RE: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu – 07
Just what we needed…another comedy episode…
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OK, so I lied. This wasn’t a comedic episode at all! But that spot was freaking great wasn’t it? #TeamDrill all the way! Now, let’s settle in and pick this bad boy apart… |
I felt I would go mad with anger and unrest
Getting the unpleasant job done.
So how many of you thought he was gonna talk his way out of that situation? It wasn’t for lack of trying, and it’s clear – her actions speaking for her – that Rem wasn’t buying it. She even went so far as to cut him at the source of those words. That flail is either magical in such a way that it’s wielder’s thoughts become deed in an instant, or she is just that good with it.
Notice: under both occasions that she has used it to dismember him, she did it in such a way that, with minimal effort on Subaru’s part, he was able to see her handiwork at it’s most extreme and terrifying. Healing him served double duty in getting information out of him and it shows him that she is in charge, that should could spare him…maids are incredible! She’s a lot better at peeling back his mental defenses revealing that on this loop Ram got close to him only to make him reveal some insidious plot. This implies Rem was faking her closeness on the last loop…
Best way to keep him really quiet…
Now there is flack going around that White Fox has diminished the graphic nature of the manga. But with subtle blocking and composition, I think they’ve made the scene’s much more vicious than than the typical visual gore can ever hope to achieve; imagination and the process of closure are the best tag-team culprits for visual violence.
Having said all that, one could argue that it’s all style, but I choose to chalk it all up to Rem and Ram’s expert use of violence and even restraint. All of that play into Rem’s rampage and it’s still to much for the girl as her rage is now her only true weapon. How much of that rage is aimed at Subaru for the sake of Rem? For Emila? How much of it is aimed at the Witch via Subaru? I’ll get into characterization as world building a bit.
To say he sees them them differently now is an understatement…
The Smell of the Witch
…this hand looked like it came from Emilia
So, how does one get a Drill Loli to do one’s bidding? Put her in a bad light to her favorite pet, it looks like? I loved how these scenes evolved from one to the next. We get the abject fear giving way to near fatal resignation, transforming into hope. When he get’s Beatrice to submit to a contract with him to keep him safe until he reaches his now-mythical fifth morning, it almost seems worth it. He’s running on the assumption that it’s some sort of game check point, and running hard on catching Betty in a moment of guilt to seal that deal.
That is where I’m coming up short in some of my assumptions about Beatrice. She looks like she’s in charge, but she brushes so much off. She could go of offense, but chooses defense? Betty is kicking all the right ass this episode. But by it’s end, did she kick enough? What the heck do you know Drill Loli? What could you have fixed before Subaru had to do his valiant hero bit?
She might be Kyubey…
But in all reality he’s only delaying the inevitable it seems. I’ve posted, and we’ve commented, how suspicious Subaru must look to the rest of the Mansion’s denizens. It’s the little things that really catch up after awhile. For this loop Emilia knows he’s a bit of a happy go lucky guy, but with a heart of gold in some fashion. When he wakes up, he’s suicidally depressed. What changed, she has to wonder… Then Ram had a natural inclination toward him, that made Rem jealous. It doesn’t matter if he became closer to Rem or to Ram from one time loop to the other, those feelings are there, all he has to do is act natural around, and they will out, and it feels very fixed no matter what. His new-found limitation is defiantly not helping, and it couldn’t come at a worse time. For this loop, he disappears, then Rem is cursed to her death…
Save Point?
If you can save Ram…if you can save Rem
Stand down…
There is quite a bit that can only come during the worst of times. So when you have problems, look for more to be added to the pile. There is quite a bit going back and forth between the characters, Subaru very much is caught in the middle. Ram is on the side of vengeance against him, Beatrice is for defending him until they can figure more out, Rosewaal could have gone either way until Betty nudged him towards Ram’s side, and Emilia is all about trusting him to come clean. When he can’t do that due to the Witch clutching his heart (apt metaphor there), it all becomes to much and he books it, which just makes him look that much more the villain to the one that his the hottest for his blood.
New developments?
This really is where it all kicks in. There is so much trust at stake at the heart of everyone’s actions. Either the building of, or the violation of; it smells like jealousy, I suppose? At least in some respects. When Beatrice extends the contract without him knowing she’s showing him that she is willing to trust him even more, but how much of that is calculating? She’s closer to understanding the situation more than anyone, and it’s only because she’s willing to hold off on judgement until she knows more, and it still puts her at a disadvantage. This is where all of this characterization has becoming world-building in it’s own way.
They can administer love or anger
What causes the twins to be so hot, why does Betty value both Puck and her place in the mansion so much, what is Rosewaal staking so much on, why did Emilia name herself as Satella the Jealous Witch when she and Subaru first met? There are many forces that shape a world, so how crappy was the twins life that trust and the lack thereof become such a hot button item? The rest can be answered latter, but for now, I know that those two have fought for and lost quite a bit, and blame not only the Witch, but the rest of the world as well. I see that, the mansion is a refuge. So Subaru recalls both of them supporting him, and that is what he makes the sacrifice for. To pay that back.
