RE: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu – 21
EYE can finally see the end of the story….
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♫♫ We get battles. We get battles. Oh, we get sacks and sacks of battles. BATTLLLLLLLLLES ♪♩♬ Part Troise! Still need more White Whale combat? RE: Zero has you covered…. |
Oh, what would you do for a White Whale Bar?
Hetaro: Listen to the clue coming from my mouth….
Well, we start off where we left off. And much like the bridge from episode 20 to 21, we have the “fools”, Rem and Subaru, leading the charge. I really do like that facet of this arc, as this has been the battle that has forged their relationship, and has shown how good a couple they can be together, both as combatants and as people. Which is a far cry better than the one they were making a great “too-do” about; that being Wilhelm and Thearesia. All in all I think that was the larger, overall, point the arc was trying to make.
Subaru: All we have to do is survive half this episode, easy….
As far as the main battle is concerned, in all honestly, this one was pretty self-explanatory. Pretty much everything rather lined up just exactly as the characters described it, almost as soon as they described it. Insights into the battle – as said battle unfolded – were sussed out to solution nearly as quick as mentioned, and they were acted upon with alacrity and precision. “Light”? Got that figured out. Oh hey, let’s just quickly gamify the solution to the three whales, we didn’t really need them “on stage” that long, did we? Did they bring “despair” sure…moving OOOOON!
Subaru: Oh, she’s still my number two…why do you ask?
They had a few moments of “oh, will our assembled throng of nameless extras be able to face it?”, but they answer that quickly and calmly with “Crusch will make a succinct, yet rousing, speech and they won’t run away”…not that they were doing anything useful to being, or end, with…they could have sat there and knitted tea cozies, but what the hey? In other words, it was perfectly mediocre if only managing to be somewhat cool looking at the best of times. The whole battle is there to function as a moment in Subaru’s growth. In that respect, it did just fine, if a bit shortened. Which is just damned awkward for a three episode story.
Wilhelm: See, you’re my sword and I’m your sword…It makes sense in my emo hood….
So yeah, the flashback with Wilhelm and Thearesia was kinda horrible??? (Note: I used three question marks there) I don’t know if the source material is sniffing it’s own stank and smelling nothing but roses, or if that chauvinistic relationship was supposed to provide a contrast to the more well rounded Rem and Subara couple…or not. But, I’ll take it as it comes, and maybe read it as just that, contrast. To be sure, it was focused with a soft filter, those flashbacks, not just romantic in terms of personal love, but capital R, Romanticised….where the rough edges are smoothed away whether they needed to be or not.
Thearesia: Dammit, I was in a dumbass faerie tale all along?
It was also totally from Wilhelm’s POV/memories, so yeah, there is that. During this battle we got combat-forged confessions and give and take between the fan’s #1 couple. In the flashbacks it was all very shortened; was that sword fight/conflict between Wil and Thea the first, the second, best of seven, what? Seems like there should have been more there, especially from her. Especially from HER….so yeah, I’m stick with a fairytale that still has the romance aspects to it, while still showing up it’s limitations with due purpose…a good place to build a progression from itself to our Rem and Subaru…
All is well, that ends well….
Everyone get’s a hug!
I’m going to call this one short, as I’m a bit weary of the White Whale arc. It felt like a great deal of sound and fury, and in doing so signified…not that much. To be sure it did accomplish a great thing, and that is the forging of one more element in Subaru’s Waifu Brigade what I feel is going to be the big arc toward the end of the anime series. This is something I felt right around the the shift from first to second cour. I really do feel like the story is aiming the characters at subverting the dominant ruling paradigm, calling the Selection process into question, and having the women create their own way, as allies. That is a whole big mess of speculation, I realize, but what’s the use of having a fan blog that doesn’t fanon, right? But for now we have other fish to fry…Next up? Star Wars?
Subaru: Alas, my only rival! All the competent people…
About skylion
All around nerd that enjoys just about any anime genre. I love history, politics, public policy, the sciences, literature, arts...pretty much anything can make me geeky...except sports. Follow me @theskylion
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
after 21 eps, ive come to one ultimate conclusion: this show doesnt understand how to construct proper romance; almost as if it doesnt understand how to portray two people falling in love and being a couple. And even if the couple didnt have a healthy relationship, this story seems incapable of presenting that in an interesting way
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Counter-argument: They are choosing to adapt a string of very poorly starting relationships, or perhaps a bunch of that need work? I have my doubts about this series, but I generally feel they have a feel down for what they want to say, even if they say it in a rushed/clumsy fashion…
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
ugh, I just dont get it: everybody is obsessed with someone in this series as a demonstration of their love. Subaru is obsessed with emilia; Rem is pretty much obsessed with subaru….her character has devolved to revolving subaru and nothing else. So many people call her “best girl” but that is far from the truth in my opinion because there’s nothing to her character now but intense dedication to the main MC; Rem has become so one note. It’s so……bland. Hell, with the way things have been going, satella might also be obsessed with subaru. I know the series said in the beginning that emilia looks like satella, but it just might be possible from the glimpses we are seeing of her that she is Satella, or some variation of her.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
*revolving around subaru*
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I don’t think the show is as interested in showing genuine or realistic romance as it is in exposing certain layers of silliness in the best girl argument. So yeah, you’re on the right track. Kinda….
