Posted by  |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
 |
「ゼロから」 (Zero Kara)
“From Zero”
For so long (maybe not THAT long, but at least a few episodes now) audiences – myself included – have complained about Subaru’s inability to do anything and anything he DID do, he did it wrong. There was literally no right step for him to take without killing himself, killing other people and just dying to redo it all over again. It was frustrating to watch because he made so many different attempts to change the course of his destiny and nothing ever came out right. Plus, as a viewer, I’m always thinking about how I would do it differently or better. Well, now Subaru is finally admitting to all his faults. And it’s not like he didn’t know what they were before, he geninuely sounds like he wanted to overcome them and do better for himself. He reveals that he knows that he’s pretty much hopeless and lost and can’t do anything – but he wants to so badly and that’s why he’s done all that he’s done. It was a bit of a relief to see how he literally pours his heart to Rem, referencing the fact that he isn’t as amazing as she thinks he is and ultimately, he is helpless. That’s probably mean to say, but at the same time at least we know that he knows what he’s up against. Whereas I was frustrated with his character before for not knowing any better, it turns out that he does know better and he’s admitting defeat now.
Unfortunately it wasn’t as satisfying as I thought it’d be to finally see Subaru break down. Until I see solid proof that this ephiphany actually changes his behavior, I am going to be a bit more skeptical. Will he suddenly approach people differently? Or will he take a completely different route trying to save Emilia? His confession to Rem will only mean something if he changes his actions as a result of his newfound realization. Telling Rem – someone that already respects and loves him – is like telling your mom or your spouse; you’re telling someone that already unconditionally loves you and they’re not going to judge you for having flaws or faults. The only one he’s helping is himself by saying all these things outloud and coming to terms with reality. Admitting who you are is one thing, actioning change and not doing “nothing” is another. It IS a huge relief to hear Subaru out though (you don’t see it often in anime). The clouds parting with the rays of sunshine coming through was such beautiful visual imagery of their conversation. I’ll be waiting to see how this impacts what’s been going to happen in the next few episodes (and leading up to the finale). I know this has to be the moment where Subaru finally forces himself to do better – after all, it’s like the entire series title is based on it.
The true hero here is Rem. And it’s not like she needs a larger fanbase or more reason to love her but if you didn’t already, here it is! Rem is truly the ultimate girlfriend material right here folks and d*mn, even though I don’t swing that way, I just might for her. Her ability to stick by Subaru despite his confession and his flaws is remarkable when so many people (even Emilia) haven’t. I understand why she feels so indebted to Subaru and why she puts him on such a pedestal, but it’s still unbelievable from a 3rd person’s persepctive because it’s like he’s done wrong by her so many times. It’s not on purpose and a lot of things that happened were from Rem’s own choices, but it goes to show just how selfless she is. Since her arc ended, Rem has been nothing but supportive to Subaru because she loves him and in contrast, Subaru’s “love” for Emilia hasn’t come to fruition the same way. Subaru’s love for Emilia feels like it’s so forced and inadequate while Rem has no expectations from Subaru to love her back (and expectations make a huge difference). She must know that her life and fantasy with Subaru would never happen and that’s what makes it more sad and heartbreaking to hear her story of running away together. Oh Rem… how can such a selfless character like you even exist to give Subaru so much love in a world like this? I want to scream that he doesn’t deserve you. This scene isn’t just about the confession, it’s about how Rem helped Subaru realize his potential and how others view him (from a positive angle). He has good points, he CAN have good qualities, he just needed a push to get there. Like I said, it takes a lot for someone to admit to their faults (whether it’s being ignorant or in denial) but it takes a lot for someone to stick by you through it all and still see you as a hero. This really makes Rem my hero.
Phew… there’s a lot to discuss about what happened this episode but I feel like I hit all the points I wanted to convey about the confession between Subaru and Rem. I know the moment that Subaru admitted to loving Emilia after Rem confessed was a bit… offputting, but this show isn’t about the romance or how Subaru ends up with Rem. Sorry folks. There was a lot that went on in the beginning of the episode too and it was brief but important. Puck becomes reverts back his giant cat/tiger/lion(?) spirit form and freezes everyone to death – Subaru included. He says that Subaru did wrong by Emilia three times and for that, he pays the price of death. Betelguese is no exception to Puck’s powers and also freezes to death (in true grotesque manner). Thus, the story cannot go on with Emilia dead if Puck is going to bring about the ice age and Subaru is just going to die anyway. Subaru still has to find a way to avoid killing or having the residence in the manor killed. Not sure how he’s going to go about it now but hopefully his newfound appreciation for Rem and himself will help.
Author’s Note: Despite the fact that it was a long weekend where I am, I still had a much busier weekend than anticipated. Sorry for the delay in posts everyone! If it’s any consolation, I was drunk and then hungover so it’s not like my mind was in the right place =(
“I know the moment that Subaru admitted to loving Emilia after Rem confessed was a bit… offputting, but this show isn’t about the romance or how Subaru ends up with Rem.”
I really don’t see anything off-putting here. Rem gave a sincere confession and Subaru gave a sincere reply. The fact that even Subaru’s love is not that easy to sway is, no doubt, one of things that Rem loves about him.
From what I’m getting from the reactions, people are pushing their own likes onto Subaru. Which is kinda funny considering how the whole episode showed all the callbacks that they can from previous episodes and actually calling out viewers as well.
I like Rem. A lot. I really do. But if Subaru actually changed minds right there and then, it will be a total insult to her character and the story as a whole. It will look like an obligation. There’s a reason why Rem rejected his proposal in the first place.
The actual description as well in the LN shows this. Subaru confessed to Rem his like about Emilia here after everything they talked about because he felt that it would be an insult to Rem and everything that she has done for him. At least he had the balls to do it and not string Rem along.
Emilia is a hero to Subaru as Subaru is a hero to Rem. We can see here the parallels.
I understand the disagreements really. I do. But I was hoping more people would understand the undertones of the episode instead of focusing on one phrase and then raise hell over it. It’s like people forgot the whole episode or something.
@Mihreal
Well said
It was obvious since episode 1 until now that Subaru’s goal is to stand by Emilia side and help her.. and he’s telling Rem about it every episode, so no wonder he will choose Emilia
And still people will not get it.. Rem s’ actions were mostly one sided (Rem -> Subaru)
Well I thought it was quite off-putting when Subaru started by proposing to go away with Rem to have some babies… and then after couple of minutes told her by the way he loves only Emilia.
At least he was right when he described himself as big piece of turd.
Technically he just told Rem to run away with him. It was Rem who imagined getting married and having children.
@TwoHeart: Technically, yes. Rem filled in the details, but given what Subaru says, marriage, etc. is heavily implied (e.g. We’ll buy a little house and live there together”). This is not a simple “let’s be roommates” type of discussion. Not only that, after Rem goes through her detailed exposition of her fantasy being married to him, Subaru’s reply is “If you want it that badly, then…”, NOT “you misunderstand what I’m asking” = Rem understood just fine what he was proposing.
How is this show not about Subaru falling in love with Emilia? He falls in love with her in the very first scene.
Of course that’s what this is about.
If that’s the case the story is truly badly written.
What Subaru meant is that:
I love Emilia (because I want to save her)
His love for Emilia is conditional.
But Subaru’s true feelings shows when he hugged Rem and held her tight.
He at one point thought that if he told everything to Rem, she will die. (shows flashback of Rem strangled by unseen hands) At this point Subaru does not want to lose Rem.
His true feelings were said to Rem right then. That’s not confession you turn down if you aren’t serious. He doesn’t need to love Emilia to want to help her. So it’s more than just about saving her otherwise he would have accepted Rem’s confession right then and never said he loved someone else. I think it’s obvious that Subaru cares about Rem deeply and may even feel something towards her, but it doesn’t diminish his feeling for Emilia, some who’s be fighting for during these past 16-18 episodes to point he would die. Feelings that motivated such an action are very deep and what he likes about Emilia isn’t something Rem has.
Rem is the best girl no doubt. She confessed, got turned down but is still willing to help Subaru.
