Re:Zero Second Season - Anime Episode Discussion

[Wandering Soul]

Yeah, I'd say things are no doubt going well for Subaru now. Can't see any of this getting erased so he's probably moved on from his last checkpoint.

[Frontier]

I legitimately thought we were going to get Emilia's true backstory in this episode, but it turns out it's time for best boi Otto's origin .

Otto can't take Garfiel in a straight fight, so he has to rely on his wits and his animal buddies to keep Garfiel off his back and distract him long enough for Subaru to do whatever it is he has to do. All things considered, I think Otto did a pretty great job .

Did you miss Realize during season 2? Well, we may not have the proper Opening for this cour yet, but here's Realize again as an insert song for Otto's finest hour .

So Otto grew up with the ability to hear animals and insects, but it pretty much drowned everything else out so he couldn't properly connect with anyone. But he had a loving family and a big brother who was there to understand him when he needed him most, a role Otto sees himself fulfilling for Subaru in the present-day .

Otto grew up in...anime Saudi Arabia? Or at least a village with a very similar culture. It seems like he comes from a mixed marriage, although he and his siblings seem to take after their very beautiful mom moreso than their dad .

Poor Otto...tries to do something nice for his little brother and ends up calling forth a plague of locusts, basically .

Doubly poor Otto...tries to clear his name when he's accused of being involved in an affair with a noble girl, only to then accuse said noble girl of being a serial cheater and get exiled from the village. I can only imagine how long it's been since Otto saw his family .

I wasn't expecting to see a surprise Petelgeuse cameo, but we then learn part of where Otto's dedication to Subaru comes from to where he feels indebted to Subaru for saving Otto's life (however indirectly) and giving him another "rebirth." And thus was a friendship born !

Otto tags out Ram who comes in to back him up against Garfiel (who for him this must feel like a top 10 anime betrayal), because in their own way they both believe in Subaru and the man he can be, and Ram is even willing to go out of her way to fulfill Roswaal's wishes in a way so she can help Subaru. It's pretty sweet when you think about it .

So Ram punches out Garfiel in his animal form, and it sounds like this isn't the first time they've fought (is that partially why he's attracted to her?), but unfortunately Ram hits her limit while Garfiel is still raring to go...I hope they're okay .

Meanwhile Subaru and Emilia are having their much needed conversation, with Emilia's self-confidence in herself and her identity at an all time low and she's not even willing to believe Subaru because he left her for a reason he's not sharing yet (probably involving the missing Ryuzu) .

Subaru feels like it's time to finally use tough love on Emilia, pointing out her faults and issues, while at the same time declaring how he loves and believes in her in-spite of all that. Honestly this argument between the two felt vaguely reminiscent of their argument in season 1, except the resolution ended up being much more positive for the pair (thanks to some wise words from Subaru's mom) .

Subaru and Emilia finally have their first, real, kiss together and it was a joy to behold. Subaru gave Emilia the chance to dodge to refuse the kiss, but she accepted it, which is probably as indicative as to her current feelings for Subaru as an outright confession. Things seem to be looking up for these two right now and I couldn't be happier .

It's time for Emilia to find her true conviction and path forward, whether that be through her feelings for Subaru or in accepting and realizing the truth of her past .

Of course, it also looks like it's time for Subaru and Garfiel to have their long-awaited confrontation...

[Kanon]

Does Otto's power include brainwashing the animals too? Because just because he can talk to them, I don't think some cicadas are going to risk their lives going after a beastman for him. It wouldn't be the first time I've seen that happen in an anime though.

Otta and Ram did a good job stalling Garfiel. I was surprised Ram has this much physical strength without her horn, but she hit her limit pretty fast.

Subaru's confession was pretty cringy, but at least there was progress. I liked how Emilia was reflected in Subaru's eyes all along but Emilia's only started reflecting Subaru at the end. This is Emilia's "From zero", I guess. Hopefully she'll stop being useless.

[AntonKutovoi]

Subaru’s gonna suffer particularly bad now, doesn’t he? Things are going too well for him.

