Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:14 am

This is a recap of Re:Zero season 1 and 2A, which also containers spoilers for the Frozen Bonds OVA. There are also some theories and questions I present from time to time.

Throughout the story of Re:Zero, Subaru is being repeatedly tested. He is always forced to choose between a specific sin and a specific virtue. Every time, Subaru would choose virtue over sin.

In arc one where Subaru must choose between Pride and Diligence, Subaru is fated to meet with three shady people in the ally. In one life, Emilia saves him. In another life, Subaru fights back. In the life that Subaru keeps, Subaru chooses to ask for Reinhard’s help by calling for the guards. Subsequently, the things that Subaru mentions to Reinhard in their interactions would allow Reinhard to save Subaru and Emilia from the attacks of Elsa.

Perhaps the book of knowledge stated that Emilia and Subaru would be fated to meet. Thus, Roswaal would take advantage of this fact and would hire Elsa to kill everyone that got in her way of retrieving the insignia, forcing Subaru to ask for help. Perhaps this was Roswaal’s way of strengthening Subaru’s resolve to save Emilia. Because of Subaru’s actions, Emilia would owe her life to Subaru. But because of Roswaal, Emilia and Subaru were able to establish a close relationship. Subaru would be vital to Roswaal’s goal of making Emilia win the royal selection.

In the frozen bonds OVA, we see Emilia living in the forest with Puck. How did Roswaal come to find Emilia and how did Roswaal ultimately convince Emilia to participate in the royal selection? What does Roswaal gain out of helping Emilia?

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:17 am

In arc two, or the mansion arc, Subaru must choose between Wrath and Patience. Subaru would need to gain the trust of both Rem and Ram, both of which were suspicious of Subaru because he had the Witch’s scent. Subaru would have to kill the shaman in the forest to stop the curse from killing him. In one of the loops, when Rem died from the shaman curse, Subaru had a choice to make: run away from the mansion or save everyone. Subaru chose to save everyone, whereupon Subaru would jump off the cliff.

A few questions came to mind while thinking back to arc 2, specifically about Roswaal’s actions.

In the first loop, Roswaal would ask Ram her thoughts about Subaru.

“Do you think he is involved?” asks Roswaal.

Ram would not deny the possibility that Subaru was involved with the Witch’s Cult. But why would Roswaal ask that if he knew the truth behind Subaru? Roswaal was the one pulling the Witch’s cult behind the strings after all, or at least with Betelgeuse.

Roswaal has a much stronger relationship than Ram compared to Rem. It is now known to viewers that Meili and Elsa were hired by Roswaal. Thus, it is most probable that Meili was involved with the shaman’s curse. Even though Subaru did not show up to the village during the loop where Subaru hid in Beatrice’s Forbidden Library, someone still suffered from the shaman’s curse—Rem. Perhaps the book of knowledge told Roswaal to do this no matter what, even if Subaru had not accompanied Rem to the village.

          Thus, Rem was an essential part of Roswaal’s plan; however, Roswaal did not feel any sort of distress at the fact that Rem had to be sacrificed. Roswaal was confident that Subaru would not allow anyone to die.

          There was also the promise that Subaru and Beatrice made. On the fourth loop of the mansion arc, Subaru asks Beatrice, “Could you protect me until sunrise [until] the morning after tomorrow?” Beatrice responds with “I shall grant thy wish. By the name of Beatrice, the pact is formed.” Thus, Subaru finally made it to the fifth day alive only to find Rem dead.

          Suspecting that Subaru might be withholding information, Ram attempts to kill Subaru. However, Beatrice protects Subaru and states “I do not recall saying anything about a time limit. You assumed incorrectly that there was one, I suppose.” This was not the original promise, though. Perhaps Beatrice really did care for Subaru. She did not want to see Subaru die right in front of her. Perhaps Beatrice is jealous of Subaru. Subaru is human and is therefore mortal, whereas Beatrice is a spirit who cannot die from ordinary means (like old age).

Beatrice has seen many people die over the 400 years of her existence. Beatrice is envious of those who can experience death. Beatrice did not want to feel alone, being left behind by another person. Beatrice wishes that one day That Person would show up to free her from her misery. Because of Beatrice’s jealousy of death, Beatrice saves Subaru, stating “I will have you die where I cannot see you, so as not to disturb my dreams, I suppose,” which demonstrates that Beatrice chooses to save Subaru to avoid feeling miserable about her eternal state.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:19 am

In episode 8 of Re:Zero (Season 1), Subaru worked his hardest as a maid to get on everyone’s good side and to show that he could be trusted. In episode 9 of Re:Zero, Subaru visited the village with Rem, which is when Meili brought the dog with the shaman’s curse that bit Subaru. Roswaal most likely hired Meili to bite Subaru in this fifth and final loop, whereas in the fourth loop Roswaal probably gave instructions for Meili to bite Rem instead of Subaru to convince Subaru that the shaman curse was inevitable.

Perhaps Ram’s response to Roswaal’s question, “Do you think he is involved?” was key to Subaru’s survival. If Subaru did not gain the trust of both Ram and Rem, then it would have been impossible for Subaru to kill Beteleguse in arc 3. In other words, Rem trusting Subaru was vital to defeating Betelgeuse, and perhaps Ram trusting Subaru might be vital to freeing the Sanctuary and stopping the attacks on the mansion in arc 4.

Since Subaru gained the trust of Ram and Rem, Roswaal would make a huge change in decisions compared to the other loops. He claimed he had to meet up with someone to deal with an urgent issue. Before he left, Roswaal stated to Subaru, “I have great expectations for you. I want you to keep an eye on Emilia-tan and take good care of her.” It was never revealed to viewers who Roswaal was meeting with. Could Roswaal be meeting with Meili to help inflict the curse on other villagers? Could Roswaal be meeting with Betelgeuse? Or perhaps Roswaal simply left Subaru with no one to depend on while trying to stop the shaman curse from happening to strengthen Subaru’s resolve of protecting Emilia.

Because Roswaal left the mansion for an important meeting, Subaru depended on Beatrice for information on how to get rid of the curse. Subaru would have to defeat every mabeast in the forest. Subaru finds Petra and the other village kids unconscious in the nearby forest, whereupon Petra informs Subaru that another village kid was still deep within the forest—Meili. Subaru had to save every single one of them, no matter the danger.

But was Meili unconscious in this shot above or was she simply acting as bait for the mabeasts to show up? Subaru uses his powers, which weakens his gate and makes him unable to attack further. Because of the mabeast battle resulting in Subaru’s weakened state, Subaru would be unable to use his magic to fight Elsa in arc 4. Perhaps Roswaal really thought this far ahead about how the potential of Subaru attacking back with his powers.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:23 am

Roswaal decided to show up in episode 11 when Subaru almost died from the mabeasts. Perhaps Roswaal’s temporary departure served as an opportunity for Rem, Ram, and Subaru to become closer and trust each other more.

Toward the end of episode 11, Roswaal asks Ram if she managed to find the person who was controlling the mabeasts to which Ram replied, “one of the children Barasu and Rem brought back mysteriously disappeared from the village the next day.” Ram was referring to Meili who completed her assignment that Roswaal gave her. Roswaal asks Ram, “was this connected to the battle for the throne as well?” Of course, it was not. It was all because of Roswaal that the mabeasts attacked the village. People did not despise Emilia as much as previously thought.

Many people probably overlooked or forgot about this detail, but it is worthy to mention. Before episode 11 concludes, Roswaal states to Ram, “I will be busy again for a time. I know it will be difficult for you, but I am counting on you and Rem.” Roswaal is probably referring to his disappearance during the Betelgeuse arc.

Roswaal also vaguely hints at his goal for doing all of this: “This battle for the throne. I must win no matter what it takes to do so. For the sake of my ultimate goal: for the coming day when I kill the dragon.” What comes to mind when we think of dragons in Re:Zero? For one thing, Reinhard Van Astrea carries a dragon sword around his waist. Could Roswaal be planning to kill Reinhard? Through the virtue of patience, Subaru was able to develop a great relationship with Ram, Rem, and Emilia.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:26 am

Emilia decides to end her relationship with Subaru because she felt that would repay the debt between them. Perhaps this twisted way of thinking is the result of Emilia’s past or inability to trust others easily. In the Frozen Bonds OVA, everyone knew Emilia as the Witch of the Forest. Some would go as far as calling her the Witch of Envy, Satella. Everyone feared Emilia. People in the nearby village begged Emilia to stop visiting their store for goods and services. Emilia would live in the forest with Puck being her only company. Meanwhile, Subaru states, “Every last thing I’ve done was to repay you for your kindness.” But Emilia could not be kind, she thought. Emilia was fully convinced that she must have frozen everyone in the forest in her past. Thus, Emilia could not properly wrap her head around getting special treatment from Subaru.

Subaru would stay in the capital with Crusch, Felix, and Rem, whereas Emilia would return to the mansion to study. Crusch informs Subaru of suspicious activity in Roswaal’s area, which they believe is a result of prejudice. But there was no one trying to stop Emilia from taking over because she was a half-elf. It was simply Roswaal creating drama to make Subaru look like a hero, which would help Emilia in the royal selection. Rather than focusing on healing his gate, Subaru goes after Emilia with Rem. No one was at Emilia’s side and Subaru needed to back Emilia up.

In the first loop of arc 3, Subaru fails to team up with Crusch. He would try to do everything by himself, which is indicative of the sin of pride. Rem and Subaru would take a carriage and head back to the mansion. However, Rem ditches Subaru at an inn because she felt that it would be dangerous for Subaru to go to the mansion. This is when best boy Otto shows up for the first time who is scared because Subaru was talking angrily to himself while they were traveling on the carriage. Upon returning to the village, Subaru finds everyone dead. With Emilia dead, Puck would start going on a killing rampage. Thus, Puck would kill Subaru here for the first time.

