Natsuki Subaru's introduct himself, "My name is Natsuki Subaru. Not only am I clueless, I'm also broke beyond compare! Nice to meet ya." |
Ever since before the airing date, Re:ZERO already expected to be hits by the anime addicts. It's not questionable because the Light Novel itself gains so many fans for its success. Re:ZERO [Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 / Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-] has 25 episodes and airing from Spring 'til Summer 2016. I almost dropped the series and gladly stayed for it. What's worth from the series in my opinion will be explained in this post.
【Download the theme songs here ♪♩♫♬】 | Pic Post > (ㅇㅅㅇ❀)
Lugunica is the easternmost nation on the continental map of the odd world Subaru just discovered. As the first main heroine introduced hereafter, named Emilia, Subaru quickly decides to devote himself to this beautiful girl. Emilia saves him from the attackers and Subaru states an alibi of helping her finding the one who stole her gem to keep attached with her—since he wants to know more about the city and has nowhere to go. His decision to follow—so he will have someone beside to travel and gather information, —is the beginning of his bloody journey and the truth behind his existence there, as well as his discovered-newborn ability related to dark magic.
The first half of this story was fucking boring. I really fed up with few episodes when Subaru comes back to his starting point because of his death moments. His ability is "Returns by Death" will activate immediately if he dies. He is unable to tell others about this ability whatsoever, thus, everytime he comes back to life he thinks about the plan to prevent his death and others he loves in Lugunica from death later. This series is way time too much to reveal the protagonist’s logic behind all of it. Too much soliloquy with slow development of Subaru's lame thoughts (fucking sick of it already after 3 episodes). It's starting to change after the deuteragonist, or at least that's how I assume the character named Rem there, enters Subaru's life. Rem is taking this series to a whole new point with an increasing amount of conversation with other supporting yet fundamental characters too. She is the reason why I decided to finish the series when I was already in half way and ready to drop this. Rem's role is more than just deuteragonist here, more than that into the story. She grows up Subaru's thought and idea of his hopeless self. She spreads love and emotion to us with her love. What a pure love she has. However, even if Subaru as main protagonist experiences revolution of himself to better man than before, he is still the "irritating" one who made me wanna puke. He is weak for God's sake. Not just it, but his pose is irritating and already overdo, made it not funny anymore for me. He is good-for-nothing but boasts himself. He can act like a real hero and childish unpredictably with ease that made him like a character who doesn't have fix personality. His pride and his mumbling in the end only arises just for creating tension and sympathy. |
The character development is only up for Subaru himself. It's clear that only Subaru who can make a change and new possibility for others because of his ability. He makes use of his ability to prevent or make progress for things when other characters just follow the decision he makes later with their own characteristic. Other characters help Subaru in their own role, but the most that we can feel is all about Rem (I discovered myself in a hesitation about who's the real main heroine here (Rem everywhere)). Subaru's thoughts and ideas are getting better as the time goes. It is, however, impossible to change if there are no other characters supporting him (as I say, he is such irritating and pessimistic).
The other characters, therefore, are all mannequins-like. They are up to Subaru's decision. They won't act anything valuable if there's no change made by Subaru. Only Emilia and Rem get their development a bit following Subaru. Subaru’s ill thoughts are created to make himself looks developed afterwards. From such ill thoughts to be something greater, a real man.
Any expectation for its visualization will not be let down. Surely fantasy anime needs nice graphic for satisfying our eyes. Re:zero does nice colouring, when your emotions gonna stir up by the tension it gets hazy and when hope arises after the dark age of ill thoughts it becomes luminous. They combine the colouring well with situation. Beautiful scenes got my sight, but nothing really matters, except the characters design which is impress me much. Green surrounding but not too detail, and epic battles although there aren't much battles I could find here. The facial expression of characters is the best aspect of visualization here. It's really represented the feeling of anger, sadness, hopelessness, desire, wrath, worry, sincerity, innocence, and relief. So many clear facial expressions that make this series can be so emotional for sensitive person. I guess, everything near the facial area is the focus of this series, aside from facial expressions, there are also hair, hair accessories, and near shoulder area detail.
The OP is sung by Konomi Suzuki "Redo", it's pop-rock like with many synthesizer effect, try to be a beat pieces but fail to satisfy my ears. The OP2 "Paradisus-Paradoxum" by MYTH & ROID is more Re:ZERO for the series. It's suitable to be Re:ZERO theme song with its beat and spread shadowy vibes with the instruments. The ED "STYX HELIX" by MYTH & ROID is another success for the music aspect in this series. I think MYTH & ROID is always slaying this series. This ED has more back vocals like whispering or murmur-like and slower tempo that fit for the ending. The ED2 "Stay Alive" is sung by Rie Takahashi (Emilia's seiyuu). It's the best for me! With ripped-apart-heart beat supported by the instruments (especially crashing drums) and seiyuu's vocal character as the singer, it's amazingly stunning. Plus the fact of the scenes that play in the back.
My own rate for this anime is 8. I can't forgive how dumbass and fucking boring it at first. Rem saves the series in a really good timing and after that it starts to be better than expected.
Pros & Cons:
- The first-half of the series is fucking dumbass, I was getting bored and wondering. The second-half of the series was something priceless to watch for tho’. But, I should be honest here, I disappointed with the ending, it feels like they tried to pack it in hanging way.
- This series is one of those rare series which I REALLY hate the main male character. Enough said.
- In brief, it has no ecchi scenes (well, such female exaggerating parts of female body and kind of flirting way does exist but it's considering as less).
- The music aspect is so great, ED2 surely.