[HandofFate]

Otto's backstory was interesting, and made me understand a bit more why he cares about Subaru so much.

Emilia's 'from zero' scene just makes me miss Rem more. Why to steal moves from best girl

[Wandering Soul]

Otto's backstory was alright and at least explained why he is so loyal to Subaru.

Ram's strength surprised me. I knew her magic was nerfed, but I wasn't counting on her own physical strength.

Subaru's confession was no doubt cringey, but at the end of the day it was supposed to be as him as it is really an arguement between too emotionally immature teens arguing past each other until we get to the kiss. Now it's Emilia's turn to start from zero.

[Frontier]

Of all the cringey things Subaru has done...I think this was the sweetest .

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Subaru’s gonna suffer particularly bad now, doesn’t he? Things are going too well for him.

It would kind of suck if the new save point is before the kiss. At least now I don't think Satella is that petty .

I wouldn't be surprised if the next save point is after they clear Sanctuary which seems to be the endgame with helping Emilia and getting Garfiel on their side. Then they have to deal with Great Rabbit or get back to the mansion to fight Elsa and Maylie.

[Anh_Minh]

If his power kept him from being able to communicate, how did Otto learn to read and write? Or did his blessing cover that, too, since it's a language?

[Shinji103]

I would have to disagree that the confession was cringey, but the cringey-or-not of the scene is really neither here nor there. It’s not like this series is unfamiliar with emotional awkwardness or cringey-ness.........

Originally Posted by AntonKutovoi

Subaru’s gonna suffer particularly bad now, doesn’t he? Things are going too well for him.

I expect this 100%.
I’m also expecting a reset. If the good progress is maintained, I.e. Emilia’s memory of Subaru’s confession isn’t wiped by a reset, I will be surprised. (albeit pleasantly surprised)

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

If his power kept him from being able to communicate, how did Otto learn to read and write? Or did his blessing cover that, too, since it's a language?

I think his brother worked very hard...

Originally Posted by Shinji103

I expect this 100%.
I’m also expecting a reset. If the good progress is maintained, I.e. Emilia’s memory of Subaru’s confession isn’t wiped by a reset, I will be surprised. (albeit pleasantly surprised)

I don't think we've reached a good save point pre-kiss yet, so unless Garfiel kills Subaru now (which I don't find likely) I think we still have a ways to go on this one. Emilia is actually getting some much needed character development and Puck broke the contract so that's an added reason for this to stick.

Granted, I'm kind of worried about Ram and Otto's fate...

[Thor's Hammer]

I'm not really into the Subaru/Emilia relationship as I feel that what Subaru feels for Emilia is basically puppy love.

I also have a theory about why Subaru has such unwavering affection for Emilia based mainly off of Episodes 18, 21, and 25 of Re:zero.

In episode 25, Subaru said if Emilia mentioned 10 things she hated about himself that he’d tell her 2,000 things he likes about her. In episode 18, Puck told Petelgeuse that if he wants to kill them he needs to generate a thousand shadow hands, half of what Satella could, which is 2,000. This suggests that perhaps the reason Subaru thought of that specific number is that Satella influenced him subconsciously. Given Emilia is discriminated against for looking like the Witch, I think it was insensitive of Subaru to use that number, and the only logical explanation I could think of for him doing so was that he wasn't of sound mind when he said it.

I’m positive that Satella can influence Subaru given that she can read his mind and determine if his intent is to reveal Return by Death, which shows that subconsciously, there is a connection between them even if Subaru has no access to Satella, the Witch of Envy’s thoughts. So if Satella can make Subaru think of the number 2,000, which is associated with her, it's possible that part of the reason Subaru’s affection for Emilia is so strong is because Emilia looks just like Satella, and Satella is subconsciously making him obsessed with someone who looks just like she does.

In episode 21, when Crusch offered to Subaru to become one of her men, he turned her down and said it wasn’t about loyalty or allegiance, but his faith lies exactly where it should. This shows that his reason for supporting Emilia perhaps does not have a very solid foundation if loyalty has nothing to do with it.

