Re:Starting Life in Another World from Zero, Re:Zero for short.
This blurb right here is for those who don’t want spoilers and just want to see if they should watch the show or not. Short answer from me: most definitely. This’ll either be a show that will completely engross you or fail to capture even an iota of interest. There are times where people have completed the show and have been ambivalent towards Re:Zero, but those cases are the exception. Try it out, and if you don’t like it at all, move on. No harm done. If you think even a tiny bit that this show might interest you, stick around and get ready for an amazing ride.
Now, from this point forward there will be spoilers, and very heavy spoilers. If you don’t want plot points or the ending leaked to you, turn back now.
This is a general summary of what I plan to say in the entire review, for those who don’t want to read through the whole thing. This show follows the young man Subaru Natsuki, a typical-yet-kind-of-lame 18 year old teenage male in our modern society, as he experiences both friendship and tragedy in new his life in an unfamiliar fantasy world. Now, the previous sentence was extremely important. Read it over again for good measure. Done? Great. If you actually understood that one sentence, you don’t need to read my review anymore because that’s all I have to say.
Re:Zero isn’t primarily about friendship, cool powers, ideals, thematic conflict, overarching story, symbolism, or even waifus. Re:Zero is about Subaru, and what he experiences as he tries to live his life in another world from zero. All the people that have been complaining about Subaru’s actions, choices, and characteristics have been voicing their opinions for nothing. You aren’t going to find the ideal protagonist that makes the right choices and has the ability to do everything. If that’s what you’re looking for, I can direct you to another young man named Kirito, courtesy of Sword Art Online. Re:Zero is meant to be an anime following an average and relatable character, nothing more and nothing less. If this is the case, what’s so special and fantastic about an anime that just follows this typical-yet-kind-of-lame 18 year old teenage male in a fantasy world? Why watch as your favorite waifu is mutilated and killed five thousand times over because Subaru is too weak to save her? Why endure how frustrating it is to watch Subaru make mistakes and fuck up every single time he comes back from the dead? The majesty of this show comes in the realization that you aren't supposed to be merely "watching" Re:Zero. Instead, as a viewer, you are drawn into Subaru's perspective and feel everything that he feels. Did Subaru mess up and have everyone he cares about die in front of his eyes? Subaru’s probably feeling like crap right now, similar to the feeling in the pit of the viewer’s stomach. Did Best Girl Rem just confess her love to Subaru even though he hates himself? Subaru’s probably pretty damn happy to have ReZero’s greatest waifu offer her support to him, and the viewer has been completely smitten by the blue-haired maid. Re:Zero boils down to this: you're on the same train with Subaru and will feel exactly what he feels. That's the magic behind this show: there aren't any other anime that can get viewers this emotionally invested in the characters and plot. The show stays true to itself to the very end, working off your emotions and effectively putting you in Subaru's shoes throughout his journey.
Damn, THAT was the summary? Yup. Moving on to objective analysis of all the different aspects of Re:Zero.
Story: 7/10
The story’s not bad. It’s nothing fantastic either, because the whole show is meant to be following Subaru’s experiences and how he copes with the situations he’s put in. Outside of following Subaru, the plot is generic and shallow, but well executed and smooth.
Art: 8/10
I don’t know what to say other than that I think the show looks pretty good aesthetically. I think it’s pretty good art, but to each their own.
Sound: 10/10
I thought the soundtrack was amazing. I extremely enjoy listening to the ending themes and I’ve grown to love the second opening. The soundtrack during critical moments in the show only add to the emotional value of certain scenes like Rem’s confession, or Subaru’s confession to Emilia at the very end. Having voice actors sing is always a plus. Keep in mind that like the art, soundtrack is something very difficult to conduct an objective overview of, even if you are a musical expert.
Character: 10/10
Re:Zero introduced a decently large cast of characters and pulled it off excellently. Though some characters did not receive as much development as others, this is easily explained by the fact that Re:Zero is supposed to be a show that follows Subaru. Because the show is supposed to be from Subaru’s perspective, it’s obvious that Subaru and those that were with him the most received the most development.
Character development was uniquely executed in Re:Zero, again confirming how the show is only supposed to be documenting Subaru’s standpoint. Every single character is introduced as a stranger to Subaru, and they are developed as Subaru gets to know them better. Learning about all the characters in Re:Zero is extremely comparable to actually meeting new people, because we watch from Subaru’s perspective as characters initially skeptical of his identity learn to accept him as a comrade. We also see from Subaru’s perspective how he learns to accept the people he initially butts heads with. Re:Zero makes good use of the Return By Death power to develop characters, as characters are given the chance to react to different scenarios in the same setting. Subaru, along with the viewers, picks up on character behavior and builds character profiles with better accuracy as the show goes on.
Furthermore, the characters in Re:Zero are extremely easy to empathize with because of how human they appear to be. All the characters are shown to make mistakes, get overwhelmed, and feel strong emotion. As entertaining as it is to watch Goku and Saitama, it is a wholly superior experience to be able to stand alongside characters that are tangibly human in their behavior and their traits. This is where Re:Zero does us good: it provides a relatable perspective with Subaru’s point of view and introduces very human characters that we can form meaningful connections with.
Enjoyment: 10/10
I was just as skeptical and confused with Re:Zero as everyone else was, until I realized that the show’s primary goal is to give the viewer a perspective into the world of Re:Zero from Subaru’s eyes. After this revelation, I really started to appreciate subtleties in Re:Zero that I wouldn’t have noticed otherwise. Return By Death, killing important characters, and Subaru’s mediocrity is all explained by the fact that the show is created let the viewers live through Subaru’s perspective.
Overall: 9/10
Re:Zero’s ability to accurately project Subaru’s feelings into the viewers makes it a very impressive anime, if not the only of its kind. With characters that are easy to get attached to, a world that one can just get lost in, amazing OST, and complementary visuals, Re:Zero gets a 9/10. Its lack of a concrete story outside of following Subaru’s point of view and lack of a concrete resolution at the ending stops it from earning a 10/10.
This show’s greatest strength, and the reason why I enjoy it so much, is how powerfully it can make viewers empathize with Subaru. Even people who hate Subaru probably found themselves in his shoes, feeling bits of regret and guilt when he was unable to deal the Witch’s Cult and arrived at the mansion to find Rem, Ram, Petra, and Emilia’s bloodied corpses. Even people who prefer Rem over Emilia probably found a little bit of happiness during Subaru and Emilia’s special scene at the end. This has been the first and will probably be one of the only times where an anime has been able to communicate such strong and complex feelings to the viewers on a consistent basis and throughout each episode. It’s as if watching this show lets you Start Life in Another World from Zero. *cue Styx Helix*
