This review contains spoilers. https://64.media.tumblr.com/e7d726b637673b8ce9aa76e9e0aaa365/cbffce7ab58eb73dc8/s500x750/3bb046f59cba36752634567a78876d83cd93b044.gifv Disclaimer: Looking back on this review my wording and vocabulary are godawful. Innumerable occurrences of editing daily albeit I believe its time to leave it how it is. Anyways bear with me on this one. Thanks. Re:Zero is one of those few anime sequels nowadays that introduces unique combinations of many compelling concepts philosophical human ideologies realistic emotions extensive worldbuilding scarily good horror that all takes place in a world with fantasy elements. Its had these moments that genuinely gave me goosebumps with its overall presentation of a psychologicaldriven reality while also adding in bits and pieces of nostalgic emotional and heartwarming moments through the eyes of our main protagonist Subaru and with many more indepth important and fleshedout characters. In other words Re:Zero is a rarity among Isekai that proves it can be taken seriously. Through progression of time Subaru has been in a state of cold isolation depression and suicide while always recklessly preserving through destiny and fate itself all for the sake of those he cherishes. However this season of Re:Zero isnt mainly about a tragic hero attempting to save his loved ones. An Analysis of Subaru After being sent into Echidnas Windows XP background Subaru seems to be more familiar with his position in reality. Hes already experienced death itself suffering and despair while also experiencing the feeling of accomplishment happiness and affection for Emilia and Rem. Subarus power Return by Death seems to have been a blessing or a miracle to him. Being able to change ones destiny and future is what led him to save his loved ones from a cursed reality... But did he ever save himself? Subaru is a fine example of how to write a flawed character. Even though his ideology is very similar to that of a shounen protagonist wanting to save and protect those he cares about his experiences with many introduced characters like Echidna have shaped him into who he has become. This season is more focused on the Sanctuarys trial or Echidnas trials Subaru in a way is very similar to Echidna being greedy and selfish. Shes manipulative like Satella. However its still a fact that she shares the burden with Subaru. But in reality the story presents that Subaru was being selfish and greedy for many different reasons. Echidna being the witch of greed is essentially greedy for her own entire existence being thirsty for knowledge of the vast world which leads to how manipulative she can be. Subarus standpoint includes how he was greedy to save others not himself but from the fact that he was lost confused scared and clouded by his power Return by Death led to his own judgment of constantly dying suffering and sacrificing himself not knowing how much personal turmoil had taken over his own existence. Subaru is progressing in three different aspects this season: Hes starting to develop and grow as a human being. Hes going down the route of essentially losing his humanity. Hes gradually applying selfworth. While Subaru was able to have endurance against reality was he able to accept himself first rather than others? Can Subaru trust those who have changed his life? Was he able to accept the reality forced onto him? While all these questions flooded my head I can still say that Subaru has a good sense of determination in his heart. He has genuine intentions and motivations while at the same time maintaining his realistic persona and questionable decisionmaking. But also Subaru has his fair share of flaws as a character. Hes overconfident at many things he tries to do which is rather a given and logical for having a power like Return by Death. Even his special power is considered weak yet he is an immortal being. But most of all Subarus character isnt written in a way that makes you want to inherently feel sympathetic for him but rather to express that... hes finally tired and lost in a horrid reality. Hes been doubtful of himself because of the regret that had flooded his heart but hes been able to overcome his misgivings.This season wanted to emphasize that he hasnt yet fully overcome his obstacles before him. Subaru has been isolated and chained away by what seems to be unbreakable barriers but he was never technically alone. Hes followed a path that has allowed him to gain friendships. But hes also had a multitude of personal problems and turmoils that unfortunately not many will ever understand his feelings and hatred because of the barriers that have ensnared him. Subaru starts to follow this path where he cant decide if he can trust certain characters like Echidna Roswaal and Garfiel. Not only that the further he involves himself with Emilia the more disoriented and astray he becomes because this time he doesnt know a way to save them. He starts to realize the bigger picture because of Beatrice and that person. While all of these setbacks and trials Subaru is going through It seems as though no one may succor aid or even understand all the battles Subaru is clashing with. The anime community has been emotionally impacted because of the amount of credibility and weight his story holds. Subarus been through so many phases. He has wanted to give up because of how disoriented reality is but he cant. Even though he wants to give up he has no choice but to keep on living for the sake of those he adores. He essentially goes crazy and insane beyond human emotion. And after all of this It felt as though hes been the only one shattering but reality barges in then the realization that came into his mind flings into him saying You think you were the only one suffering by your power? And during the end he finally learns the weight of his misgivings about the reality he was forced into by essentially admitting I dont want to die. These werent the same words from S1. These were the words of a person who was lost in time but eventually came to realize the importance of selfworth and how cardinal and important his life is to others... Though at the same time its terrifying almost. Even though he knows that he is loved by others he still feels alone at many times during the series. Its even more terrifying than knowing you are alone yet no one understands you. In Subarus backstory we are shown that hes always wanted others to like him. Hes putting up a facade because he has never accepted nor understood himself. His overconfidence manipulated him to believe in a fake reality where hes a wise man. But no he was just lost in a endless loop of hell and terrified of the vast world full of hostility pointed right at him.The story explains major elements like anxiety love and insecurity that are constantly present during the show which adds many toppings and layers to the psychological horror of Re:Zero. But as the story progresses