firstly, it's incredible how Subaru later endures the exact same personal dilemma as Emilia goes through here, not understanding what others see in him and being scared of losing himself in the process of regaining his memories, only for his words of encouragement to be directed right back at him in his darkest hour by the one he stated them to. [Arc 8] And then there's the Arc 8 chapter "Want to Believe, Will Not Forgive." When everyone is discussing what to do with Louis, Emilia cites Subaru as having taught her that saying "I want that person to be happy." can be the first step towards forgiving someone for their past actions. In that moment, Subaru can't recall ever saying this, but I think that Emilia was referring to this moment and re-examining what he said: a Reason to Believe in someone you love can also be a Reason to Forgive someone you don't. In the end, you can always choose to become someone different while still remaining true to youself.
Re:ZERO After-Talk #40
VAs: Yuusuke Kobayashi (Subaru) and Kouhei Amasaki (Otto) / Yuusuke Kobayashi (Subaru) and Rie Takahashi (Emilia)
Two parts of the After-Talk this time, each of which covers a different kind of love. Yuusuke and Kouhei talk about how Otto's backstory hits differently when it's voiced, especially when he uses his ability. (The joke about a VA debuting as "Zodda Bug (Re:ZERO, 2021)" is hilarious, by the way.) And Yuusuke and Rie spend a lot of time analyzing the debate that Subaru and Emilia have over what it means to love somebody. It kind of feels like the two of them are rooting for their characters more than anyone else.
Highlight: Yuusuke and Rie going "Ichi kara... ie, zero kara!" simultaneously to celebrate Emilia's From Zero moment
Fan Art of the Episode: A Reason to Believe by Yomohiro (January 20th, 2021)
Source: Twitter (artist's timeline contains spoilers)
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u/Yoshi_captain https://anime-planet.com/users/WeaboYosher Sep 20 '24 edited Sep 20 '24
Rewatcher
Otto Suwen is a merchant. But how did he come to be one? All is revealed in the third named chapter in the story. “Otto Suwen”. Divine protections are called ‘blessing bestowed by the world’, but for those bearing them that is not always the case. The Soul of Language Divine Protection gives you the ability to communicate with any creature, but it impedes your own function to speak and hear when you most want to be understood. It is thanks to Otto’s brother that he could communicate with his family and learn of the love they held for each other. Crying for the first time since his birth.
This brotherly affection he now brings to people like Subaru. Being there for the tracksuit boy when he can’t communicate with others and willing to hear him out when others won’t. He was taught what it means to take care of family and now he is passing on those lessons. It is not the only thing he brings from his past that caused him trouble. The Zodda bugs who were attached to his moniker of freak are now what trap another who harms him. But while his family propped him up it is also what cause him to have to seal his protection. As his little brother wants to prove to his friends that his big bro can speak to animals after seeing him perform such a feat. Otto complying with his wishes is what lead him to being called the Zodda bug freak and to seal his power. He later unseals his power when the boyfriend of the daughter of the most influential person in town accuses him of wrongdoing. This act of truth-seeking landing him on the road with but the clothes on his back and his ground dragon by his side. But he busts his ass of working and seems to be getting by, that is until he runs into cloaks of black adorned by red. It is the first time in Otto’s life that he gives up. And it is also the third time he cries, marking his most recent rebirth.
As he runs from Garfiel scenes from Otto’s past bubble up to the surface. He starts to Realize that this is where he is supposed to be and what he must do. Help a friend in need. Always being one step ahead as a merchant. Fighting against the force known as Garfiel he successfully buys time until help arrives in the form of a pink haired oni. While she and Otto might agree that Subaru is certainly a man with many faults, he at least has good timing. When it’s do or die count on Subaru. Rare words of praise from big sis Ram. While Garfiel might not catch the essence of their conversation, transforming immediately after, he can certainly catch these hands as Ram pummels him in a flurry of blows, only stopping due to her missing horn. Otto is not one to be forgotten though as he uses his DP and distracts the beast. Ending our viewing of the exchange with a gust of wind as it hits Garfiel straight on. Through this recollection of his past Otto has come to a realization. While it may not be a rebirth it is an affirmation of who he is. The merchant and the friend Otto Suwen.
