Re:Zero Second Season - Anime Episode Discussion

[Proto]

And in a loop where he didn't even die once! All that's left is getting Emilia elected, stopping the Witch Cult, freeing the elves, saving Rem, and probably a whole host of other stuff. But for now he should enjoy the moment with Emilia by his side

I guess also the minor issue on why he was summoned in the first place and what is Satella's stake in all of these. You know, minor potatoes

[Kanon]

They teased us with it for several episodes and they never ended up revealing why Echidna used to look different. It was the mystery from this arc I was looking forward to being solved the most. Or at least, thought was going to be solved. I'm curious about Emilia's origins too, and Puck, and plenty of other stuff, but that was always going to be saved for later.

Given what he tells Subaru later, Roswaal clearly doesn't feel sorry about what he did. And if he could, he wouldn't mind harming them again (maybe not Ram) if that served his goals. Yeah, I'm with Petra.

There were some nice moments this season, but I'm genuinely convinced you could cut half of its content and not lose anything of importance.

[Proto]

There were some nice moments this season, but I'm genuinely convinced you could cut half of its content and not lose anything of importance.

Depends on what you consider of 'of importance' I'm certain that you could keep the main thread by cutting a lot of things like you say (Subaru's and Emilia's story) but this is a story that prides itself on juggling all of its side characters together.

On the side of series that cut too much, personally I'm happy to see one adaptation story that did not send half its content to the chopping block (*cough* Horimiya)

[Wandering Soul]

The season had a lot of good stuff like Emilia's growth, Beatrice's character arc, Ram vs Roswaal, etc. The main weakness is that it felt too long. Overall another fun season of Re zero, though it could be trimmed a bit.

Originally Posted by Kanon

Given what he tells Subaru later, Roswaal clearly doesn't feel sorry about what he did. And if he could, he wouldn't mind harming them again (maybe not Ram) if that served his goals. Yeah, I'm with Petra.

Tbf he is under that oath, I did notice that the oath only mentions not using the people there at the time, so everyone else is probably still fair game to him.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Kanon

They teased us with it for several episodes and they never ended up revealing why Echidna used to look different. It was the mystery from this arc I was looking forward to being solved the most. Or at least, thought was going to be solved. I'm curious about Emilia's origins too, and Puck, and plenty of other stuff, but that was always going to be saved for later.

I guess the only reasonable assumption is that her look in the tea party isn't the "real" Echidna, at least facially. Why she'd want to look different is anyone's guess (maybe her face reminded her of her own mortality or something she disliked).

Given what he tells Subaru later, Roswaal clearly doesn't feel sorry about what he did. And if he could, he wouldn't mind harming them again (maybe not Ram) if that served his goals. Yeah, I'm with Petra.

I look at it is Roswaal's goal of being reunited with Echidna is still the same, he's just going to believe and go along with Subaru's methods in order to achieve it rather than his own.

[blakstealth]

So everyone's finally free. I'll admit that I've completely forgotten what the whole purpose of the Sanctuary, the trials, and everyone being trapped so I didn't really feel a great payoff but more relieved that it's finally over. Subaru getting knighted was also pretty cool. It's about time that happened.

Beako is also the GOAT.

[SuitUp]

Every word out of Roswaal's mouth is but a thinley veiled threat I'm with Petra and Garfiel, bury that fucker in a shallow grave.

[Cloudedmind]

While I liked some episodes, this season annoyed me more then anything. Subaru also mostly got on my nerves. It's kind of funny how the show went out of it's way to scold Subaru for trying to solve everything on his own, yet still has him solve most of the other characters hang ups by giving them a talking to. It's like you know the protagonist doesn't have to be the center of 90% of the other characters lives.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

While I liked some episodes, this season annoyed me more then anything. Subaru also mostly got on my nerves. It's kind of funny how the show went out of it's way to scold Subaru for trying to solve everything on his own, yet still has him solve most of the other characters hang ups by giving them a talking to. It's like you know the protagonist doesn't have to be the center of 90% of the other characters lives.

Granted part of what helped him solve their problems was from asking for assistance from others, and in helping them get over their emotional trauma they ended up helping him as well .

[Applehell]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

Well, putting aside the whole *ahem* “misguiding” by Puck, the fact that Emilia was completely willing and serious about having a baby with Subaru, even with everything going on, is in its own way an answer to his feelings.....

