You probably have already seen this kind of a premise before. The main character living in a normal world, suddenly gets dragged into a completely different world. And also time travel. It is not the most unique premise by any means, but time travelling as a genre has been one of the more difficult ones to work with. In anime, time travel might not make sense, create gigantic plot holes, and can potentially halt any kind of character development. Unfortunately, Re:Zero does have some small plot holes regarding time traveling, but that's to be expected since the story is not yet completed. However, Re:Zero still brilliantly manages to weave in the time travelling aspect of it so that it still manages to be entertaining and bring a good development.
I also feel like that this anime is a great example of how to make every single episodes. It doesn't drag, nor feel boring. Each and every episode is just so fun and makes you want to watch more and more of it. Another awesome thing to point out is that, Re:zero sometimes likes to omit openings and endings in some episodes, giving it even more minutes to work with, which was awesome to see, as one thing I feel like most anime need more of is time. (This is not saying the openings and endings are bad in any way.).
One unfortunate thing about this anime however, is the fact that the adaptation isn't close to finishing yet, so we are left with a lot of unanswered questions. Lot of things like the essence of how Subaru is able to go back to a certain checkpoint or the fate of the bowel hunter is still unclear.
The animation is also fantastic. It doesn't have clunky movements nor uncomfortable lighting. The fight scenes are great to watch, but the best parts for me were those lighting touches in the background which contrasted well with whatever the scene given. Sometimes light, sometimes dark, it just affects the mood of the scene so well. Some episodes, the animation is done so brilliantly that some scenes almost feels like a movie.
The sound section is great as well.. The soundtracks are really nice to listen to, the standouts being the ones with choir, and they accompany the scenes really well, especially in episode 15. It isn't a standout of the anime, but it is definitely worth noting, as it manages to stay consistent throughout the episodes. The voice acting in Re:Zero is amazing. The seiyuus, especially Kobayashi Yuusuke (Subaru), bring out some amazing emotions from the characters, which obviously is a must have in a despair-inducing anime like Re:Zero. Also, who can forget Yoshitsugu Matsuoga's unbelivable performance on Beteleguese? The voices aren't annoying, the soundtracks are great, and the OP/ED are one of the best of the season. It is just a really solid aspect in the show.
Now the most important part in any anime: the characters. First thing is, I see a LOT of hate for Subaru. Granted he isn't strong and is sometimes frustrating to watch, but I personally don't think he's that bad of a character. We see him struggle, fight against the seemingly impossible, and eventually develop as the series goes on. He might not be the most pleasing MC to watch at first, but I feel like this is what Re:Zero is all about: Natsuki Subaru's development. You first see a guy, cocky and arrogant, who runs into hopeless despair, so useless, yet trying to do everything by himself, transform into a guy who willingly seeks help from others to save Emilia and many others from the horrible fate awaiting them.
There are also a lot of other diverse characters in the show. Rem, for example, is easily the most likable character in the show. Her strong willed determination and great fighting prowess is a shining light to Subaru in many ways. We also have Emilia, Suabru's love interest and a half elf trying to ascend the throne although being discriminated by others for being too similar to a witch. The relationship between her and Subaru, although at times cliche, develops throughout the series, along with Subaru's personality.
One thing I like about Re:Zero is that it literally has everything in terms of characters: Struggling MC, powerful woman beside the MC, maids, lolis, traps, knights, psychos... everything.
To sum it up, Re:Zero is definitely a must watch show from the year of 2016. Its intensity, suspense, plot twists, and development makes the hype completely justifiable imo. The awesome fights and dramatic cliffhangers all add to the anime. Though the story itself is might not yet completed, the questions might still remiain, these unanswered questions only further serve as a good reason to watch the next season of this great anime.
