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May 20, 2020 4:20 PM

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Jul 2009
4805
After all this, all I want is Emilia to be happy! This movie was great!, Emilia suffered a lot.
Puck were amazing!
May 22, 2020 8:11 AM

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Mar 2020
1110
YAMETE YAMETE YAMETE
Floyd Mayweather English Tutor
May 22, 2020 9:47 PM

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Jan 2019
632
brooo emilia is so cute

May 23, 2020 11:26 PM
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Oct 2019
33
I am so glad Crunchyroll is able to stream this. I am really grateful. Really like Puck more. I just hope more people will appreciate Emilia more.
May 28, 2020 6:53 PM

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Mar 2010
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Kangchenjunga said:
That was pretty bad... All of the yelling of "YOU'RE HATED BECAUSE YOU'RE A HALF ELF" was tiring as f to sit through. We already understood that from the main series and this OVA didn't feel like it added a damn thing to the world or the characters...


In addition to what others have said, this extends just beyond Emilia. Demi-humans in general are discriminated against, Emilia and other half-elves or elves like her get it the worst because source of hatred and fear Satella was an half-elf. A big part of theme is getting people to see her as herself not anyone else. You get this info second-hand briefly mentioned or spoke in the main series. Its not samething as actually experiencing directly through her eyes.
May 29, 2020 4:12 PM

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Oct 2017
2731
Kangchenjunga said:
That was pretty bad... All of the yelling of "YOU'RE HATED BECAUSE YOU'RE A HALF ELF" was tiring as f to sit through. We already understood that from the main series and this OVA didn't feel like it added a damn thing to the world or the characters...


This is EXACTLY HOW I FEEL when I watch this movie.
It add nothing to the serie which we already knew.

Like I said, it's not exactly a bad movie on its own, but it has 0 charm from the original series.

Emilia is such a boring/ static/one-dimensional character through and through.
She's too "perfect" for a character. No matter whichever angle you look at her you'd find the same "nice girl who helped other" and nothing more.
You won't see different perspective of her from different angle like other characters in the serie, such as Subaru, Beitre, Ram, Rem, Crusch and so on.
It's nothing wrong to have a "perfect character" in a serie (Reinhart is one too). However, to make a none flawed character as mc is bound to be a boring watch.
May 30, 2020 3:13 AM
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Aug 2018
397
Ventus_S said:
Kangchenjunga said:
That was pretty bad... All of the yelling of "YOU'RE HATED BECAUSE YOU'RE A HALF ELF" was tiring as f to sit through. We already understood that from the main series and this OVA didn't feel like it added a damn thing to the world or the characters...


This is EXACTLY HOW I FEEL when I watch this movie.
It add nothing to the serie which we already knew.

Like I said, it's not exactly a bad movie on its own, but it has 0 charm from the original series.



Similar to Memory Snow, this was just an OVA, so you can't expect them to reveal important information in an OVA.

What they did instead, they tried to shift the focus away from the main cast to the big world around them, stuff like spirits, great spirits, magical beasts, etc etc. All this will be very important to the main story in future. Re:Zero is big, and season 1 just covered around 15% of the entire story.

If you observe carefully, this OVA actually added a lot, mostly in the form of important questions and foreshadowing:
1. Puck was instructed by "someone" to protect Emilia and to keep a watch on her. Why? and who is that "someone"?
2. That "someone" also mentioned that if Puck gets too close to her (forms a contract with her) then there'll be some "consequences"?
3. All the elves (including Emilia) were frozen. For how long were they frozen? and why?
4. Emilia is shrouded in mystery, she herself doesn't know much about her. And she has some scary powers which she cannot control. This along with the reason that she looks exactly like the witch subjects her to fear and hatred, to the point where even a great spirit like Melakuera feels that she is dangerous and needs to be eliminated at all costs.
5. Emilia gets some brief flashbacks. We see 2 people in those frames. One who looks like an elf, and the other green hair dude looks similar to a character from season 1. If you look closely it appeared as if he was bowing down?. Tons of questions and speculations here- who are they? how are they related to Emilia? etc etc.
6. We get to see THE black serpent's poison. It is like a sentient and can function like an independent organism. It is very powerful and can dissolve things it touches. This was just the poison, how powerful is the actual serpent?

And many more...

This OVA's main purpose was to tease on more questions and some foreshadowing for the future seasons to answer. Things will connect to future events.






May 30, 2020 5:27 AM

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May 2020
66
Ventus_S said:


This is EXACTLY HOW I FEEL when I watch this movie.
It add nothing to the serie which we already knew.

Like I said, it's not exactly a bad movie on its own, but it has 0 charm from the original series.

Emilia is such a boring/ static/one-dimensional character through and through.
She's too "perfect" for a character. No matter whichever angle you look at her you'd find the same "nice girl who helped other" and nothing more.
You won't see different perspective of her from different angle like other characters in the serie, such as Subaru, Beitre, Ram, Rem, Crusch and so on.
It's nothing wrong to have a "perfect character" in a serie (Reinhart is one too). However, to make a none flawed character as mc is bound to be a boring watch.


Kangchenjunga said:
That was pretty bad... All of the yelling of "YOU'RE HATED BECAUSE YOU'RE A HALF ELF" was tiring as f to sit through. We already understood that from the main series and this OVA didn't feel like it added a damn thing to the world or the characters...



