This felt like a nice improvement over the first season. I found Subaru more likable and easier to sympathize with, and the pacing is more tolerable.
Story:
Early on, Subaru and Emilia travel to a place called Sanctuary which is surrounded by a barrier that traps half-breeds inside. They're basically stuck here for the entire season. A situation like this would normally make the pacing feel slow and the episodes repetitive, but because there are more people in this season aware of Subaru's ability, there's a better sense of progression with each Return by Death. I still think RbD takes away a lot of the impact that some events would otherwise have, however there were a few scenes where it was used well in building suspense (especially in episode 11). I think they picked a good stopping point for this season as well; it marks a key point in Subaru's development and, hopefully, a change of pace with the story.
Character:
Even with Subaru growing on me, I still feel like the character's are a weaker part of the series. Emilia, despite her consistence presence this season, doesn't actually do much of anything. She's just stuck in the same spot as Subaru loops through time. None of the other characters left much of an impression either. It was cool to see Roswaal's true intentions regarding Subaru, but the other relevant characters (Echidna, the other witches, Beatrice) didn't do much for me; just seems like more characters for Subaru's pseudo-harem.
Enjoyment:
I enjoyed this season a decent amount. I don't think it's good enough to sway the opinion of someone who disliked the first season, but I'd imagine other Re;Zero fans will enjoy this as well.