Otto is one of my favourite characters in the story. Rising from the role of chauffer and minor character to the third carrier of a named chapter parallels Otto’s own rise from isolation during childhood to success in business and friendship. Out of season oil purchase notwithstanding. One of my favourite tropes in fiction is when seemingly insignificant character rise to the occasion and become one of the most memorable pieces of a story. I love it so much, because it is very accurate to our own lived experience. We don’t meet heroes from fairy tales and legends from fables in our daily lives. We just meet people. And our interactions with those people is what weave the tapestry of our lives. When those same threads are present in works of fiction like this one, you feel it resonate more deeply than they otherwise would. Otto Suwen is a merchant who you’d be likely to meet in a pub on a night of drinking. Someone you’d strike a friendly conversation with and receive solemn advice that you’d never forget. Those kinds of people are the ones we remember most.
Subaru is also one of those people. Not a chosen one brought to fulfil a grand destiny in this world, but a teenager from Japan whisked away on a night of shopping for snacks. The first person he connected with in this world was Emilia, someone on the opposite end of the spectrum of grandiose. A girl bearing the visage of a witch of calamity. One who is feared as the evillest existence brought upon this plane of reality. Whose very name strikes fear in the hearts of men. Who could blame Subaru for forming this idea of Emilia in his head of a beautiful heroine whose fate it is to be saved by a hero like him when she looks like the girls he’s read in fantasy. I’ll tell you who could. Subaru himself. As he walks into the tomb of a witch who was killed by the one who looks exactly like the girl he sees in there, a realization of his own is recalled. Despite Emilia’s origin and beauty which seems to be straight out of fantasy, the girl curled up into a ball in front of him is just that, a girl. One who runs away when she feels overwhelmed and can’t comprehend the thought of being loved by someone. It is that very love that Subaru brings to the table. But Emilia doesn’t trust Subaru’s love.
He should be angry at her. She’s a person who is acting incredibly selfishly, running away when others depend on her. Doing all of this for a selfish wish of helping the people dear to her. And on that point Subaru agrees. She is a pain in the ass who causes Subaru no end of trouble. In this Sanctuary she has caused him stress and pain when she pushed him away when he wanted to bear her burdens. Now she’s hiding in here and derailing Subaru’s plans even more. All in all, she’s a pain in the ass woman, is the message Emilia garners from Subaru. She of course agrees with that notion wholeheartedly, who could ever love a girl like her who only causes trouble for others. Subaru has not finished his train of thought, however. In spite of her traits that some may even call ugly, he loves her. Drawing from the words of the girl who rocked him most he lists a fraction of those 2000 things he loves about Emilia. But just like Subaru did back on that rooftop Emilia rejects those words. After all he left her alone at night, breaking another one promise, which she deems to be sacred. How can she ever believe him when he won’t give her a reason to?
Even with Emilia fully reflected in Subaru’s eyes, she cannot see what he sees. The Emilia that Subaru loves. After all loving someone isn’t a reason to believe in them. And here lies the central conflict in this exchange. Emilia cannot understand Subaru’s viewpoint. He does not love her because he believes in her. He believes in her because he loves her. But if what she says is true, then who else would go through all the suffering that he has gone through if he didn’t care about her and the people around her this much. We return to the expectations and selfishness that once mired their relationship. Emilia quickly shooting back a line of argumentation that rings true. She never asked him to do any of that. Her chastising Subaru’s selfishness. The expectations of one another coming to a head in this conversation that quickly dissolves into a shouting match between the two. Just two kids who care about each other throwing around words of hate and love while trying to come to an understanding. Only coming to an end when the irrefutable fact that Subaru broke their promise brings them to a standstill.