In the second loop of the third arc, Subaru does absolutely nothing. That is, until Betelgeuse shows up and starts to harm Rem. Betelgeuse would ask Subaru, “You wouldn’t happen to be the one known as Pride, would you?” Since we now know that Roswaal personally led the Witch’s cult to attack the mansion, we cannot rule out the possibility that Roswaal has ties with the other Archbishops. Perhaps Subaru is destined to be the Archbishop Sin of Pride when he defeats Betelgeuse and takes his gospel but simply does not know.

          Subaru finally arrives at the mansion where Puck is causing it to snow. Puck tells Subaru to “sleep along with my daughter.”

          In the third loop of this arc, Subaru tries to ask others for help but does not know how to properly negotiate. Subaru tries to head to the mansion before the attack occurs. Subaru finds Otto and convinces him and others to bring carriages to the mansion to rescue the villagers. They run into the White Whale. Rem attempts to fight the White Whale but fails and is eaten up.

          Otto forgets who Rem is, so Subaru punches Otto off the carriage. Subaru returns to the village and the mansion with everyone unharmed. Ram does not remember Rem. Subaru tries to run away with Emilia. Subsequently, Subaru tries telling Emilia about his Return by Death ability, resulting in the death of Emilia. However, why does only Emilia die from knowing about Return by Death? In episode 25, Subaru uses Return by Death to force Beteleguse out of his head, but Betelgeuse does not die from this.

          Subaru asks Beatrice to kill her, but Beatrice refuses to take part in his death perhaps because Beatrice would be envious of people dying in front of her. Beatrice teleports Subaru elsewhere and states in a sad tone, “At least this way you’ll have the decency to die where I can’t see you, I suppose.” Beatrice reveals that she “isn’t like Roswaal. [She’s] had enough of the pain, the suffering, the fear, enough of everything.” Does this reveal that Beatrice knew about Roswaal’s plans during this arc?

          In episode 18, Puck transforms into beast form and kills both Betelgeuse and Subaru. He tells Subaru, “in accordance with my contract, I will now destroy the world.” When was this contract made? Does this refer to the contract formed with Emilia?

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:30 am

In episode 19, having enough motivation from the talk with Rem, Subaru proposes an alliance between Crusch and Emilia in exchange for information about the White Whale’s next attack. The thing that made Crusch believe Subaru was the divine protection of wind reading where “whenever anyone attempts to tell a lie, there’s a telling wind that blows around them” which Crusch can see. I think this part about Crusch is a bit weird and was probably added for convenience to easily advance the story. It is a big stretch, but the story would have gone nowhere if Crusch did not trust Subaru. Subaru’s negotiation skills improved since the last loop.

Crusch reveals that the White Whale has been roaming around for 400 years. Rem and Subaru would share romantic moments in a couple of scenes thanking each other, which is a big turnaround compared to the mansion arc.

Who was the master swordsman before Reinhard? It was Theresia van Astrea who was Wilhelm’s wife and died from the White Whale. Wilhelm would ultimately avenge his wife by finishing off the White Whale. But how did Reinhard become the master swordsman after the death of Theresia?

Subaru’s reputation would improve. He would be known as “the hero who brought down the white whale.” Crusch tells Subaru “I will not forget the great debt I incurred to you this day.” It is a shame that Crusch did forget her memories at the beginning of arc 4, but it is good to see that she still upheld the alliance with Emilia and is still friendly with Subaru.

Rem’s last conscious appearance (in Season 1) was in episode 21 where Subaru promised to keep Rem by her side no matter what. Subaru would uphold this promise and would ensure that Rem does not die from Elsa’s attacks. Rem and Subaru would split ways from here, which would result in Rem’s memories being eaten by the Archbishop Sin of Gluttony.

          In episode 22, Subaru’s new savepoint would be on the field discussing their next plans of stopping the Witch’s Cult with Julius and the others. Subaru would find Betelgeuse near the village where Betelgeuse would spout some nonsense about “the most generous love of the Witch,” which refers to Satella. What does it mean to be an Archbishop and how do Archbishops connect to Satella?

          Betelgeuse would try to find “the proof of love” but would be disappointed because there “doesn’t seem to be an account of [Subaru] anywhere in [Beteleguse’s] gospel.” What contents are contained in Beteleguse’s gospel? How is the gospel similar and different to Roswaal and Beatrice’s book of knowledge?

          Betelgeuse asks if Subaru if he was Pride and asks if Subaru owned a copy of the gospel to which Subaru replies that he “threw it in the trash.” Was there ever an Archbishop Sin of Pride? What happened to the previous one?

          Betelgeuse would start attacking Subaru with his unseen hands. But why can Subaru see the Unseen Hands? Is this related to the Return by Death ability that Satella gave Subaru? Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A Hands2

Wilhelm finishes Beteleguse off, whereupon Subaru would take Beteleguse’s copy of the gospel to learn more about the enemy. Wilhelm tells Subaru that “the gospel is the proof that one belongs to the Witch’s cult. It is their sacred text.” Felix tells Subaru that “one of these is delivered to anybody with the potential to join the cult. Once a person gets it, they are now a member of the Witch’s cult.”

Is Subaru really a part of the Witch’s cult now? Subaru has not killed anyone though (besides Betelgeuse) and his goal would be to save everyone. Conversely, perhaps Roswaal is part of the Witch’s Cult and might be controlling the Archbishops’ actions. Thus, Roswaal would attempt to control Subaru, the new Archbishop Sin of Pride. Moreover, the gospel might be guiding the Archbishops to do something—to reach Roswaal’s ultimate goal of killing the dragon.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:32 am

Betelgeuse was not truly dead, though. He would reincarnate a bunch of times through fingers and possess people, which Julius explains in more detail in episode 24. Betelgeuse would keep going on about the love he detects in Subaru which “is comparable to a sin Archbishop.” The love Beteleguse detects refers to the love for Satella. Satella probably lives in Subaru’s unconscious, which would explain the Witch’s scent.

          Subaru would say that “[he’s] not even close to Pride” in response to Beteleguse’s nonsense. But perhaps Subaru is a member of the Witch’s cult because of his new ownership of the gospel and just does not know it yet.

          In episode 23, Ram appears and thinks of Subaru as an enemy because of the blank letter the mansion received that suggested a declaration of war. Perhaps Roswaal interfered with the letter’s delivery just like he did in a later part in arc 4. Subaru tries to evacuate the villagers but fails because Betelgeuse possesses him. This results in Julius ending Subaru’s life. But why did Subaru not try saying “Return by Death” here, the phrase he used in a later episode to force Beteleguse outside his body? Why does episode 23 end with Emilia looking in the direction of the forest where Subaru is?

          In episode 24, Subaru tries a different strategy to evacuate the villagers and the people in the mansion. Meanwhile, Beatrice stays in the forbidden library because of her contract with Echidna to wait for That Person. Emilia felt that she was not worthy to ride in the same carriage as the children, but Subaru would help Emilia overcome her low self-esteem. Subaru and the others would kill the fingers that lurk near the village.

          When Subaru first meets with Betelgeuse in episode 24, Betelgeuse states, “I’ve been waiting to see you for a long time, believer in love.” Does this mean Roswaal told Beteleguse to wait for Subaru’s arrival? How much does Beteleguse know about Subaru? Does the gospel contain information about Subaru?

          Betelgeuse tries to harm himself for being slothful in failing to find Subaru who wants to become one of Beteleguse’s fingers. Subaru tells Beteleguse to stop harming himself and that he should focus on fulfilling the Witch’s ordeal. Does Subaru even know what he is talking about? What is the Witch’s ordeal?

          Betelgeuse adds, “we must test her and find out if this half-devil is good enough. If she is a worthy vessel to put the witch into.” Does the half-devil refer to Emilia? Is Beteleguse’s goal trying to reawaken Satella?

Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A Rezero23-1024x640

Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A Rezero23-1024x640

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 2:35 am

Betelgeuse states, “If she proves to be worthy, then the Witch will be born into this world on the coming fated day.” When will this day arrive? Does this refer to when Emilia will finally become the king of Lugunica?

Betelgeuse states, “the words of her love guide me down this path,” which probably refers to the gospel. Is the gospel written by Satella? Betelgeuse becomes envious that Subaru “can meet up with the Witch anytime [he] want[s].” Betelgeuse becomes confused: “none of this is in the guide to my divine destiny,” which is similar to how Beatrice’s book of knowledge’s pages are blank toward the end because her destiny is also uncertain.

In episode 25 (the final episode of arc 3), Julius and Subaru team up to defeat Betelgeuse. Betelgeuse possesses Subaru, whereupon Betelgeuse meets with the Witch of Envy in Subaru’s unconscious. However, the Witch of Envy states, “No. You are not the one.” Then who is the one? Subsequently, the Witch of Envy rejects Betelgeuse and leaves Subaru’s body.

Betelgeuse refused to die. He would chase after Subaru to receive the “love” from the Witch of Envy. Subaru would try to reason with Betelgeuse stating, “She doesn’t love you or me.” But that is false. Season 2 made it clear that Satella loves Subaru.

Subaru kills Beteleguse off by showing him the gospel with special characters written. What do the characters say? How exactly did this cause Beteleguse to die?

Subaru admits that the words and rationalization he used with Emilia in the past were wrong. Emilia explains her low self-esteem revealing, “I don’t have much experience with people, so I don’t have friends.” This was highlighted in the Frozen Bonds OVA, where Emilia lived with Puck in the frozen forest because she was ostracized. Emilia explains “the reason I want to become the ruler of this kingdom is really really selfish.” How is Emilia selfish if she wishes for equality for all? Does this reason connect with Emilia’s past? Does she think she is selfish because of her low self-esteem?