I hope when things has ended, Subaru would ditch Emilia and go with Rem… Emilia has everything, power money and everything nice… If you look at it, she doesnt need Subaru at all. REM, on the other hand, needs subaru just like how subaru needs rem. Others say that Emilia advantage was that she was there when Subaru is down? Not anymore… When subaru is insane and down, Rem is also there even on her crippled state. where is emilia? When subaru needs comfort? She is very busy with her selfish dream of becoming the next king. and Subaru according to rumors or theories, is only attracted to Emilia like an idiot due to the curse and nothing else. In short not real love. Rem unquestionably love Subaru and will follow him even at death. Emilia? Duh.
I’m not trying to hear any of that. It’s not about who needs who more. It never has been about that. The heart wants what the heart wants. Now sure, sometimes the one you want isn’t the one you need, but again, who cares? It’s never been about that. Be with the one who makes you happy. There will always be a question if that was the right choice, but if you’re happy it shouldn’t matter. Besides there is absolutely nothing wrong with Emilia and she cares unconditionally for Subaru, even if she has to hurt his feelings. That’s love. You love, you get hurt, you rekindle or move on. Sometimes it’s permanent, other times it’s not. It happens every day. Subaru would be happy with Emilia, but it’s a foolish and hopeless argument to assume he will be “happier” with Rem. Sure he might be, but it’s his choice. If he’s happy with who he chose, then that’s all there is to it.
Emilia saw that Subaru was pushing himself WAY too hard for her sake and saw the damage it was doing to him. He wouldn’t listen to her and just calm down and stop pushing himself so hard so she cut ties with him to protect his well-being, and even then it hurt her greatly to do that. Rem is with Subaru at THIS time, but there will be times when Rem will not be there for whatever the reason is. It’s a matter of circumstance. This time the circumstance was that Rem was with Subaru, but again, that won’t always be the case. Just like Emilia won’t always be there to comfort Subaru like she was in the past.
Don’t make Emilia sound like a selfish girl who would rather politics over Subaru’s well being. She doesn’t have a selfish bone in her body to that extent. Her plan is to become king to HELP the kingdom prosper and be united. To make a better place for everyone and that includes Subaru and that doesn’t always mean indulging in his “antics” when there’s a royal selection to be won. Christ they got a greedy woman, a girl who literally prospers off of the world’s misfortune, a woman who craves war if I remember clearly and a girl who wants to tear the kingdom down with no future plans after that.
And whatever you heard are exactly that. Rumors and theories. Do not base your argument off of those things until it is proven fact. Besides, if Subaru can clearly say the kind of future he wants for Emilia like that, I’m pretty confident his feelings are genuine. Emilia was never put in a position to follow Subaru to death, nor should that ever have to happen, so it’s unfair to even say such a thing let alone accuse her of not protecting Subaru til death if it were to happen.
The idea is love should be mutual. Would there be a time that Emilia would need or rely on Subaru to become her pillar of support? Would there be a time that she cant think well or stand if subaru is not there,? I dont think so. As i said, she has power money and even Puck who can end the world via ice age. She won’t need Subaru which is why Rem is the better girl because she needs subaru as much as Subaru needs Rem. Love is mutual. EmiliaXSubaru is just a one sided… There is no love coming from emilia. Its always subaru to emilia.
I understand your point man. A one sided love is ugly. Its always Subaru who is giving something to Emilia to the point that he would give even his life to save Emilia. But Emilia is yet to equalize Subaru’s sacrifices. And after 18 episodes, Subaru is once again doing something to protect and save Emilia. The love is so one sided.
Again, that’s unfair to her. Just because she has Puck, power and money doesn’t mean everything is gonna come easily to her. We saw that in their first fight in the bar against the Bowel Hunter. Emilia hasn’t been the focus in this arc. Saying that Emilia wouldn’t need support because she has Puck and riches is like saying Rem doesn’t need support because she has Ram and her demonic powers. Obviously there are influential people in their lives who can lighten the burden when necessary and when Subaru can do something, he will do something. We’ve seen it with Rem and there are going to be times when Emilia will be the same way. Just because it hasn’t happened yet doesn’t mean it should be automatically assumed it will never happen.
Also, the idea of love being mutual is completely different from one being independent. Having the ability to stand on your own doesn’t determine love. Emilia can stand on her own forever, but if there is EVER the possibility that she might stumble, Subaru is there. That’s the point. Besides, she’s guaranteed to stumble. She died how many times in these loops already? Where was Puck to prevent those deaths? If death is that easy to come in her future, different types of suffering isn’t far off either. And when Subaru has stumbled, she was there too. Just because Rem is there now does not discard that from history or from their memory. Just because Rem’s comfort seems more significant and appealing doesn’t diminish Emilia’s support. I’m all for SubaruXRem, but every argument I’ve seen against Emilia has been so unfair up to this point.
It remains to be seen how much Emilia really relies on Subaru but that doesn’t mean it’s written off. It’s only the 3rd arc out of the supposed 5 or 6 so far.
And as for @Jeffers. That’s unfair to Emilia to say she has yet to equalize his sacrifices. She hasn’t been put in a position to do so. I don’t understand this argument. People say the same thing after Rem died for Subaru saying “Emilia hasn’t died for him”. They’re in 2 separate locations, what do you want from her? If she was put in a position to protect Subaru but coward from it, you’d have a point, but she hasn’t even had the chance to sacrifice for him as yet. You don’t know what she would do in that situation, as it remains to be seen, so don’t assume. The most she could do was sacrifice their relationship for his well-being.
People have to stop comparing and contrasting the things Emilia and Rem have done for Subaru. Both of them have been influential to his character. Things that you guys believe to be nothing extraordinary on Emilia’s end have made Subaru very happy, just as the things Subaru has done for Rem made her very happy. Subaru’s presence for Emilia has made her visibly happy and anyone who argues otherwise is blind. Subaru’s presence for Rem has made her fallen in love. Everyone knows that. Stop debating on who needs who more. When Subaru is there and happy, they’re both happy, when he’s not there and/or suffering, they’re both visibly sad or shaken. They ALL benefit off of each other when they’re happy, just as they all suffer when one is sad, just as they’re ALL helpful in their own ways when one struggles. Simple as that.
She really is to good for him isn’t she. Seriously unless some sort of anime godess shows up during fall, Rem is going to be my girl of 2016 by far.
Its kind of wierd that of all the tropes of “traped in a different world” stories that this show likes to subvert, the underdeveloped plot device main girl wasn’t one of them. I know that LN readers say that she gets better later but best case scenario we get a second season in at least a year, and thats not a guarantee since white fox doesn’t seem to do many third cours.
Calling Emilia plot device when just because you like another girl is petty and really low-hanging fruit. Even without go in depth into Emilia has plenty agency and her own moviations. Attacking her because the arc isn’t setup to go into her backstory is like judging Rem as nothing more than two bit murderer thoughout Arc 2. We all know how that turned out in the end so there no excuse to think the same won’t happen with her or any other character.
I actually don’t hate her , I like her fine. By the end of the first arc I was ready to love her, but then she became a supporting character for the second arc and now she is pretty much just a plot device. Not because of my feelings for her but because she has no screen time, no development and she’s pretty much an unknowing damsel in distress. She is only a motivation for Subaru right now and the only thing her character has done this arc is set up Subaru’s character arc.
She less screentime sure, but that doesn’t equal turning into a plot device, By that logic Betty and Ram are all plot devices to since they are in same boat. She don’t have be around Subaru 24/7 like Rem for us know she doing her own things. Emilia has a life shes living regardless what trouble may come after her.
As someone who has a similar view of himself as Subaru does (i.e. feeling that you have spent most of your life doing nothing, and that the effort you did make was just a facade to show that you tried to make something of yourself but couldn’t do any better), Rem’s confession hit me harder than anything I’ve ever felt from the anime medium up to this point.
Maybe I’m wrong, but having someone show such pure, unconditional love after you’ve thrown all your ugliness at them is something I could never see happening in reality. This is why I both love and hate fiction; it can show you worlds where your most elementary needs (acceptance and companionship in my case) are fulfilled all while reminding you that you will never fulfill them in that way.