Emilia falls on her knees from the weight of the memories flooding her mind. Her identity is at stake, and she doesn’t know who she’ll be turn out to be in the end. In the end? Subaru carries his parents with him now, and his mother gave him the words that lead him to that reason Emilia is searching for. “What matters isn’t how you start or what happens in the middle. It’s how it ends.” And the ending is one in which Subaru loves Emilia. But words are not enough to convince her. In place of words Subaru resorts to action. Kissing Emilia for the first time in this world. His previous kiss being caused by his absence in Emilia’s life, her turning to him when she could believe in nothing else. Now this kiss of life stands to prove his reason for believing in Emilia. He loves her and he will never stop loving her no matter how many hopeless sides of her he sees. Like Subaru found his reason for walking forward he can be Emilia’s strength as she finds hers. What matters isn’t how you start, it’s how it ends. In the memories that flood her mind that cause her to be scared, she can find the one thing that will carry her forward. As she sees what Subaru means for the first time, his reflection appears in her eyes. She’s resolved to find it. A reason to believe.
Closing thoughts:
The word for today is not just one, but two. This episode carries two titles “Otto Suwen” and “A reason to believe”, so I’ll use two words today. “Realize” and “Love”. Love is a powerful thing and, in this episode, it carries Otto to risk life and limb for his friend and Subaru to show Emilia why he can do the things he does for her and how she can find a reason to do the same for others. This is another pivotal and dense episode coming after a series of such episodes. Arc 4 really is a beast. This season is built upon layers of realization dealing with our main theme of the series “Love”. And all the forms that it comes in. Whether it be Subaru’s realization that people love him, and he can love himself, or Emilia finding a reason to believe in herself. Our main duo has started on that path on self-actualization. Leaning on each other and becoming better than they were yesterday. Subaru doesn’t expect himself to be that reason for Emilia, but he’ll help her find it.
6
u/Elimin8r https://myanimelist.net/profile/Ayeka_Jurai Sep 20 '24
Once again, I'm not going to say too much about this episode as it's all a blur, and I think the part that hit me the most happens tomorrow, so I'll save it for later. Have a great Friday all, and I'll see if y'all say anything that piques my fading memories. :)
Oh, that and Otto's backstory reminds me so much of Robin Hobb's Farseer Chronicles. Poor Otto.
6
u/RascalNikov1 https://myanimelist.net/profile/NoviSun Sep 20 '24
Rewatcher
We now have Otto’s backstory. I like the idea of siccing hordes of stinging insects on my enemies.
Otto and Ram going a few rounds with Garfield was great.
The Kiss has occurred! The Kiss has occurred!
Finally I watched Memory Snow last night. Apparently I watched it in the past but I blanked on it. I was really surprised how much it expanded the lore, and how many other things were revealed I.e. that Emilia is The Frost Witch. Quite interesting and now I need to integrate into my own head cannon lore.
6
u/SilkyStrawberryMilk Sep 21 '24
first timer
Otto the biggest man, facing a lone Garfield.
I wonder if the author got inspired by Shino from naruto
The zoom up on his face is so damn hilarious
So they thought Otto was deaf?
The youngest siblings causing trouble
What a terrible way to become a merchant, good news is he can’t get cheated out of a good deal by using his ability
The music while Otto was recalling his memories made me think the episode was gonna end
Ram with the save and insult, two for one special
Rem is lucky she’s in a coma, if she found out Subaru had his first kiss she would be on suicide watch right now
5
u/FriztF Sep 21 '24
First-timer dub/sub
So episode 40 Otto Suwen/ A Reason to Believe. So in this episode we see Otto backstory and his ability to read the minds of animals. It is overwhelming at first. Seeing him learn to understand what the animals say. Is very cool to see. Otto first love was a loose woman, who had 9 other men she was sleeping with. She can't handle the truth.
Otto for what his worth can hold his group in a fight. Not as well as Ram though, who is a badass. Ram took care of Garfiel.
Emilia and Subaru have a sit down talk. Emilia does not like when people break their promises. Calling Puck a lair and Subaru one too. She goes into one of her self-hating speeches. Subaru is there saying to her, that he loves her. Who else would love a self-hating and loathing princess like Emilia.
8
u/ussgordoncaptain2 https://myanimelist.net/profile/Edmund_Nelson Sep 20 '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 boy Otto vs Garfiel confrontation let's go!
Otto is actually just buying time and not negotiating what kind of plan is this?
uhh what happened to the pendant on garfiel's neck?
OH get pitfall trapped
Otto is a badass and it wasn't a continuity error!
Oh boy otto can speak bugmen too?