Subaru telling Emilia “I love you” is an unthinkable change to Emilia’s past in the Frozen Bonds OVA where everyone hated Emilia because she looked like Satella. Emilia did not know what to say, so Subaru comforts her: “I’ll get your answer one day, and I’m confident on what that answer will be.” Emilia accepts Subaru’s love and Emilia’s line “Thank you for saving me” ends arc 3. Thus, Subaru learns to be diligent rather than slothful.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:02 am

In the fourth arc, Subaru is forced to choose between the sin of Greed and the virtue of Charity, which is the focus of season two.

          There is always this running gag in Re:Zero. In episode 1 (of season two), Petra becomes jealous of Emilia’s relationship with Subaru. Emilia states that “[she] refuse[s] to take such a lackadaisical attitude” and Subaru responds with “who uses words like lackadaisical anymore.” Basically, Emilia uses outdated words and Subaru makes fun of Emilia’s archaic language every now and then through their interactions. Why does Re:Zero choose to put an emphasis on Emilia’s archaic language? Could there be a meaning to this beyond just being for the viewer’s comedy?

          Subaru mentions that he needs to thank Wilheim, Anastasia, and Julius for aiding him in defeating the Witch’s Cult. Will we ever see Subaru thank these people in the anime?
          Subaru tries to tell Emilia about Rem, but Emilia replies with “Who is Rem?”

Honestly, we should just forget that Rem even existed. She was just a side bitch that was someone Subaru could temporarily cry on. Rem is no longer needed, and Subaru should just focus on giving his love and devotion to Emilia.

Rem and Crusch would try heading over to the capital to show proof that the White Whale was defeated. However, they ran into a few Archbishops. The Archbishops Sin of Gluttony and Greed were the ones who finished Rem off. Was this also Roswaal’s doing? Why did Lye (Gluttony) choose to eat the memories of Rem for everyone and Rem herself but choose for everyone to remember Crusch and have the memories of Crusch herself forgotten?

Lye also appears to be the insane type, like that of Betelgeuse who uses similar words as if he is reading off a thesaurus. “I bite. I chew. I munch. I savor.”
Greed states that “[he] absolutely despise[s] fighting and such” when Rem attempts to attack him. However, Greed would harm Rem the next minute.

Right before Lye eats Rem’s memories in episode 1, this shot appears. It looks like Rem holding a baby. Could it be Rem’s mother? Could that be Rem in an alternate timeline where Subaru and Rem were married together?

          Subaru kills himself hoping to save Rem only to realize that his save point has been updated to being with Emilia on the carriage with Petra.

          This is the last episode that Puck appears in before he disappears. Puck gives Subaru information about Gluttony. Puck explains “if both your name and your memories are eaten, there won’t be anything left of you but an empty shell. And that’s exactly what happened to Rem.” Puck asks Subaru to “take care of Lia for me. I’m really counting on you, okay” and then disappears. Where has Puck been this whole season? Is he watching Emilia fail the trials constantly? Why does Puck not stop Emilia from going insane because of the trials?

          Subaru, Emilia, Crusch, Felix, and Wilhelm discuss whether to keep the alliance. Crusch decides to keep the alliance in the hopes of one day taking revenge and learning more about Gluttony.

          Emilia tells Subaru, “I want the opportunity to save you this time” and she hugs Subaru while Subaru is crying over Rem’s coma.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:07 am

In episode 2, Otto’s main goal of aiding Subaru is to negotiate with Roswaal in person. Will Otto’s goals change in season 2 part 2?

          Emilia states “[she’s] participating in the royal selection for selfish reasons too,” which Emilia hopes to explain in greater detail when they meet up with Roswaal again. However, this does not happen in season 2 part 1.

          Frederica takes the place of Rem at the mansion and Petra becomes a new maid. It is later revealed that Frederica and Garfiel are related but are only half-siblings.

          Subsequently, because of the conversation with Frederica, Subaru meets with Beatrice in the forbidden library. Beatrice remained in the library the whole time while everyone else evacuated, making the others worry for Beatrice. Did Roswaal have plans to not kill Beatrice? Is Beatrice strong enough to defend against the Witch’s Cult? In a later episode, Beatrice dies from Elsa, so I do not think Beatrice can survive the Witch’s Cult. Subaru asks Beatrice, “Exactly how well do you know what Roswaal is thinking?”

Subaru then shows Beatrice his copy of the gospel. Beatrice is shocked learning that Betelgeuse is dead, stating “then it seems you’ve left me behind too I suppose, Betelgeuse.” What exactly was Beatrice’s relation with Betelgeuse? Both are probably around 400 years old. Maybe Beatrice is envious that Betelgeuse died, while Beatrice is still alive.

Beatrice asks since Subaru defeated an Archbishop, “what happened to his Witch Factor?” However, Subaru has no idea what a Witch Factor is. Beatrice is confused about Roswaal’s actions herself and tells Subaru “the answers you seek lie in the Sanctuary. His true intentions. The meaning of the gospel. Answers about the Witch Factor. Everything.” meaning that Subaru needs to talk to Roswaal directly for answers.

          Subaru wants more answers out of Beatrice, but Beatrice tells Subaru in a sad tone “Begone. I’m not a tool to use for your convenience.” Subaru murmurs to himself “Why did you have that look on your face? It seems like you were just about to cry again.” as he is blown out of the forbidden library. Was Beatrice withholding vital information? Why did Beatrice refuse to answer Subaru’s answers? Why did Beatrice look sad?

          Frederica tells Subaru how to arrive at the Sanctuary even though she was asked by Roswaal “to not disclose any more than what is necessary.” This means that Frederica probably knows a lot about Roswaal’s thinking and true goals.

          Before they leave, Frederica gives Emilia a blue stone that will allow them to get through that magical barrier in the Sanctuary’s forest.

Petra is an underrated and often forgotten character. Petra made a promise to protect Emilia in the last part of season 1 and stuck to the promise. Petra would also give Subaru a white handkerchief before he left, which would save Subaru’s life during the encounter with Satella.

When they travel to the Sanctuary, Emilia’s blue stone suddenly glows bright blue and reacts when they enter the Sanctuary. Emilia becomes unconscious and Subaru is teleported to a part in the forest while holding the blue stone. Subaru spots one of the Ryuzu clones and follows her, which leads Subaru to Echidna’s graveyard.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:09 am

In episode 3, Subaru finds himself stuck in a Windows 7 computer. He meets Echidna, the Witch of Greed, in the Witch’s Graveyard. Subaru drinks Echidna’s body fluids; Echidna calls Subaru “a truly fascinating individual” for Subaru’s reaction to this realization. Echidna used “the envy Witch factor” on the tea to strengthen Subaru’s resistance.

Subaru declares his love for Emilia and states that he cannot think of Echidna as beautiful. Echidna gives a detailed description of each of the Witches. Echidna reveals that “her thirst for knowledge led her to do things she regrets even in death.” Echidna reveals the Witch of Envy “killed all the other Witches and used them as sustenance while making the whole world her enemy. She is the most detestable of them all.” What motivated Satella to kill all the other Witches, though?

Echidna reveals that “The Witch Factor chose [Subaru] as his new dwelling” because of killing Betelgeuse. Does this mean a part of Betelgeuse lives inside Subaru?

Echidna reveals that her soul is being held prisoner in the Sanctuary. When Subaru refuses to ask Echidna questions, Echidna starts acting like Aqua from Konosuba and fakes her emotions to act more like a human. Echidna would later reveal that these emotions are “calculated,” a way of becoming friendly with Subaru to someday form a pact with him. Echidna grants Subaru the power to take the trials while making Subaru forget his tea party visit.

Upon leaving the Witch’s Graveyard, Garfiel starts attacking Subaru’s party. This is because Garfiel is trying to protect the Sanctuary from unexpected attacks. When Subaru reveals that he knows Frederica, Garfiel stops attacking them.

It turns out that the blue pendant was reacting to the barrier, causing Emilia to pass out. Only Emilia passed out because she had mixed blood as a half-elf. They enter the Sanctuary and reunite with Ram.

Subaru and Emilia pay a visit to Roswaal who Subaru has not seen since the royal selection meeting. Roswaal has injuries all over his body because he tried to take the Sanctuary’s trial but was rejected. Why did Echidna not want Roswaal to take the trials? How does Echidna select the people that she thinks are worthy?

Roswaal is not surprised that Subaru formed an alliance with Crusch. Roswaal reveals that the Sanctuary was where Echidna died a long time ago (probably 400 years ago) and believes the Witch’s Graveyard is worth calling “the Sanctuary.” What about the Witch’s Graveyard makes Roswaal think this?

Echidna and the Mathers family have overseen the Sanctuary for a long time. When Emilia tries to call Echidna by the name “The Witch of Greed,” Roswaal instantly corrects Emilia by saying “It’s Echidna.” Why does Roswaal take offense to this name? What connection does Roswaal have to Echidna?

None of the people in the Sanctuary can leave once they enter. Garfiel reveals that only mixed people of blood can take on the Sanctuary’s trials, which explains why Roswaal was rejected. However, because of Echidna, Subaru can take on the trials despite not having mixed blood. Garfiel demands Emilia to go through the trials and free the Sanctuary.

Subaru meets up with the people of Arlem. Emilia tells them that she will go through the Sanctuary’s trials to free them. Emilia reveals her reason for trying to free the Sanctuary, admitting that “Families should always be together, and I want to do everything I can to make sure you all return to yours.” Maybe Emilia feels compelled to save the Arlem villagers because she could not save her mother and father from dying in the past. That is, in the Frozen Bonds OVA, everyone in the village Emilia lived in froze. Emilia was the only one that survived because of Puck.

