...There's nothing I can do, but I struggle in vain

I have no Strength, but I want it all. I have no Knowledge, but all I do is dream. There's nothing I can do, but I struggle in vain.

Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu Introduction and Story (Spoilers)

Natsuki Subaru was just taking a quick stop at the local konbini when he found himself transported into a game-like fantasy world. It doesn’t take long for Subaru to find trouble, but luckily, a silver-haired beauty named Satella saves Subaru just in time. To repay her kindness, Subaru chooses to help Satella find her insignia, which has been stolen. However, upon finding the insignia, Subaru and Satella are met with a bloody death only for Subaru to revive again to change his fate.

What You Liked About Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, otherwise known as Re: Zero, is an anime that is sure to catch you off guard. When you first watch Re: Zero, you’ll assume it’s going to be like Sword Art Online or Log Horizon, anime that have surpassed .hack when it comes to the idea of being stuck in a video game realm. However, don’t be fooled!

Re: Zero has a lot to offer in way of cute character designs, quirky characters, and a fair balance between suspense and calmness that not many anime have to offer. Thanks to this, we get a good amount of character development as well as depth to many of the characters in the anime, which has nurtured the love for Rem in many fans. How could you not love that adorable face?

A favorite scene has to be the one in episode 18 where Subaru finally admits all of his own faults and inability to do things. Subaru finally finds someone to confide in (Rem) and unleashes all of his insecurities to Rem without hesitation. For a long time, we watched as Subaru slowly but surely lost a small portion of his sanity with every death, every loss, and every revival, but he kept all of his troubles to himself while going mad attempting to save everything he held dear.

Yet, rather than confiding in Emilia (whom Subaru has unending affections for), Subaru confided in Rem, giving hope to all those who shipped Rem and Subaru. However, it is also the inclusion of Rem’s undying devotion to Subaru, her unending love for him, that truly take episode 18 of Re: Zero over the top. Rem is so honest and gracious with her feelings, yet in this same episode, Subaru rejects Rem. While many have been furious with the outcome, it shows how true emotion works: love cannot be swayed. Rem and Subaru both hold steadfast to their own feelings.

Let’s not forget how suspenseful Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu is known to be. Subaru is constantly dying and having his life restarted, but what happens when he is unaware of who is killing him? When Subaru ends up at Roswaal mansion, he seemingly finds peace amongst the Roswaal “family”. However, his peace lasts but a few nights until suddenly, without warning, his life is ended. This continues on for several episodes in a number of mysterious and gruesome ways that leave the viewers holding their breath as Subaru takes his last. Who could have killed Subaru? It’s amazingly suspenseful scenes like these that have held the audience through and through.

Discussion Time: Should You Watch Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu

While Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu starts off relatively light-hearted, you are met instantly with the idea of death with the slaughtering of both the main character, Subaru, and Satella. However, do not be deterred by the gruesomeness that ensues because, unlike anime like Elfen Lied or Parasyte the Maxim, there is not a constant stream of gore that serves to horrify the audience. No, Re: Zero is much more light-hearted for that, to tell you the truth.

From the beginning, Subaru develops a strange yet stubborn adoration for Satella, later reintroduced as Emilia, who fights discrimination for her half-elf lineage. Emilia merely wants to become queen to help her people so Subaru makes the decision to devote himself to her every cause, whether or not Emilia requests it. This shows Subaru’s steadfast mindset as he never truly deters from this decision regardless of how events go.

Along the way, Subaru fights for survival at the Roswaal mansion as a mysterious entity attempts to murder him. While initially, Subaru discovers that Rem wants to kill him for stinking of the witch, a twist of events leads to us realizing it was a demon beast that has targeted Subaru. While fearful of both Rem and Ram, Subaru recruits both Rem and Ram to help him save the townsfolk as well as himself. The audience is met with a constant stream of suspense as we watch Subaru attempt to save everyone and everything.

It is during this time that we get to see Subaru form a bond with Rem that slowly blossoms as the two work together in the anime. While it is evident that Subaru will always inexplicably choose Emilia, Rem is given more character development and a more intricate backstory than Emilia. We learn how Rem feels inferior to her sister, Ram, and tries to make up for her sister’s loss in magic by being better at everything else to help Ram. We see how the guilt eats away at Rem for being the one to keep her power yet lacking the skill that Ram had as a child. It is also during this time that we see the true strength of the bond that the twins have for one another. They will stop at nothing to protect one another.

As Subaru and Rem become closer as friends, we continue to see Subaru face other life threatening situations and put himself into danger to save others. It is a constant cycle of peace and death for Subaru as he continues to restart to find the right path to take. It is a struggle for Subaru to maintain his own sanity in the face of the deaths of his friends as well as his own gruesome demise.

Yet, Subaru treks on, gripping at his humanity, and makes yet another attempt to save everyone he holds near and dear by killing the White Whale that poses a threat to his life as well as the lives of others. With each restart, we see Subaru learn from his past mistake and gain new skills that make him more worthy of being a leader. However, the White Whale isn’t the only obstacle in his way. There is also a cult which worships the witch, lead by Betelgeuse, that follows Subaru from time to time and kills him mercilessly. Yes, Subaru has met with death time and time again, yet he revives only to figure out what is the next best course of action to take. It can be frustrating to watch Subaru’s failures, but in truth, it makes him truly human.