You got tired of hearing that in just 1 OVA? Imagine her condition, having to bear all that for the majority of her life. Being hated, isolated, feared and being alone for most of her life, for exactly the reason "WE HATE YOU BECAUSE YOU LOOK LIKE THE WITCH", "Merely LIVING is a SIN". We get to experience a tiny glimpse of all that from Emilia's own perspective (unlike season 1). Anyone will develop serious psychological issues if he/she is subjected to such treatment. And for some more context, she was just 7-8 years old mentally when the events of this OVA are set. Such a tender and innocent age when most normal kids start going to school and start making friends and are treated with love and affection by their parents and society. From there on (until the current time in Season 1) Emilia had to struggle and fight for survival, all alone, being shunned away by everyone. She is broken and if not for Puck she would've been done for long ago. This also adds a lot more weight to how important Puck is for Emilia and how close the bond they have.

From all this, we can also better understand Emilia's character and many of her actions in season 1 better:

1. Remember in episode 1 Subaru calls her beautiful despite being a half-elf, she gets totally overwhelmed because of that and kneels down holding her head. She was so overwhelmed that she didn't even understand how to react or what to say. She had never expected anyone to call her beautiful. She was oblivious and indifferent to her own appearance (leaving Puck to take care of her clothing and hairstyle) because honestly, she believed that she's the ugliest person out there and doesn't deserve to be happy, being hated by everyone all her life for her looks. It is very sad that this conversation will only remain in Subaru's memory because both of them are killed by Elsa in that timeline.

2. But late it happens in episode 25, Subaru confesses to her and calls everyone else "blind". She is just too overwhelmed by that and she doesn't even know how to respond or what to say.

3. More context to why she always wants to handle things on her own without relying on others. Because life taught her in a harsh way that she is not allowed to rely on others or bond with others. More reason why she tried to keep Subaru away from all the mess around Royal selection.

4. She has also developed severe trust issues because of all the bad things that happened (She initially thought the shopkeeper in the village was kind to her and didn't hate her, and she was very happy just get to talk even 2-3 sentences with him, but later on it was revealed that even he fears her and he tells her "please leave us alone, let this be the end"). If such things happen with you for entire life and then suddenly someone comes and says they don't hate you, obviously she would be doubtful, for her it would seem too good to be true. Hence in episode 12 of season 1, she thought that Subaru was trying to help her because he looks down on her because she is a half-elf. This is what she meant by "special treatment". Imagine someone like Subaru having to speak up for Emilia in the royal palace in front of everyone, this would definitely portray her as weak/pathetic/dependent and someone not able to speak for herself, and she didn't like that. Subaru was going against her wishes that time. She stands up for herself and more reason as to why she decides to push Subaru away. She didn't even think that Subaru was giving her special treatment because he actually loves her and cares for her. For her it was impossible to imagine that.

5. She is kind to everyone because deep inside she truly wishes that others treat her in the similar way. Deep inside she truly understands how it feels to be treated wrongly. She values life and understands the importance of compassion.

She is by no means a perfect character. She has many flaws (including some I mentioned above). She is very stubborn at times. And most of the times she fails at everything she tries to do. She is also an underdog in the royal selection, other candidates like Crusch and Anastasia are more suited to become the ruler. She has to learn to adapt and change herself. Knowing that the royal selection will happen 3 years after Season 1, there is lot of time and room for improvement for Emilia.
The anime has also shown from time to time that it is very important to rely on others and open up to others around you. Subaru was able to make through each time AFTER he vents out his thoughts and relies on other people's help. In the first case it was by asking for Reinhard's help, in the second case it was that Lap pillow scene with Emilia. In the third case, it was with Rem, and then Crusch and Julius and etc etc all the time the anime has shown that it is important to rely on others. So Emilia has to eventually learn to open up and start relying on others. She will definitely fail if she tries to do things alone and will end up making things harder for Subaru and others.

This OVA was important because we get to understand her better. Emilia and Subaru are the most important characters in Re:Zero (everything that happens in Season 1 is directly or indirectly connected to Emilia) and I think she will definitely get more character development like Subaru in the future.

My speculation (I'm an anime-only, haven't read LN or WN):
In the OVA she boldly declares "I won't become the witch" before that final clash between Melakuera and Puck. I think she is going to fail miserably in keeping that declaration. I feel it was some kind of big foreshadowing, and as the story progresses we the audience are probably going to witness her gradual descent into madness, from Emilia (kind, helping, etc) to finally becoming the witch Satella (cold, ruthless, etc). This would be tragic and sad to see, but probably unavoidable. Maybe she will keep failing at everything and suffer more, and eventually snap/break and unleash her scary powers.



May 30, 2020 9:51 AM

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May 2013
1739
rakeshpavan333 said:
Ventus_S said:


This is EXACTLY HOW I FEEL when I watch this movie.
It add nothing to the serie which we already knew.

Like I said, it's not exactly a bad movie on its own, but it has 0 charm from the original series.



Similar to Memory Snow, this was just an OVA, so you can't expect them to reveal important information in an OVA.

...

This OVA's main purpose was to tease on more questions and some foreshadowing for the future seasons to answer. Things will connect to future events.


I sometimes wonder if all of this random misunderstanding people have here would have lessened if the OVA animated the epilogue of the Frozen Bonds novel. It would have shown Emilia's deal with Roswaald to pursue to the High Priestess position from Season 1 (what she implies by her 'selfish' reason to Subaru in Episode 25) and people might have realized that she is not a perfect character ( 'perfect' is a laughably erroneous conclusion by all accounts) but someone who joined the game to set things right all alone, come what may due to her hated status. Because she can choose to continue with her goal by removing Subaru out of the equation, if he ever tried getting in her way.