Emilia says, “I would like to become your friends if that’s okay,” which earns the support and trust from the Arlem villagers of Emilia taking the trials. Emilia would make all the decisions herself and would not let anyone else tell her to do things.

Emilia enters the trial and Subaru follows her.

“First, you need to face your own past.”

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:13 am

In episode four, Subaru enters the first trial. I like how Subaru has a bunch of anime posters and anime figures throughout his room. Subaru starts to get a headache when he tries avoiding a part of his past. When Subaru says he will go back to his bed instead of going to school, he gets hit with a headache.

Subaru and his father go out for a walk. His father asks Subaru if there is a girl that he likes. Subaru begins to recall the two girls he values most, Emilia and Rem.

Subaru felt like he could not fit in with his peers. He would no longer be the best at everything and would slowly stop attending school. However, his parents never stopped loving Subaru.

His father asks Subaru to take care of him when he grows older. However, Subaru tells his father “I’m sorry” because Subaru knew that he would never return to his old world.

Subaru has the courage and motivation to return to school after remembering the people who cherished him in the fantasy world.

Subaru’s mother asks him to choose between “the world or mayonnaise,” which is something that Rem also asks Subaru in an OVA. Subaru chooses the world.

Subaru realizes that he does not have to become just like his father on everything. Subaru’s parents are grateful that Subaru found someone that loves him. Subaru’s father tells Subaru to “Give it your all.” Subaru’s mother tells Subaru to “take care of yourself,” which were the last words that Subaru heard from his mother before departing for the fantasy world. It deeply saddens me that Subaru does not say anything back, but I part I love the most was that Subaru replies with “Thanks, I will!” in the trial.

With this courage, Subaru finally enters his class. He sees an empty classroom with Echidna standing by the window.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:18 am

In episode five, even though Subaru realizes that the trial world was created through Subaru’s memories, Subaru thanks Echidna because Echidna gave him the chance to face his past. Echidna reveals that she saw every moment of Subaru’s trial. This means that Echidna knows Subaru is from another world. Will this information be important for Subaru and Echidna later?

Subaru tells Echidna that he will not be the one to take the next trial, meaning that he would put faith in Emilia’s abilities.

The first trial concludes, and Subaru’s save point is updated. However, Emilia did not successfully complete the trial; Subaru wakes up seeing a terrified look on Emilia’s face. Just what was so scarring about Emilia’s past that caused her to act so frightened? Emilia shouts, “It wasn’t me. It wasn’t me. I kept telling you over and over it wasn’t me and you still. Don’t look at me like that. Just stop it. Stop it. It wasn’t me.” Who is telling Emilia what? What was Emilia being accused of doing? Subaru comforts the panicked Emilia.

Upon returning with everyone, Subaru properly meets one of the Ryuzu clones. Why do the Ryuzu clones call Subaru “Young Su?” Maybe it is just a nickname just like how Ram calls Subaru by the name “Barasu.”

Subaru explains that “When a mixed-blood attempts to force their way through the barrier, their soul separates from their body. Even if the body makes it through, it will be an empty shell, leaving the soul behind.” Ryuzu adds that “When a body without a soul exits the barrier, it ceases to function. For all intents and purposes, it is dead.” This explains why people cannot leave the Sanctuary once they have entered.

Subaru asks why Garfiel or Ryuzu have not attempted to free the Sanctuary. Ryuzu explains that it is because of the contract that has been held through many generations. What contract are they referring to?

Emilia is awakened by the sight of Subaru at her side. Without Puck, Emilia has no one to rely on. As such, Emilia subconsciously reaches out her hand for Subaru for comfort. Subaru encourages Emilia by telling her that she can give another shot at the trial tonight, which worries Emilia because she will have to face her traumatic past again.

An important conversation to remember from this episode is the one with Ram and Subaru. Ram informs Subaru that there are two factions: those who support the freeing of the Sanctuary and those who do not. To conservatives, freeing the Sanctuary would cause nothing but trouble. Thus, conservatives want to find some way to harm Emilia to prevent the Sanctuary from being free. Perhaps Garfiel and Ryuzu fall into this category because of the actions they do in another loop. Ram states that Frederica should not be trusted either.

Ram states that “Emilia escaped disaster” when the blue stone was glowing thanks to Subaru taking the blue stone off her neck in time. Would Emilia have died if Subaru did not take the necklace off in time? This is when Subaru starts becoming suspicious of Frederica’s actions. Ram tells Subaru, “You never know who might be your true enemy. Be vigilant and stay alert.” The true enemy would turn out to be Roswaal.

Emilia tries undergoing the trial again but fails. No matter how many times Emilia attempts the trial, she is always greeting with failure.
Subaru meets up with Roswaal to discuss the current predicament. Roswaal states that “[he’ll] continue to help Emilia as partners in crime.” Why does Roswaal refer to Subaru and himself as partners in crime? What crime are they committing? Perhaps Roswaal is the evil one who hires the enemy, whereas Subaru is the one to defeat the enemy, thereby making the Emilia royal selection party’s image better to the public.

Subaru was angered that Roswaal did not involve himself during the Betelgeuse arc to stop the Witch’s Cult from attacking. Subaru tries to punch Roswaal, but Ram—Roswaal’s faithful maidservant-- prevents this. Subaru would try to reason with Ram stating that she was sacrificed like a sacrificial pawn, but nobody has memories from Subaru’s previous loops. Nobody remembers Rem, either. No matter what, Ram would always be on Roswaal’s side.

Why is it that only Subaru can remember Rem? But perhaps Roswaal might still have memories of Rem.

Roswaal revealed that he “personally ensured all these events would happen,” to explain why he did not stop the Witch’s Cult. This proves that Roswaal led the Witch’s cult to attack the mansion so that Emilia and Subaru can take the credit for their defeat, which could help the people trust Emilia despite her close resemblance to Satella, the Witch of Envy. The people of Arlem now feel closer and have a sense of trust toward Emilia.

To Roswaal, Rem was sacrificed to achieve his ultimate goal. This shows that Ram is ultimately more important for Roswaal. The faith that Roswaal put in Subaru paid off. He knew that Subaru would do anything for Emilia’s sake. But this would not be the case if Subaru ran away with Rem, which is the focus of the Sloth If story.

Maybe Roswaal’s book of knowledge told Roswaal that recruiting Subaru from the beginning of arc 1 would be essential to fulfilling his goals. But does Roswaal know that Subaru is from another world? How much does the book of knowledge know about Subaru?

If Subaru told Emilia about all Roswaal’s evil schemes, how would she react? Would Emilia drop out of the royal selection? Is there a possibility that Subaru may resort to this in season 2 part 2?

In this loop, Subaru puts trust in Emilia to free the Sanctuary and tells Emilia not to worry about the villagers because he will take care of it.

Before Subaru leaves for the mansion, Ram tells Subaru words from Roswaal: “If you’re worried about having to face Frederica, he suggests you merely turn to Beatrice to ask for help. If she wavers, do this: look her in the eye and say Roswaal said to ask the question. When Beatrice hears these exact words, everything will change.” Does this mean Roswaal knew that Subaru would suspect Frederica of something?

Garfiel figures out that Subaru went through one of the trials and suggests that Subaru finish the remaining trials in Emilia’s place. He asks Subaru if it was necessary for Emilia to overcome her past. Knowing now that Garfiel attempted the trial before, perhaps Garfiel felt sympathy for Emilia’s failure. Maybe Garfiel also could not overcome his past and failed Echidna’s trial. How did Garfiel end up losing the qualifications to enter Echidna’s trial? What is Garfiel’s relationship with Echidna?

This advice would contradict the views of Garfiel in the next loop, causing Subaru to suffer. Subaru now feels compelled to take everything on himself to avoid causing Emilia any more pain. Subsequently, Subaru enters the mansion and dies from Elsa’s attack on his bowels.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:22 am

In episode 6, Subaru returns to his save point where he just finished clearing the first trial. Subaru calms the panicked Emilia down once again. When reuniting with Garfiel and the others, Subaru decides to tell everyone that he went through the trial and passed it. But revealing that there are a total of three trials only stressed Emilia out even further.

Subaru suggests that he can take on the remaining trials in Emilia’s place. This shows that Subaru has not fully overcome his sins. Emilia does not want this to happen because running away from your problems and letting someone else take care of them is truly slothful (arc 3). Wanting to do everything for Emilia without ever considering her feelings on the matter is truly prideful (arc 1). Thus, Emilia needs to be able to pass the trial or she will never grow as a person.

Garfiel and Ryuzu tell Subaru that Roswaal believes Emilia should be the one to free the Sanctuary, which does not match up with Roswaal’s views in episode 13 where it is known that Roswaal wants Subaru to face the trials. Garfiel and Ryuzu are also against the idea of Subaru taking on the trial, which contradicts Garfiel’s views from the last loop.

Subaru meets up with Roswaal once again. Roswaal notices the strange phrases Subaru uses such as “this time around,” illustrating that he knows about Subaru’s Return by Death ability. Subaru notes that Garfiel is impulsive and that it is hard to earn his trust. Subaru feels that Frederica is up to no good because she handed over the glowing stone to Emilia. Roswaal asks Subaru, “if she turns out to be an enemy of yours, what are you going to do?”

Thus, I believe Frederica is withholding valuable information for the purpose of fulfilling Roswaal’s goals. Moreover, perhaps Roswaal had backup plans of replacing Rem with Frederica from the start once Rem entered her coma.

In this loop, Subaru mentions that “Otto won’t take part in any of this,” which confuses me because there were not any Otto interactions in this episode. Perhaps the anime cut out these interactions that were in the light novel. But perhaps Otto refused to take part because Subaru did not fully convince Otto. Moreover, Otto’s main goal is to negotiate financially with Roswaal in person. It would be hard to believe that someone would attack the mansion in a couple of days, and no one wants to lose their life.