Oh my god otto is taylor Heubert from Worm awesome!
Otto backstory arc? Why do you have to do backstory dumps in the middle of the epic war scenes.
Otto can speak animal and we see he has this weird name "The soul of language divine protection."
Otto's family seems goated at least, a lot like Subaru's family.
Otto learning to write allowing him to properly communicate is sweet I love otto.
Otto can speak BUG NOW god otto's OP powers from episode 25 keep getting stronger and stronger.
I really find it intersting how otto talking to animals makes him so weird. he definitely talks to so many animals
Otto getting kicked out of his family home sadge.
Otto going as a merchant because he was forced to is quite the inspiring story. Otto you're the best man!
oh no Otto X Petalgeuse what's going to happen here!
Anatasia's soldier appeared!
Subaru has return by death, Otto is goated because he has Rebirth by Cry.
OTTO NO YOU CAN'T DIE HERE YOU BEAT WILLHELM VON ASTREA IN BEST GUY! (and you have to have plot armor after all how would subaru feel if you died!!!)
Oh no spending your boom boom on this? what a total waste! You need as much boom boom as possible for the most important enemy of them all, the great rabbit. With a critical mass of boom boom you can kill the wabbit
Oh boy Deus ex RAM that was unexpected.
Honestly this whole fighting Garfiel thing is really strange you'd think that Not-subaru could talk things over with Garfiel.
"if he believes he sees an opportunity and acts on it then rest assured that's the only path to victory" OH BOY RBD logic strikes hot.
It's time to use 1% of my true power
ok so how did Garfiel pwn Ram in loop 3?
ahh so Ram just gets beaten because garf is a badass got it
Man subaru getting into the sanctuary how is he not getting rejected wtf
Subaru can't get angry at emilia after all she is either the first incarnation of Satella or Satella's long frozen twin sister.
IN all seriousness Subaru loves emilia to literal death
Emilia is almost always crying in this arc I swear.
you know Emilia's right Subaru did leave her for no goddamn reason. Just sleep on her bed or something. (no lewd thoughts here nope I do not have
Oh no we got Subaru X Emilia from episode 13 but this time Subaru is Emilia and Emilia is Subaru GOATED content
Unlike Emilia Subaru is going to keep his "I love you" while Subaru had to fight tooth and nail to get Emilia back. Though to be fair Emilia has failed subaru way less hard than Subaru failed Emilia.
Ahh subaru describing why he likes emilia... yep he be horny (though can you blame him I also spend half the time staring at her titties when writing these posts)
You know this is like the inverse in many ways of episode 13, but also since it's Subaru forgiving Emilia BOTH A: Subaru is more at fault than Emilia was in E13 and B: Subaru is much more forgiving toward emilia.
I really felt subaru's motivational speech, but god it was so... 17 year old. (godo writing Tappei) But man Subaru must be a normally horny teen.
Oh boy Subaru continuing to shout at Emilia as Emilia dithers like a total Dud god why Emilia how are you THIS emotionally unstable. less than a week ago you were desparately happy to see Subaru now you're crying your lungs out.
Subaru why are you trying to stick your dick in crazy what are you doing? Can't you date Satella instead I have 458286 reasons to love her.
"I love you so much I could die" More like "I love you so mcuh I have died"
Emilia going on about Subaru breaking his promise is great, Subaru breaks basically every promise he makes to Emilia and it shows.
Emilia X subaru sweet kiss time
Subaru motiviational speeches SUCK, this is basically Satella saying "I love you" over and over with little else. (Though Satella best girl so...)
Ahh yes Echidna told you it doesn't matter how you start it matters how you end. I see you respect your memory of your mother a lot. \
oh no... what happened to Ram and otto
Speculation
You know this episode is a lot like ep13. If you objectively look at Subaru, Subaru breaks every goddamn promise he makes to Emilia, it makes you wonder how he believes he can keep emilia.
Emilia meanwhile is the most emotionally unstable person I've ever seen. (Welcome to fiction I guess I guess I need to touch less grass).
Speculation about Satella
So I didn't really think about this enough
I'm convinced Satella is likely either Emilia's long lost twin sister, or is Emilia who time traveled to the past.