- Rem is deeply, surely, definitely, falling in love with the protagonist. Her sincere love to him drives her to be a diamond that saves this series in my list. Rem is up for the pros here.
- Emilia and Rem can tug at my heartstrings. Emilia is my favorite.
From left to right (top): Subaru Natsuki (ナツキ・スバル), Emilia (エミリア), Puck (パック), Felt (フェルト), Reinhard van Astrea (ラインハルト・ヴァン・アストレア) From left to right (bottom): Rem (レム), Ram (ラム), Beatrice (ベアトリス), Roswaal L. Mathers (ロズワール・L・メイザース) | From left to right (top): Priscilla Barielle (プリシラ・バーリエル), Aldebaran (アルデバラン), Crusch Karsten (クルシュ・カルステン), Felix Argail (フェリックス•アーガイル), Wilhelm van Astrea (ヴィルヘルム・ヴァン・アストレア) From left to right (middle): Anastasia Hoshin (アナスタシア・ホーシン), Julius Euclius (ユリウス・ユークリウス), Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti (ペテルギウス・ロマネコンティ) From left to right (bottom): Elsa Granhiert (エルザ・グランヒルテ), Old-Man Rom (ロム爺), and the delinquents gang |
Subaru Natsuki (ナツキ・スバル): Our pessimistic and hopeless main character who acts like he is a hero.
Emilia (エミリア): Spiritual arts user. Half-elf. Emilia's status is a candidate to become the Kingdom of Lugunica's forty-second ruler with Margrave Roswaal's backing.
EMF: Emilia-tan, major fairy!
Puck (パック): Emilia's spirit, shaped like a gray cat and can fly. Called Bubby by Baeko.
Satella: Name of the Jealous Witch.
Roswaal L. Mathers (ロズワール・L・メイザース): Lord of the manor Emilia's live. He is a greatest magic-user in the kingdom.
Ram (ラム): One of twins demons, the older sister. Appear to be Roswaal's right hand.
Rem (レム): One of twins demons live in Roswaal's mansion as maid. Impressive in household task.
Beatrice/Beako (ベアトリス): She is a librarian who oversees the Roswaal mansion's forbidden library. Called Betty by Puck.
Crusch Karsten (クルシュ・カルステン): She is a ruler candidate. She seems the most suitable and absolute figure for being a ruler by her appearance, the way of talking, manner, and power.
Felix Argail (フェリックス•アーガイル): A trap Royal Knight. Skilled in water magic, expert in healing. Crusch's Knight.
Wilhelm van Astrea (ヴィルヘルム・ヴァン・アストレア): From Astrea family, Reinhard's grandpa and Crusch's butler.
Anastasia Hoshin (アナスタシア・ホーシン): She is a ruler candidate. A real businesswoman. She speaks in Kansai dialect.
Julius Euclius (ユリウス・ユークリウス): Spirits Arts user like Emilia. He is a Royal Knight, under Anastasia's might.
Mimi, Hetaro, & Tivey Pearlbaton (ミミ・ヘータロー・ティビー パールバトン): Anastasia's followers. They are triplets of Fang of Steel (under Anastasia's command).
Felt (フェルト): She is a ruler candidate. A young villager who lives in a slum. She has no basic to be a candidate except she successfully stole the gem which is registered as the proof to be a candidate once. By successfully stole it before, she is worthy to be nominated as a ruler candidate too.
Old-Man Rom (ロム爺): He sells many things in the village and he is like grandpa for Felt.
Reinhard van Astrea (ラインハルト・ヴァン・アストレア): The master swordsman, line of Astrea family. Red-haired ikemen. The swordplay of Astrea family. One of Royal Knight who proposes Felt to be registered as a ruler candidate too. He becomes Felt's Knight.
Priscilla Barielle (プリシラ・バーリエル): She is a ruler candidate. Looks like has superior queen-like complex. I describe her as beauty yet deadly.
Aldebaran (アルデバラン): Priscilla's Knight. Despite his fearsome and weird appearance, he has a good heart like a young faithful man.
Elsa Granhiert (エルザ・グランヒルテ): An assassin from northern country that interfere with the Lugunica's political state surreptitiously (like stealing the gem of ruler candidate).
Betelgeuse Romanee-Conti (ペテルギウス・ロマネコンティ): A FREAK leader of Witch's Cult. He represents the Sin of Sloth. He is highly worshipping the Witch.
Ton (トン): The deliquents gang. Unimportant character to remember lol
Chin (チン): The deliquents gang. Unimportant character to remember lol
Kan (カン): The deliquents gang. Unimportant character to remember lol
Mabeasts: Creatures created by witch.
#4th_ep "A derisive sneer is the only smile worth giving you." —Beatrice | #5th_ep "Only an ultimate pervert would be calmed by verbal abuse, I suppose." —Beatrice |
#11st_ep "So... laugh, Rem. Take off that sad face, and laugh. Laugh while we talk about the future! While we talk, look forward to making up for all the time you've wasted looking back!" --Subaru
#11st_ep "You are fanatical like a demon." --Rem to Subaru | #18th_ep "I love you. When you said that you hate yourself, it made me want to tell you all the wonderful things I know about you." --Rem to Subaru |
#18th_ep "It was you who melted my frozen heart, and kindly made my stopped time begin to move forward again! I'm sure you have no idea how you saved me, or how happy I was at that moment, on that morning. That's why I believe. No matter what painful things happen, even when it looks like you'll lose... When no one else in the world believes in you, when you don't even believe in yourself... I will believe!" —Rem
【増原 紀花】