That, to me, is what is really building this world up, bit by bit, and what is probably making this show two cour, in that finally a production wants to buy the necessary tension and relief, the characterizations and the counter-forces. You can listen to yackety-yack, and you’ve probably heard the wan narration in stories’ past “Once there was a Jealous Witch and she caused two sisters horrible pain”. With this show, you feel it, they drive it right into you, and you know there is a larger, emotional world out there waiting to be explored, needing to be explored. It’s all just fun details after that…
You can win or lose big with the twins…
The Witch of Extra Art
This was the exact kick in the pants this show needed. All the silly bits, and the humanizing bits really payed off as we are now aware of all the contrasts. We know that a curse is active in the mansion, we know that it can strike at any one of them, and we can surmise that it’s probably looking for Emilia. We have the potential for her to renew a contract with a dragon to reshape and protect the country.
Plenty of outside forces could be against that. Perhaps a force that can pluck some hapless boy from another reality and use him to strike at her? Complete with a do-it-again option? That makes me wonder about the power behind that, playing with the timestream all Will He? Nil He? Pretty darn scary already and what if Subaru’s further actions are already accounted for?….cause now he has the resolve, and he has the emotional turmoil to back it up, but does the moron have a plan?
No one is left hanging, but there is a cliff. See you next time….
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POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, well, we are now beginning to see the real toll this is causing to Subaru and what’s really going on here.
So the witch is behind whatever is happening to Subaru and it’s stopping him from saying anything about it, it’s like he’s been placed under geas. However, while he saved his own life by hiding, Rem died instead. So what is going on here? How is he going to save them all?
It looks like Rem was indeed trying to protect Emilia and her sister by killing him. We really need to know a whole lot more about the situation before we can really save anyone. I knew he was going to kill himself the moment he finally came to a resolve and decision. We’ll have to see how he’s going to try to fix this next time.
The fact that there is a third-party at work here is also interesting, and I’m thinking it has something to do with that dog bite Subaru got twice now.
Perhaps it’s not a poison, but the bite does cause a link of some kind that can allow the shaman to have a latching on point to do the curse.
Remember the sequence of events. The first time, Subaru was working, and so the maids sent him alone where he got bitten, and he died later on in his sleep just like Rem did this last time. The second time around, he got bitten but he stayed awake, the curse’s affects on his conscious body was much more violent then when he was unconscious. The constant loss of mana cause him to lose his sense of balance, experience dizziness and vertigo, and violent vomiting. And during all that, him sneaking around the mansion at night was the last straw of suspicion for one of the sisters, and they killed him.
The third and fourth time, no bite and no dizziness or vomiting. YET—remember who went with him to the village the second time and would have had to go on the occasions when he opted out of working as a butler? And who could have had interactions with a group of children and their dog?
Rem could have received the bite that Subaru originally got, and that’s why she ended up dying this last time. She didn’t get it the time before that because she was too busy tracking Subaru down to go on the trip to the village.
It all fits, we’re just going to have to find out who the shaman is, and Subaru can use that as a point to prove his innocence with the manor inhabitants.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I don’t think the effects of the dog bite would be different from one loop to the next would it? He was violently ill the second time around, and it didn’t look like the supposed poison effected his capacity to move overly-much. That’s what really hits someone that chokes/asphyxiates is the incapacity to turn over. At least that is my assumption. It’s an interesting point, but it has too many variables to come out like that. Why the poison didn’t effect the dog is just one thing I would wonder about (I know that between dogs and people some things are or aren’t poisonous to each other, but Truth in Television and all that). I think the dog bite was part of his “see my wounds are decreasing in number guys, I’m getting better” routine in all honesty. But, if anything, this show is playing cards close to vest, so it’s still an open game…
But you do bring up mana loss? They skipped the portion explaining how mana works in this world Show ▼
So I wonder if there is going to be a reveal where these plot points converge?
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
The dog could always act as a carrier, also if this is dealing with magic, like I said, the dog is just a tool to find a latching on point for the curse.