On another note, I loved the title drop and can’t wait to see this pair turn the situation around.
Oh Rem’s exist from what I’ve heard and read and I have even met women who I”m sure are possible Rem’s. Unfortunately they are always happy with someone already. There are what you would think are to good to be true people in the world one of my Aunt and Uncle pairs seamed wonderful, their kids thought they were wonderful and they were married over 50 years (I am bad at picking up exacts on that). Unfortunately there are not enough of them to go around. I some times hate this fact if I’m in a why me moment.
You’re hating on Subaru a little too much. Rem was such an angel here but Subaru doesn’t deserve Rem? Eh? We’ve all been privy to what Subaru’s gone through in a way nobody else in the show has, why can’t you understand the depth of despair Subaru has fallen to? That kind of despair can crush a man.
It’s great that Rem was there to save him, but it’s understandable why — he saved her in pretty much the same way. I don’t think Subaru’s love for Emilia is forced at all. It was clear from the start he had a mad crush on her, and that’s the truth of it. Props to him for sticking with it and not philandering with another woman just because it was convenient, the way Ram insinuated back in the Red Oni Blue Oni story.
I also think it’s great that Subaru was honest with her there. He didn’t try to string her along or anything just to use her. Mad props for that. And even madder props to Rem for being so selfless with her love that she could understand that.
Great show, amazing really, it’s toying with my emotions in ways no other anime has in a long time.
This’ll probably be the last time we see Subaru acting like a dork and a jerk, though. He’s finally made his resolution, so we can probably expect him to start acting the role from here on. If not… then all of this would have been a waste.
And that’s the huge difference here – Rem has actually come to know Subaru (maybe even better than he knows himself at times) while Subaru had done something very profound and life-changing for her even if he doesn’t realize it, and so her love for him is at least more understandable.
However, what Subaru has with Emilia so far is exactly that – a mere crush. Otherwise, what do the two truly know about one another up to this point? Pretty much nothing (even the time they managed to have a date didn’t exactly reveal much to one another), so how can Subaru possibly declare it “love” without making it look like he’s still just clinging to Emilia because she was the first nice (female) person to help him in that world? Even with the various resets, it’s not like Subaru really learned that anything new, much less personal about her. And now with the revelation that Puck will destroy the world if Emilia were to ever die, that pretty much forces Subaru to be with her either way to protect her, making the relationship feel more obligatory (from a viewer’s standpoint) than genuine.
“Rem has actually come to know Subaru (maybe even better than he knows himself at times) while Subaru had done something very profound and life-changing for her even if he doesn’t realize it, and so her love for him is at least more understandable.”
Aren’t you kinda integrating the different loops into one when it comes to Rem, but only one loop for Emilia?
For Subaru, Emilia is his hero because she was there when he didn’t know what to do when he came to the new world. It might be small for us viewers, but for him it looks like it was a very profound and life-changing moment for him.
You can also really say the same for Rem’s love for Subaru. We should also be saying that Rem also has an obsession with Subaru, although just in a different way as Subaru’s to Emilia.
“And now with the revelation that Puck will destroy the world if Emilia were to ever die, that pretty much forces Subaru to be with her either way to protect her, making the relationship feel more obligatory (from a viewer’s standpoint) than genuine.”
That’s not what I got though. In fact liking Rem right now like I said in another post will look like an obligation. What I understood from how he said it is that Emilia is his hero, and he really likes her. Emilia is a good person. We saw that from all previous episodes. People seem to forget that although in a much smaller scale, Emilia “saved” Subaru as well during the lap scene.
As viewers we tend to cherry pick certain things and forget the overall picture.
Rem doesn’t really know Subaru, she even admits herself, she just knows what she likes about him. That is what her love us based on.
Well a dork is who he is. I don’t think he’ll ever stop being a dork if they resolve this “Ordeal” issue and everyone comes out of it ALIVE AND REMEMBERED. Even then, during the happy times I expect him to be pretty dorky.
He’s been acting like a jerk, but he’s been acting like a jerk under pressure. I don’t really hold that against him. He’s 17. He’s still a kid at heart and all of this is more than an adult can handle really.
I can see him still being a jerk in the future. He vowed to be the most awesome hero ever, but he’s still only human and still only a kid and a vow like that is hard to keep, especially with the threat he must face. But that’s why he asked for Rem’s help. He can’t do anything alone and he finally acknowledged this. I’m positive he will go through things that will continue to test his mental and I’m positive he’s gonna fail some of those tests in the future. (This arc and the arcs to come if animated…hopefully animated. White Fox, Nagatsuki-san, MAKE SEASON 2 HAPPEN)
After all, a hero is no hero without some scars to show for it.
“are you Pride?” – beetlejuice
I’m just surprised Subaru even has love for someone after all of the shit he’s been through. For everyone around him it’s been like two weeks alongside him, and for him it’s been like 5 lifetimes emotionally. He watched his friends and loved ones die like 10 times over, should have lost his mind by now or just given up and left.
Normally once you see your loved ones, your friends, die, you change, you seek solitude, you never gain as many friends (or any) and loved ones again. People call Subaru emo and shit protagonist, because they don’t get it, he’s actually one of the strongest protagonists ever.
All the kids nowdays who hate him never watched classic loop movie, Groundhog day, it has all the stages Subaru went through.
They want to love “chans” and want to hate “kuns”. So we see always-beautiful-ideal-chans and random kuns. If Subaru was alfa-kun-type or genial-kun-type he would be loved cause they want to be like him.
And all comments we see through the whole series was: poor Rem, poor Ram, poor Emilia, “even with twisted neck, rem was still beautiful”, “a smile you want to protect” and other crap for girls and “what a jerk” for boys.
I’m just surprised Subaru even has love for someone after all of the shit he’s been through. For everyone around him it’s been like two weeks alongside him, and for him it’s been like 5 lifetimes emotionally. He watched his friends and loved ones die like 10 times over, should have lost his mind by now or just given up and left.
Normally once you see your loved ones, your friends, die, you change, you seek solitude, you never gain as many friends (or any) and loved ones again. People call Subaru emo and shit protagonist, because they don’t get it, he’s actually one of the strongest protagonists ever.
All the kids nowdays who hate him never watched classic loop movie, Groundhog day, it has all the stages Subaru went through.
On another note, it looks like it’s confirmed that Subaru really is the Priest of Pride. He became the same mad man Betelgeuse was in the end — and it’s important to note that what dragged him out of that muck was Rem. If Rem weren’t there, Subaru would have become an insane monstrosity just like Betelgeuse.
It looks like the Priests of the Sins are each given the Vector Hands as part of their ability, and each probably has the ability to Return by Death. The Ordeals Betelgeuse talks about are probably the time loops they need to overcome to progress. Satella was probably a Priestess of Envy who became really powerful — 2000 Vector Hands was it?
I’m very interested to see where the overall plot of this is going. We’ve been focused too much on Subaru’s jerk face and descent into madness for the past several episodes.
You’re probably right about him being the Priest of Sin, with how many times Beetle Juice has been telling him that. Although I wouldn’t say it all came down to his broken laughter when he was frozen to death by Puck, I would say he was simply laughing at himself for being so pathetic and realizing just how hopeless his situation is. It’s also unlikely the other sins have the power to return from death, because if that were true, how will Subaru triumph over Beetle Juice when he also has the power to return? It would be an inescapable loop of resets and neither can triumph over the other, so I think this ability is probably reserved for Subaru (and maybe the witch?) only, but only time will tell.
well fuck, browser bugged out and i posted it twice 🙁
Welcome back Subaru, we’ve missed you. We have been waiting for you to become the hero we always knew you could be. Time to put on your big boy pants and go kick some ass (metaphorically).
Rem gets to burnish her Best Girl credentials even more in this episode. She is the one thing that all of us wished we had; unconditional love that remains steadfast despite how much of our own flaws they see. A love strong enough to give you up because they care too much about you. Rem is so womanly she warps all the way around to Kamina. Her pep talk to Subaru is a more eloquent version of “if you don’t believe in you, then believe in me! Believe in me who believes in you!”
