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「ユージン」 (Yuujin)
“Friend”
Gentleman (and ladies): say hello to the patented death spiral. It took long enough for Re:Zero to get past the niceties, but now, at last, we’re in the thick of things. Subaru dies; he awakens; death begins a new; something, somewhere, changes, and the whole process begins all over again because suffering never gets boring. Ever. We can pretty well guess a major shakeup is coming sooner rather than later, although the specifics of it right now remain firmly in doubt.
Probably the biggest unanswered question last week was how Subaru was going to reset in the library, and oh boy did we find out the bloody way. Elsa accessing the most sacred of spaces? Adds a certain sense of dread to the proceedings given how much the space has been emphatically indicated to be hidden to everyone but Subaru. Nevertheless, Elsa’s surprise visit isn’t the most pressing curiosity considering Beatrice was shown to be overtly hiding some important truths from our sufferer in chief. We can well-guess the little lady is tied to Sloth and has a personal reason for favouring Subaru in the current events for example, but what is that specific reason? Your guess is as good as mine. Goes without saying Roswaal knows though, and Subaru will undoubtably have to start giving our unintentional jester some very pointed questions before too long.
Beyond the fun of repeated vegetable Rem murder death by Elsa, however, the really interesting bits once again lay with Sanctuary. We now know for example that mixed blood status requires one to be less than 50%, which coincidentally offers a good explanation for why Subaru can take the trials. It’s not a stretch after all to think being touched by the Witches would give one a half breed status, and Subaru, given his condition, is arguably the most important of them all (just ask Otto). The only major question is why Garfiel is so determined to prevent Subaru from being involved with the trials and Emilia’s struggle, but frankly that curiosity all but answers itself. In some way, Sanctuary has ties to the Witches, and likely to prevent whatever befell it before, someone who has no direct ties to them must be the one to complete the trials for one reason or another. Mind you there’s undoubtably more to it than that (because Subaru is suffering and suffering is eternal), but rest assured we’re about to discover a great deal more about those who are so central to the conflict within Re:Zero.
Of course, whether it comes before or after Subaru’s next date with bowel removal is up in the air, but hey, it just wouldn’t be a proper story without some suspense.
I’m not sure this episode indicated that mixed blood status requires one to be less than 50% a particular race. Ryuzu indicated that Frederica was quarter beast and that the Sanctuary barrier only keeps in half-bloods.
There are some things that are contradictory if Beatrice is indeed a Witch cultist based on what she has said in the past. Beatrice said in episode 7 of Season 1 that Subaru being someone favoured by the Witch makes him a burden and that she’d rather not stay in his room in episode 8 of Season 1 because it reeks of the stench of the Witch of Envy. This suggests that she doesn’t have the Witch of Envy’s scent and actually HATES that scent and the Witch herself as opposed to Petelgeuse, who refers to the strength of the scent as how much love the Witch has for a cultist (He said the love hanging on Subaru is equivalent to that of a Sin Archbishop). Then again, there is probably a way to hide the smell of the Witch or else the Witch Cult wouldn’t have been able to embed itself so deeply in society. Beatrice calling Satella the worst of the worst and Beatrice being a member of the Witch cultist just doesn’t seem like something that can be reconciled in my opinion.
But if Beatrice is not a Witch Cultist, there are many questions that need to be answered. How does she have a Gospel, and why can she read a Gospel? How was she friends with Petelgeuse, the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony? If her “Mother” is not the Witch of Envy, Satella, who is it? Does Puck calling Beatrice his little sister in Season 1 mean that they have the same “Mother”?
I forgot to mention that Ryuzu identified herself as Ryuzu Shima this time instead of Ryuzu Bilma. She was also wearing a white outfit this time compared to the black one that Ryuzu Bilma uses. Considering that the first Ryuzu Subaru met was wearing a white outfit when he was teleported by Frederica’s crystal, does that mean it was Ryuzu Shima who led Subaru to Echidna? Are Ryuzu Bilma and Ryuzu Shima split personalities or 2 separate people?
I think that scene of Otto listening with his ear this episode was him using his Soul of Language Divine Protection just like in Season 1 to hear living creatures to find out the fastest route to catch up to the carriage that had Emilia, the kids in it, and the fire stones that were going to explode. This time he used it to find out whether Garfiel was still on waiting for Emilia to complete the first trial.
Yupp as mentioned in another comment below the talk on half bloods was actually supposed to be regarding the ability to leave, of which Frederica by being quarter blood is the only one beside Subaru capable of leaving.
I also wouldn’t go as far as ever thinking Beatrice is a Witch cultist given that’s something not easily hidden if previous cultists are anything to go by. The more likely explanation is that Beatrice probably knew Betelgeuse before he became a cultist and still treasures what he once was. There’s quite a bit needing explanation for that to really make sense, but then again I’m expecting those answers before too long considering we’re also likely to learn a lot about Roswaal at the same time (and by extension Beatrice’s involvement with him).
The show literally tells you in the very first episode who the Witch is but later gives a backstory as to why she became that way. For some reason I can’t seem to post spoiler tags but you’ve seen the character counless times onscreen already.
There a few things wrong here, at least in from what I understood.
-The trial is only for persons with exactly half/half blood, not at least half blood. That was my understanding.