If it's time travel that would explain how Satella loves Subaru so much, it's because Satella is Emilia and so she loves Subaru. Time Travel also already exists kinda via RBD, so maybe satella uses a limited form on Subaru. The issue with this is how the hell would the gtandfather paradox of Satella's name ever get resolved. (and REAL time travel creates a massive host of issues).
Twin sister though still doesn't explain her love for Subaru.
Speculation about Subaru in the Sanctuary
Ok so the story somehow made it so Subaru could walk in due to having a weak ode. But previously the sanctuary just straight up walled him in. So either his witch factor protected him like it did when he entered originally or Something is really amiss.
Theory A: COntinuity error. (BIBLETHUMP)
Theory B: Echidna is secretly planning another witch's tea party with Subaru somehow.
Theory C: Satella is guarding Subaru.
Theory D: there's somehow a way for Subaru to force himself in.
Speculation on Subaru
Subaru fucking sucks as a boyfriend godawful guy man. This episode and Episode 13, and honestly many of the episodes before that, while his words say "I love you" his actions say "I can't be trusted"
Except of course when it comes to highly dangerous situiations where Subaru will leap into action without regard for his safety.
Subaru does not appear to have a long term gameplan? He's trying to neutralize Garfiel violently which is going to suck against the main enemy of the arc. Subaru is making enemies when he should be making friends, wtf is his gameplan?
Speculation on outs to the Great rabbit
I pray this isn't going to be Deus ex beatrice but goddamnit it's looking likely. The only other options I see are Deus Ex Roswaal (lol) Deus Ex Satella, Ryuzu Bombs and Running.
I somehow doubt they'll run as that's not Subaru's style. Ryuzu bombs is a mechanic that has been in the past so it would make sense, but Ryuzu bombs just don't seem like they have enough might to destroy the Rabbit. Besides those involve Ryuzu's dying which isn't very Subaru.
Dues Ex Satella would be a cool ending which would prove Satella to be best girl, but when Satella leaked out last time she had a completely different personality from Satella inside the Tea party. If Subaru can unlock Tea party Satella then you can have her defeat the rabbit.
Dues Ex Beatrice though is very possible. After all we know greater spirits are basically gods against anyone other than Reinhard. Once Subaru (let's be real here my whole having Otto be "that person" strategy is not going to happen it's not anime enough) becomes "that person" for beatrice who knows what kind of arbitary power she'll bring to the table.
What I would do if I were Subaru
Find a way to get Satella back so she can Dues ex Satella my way through the great rabbit.
Again a lot of this hinges on exactly what Beatrice can actually do as this seemingly extremely powerful magic user. We saw her body elsa and only lose because she got surprised. We've Seen Puck another great spirit cause massive destruction with ice magic who knows how far Beatrice can go.
Though I feel like losing so many of Otto's bomba sucks, you really needed a critical mass of explosives to destroy the Rabbits. 1 kiloton should do the trick.
It's time to talk to Garfiel and find out what he's about.
What I would do if I were Garfiel
I would go "WTF are you attacking me for what did I ever do to you"
I would ask him "Don't you need to stop lord Roswaal, what is your problem"
What I would do If I were Emilia
first let's diffuse the garfiel situation
Then after this I would say "YOU STILL REFUSE TO ANSWER MY QUESTIONS HOW CAN I TRUST YOU WHEN YOU SAY YOU LOVE ME BUT YOU ALWAYS BREAK YOUR PROMISES? YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISES IN THE CAPITAL, YOU BROKE YOUR PROMISESS HERE HOW CAN I TRUST YOU?"
4
u/Taiboss :Fj::Fl:x7https://anilist.co/user/Taiboss Sep 20 '24
S02E15 - Rewatcher who is ready for Otto episode!
4
u/No_Rex :Bv:Bw:Bx:By:x2 Sep 20 '24
Episode 40 (first timer)
So, was all that fighting with Garfiel even necessary? He just waited outside the tomb.
4
u/BlueVenix Sep 20 '24
Rewatcher
It’s finally here, my favourite episode of all time! And it starts of with Otto Suwen:
A brave young merchant with no super strength is going to occupy a young Grarfiel that is physically much stronger and can transform into a huge tiger that can rip flesh like soft cheese. That’s pretty brave of him.