In a way this is the pay off for Subaru’s heroics in the last arc. He suffered so much to save Rem and now Rem is his strength during his lowest point. None of us can be strong all the time, especially in the face of continued, agonizingly painful, failure. As Rem said, Subaru made it possible for her to move forward and now she does the same to him. Its a very genuine relationship and the unrequited nature of it is tragic in the classical sense. Emilia may be eros, the love interest Subaru desires, but Rem is agape, the all-encompassing and unconditional love that some people in the real world can only seek out through the embrace of a religion.
I actually think Subaru is in love with Rem but doesn’t actually realize it yet or doesn’t want to admit it to himself. I’ll wait a few more episodes, because Subaru’s obvious feelings right now are for Emilia, which is every bit as genuine as Rem’s feelings for Subaru are.
Ever since the episode dropped I’ve been seeing so much harsh criticism and downright bashing on Subaru for saying “I love Emilia” after everything Rem said. It honestly annoyed the hell outta me. The reason being everyone was so obnoxiously ignorant to the bigger picture. These weren’t just opinions, they were opinions treated as facts being shoved in your face.
I said that Subaru’s feelings for Emilia are every bit as genuine as Rem’s feelings for Subaru are and I meant it and let me explain why.
Rem said that her time had stopped and Subaru was the one to put it back in motion. On that morning, Subaru said the words that she really wanted to hear from the person she really wanted to hear say them. She told Subaru that he probably doesn’t know how happy he made her feel on that morning. Well same thing for Subaru. Not only when they first met, but when the stress was catching up to Subaru in Episode 8, Emilia at the time saw this and gave him what he wanted. Sure it was an honest crush based on kindness, awkwardness and appearance before, but her soft voice, kindness and open ears and everything else took Subaru for a ride to Heaven and he never came back down. Emilia probably doesn’t realize even to this day how happy she made Subaru at that point to have someone to cry on, relax and listen to everything come out. She is Subaru’s hero just as Subaru is Rem’s hero.
Now aside from all of that, Puck mentioned something about the White Whale being Gluttony. I’m assuming the White Whale has something to do with the Witch Cult after that. Maybe it’s Gluttony’s true form.
I don’t think Subaru’s suffering is done. Hell no I don’t think that. He will definitely suffer and screw up in the future, a lot of it might be self-inflicted like his recent sufferings but I don’t think he will descend into this type of reckless madness anymore. At least not any time soon. He will get mad, he will get pissed, he will get unbearable and he will continue to rely on others and no restart is perfect but I think he will at least try to be a better person than before. At the very least he’ll use his head more going forward knowing he has someone in Rem watching over him.
Exactly! The Re:zero fandom is annoying when it comes to Subaru. I understand getting disappointed that he didn’t choose Rem, but even going as far to bash Subaru AND Emilia? Yes it was great that he admitted the mistakes that we were all pretty much criticizing him for, but Rem was there to remind not just him but the audience that he wasn’t such a bad guy after all. I honestly don’t think we’ll ever get another character as great and realistic as Subaru. His character has been through so much and his breakdown was actually believable. Him running away from his problems at the start of the episode is probably something I would have done. Like this guy has tried multiple times to make things right and he fails every time! The realization that Subaru couldn’t accomplish a thing during his previous lives caused his mentality to break and it’s very believable and it’s what makes him human.
I almost lost it when Subaru was trying to run away. I immediately was like “Dude, you know what happens when you do nothing. Emilia will die, and Puck will destroy the world. There’s no running away.”
I am ok with this episode. I really really hope that the despair in Subaru is over. I think in stories like this where the hero relives the same days over and over you want to see him be awesome. This story is probably my least favorite due to Subaru failing so much, and even with him back on his feet, I don’t have a clue how he’s going to solve this. I hope this is the last loop, and I hope he can be the hero we want to see him become.
Rem-tan Maji Tenshi!
Subaru better end up with Rem otherwise given the immense popularity of this series and Rems massive fanbase I think there might actually be a riot
lol
I’ve heard she basically wins every popularity poll, sometimes by astounding margins. But it may be fans talking…
At this point, it probably helps she has had more developments alongside the MC, while Emilia remains a more distant figure, both in and out universe. Even counting the time loops. Wait, scratch that: especially if you count the time loops.
The author Tappei Nagatsuki wrote an extra “Rem if” route for Rem based on this turning point, if they really decided to run away.
I hope this will be an extra episode or OVA from White Fox.
I thought they laid it on too thick in this ep. A 5 minute angsty rant from Subaru with tragic music in the background, followed by the change to soft acoustic guitars and flocks of doves when Rem replies to it… maybe I’m getting jaded and cynical, but I found this entire ~8 min stretch bordered on unwatchablely corny. And I really don’t like saying that because I’ve liked literally everything else about this series!
I agree that this should have been half the length. Apparently the creator felt very strongly about this episode and was super impressed but eh it felt pretty hamfisted to me. It will be worth it if the next episode isn’t “how many ways can PTSD subaru fuck up and look totally insane to everyone around him?”
Good. Finally. Surely this must be a watershed moment for Subaru given the presentation down to an MC proclamation/series title shout out of “starting a new life from zero”. Not only newfound resolve and acknowledging personal flaws, but apparently his “PTSD”/mental trauma is cured (or at least temporarily abated). Fresh start “from zero” indeed. Good job Rem (*pats Rem on head*). I thought Subaru’s dialog to Rem at the end left a lot to be desired, but whatever at this point. I’m not expecting smooth sailing from here on or a complete absence of down moments after failure, but I do hope that going forward there’s less focus on Subaru mental trauma & resulting angst in addition to positive character growth in general rather than any significant, sustained back-sliding.
– BTW, Subaru thinking about running away with Rem was spoiled in a previous episode’s comments. Please use spoiler tags appropriately.
– Rem’s reply to his (consolation prize) proposal was both heartfelt and surprisingly a little humorous in a good way (e.g. even if the kids turn cold against you, I’ll back you up.). I’m sure opinions will differ, but for me once again Rem proves to be best girl. Nothing against Emilia per se, but eh, she’s still pretty much one-dimensional/just there IMO. For the character I assumed was/is the FL in the story, she’s had a much smaller role so far than I expected. Assume that changes in later volumes, hopefully soon though may not be covered in anime this time around (betting this gets a 2nd season).
– So the While Whale is “Gluttony” and not just a ma-beast? Didn’t expect that. Makes sense in terms of its “existence wipe” powers, but IDK, for some reason I figured that “archbishops of sin” would all be human (or demi-human). Maybe he/she/it can transform? At any rate, the bar just got raised in terms of clearing this hurdle. Curious to see how Subaru overcomes that. Also curious whether “Plan B” (i.e. get help from other candidates) is still an option or completely off the table.
– Requisite WTF is Roswaal doing remark. Are we going to get any more info on that this arc? Will he even show up before the end this arc (like last time)? Could be wrong, but I get the feeling he’s just going to be MIA until this arc’s problem is resolved. Deus ex Roswaal doesn’t seem to be the solution this time around.
– Wait, what!? Puck’s contract is to destroy the world if Emilia dies? O.o That’s… kind of extreme. OK, “no reason for me to exist in a world without her [Emilia]”, but still… Uh, maybe focus your wrath on those responsible. I’ve had my issues with Subaru, but I must say that one thought that crossed my mind during Puck’s speech was, uh, isn’t keeping Emilia alive kind of your (Puck’s) job as well? Yeah, this time it’s Subaru’s fault (even if accidental/unexpected), but not the case the previous times (dude just shows up late). Clearly Puck can easily defeat Sloth not to mention witch cult cannon fodder so… why can’t he protect Emilia from this danger in general (beyond the plot demands it)? Outside his “business hours”/contract daily time limits? Lastly, quite interesting that Puck, not Sloth, said “You are truly slothful, Subaru”. Puck also calls Subaru’s mistakes “sins”. Some deeper meaning/hint with the diction here?
