I used to like Re: Zero

I'm currently writing a response but also, why does it seem like no one else is interested in an actual discussion? It's very shallow "you don't get it" "I'm insulting you" "I won't share why I personally think it's good" it's very anti-intellectual and anti-art but it IS the MAL forums so what did I expect (gimme a sec to figure out quoting for my response)

It's always these guys with the lowest emotional intelligence ever who don't like Re:Zero and complain about it, cause they just can't understand how brilliantly human the characters are written.

If you think Subaru is still the same as in Season 1 you should just drop it

1) It's not like he tortured himself to increase his pain tolerance no? I don't know how much people scream whilst in intense pain but I think you can cut him some slack here since, he feels pain, just like a human would.
2) that's kinda the point of telling a story with a redo mechanic though? I personally think it'd make for a far worse, boring product if he could find the right thing to do right away on the 2nd attempt. It's a bit different but think of it this way.
If you play a game for the first time and someone expects you to do world record speedrun strats on your first revive, I would give a lecture on managing expectations.
And the whole reason that 3rd loop happened was to show us, the reader, that just because of how much a broken cheat code Reinhard van Astrea might be, he's not an automatic win button. And also to setup the explanation afterwards of all magic users and spirit magic users being unable to use mana in his presence.


Otto was introduced in S1 no? Though he does make the jump to main cast in S2
While Garfiel was mostly defined by his backstory and role in the Sanctuary, both Otto and Garfiel are currently Subaru's only 2 emotional support guy friends (you can hardly call Roswaal L Mathers one with his scheming)
No matter what you personally think of them, individually, as a character. You can't deny the importance of those 2's existence in being pillars to support Subaru.
(tangential but Garfiel's also like.. 15? He's young enough that I can justify the slight 中二病 character he puts on when saving those kids with mimi. Otto is also a slightly awkward but still very much a merchant character, he kinda grounds the other characters in reality just a bit even though he does end up at the butt of jokes oftentimes)


A bit off-topic but, I do think that the initial plot point of "we have to save half the villagers in the sanctuary" and "the witches souls are stored in the sanctuary" are a bit forced in how they were brought up (especially the former), but the latter is very much setup, for future arcs. They do feel just a bit superflous since they only appear very briefly, but it does make the fact that the Witch of Envy, being the only witch remembered 400 years later, that much more impressive, even though the other witches were practically walking natural disasters as well. (not counting Vainglory's Pandora and Melancholy's Hector since we still don't know enough about them as well)

I think you may have thought that way because we didn't get enough screentime to explain their whole deal, or they got just enough screentime that you're left wanting more and was dissapointed that they didn't really do anything substansial, leading you to think they were superflous additions (and in that respect I somewhat agree, since the only crucial other witch was Gluttony's Daphne, the only really didn't do much of anything witch was Sloth's Sekhmet in my opinion though)


In a vaccum, it may seem so. But you also have to remember that Emilia's traumatic experience of having 2 of the closest people in your life being killed by the other and said other losing their sanity right after, will net most people into decades-long therapy with PTSD.

If you do summarize it as a damsel-in-distress, can't do anything without Subaru, it does show how much you don't understand trauma, mental health and the like or just plain and simple oversimplification of the events that actually transpired. I do think in retrospect, it didn't have to specifically be Subaru but it was more that Subaru was the only one capable of emotionally supporting Emilia at that point. (Ram's out of the question, Roswaal even more so, the villagers don't exactly trust her, and so on)


I have no idea how you got that idea since following orders are more of the maid's job (Rem, Ram, Frederica, and now Petra) but it's more so the villagers being held hostage, and Emilia herself being trapped, and her wanting to free the other half-beastmen and stuff. Blind hatred is a hell of a drug I guess


I'm sorry if I come across as rude but, I do worry that you've never had a friend encourage you to do something?
Emilia is just way too considerate for her own good at times, and y'know, an acquaintance (since they're rivals in the selection) giving her that small drop of courage so she can take the first step into trying to level the playing field with Subaru (fighting alongside him instead of just being protected, which, she's shown that she doesn't like just being protected ever since atleast the end of S1 with the carriage scene and afterwards) is not that rare, generally, in both fiction and real life.
I'm starting to think that in your dislike of Emilia, you've oversimplified, never tried putting yourself in her shoes, and disliked anything that happens to her, just because when you remove all context, she seems like a timid, indecisive, codependent damsel-in-distress when she's really not all that