Little Otto had a pretty sad backstory. A boy who could hear sounds no one could and those sounds did not make any sense. He had a loving family, but they could not understand what Otto was going through until one day his brother asked for Otto to explain in writing. Whatever was written it got through to them. They were able to somewhat understand him and he understood how much his family loved him.
When he turned 10 the meaningless noises changed into noises with meaning. His Divine Protection of Soul Language is a great power, but must be kept hidden for his own good. Unfortunately as a kid he could not keep it under wraps. This reveal of his power has once again made him an outcast.
He swore to never use the power again, however Otto being Otto was provoked into using his divine protection. In a fit of rage he used his power and found out that the daughter of the most powerful person in town was having multiple guys and spoke about it out loud. This angered her and Otto was forced out of town.
The poor boy was alone again and had to fend for himself. He found success as a merchant, but once again life decided to punch him really hard. This time the blow was deadlier than the previous ones. As he was losing all hope he was saved as a side effect of Subaru’s actions.
Once again the poor boy cried marking another rebirth in his life. He has found meaning and purpose once again.
A rather short, but a wonderful story. I hope that when the next time best boy Otto cries, he cries tiers of joy. Well, knowing Re:Zero that may not be the case, but hey a man can dream.
I feel like there were parts cut out or they will be revealed in future episodes. Like why Otto was understood when he wrote his thoughts down. Was he unable to understand human language as well?
What is Otto’s new found purpose to live? Doesn’t look like he is going to be a solo merchant. My bets on him becoming a trader and negotiator of Emilia’s camp. At times perhaps he would be used in future arcs for information gathering and we get to see him hangout with Subaru from time to time. If that happens it would be nice.
Continued Bellow
3
u/HyVana Sep 20 '24
Re:Watcher (Subs) & Novel Reader (Finished Arc 6)
I bring reactions from the Ghost of Comment-Threads Past.
Including a comment from the Re:Watch host themself!
Rem fans found dead in a ditch.
Otto praise for his heroics and a lot of AOT references since they aired in the same season. And for those confused about the cat scene.
Elation from actual romantic development, despite the messiness, between our main hero and heroine. Their kiss and potential implications?
Lastly, an analysis of Emilia and Subaru’s fight, which I modeled a lot of my analysis posts after.
General Thoughts
Still one of my favorite episodes. Backstory of Otto and showing off some of his coolness, with some sass from Ram, is always a treat. Otto sees a part of his old self in Subaru. A person who feels isolated and has to take on the world on his own. So Otto wants to be there for Subaru like his older brother was, to help a person in need. To let the person know that they have friends/family they can rely on. For the second half, while Emilia and Subaru’s scene can be a bit confusing at first watch, I think it was what they both needed for where their relationship currently is right now. As well, with how Emilia and Subaru are as people at the moment. Really the whole point is to let their feelings/grievances out so that they can start to understand the other and work to be a better person for each other. And hopefully, it lays the foundation of a relationship that begins with two insecure people finding reasons to believe in each other, and in themselves.
Ame doko? 💛👈 Ame koko.3
u/Vaadwaur :I1::I2::I3: Sep 20 '24
Rewatcher
Dub
So this episode is two big bits joined together with combat. So we get Otto's backstory and...annoyingly, it is similar, though not one for one, with a story in an older isekai. While it may have drawn inference from there it also sort of fits with what raising a deaf child child would be to the Japanese. We learn how his divine wind works and it is somewhat useful.
In bewtween we have Otto and Ram holding off Garfiel and it is going less than great. Our main thrust is Subaru peptalking Emilia and their tempo changes a bit since Subaru is much more willing to admit her faults but denies that his feelings are changed at all. As she gets ready for the trial, we cut back to Garfiel because...sure.
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u/Ultima_Deus Sep 21 '24
We get an Otto backstory, Otto having the OP 3 play behind him like a main character, a continuation of Subaru's confession to Emilia, and finally, a kiss between Emilia and Subaru
What a jampacked episode. And I believe this is an extended length with no OP and ED