Guess we wait for season 2 to change minds for good, hopefully. The whole 'Emilia = 1 dimensional' argument is getting super tiring to read through regularly.
KreatorXMay 30, 2020 9:55 AM
May 30, 2020 10:41 AM
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Aug 2018
397
KreatorX said:

I sometimes wonder if all of this random misunderstanding people have here would have lessened if the OVA animated the epilogue of the Frozen Bonds novel. It would have shown Emilia's deal with Roswaald to pursue to the High Priestess position from Season 1 (what she implies by her 'selfish' reason to Subaru in Episode 25) and people might have realized that she is not a perfect character ( 'perfect' is a laughably erroneous conclusion by all accounts) but someone who joined the game to set things right all alone, come what may due to her hated status. Because she can choose to continue with her goal by removing Subaru out of the equation, if he ever tried getting in her way.

Guess we wait for season 2 to change minds for good, hopefully. The whole 'Emilia = 1 dimensional' argument is getting super tiring to read through regularly.


I feel this OVA does, in fact, give some hints on what her 'selfish' goal might be. But yeah, even I wonder why they did not animate the epilogue. Maybe because the OVA was already pretty long. I also wanted to see the Puck vs Roswaal fight animated, we only got some flashbacks in Memory Snow OVA.

I think they are probably planning to include everything in season 2. They have ~25 episodes for just Arc4, I wish they do it well. And that it changes people's wrong perception of her. After season 2 ends, I can probably see some people calling her character very frustrating/annoying/immature (similar to how some people find Subaru annoying), but I don't think people would still call her 1D.
rakp333May 30, 2020 10:50 AM
May 31, 2020 6:53 PM

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Mar 2012
955
I thought this OVA did a good job conveying the emotions in the sense that I thought Emilia's sadness and Puck's indignity came through really well. That said, while I still think highly of the scenario/narrative, I still feel like I don't care much for the main cast. I hope season two will change that.
Jun 20, 2020 6:57 PM

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Feb 2014
1698
Wow, this was full of cliches (the drama, the outcomes, everything was cliche), not only that but it was it was also very boring.

4/10 easy.
Jun 21, 2020 3:00 PM
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Aug 2018
397
Vi- said:
Wow, this was full of cliches (the drama, the outcomes, everything was cliche), not only that but it was it was also very boring.

4/10 easy.


I do understand what you're trying to say. But this OVA is supposed to be treated as part of the main series and not like a stand-alone piece.

Although it might appear cliche to some, it is not. You'll hopefully like it better, once you find out more (in Season 2) about certain circumstances that lead to the events in this OVA and the consequences it will have in the future.

Jun 25, 2020 7:45 PM
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May 2020
304
This was pretty good... Nice to watch.

I loved Melakuera's design and it was a pretty strong spirit too, even though it wasn't a Great Spirit(was it?), he managed to hurt Puck badly. That made me wonder if there are other spirits stronger enough to defeat a Great Spirit and if Puck is weak or he was "nerfed", because before the contract he couldn't barely beat Melakuera but after that it seemed like he got stronger.
Jun 25, 2020 10:52 PM
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Aug 2018
397
dzew said:

This was pretty good... Nice to watch.

I loved Melakuera's design and it was a pretty strong spirit too, even though it wasn't a Great Spirit(was it?), he managed to hurt Puck badly. That made me wonder if there are other spirits stronger enough to defeat a Great Spirit


There are four Great Spirits, one each bearing a title corresponding to Fire, Water, Earth and Air mana. Melakuera was the Great Spirit of Fire. This title then went to Puck after Melakuera's defeat in that final fight. Puck was originally an "outsider" or "extra" with unknown origin.

Remember in season 1 episode 13 in the royal court during her introduction Emilia says "I am a silver-haired half-elf, and I am accompanied by Puck, the Great Spirit of Fire". Fire mana is used to control temperature, hence it includes both flame and ice, which correspond to increasing or decreasing temperature.

dzew said:
if Puck is weak or he was "nerfed", because before the contract he couldn't barely beat Melakuera but after that it seemed like he got stronger.

Puck is very strong (very very). He could have transformed and defeated Melakuera. But he let his guard down when he accidentally hurt Emilia's feelings when he told her that "She is a half-elf." and Emilia was like "You should've told me before that I am bad. That I have this cursed blood" etc etc. Melakuera managed to take advantage of that and strike him from behind (with that Fire laser), and Puck was in his base form that time, so he took a lot of damage from that. Also, his gate got damaged so he couldn't heal himself and couldn't draw in mana from the atmosphere.

Emilia is a monster (lol). It should be clear from this OVA that she has a "huge power sleeping inside her" but she cannot control it herself. Something that she is scared of herself. Their contract enabled Puck to access Emilia's mana. He tapped into Emilia's mana and repaired his damaged gate and healed himself. Once healed, he transformed to his "Beast of the End" form for the final clash.



Then this OVA has quite a lot of foreshadowing. Check my previous comment

But most importantly, pay close attention to the mysterious voice/text that pops up in this OVA. That voice/text was instructing/ordering Puck to protect Emilia, but it also said to avoid getting close to her and avoid forming a contract with her. Very important as it has some big implications/consequences.

Season 2 will connect some more dots.
rakp333Jun 25, 2020 11:16 PM
Jul 5, 2020 1:30 AM

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Nov 2013
564
This was nice, though there’s still a lot of questions I want answered.

