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Sep 30, 2020
Introduction: Four years ago aired the first season of Re:Zero. It had been only 6 months since I got into anime and it was the first series I felt passionate enough to write a review and participate in discussion threads.
For the first time, I followed religiously a show and made sure to watch episodes right as they released and right before watching the next one to make sure I remembered everything.
But with time passing, the series that I considered one of my favorites started being just another show. I watched the director's cut as it aired and because I knew the series all across the
...
board, I started feeling like maybe this show wasn't as good as I first felt.
After 4 years, surely my taste had evolved so this second season had to prove to me, once again, what this show could deliver.
World building: What I thought was dismissed a lot in Re:Zero's reviews was the fantasy setting. In the first season, I already liked the world depicted, both visually and historically. We don't know all that much but characters' like Reinhard and his grand-father Wilhelm showed me what looked like some great medieval fantasy aspects.
Singular creatures like the Whale and ground dragons and numerous other elements like races, magic were quickly dismissed as we all focused on Subaru's decisions and suffering.
This season, however, expands the "mythology" of Re:Zero's world, we learn more about the other witches and a bit of their backstory as well as their quirks and traits. We get introduced to the Sanctuary, a unique place with its own mysteries and its set of specific rules that just add on the numerous obstacles Subaru has to go through.
I will also adress the efficiency of Return by Death. It was already true for last season, but RBD allows to depict a brutal world and have logical courses of event (that usually lead to death) that get rid of a hated trope, this being plot-armor.
Mysteries and answers: The first season introduced a lot of mysteries, raised a lot of questions and this season gives us answers which often lead to even more questions.
Characters, you think you know, turn out to be complete strangers, you realize you know nothing of this world and its people. This gives you a feeling of dizziness as you understand how much you're clueless. This show gave the impression of playing of existing cliches and tropes, almost mindlessly but I think it is way more thought out than it seems.
In addition, things that people hoped for like more screentime for Emilia-tan, a peek at Subaru's past life, return of some characters and a couple of extra new ones make this season of Re:Zero the confirmation of everything I felt while watching season one.
I also like how some details become relevant a few episodes later, what I mean is that rewatching episodes is rewarding because you spot things you missed the first time or didn't understand their relevance until now.
I fell in love with this series a second time and end up doing exactly what I did 4 years ago. Despite having watched hundreds of show since then, I have not been disppointed by Re:Zero's second season. This arc seems to be the one to add the most lore and the most challenging for Subaru yet with the highest stakes this show has seen.
The cons : The only bad thing I have to mention is the SLIGHT decrease in quality of the animation. Again, it is a slight difference but I don't remember any particularly bad scenes in Re:Zero's first season. It is mostly far away shots that lack consistency so it's really just me nitpicking.
And to compensate, I'll adress and praise what deserves to be. Just like last season, White Fox has decided to fully utilize the time they have and they always remove either the opening or the ending to squeeze an extra 1min30 of content. I will salute the dedication of White Fox to give the source material and the viewers their time's worth.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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Jun 3, 2020
Romance isn't my favorite genre of manga but it's also the only medium in which I care about it.
I'm not an avid reader of shojo romance manga but when I watched the anime of Tonari no Kaibutsu-kun, I knew I needed to know the ending of that story.
I then read from vol. 5 to 8 online very quickly and then bought the physical volumes later and have never read them... until this day. (All of this to say my reading was a little all over the place so I may not make sense sometimes)
I considered this manga to be one of my favorite romance if
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not THE one. I had even put it as one of my favorites on my profile but have removed it since. Years have gone by between my first experience of this story and my discovery of its ending.
My tastes have changed since then and my interest had faded.
So what drew me back to it? Why couldn't I just let it go? Why is it important to me and why I think it's a solid 8?
The positives of this story :
The characters. In a manga like this, I believe it is the one and most important point, the one that really counts. Haru and Shizuku aren't the plain couple you might imagine. The couple's dynamic isn't one of trying to bring a bit of the other in them. Basically even though Shizuku is a serious student that puts her studies before all, this isn't a story about her becoming someone else or changed. It's about being there and understanding each other. What Haru and Shizuku bring to each other isn't a new vision of life but the ability to freely live their own.
The relationship they establish is an unbreakable bond that will hold even when they spend months apart.
Also this manga's goal isn't to see the protagonists end up together because they do, fairly soon actually. It's about reaching that point where they're really in sync, when they fully understand one another. When there's no more fear that justifies keeping their emotions or lying.
This manga doesn't try and make you doubt about the fact they'll be together.
In this day and age, harem is prevalent. Stories where multiple contenders aim for the same boy/girl don't do a good job at truly developing the ending pair's feelings. You feel like you've read something that could be multiple standalone love stories and the ending feels like it could be one of many alternatives one. Even 5-toubun that ended recently and that I consider very good shares this unavoidable flaw.
This story has none of that, it is a story about the building of a solid relationship. If you like the chase of harem mangas, this isn't it. If you like the slow pace of a romantic settle down then this is for you.
When I say the characters are good, I don't mean only the main pair. I won't go into too much details here since that'd be long to cover up and it's honestly something you should definitely find out yourself. But I'll say that the characters you'll come to like I'm sure are all treated well. There are some truly side characters that don't bring much to the story, but much of the supporting cast aren't left over and they all have good development and conclusions.
There's even a pairing (if not two) that, to me, could have ben stories of their own and they've been just as good as the main one. Those are more of the "chase" kind of stories and I found that great.
I truly think there's everything romance fans look for in this story.