It’s possible that the curse also act differently if one is sleep compared to when one’s awake. Since we know that there is a third party at work here, and also that the witch seems to be manipulating the events going on here, Subaru needs to do a lot more investigation outside of the manor. I don’t think their’s much more he can learn there. It’s time to go outside of the box.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
A wizard did it? That’s not the strongest of narrative thrusts. it feels fine for deep background, or maybe an entry point into a game, but it doesn’t match the passion or sincerity of the main characters. It lacks something personal for this villain. That’s my reason for not supporting your theory. But then, I’m crazypants, so I’ll hold on to your idea…
POWUH: and Athenaeum Châtelaine with 2212 comments
Well, we already had an assassin that was sent by villains unknowns who didn’t have a personal interest in the entire event. Why not a shaman? Especially since they’ve already mentioned the shaman twice? Just once more, and we’ll have the rule of three.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
We shall see…
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
There is a long game being played here on the part of who I figure is The Jealous Witch. She may be this feared and infamous figure, but if she is the one who has imbued Subaru with his power of reset, then she much have some purpose to which this is to be applied. And his goal certainly seems to be (at least partly) the furtherance of Emilia’s goals. So I am led to believe that The Jealous Witch has some reason to advance Emilia. And perhaps the geas against him saying anything about it is for his own good. His credibility would take an instant nosedive were he believed to be in the thrall of The Jealous Witch no matter what her purpose is. And Betty’s wrinkling her nose at the ‘stronger smell of the witch’ would indicate to me that she is still actively involved rather than being hands off after setting Subaru on his path.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Beatrice sniffs and then holds her nose, “Not only do you look gloomy, but the smell is much heavier too.”
“…Huh?”, Subaru replies in an exhausted tone.
“The smell of the witch. It’s bending my nose, I suppose”
“Witch? You mean…the Jealous Witch?” asks Subaru
“What else in the world would someone mean when they bring up the witch?”
“Do you smell her on me?” Subaru say, pushing Beatrice further.
“Who knows? Regardless, as someone who receives special treatment from her, you’re a burden” she replies in an offhand fashion.
“It’s not to comforting to hear that I’m getting special treatment from someone whose name and face I don’t know.”
Something is rubbing at my headbones…and it bugs me. It feels like the Jealous Witch is akin to the Devil over Everyone’s shoulders. A convenient placeholder to blame for trouble, and maybe some people even resort to saying that the feeling of it is like a smell. It feels more like metaphor than an actual person…
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 35 comments
The Jealous Witch is literally Cthulu minus being green and the tentacles. She had her own fanclub, causing people suffering and the one shall not be name vibe.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
That is a damn good take…
POWUH: and Vampire Lover with 11746 comments
What a fine kettle of fish. No matter the direction, it ends in death. So I guess it was Rem who caused all the restarts. No kind of talking would’ve saved our lead. His attacker’s mind was already made up.
The entirety of the episode was great save one part that felt off-putting. While Subaru was in agony after getting a limb severed, it was rather pointless with him telling Rem events he knows she’d have no memory of. That only made him look even more suspicious, giving Rem the extra incentive to finish him off. If there were any chances he’d make it out alive, that display threw them out the window.
Subaru’s talk with Beatrice left a solid hint. Apparently, every time he comes back, the Jealous Witch’s scent on him gets stronger. The question is, what happens if it keeps building? Another aspect to worry about while he’s forced into silence.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
At that point, Subaru barely had any indication he was under any suspicion, and if he did it hadn’t really sunk in yet. It probably didn’t have a chance to sink in given that he was running for his life, high on terror and confusion. IOW, he’s not in his right mind, and he’s grasping for whatever straws he can to convince someone who he has very strong feelings for not to subject to him any pain, torture, and ultimately death. Why do you subject him to that sort of scrutiny that he act with a point. His mind was jelly! Jelly, I say!!!
POWUH: 400-499 with 462 comments
It was NOT Rem who caused all the restarts. She caused two, at most. The second, when Subaru died in the hallway, and the third when he died after interrogation. In both cases she had valid reason to believe he was an agent sent to torture and/or kill her sister (and probably others) so she had justification. She was tragically wrong, but she has no way of knowing about Subaru’s unique circumstances.
The first restart was obviously not caused by her, because she was just now killed in exactly the same way. And this last one was caused by Subaru committing suicide in order to go back and save her.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Yep, she didn’t cause all of them, I agree. At first I don’t know if I can agree that she had valid reason or not. Part of me is fine believing that the mansion, despite some appearances, is a powder keg of suspicion with maid rage being so close to the surface and that really these two cute moe girls are on the edge and that Subaru’s visit was very atypical.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Subaru’s state of mind at that point was probably like that of Ikoma from ep 2 of Kabenari. He was felt/was betrayed, distraught and was couldn’t come to terms with the cruel reality of it all. So he said his last words and its just like he said earlier. He said what he wanted to say at that moment and that’s exactly what he wanted to say.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
…and, just when you think you are digging yourself out, WOW, how did I get deeper?
POWUH: Meta Resident and LN Informant with 1529 comments
Webnovel readers say the connection between Subaru’s powers and the Envy Witch is an ongoing plotline that’s still being fleshed out as we speak. (Half the mystery’s been answered though.)
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I had thought, that on a thematic level, the connection between the two would remain for the life of the series. That’s bold. My experience with long games like this is usually doted with few successes, so…..yeah, best of luck with them pulling it off.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Via the show’s twitter feed. It redirects to the website, and google translated the following…
So expect a delay or reschedule…
Editoral: Eff Tennis right in the ear!