The Taste of Death does take on a whole new meaning tho lol

Originally Posted by Kanon

They teased us with it for several episodes and they never ended up revealing why Echidna used to look different. It was the mystery from this arc I was looking forward to being solved the most. Or at least, thought was going to be solved. I'm curious about Emilia's origins too, and Puck, and plenty of other stuff, but that was always going to be saved for later.

Dona's appearance in the tomb isn't meant to look like a radically different person, but different enough to be strange. According to author her soul in the dreamcape is about age of 18, but in reality the corpse looks to be in its late 20. There is no reason for discrepancy to exist when the other dead witches died just looked in the dreamscape. No answer is provided for it yet, but fact that is noticed means there some going on there its not normal. But only Emilia & Subaru have met both verison noticed that difference. Remember Echidna was attempting to gain immortality by trying put her soul into the Ryuzu clones like Roswaal did with his decadents. That might have some effect on her.

Subaru also stated that Echidna in the past sound kinder than the one they knew he in the present.

Given what he tells Subaru later, Roswaal clearly doesn't feel sorry about what he did. And if he could, he wouldn't mind harming them again (maybe not Ram) if that served his goals. Yeah, I'm with Petra.

I think he does feel sorry, but doesn't regret his actions either. They were a means to an end of achieving his goals, but he lost and has no choice to accept that fact.His intention was harm that was merely to him had to be done.

There were some nice moments this season, but I'm genuinely convinced you could cut half of its content and not lose anything of importance.

As someone has read the future arc, given how much Re:Zero on the contents and connections to its past arc to progress its story, to be frank it lose pretty much all coherency it that happen. Arc 4 is long arc sure enough but it was very forced arc. We weren't inconsequential episodes like beach or onsen stuff here. Every episode was dealing with conflict as revealed side to it how intertwined and impeded with interpersonal issue of the cast.

Originally Posted by blakstealth

So everyone's finally free. I'll admit that I've completely forgotten what the whole purpose of the Sanctuary, the trials, and everyone being trapped so I didn't really feel a great payoff but more relieved that it's finally over. Subaru getting knighted was also pretty cool. It's about time that happened.

Beako is also the GOAT.

The incident in Sanctuary came about as consequence of what happened at end of S1 when half the Arlam villagers were evacuated to the Sanctuary as part of countermeasure against witch cult didn't return. Subaru, Emilia and Otto head to learn what going and how resolve the situation.

That's where they find out what kind of place it is, a refuge for mixed blood humans like Emilia who are holding the villagers hostage to lure her into Sanctuary and grant their wish to leave the place because their can't themselves due to barrier itself blocking them. That were the trials of the tomb come as they sole means of lifting liberating it and fixing the crisis. Not to mention its a opportunity for Emilia to improve her image and relationship with the Arlam villagers & even the demi-human resident of the sanctuary for their support in the Royal Selection.

Things don't go as planned as it turns out that the trials are of an extremely personal nature pulls out your deepest regrets and trauma that you haven't come to terms with. Worst case of Emilia we find out there is actually issue with her memories preventing her from passing it. Moreover Subaru and co try circumvent the process of freeing the villagers through completing the trails and lifting the barrier they along with everyone in the manor will be killed by assassins hired by Roswaal to force Subaru to return to the Sanctuary via looping. Furthermore if Emilia doesn't pass the trials in 3 days Roswaal will cause a snowstorm to summon the great rabbit who eat everyone there. Learning something of why Roswaal does not want Emilia to succeed in passing the trials and preventing him doing that to get out of this deadlock is main goal of this season and what was established in first half of S2. The second half is going about doing just that.

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

While I liked some episodes, this season annoyed me more then anything. Subaru also mostly got on my nerves. It's kind of funny how the show went out of it's way to scold Subaru for trying to solve everything on his own, yet still has him solve most of the other characters hang ups by giving them a talking to. It's like you know the protagonist doesn't have to be the center of 90% of the other characters lives.

But that's exactly one of reasons why Subaru failed for half the season until the last loop. He tried to solve everything himself and when he did try to get others in involved he could only think of dubiously people like Dona who were able to manipulate him for her own ends because she the only person who knew everything about him, couldn't be killed by Satella and would believe him cause she has his memories. Things only started going right when he started relying on Otto, stetting the stage for Garf and Emilia to overcome their personal demon and not trying to fight the later's battle for her.