Subaru has resisted constant temptation right at his hands wanting him to essentially go down the IF route. Thankfully hes grown immensely in decisionmaking. Hes starting to develop in a more realistic and relatable way throughout the series from the results of last season and the payoff in Episode 4 was presented in a rewarding fashion with bits and pieces of sentimentalism. Subaru is starting to understand himself hes starting to put away the facade and the insecurity hes been carrying all this time. Viewing this season partly felt like connecting a huge puzzle in an entertaining manner. Major looseends were being tied together throughout the progression of the story which really put a smile on my face. The overall storytelling and plot progression really brought impact and complexity to the story. I started to understand its lore and premise much better by how it emphasizes on characterization. Examples being the ideology and motivations of Roswaal and Echidna. I was impressed by the worldbuilding that the story managed to introduce which was one of the major factors that allowed the story to evolve into something much more. Examples being the introduction of the Great Rabbit. Re:Zero managed to bring more importance and thrill to characterization worldbuilding foreshadowing and to its narrative. The intensive dialogue occurring in each episode brought amazing suspense fluidity and thrill with each scene. It delivered clear and shocking cliffhangers every episode. As such It doesnt rely on onenote gimmicks but rather progresses the story instead without leaving the viewer behind. From a general perspective Echidna seems reminiscent of a mother figure towards Subaru. Shes observant of him and aided him with his past... yet actually their relationship is that of a bank account. Roswaal seems to be more of a fatherfigure towards Subaru. He wants him to follow the same path he went through yet it is shown that he and Subaru were never clearly on the same page in the story. Ultimately we are met with the crooked actuality showcasing that Echidna and Roswaal view Subaru as a tool nothing more nothing less. There were several characters introduced to Re:Zero. But we still dont know much about them. All we were introduced to were slight glimpses of their personality and how insane their mindsets are. But because of these character introductions and reintroductions It added more substance to the story itself. Things like the Great Rabbit were explained thoroughly and why creatures like it exist in the first place. More characters now seem to hold a purpose and importance to the story in a way that adds more fluidity and chemistry to the story that now has evolved into something that has surpassed its own prequel. It has a good balance of everything. It isnt overly dramatic nor isnt underwhelming. Important factors like these make headway for the overall foundation and theme of the story leaning more towards the suspenseful side. Each buildup methodically spurring is what really carried the suspense. For example the buildup of Echidnas monologue brought to the story was thoughtprovoking and shockingly impactful to the overall theme of the story. The overall presentation of the Castle of Dreams radiated an eerie atmosphere. Re:Zero had many insane and thrilling scenes that added spice to the plot it still managed to stay on track with keeping its overall theme present throughout the entire story. The story managed to establish meaningful relationships between characters such as Subaru with Otto Emilia Roswaal Beatrice Echidna and Satella. Specifically Roswaal I was in awe of how crooked and complex his ideology was. He seemed fishy a lot throughout the first season but I usually put him off the hook most of the time. And Im glad I did. Roswaal What a mad lad. This tale is certainly dialogueheavy for many viewers as for some though the dialogue made this season memorable specifically because of Echidnas monologue Roswaals philosophical aims and Subarus backstory. It touched and supported its driving force. However writing wise it does lose itself within complex scenarios especially with the dialogue and complicating narrative perception which is a sound argument. Because of its shortcomings there werent as many actiondriven scenes as before more so obsessed with dialogue backstories and cleaning up major questions and mysteries of the anime which is the correct way to avoid major plot holes to the story. For further notice if you are not a fan of complex and fastpaced dialogue like something out of the Monogatari series youll probably be disappointed with this sequel of Re:Zero. I was rather impressed by the visuals seen in Subarus backstory because of how properly sentimental the overall atmosphere was which partly serves as appreciation for its wondrous musical score. Because of this highlights would have to be Episode 4 and Episodes 1213 personally. Specifically what caught my eye was the soundtrack opening and ending themes. Im very delighted to see that the producers didnt change most of the OSTs due to the fact that it emphasizes so much on development and atmosphere. Re:Zero truly has a charm of its own.The franchise itself has managed to bring and smoothly execute compelling ideas to the table while gaining a loyal fandom and immense popularity. It stays consistent and entertaining because of all the meticulous ideas it manages to introduce. All throughout it stays honest bestowing us a longawaited sequel topping its successor which truly is a delight to witness. Re:Zero understands unpredictability. It takes an immeasurable amount of twists and turns with its characters action sequences dialogue scenarios and plot twists. Garfiel Roswaal Beatrice Satella and Echidna being a fine example of this. You cant really tell who is righteous or evil firsthand through Subarus perspective because of multiple new characters involved and how mysterious some characters are that were already introduced back then. White Fox knows their general set of viewers scarily well. So far Im really pleased to see the overall direction it is moving towards not from how this sequel ended but the overall improvements it had managed to successfully execute. Theres still a plethora of questions which havent been answered yet and thats precisely why it keeps me entertained and invested in how the story progresses as a whole. All in all If you dislike season 1 as a whole I wont recommend this anime to you because of how much complexity and dialogue is added to the story. To people who want to understand how thoughtprovoking season 2 is I highly recommend that you rewatch this season to further your understanding of how the anime progresses. Maybe not right away though be sure to come back. Dont fret the rewatch value of this anime is pretty damn splendid to say so myself. And as a fan of this story Im thrilled to see what Re:Zero has to offer in the foreseeable future.