For instance,
- Who was the woman’s voice speaking to Puck telling him not to meddle with Emilia unduly? Is it the same person who Puck formed a contract with prior to Emilia and what is her importance?
- Why does Puck apologize to Emilia in the flashback (ie. when Puck frees Emilia from the ice)? What does Puck know that he won’t tell Emilia?
- Why doesn’t Emilia have any recollection of her past (ie. prior to being frozen)?
- Why are the elves in the forest frozen and why was Emilia the only one who was freed?


In terms of the movie,
It was really interesting to see more character development for Emilia and Puck. The series makes it clear Emilia is shunned, but this movie makes it even more obvious how much hate she has had to endure.
It was really great to see some moments with Emilia that we rarely get to see — her fear of loneliness, her morality, and her bond with Puck.

My contention is with the villain of the story, the great spirit Melakuera. Its role seemed to defy reason and its need to reject Emilia based on mere similarity with the Witch seemed to lack any solid depth.

Overall, this movie was enjoyable. The villain was contrived but the character development for Emilia especially has made me like her character more.

Hopefully, some of the questions I have will be answered with soon when S2 releases in a few days time!
Jul 5, 2020 2:18 AM

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4293
herrickluk said:
- Who was the woman’s voice speaking to Puck telling him not to meddle with Emilia unduly? Is it the same person who Puck formed a contract with prior to Emilia and what is her importance?
- Why does Puck apologize to Emilia in the flashback (ie. when Puck frees Emilia from the ice)? What does Puck know that he won’t tell Emilia?
- Why doesn’t Emilia have any recollection of her past (ie. prior to being frozen)?
- Why are the elves in the forest frozen and why was Emilia the only one who was freed?
I have some good news for you. Season 2 will answer all of those questions :-)

I have to correct one thing, tho. Puck did not form a contract with that woman. It was mistranslated in the fansubs. In the official subs (on CR) it was translated as oath.

Oh, and one more thing. In the LN Puck mentions that woman's name when he meets Betelgeuse.
mozgowJul 5, 2020 2:31 AM
Jul 5, 2020 1:28 PM
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Aug 2018
397
herrickluk said:


My contention is with the villain of the story, the great spirit Melakuera. Its role seemed to defy reason and its need to reject Emilia based on mere similarity with the Witch seemed to lack any solid depth.



There are 3 reasons for this:

1. "mere similarity" is an understatement. No one (not even the audience) would believe that it's just a coincidence. Lol.

2. Melakuera deemed her existence dangerous as he recognized that she has "huge power sleeping inside her" but she can barely control it. That black poison thing was used to push Emilia into a corner and force her to unleash her true powers. TBH she is indeed dangerous, look back on the 1st scene when she accidentally killed that man (?) while trying to protect that family. It wasn't made clear if he actually died or managed to escape, but Puck wasn't around that time, so no way to stop Emilia's "blood-sucking Ice Flower" technique. (Maybe only way the man could've escaped was to probably chop off his own arm and run away as fast as possible). Later on, we see that Emilia was deeply affected by that incident and she feels lot of guilt. (Poor girl, I don't blame her)

Infact those "Ice Flowers" or "Ice Bloomings" were actually the flags which prompted Melakuera to start investigating that Forest area. Look back on his 1st conversation with Puck when he says "This forest..Magic.. countless bloomings.." and Puck lies saying "I was the one who did that, who else can do something so terrifying?". But Melakuera was able to sense that Puck was lying.

3. This reason has to do with Melakuera's past (which was cut out in the OVA due to time constraints). "Melakuera" was originally a human's name long long back when this Red fire spirit was just born. That human took care of him his entire life and he actually grew very close/attached to him. With his last dying wish the human entrusted this spirit with his name (hence now he's called Melakuera) and the wish to protect the world from harm. So Melakuera takes this job very seriously as it was his closest (first and last) friend's last dying wish.


I hope these 3 points are able to justify things from Melakuera's perspective. Emilia/Puck had to kill Melakuera for their own survival. Everything that happened was very sad & tragic in my opinion (for both Emilia and Melakuera). Emilia actually has a lot of these guilts/regrets/sadness even in Season 1 but she always tries to not show it or express it in front of others, because she tries to be independent and not rely on others.

Check towards the end of the fight Emilia says "I will always remember you". She actually builds a memorial in the memory of Melakuera, and made a point to regularly visit it (for next 6-7 years until eventually Roswaal came to pick up Emilia from the forest, and then Season 1 follows).
rakp333Jul 5, 2020 1:46 PM
Jul 5, 2020 5:55 PM

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Dec 2014
7045
I thought it was a fantastic movie, it raises more questions than it answers but it portrays Emilia's character and her relationship with Puck incredibly well. It's heart wrenching with an incredibly gloomy atmosphere. Even the little moments of fluff only serve to make the atmosphere more poignant because they are the representation of the loneliness of an awkward kind girl searching for acceptance and happiness.

The blatant discrimination against Emilia is so harsh, it's heart wrenching to watch her get accused for her appearance and power. It's even more heart wrenching when she tries to ask people why she's being targeted for things that are not in control, only to be met with further denial. Her outbursts against the discrimination were really emotional and powerfully delivered. The part where she asks Melakuera if it is a sin for her to have been born and he just responds with yes is so heartbreaking, for even the world to reject you stating 'fate', 'precaution' as a reason, is that truly balance? I teared up during that scene.