Take the change working with who he is trying to protect and letting them protect him too is why he succeeded. It was exactly the advice Satella gave to him episode 13 and what Otto drilled into him episode 14, trust in your friends, they care about and won't reject you even if you can't explain what is troubling you exactly. Seeing you suffering is enough. That stopped him becoming Roswaal 2.0








Ironically this advice also applied Emilia and Garf who tried to carry too much suffered for it. Subaru was the perfect person to called them out of it cause he was doing the exact same things until then so he knew what it felt like.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Shinji103

Well, putting aside the whole *ahem* “misguiding” by Puck, the fact that Emilia was completely willing and serious about having a baby with Subaru, even with everything going on, is in its own way an answer to his feelings.....

Her biggest concern seemed to be having to raise a baby while campaigning .

Originally Posted by Applehell

Dona's appearance in the tomb isn't meant to look like a radically different person, but different enough to be strange. According to author her soul in the dreamcape is about age of 18, but in reality the corpse looks to be in its late 20. There is no reason for discrepancy to exist when the other dead witches died just looked in the dreamscape. No answer is provided for it yet, but fact that is noticed means there some going on there its not normal. But only Emilia & Subaru have met both verison noticed that difference. Remember Echidna was attempting to gain immortality by trying put her soul into the Ryuzu clones like Roswaal did with his decadents. That might have some effect on her.

Subaru also stated that Echidna in the past sound kinder than the one they knew he in the present.

I guess if she was so focused on becoming immortal, she might have hated the effect aging had on her body (beyond the fact that she'd want to continue to live so as to continue amassing knowledge).

[Cloudedmind]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Granted part of what helped him solve their problems was from asking for assistance from others, and in helping them get over their emotional trauma they ended up helping him as well .

Originally Posted by Applehell

But that's exactly one of reasons why Subaru failed for half the season until the last loop. He tried to solve everything himself and when he did try to get others in involved he could only think of dubiously people like Dona who were able to manipulate him for her own ends because she the only person who knew everything about him, couldn't be killed by Satella and would believe him cause she has his memories. Things only started going right when he started relying on Otto, stetting the stage for Garf and Emilia to overcome their personal demon and not trying to fight the later's battle for her.

Take the change working with who he is trying to protect and letting them protect him too is why he succeeded. It was exactly the advice Satella gave to him episode 13 and what Otto drilled into him episode 14, trust in your friends, they care about and won't reject you even if you can't explain what is troubling you exactly. Seeing you suffering is enough. That stopped him becoming Roswaal 2.0

*snipped pics for space*


Ironically this advice also applied Emilia and Garf who tried to carry too much suffered for it. Subaru was the perfect person to called them out of it cause he was doing the exact same things until then so he knew what it felt like.

The story could also just as easily had Subaru ask others for help then had those people give the other characters the emotional support they needed instead of it having to be him since some of those characters had closer relationships with each other then they had with Subaru before then. Just think if the story had had Roswaal be the one to finally bring Beatrice out of the Library, as they have a lot more history together. That doesn't suddenly mean she has any less reason to help with the rabbits. Or if Ram had been the one going to blows with Garfield, and literally knocked some sense into him, with Subaru playing a side role. We already know Garfield likes her. Instead what we get is just more characters relying on Subaru for their emotional support and two more members added to his "harem".

[Tokkan]

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

The story could also just as easily had Subaru ask others for help then had those people give the other characters the emotional support they needed instead of it having to be him since some of those characters had closer relationships with each other then they had with Subaru before then. Just think if the story had had Roswaal be the one to finally bring Beatrice out of the Library, as they have a lot more history together. That doesn't suddenly mean she has any less reason to help with the rabbits. Or if Ram had been the one going to blows with Garfield, and literally knocked some sense into him, with Subaru playing a side role. We already know Garfield likes her. Instead what we get is just more characters relying on Subaru for their emotional support and two more members added to his "harem".

Beatrice had no idea Roswaal was still the same Roswaal she knew from 400 years ago until this very episode, to her "Roswaal A." is the only one who was her friend and the rest were total strangers she has no real attachment to. Meanwhile, there's been hints of Beatrice's growing attachment to Subaru since arc 2, she even made a contract with him in one loop in that arc. The novels make this more clear than the anime does, but she rarely ever left the library before Subaru came along.