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
hmmm, when i think about it that way, it’s kind of intriguing. Re: zero is certainly entertaining, but it has to be one of the most uneven shows ive seen for some time. It’s got cool ideas and some times uses them well, but at the same time it just knows how to show itself in the foot. It’s over the top; and sometimes it’s over-the-top nature benefits it in some areas, but it mostly hurts itself in the places that truly count. Basically re:zero IS subaru.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, after covering it this long, I really do give it points for good, but I have to see the faults as well. I really love the idea of a mild deconstruction, but the execution is, as you say, uneven. I’m thinking they make compromises for the show’s running time? So typical source to show blues? Lot’s of points that it has smoothed it’s way past five, ten, or so, shows ago are starting to give way to big cracks. They lack of a understandable cause-effect magic system, a working look at the world beyond the fear of the Witch, Emilia’s lack of character (no matter if that is on purpose to show the contrasts between her and Rem, and YMMV on that)…all of them are getting in the way. Which leaves us with a main character that is just now trying to graduate away from screaming meat…
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Yes, yes! everything you just said. I will say this though: i kind of understand the whole “putting emilia on the sidelines” thing the author try to do for this arc. It’s like he didnt want to play all of his cards with emilia so he put her in the background, almost as a way of promising that she would be touched upon later. It wouldnt be the first time a series deviated away from a main character for some time, but it certainly doesnt help emilia’s character, especially if the writing hasnt established much about her as a person (besides her mary sue-ness), which might be the problem we are facing.
Most shows that make the decision of straying away from the main protagonist for a duration of time have already fleshed out that protagonist to a considerable degree that when you think back to them, they remain a strong presence within your mind and feel important to the characters and to the overall series. The writing hasnt provided emilia with is kind of luxury, so as a result, she feel more like a nebulous macguffin at this point in the narrative rather than somebody that actually matters.
Ironically, the possible future prospects of emilia’s character arguably make her more interesting than some of the females established in this story. Stay with me on this one: the fact that the story is possibly setting up for a character arc centered around emilia having to learn how to allow others to help her out with her problems aka subaru as well as conquer whatever demons she has on her road to becoming a ruler is rife with so much potential and you can see that those seeds have been planted within the first half of this series. There’s gotta be a reason emilia is so adamant about being by herself, or why she looks like satella. What is with her contract with puck? where did she come from? How will she change once she gets thrown into the midst of all this danger surrounding her? I wouldnt cut emilia as much slack if all there was to her character was “uhmm well, she could be interesting”, but the fact that the narrative actually went out of it’s way to sow the seeds of intrigue in earlier eps, while alluding the fact that they will be answered within the larger narrative in the form of a character arc, makes emilia have an interesting air about her; especially since she and subaru have yet to come to an agreement about how they are going to go about their relationship, another aspects that can add some layers to these two. Basically, her character hasnt peaked yet, which is part of her saving grace.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
Interesting then what is genuine romance then? Because many multitudes of stories I’ve read there been variations with many of them ever beginning or playing out quite the same. Is supposed to be some sort of authorization checkbox that everything should be hit?
I wasn’t aware that love was rational emotion that could be completely understood like math.
Really people in love for all kinds of reasons, big or small. Because love so extremely dependent I find pointless to claim who, what and when some cane be attracted or attached to another person. Feelings simply do not work that way, whether it be real life or fiction.
I’ve experienced my fair share of romance and each time it happened it’s been pretty different for me depending on the circumstances. Given the kind of turbilant lives and personalities among the cast of Re:Zero I really doubt would anyone of them would have fallen in love and anyone in the sameway. Does that mean they feeling somehow aren’t valid? But what metric? Because even going through it myself I don’t know.