Emilia just wants to be accepted for who she is, hence the "I'm just Emilia", she doesn't want people to be blinded by her appearance or the power within her. She's searching for that happiness, for that acknowledgement, against all odds, against 'fate'. Call me a sucker for these types of stories if you will, but these are the kind of stories I love. The fact that through all her suffering, everything she has to put up with, she remains steadfast and stays true to her own beliefs, her 'kindness', I think that's what makes Emilia my favorite character in the show. This is almost in direct contrast to Subaru, I initially liked him for all the reasons I stated above in the first half of Re:Zero but his downward spiral and behavior in the second half left a strong distaste within me and I was never able to like his character since. It's incredibly reassuring to know S2 of Re:Zero will have more focus on Emilia as at this point I'm super invested in her story.

Puck is cool as hell, he's the next best character in the show after E.M.T.

Production was great, the fight sequences, magic, everything was great. Soundtrack was cool too, Rie Takahashi absolutely nailed her performance, like wow.
Emilia's smiling face needs to protected and preserved for all eternity.

There's still a ton of questions I have regarding the past and the exact circumstances leading up to what happened in this show but I'll wait for S2 to answer those questions.

10/10, E.M.T is best girl. I liked this more than the second half of S1.

Jul 5, 2020 8:19 PM

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564
rakp333 said:
herrickluk said:


My contention is with the villain of the story, the great spirit Melakuera. Its role seemed to defy reason and its need to reject Emilia based on mere similarity with the Witch seemed to lack any solid depth.



There are 3 reasons for this:

1. "mere similarity" is an understatement. No one (not even the audience) would believe that it's just a coincidence. Lol.

2. Melakuera deemed her existence dangerous as he recognized that she has "huge power sleeping inside her" but she can barely control it. That black poison thing was used to push Emilia into a corner and force her to unleash her true powers. TBH she is indeed dangerous, look back on the 1st scene when she accidentally killed that man (?) while trying to protect that family. It wasn't made clear if he actually died or managed to escape, but Puck wasn't around that time, so no way to stop Emilia's "blood-sucking Ice Flower" technique. (Maybe only way the man could've escaped was to probably chop off his own arm and run away as fast as possible). Later on, we see that Emilia was deeply affected by that incident and she feels lot of guilt. (Poor girl, I don't blame her)

Infact those "Ice Flowers" or "Ice Bloomings" were actually the flags which prompted Melakuera to start investigating that Forest area. Look back on his 1st conversation with Puck when he says "This forest..Magic.. countless bloomings.." and Puck lies saying "I was the one who did that, who else can do something so terrifying?". But Melakuera was able to sense that Puck was lying.

3. This reason has to do with Melakuera's past (which was cut out in the OVA due to time constraints). "Melakuera" was originally a human's name long long back when this Red fire spirit was just born. That human took care of him his entire life and he actually grew very close/attached to him. With his last dying wish the human entrusted this spirit with his name (hence now he's called Melakuera) and the wish to protect the world from harm. So Melakuera takes this job very seriously as it was his closest (first and last) friend's last dying wish.


I hope these 3 points are able to justify things from Melakuera's perspective. Emilia/Puck had to kill Melakuera for their own survival. Everything that happened was very sad & tragic in my opinion (for both Emilia and Melakuera). Emilia actually has a lot of these guilts/regrets/sadness even in Season 1 but she always tries to not show it or express it in front of others, because she tries to be independent and not rely on others.

Check towards the end of the fight Emilia says "I will always remember you". She actually builds a memorial in the memory of Melakuera, and made a point to regularly visit it (for next 6-7 years until eventually Roswaal came to pick up Emilia from the forest, and then Season 1 follows).


Mere similarity is not an understatement to anime-only viewers. The only connection we know concretely between the two is that they look alike, and that the Witch wants to see if Emilia's a worthy vessel. Perhaps you are privy to more information, but I'd rather you not try to insinuate a further plotline with 'No one (not even the audience) would believe that it's just a coincidence.' And considering I'm also part of the audience, that line isn't entirely accurate, since I'm not making any assertions about their relation at all.

The third point you made is absolutely crucial to the plot and what this Movie lacked. We had no information about Melakuera besides the little bits we can glean off of Puck about him being a powerful Spirit.

As you said, it was information that was omitted so viewers only know a few things — Melakuera provoked Emilia to attack by creating a dangerous situation with the black serpent's venom, then framed her for it and forced her to fight (“That black poison thing was used to push Emilia into a corner and force her to unleash her true powers.”) , then Melakuera killed the lesser spirits and injured Puck
and finally Melakuera gives no further reasoning for eliminating Emilia besides "Your...existence..great sin." or You...threat...destruction"

So to recap, since viewers aren't aware of point 3, all they have to go off of is that Melakuera is:
- it's a Greater Spirit who showed up out of nowhere and talks in buzzwords,
- we have no backstory about it therefore we can't relate to its point of view,
- it antagonized Emilia,
- it doesn't reveal any pertinent details about Emilia to strengthen its own reasoning,
- it injured those she held dear and threatened to attack the village,
- but the worst part is that when Puck called it out on why Emilia isn't allowed to defend herself when they would do the exact same, Melakuera's reasoning was " That is...fate." (ie. the most non-answer response that provides zero context)

Perhaps the source material describes Melakuera's machinations and reasonings a lot better, but if what I listed above is all that we as viewers have to go on, I'm afraid there's bound to be contentions about the 'villain'.

Jul 6, 2020 1:13 AM
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Aug 2018
397
herrickluk said:

And considering I'm also part of the audience, that line isn't entirely accurate, since I'm not making any assertions about their relation at all.


