Re Zero Season 1 Review: At First You Don’t Succeed, Die, Die Again.

The Isekai genre seemed like it really wasn’t for me. I had seen quite a few before I had seen Re: Zero and the one’s I saw, like No Game No Life, The Rising of The Shield Hero and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime were all good anime. Although, they all lacked something “special.”

I didn’t get that feeling you get in your heart when you are watching something that you know is special. I know that sounds corny, but I feel like everyone knows what feeling I am talking about. You’ll be on like the 5^th episode of an anime or maybe even the halfway point and be like “Wow this right here. This is something else.”

I’m not trying to say that Re: Zero is this life-changing anime. However, for me it is an anime that restored my faith in a genre that I thought could not produce something able to steal my heart.

Subaru is supposed to be a character that the audience can relate with. He is a shut in Otaku, which most of the anime community are viewed as. I noticed this cliché in almost every Iseaki and it is a bit annoying. Not everyone that watches anime simply shuts themselves in their room and shrivels up when sunlight hits their skin.

Fortunately, Subaru isn’t exactly like most Isekai protagonists. He is surprisingly resourceful and intelligent, but not a genius. He is quick to realize the extent of his situation and begin to work on a solution. He addresses most of his problems in a very thoughtful way which feels very real.

The reason he can’t just leap into action and begin swinging a sword at bad guys is because the world he has been transported to is incredibly unforgiving. Although he is the main character of the anime, he is clearly not the main character of the world he is in. The world moves without him and will walk right over him. It’s actually like our world now that I think about it.

This is what I really like most about Re: Zero and what makes it truly special. There are very few anime and almost no Isekai where the main character is not the strongest person. Subaru is weak and depends heavily on others. He needs to prove that he is at the very least valuable by demonstrating how he can use his smarts to fix problems. Luckily, he has some strong companions, who are also well-developed characters.

If we flashback to when this anime was airing there was an all-out war over which girl from this anime is the best Emilia, Rem, or Ram. Now before I even say anything, that fact that people were arguing so passionately about each of these characters should show just how good of a job the anime did in making the audience love each of them.

With that said it’s obviously Rem. Ok, ok calm down they are all great. Let’s talk about why. Ram, Rem’s sister, is a character that I really appreciate for the role she plays. She is not ready to be amazed by any insignificant achievement that Subaru accomplishes. She needs to see him grow up and become able to solve his problems. Not because she doesn’t like him, but because she knows how cruel their world can be. On the other hand, Rem is just the sweetest thing in the world. I mean honestly, I think we all need a Rem in our lives. She contradicts Ram by supporting everything Subaru does and always tries to get the very best out of him. She believes he can do anything and is ready to fight for him whenever he calls for help. Then there is Emilia.

Now those of you in the Emilia camp I think I understand the reason why you like her best. She is a truly kind girl and was the only person in the whole world that showed Subaru compassion from the very start. Even Rem was hostile towards him at first. However, I just don’t get why she has to be so harsh towards him at times. Subaru clearly would put his life down for her and I don’t understand why this is. I feel like this deep connection he feels to her was just not developed with her enough. This is my major complaint with the anime as Subaru’s love for Emilia is a major foundation for most of his actions and to me it doesn’t seem like she did anything to warrant this devotion from him.

Sure, she gave him her lap to cry on in what was an incredibly touching moment in the anime. However, I would counter that with the scene of when Rem confesses her love and loyalty to Subaru. Which he immediately turns down and elicited an unwanted laugh from me. I guess his decisions won’t always make sense, most of the characters are presented as flawed and very real. However, I just feel like given the circumstances of everything going on around him why he would prioritize this way.

Outside of the three girls Re: Zero has some other great cast members. Felix is a great character and very funny too. Wilhelm became one of my very favorite characters in the anime. His backstory and the reveal of his motivations were very touching. He received a great deal of development for a side character, which is always a welcome thing to see. Then there is Betelgeuse. If you thought the Michael Keaton version was insane then you have not seen this madman at work. He is very detestable and completely unhinged, and for that I loved him.

The animation in this anime is also very well done. At first, you wouldn’t think we would be seeing many impressive scenes of Sakuga due to our main character not being great at fighting. Although, what he does have are many companions delivering some visually fantastic scenes. Wilhelm and the White Whale and nearly any scene that involves Rem fighting are an absolute pleasure to view.

The violence can get quite graphic in this anime and the animation does a great job of landing the impact. This is purposeful for the sake of displaying the brutality of this world. Normally I would say this show is not for the feint of heart, but the violence is mostly in the anime as a plot device. It isn’t gratuitous and if it is it’s for the sake of the story. However, for someone who doesn’t mind gore like me, it all is animated in a glorious fashion.

The story from what we saw in season 1 is great and sets the bar high for the rest of the anime and season 2, that will be coming hopefully this summer. The characters that I mentioned and more make the viewer very invested in what happens next. Also, the way we learn things as Subaru does and the true purpose of him being in the world shrouded in mystery, really pushed the story forward.

Lastly, it would be wrong of me not to mention the music, as it is great. Both of the opening songs are dark and twisted while also being super catchy. The ending songs are also great, but have much more of a beauty to them. The themes that play during the anime are also placed perfectly for each moment. Especially the song that plays when Rem lets it all out to Subaru. That song honestly makes the scene for me. The music absolutely boosts the anime.