Re:Zero Season 2: Isekai Perfection? https://i1.wp.com/wallur.com/wpcontent/uploads/2016/12/rezerobackground15.png?fit=19202C1080 MINOR SPOILERS FOR SEASONS 1 AND 2 I find the Isekai subgenre pretty intriguing. They all typically follow a similar formula having tropes such as a basic main protagonist the damsel in distress and the reincarnated to a fantasy world storyline. Isekai anime all have such similar stories yet they still work. I find myself submerged and invested in an Isekais vast world and characters. Ill laugh my ass off watching Kazuma and friends in Konosuba or stare in awe at the amazing visuals of the world of Mushoku Tensei. Re:Zero is just another one of these witty fantasy anime. However Re:Zero holds a really special place in my heart. Back when my personal circumstances werent the greatest I could fall back and immerse myself into Re:Zeros exciting world and lovable cast of characters. Through the bright colors of the fantastic animation done by studio White Fox to the wonderfully produced original soundtracks I could really feel and resonate with the many emotions that came from not just the characters but their inner morals as well. Season 1 of Re:Zero perfectly set up its world for its future seasons. But there was just one small issue: there wasnt a 2nd season. After being arguably the most popular anime of 2016 and in recent memory Re:Zero still lacked a second season announcement. 4 long years of waiting went by when we finally were graced with a second season. Finally after 4+ years of waiting I was able to reunite with this special series that left me wanting more 4 years ago. Did the second season live up to all of the expectations and waiting that fans have so patiently waited for? Did Re:Zero Season 2 capitalize on the amazing world that its predecessor carefully developed? Summary Following the events of the first season of Re:Zero our protagonist Natsuki Subaru and friends are tasked with visiting a secluded community known as the Sanctuary which surrounds itself with an invisible barrier preventing any halfhumans from passing through. Thus several innocent halfhuman villagers are held hostage in the Sanctuary and Subaru must help Emilia complete a daunting threestep process known as the trials to free these villagers. On the surface the plot for this season seems extremely streamline and simple. However Tappei Nagatsuki the author of the Re:Zero web and light novels uses this simple storyline as a base to develop complex subplots and inner conflicts. This can happen through instances of selfconflict a clash of ideals between different characters and grave realizations and flashbacks that lead to a moral epiphany. Character Development Natsuki Subaru is the definition of an average guy. He looks like your completely typical Isekai protagonist and has 0 traits or qualities that help him stand out amongst the crowd. Nagatsuki takes advantage of the simple storyline of this arc to create a subplot for Subarus character. We really knew nothing of what life was like for our beloved Subaru on Earth before this season. Was he the popular jock at school who had girls all over him? Was he smart and cunning having an amazing aspiration and future? Who were his parents? Were they kind or were they abusive? Or was Natsuki Subaru really just your average human a person that doesnt fade off into the background but also doesnt do anything to stick out to others? Because of his ability to Return by Death RBD Subaru has gone through a lot of suffering. No one could resonate with Subaru simply because no one could know of his ability. Throughout the first season we see our hero die timeandtime again each time becoming moreandmore numb to the pain and fear of death until it becomes a part of his strategy to move onto his next checkpoint. Subaru cares for the lives of others more than his own and this is very prevalent in the later parts of Season 1. Even if Subaru passed a checkpoint he would kill himself in a heartbeat to reset the timeline if one of his comrades died in battle. This behavior has become toxic so why does Subaru behave this way? Season 2 answers this question and many more. Without getting too much into the realm of spoilers for the first time in the series we really understand who exactly Natsuki Subaru is. Again he seems like your average isekai protagonist but theres more than what meets the eye. Through highly anticipated character reveals and emotional scenes that may cause some tears Subarus character has been given a sense of depth. Hes no longer the scared and numb character we knew in Season 1. Hes grown to become a reliable and dependant person that people can trust even if his claims can be extreme. Through the help of these conversations and experiences Subarus learned to put his life on the forefront of everything that happens but that doesnt go without saying that he still cares for his friends. Re:Zero Season 2 excels in its character development. This season has allowed a plethora of characters to take the charge and hold the spotlight. Emilia breaks out of the basic damsel in distress character archetype that many modern isekai seem to have these days. Nagatsuki cleverly adds a moment of depth for Emilias character when he finds the opportunity this is especially prevalent in the second half of Season 2. Emilia is faced with the task to overcome not just the trial but to overcome her inner conflict with her past and her relationship with people. All this time Emilia has relied on the assistance and help of others content with staying dependent and latching on without knowing when to let go. In multiple time loops we can see the grueling outcome of such a mindset. Season 2 slowly yet beautifully develops Emilias character through experiences of the Sanctuarys trial her past and a little push from our favorite isekai protagonist. Characters we thought were minor in the world of Re:Zero also have their moment in this season of the anime. Beatrice aka best girl fights her own inner conflict with herself and holds onto false hope while characters like Roswaal shine and we learn about his conflict and inability to let go of his past. Even previous antagonists from Season 1 get a major appearance in the anime that make you resonate with people who we thought were evil. Its moments like these that make Re:Zero such a beautiful and compelling series to watch. Theres More Re:Zero Season 2 doesnt just excel in its world building character development excellent dialogue and amazing subplots but it also shines in contrasting these highly emotional scenes with an adrenaline rush of action. The animation is definitely not as refined as the first season but thats to be expected with the limitations of the pandemic and the tight schedule that White Fox was working under. In a technical aspect there arent many complaints surrounding the production quality of Re:Zero. The OSTs are on point as always with an amazing OP and ED and the voice acting performances by many of the characters are excellent. The pacing does feel off at some points but thats not enough to detract from the otherwise amazing season of Re:Zero that we got with an absolutely insane stretch of WTF episodes in the second half. In Conclusion Theres no shortage of WTF moments in Re:Zero. Ive felt emotions of sadness horror happiness and thrill while watching the series and this season combines the best of both worlds in terms of excellent dialogue and captivating fight scenes. No less to say that this is all done while White Fox an understaffed studio is whipping out 30 minute episodes of our favorite series weekly in excellent quality. I can quite literally recall a dozen moments in this season that seem like the series was built up to hit these moments as if these scenes were the climax of Re:Zero. In actuality this is just the start and Im ready to absorb all of it. Re:Zero Season 2 exceeded all of my expectations and more and hopefully we wont have to wait another 4 years for another season but Im excited to see what other twists and turns that the future seasons of Re:Zero hold in store for us. TLDR This show is amazing and I dont know what youre doing if you havent seen it yet Characters: 10/10 Plot: 9/10 WorldBuilding: 10/10 Animation: 8/10 OSTs: 9/10 Pacing: 7/10 Overall: 95/100 Thank you for reading