Subaru didn't actually knock the sense into Garfiel, it's more like he knocked Garfiel into the direction of sense. Subaru just brought him down low enough so that he could receive the encouragement (from Ram, BTW) to take the trial again and come to terms with his own fears on his own. Subaru just gave Garfiel a "nudge" so to speak, and Garfiel appreciates him for it.

[Applehell]

Originally Posted by Cloudedmind

The story could also just as easily had Subaru ask others for help then had those people give the other characters the emotional support they needed instead of it having to be him since some of those characters had closer relationships with each other then they had with Subaru before then. Just think if the story had had Roswaal be the one to finally bring Beatrice out of the Library, as they have a lot more history together. That doesn't suddenly mean she has any less reason to help with the rabbits. Or if Ram had been the one going to blows with Garfield, and literally knocked some sense into him, with Subaru playing a side role. We already know Garfield likes her. Instead what we get is just more characters relying on Subaru for their emotional support and two more members added to his "harem".

Like Tokkan said, Subaru really only nudges people in the right direction to solve their own problems, he doesn't do for them. When he tries to, it goes badly, like how he kept trying pass the trials for Emilia only to be playing right into the hands of Echidna & Roswaal or when Betty mocked him for that attempt in episode 11. Rather acting as a savior instead he was doing exactly as you said, providing emotional support for others to resolves their own issues while he handle the things he could.

This is same approach Satella, Otto & even Rem took with him. he couldn't have gotten this far without that support, yet wouldn't say his world started revolving them.

In fact there is not a single he didn't accomplished without help form others, like heck Ram even helping them at all was thanks to Otto convincing her there was opportunity to turn things around. His talk with Emilia could not have occur had not Otto & Ram been fighting off Garf. There were a ton of moving parts that brought this resolution at end of S2 both with and without Subaru. But really in end it cascade of events starting with Otto & Subaru working together not Subaru himself doing everything.

Roswaal bringing Beatrice out of library would completely go against his philosophy and his mindset in adhere to wit of the gospel. Worse even if he tried he tell her what she wanted to hear not what she should hear.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Frontier

So Beatrice didn't know Roswaal was the same Roswaal the whole time? He only just revealed that to her know? And he's been using his descendants to body jump this whole time?

Descendants, or clones?

[Applehell]

In the case of Roswaal its his descendants.

[Anh_Minh]

So he found women, made some kids with them, repeatedly murdered the kids to steal their bodies in the hope of one day seeing Echidna again.

My next question is, could that be Ram's future?

[Applehell]

Nah.

He only had intentions to survive until era Subaru arrived. He didn't even register Ram as potential marriage interest was shocked that she loved him. I think even if they had kids he probably wouldn't continue as Subaru and Emilia are only ones who can help achieve his goal of revive Echidna here and now.

I forget to mention that he used his grandkids of each Mathers generation not direct spouses as form the Roswaal B Mathers.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Applehell

Nah.

He only had intentions to survive until era Subaru arrived. He didn't even register Ram as potential marriage interest was shocked that she loved him. I think even if they had kids he probably wouldn't continue as Subaru and Emilia are only ones who can help achieve his goal of revive Echidna here and now.

I forget to mention that he used his grandkids of each Mathers generation not direct spouses as form the Roswaal B Mathers.

Sucks to be a grandkid in this family .

[Kanon]

Originally Posted by Applehell

Nah.

He only had intentions to survive until era Subaru arrived. He didn't even register Ram as potential marriage interest was shocked that she loved him. I think even if they had kids he probably wouldn't continue as Subaru and Emilia are only ones who can help achieve his goal of revive Echidna here and now.

I forget to mention that he used his grandkids of each Mathers generation not direct spouses as form the Roswaal B Mathers.

Wait. I thought his book was getting updated regularly which is why he was so upset it was burned since he doesn't know what to do next. So how did he know he would have to survive 400 years? And how can he know for sure only Subaru can help him revive Echidna?

Even if he achieves his goal, why would he stop body-hopping? I'm pretty sure he'd want to stay by Echidna's side for eternity. I'm not so sure she would actually allow it though. This is a woman who tricked her "daughter" into waiting all alone for a person who doesn't exist. I doubt she gives a shit about Roswaal, or anyone else besides herself for that matter.