I figured that “archbishops of sin” would all be human
Who’s to say he wasn’t? Puck implies that the “White Whale” name is something he’s called “now”. Mind you, for an immortal spirit animal “now” tends to have a completely different meaning on the relative scale….
Also, yet another example of the show just throwing information out casually and hoping you don’t notice it.
@Dave: Yeah, that’s a possibility (formerly human/demi-human/etc.). My point was just that since Sloth is human (human looking at least), figured the rest were the same rather than some giant magic beast. No big deal of course. Just something that crossed my mind. And yeah, I would like some more exposition/world-building in general. For example, STILL wondering how this whole throne candidacy process works.
I’ve had the same thoughts about Puck/Pack’s contract with Emilia. It seems rather extreme and short sited, and from what we know of Emilia a bit out of character for her. I have to wonder if Puck is that powerful, or if someone would eventually be able to stop him. And why would Emilia want that result should she die/be killed (I’m going to assume if she dies of old age he doesn’t go and kill everyone cause really that seems silly). Not enough info on this as it doesn’t really make sense yet. I’m sure we’ll learn more eventually, but probably not until they reveal more about Emilia, which is not in this arc.
While I would pick Rem over Emilia, I can understand why would Subaru do the opposite…
Just disappointed he did not say a badass protagonist line at the end like “After we save our home… I’ll make your dream come true” or “Please wait a little bit, after we save our/your family I’ll definitely grant your wish” with a smile.
Well, sadly Subaru was never the protagonist we wanted, only the one we deserved.
Btw, did you guys notice that Subaru went through the 5 stages of grief in this arc?
People seems to forget/ignore that Rem like the part where Subaru is determined and never do thing halfway. Which was for the previous five episodes to Save Emilia and eventually win her hearts. Confessing his love to Rem will just make her speech kinda moot (the not doing thing halfway).
Show Spoiler ▼
@FLuck; Not sure what you mean about people forgetting Rem likes Subaru’s determination. I thought that was pretty clear. Subaru x Rem shipping? Anyway, since you appear to be an LN reader a quick question if you don’t mind.
— “This is a 1:1 adaptation of the chapter 5 Vol 6 before the epilogue.”
So we’re in volume 06 now? Haven’t read the LN, but that’s further along than I thought. No big deal/just curious, but what has this season covered in terms of source material (no spoilers – i.e. just “vol, 3, 4, etc.).
Lastly, minor or not, your final sentence is a spoiler so please use spoiler tags for that sort of thing.
Thanks.
The anime has covered vol 1-6 with this episode. Though, there’s still one chapter left of vol 6 before #7 starts.
@Ninjasander: Thanks. 😀 That’s a lot further/faster pacing than I thought. Props to White Fox & staff since I never got the feeling this was a rushed adaptation.
Thanks for the spoiler. 🙁
Wish there was a report feature. Would make it easier for Cherrie who is busy these days as can be seen by the tardiness of the blog posts. Otherwise this series would easily have over 100 comments for each of the past episodes.
Stop throwing a hissy fit for no reason, and then pointing out that you seeing the sentence about tackling the whale on a raptor next episode is a spoiler in the slightest or that it’s the fault of Cherrie for not having enough time.
On any site at all, you’re able to see the title of the next episode is: 19 – “The White Whale Conquest Battle”.
Any information that you could glean from merely the next episode title OR the most prominent scene in the opening where Rem and Subaru are indeed riding a raptor shouldn’t be considered a spoiler, as you already know it will happen if you simply just watched the show.
I feel a little stressed because it’s like – wow, everybody’s writing essays?? But honestly, no other episode of anime has struck me as hard as this one. As someone who identifies SO HARD with the MC (PTSD, etc.), his episodic steps toward redemption, for me, at least represent something more than good writing, good characterization. It’s a transcendent anime for me, mainly because I have been inspired so much by the MC’s ability to completely break down but not stay down. Maybe this is weird for me to say – I don’t really post much, but I just wanted to put in a few words of support for poor Subaru.
Show Spoiler ▼
Ouch, Subaru confession was so bad for heart, it makes me think how much time wasted hahaha
https://randomc.net/image/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu%20-%2018%20-%20Large%2003.jpg
This is priest of sloth
But you can’t beat our priestess of charity, all hail rem-sama
https://randomc.net/image/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu%20-%2018%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
I’m tired of reading everyone mitigate Subaru’s feelings for Emilia as a mere crush.
We are 18 episodes in and 10+ gruesome deaths too far for this to be a simple crush. Is it as intense as Rem’s love for Subaru? Frankly, I’m not sure because while we see that Subaru loves Emilia there’s always something a little more going on around him to cloud his intentions, but at the end of the day there’s nothing that doesn’t tell me that this boy doesn’t love that girl.
Let’s keep well into consideration that Emilia started on the same platform as Rem in terms of taking Subaru for as he is rather than what he isn’t. Emilia just couldn’t afford to maintain that mindset any longer given her own position.
A maid has little to lose at the expense of unconditionally loving an individual who can’t articulate their intentions and motivations in comparison to a girl who is in the running to be the ruler of an entire Kingdom who is already discriminated against and hated for the stunning resemblance she bears to the Kingdoms greatest enemy.
Were Emilia in Rem’s shoes then I’d have a hard time believing she wouldn’t love Subaru as unconditionally as Rem does, but she can’t just be that way. She can’t afford to be that way.
And then for good measure it was explained that promises carry heavy weight to spirit mages, so him breaking one is devastating to her.
Rem is astounding and I love that girl so much she’s my favorite girl for all of 2016 if not all time, but I also love Emilia’s character and I’m severely proud that Subaru appears to be making the right strides for once.
Seriously, even Rem knows Subaru loves Emilia. That’s what she even loves about the guy, that he’s dedicated even when he looks ridiculous.
Can’t wait to see what the future episodes look like.
@Kabble
Great comparison between Emilia & Rem..
There is also a different character that distinguishes Emilia apart from Rem is that Emilia is ready to help anyone in need even if she doesn’t know him/her well (like what she did in episode 1 to Subaru & the lost child).
On the other hand, Rem will just seek a help for people she knows well & trusts or people she obligated to help (we saw her at the beginning how she attacked Subaru out of suspicion, and when Subaru decided to help the village children she questioned his behavior as he is not obligated to do so).
In summary, Emilia can sacrifice her time & life for strangers unlike Rem who will only help people she loves & cares about.
No wonder, Subaru has fallen in love with Emilia.
I think that Rem is the ideal girl, but being a woman I know a lot of women like this who get put to the wayside because some guys like the idea of a chase. That aside, I agree that Emillia was the one who inspired him to do good. He was willing to walk away in the beginning when the ship keepers daughter was lost and realized that her good deeds saved the girl, him and can create a benefit. I am not angry that she does not reciprocate his feelings. she is grateful for his help but just because someone helps you does not mean you owe them your love. She wants to be his friend but with her position and everything going on it would be strange. If someone saved me that is good but I don’t owe them my body forever. I am also questioning Puck. He says that Subaru did wrong with breaking the promise which is true, but that is to be expected he is young and naive, and honestly does not understand the nobility or social graces that are needed in this world. Kinda like the game played in Orlais in Dragon Age one has to be skilled and grow up in that situation. I understand why he broke the promise, he is scared something will happen. The only thing I expect is for him to ask the right questions. He never asks for more info. While in the capital, he doesn’t go to the library, or ask what the smurf is the white whale. I feel that knowing the fables and powers that exist will go a long way. His reactions to the lack of help are understandable. Look at the world we live in, sure there are injustices but we try our best to help. No one would leave someone vulnerable if disaster struck. The idea of refusing help is almost impossible for him to wrap his mind around. Granted we understand but we are not tied to the characters like him. Imagine if this was happening to people we knew. The lines that were said were so beautiful to me. I had tears in my eyes watching it at work. Rem loves him but she knew he loved someone else. She is happy to be his friend and help because he believes in her knowing her faults. Even if they are not romantically linked she values his friendship which seems to be hard to come by in that world.