No one's gonna judge you for dropping S3, people have preferences
I do think Nagatsuki Teppei-sensei's doing a well enough job of balancing an extensive colorful cast of characters. But I do think the only reason you liked S1 more was that
a) we still didn't know much of anyone, and no one has been fleshed out just yet
b) there was a common enemy in the white whale
I personally really liked that we got to focus on Garfiel and his inferiority complex with both Elsa and Reinhard, as well as his past.
The Van Astreas almost making up until Priscilla brought the deadweight dad into the mix.
Hints of Felt's faction growing in influence, by reintroducing Chin and giving him an actual name instead of just a joke one.
Joshua, a family member of Julius being introduced, contrasting his proud brother with his more emmisary-esque? vibe, with also his respect towards his brother.
Julius rethinking his knightly ideals
Anastasia showing both hospitality/camaraderie as well as a slight cunning in her merchant background and not inviting Priscilla as well as getting more imported Japanese culture in the Kararagi specialties
I could go on and on, haha


I also think it's weird, Kazuma changes into more appropriate attire not long after and mostly just cherishes his tracksuit while Subaru keeps wearing it. Extrinsically, maybe it's just more for market recognizability? Intrinsically it doesn't make much sense other than comfort by sacrificing "fitting in"


It really depends on the character, comparatively, most re:zero characters don't really have super detailed superfluous designs like, let's say Genshin and the like. But also comparisons won't get us anywhere but my personal disdain is directed towards Liliana's design, specifically the leaves she has on her hips, which just seems kinda racist. Her design overall is also not something I enjoy but I can kinda deal with it, if not for the leaves

I really don't think the re:zero casts has long faces (some of the hyper stylized BL stuff are much worse, but again, apples and oranges) I think it's just that most anime designs are rounder/that japanese beauty thing of smaller face/head, the better

Generally speaking, I'd personally still like to try

I'm not a fan of giving up a chance to continue a discussion unless they're REALLY arguing in bad faith

@ReXiRa understandable tbf i love arguing with these people sometimes, in this case though the guy just has such a horrible opinion i didn't feel like wasting time on it

An answer would be nice.... 😑

When tf did Emilia wanted to destroy everything around her?! That literally never happened

Moreover no. Getting behind the ability of Sirius' witch factor is not easy AT ALL. Do you realise how Subaru told Reinhardt that she brainwashes people?! That clearly indicates that he can't remember anything clearly after being under her ability. Do you think in a state where all his senses and feelings where basically twice as worse as it would normally be while being strangled to death, he even heard smth Sirius told about her ability?

Before Reinhardt killed off Sirius he realised and connected the dots of her ability

An answer would be nice.... 😑

When tf did Emilia wanted to destroy everything around her?! That literally never happened

Moreover no. Getting behind the ability of Sirius' witch factor is not easy AT ALL. Do you realise how Subaru told Reinhardt that she brainwashes people?! That clearly indicates that he can't remember anything clearly after being under her ability. Do you think in a state where all his senses and feelings where basically twice as worse as it would normally be while being strangled to death, he even heard smth Sirius told about her ability?

Before Reinhardt killed off Sirius he realised and connected the dots of her ability

@AshTheChamp It makes little sense, maybe he's talking about something related to kid Emilia.

Yeah and her acting showed Subaru that anyone even herself could be the activation of her powers.

Also wtf. How would you know how Subaru SHOULD think or remember about his first death. It's always easy to talk everything small by just watching the sh*t without actually putting yourself into Subaru's situation.

Like I already mentioned before. He died in the second loop while being connected to Lusbel, so it should be obvious what her powers are right? NO. Otherwise he would have said smth different to Reinhardt In the next loop other than "she brainwashes people". He can't think clear, doesn't have control over his senses nor his emotions and probably also can't remember much when he is affected by the powers.

Its really not that hard to get that it's NOT easy to get behind her powers

@Okeanix opinion on this?

@Okeanix opinion on this?