Roswaal tells Ram to accompany Subaru to the mansion. Roswaal did this to probably show Subaru how pointless it was to save the mansion people to strengthen Subaru’s resolve of helping only Emilia.

For whatever reason, Garfiel has a romantic interest in Ram. When trying to leave the Sanctuary, Garfiel said he was not going to resist since Roswaal allowed it. Subaru mentioned that if Garfiel tried to resist, he would “have had to throw Ram off into the distance as a decoy,” which happened once to save Rem from her insanity in arc two. Ram has some memories of this but does not remember why Subaru threw her. Maybe this would give hope that Ram may someday remember her sister.

Subaru does not say goodbye to Emilia but leaves a letter to explain the situation. This is where Roswaal would get rid of the letter to make Emilia’s emotions unstable and would force Subaru to use Return by Death if Subaru somehow managed to return to the Sanctuary. Why does Subaru not tell Emilia about this directly? Because Subaru does not want to make Emilia worry about him.

Subaru and Ram journey over to the mansion, which takes eight hours to travel to. Subaru is happy to reunite with Petra. Subaru introduces Ram to her sister, Rem.

When Subaru meets up with Frederica, Frederica is shocked to see Subaru possess Garfiel’s blue stone, whereupon she reveals that they are half-related. Subaru asks Frederica, “Why did you use that glowing stone to set up a teleporting trap,” but Frederica feigns ignorance. Or maybe Frederica really did not know about it and Roswaal set Subaru up.

Frederica refused to admit why she gave Subaru the stone because Roswaal instructed her to do so. Ram suggests that they restrain Frederica and bring her to the Sanctuary to see who has been giving Frederica orders, but this plan fails once Elsa enters the room.

Ram feels that they should not save Rem from Elsa, whereas Frederica, Petra, and Subaru disagree. Frederica transforms into her beast furry mode to attack Elsa. Subaru was confused why mabeasts were showing up in the mansion, but it turns out that Meili was there to join Elsa in killing the mansion people, which is a detail that viewers would not notice the first time.

Everyone at the mansion would end up dying. Subaru tries to ask Elsa who her client was, but Elsa refuses to admit the name. Subaru would be saved from Elsa by opening a door that would conveniently be the forbidden library. However, Rem would die by Elsa’s hands.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:27 am

In episode 7, Subaru is angered that Beatrice saved him. Subaru is worried that his save point might reset if he does not die soon. This is also a bizarre thing. Does Satella determine Subaru’s save points? How do Subaru’s save points even work?

Perhaps Beatrice saved Subaru because she envied Subaru’s death. Or maybe the book of knowledge told her to save Subaru. Or maybe Beatrice would hope that Subaru could become That Person for her.

Subaru tries to kill himself, but Beatrice refuses this action. Subaru notices that Beatrice owns a gospel (which turns out to be a copy of the book of knowledge). Beatrice states “Everything I do is in accordance with the gospel’s guidance, I suppose. That is the sum and meaning of my life. That is the purpose of my very existence.”
This means that Beatrice protecting Subaru from the curse, Beatrice forming a pact with Subaru in one of the mansion arc loops, and Beatrice protecting Subaru from Elsa now is written in the book, which Beatrice must follow. Does Beatrice not experience human emotions such as empathy and love? I think she does but does not want to admit that she cares for Subaru. This concept of the book of knowledge kind of reminds me of “the Score” from Tales of the Abyss, which is a document of future events that people must live their lives by and obey.

Beatrice states that “Every single thing I have ever done is for Mother,” which reminds me of Betelgeuse’s obsession with the gospel and Satella. Does “Mother” refer to Satella? Or maybe Echidna since Beatrice formed a pact with her? Does Beatrice blindly follow the book of knowledge’s words to one day have Satella’s love?

Beatrice says that Subaru is “just a human,” meaning that Subaru could never understand the wishes or emotions of Beatrice. Subsequently, Elsa manages to find her way inside the forbidden library and does not allow her to kill Beatrice. Instead, Elsa kills Subaru while Beatrice is shocked by Subaru’s death.

This would now be Subaru’s third loop for the Witch’s Graveyard save point. Still facing the trial, Emilia would try to call out for Puck, but Puck would never come. When they return to the cabin, Subaru tells Emilia to take it easy.

Otto would want to talk with Subaru about something because Otto felt that Subaru was not his normal self. Otto notes that “even in the state that Emilia’s in, I find your calmness a little concerning.” This is because Subaru has confidence that he can manage to someday break out of this loop and save everyone if he finds out more information and clues about other people. Thus, Subaru is not as stressed as he should be.

At first, Subaru wanted to meet up with Roswaal but he instead discusses some matters with Garfiel and Ryuzu. This is a drastic change compared to the two previous loops. Subaru notes that “[Garfiel] is not one to fall into patterns so easily.” Garfiel thinks that Subaru is scheming with Roswaal, which is true to some extent. Subaru just does not know that he is Roswaal’s pawn yet. Subaru is doing everything he can to make Emilia the ruler, which aligns similarly with Roswaal’s goal.

Subaru tells Otto to “save [the talk] for tomorrow” before he leaves with Garfiel. This talk never happened, though. What exactly were they going to talk about? Is this the talk they are going to have in season 2B episode 1?

Subaru asks Garfiel and Ryuzu why Frederica left the Sanctuary. Subaru wants everyone in the Sanctuary to retreat and to not have Emilia go through the trial, which he admits is due to his “own selfish reason.” Subaru realizes that “Emilia will still have to conquer her fears and past” at some point, but he is more focused on having the Arlem people return to their everyday lives.
They reveal that Frederica does not meet all the conditions for being held in the barrier because Frederica has less than half mixed blood (maybe about 1/4^th of her blood is not human).

Subaru suggests to Garfiel and Ryuzu that he wants to take on the trial in Emilia’s place. Thus, Subaru would be kidnapped by Ryuzu Shima and Garfiel. The two oppose the freeing of the Sanctuary for some reason.

Subaru Natsuki’s greatest weakest is highlighted in this episode. Return by Death allows Subaru to redo events and correct them, but it relies on Subaru dying. If Subaru cannot die, he is completely useless. Events cannot be redone while Subaru is confined, and Subaru may find himself at a new save point where he can no longer save the lives of everyone by the time he is free.

Garfiel is suspicious of Subaru because of the Witch’s scent he possesses by using Return by Death. In the first loop, Subaru did not use this ability so there was no Witch’s scent on Subaru, which is why Garfiel was not suspicious and trusted Subaru more.

Garfiel does not kill Subaru because he claims “[Subaru] has a miraculous way of winning people over,” and he would let Emilia decide what would happen to Subaru. This was a lie, of course. Garfiel would tell no one that he was behind Subaru’s disappearance.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:29 am

Ryuzu Shima would be the one to feed Subaru, forcing him to stay alive.

Otto was the one who last saw Subaru and was suspicious of Garfiel. Garfiel tries to bribe Otto with a jewel for staying quite about Subaru’s kidnapping, but he ultimately decides to come rescue Subaru.

Otto gave Subaru a recollection of transpired events since his disappearance. Emilia was so stressed about Subaru’s disappearance that she would not attend the trial the next day. When Emilia had the courage to try again, she would keep failing. Why did Otto decide to help Subaru?

It was because Otto wanted to “help out a friend in need.” Otto is thankful for all the opportunities and experiences Subaru gave him. That was why Otto chose Subaru’s side.

In episode 8, Otto, Ram, and Subaru all try to head over to the mansion, but they were interrupted by an angry Garfiel. Before they depart though, Subaru meets up with Roswaal and asks, “Is Beatrice a member of the Witch’s Cult?” Roswaal denies this and explains that she possesses book of knowledge. Roswaal states that the book of knowledge is “the closest thing to the tone of wisdom.” What is the tone of wisdom? Has the anime talked about this before?

Roswaal tells Subaru to tell Beatrice “Roswaal said to ask the question.” Roswaal tells Subaru to reply, “I am That Person.” Roswaal claims that this response would allow Beatrice to stand by Subaru’s side as an ally because of Beatrice’s contract. Roswaal denies that he is an enemy.

Garfiel interferes with Subaru’s escape, stating that “your plans were leaked” to Subaru. Does this mean Roswaal told Garfiel about Subaru’s plans? Did Roswaal want to force Subaru to start over because a couple of days passed by where he went missing?

Otto managed to involve everyone from Arlem village to help Subaru escape but fails. Otto and Patrasche die from Garfiel. For some reason, the blue stone decides to teleport Subaru to the part of the Sanctuary where he was locked up. What dictates when the stone activates? Is Roswaal involved with the stone’s teleportation?

Subaru wakes up realizing that the whole place is snowing. Roswaal probably realized that since time has not started back yet, he needed to kill everyone in the Sanctuary to ensure Subaru would rewind time. Thus, Roswaal makes it snow so that the Great Rabbit can kill everyone faster.

A detail that the anime could not obviously show was that the rabbits entered every part of Subaru’s body, even his mouth and butt. Subaru still felt the effects of the rabbit even after he Returned by Death.

Subaru dies and starts repeatedly hitting his head hard on the ground, which earns him the qualification to enter another one of Echidna’s tea parties. Because of the tea Subaru drank last time, his “Sloth Witch Factor” was affected, making Subaru feel more relaxed in Echidna’s domain. Subaru begs Echidna to have the ability to remember her even after he leaves her domain.

Subaru asks Echidna how much she knows about him. Echidna responds with “I know only what I know,” but Echidna desires to know “everything in this world.” Subaru finally admits to someone else that “I can Return by Death,” and the Witch of Envy does not stop him from doing so. Hearing this makes Subaru feel less alone; before, he could not talk about his ability with anyone. In front of Subaru now is someone that can listen to his hardships. Perhaps Satella did not stop Subaru because Satella cannot affect Subaru in Echidna’s domain. Echidna does not die from hearing this either because she is already dead.