Yes two guys last I checked on Reddit stated how stupid they were in turning down a Rem to chase a women who turned out bad.
I don’t know how any woman to make the argument that Subaru should love Rem instead of Emilia because she’s hopelessly devoted to him.
You love the person who motivates you to become a better person. The person who motivates you to do good to them and for them. You love the person who makes you strive to put your best foot forward and be the best version of yourself you possible can be or die trying.
That is not Rem, unfortunately.
I’ve had more than my fair share of men feel entitled to my love and affection simply because they doted on me endlessly, complimented me, and simply liked things about me.
That’s great, that’s cool, that’s excellent, it does not mean I’m obligated to like you and this is essentially the same case.
It’s outstanding that Rem loves Subaru so unconditionally, but on what earth would it make sense for Subaru to drop his shit and get hitched to her after that speech? She’s in the friend zone, plain and simple. The same zone many other men have be transferred to because the spark simply was not there.
Everything Subaru aspires to be, he does for the sake of Emilia and Lord don’t be one of those people who feels Subaru has to explain himself for that. She’s a wonderful girl, just as wonderful as Rem quite frankly; no justification is necessary. We can’t help who we love.
So lets just leave it be and stop railing on his choice. Ya’ll so hurt.
@Tori: First, “So lets just leave it be and stop railing on his choice. Ya’ll so hurt.” While I can only speak for myself, I’m NOT “so hurt”, by Rem turning down Subaru. Frankly, while I may (almost certainly) be in the minority, I’m not “shipping” anyone with anyone right now. In fact, I’m glad Rem turned him down, and IMO she should have because as you say, Subaru doesn’t love her. His proposal = “I give up so go with consolation prize (Rem)”. There are two sides to this.
Does Rem wish Subaru loved her? Obviously, but she also is well aware he loves Emilia instead (there’s a line of hers in Ep. 14(?) to that effect). The basis for her feelings do in some respects mirror what’s going on with Subaru & Emilia as others have noted, but wow, just look the difference in the approach between the two thus far. How Subaru v2 will do/act, we shall see. Agree with Cherrie on that – gotta back up words with actions.
“Everything Subaru aspires to be, he does for the sake of Emilia and Lord don’t be one of those people who feels Subaru has to explain himself for that. She’s a wonderful girl, just as wonderful as Rem quite frankly; no justification is necessary.”
… In your opinion. Fair enough. You’re entitled to that the same as I or anyone else. However, sorry, while Emilia is a nice girl (and certainly attractive), so far she’s not that great of a character IMO. Right now she’s just that for me – “attractive, nice girl” and lately reduced to damsel in distress (or healing potion). I liked her well enough initially (probably favorite character in the 1st arc), but now she’s “OK”, and yeah, kind of just there. Her character, especially as FL, has some work to be done. Ram’s not a big part of the story (thus far), but at least she got a backstory by this point.
Even so, that’s a far cry from “hating on” or whatever is extrapolated and exacerbated if one doesn’t find Emilia “awesome/best girl”/etc., which a lot of posts seem to suggest. I’ll be honest, I don’t think the “romance” relationship so far for Subaru x Emilia is all that great. Very one-sided for one thing. Frankly, if people are tired of “mitigation” with whatever relationship Subaru & Emilia have at this point, that sentiment cuts both ways. Don’t see why I’m “not allowed” to have a different opinion on the matter.
“You love the person who motivates you to become a better person. The person who motivates you to do good to them and for them. You love the person who makes you strive to put your best foot forward and be the best version of yourself you possible can be or die trying.”
Glad you mentioned that as many of my female friends turned down male Rem’s to be with exciting Jerks over and over. But Jerks don’t do the above. I’m proud that one of them took my advice and only go out with men she had asked out that turned out responsible and got a good marriage.
This also though may be part of the reason arranged marriages work better because parents more often look for Rem’s than who ever would excite you.
Exactly, there are cases where people turn down the Rem’s for a poor choice, but Emilia is not one of those so as far as what we know from the story so I don’t feel there’s any justification in being upset that Subaru still ain’t all aboard Rem.
If he was rejecting her for trash, then fair, but Emilia isn’t trash. Just hasn’t gotten her big arc.
‘I don’t know how any woman to make the argument that Subaru should love Rem instead of Emilia because she’s hopelessly devoted to him.’
This is the focal point of the point I’m trying to make. Fact of the matter is that if you think Subaru should be with Rem just because Rem is so good to him then that’s just an unfortunate perception of love. It’s not unfortunate, it’s terrible really.
Subaru most certainly loves Rem, but that does not mean he is romantically in love with her. When we fall for someone we entirely shut ourselves off to other people typically speaking. We have made ourselves off the market for others despite how much they may like us back.
So, maintaining that reality of love, it should be no surprise that Rem could move mountains and Subaru simply wouldn’t reciprocate properly. He’s got another girl in mind. It’s not as if Emilia is some poor choice of an individual to begin with, what we’ve gotten of Emilia is that she’s a fair minded, compassionate, and highly empathetic individual with a strong sense of trust and justice despite the mountains in her path. Going further? She had come to truly enjoy all that Subaru is because he does not want anything of her outside of her affection and well being and that he doesn’t look at her and see some evil plague to the land. He see’s a simple, beautiful, kind natured girl.
Has she gotten the God-tier development that Rem has? No. Hell, she hasn’t even had the OTP treatment that RemXSubaru had gotten, but that flat out does not matter.
Why? Because love that is reciprocated sheerly out of expectation rather than out of adoration, devotion, and chemistry is wrong and improper love. It’s a lie.
So this isn’t me saying you’re wrong for wishing the circumstances were not as they are. It’s puzzling to feel as though Rem is entitled to his love. He loves Emilia, accept it, understand it, get over it. Majority of RemXSubaru moments have consisted of Subaru going to great lengths for her because he cares that deeply for her as a friend whereas with Emilia he does so much out of love. It’s in the narration. Butterflies and Doves hover over Subaru and Emilia whereas they hover strictly over Rem when it’s her and Subaru.
So of course I don’t understand why everyone expects another outcome just because Rem is who she is and because Emilia hasn’t gotten one hell of a backstory and growth arc.
All this Rem arc looks like to me is a set up for an intense growth arc between Emilia and Subaru. It shows just how intense this boy loves that one girl even if we haven’t been given a whole monologue’s worth of reasons.
@daikama whoops
On the other hand, it’s a mirror to Subaru’s situation: just because he’s fascinated by and devoted to Emilia, and she’s nice to him, it doesn’t mean he’s entitled to her love either. He’s chasing the same lie.
What an interesting love triangle.
It’s as if people forgot the moral from episode 13, with the difference that Subaru showed in that episode that part of him DID expect that reciprocation (thankfully, the writing painted it a terrible flaw), whereas Rem took it far better.
@mistic
yassss
Thank you for pointing that out. I entirely missed that in thinking about their relationships.
This is one freaky triangular foil we got going on.
@Tori: “Fact of the matter is that if you think Subaru should be with Rem just because Rem is so good to him…” then that’s just an unfortunate perception of love. It’s not unfortunate, it’s terrible really.”
Wait a minute. Please read, not read into, what I wrote which is “I’m not “shipping” anyone with anyone right now. In fact, I’m glad Rem turned him down, and IMO she should have…. I do not know how I can make my position any clearer than that. Also, I am fully aware that Subaru doesn’t love Rem romantically. Again, please read what I wrote – “…she [Rem] also is well aware he loves Emilia instead (there’s a line of hers in Ep. 14(?) to that effect).”. We (the viewer) know Subaru is all in on Emilia and Rem clearly knows that as well.
But your comment just proves my point about how there is this apparent assumption in the comment section that if you like Rem, one is simply “butt hurt” over what clearly the author is going for here. Just because I like Rem the most as a character does not mean I’m “butt hurt”, etc. over Rem turning down Subaru’s offer. AGAIN – all for her turning him down. Right move. Yes, it would be a twist if the story goes away from the clearly designated paring of Subaru with Emilia. However, I reserve the right to my opinion on how well any future “romance” between Subaru and Emilia plays out – NOT simply who ends up with who, but just how the romance is formed and progresses. Overall, IMO this is nothing different than what a whole lot of people do with shows (anime or otherwise).