-Subaru can do the trial because Echidna allowed him to, the sanctuary it’s basically his tomb and she can do whatever she wants. I remember she clearly says to Subaru she will grant that because he kept her company.
The half blood comment is not in relation to the trial (I got my thoughts jumbled for that bit unfortunately!), but rather who can leave Sanctuary. Garfiel mentioned he’s exactly half blood, whereas Frederica is quarter blood, and only she can leave Sanctuary (it’s not immediately obvious if Garfiel can himself based on the ending).
And yes Echidna allowed Subaru to take take trial. What’s interesting for me is why Garfiel (and by extension Roswaal) is so determined to prevent that, which can only really be explained by Subaru’s involvement with the Witches and deep distrust on the part of Sanctuary’s keepers.
Subaru’s witches smell becomes stronger with each return by death. So the sad irony is that while the scent was weak enough for Garfiel to barely trust him in the first timeline, the subsequent timelines only cause him to become more and more hostile towards Subaru because that’s the kind of smell hardcore Witch cultists would emit.
I don’t think the witch smell accumulated by the number of death. Rather Subaru witch smell became strong because he drink Echidna tea fluid (sweat) which help him stabilize his witch gene and allow him to use the the authority of sin archbishop. Hence, why he not affected much by touching Petelguese gospel.
Well the Witch loves Subaru.
Yes the witch smell accumulated due to resets by death, this is exactly how he lured Whale in the first season, as he at the time asked Rem if he stank of witch to which she replied “Yes, you stink”
One thing I didn’t understood, was at what was Beatrice referring when she said to Subaru when he wanted to exit the library that “what he’s looking for is no longer there”.
I thought she meant Elsa, but then Elsa enter the Library, so she was still in the mansion.
Did Beatrice lie? Or was she talking of Rem?
I believe she was taking about Rem in that case as Rem was shown to be dead and Beatrice knows how much Subaru cares for her. The real curiosity is why Beatrice actually tried to save Subaru and prevent him leaving, which says quite a bit about her feelings regarding the kid.
The strongest episode of the season so far. There were suspense, emotions (my true admiration for Beatrice’s facial expressions), some action, as always mysteries, but also some interesting hints and kind of revelations.
A trick with Otto was also so nice: at first, you hate him, but at the end admire.
Poor Subaru. In a slightly more real world his brain would be severely damaged after so many deaths and at least two suicide attempts (one actually successful). For a moment I thought he was gonna smash his head to death while being restricted. But here we are, nothing breaks our boy, and so he becomes only stronger.
Oh plenty has broken Subaru and more will break him yet! His strength is being able to come back from those moments in better shape than before and with renewed determination to see a happy ending out of all the carnage.
Subaru probably won’t get the ending he wants though.
Intense episode.
Hm, so did Elsa just found the right door or did Beatrice open it for her? There must be a reason why she didn’t even try to fight her.
I was ready for a lot of torture, but then I didn’t expext Otto to actually save Subaru. And once he did there was always the thought that he might betray him considering his “friend” talk, but seeing Ram is also on board he earned him my trust.
I think it was mentioned in season 1 that Beatrice can only stay hidden while there are closed doors in the mansion. So it’s only a matter of time until she’s found out, since apparently Elsa knows her weakness.
I think the funniest thing about the Subaru & Witch/Satella relationship is that he has this noble quest of wanting to help her but at the same time he’s scared to death of what she can do.
It’s like “I really wanna help you but you scare me so bad” LOL.
Subaru returns by death again… Hears that familiar echoing sound, but no “Call of the Witch”.
Elsa waltzing into Beatrice’s library… Uh-oh. At first I wondered if Beatrice keeping the late Betelgeuse’s “Witch’s Gospel” had something to do with it, but as explained by another poster above, Elsa opened enough doors in the mansion until the only closed door(s) left is the one hiding Beatrice’s library.
New burning questions:
– Speaking of Beatrice, was that scene the reason (besides her “loli” appearance, I suppose) why Joey (The Anime Man) and Garnt (Gigguk) consider her as Re:Zero‘s best girl? Or is that the first of many scenes with her in the spotlight this season?
– Finally, what is this gemstone? Does it work similarly to the pendants Garfiel and Frederica have?
Still unanswered:
– The other two trials of the Sanctuary and what Emilia’s seeing in her own trial.
– “That question” known only between Roswaal and Beatrice.
So this is what it feels like waiting for the next episode of Re:Zero (instead of marathoning the whole season).
Beatrice does not have Petelgeuse’s Gospel. Beatrice’s Gospel is quite a bit thicker if you compare episodes 22 and 27. Petelgeuse’s Gospel fit in his pocket, but Beatrice’s Gospel is too big to fit in a pocket.
Oh. I forgot Beatrice didn’t want to keep Petelgeuse’s[1] Gospel for safekeeping. So I’m guessing Subaru still has it?
Also, do witch’s gospels emit “that scent”? Because I’d imagine that Garfiel would pick up on that (more so now that Subaru just returned by death–again).
(Note [1]: Oh yeah, it was “P,” not “B”. Still reminded of that gag from “Re:Zero IN 8 MINUTES”. *sweatdrops*)
testing before important spoilers