Echidna says “I’ve known every single step you’ve taken on your path here. I was watching you” as she comforts Subaru. Echidna states, “I want to know everything,” but I do not think this is true concern for Subaru. Echidna is a Witch who cannot fathom human emotions. Her quest for ultimate knowledge should not be trusted.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:32 am

In episode 9, Echidna speculates that there is no limit to the ability Return by Death. I do not think Echidna should be trusted in this matter because she might be lying to Subaru. Echidna may want to make Subaru dependent on her. If Subaru feels trapped because of his Return by Death ability, Subaru might feel the need to ask for Echidna’s help, which will result in a contract between them. But just keep in mind that Echidna claimed to only be speculating about Return by Death’s limit; nothing is confirmed.

Subaru does not understand why Satella is fixated on her, which is a good point. Why did Satella give Subaru the Return by Death ability? Echidna hypothesizes that it forces Subaru to redo his destiny without any mistakes. Rem was not a part of Subaru’s destiny, meaning that she was allowed to die. Thus, Subaru needs to be more alert and more to not lose people he cherishes.

Echidna tells Subaru about the three great mabeasts: The White Whale, The Great Rabbit, and the Black Serpent; they were created 400 years ago by the Witch of Gluttony, Daphne. A single rabbit “is capable of multiplying indefinitely.” Thus, perhaps Subaru needs to find a way to kill all the rabbits at the same time. Since there is a set barrier, no one can leave the Sanctuary. At the same time, Subaru must prevent the attack on the mansion.

Subaru meets Typhon, the Witch of Pride along with Minerva, the Witch of Wrath. After some destruction, Subaru meets up with Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony. Daphne keeps her distance because Subaru possesses the Witch’s scent.

Subaru asks Daphne what the point was in unleashing the great mabeasts into the world. Daphne reveals that with the mabeasts around, people can keep eating and no one would be hungry anymore. However, this reasoning is flawed because the mabeasts are eating the people instead. This flawed reasoning is exactly what makes Daphne a Witch.

Daphne reveals that the Great Rabbit is attracted to places with mana, so using a magic user would serve as a powerful lure. Then, all the rabbits must be wiped out at the same time.

For Subaru to meet Echidna again, Subaru must cry out even louder the next time for Echidna’s help. Either that or Subaru needs to successfully complete the next trial to meet Echidna. Before Subaru goes back to the world, Echidna does something to Subaru’s white handkerchief as paying of Subaru remembering Echidna.

Upon awakening, Subaru does not see Emilia at his side. Rather, Subaru is greeted by the Witch of Envy who repeatedly declares “I love you” to Subaru. Something to note is that both Emilia and Satella have the same voice actors, meaning that there is an undoubtable connection between the two.

Perhaps the Witch of Envy appeared because she was angered that Subaru told Echidna about his Return by Death ability. To punish Subaru, she would possess Emilia instead. Even though Garfiel attempted to kill Subaru in the last loop, Garfiel would end up saving Subaru from Satella. Why did Subaru think Satella was trying to go to the mansion? Did Subaru think that Satella was jealous of his love for Rem?

After the credits, viewers see Roswaal owning a copy of the book of knowledge. Roswaal states, “if you wish to walk through hell then I will gladly accompany you. If instead, you wish to live in hell, then I will make certain that is what I strive for.” I believe that Roswaal is talking to Satella, who is probably the author of the book of knowledge. It appears that Roswaal will do whatever Satella says, aligning his goals with Satella’s desires. The episode ends with Roswaal being eaten up by Satella’s shadows.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:38 am

In episode 10, Subaru learns that everyone except Garfiel and himself has been swallowed by the Witch’s shadows. Garfiel attempts to take down Satella by using the Ryuzu clones since he is an Apostle of Greed; however, all of them were swallowed up.

Subaru quickly grew tired of Satella’s “I love you” statements and admitted that he would have an easier time loving Echidna or any of the other Witches compared to her, which angers Satella.

Subaru enters this weird state of consciousness and begins to see the memories of the other people that were consumed. This knowledge would allow Subaru to find Ryuzu’s lair in the next loop. Subaru kills himself with the handkerchief, which is thanks to both Petra and Echidna’s efforts. If this had not happened, Subaru may have never been able to kill himself and he would be stuck hearing Satella say “I love you” to him eternally.

Satella was
very shocked when Subaru killed himself because Satella does not want Subaru to die. Satella is jealous when Subaru talks about his powers, when Subaru talks about other women, and heartbroken when she sees Subaru in pain.

When Subaru takes off Satella’s coat, he sees the similarity between both Satella and Emilia’s appearances. Before he dies, Subaru would use the same pick-up line that he used right as both he and Emilia died in the very first loop of arc 1: “I will save you no matter what. I promise.” Why does Subaru make such a vow after Satella consumed everyone in her shadows? How is Subaru going to save Satella? Is Satella not already dead?

Subaru dies and awakens in the Witch’s tomb. Rather than comforting Emilia, Emilia comforts Subaru because Subaru is terrified. He just died from Satella, who looks very similar to Emilia. Emilia forgets about her fears the moment she sees Subaru in pain. This is very sweet of Emilia.

In this loop, the trial did not break Emilia’s spirits perhaps because she was more worried for Subaru than for herself. From experiencing the memories of others through Satella, Subaru was able to find Ryuzu’s cave, which is where the original Ryuzu Meyer lives.

It turns out the Ryuzu domain was created to fulfill Echidna’s dream. All the other Ryuzu’s are clones. Echidna tried to become an immortal being, but her experiment was unsuccessful because her soul was not inherited. The Ryuzu Meyer clones were not enough to encompass Echidna’s soul. More Ryuzu copies were produced after Echidna’s death.

An important thing to note here is that the Ryuzu bodies are made of mana, which can attract the Great Rabbit. It is then revealed that Subaru is an Apostle of Greed since he drank Echidna’s body fluids. This means that Subaru can possibly command the Ryuzu clones to take on the Great Rabbit. The many clones together can try to defeat all the rabbits at once. They would have to obey Subaru’s commands no matter what.

Garfiel also met with Echidna and took on the trial at some point, but he probably failed. Garfiel is also an Apostle of Greed who can control the Ryuzu clones.

Emilia and Subaru talk in the forest. Emilia says that she feels anxious and uncertain, but she is not sure why. Puck is not there to comfort Emilia, which probably makes her emotions even more unstable. I think Emilia’s anxiety is from her past trauma that she is suppressing. Subaru gives Emilia confidence and positive affirmations to alleviate her anxiety. Emilia thanks Subaru and admits “You’ve given me so much courage.”

Subaru decides to head to the mansion again but leaves Emilia a letter to ensure that she will not worry. However, Garfiel tries to stop Subaru from leaving the barrier. In the web novel, Garfiel turns into beast mode and tries to kill Subaru; nonetheless, Subaru countered this by commanding the Ryuzu clones to stop Garfiel. Garfiel felt betrayed that the same Ryuzu clones that he controlled would attack him. In the anime, Garfiel is simply stunned by Subaru’s words and allows him to leave. The anime cut the parts out from the web novel perhaps because they could not squeeze this scene in and ending the episode on a cliffhanger where Subaru meets up with Beatrice again was a priority. The Garfiel scene where the Ryuzu clones would betray Garfiel would not matter anyway because Subaru would Return by Death.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:41 am

Subaru tells Petra and Frederica to hide in the forest so that Elsa would not kill them.

          In episode 11, the way Subaru arrives in the forbidden with a determined look convinces Beatrice that That Person has finally arrived for her. Subaru states to Beatrice that “You don’t have a will of your own. Everything you say comes straight from those pages,” which probably holds true for Roswaal as well since he owns the other book of knowledge copy.

          However, Subaru realizes that all the pages are empty. Perhaps this is because the book of knowledge can no longer tell the future because Subaru does not know how to create the future yet. For Beatrice, it has been “many long years” since the book stopped showing the future. So, there might be a different reason behind the empty book.

          As a spirit, Beatrice’s contract with Echidna is to maintain the forbidden library of knowledge. The last thing Echidna told Beatrice was, “one day That Person will appear in the library” and Beatrice’s job was to wait until that day finally came. Even after 400 years, the person never came, and the book did not say who That Person was.

Beatrice asks Subaru to finish her contract by killing her, which saddens Subaru. Beatrice realizes that nothing was written because “that’s where the owner’s future is meant to come to an end,” which is true because Beatrice dies from Elsa shortly after. If Subaru will prevent Beatrice from dying in Season 2B, will Beatrice’s pages be rewritten?

          Beatrice asks Subaru, “why did you leave me alone like this for 400 years?” I think this may be a misunderstanding. Echidna told Beatrice to wait for That Person to arrive. But did Echidna know that Subaru would show up to the fantasy world in 400 years? Does That Person exist for Beatrice?

          Subaru asks Beatrice what he can do to save her to which Beatrice responds with, “You can make me your priority. Put me first. Think of me before anyone else.” Does this mean Beatrice wants Subaru’s love all to herself? Does Beatrice not want Subaru to love Emilia and Rem? Even though Beatrice is a spirit, can Beatrice truly experience human emotions like love?

          Subaru is left with two choices: end Beatrice’s life or become That Person. Beatrice is unable to kill herself as a spirit.

Subaru is overwhelmed with everyone that is going on and asks himself, “Why does it have to me be?” Why was Subaru chosen to save everyone? Beatrice reveals “the reason I’ve been entrusting my life’s end to you is because---” and then Elsa interrupts their conversation. Perhaps we will figure out the reason in Season 2B.