I want to state clearly now that I'm not saying that the entire reason Subaru is attracted to Emilia is because of Satella. He does have a thing for silver-haired girls as shown by his taste in anime heroines, and Emilia did show that she had very good character when he first got summoned to the world and was struggling by himself in a foreign land, but I do think what he feels for Emilia is partially a result of the Witch of Envy's influence.

Yeah, I understand that Subaru believes in video game tropes and thinks of himself as the main character of a story, even going as far as saying Emilia would slowly fall for him in episode 25 as if it was a given that it would eventually happen much like what happens for most male isekai protagonists. And Emilia even treated him kindly when no else would and eventually gave him a lap pillow, which was one of his otaku dream fantasies, and given his natural inclination to silver-haired beauties, it would make sense that he would fall for Emilia. However, I just think there might be something more sinister going on under the surface.

[Tougarashi]

Without Otto, "Conspiracy" was the word used by everyone except Subaru. I was like "YES!", when Otto said it.
The last time Subaru could neatly pull off was when he planned with Curushi-sama to kill the White-Wales. Those were the best episodes. After he lost Rem, he's been out of his wits.

I really hope a punch from Otto had fixed it. Otto's name match with his ability, it's a surprise for me. Again "Conspiracy". Finally Subaru's first friend pull it off(I really hope Otto is not scheming something against our Subaru).

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Thor's Hammer

I'm not really into the Subaru/Emilia relationship as I feel that what Subaru feels for Emilia is basically puppy love.

I also have a theory about why Subaru has such unwavering affection for Emilia based mainly off of Episodes 18, 21, and 25 of Re:zero.

In episode 25, Subaru said if Emilia mentioned 10 things she hated about himself that he’d tell her 2,000 things he likes about her. In episode 18, Puck told Petelgeuse that if he wants to kill them he needs to generate a thousand shadow hands, half of what Satella could, which is 2,000. This suggests that perhaps the reason Subaru thought of that specific number is that Satella influenced him subconsciously. Given Emilia is discriminated against for looking like the Witch, I think it was insensitive of Subaru to use that number, and the only logical explanation I could think of for him doing so was that he wasn't of sound mind when he said it.

I’m positive that Satella can influence Subaru given that she can read his mind and determine if his intent is to reveal Return by Death, which shows that subconsciously, there is a connection between them even if Subaru has no access to Satella, the Witch of Envy’s thoughts. So if Satella can make Subaru think of the number 2,000, which is associated with her, it's possible that part of the reason Subaru’s affection for Emilia is so strong is because Emilia looks just like Satella, and Satella is subconsciously making him obsessed with someone who looks just like she does.

In episode 21, when Crusch offered to Subaru to become one of her men, he turned her down and said it wasn’t about loyalty or allegiance, but his faith lies exactly where it should. This shows that his reason for supporting Emilia perhaps does not have a very solid foundation if loyalty has nothing to do with it.

I want to state clearly now that I'm not saying that the entire reason Subaru is attracted to Emilia is because of Satella. He does have a thing for silver-haired girls as shown by his taste in anime heroines, and Emilia did show that she had very good character when he first got summoned to the world and was struggling by himself in a foreign land, but I do think what he feels for Emilia is partially a result of the Witch of Envy's influence.

Yeah, I understand that Subaru believes in video game tropes and thinks of himself as the main character of a story, even going as far as saying Emilia would slowly fall for him in episode 25 as if it was a given that it would eventually happen much like what happens for most male isekai protagonists. And Emilia even treated him kindly when no else would and eventually gave him a lap pillow, which was one of his otaku dream fantasies, and given his natural inclination to silver-haired beauties, it would make sense that he would fall for Emilia. However, I just think there might be something more sinister going on under the surface.

Subaru's feelings for Emilia stem entirely from their first meeting in episode 1. That's when he came to admire and dedicate himself so much for her, and then she helped emotionally support him during arc 2, and it's only now that he's taken the time to really see and love her for who she really is and not just the girl he idolizes.