Perhaps you misunderstood what I was trying to say (maybe I didn't say it properly). I wasn't insinuating any plot related details, nor was I making any assertions on their relation.

I was speaking from a psychological perspective. Trying to say that it would be hard for Melakuera to assume something like "Oh, maybe she just coincidently shared resemblance to the witch". In a world with so many races, different hair colors, eye colors, etc its probably hard to find 2 people with same characteristics, namely "half-elf, blueish-purple eyes, silver-hair". Throw in the fact that she has "huge power inside her which she cannot control" and it becomes pretty suspicious for Melakuera (or even the audience). Naturally one would think "there could be some connection" rather than thinking "Nah, this is just a coincidence". A psychological bias due to curiosity.



The third point you made is absolutely crucial to the plot and what this Movie lacked.


Yes.


We had no information about Melakuera besides the little bits we can glean off of Puck about him being a powerful Spirit.


And that he sees himself as an arbitrator of some sort, and wants to protect the world.

For a powerful spirit like Melakuera, it wouldn't exactly be a big deal to kill-off few humans / demi-humans out of suspicion to ensure the greater good for everyone. It's similar to how we humans would crush a poisonous bug if it entered our house, or kill a dangerous animal if it entered residential area/city (even if it means no harm, there's a some probability that it could cause harm, and people choose to avoid any risks)


So to recap, since viewers aren't aware of point 3, all they have to go off of is that Melakuera is:


Yes. And it started with Melakuera investigating those dangerous "blood-sucking Ice Flowers". This can be inferred from his 1st conversation with Puck, and that time Puck tries to hide Emilia from Melakuera by lying to him that "I was the one who did it". He could sense Puck was lying so it was pretty much an "alert" sign for Melakuera.


Perhaps the source material describes Melakuera's machinations and reasonings a lot better

Well, yes. Those cut scenes would definitely have provided a much better impression on Melakuera. Since the OVA had time-constraints, so they chose to focus more on Puck and Emilia. Could the studio have done it differently? Maybe. I don't know.


I think your judgement on this OVA is pretty much justified and I wasn't trying to say that this OVA is flawless or perfect, but rather I was just trying to fill in on some more details/context so that you get the complete story.
Jul 6, 2020 2:08 AM

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rakp333 said:

I was speaking from a psychological perspective...


I see what you mean now.
Naturally, I’m only aware of what I see from the adaptations — it is indeed possible Melakuera knows about their relation or lack thereof and simply didn’t address it. I’m also not saying his suspicion is unfounded for reasons you stated, (ie. half-elf, purple eyes etc) that appeared only within the anime.
What I am trying to say is that as nothing was explicitly mentioned to the viewer about their connection, or of how much knowledge Melakuera possesses about said connection, it seems premature as both the viewer and from Melakuera’s perspective to decide outright that a mere coincidence is off the table. Perhaps others see Emilia and the Witch as having some obvious bond, but personally I don’t want to make any assumptions until more information is revealed. Hopefully that makes sense.


I think your judgement on this OVA is pretty much justified and I wasn't trying to say that this OVA is flawless or perfect, but rather I was just trying to fill in on some more details/context so that you get the complete story.


Right, let me be clear that I acknowledge and appreciate you trying to give more context, especially regarding the third point of your previous comment. For my part, I’m just trying to convey why I believe the movie could’ve done a better job with Melakuera’s role.
Jul 6, 2020 7:43 AM

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Lelouch0202 said:
I thought it was a fantastic movie, it raises more questions than it answers but it portrays Emilia's character and her relationship with Puck incredibly well. It's heart wrenching with an incredibly gloomy atmosphere. Even the little moments of fluff only serve to make the atmosphere more poignant because they are the representation of the loneliness of an awkward kind girl searching for acceptance and happiness.

The blatant discrimination against Emilia is so harsh, it's heart wrenching to watch her get accused for her appearance and power. It's even more heart wrenching when she tries to ask people why she's being targeted for things that are not in control, only to be met with further denial. Her outbursts against the discrimination were really emotional and powerfully delivered. The part where she asks Melakuera if it is a sin for her to have been born and he just responds with yes is so heartbreaking, for even the world to reject you stating 'fate', 'precaution' as a reason, is that truly balance? I teared up during that scene.

Emilia just wants to be accepted for who she is, hence the "I'm just Emilia", she doesn't want people to be blinded by her appearance or the power within her. She's searching for that happiness, for that acknowledgement, against all odds, against 'fate'. Call me a sucker for these types of stories if you will, but these are the kind of stories I love. The fact that through all her suffering, everything she has to put up with, she remains steadfast and stays true to her own beliefs, her 'kindness', I think that's what makes Emilia my favorite character in the show. This is almost in direct contrast to Subaru, I initially liked him for all the reasons I stated above in the first half of Re:Zero but his downward spiral and behavior in the second half left a strong distaste within me and I was never able to like his character since. It's incredibly reassuring to know S2 of Re:Zero will have more focus on Emilia as at this point I'm super invested in her story.

Puck is cool as hell, he's the next best character in the show after E.M.T.

Production was great, the fight sequences, magic, everything was great. Soundtrack was cool too, Rie Takahashi absolutely nailed her performance, like wow.
Emilia's smiling face needs to protected and preserved for all eternity.

There's still a ton of questions I have regarding the past and the exact circumstances leading up to what happened in this show but I'll wait for S2 to answer those questions.