But do know is that is such thing as genuine romance because there is no absolutes in love beyond the intent.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
i dont think our comment about the romance had anything to do with us (well, me) condemning the characters for falling in love in their own way. It’s that the series tries to portray these romances in this fairy-tale like, idealistic fashion which wouldnt be too much of a proble if it wasnt done kind of poorly (snow white with the red hair balances the whole fairy tale romance much better) but as a result, it compromises the personalities of the characters and takes away any feeling of identity with these people. It removes me from the romance and prevents me from understanding these couples as people.I can only view them either as one-note troupes, or terribly executed interpersonal interactions
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Screw the romance! It all started when Rem took over as lead. Moar action! Moar Mayhem!
moar kemonomimi are mine.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
“It’s a nice day for some white whaling. It’s a nice day to start again!”
They finally got through this fight, and didn’t bother to answer the question of “If the White Whale erases people’s existence, then how does Wilhelm still remember Theresia?” Or maybe I just missed that part because I wasn’t really paying attention at the end of Subaru being a dilhole before Rem’s confession (I… may have… skipped the entire white whale episode, cause Subaru was being a pain in the ass).
I still think that Rem’s romance strategy is a good bet in the long run. Emilia has always been the long-shot. Princess, Queen candidate, always not really understanding Subaru’s creepy obsession with her. She’s not really interested in him like that, and eventually he might realize it. Now, that would mean Rem would be the ‘settle’, but she’s seemingly happy enough right now being on the side, she might be just fine with the settle and win.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Thank you for bringing up that facet of the white whale. You’ve retroactively saved me at least two paragraphs of much of the same complaining. So…LN readers, care to explain? Behind the spoiler tag, kindly?
“Knights in white whaling, never reaching the end”
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
haha is that supposed to be a white wedding reference? Anywho, this ep clarified that people are forgotten only when they are hit with the fog. The problem with this explanation: what does that exactly mean? There were people enveloped in the fog last ep and they didnt go poof from existence (unless i missed something). so does the whale have to kill you/eat you while you’re surrounded by the fog in order for you to be forgotten or???…Either way, one thing that was made clear was that the fog is responsible for the disappearance so we can assume that theresia didnt die while covered in the fog but rather by injury aka the reason why crusch and the army men where able to remember some of the people that didnt make it in this battle
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
I don’t think you, or any other viewer, has missed anything. I think the show has just hit Shenanigans!, and they thought they could just keep the rest of the plot going hoping we wouldn’t notice…
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
If that were case we the show just decided to contradict itself by telling us she swallowed bet Fog of Elimination instead d of leaving it a mystery.
But if you notice Wilhelm was not at subjugation itself hence why you only seen memories of early days of his and Theresia relationship. All he knows what he heard from the survivors from that time.
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
Actually gt your answer about Theresia in the fight itself such as crushing her. The Whale clearly didn’t erase her. It’s doesn’t mean couldn’t have killed through other means.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 35 comments
About the The White Whale of Gluttony
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POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Hmmmm…
Show ▼
POWUH: Metanorn Regular with 139 comments
He’s talking about stuff that isn’t reaveled until the next arc. The world building in Re:Zero is done gradually and not all at once.
POWUH: Beginner (20-35) with 35 comments
Well with the anime coming to an end in 4 episodes (25 will be a two parter) im guessing they gonna compress Vol 8 in 22-23 and end it in 24,25a,25b for Vol 9 (Publish at 23/9)
All of them will be about our dearly beloved Eldritch Dr Octopus and Heart Wrenching Witch XD
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Well they said, by this episode’s end, that they are taking on the cult, so I’m at least mentally prepared for the screaming, eh?
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Betelguese will probably start preaching his ‘gospel’ to everyone in the wacko way that cultist’s always seen to be in fiction. See Arch Bishop Bodin from Arslan Senki for reference. And yes Bodin was probably abusing the same substance that Betelguese is.
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
betelgeuse is supposed to be really unhinged and menacing right??? just wondering because the show wants me to think that and i think something else instead
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
…you’re thinking, “over-acted, scene-chewing, nonsense” aren’t you?
POWUH: 400-499 with 445 comments
Ding ding ding!!!!
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Yes that’s also what I meant in a way. I mean you’ll be surprised how frequent this type of villain exists.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Wow, everyone seems to have a lot to say about this ep/arc… Meanwhile I was just watching it and taking it all in and wondering when the white whale subjugation would end. Some nice things happened along the way with the subjugation but its too drawn out and I really wanted things to move on. After all there’s not must guesswork to do when there’s a big white creature floating about and wreaking havok, you’ve just gotta fight it. Its too linear. Putting the Whaling aside Subaru should really stop hating on Julius. I understand its hard not to hate someone thats beated the crap out of you and talked crap about the things you believe it too. But, that was all Subaru’s fault anyway, he was the one talking trash to Julius first and for absolutely not good reason too.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments
Yeah, besides the screaming, Subaru’s hatred of Julis’ isn’t something I’m looking forward to either…
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10998 comments