[Thor's Hammer]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Subaru's feelings for Emilia stem entirely from their first meeting in episode 1. That's when he came to admire and dedicate himself so much for her, and then she helped emotionally support him during arc 2, and it's only now that he's taken the time to really see and love her for who she really is and not just the girl he idolizes.

How are you going to explain Subaru using the number 2,000 in relation to Emilia even though if Emilia knew the number 2,000 was related to Satella that she'd be hurt by it because of its association with the Witch? I have always flagged that line as being highly suspicious and a possible sign of manipulation from Satella.

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by Frontier

Subaru's feelings for Emilia stem entirely from their first meeting in episode 1. That's when he came to admire and dedicate himself so much for her, and then she helped emotionally support him during arc 2, and it's only now that he's taken the time to really see and love her for who she really is and not just the girl he idolizes.

And then he met a lot of people that were equally if not more admirable.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Subaru's devotion to Emilia is just born out of his stubbornness as he "decided" that she's the one he loves above anything else.

I know that's not not what the author is thinking, but it sure does feel that way to me. As much as he keeps repeating how much he loves Emilia, he doesn't look that much in love to me. I honestly empathized with Emilia when she said his words didn't sound true to her.

[Anh_Minh]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

And then he met a lot of people that were equally if not more admirable.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Subaru's devotion to Emilia is just born out of his stubbornness as he "decided" that she's the one he loves above anything else.

I know that's not not what the author is thinking, but it sure does feel that way to me. As much as he keeps repeating how much he loves Emilia, he doesn't look that much in love to me. I honestly empathized with Emilia when she said his words didn't sound true to her.

They must sound especially false since they're based on things that, for her, never happened.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

And then he met a lot of people that were equally if not more admirable.

Sometimes I get the feeling that Subaru's devotion to Emilia is just born out of his stubbornness as he "decided" that she's the one he loves above anything else.

I know that's not not what the author is thinking, but it sure does feel that way to me. As much as he keeps repeating how much he loves Emilia, he doesn't look that much in love to me. I honestly empathized with Emilia when she said his words didn't sound true to her.

He has met a lot of great and admirable people in this world but it was Emilia that saved him and drove a lot of his initial motivation.

I don't think his feelings are just driven by stubbornness because if they weren't his true feelings I don't think he would have chosen Emilia over Rem.

Originally Posted by Anh_Minh

They must sound especially false since they're based on things that, for her, never happened.

This came up before in their argument in season 1, although I feel like his genuine feelings were able to overcome that issue this time around since he wasn't a raging mess.

[Jan-Poo]

Originally Posted by Frontier

He has met a lot of great and admirable people in this world but it was Emilia that saved him and drove a lot of his initial motivation.

Emilia saved him? As far as I remember she only saved him from a bunch of thugs that only wanted to rob him as long as he didn't do anything stupid (and he could have easily saved himself by not going into that alley). The person that truly saved both him and Emilia in that situation was Reinhard.

Additionally if there's anyone who deserves to be recognized for giving Subaru the motivation to continue is Rem, as he had pretty much decided to give up on Emilia in spite of how much he claims to love her now.

[Frontier]

Originally Posted by Jan-Poo

Emilia saved him? As far as I remember she only saved him from a bunch of thugs that only wanted to rob him as long as he didn't do anything stupid (and he could have easily saved himself by not going into that alley). The person that truly saved both him and Emilia in that situation was Reinhard.

Additionally if there's anyone who deserves to be recognized for giving Subaru the motivation to continue is Rem, as he had pretty much decided to give up on Emilia in spite of how much he claims to love her now.

It was her saving him and her compassion that won him over when they first met.

Rem was able to push Subaru forward because she realized what he really wanted to do, deep down, just like she knew and accepted that Subaru loved Emilia most of all, not her.

[~Yami~]

I hope this arc will be a turning point for Emilia
I am almost 100% sure that she won't win Royal Election. Instead, she will back off once Roswaal somehow restored her village without relying on her or she will just move on from that frozen village. She won't be able to face Crusch or Priscilla in the election

Subaru and Otto decided to just solo'd this timeline, eh?
Since all secrets already out, their scheme should work well as long as Emilia did her trial well