10/10, E.M.T is best girl. I liked this more than the second half of S1.



Awesome. I agree with everything you said (except that actually I liked Subaru in the anime). But yeah this pretty much summed up my thoughts after watching this OVA. I've heard season 2 will reveal some information on her past before she was frozen in ice. So I wish they had flushed out these bits of her backstory (stuff from this OVA) in the 1st season itself because she's the main heroine. Not many people watch these OVAs and so most of the audience will never find out stuff this OVA made clear about Emilia's character.

Jul 8, 2020 9:35 PM

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Yeah I liked Memory Snow more.
I left with more questions than answers after watching this. Thankfully I just watched this before S2 E1 so I don't have to wait ages.
Now I know Emilia has something to do with someone who looks like Betelgeuse, that caught my attention, I hope that gets revealed in S2.
Jul 8, 2020 10:06 PM
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anikevin said:
Yeah I liked Memory Snow more.
I left with more questions than answers after watching this. Thankfully I just watched this before S2 E1 so I don't have to wait ages.
Now I know Emilia has something to do with someone who looks like Betelgeuse, that caught my attention, I hope that gets revealed in S2.


Things will get interesting. Look forward to it.
Jul 11, 2020 11:10 PM
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Thats it.
Hide and seek is the best offline games on this fatamorgana-called-world-thing. Please comment nicely. I am newbie here.

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Jul 12, 2020 8:50 AM

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herrickluk said:
This was nice, though there’s still a lot of questions I want answered.

- Why doesn’t Emilia have any recollection of her past (ie. prior to being frozen)?



I haven't read the novels, but I think this is because of the severe mental trauma and strain of being frozen inside ice (in a comatose state). Just my guess, but I think she was "sleeping" inside the ice crystal for a very LONG time.

I'm sure people who wake up from coma after a long time have trouble recollecting old memories.
Jul 12, 2020 10:59 PM

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8123
I mean this set up even more questions. I'm lost really.

Other than that, a depressing story. Thankfully, Emilia and Puck's precious bond makes up for that.
Jul 13, 2020 1:59 AM

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Mormegil said:
I mean this set up even more questions. I'm lost really.
Season two should answer those questions :)
Jul 18, 2020 6:55 PM
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I can't tell if Takahashi Rie is best girl or Emilia-tan, but please no one else hurt our poor child Emilia. She really is just too precious and good for this world. I'm happy she didn't take the suicidal/"take me out to reset the world" approach when that mediator told her what she was.

Although, also the whole mediator just going batshitcrazy after she promised not to be a witch got annoying real quick.

6/10 on plot, but 10/10 Emilia best girl.
It's a good thing Emilia called Puck a dad figure because my crazy brain for a 0.0000010 of a nanosecond I almost shipped her with Puck if he could of had a human figure. Oof big yikes
Jul 22, 2020 2:53 AM

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27466
Nice backstory movie, thou half of it was the usual white witch drag but the touching parts make up for it. It was also nice to see loli Emilia, she looked cute. Also I'm starting to think Emilia might really be somehow connected to the witch of envy.
Jul 26, 2020 9:21 AM

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Nice ova to watch. but i still need more info about her apst.
"The future is always blank. Only your willpower can leave footsteps there."

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Jul 31, 2020 7:58 PM
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This is a great backstory to the beginnings of Emilia and Puck's relationship. A good side-story that provides many facts, clues, and subtle hints to the mystery of who she actually is.
Aug 14, 2020 10:13 AM

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3402
If i didn't said it here, i do it now.


The best of FB movie is that for the first time in Re:Zero we are seeing an story by the POV of Emilia, and not Subaru.


Yeah, no Subaru here. Just a surprisely badass Emilia, and that's great.


It is like when you are playing a videogame and certain moment the playable character is switched for that side character you actually like more.
Aug 14, 2020 7:08 PM

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pretty good movie i won't lie, was definitely good for Emilia's character development as i felt like we got little to nothing in the main series regarding her past and how she and puck met.

Felt like a lot of questions i had regarding Emilia had been answered, so before she met Roswaal she was staying in a forest that had been completely frozen for miles, later being revealed that Puck might of been the cause for the change of climate in the forest, living in what use to be a forest-elf village of sorts before all the inhabitants got frozen as well? And for some reason she felt like it was her duty to take care of the village and villagers? She also seemed to already have really strong elemental magical powers even without a contract with puck, being able to, grow icicles out of wounds of others? And further using it to drain them of there blood? Her history with Puck is definitely an interesting one, first it seemed liked he had been with her until recently, however it later showed that maybe there is way more to there relationship, maybe even before Emilia "woken up".

This movie also revealed a lot of new questions, like why did Puck freeze the entire forest? And why was Emilia the only one not frozen, let alone seemed completely immune to the cold weather? I thought they said she was only immune due to her contract with Puck, but it obviously shows here that even before, she didn't seem to feel anything. Also there was a very interesting scene of Emilia being inside a iceberg of sorts which also raises question. This also leads to just how much does Puck know the truth about her, as he acts very much like a parental figure, and Emilia's dreams showed him apologising to her. Definitely a lot of new questions popping up, but non the less i'm satisfied with what we got out of it.

One thing i will also say is, although it probably isn't a good thing, i actually really liked it when Emilia fucking snapped over the villagers for selling her out, and just kinda embraced the whole "Witch of envy look alike" and almost used it to her advantage. I honestly do not blame her for just rolling with it then, if people are gonna keep shitting on her for looking like a person they fear and hate, why not give them what they want.