          The targets for Elsa and Meili are Petra and Frederica as well as anyone else who gets in the way. Beatrice uses her dark magic so that they can both flee right before Subaru has an opportunity to; this illustrates that Beatrice cares for Subaru. Knowing that Subaru’s gate still needs healing, Beatrice steps in.

          Subaru and Beatrice meet up with Meili, who is the same one behind the shaman curse in arc two, which is most likely also Roswaal’s doing. Knowing that Petra and Frederica are dead, Subaru falls into despair.

          Elsa is tasked with killing the people in the mansion and Meili is tasked with killing the people in the village.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:43 am

In season one episode 1, Elsa also survives Reinhard’s attacks, meaning that Elsa has some way of escaping death. In this episode, it appears that Beatrice killed Elsa but somehow Elsa once again comes back from the dead, which makes killing her hopeless. Elsa ends up killing Beatrice, putting an end to Beatrice’s contract.

Subaru prevents Beatrice from harming Meili because she is only a little kid. How did Roswaal end up meeting and hiring Elsa and Meili?

Elsa stabs Subaru in the left eye and head. Somehow, Beatrice has the power to teleport Subaru back to the Sanctuary. How did Beatrice know where to teleport Subaru? Was this written in the book of knowledge? Has Beatrice been to the Sanctuary before? Is this teleportation like how the blue stone functions? I think Beatrice did this to prevent Subaru from dying, showing that she truly cares for him. Because of this action, Subaru was able to gain more information from Roswaal before his loop concluded.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:46 am

Subaru is teleported to the part of the Sanctuary where he was once kidnapped by Garfiel. But why was Subaru teleported to this particular place? In the next shot, Subaru conveniently has an eye-patch.

Subaru realizes that it is snowing again. He tries going back to the Sanctuary to meet up with Echidna, but is greeted by Emilia who has lost her mind.

Emilia reveals, “I was lonely. So very lonely. You went away and left me behind.” Her unstable emotions are due to Roswaal disregarding Subaru’s letter and Puck’s disappearance.

Emilia starts touching Subaru’s hair as a means of returning a favor to Subaru. Emilia’s eyes are dark as if she were possessed, possibly by the Witch of Envy. Perhaps Emilia becomes the Witch of Envy when she is extremely mentally unstable.

Emilia felt that Subaru, like everyone else from her past, started to hate her. In the Frozen Bonds OVA, the nearby village rejects Emilia, and everyone calls her Satella because of her appearance, so Emilia relies on Puck for emotional comfort.

Perhaps Emilia thought if she showed her affection toward Subaru, she would no longer feel lonely. Emilia states, “I want you to stay with me forever. As long as I have you beside me, I don’t need anything else. […] Subaru, I love you.”

However, throughout all of Re:Zero, Emilia has never once said the words “I love you” to Subaru. The closest she has come to this is saying “Thank you for saving me” in the last line of season one. There was no way Emilia would ever say this. This Emilia has lost all meaning and motivation; she is dependent on Subaru’s love, which is similar to Satella’s thinking.

          Subaru hopes that Emilia’s words were true. But he knew this was not genuine love; Emilia was too unstable to convey her true emotions. Subaru reunites with Garfiel and Ryuzu. Subaru feels that “if only Puck had been there by her side, there would have been no way she would fall over me like that.” Was Puck simply watching all these events happen? Did Puck become too caught up in his secret second life? Why was Puck not comforting the unstable Emilia?

          Subaru deduces that Roswaal is the one causing it to snow. To reiterate some background knowledge from arc two, there are four basic affinities for magic: fire, water, wind, and earth. Roswaal has all four of these affinities, whereas a normal person typically has one of the four affinities. The two rare affinities are Dark and Light. Subaru has a rare affinity, Dark magic. Perhaps the water affinity is what Roswaal uses to make it snow.

          Roswaal asks Subaru, “Did I tell you I’m the one to blame?” He asks this because Roswaal does not know how much Subaru knows. Every time Subaru repeats a loop, Roswaal loses all his memories. Subaru is still the only one that keeps his memories from each loop.

          Roswaal kills both Ram and Garfiel by using only his hand. Roswaal truly cares for Ram and would not kill her, but he is fully confident that Subaru would use Return by Death to prevent this in the next loop. By having both Ram and Garfiel die, Roswaal and Subaru can freely talk about their goals. As Roswaal kills Ram, he states, “you’ve proven to be a most excellent servant once again Ram.” Why “once again?” What has Ram done in the past? How did Roswaal even manage to hire Ram and Rem?

Subaru realizes here that Roswaal knows about his Return by Death ability from the book of knowledge. However, Roswaal has a fatal misunderstanding about Return by Death: Subaru must die first to use it. This explains why Roswaal would try to viciously harm Subaru because he thought Subaru would use his ability here. Roswaal also murdered Ram and Garfiel to give Subaru an incentive to start over, showcasing that Roswaal is trying to control Subaru.

          It appears that Beatrice’s goal is “to disappear,” whereas Roswaal’s goal is to “kill the dragon.” Roswaal cannot achieve his goal alone, which is why Subaru is Roswaal’s partner in crime.

          Roswaal made it snow to keep Emilia isolated to make everyone distrust her and to force Emilia to grow emotionally unstable. Thus, Subaru would come back to rescue Emilia, making Emilia his priority. Roswaal would get rid of the letter because he wants Subaru to focus only on Emilia so that Roswaal’s true goals can be achieved.

          Roswaal states that he cannot kill Subaru himself for some reason, though. Was this because the Witch of Envy would hate Roswaal for doing this?

Before Roswaal dies from the Great Rabbit, he tells Subaru to focus on protecting Emilia and “by doing that, you can become just like yours truly.” But Subaru would never become like Roswaal; Subaru would cling to his humanity.

A part cut out from the web novel was that even though Subaru was in great pain, he manages to call out the Ryuzu clones to fend off the attacks from the Great Rabbit. By doing this, Subaru would try to have another tea party with Echidna. So, Subaru heads off to the Sanctuary once again.

Even though Emilia was there to comfort Subaru as he died from blood loss, Subaru would feel more alone than ever before. Emilia was too insane to realize that Subaru was dying. This was truly the saddest death. Apparently, this scene was more gruesome in the web novel, but I will probably read that some other day.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:50 am

In episode 12, Subaru Returns by Death and awakens at his save point. Subaru knows that Emilia ended up unstable because he left her. This time, Subaru plans to save Emilia, the Sanctuary, and the mansion.

          Subaru tries to talk with Echidna by returning to the Witch’s tomb shortly after. Subaru has many questions that only Echidna has the answers to. Instead, Subaru faces the second trial.

“Behold, an unthinkable present.”

          Re:Zero finally introduces the theory of parallel worlds. What if Subaru died in all those loops? What would happen to everyone else?

          When Felix tries to revive Subaru, Subaru’s present self thinks “There’s no use. He’s already dead.” Instead of “I’m almost dead,” which shows just how distant Subaru is from his previous lives. He has discarded the other worlds without giving a second thought to how those worlds wounded up.

Subaru must repeatedly face this trial since he has many more possible presents than a normal individual due to his ability.

An important scene to remember is the part where Puck killed Subaru and would subsequently destroy the world. Puck tells Beteleguse that to kill him, one must “grow a thousand shadows, half of what Satella could.” In the trial, it is revealed that Reinhard would show up to stop Puck from ending the world when Emilia dies. Reinhard would use the Dragon Sword for the first time in the anime against Puck; thus, Puck is a worthy opponent. However, one strike from the sword would wipe Puck out completely; this is Reinhard’s true power.

Thus, if Subaru ran away with Rem in arc two (the Sloth if story) to Kararagi, the world would not end because of Reinhard. Or maybe the Witch’s Cult might not attack if Subaru never tried returning to the village. Either way, Subaru leaving for Rem would put an end to Roswaal’s goals.

The master swordsman Reinhard did not grow “a thousand shadows,” yet he was able to kill Puck in one strike. Perhaps if Reinhard did not underestimate Elsa and instead used his Dragon Sword against Elsa in the first arc, Elsa would already be dead.

          There is a chance that Reinhard is a worthy opponent for the Witch of Envy since Reinhard was able to defeat Puck. Reinhard would be a useful ally for all Subaru’s problems. However, Reinhard is in the capital with Felt and traveling to the capital would probably take a couple of days; moreover, nobody can leave the barrier, meaning that Subaru must rely on his friends to save everyone.

          Puck states that because of his contract with Emilia, he will freeze the world solid given that Emilia is now dead. Subaru and Puck were equally guilty. Puck states that Reinhard is a “true hero and that is all [he] ever can be.”

          Since the first trial was to face your past and the second trial was to face your present, the third trial must be to face your future. What will Subaru’s future hold? Trying to save Rem? Living happily ever after with Emilia? Meeting Satella? What conflict would Subaru’s future present?

          Subaru would fail the second trial, whereupon Carmilla, the Witch of Lust, would bring Subaru back to the real world. Subaru did not fall for Carmilla’s illusion of Rem. Carmilla’s authority is to make anyone see what they truly desire in the heart. So, why did Subaru not see Emilia at this moment?

          Subsequently, Subaru meets up with Echidna at another tea party. Echidna proposes that they form a contract. But all the Witches try to warn Subaru of the consequences of forming a contract with Echidna.

          Subaru asks if Echidna can guarantee a future without anything bad happening. Echidna states that sacrifices must be made for a desirable future. Echidna wants to experience Return by Death to achieve immortality and see it in Subaru’s eyes to do everything possible; that is what she would gain out of the contract. Echidna could comfort Subaru when he’s feeling down, but at the same time, Echidna could manipulate Subaru into doing what she wants by brainwashing him, which would further Echidna’s own selfish goals. Echidna wants to satisfy her never-ending curiosity and greedy search for ultimate knowledge.