The negative aspects :
After all, this isn't a 10 is it? There are some things I didn't like.
First, the psychology aspect. Now I don't mean "deep psychology" I'm talking about these moments where characters reflect on their lives to make the next decision. Even though they're obviously necessary, I think sometimes the author draaaaaagged it a bit. Sometimes I feel like some internal thoughts went on for too long to reach nothing. I think especially about everything that's Haru's family related. Except his relationship with his aunt and cousin, I think most of it was unnecessary and boring and existed only to get a bit of drama. Basically Haru's family is pretty important and his family and him are in bad terms but because his father is that important, he won't reach out to him. It's a complicated family to say the least but it doesn't bring anything to the table besides being just that: complicated. Haru's family could've been complicated another way, I don't understand why it needs them to be "People". I didn't see the point in Haru's family business existing. So whenever the story tried to make hardships based of that I couldn't really get into it.
So that's it, this manga ended years ago and I don't believe anyone will read this, but if you've read all the way through and I assume you're into romance then give this series a shot, it's nothing like anything I've read and even though I'm sure there are other mangas like this I know that this one is special to me and I'm glad I finally got to reading it all the way through.
Reviewer’s Rating: 8
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Sep 21, 2016
As you may guess, when someone gives a 9 to an anime, he isn't going to say it was a bad anime and I am no exception.
**This review contains really minor spoilers, if you don't want to know anything at all about the story or characters, you shouldn't read it**
Story (9/10) : About the story, you know it, no need for a synopsis, it's a few scroll away. Why do I think it deserves a 9?
- Well first of all, the surprise factor. The first episode is a double episode. And while the first part isn't really original, I mean it's a classic transported-to-another-world anime
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at this point.The second part, however, was really unexpected and definitely drags you into the story. Long story short, the first part is all happy-go lucky, with a cheerful main character that meets a cute silver haired half-elf. And the second part is pretty dark and sinister. That first episode could be compared to the surprise I had when I watched Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica, and I think it was amazing.
- After that, there is the "Return by Death". This is the center element of the story pretty much. Some people will see this as a lazy way to put "gore" into this anime when it's just a tool to deconstruct the main character, which is also a main component of the show. I'm the kind of person that don't mind seeing the same background and (almost) the same interactions through 4 or 5 episodes, if you do mind, you should reconsider watching this, if not, then you should be fine.
- The conclusion : To every story there is an end. Don't worry I won't spoil it, I'm just going to say that I think it was a nice conclusion imo. I know some people are really afraid of being disappointed by the end of the anime because it may ruin their experience (*cough* Death Note *cough*).
So, if you like some action here and there, some violence here and there, some gentle moment here and there, you should be fine with the story. Re: Zero offers a nice variety of emotions and plot twists. (As well as some magnificent cliffhangers)
Art 9/10 : Animation is great, colors are pretty bright, the character design is good (lot of people animated in the streets, good looking backgrounds). The direction is fairly good too, I mean artwise there isn't much to say really, it's just good.
Sound 9/10 : The OST is good, especially that little chorus you hear at certain moments, it's really brief but you'll know what it is if you watch it. OPs and EDs are really good too, I love the 1st OP so much.
Character 9/10 : Now, the part that's really important, the characters. Let's do it one by one, shall we?
Natsuki Subaru : Main character. He is transported to that fantasy world and his main goal isn't to go back to where he comes from but to save the half-elf girl. Why? Well, we do know little about his life before the sudden teleportation in this new world. But the first few minutes tell us that he is a shut-in NEET with no real social life and being a fan of video-games (most likely RPGs) this new world is pretty suited for his tastes. However, he'll be going through a lot during the anime, making him unstable at times. I think his evolution/developpment was well handled, now I think I should warn you that he is probably the main reason why people don't like this anime, so if there is one reason you may not like this anime, he is the one. But if you can bear with him, you should have a good time.
Emilia : One of the main female protagonist. She is the victim of discrimination because of the fact she is a silver-haired half elf (saying more would be spoilers). However, she has the opportunity to become the ruler of her country and will do everything to achieve that goal. So, you won't be seeing her all the time, and even if she is the main love interest of Subaru, her lack of developpment and screen-time throughtout the show may not be well received by everyone. But her time will eventually come if there is a season 2. For now, she is an interesting character that we don't know much more about but I would love to hear more about her past.
Rem : One of the main female protagonist. Compared to Emilia, she will receive some developpment. Why? Because she has a key role in the second part of the anime and that developping her is essential at this point. That's what I like about this anime, it develops the character that will play an important role in the near future and I like this way of proceeding. I can only let you discover this character, that you'll get to know thoughout the show.
Enjoyment 10/10 : The cliffhangers, the twists, the brutal violence, the beautiful and colorful scenes, the characters, the atmosphere. All of this make my brain trembles. It is one of my favorites of all-time. Now I'll tell you this, if you're familiar with the term "elistist" I'm just the complete opposite, I don't need a lot to enjoy an anime, and I love the isekai genre. So there was no way I couldn't like this anime.
Overall 9/10 : In conclusion, don't get your hopes up or anything, I'm not here to tell you how to live your life, but when it comes to watching anime I think that the less you know, the better. But if you're here reading this, maybe you're just too undecisive, and you really don't know if you should watch this or not. I think the answer is in the first episode. If you liked what you saw, you can go ahead and watch the whole thing. This show repeatedly fits 24 minutes of straight content and I think it's just a proof of the investment and the general quality of this anime.
Reviewer’s Rating: 9
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