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「記憶の旅路」 (Kioku no Tabiji)
“A Journey Through Memories”
Oh Re: Zero, how I enjoy thee. Two back-to-back 30-minute episodes? And the likelihood of another next week? Darling don’t tease me like this. At least on the plus side it’s all about Emilia’s backstory now, and given the information coming out, you best be sure the reveal will be a doozy.
Given how utterly devoid Re: Zero has been to date of anything to do with Emilia’s past, it’s not too surprising a lot of this week left more questions than answers. While fairly easy to guess at Puck’s involvement with Emilia’s freezing and subsequent thawing (itself largely confirmed earlier), stuff like cutie pie Emilia’s confinement to the Princess House, the lack of presence of her biological parents, and her being forbidden from approaching a very ominous door-like seal hint towards something incredibly deadly at work behind the scenes. Well, that and the appearance of one sane Betelgeuse who you’d never think was actually the Archbishop of Sloth in a later life. Are we looking at the origins of several major players in the current Re: Zero? We’ll know soon enough.
Part of what makes what’s to come so damn interesting as well is the cliffhanger appearance of none other than Echidna’s Archbishop Regulus. Why the hell he of all people would be involved with Emilia’s trauma is anyone’s guess, but pretty easy to assume it has to do either with the elves watching the seal or the seal itself. It’s not like one particular witch has the apparent form of an Emilia-like elf and an origin wholly unknown. Oh no siree. Yes, I’m going to tease like mad and enjoy every last moment of it, even if the extent of what’s revealed this season is going to remain firmly up in the air.
As for other tasty morsels, well, best expect some shenanigans on the part of Echidna too as Emilia works her way through her memories, because I think everyone can recognize smouldering anger when they see it. Echidna may be greedy to discover where Emilia’s past traumatic experience leads, but she also is furious at Subaru for rejecting her and catching Emilia so easily. There’s plenty of the Sanctuary arc left to go after all, and while Emilia may get through the first trial, no guarantee Echidna will be so forgiving in the second.
Best get the popcorn ready boys and girls, the summit of this arc is fast approaching.
I got the sense that Petelgeuse was already the Sin Archbishop of Sloth given his reaction to seeing Emilia, the spitting image of a younger Satella. Isn’t that why he started bawling just like in Season 1 when Petelgeuse possessed one of his fingers who was an old man and was crying tears of joy? One of the cultists also addressed him as Bishop Romanee-Conti, so I believe he already was the Sin Archbishop of Sloth. It would also explain how Beatrice knew Petelgeuse as the Sin Archbishop of Sloth if he already had that title 400 years ago.
Judging by Fortuna’s big promise to Emilia at the end of the episode about seeing her soon and letting her meet with Petelgeuse again and Emilia crying out that Mother Fortuna is a liar a few episodes ago, I believe it’s highly likely that Regulus kills Mother Fortuna.
I have a lot of questions after this episode, but most of all: Why is Betelgeuse so old yet he retains his youthful looks? Are all archbishops like this? And why is his company made up of sinners? What is their sin to which they are seemingly receiving punishment willingly? And (and I expect this one to be answered in the coming episodes) where did it all go wrong with his sanity?
This series is certainly taking its sweet time revealing everything to us. They could have revealed more in this episode but they opted to slowly open it up for us. This style could go wrong anytime, and there was a point where I ALMOST felt bored. But then Re:Zero sure knows how to reveal the secrets, and oh so painfully slow. I can’t wait for more revelations in the next few episodes. I have always wondered why, despite Emilia being a center figure in this story, it took this long for the story to reach this point. Well, given how the past few episodes have panned out, I’m confident this is way better than I expected it to be. Perhaps the only downside is some characters now feel too distant and way too insignificant for now, I’m already forgetting the names of some characters outside of the Sanctuary!
So, Geuse was a nice caring guy in the past. And now I feel sorry for him, damn.
I’ve been pretty harsh on this season, but I’m trying to come to terms with what it is. We’ve had a first half of set up, build up, setting the stage for everything, and we’re now 5 episodes in to…well…build up.
Subaru and company have 9 things to resolve this arc and I don’t see it happening in this season unless it’s insanely rushed.
He’s resolved exactly 1/9 things with 2 in progress. I’m not sure how this will go down, but if he does resolve the other 7 things really fast then I don’t know how it will not feel rushed.
1. Deal with Garfield
2. Emila goes through all the trials
3. Save Rem and the girls from their situation
4. Defeat Elsa
5. Defeat Child Ma-Beast user
6. Save Beatrice from her situation
7. Defeat the Great Rabbit
8. Stop Roswald’s madness
9. Defeat Echidna
After 17 episodes… 1/9
Some of those are the same things, but I doubt they won’t snowball into new challenges. I doubt Echidna is going to just let them succeed and not throw a wrench into things.
Also most the youtube comments I’ve seen complain about how so much information has been left out…when the first half has been almost nothing but an avalanche of information. I feel like this arc really tried to do way too much. There’s way too much to keep track of. I didn’t even remember the guy that showed up at the end. Then I was like “Oh yeah that guy from 16 episodes ago.”
I like this show, but I’m not giving it a 10/10 cause there’s just some issues man.
Eh, I think I would prefer you not to tease/hint too much…
This episode was clearly the wholesome calm before the PTSD inducing storm.
I’m surely not they only one who didn’t trust the cute display of smoll
Emilia’s everyday life.
I was waiting for Betelgeuse to turn into the lova..err disgusting guy we all know, but nope, it didn’t happen. Wait, he’s older than elf Fortuna? How old is that guy??
Then I expected something bad to happen as soon as Emilia got near the seal, but nope, didn’t happen either.
Which means that we had to wait until the end of another long (the amount of long TV episodes produced by White Fox is crazy!) for what will probably mark the start of sh.. to hit the fan.
As we know, Emilia is a half-elf, which means that her mother must be/have been – assuming her parents are dead – a human/witch. Though I’m curious what her mother actually looked like considering that Emilia might as well be her aunt Fortuna’s daugher, i.e. she has the same silver hair and purple eyes. She might as well be 100% elf.
Anyways, I actually didn’t think about Regulus being Echidna’s archbishop, though the latter is strangely calm (read: cold hearted?) for someone “responsible” for what is about to be shown in the next episode. Or she simply doesn’t care. Though she was strangely forthcoming this week, being all witch business like.
Either way, a lot of stuff that had only been hinted in the OVA to be cleared up soon, e.g. who was responsible for the villagers to be turned into ice. My guess is that Emilia, chased by Regulus, accidentally broke the seal, freed Puck and thus while saved plunged the whole forest into eternal winter? Did she go through the door which is why Puck had a difficult time finding her?
And this is only the 1st of two trials that Emilia has to suffer? Damn.
See you next week.
There are actually 3 trials, so there’s still quite a bit more to come.