All in all, i'd give it a 7/10 movie. Filled a lot of unanswered questions from the main series, but i felt like it also opened up a lot of new ones as well. Movie definitely shinned a new light on Emilia for me, i do think i like her a bit more after watching this movie, but asides from that hopefully more will be answered in s2.
Aug 18, 2020 6:44 AM
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This one was so bad that I had to watch it in 1.5x speed...
Story.. Pathetic just like the rest of the series.
Now you may be wondering.. Then why am I watching it though? Because I'm a fucking completion freak.
I started it because of its ratings.. Shame, it's idiotic.
Aug 23, 2020 6:14 AM

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647
This movie is much better than 1st season or memory snow movie. They did great finally I haven't seen annoying Subaru screaming everywhere and plot was finally more serious and movie is well made. Maybe more plot development would be good like how she met others etc. but maybe in the next movie.
To sum up 1st season 6/10, memory snow 5/10, Hyouketsu no Kizuna 9/10.
hiraishinxAug 23, 2020 11:54 AM
Aug 23, 2020 11:37 AM
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7470
I am almost fall asleep watching this, my goodness the pacing was so slow, i feel like this should be just 40 min or less..

Also that fucking antagonist was super boring, just keep repeating the same dialog...
davidyodo24Aug 23, 2020 11:48 AM
Aug 23, 2020 11:51 AM
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anikevin said:
Yeah I liked Memory Snow more.
I left with more questions than answers after watching this. Thankfully I just watched this before S2 E1 so I don't have to wait ages.
Now I know Emilia has something to do with someone who looks like Betelgeuse, that caught my attention, I hope that gets revealed in S2.


Thank god there is someone actually like Memory Snow more.. it's more enjoyable than this one, boring and I'm almost fall asleep watching this
Aug 26, 2020 4:38 AM
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Jan 2017
704
DAMN MAN .
Emilia why you must faced the cruel reality like this,,?
is sad very sad..
i cant let the cute girl crying like that.. man its breaking my hearth..
..
10/10
Aug 28, 2020 2:55 PM

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182
Great OAV, I really enjoyed the calm pace and the feel it created. Emilia is a nice character, I want to continue to follow her growth in Re:Zero !
What do you think about the planetarium? That beautiful twinkling of eternity that will never fade, no matter when....
Aug 31, 2020 8:40 PM

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Kaguyachinchin said:

It's a good thing Emilia called Puck a dad figure because my crazy brain for a 0.0000010 of a nanosecond I almost shipped her with Puck if he could of had a human figure. Oof big yikes

LOL SAME BUT WHY

I'm surprised at how much i liked this! it was a lot better than memory snow imo. on good faith that s2 will answer all of the questions this ova raised, i'm gonna give it an 8/10
Sep 24, 2020 1:00 AM
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4855
The possible reason why this OVA dosent have any answers is because it's not supposed too and could interfere with the main series
Sep 24, 2020 1:59 AM

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Mattinator95 said:
The possible reason why this OVA dosent have any answers is because it's not supposed too and could interfere with the main series
From the perspective of LN readers, who know the full content of arc 4, it does have some answers.
Oct 19, 2020 8:34 AM

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12390
This was a great OVA that gave me a lot of new information about Emilia's origins and her bond with Puck. All this stuff about Great Spirits and the Witch of Envy makes me want to watch the second season already~

I certainly liked this one a lot more than Memory Snow and I'm excited to find out the answers behind all the questions that were raised here!








Oct 23, 2020 9:16 PM

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Jan 2014
1422
Ok, I’m back after watching s2! I rewatched this ova and I have new theories about emilia’s past… spoiler tag in case ppl haven’t seen s2


Also, upon rewatching this isn’t as impressive as I remember it the first time around. Probably will lower my score to 7/10
laputiaOct 23, 2020 9:21 PM
Oct 24, 2020 2:58 AM

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4293
@laputia
I'm not saying if you're right or wrong, but there's one thing I would like to say. You will learn more about Emilia past in part 2 of season 2.

And I would like to recommend to watch this OVA again after the second season ends.
Dec 2, 2020 12:53 PM

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1310
That was so pure... I think I actually enjoyed this movie more than the main show.
I love the characterization that has been provided to Puck, I really needed to see other sides of him and wow I wasn't disappointed. I want to adopt him. Can I adopt him ? I'll make him my protective plushie ^^ Seriously he's great. And I didn't think he could be this cute when in his real form ! And I love his voice actress' job. But all that really makes Puck's reaction to Emilia's death in two timelines all the more tragic.

Now to talk about Emilia, I didn't care much about her, but my opinion has changed, she is such an adorable sweetie who's been through so much, she needs to be protected.

She might still not be one of my favorite Re:Zero characters, but she really grew on me, now I've finally gotten attached to her like I wanted.
For the rest, well I didn't understand everything that was going on but it doesn't matter, that wasn't the most important.

I give this movie a strong 7, it's missing something to make me give it an 8 but it was still very good.

Oh and I realize it is my 100th completed entry, well I'm very glad for this one to be the one !
FafetteDec 2, 2020 12:59 PM
Dec 24, 2020 3:04 PM

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37078
Not as good as the first OVA, but still an interesting backstory. It just felt a bit too long, they could've made it shorter with faster pacing.
Jan 7, 2021 7:06 AM
Shalltear

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34568
It was very interesting to get more information about Emilia and Puck's backstory and their relationship, I think it's more like a movie for the fans but it's still very worth it
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