1. Balance

One of the main aspects of Re: Zero that keeps viewers tuned in is the amount of suspense in the anime. There are many episodes that end in cliffhangers like deaths or revelations, which keep viewers enthralled. You just want to know what happens next. However, there are also plenty of episodes that engage our emotions yet still maintain a sense of peace so that we are not constantly pulling out our hair over all the cliffhangers (although we may do it for other reasons). Such as with episode 18 where we are captivated by Rem’s confession yet are not left hanging at the end with the confession unanswered.

The producers of the anime did a good job ensuring that the anime keeps viewers engaged yet isn’t completely maddening at every turn. This makes Re: Zero one of the most fun anime to watch as you never tire of it. It isn’t the same shit over and over again.

2. Rem

While Subaru may have an obsession over Emilia, a favorite character has to be Rem. Rem starts off very simple at first as she is a very dedicated maid to Roswaal, but as the series moves on, Rem becomes more complex as a character. We see how she views herself as a failure to her sister for allowing Ram’s powers to be stolen with the loss of her horn. We see how Rem feels inferior to Ram in terms of power. Then, upon fighting off the demon beasts, we get to witness Rem lose herself in her oni form, something she does to save Subaru and Ram.

Then we see Rem change as she interacts more with Subaru. We get to witness her development from a meek girl to one who has more confidence in herself. Rem becomes someone who can stand tall. And as stated earlier, we see how, despite getting rejected, Rem is capable of smiling and following Subaru to the ends of the earth. Rem doesn’t allow herself to feel inferior to Emilia, who has won Subaru’s heart. Rem doesn’t allow herself to get down. No, she has found what makes her happy and knows how to maintain it in the face of unhappiness.

How could you not love Rem? She has the most character development of all!

3. Madness

Yet, one of the biggest reasons to love Re: Zero is its realistic portrayal of the main character, Subaru, descending into madness. Despite being transported into a fantasy world where nothing is similar to home, Subaru makes the best of his new life, even when he is killed numerous times in the beginning. Yet, with each gruesome death, we see Subaru slowly lose a piece of his sanity and ultimately, he becomes so distraught and unwound that he frightens even the viewers.

However, this is the true path of madness for many in the real world. It is through numerous tragic events that many of us find ourselves completely unwound. We lose heart. We feel inadequate. We question ourselves. Subaru is truly a main character who reflects true human nature in the end, as much as many of us would hate to admit it. Subaru is just human, and we can’t forget that much.

1. Pacing

Clearly, I have enjoyed Re: Zero, but I would never say this anime is without flaws. One of the most frustrating parts about Re: Zero is its pacing. Such as in the beginning, it takes Subaru 3 entire episodes (including the first 1-hour episode) to even realize he’s restarting after each death. Imagine what you could do with an extra episode had Subaru figured out he was respawning sooner! Yet, this is a recurring situation as each time Subaru is killed in a new section of the anime, it takes several episodes for him to figure out the right course of action to move on.

2. The End

While Re: Zero is certainly not the first anime to leave us with a lot of questions unanswered, it is definitely frustrating that Re: Zero made no attempt at answering any of the mysteries that it presented us with. How did Subaru end up in this fantasy world? Why does he not want to go home? Why did Emilia introduce herself as Satella in the beginning? Why is the Witch killing Subaru if he reveals his curse? Why is he reviving? And why is Subaru so insistent on his feelings of Emilia?

There is nothing in the anime that explains any of this. Hell, the anime ends with the death of Betelgeuse and a scene that hints at a relationship with Emilia, but it does nothing to close up the anime. Why did they introduce the fight for the title of a queen if they didn’t actually choose a queen in the end?

3. Unanswered Questions

There are many unanswered questions and no hint at anything more. Yes, we are aware there is a light novel as well as a manga out there, but the anime introduces so many ideas and mysteries yet does nothing to resolve any of them. It’s as incomplete as watching HighSchool of the Dead and Zombie Loan! Why does it bother to introduce so many things without a real conclusion?! Re: Zero is just too incomplete and that can be freaking frustrating even for the most open anime otaku.

Final Thought

Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu is an anime that has really got fans riled up since the spring anime season. With its end, many otaku out there may wonder if it’s worth all the hype. Well, hopefully, this review will give you a better idea out of what Re: Zero is like. We are here to give a little glimpse into what an anime has to offer.

Well, hope you enjoyed our review. Please let us know what you thought of Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu! Did you enjoy it as much as others did or did you think it was rather hyped up?

Editor

Author: Jenangelx3

California based workaholic. Current mottos are “I don’t care” and “I’ll try almost anything once”. Interests include traveling, eating, video games, and weightlifting. Currently living life to the fullest, pursuing my happiness, and conquering my fears. Yoroshiku onegaishimasu!

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