Disclaimer, I am a Light Novel reader and Re:Zero is one of my favourite book series of all time. For that reason, I had a proverbial magnifying glass out when watching S2 cour 1. Looking for any type of adaptation, animation and artistic errors. I genuinely found none. This first cour was one of the best adaptations I've ever seen of a Light Novel and you can tell it was crafted with love and by fans of the series.
The pacing and cinematography are done so well that it's apparent the staff fully understood the message of the 3 volumes adapted this cour and did an amazing job of translating it into the anime. Other than the second trial in episode 12, I can't really think of anything that was omitted or cut.
White Fox continue to impress me as a studio. From Steins;Gate to Re:Zero they have consistently put out heat and it's great to see.
Narratively, this season really starts the story of Re:Zero. Think of everything you saw in the first season as an appetiser of sorts for what we got in this cour and what's to come. The world and characters are so rich that you just get sucked in and want to uncover all of its mysteries. Speaking of getting sucked in, one really cool artistic choice that i enjoyed from this season was the omission of the OP and or ED on most episodes. White Fox prioritised storytelling over the intro and outro which allowed for much smoother transitions between episodes than most shows have. A minor thing that goes a long way for me.
In conclusion, Re:Zero S2 first cour was one of the best LN adaptations I have ever seen and did an amazing job of laying the foundation for what's to come in the story. It's a fun, wild, painful and beautiful ride that will leave you wanting more and more. Scariest thing is, we're just getting started.
Re:Zero S2 first cour gets 10 cups of Dona Tea out of 10.