          Echidna could help Subaru free the Sanctuary, prevent the attacks on the mansion, and save everyone to obtain the Perfect Future. She claims this contract to be a “vow of love.”

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:51 am

Through Echidna’s contract, Subaru is forced to choose between two things: the sin of Greed or the virtue of Charity. Subaru would end up choosing Charity and would take Beatrice’s hand.

Subaru admits that “Everything about your attitude is so immature and shallow. It’s completely superficial. You’re incapable of understanding how anyone else feels.” This explains why Echidna acted like Aqua the first time they met—Echidna was acting.

Subaru and Echidna begin talking about Beatrice. Echidna was involved in Beatrice’s birth. Echidna ordered Beatrice to protect the forbidden library and to wait for That Person, who does not exist. Beatrice would choose who That Person would be. The contract between Beatrice and Echidna was simply for Echidna’s own amusement.

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:55 am

In episode 13, the Witch of Envy appears to stop Subaru from forming the contract.

There are a couple of things that the anime does not mention in this tea party conversation. First, Daphne accidentally reveals that Subaru is a “candidate to be a sage,” but Subaru does not find out the meaning of these words. This is most likely foreshadowing that the anime just chose to cut out because of timing.

Second, Satella and the Witch of Envy are two different personalities. The person at the tea party happened to be Satella. The world remembered Satella as the Witch of Envy, but the history books did not record that Satella had a type of personality disorder. Satella is the better one; the Witch of Envy is the more evil one that Subaru met in episode 10.

In Echidna’s words, “she absorbed a Factor that was incompatible with her, causing a mental abnormality that ultimately created the Witch personality within Satella.”

Subaru thinks to himself, “What does [Satella] want to make [me] do in this world?”

          Subaru did not feel hatred or disgust while looking at the Witch of Envy, but rather relief. The light novel states, “His mind rejected her, but his soul found her a source of comfort.”

The Witch of Envy states, “I have always, always loved you. You, and you alone.” But what did Subaru do for Satella? Why does Satella love Subaru so much?

          Subaru had only two people in his heart: Emilia and Rem. However, “the Witch of Envy’s compulsion was so powerful that it rivaled all those emotions put together.” This is an odd happening because Subaru had no memories with Satella at all.

          Subaru blames Satella for making him end up in his current, unstable state.

          After the talk with Minerva, Subaru ends up thanking Satella for “one thing and one thing only. Thanks… for giving me Return by Death.” Subaru could not run away. Fighting was his only option. That was what Satella expected Subaru to do also.

          Satella cannot stand to see Subaru in pain. Subaru would die over and over again to protect the ones he loved, forgetting to love himself in the process. Thus, Satella told Subaru to “Love yourself more […] Take better care of yourself.”

          Satella reveals that she gave Subaru the ability to Return by Death because she loves him. That is how much Satella means to Subaru.

          Subaru expresses his saddens for losing Rem and Satella doing nothing about it—that is, Satella overriding Subaru’s save point, which makes saving Rem almost impossible (until they encounter the Archbishop Sin of Gluttony).

          There were a couple more important details about Satella’s conversation that were cut from the anime.

          Satella declares to Subaru, “I… love you. Because you… gave me light. Because you took my hand, and you taught me about the outside world. Because … when I trembled on lonely nights, you never stopped holding my hand. Because when I felt lonely, you kissed me and said that I wasn’t alone. You gave me so many things... That’s why I love you. Because you… you gave me everything.”

          But Subaru had not met Satella before, nor had he ever exchanged words with her. Her words were probably delusions. Maybe Satella was no different than Betelgeuse, who had gone mad with love.

Subaru wanted to tell Satella the words “I hate you.” With his mind filled with confusion and panic, Subaru bit his lips and started to bleed.

Satella tells Subaru that “you’re someone who deserves to be saved too.” Subaru thought of himself as an unredeemable person who could not save the people he wanted to save. He felt inadequate.

Subaru remembered the vow—she promised to protect Emilia. Subaru would begin to question himself. Do I have any value outside of dying? Is it fine to be conceited? People will cry for my sake? Do people wish to see the future with me, together? Subaru would come to realize that he did not want to die.

          Minerva tells Subaru that the purpose of the second trial was not to make him take responsibility of his mistakes. Rather, it was to make him realize how sad people got because of his mistakes; Subaru was a valued person.

          Satella permits that Subaru can love himself because she reveals, “I was saved by you. That is why I permit that you can be saved. And it is my hope to be saved by you.”

          Here is my theory about Satella. Satella is from the future and can travel through time. That is why Satella is thanking Subaru for things he has not even done yet. Satella is probably Emilia who has a split personality. The above statement “I was saved by you” can mean that Subaru saved Satella in Satella’s past but the statement “it is my hope to be saved by you” means that Subaru has yet to save Satella.

          Echidna would ask once again if Subaru wanted to form a contract with her, but Subaru denies. Echidna replies to Subaru’s hypothesized future, stating “To reject this, and to preserve both your own heart and someone else’s future in your hands at the same time […] it is greed.” Does this mean Subaru has committed the sin of Greed for trying to save everyone? Will Subaru have to make some sacrifices along the way to get through this arc?

          Echidna would subsequently take away Subaru’s qualifications for taking on the trials. At the same time, she would give a hint about Garfiel, mentioning “pitiable Garfiel fears the outside world.” How will Subaru use this information in Season 2B? Will Subaru try to understand Garfiel’s past? Would Subaru try to approach Garfiel on what he saw in the first trial?

          Before Subaru leaves Echidna’s fantasy world, he tells Satella that he will start loving himself more, which relieves Satella.

          Satella asks Subaru, “And someday—you will come to kill me, yes?”

Subaru responds with his pick-up line, “I will save you. You’ll see.”

by Dragonite1127 Fri Dec 25, 2020 3:57 am

But I thought Satella was already dead? Maybe she means that one day Subaru will have to kill Emilia for whatever reason.

          Subaru is awakened by Patrasche, who somehow knew when to wake up and take Subaru out of the Witch’s tomb. Subaru cries from Otto and Patrasche worrying about him. He realizes that his greed: his desire to be with the people precious to him was just as strong as his desire to protect them.

          Subaru realizes that Echidna rejected him from the trials. This was because Subaru chose Satella’s hand instead of Echidna’s hand, for which the rejection is most likely Echidna’s payback for his choice.

          Subaru meets up with Roswaal. Subaru realizes that the book of knowledge does not account for the finer details of Subaru’s actions. Thus, Roswaal does not know everything about what Subaru was thinking. Without revealing too much information of what he knows, Subaru might be able to get what he wants out of Roswaal. In other words, Subaru would have to act like Roswaal’s pawn while trying to slip information from him.

          Roswaal does not like that Subaru was looking for a loophole of not liberating the Sanctuary. Keep in mind, Roswaal is an important person for making Emilia’s dream attainable. Both Roswaal and Subaru are needed to secure the royal throne. Subaru cannot simply kill Roswaal.

          Roswaal wants Subaru to overcome the trials and free the Sanctuary and focus on nothing else. But doing that would not allow Emilia to overcome her past, present, and future. Emilia would still be left with unresolved trauma and scars.

Roswaal declares that if Subaru’s love for Emilia is real, then Subaru will free the Sanctuary for her so that she will not have to suffer. Even if Emilia does not like it, Roswaal still wants Subaru to take on the trials in place of Emilia. Emilia’s needs should come first, and Subaru’s needs should come after.

Roswaal reveals that he is the one behind the mansion attacks in order to help sharpen Subaru’s resolve for Emilia. Roswaal is attempting to force Subaru to decide who is more important to him. He wants Subaru to rescue only Emilia.

Roswaal states, “Since I was bewitched by those eyes four centuries ago, I have been made ever since.” Do these eyes refer to the Witch of Envy’s eyes? Is Roswaal after Satella’s love?

Conversely, Subaru lost the qualifications to challenge the trial. But Roswaal reveals that the qualifications can be met if Subaru begs Echidna for her forgiveness. Did Roswaal want Subaru to form a pact with Echidna?

Despite Subaru’s begging, Roswaal will continue to corner Subaru and strengthen his resolve until he is perfected.

Roswaal states, “you’re not the only one who understands how Echidna’s mind works.” What history does Roswaal have with Echidna? Are they both 400 years old?

Roswaal reveals to Subaru, “it is impossible for me to hate you. You are my hope. If I harbor the emotion one might call expectation anywhere in this world, it is with you and Ram, and none others.”

Subaru realized conversation was meaningless. If Roswaal was killed, the attack on the mansion would still happen. With all thoughts in a jumble, Subaru walks out of his room and declares, “I won’t become like you. – I’m a human being. And I’m staying one.”

Roswaal had put Subaru in checkmate. Roswaal would make the book of knowledge’s contents a reality. There was no way Return by Death could save everyone, Subaru thought. Elsa knew how to get into the forbidden library because Roswaal told her the method. They knew if Subaru would arrive early because Meili was probably keeping watch near the village. This would be the second time Roswaal would hire Elsa. Therefore, to get out of this mess, Subaru needs to rely on other people.

          Subaru could not tell Emilia about Roswaal’s true intentions because this would only distress her and possibly cause her to drop out of the royal selection. Even Emilia’s determination, Emilia’s will, and Emilia’s nobility were toys in someone else’s game.

          The anime cuts out a talk with Emilia and Subaru before the Otto scene. Subaru basically declares his love for Emilia again and Emilia tells Subaru to “watch over me as I do my best.” Thus, Emilia would face her trials.

          Subaru would run off to the forest, overwhelmed with his own thoughts. Otto manages to follow Subaru. Subaru tells Otto that he has reached a dead-end; Otto responds to this by punching Subaru on the side of his face.

The post continues on page two.

by Sponsored content

Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A

Re: Re:Zero Recap Season 1 and 2A