— She had come to truly enjoy all that Subaru is because he does not want anything of her outside of her affection and well being and that he doesn’t look at her and see some evil plague to the land. He see’s a simple, beautiful, kind natured girl.
Yes, she does appreciate that Subaru doesn’t act like she’s the second coming of the Jealous Witch. Not discounting that. However, that in and of itself doesn’t mean that she’s in romantic love with him – at least right now. Far as I’m concerned, Subaru is friendzoned. They “went on a date” and Emilia didn’t even know what “date” meant. Currently, Emilia strikes me as kind of naive on the whole love-love thing. She talks about how much he’s done for her and agreed that she owes him a debt. Debt discussions are not exactly the stuff of romance. Like chytastic posted above, love isn’t something you give away out of debt which is exactly what Subaru expected/argued during the two’s argument. Sorry, but I’m not seeing the equal exchange of romantic love interest your comment seems to suggest (i.e. Emilia’s POV) . As it stands right now, to me what Emilia wants is a friend, not a lover. As others have pointed out, the situation does have it similarities to Rem & Subaru – two unrequited romantic love situations.
So from my perspective, it’s quite interesting for people to argue how bad it would Subaru to go with Rem – a proposal Subaru, NOT Rem, initiated, when to me it sure seems like in large part same situation with Emilia and Subaru in that regard and people are fine with it. One difference which IMO is unduly dismissed is how Rem acts with her unrequited love compared to Subaru. Remember all the possessiveness, jealously, “you owe me”, doing things not for Emilia as he claimed but for himself, unable to understand/see another’s POV, etc.? I’m sure you and others disagree with my take on Emilia – that’s fine. To each his/her own on the matter, but I do not think this situation (i.e. Emilia is definitely in romantic love with Subaru, but just can’t show it) is as iron-clad, definitive fact as people suggest at this point.
— Has she gotten the God-tier development that Rem has? No. Hell, she hasn’t even had the OTP treatment that RemXSubaru had gotten, but that flat out does not matter.”
Disagree, it absolutely matters to me (and others). Not only would it help her character in general, but also could be used to solidly establish any reciprocal romantic interest on her part. Sorry, but Emilia’s rather flat right now for what I take to be the FL. As a character, I like Beatrice (she’s been fun except that last bit) better than Emilia, and just to be clear, I am NOT shipping Subaru with Beatrice. That does not, repeat, NOT mean I “hate” Emilia (why some people see this as all or nothing is beyond me). I just don’t think she’s the greatest character ever right now. I liked her most (of any character) in the first arc, and there have been a couple good moments with her after that, but lately she’s been kind of just there – very nice hot half-elf girl notwithstanding. If anything, I want more screen time for her character. She needs it as FL for this story – including any romance aspect.
———————————————————
@Mistic: Per above, agree, and I’d add the significant difference in how the two go about handling their unrequited love. Also, granted JMO and all, but I can NOT imagine Subaru v1 (we’ll see on v2) ever agreeing to fully support Emilia in her chasing some other guy she loved. I think Rem deserves credit for how she handled the situation.
The five stages of Subaru grief:
Denial: His ‘catatonic’ state which Betelguese saw right through.
Anger: Subaru’s angry face and outbursts throughout negotiations with the other candidates.
Bargaining: All throughout Ep 16, but particularly when he was about to lick Pricilla’s feet.
Depression: Hits rock bottom when Emilia is killed and Subaru tells Beatrice to kill him.
Acceptance: His despair speech to Rem. All of it.
Whoa, that’s crazy how that fits. O__o
No Problem Mon Cherrie! I do appreciate you taking the time out of your busy schedule to write this. Rem is best girl. Did you notice though, that when Rem was confessing her love for Subaru, she not only when full on “Suki” or “Daisuki” but she went FULL ON “Aishiteimasu”, a word that there is no english equivalent to, because of the nature of japanese culture. Open and full on show of affection is rare. So having her say Aishiteimasu was important, because it made the scene just so damn impactful. IMO This episode was so full of hope and potential, it actually beat out episode 15 for me. Also good to note, This scene was a 1:1 Translation from the LN. It is a rarity in itself, a special thing. Studio White Fox deserves a standing ovation for it.
Also I would like to take the time to highlight how Mature they were about the confession. Usually when a girl confesses they, the creators, make them coy or embarrassing and the confession comes out as cringe-worthy, but not Rem. She went all out! The VA for Rem and Subaru were on point. It felt real and genuine. Plus I feel like if Subaru didn’t mention his love for Emilia and outright reject Rem, it would have been out of character for him.
Don’t think the Rem X Suburu ship is sunk it’s just been torpedoed. Until Emilla returns Suburu’s feelings a ship can not sink and not even then if not at the climax of the tale. And the Rem is no dinky freighter, the Rem is a duel hull battleship with good multi compartment bulkheads that will take many torpedo’s to sink although it has been slowed. I got the term torpedo from somewhere I think.
I loved this episode. I love a good “bottle episode”. I have broad tastes and have learned to love plays that have no scene change even. And dialog drama’s can be wonderful. But I am 54 so I have learned to enjoy many things. I got into anime hard as it has things that blow me away from time to time along with the action type stories that still can’t be done well live. TV drama has gotten way better in many cases in more recent times. Unlike many people my age I do like action shows still also, heck after forcing myself to watch some more after dropping I even found a way to enjoy One Piece ;).
A pact to destroy the world seams very evil on the part of Emilla as the ultimate in selfishness, something only a villain would do. Is this the tragedy, to often in real life, a person turning down a goddess to chase the big bad? Or I hope Emilla knows that her failing will doom the world to a fate worse than death.
One thing I loved about the ending of a fairly recent anime was the Princess upon becoming Queen at the end chose to marry a man she had spent almost no time with because he was a important leader that would help her secure her realm instead of the hero the man that she loved. If Emilia becomes Queen it should be the same for her I hope Rem is still around to catch Subaru when Emilia marries a foreign prince or important Duke for the good of the Realm.
Some seam to miss that Rem knew Suburu was infatuated with Emilla thus she would take advantage of Suburu’s offer to make her dream come true. (Rem does not know about the Puck doomsday problem) Rem could have built up Suburu’s personality otherwise after they ran away. Subaru’s skill set does not make him key to Emilla’s success which is not either of their duty and Emilla left Rem behind seaming to say Rem your not critical to my defense.
Some people have missed the type of story this was thus got disappointed. I knew coming in that this is a massive long story so expected things at time not to move very fast and expected in depth character development as needed but knew that it might take quite awhile for some characters to be developed because the writer has the time to do it.
I am tired of people stating they think the writing is bad of something they dislike. I hope I have never stated things that way but I am so tempted to ask what books did you get published?, where did you get your Doctorate at, what media company had picked you to review things. I will try to just state I did not like it, and in a case like this where those who dislike are a small minority think maybe the problem is with me. People are very different it no problem if something is not to your taste but that does not make it bad for others.
Forgot to add with the Torpedo part. Me I was very curious about Ram and how Suburu got along with her. I don’t really want to break up the Ram and Rem set and I do not know if Emilia is sweet or evil. I normally am not in shipping wars as I want the whole fleet (harem) 😉
https://randomc.net/image/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu/Re%20Zero%20Kara%20Hajimeru%20Isekai%20Seikatsu%20-%2018%20-%2031.jpg
Rem : *throws the most beautiful confession ever*
Subaru : I love Emilia.
Some men just want to watch the world burn.
add in a few abstract scenery, and a few head turn shots and you get another shaft-monogatari episode
Just a quick note to people; Rem has wind power too. It was shown when they were kids. She is nowhere nears as strong as her sister was, of course, but she does have wind ability and should be able to cut with it. I’ve seen mention by people a few times on reddit and here that Subaru was killed by Ram instead of Rem because of the wind cut but until I hear it from a light novel reader that it WAS Ram, I still see it as being Rem killing him both times.
