Episode one rejoins Otto and Subaru in the forest as the pair start to concoct their next scheme to save both the mansion from the assassination attack and the townspeople from being slaughtered by an army of white rabbits. However, before we dive right back into the action, we receive a rather lengthy backstory for a lesser-used and lesser-cared-about character, Otto. Re:Zero is no stranger to an ensemble cast and the number of characters who have been introduced, only to be killed off the following episode, would total enough to create an entirely separate article. However, one such character who managed to avoid the reaper’s icy touch was Otto.

Otto has become Subaru’s gofer over the season so far. Being allocated all the toilet scrubbing type of jobs that Subaru is just too cool for. It was enjoyable watching these average Joes who just happened to wind up fighting alongside magical allies. But now we are told that Otto can, in fact, communicate with animals and has been able to do so his whole life? That could have come in handy during Season one, no? It feels a tad ham-fisted when you introduce such a jarring concept that an entire episode of backstory is dedicated to explaining it.

Regardless, the episode culminates with Otto finally feeling accepted after a childhood filled with segregation. The action in this episode is not as wild as some of the first half’s but, seeing as this is only the first episode, the battle between Otto and Garfiel really hypes up some of the more crucial bouts that will surely come in the following episodes.

FOR SOME REASON, THIS SEASON OF RE:ZERO (AND THIS EPISODE IN PARTICULAR), HAS A LOT OF SHOUTING IN IT!! TO PAY OUR RESPECT TO THIS GLORIOUS SHOW, THE REST OF THE ARTICLE WILL BE SHOUTED AT YOU!!!!! Joking aside, this episode is what all Re:Zero fans had been waiting for. Very rare is it that two characters in a Shounen action anime such as this would profess their love for each other. Many viewers waved off Subaru’s love declarations as nothing more than an excuse for some awkward comedy and even more believed he would never act on them.

That is what Re:Zero does so well. It lures you in with promises of fantasy adventures and magical elves, then blindsides you with child decapitation and flesh-starved bunny rabbits! You never know what Re:Zero is going to throw at you next and that is partly what has led to it having such a success. It could have easily played it safe - juggled Rem and Emilia up in the air until the end of the tenth season, wherein Subaru finally chooses in the final episode.

Nuts to that! The writers clearly have a story to tell, as Subaru initiates the kiss to launch a thousand angry Rem-loving troglodytes to their keyboards to mass downvote the show on MyAnimeList. Yes, after a heartwarming conversation between Subaru and Emilia, in which they continuously scream their love for one another, the episode concludes in the first kiss witnessed between the main pairing. Re:Zero has always known how to keep people watching. Instead of holding its cards close to its chest until the final episode, it proudly shows off its full house leaving speculative viewers wondering what could possibly come next!

The final episode we’ll cover today features Garf as the central character. Mourning the death of his mother, he proceeds to take his rage out on Subaru, and the two duke it out for the first several minutes. However, this fight is short-lived as we receive yet another flashback sequence in which we learn of Garf’s history with his mother, and the true reason she left him. Up until now, Garf has been the hot-headed quasi-antagonist of the season (murdering Otto in one of Subaru’s past lives). It was very nice to see such a hot-headed character be brought down to Earth, without stripping him of all the characteristics that made him unique.

It seems Re:Zero is gearing up for a final showdown and with the way the season is progressing so far, the stakes are at an all-time high. Re:Zero has laid the groundwork by delicately developing each of its side characters alongside the main pairing of Subaru and Emilia. When ensemble casts are as large as this, epic battles lose some of their majesty when the viewer only cares about one or two of the people involved. We can take for granted that the protagonist will come to no harm so it is up to the supporting cast to keep us on the edge of our seats.

The final scene of episode three sees the first meeting between love interest Emilia and fan-favorite witch Echidna. It looks like the next episode will more than likely be as dialogue-heavy as the previous two but that is not necessarily a detriment. Re:Zero takes its thirty-minute block and crams as much as possible into it, with episodes often running far longer than the average twenty-two minutes we have come to expect. If they need to use these episodes to set up an incredible grand finale, then we will happily wait for it to arrive.