Just felt the need to mention it; If I’m wrong, please let me know.
Granted, Rem is now Waifu of the year… 🙂
In this episode shows why, Rem is the best girl in ReZero universe. Emilia doesn’t even get close.
I’m relieved to see most of Random C actually respect Subaru’s decision, I’ve seen way too many hate comments on either Subaru or Emilia for making a poor decision and doing Rem wrong.
Emilia was the first person in this world to save Subaru, and also showed him unconditional kindness. When he was traumatized by being murdered by Rem, Emilia was the one to notice his pain and comforted him in his most vulnerable state. Even after the promises Subaru broke with her, she still showed sincere concern and tried her best to listen to Subaru. Rem is an amazing character, and it’s beautiful how much she’s grown throughout the series and how genuine her love for Subaru is, but Emilia is also a great character. And in Subaru’s perspective, the things Emilia has done for him have been monumental. She gave him a purpose and a goal, and she treated him with kindness. It may seem like just a crush, but I think Subaru’s love for Emilia is genuine, and he truly does care for her.
Still, I think Subaru really does appreciate Rem, and his feelings for her are probably very strong, he just didn’t want to lie to her about his feelings for Emilia, which was the correct thing to do. I admit I may have been a little shocked to hear Subaru outright say she loved Emilia, but perhaps it would be easier to swallow with the knowledge that in the LN, he actually had internal dialogue and he thought carefully about what to tell Rem after her confession.
In any case, that title drop! I doubt the suffering will end, but Subaru will finally start acting like the hero he aspired to be, with faithful Rem by his side.
Yeah, I don’t follow this series too often, yet even I have seen the bashing and hate leaking to other places. Geez.
It’s ironic. I do prefer Rem over Emilia, I do think Subaru would be better with her and I do consider that his crush towards Emilia has less solid foundations than whatever he imagines in his mind (not to mention that hidden sense of entitlement that episode 13 condemned), and only shows promise because, meta speaking, we all know he’s the designated “hero” and she’s the designated “heroine”. But there’s this thing called “narrative coherence” that the author follows religiously, as he should.
Subaru has reasons to love Emilia. Others may not agree, not even in-universe (heck, even Emilia herself may not agree, which is the most important thing), but those are his reasons. At this point, especially when she’s still under the most gruesome threat imaginable, it wouldn’t make sense for him to change his mind. He wouldn’t be Subaru.
This is the first place I’ve seen that most of the people posting understand and also thoroughly explain why Subaru said what he said.
Thank God. I thought those who accept and understand it were just the minority.
Now I understand why they took a long time to make episode 18.
They actually had to make sure that the past 17 episodes were actually good. If not, everything will break down and fail come this episode.
Whoa. What an episode this was! I see that extra time was well worth it.
That self-beatdown was incredible, and made Subaru seem more realistic as a character. Actually having that awareness, but always refusing to admit his problems to himself, that’s something I can relate to. I’m glad he isn’t completely lacking in self-awareness as it had seemed before. Deep down, he knew that a lot of the stuff he did was self-inflicted, but looking for anything else to blame makes him seem so human. His stubbornness in his actions, his refusal to accept his limits, all of that was his way of covering up his flaws, hoping that if he papered them over, they would just disappear, even if he knew subconsciously that he wasn’t truly dealing with the issues at hand.
And Rem was equally great, if not better! Expanding out that fantasy of running away and living together, fleshing it out into more concrete detail. It might be slightly optimistic, but she really took Subaru’s vague idea and ran with it. Then turning him down using his own words, refusing what’s likely her only chance of being with her love, because she cares so much for him, including that part of his personality. Pointing out the little things about Subaru that she appreciates, providing unconditional support, and just being there for him, without devolving into some slavish devotion, Rem really shined as someone whom Subaru can talk with and depend on. I’m sure Emilia will have more to say in the future, but right now, Rem is absolutely best girl.
I’m sure there’s plenty of doujin about Subaru and Rem’s life after running away in the works, which I really want to read.
Back to the start of the episode, though. Now it makes sense that the White Whale just happens to be in the area as the Ordeal commences, if it’s Gluttony. Will it get more involved than just being a roadblock? Puck seems to have no hesitation calling the Jealous Witch “Satella.” Is that a sign of a deeper connection, or is that just from him being a powerful ancient spirit? Why are promises so important to spirit users?
If Puck’s contract has him freeze the world if Emilia dies, there’s gotta be more to Emilia than just being a queen candidate and love interest. What about her is worth that cost? There’s clearly some sort of connection with Satella, but is that enough to destroy the world?
Title should be named as RemZero:
Granted !
https://66.media.tumblr.com/b755b7b3d28745d6882fc7b49ade49a4/tumblr_ob8nnnA0Ie1u0xk60o1_r1_500.jpg
Joining the chorus – I’m glad people understand Subaru’s actions and that he’s not stringing girls into a harem by being noncommittal.
We know Rem is somebody, who is used to loving unconditionally. She has been living for many years, solely for her sister. However, her love was tainted by feelings of guilt and inferiority – so she was willing to murder Subaru only on suspicion of being a foe – and for talking to her sister. Basically, Rem was a murderous yandere with sister-complex. It was Subaru’s actions that allowed her to change into the person we have seen in this episode, so I understand how she would accept him as a hero and love him unconditionally.
This dialogue between Rem and Subaru shows how well this anime adaptation is done, this could’ve been so wrong… thanks White Fox you really deliver !
Subaru’s death was worse than i thought, i expected something more brutal but less hatred coming from Pack, i don’t know how Subaru will react in front of a “normal” Pack next time…
Now i’m really glad Subaru finally realised what’s wrong with him because even if it shocked me i was so glad Pack killed him earlier and told him just before dying that he was usless and stupid.
Let’s hope he’s on the right track now (use your f*ing brain Subaru !)
As for Rem… she is just fantastic… i always prefered Emilia but i must admit that Rem totally caught me off guard in this episode, it’s hard to believe that’s Emilia the main heroine now (i know she lacks character development but it’ll be hard to beat Rem !).
While i respect Subaru’s choice when she confessed for not going the easy route, in the same time i was so sad for her. At least we can thank the LN author for writting an extra route for Rem, she totally deserves it !
Just wanted to say I’m enjoying your posts Cherrie. Keep it up 🙂
Made a seiyuu chart for our goddess and a gallery after seeing this episode.
Last section NSFW I liked the whole gallery thanks.
Love the break with Queen Victoria’s white wedding dress before that wedding dresses were all sorts of color, white a fad that went way to long.
All those beautiful dresses in colors. Also like the Japanese traditional marriage in two dresses.
Thank you.
Do you happen to have the name of the 3rd chara (with the hair-band) in the 2nd row?
Definitely have to continue watching DanMachi where she voices the ever so popular Hestia.
She’s Asaka Mibu from Black Bullet. The three roles in that section are traditional Japanese, Utawarerumono and Nobunaga no Shinobi. In the latter, she’s this loli ninja killing machine too.
Rather than just DanMachi, I recommend you check out Symphogear3 and Dangan3 (both arcs).
Inori Minase is in her element with new typecast of cute girls that flip into genocidal or outright bloodthristy fits of rage.
She’s also the new face of Pocky and FireEmblemxPersona as seen in my chart.
Thanks again. Black Bullet is another show that I have to finish.
Eh, I don’t know. The first series of both Symphogear and Danganronpa scared me away.
That Youtube video with Yumi Uchiyama (Puck) is seriously cute. 🙂
Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 18 was the episode we needed. In fact, it’s the episode we deserved. Subaru had to break. The author kicked the can as far as he could before the bs flag came out. Having a 25 minute conversation with Rem is what the series needed. If they had glossed over it, the series would have been a bust.
Finally, the turn around we all have been waiting for.
Still 7 episodes to go, so does that mean that Subaru will die again in this cycle? Hopefully not!
Rem’s confession should stay in this world/cycle, so don’t die, Subaru!
I was more than happy to find this page. I wanted to thank you for your time for this
wonderful read!! I definitely liked every bit of it and I have you
saved as a favorite to see new information in your website.