This review has slight spoilers regarding the movie Re: Zero Starting Life in Another World – The Frozen Bond.
Based on a popular light novel of the same name Re: Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd season is the second season of the critically acclaimed first season of the series that premiered in the spring of 2016 and allows us the excellent opportunity to once again follow the lives of our heroine the beautiful but stubborn half-elf Emilia and Subaru Natsuki her saviour/would-be knight in shining armour as they upon their return to their home after surviving a deadly attack by the dreaded witch-cult are forced once more to retreat in the face of sudden powerful assaults and forced to seek refuge within the realm known simply as Sanctuary. Though the realm true to its name is one that is a place of refuge for its many inhabitants the realm unknown to them both is also one that holds not just many mysteries regarding the world as Subaru and Emilia see it but also ones that pertain to trials that are linked to the mental struggles that both struggle with deep inside their hearts trials that both must be able to face down and overcome if they wish to triumph over not only the machinations of the witch-cult but also save some of their dearest of friends and allies from the delusions that chain them to the past. Only then will they be able to face down the true challenge of facing down the enmity of the people of a kingdom and try and change their views by the virtue of their deeds.
Back in the spring of 2016, the prequel of this season was broadcasted and while the series started off relatively slow gradually got increasingly interesting and tense as the story expanded and more and more characters were introduced that served to create many new fans among its viewers including myself. While on the surface the premise for Re Zero can be said to be a typical Isekai albeit one that features a grand fantasy setting and an extensive array of characters what served to draw my interest to it and ensure that I will be a fan of the series for many years to come is Subaru and Emilia’s shared sense of determination to not only face down the many challenges that bar their way but also learn to master not only the many unique powers and abilities that they wield but also learn to snuff their sense of pride and learn to work effectively with their allies, friends and rivals and face down the bigger picture.
This potent combination when used in combination with Emilia and Subaru’s own personal struggles as they sought to find the courage to face down the innermost fears that they hid in their hearts I felt really made that first season unique and helped set the stage for the premiere of the long-awaited second season which not only expanded greatly on the lore of the world but also reveal to us the truth about Subaru’s powers and the truth about the nature of Emilia’s painful past as well. The first episode of the second season I felt was an excellent one that while doing well to welcome us back to the world of Re Zero by reintroducing us to the main cast also served in true Re Zero fashion to create an episode that was easily able to enthrall its fans once more via its skilful usage of the potent combination of sudden attacks by powerful new enemies, overwhelming sense of loss and a sense of overwhelming despair that threatens to once more overcome them a fact that I felt it succeeded easily and ensure that this is a series that I will watch till the very end.
Subaru Natsuki
Subaru Natsuki portrayed by veteran voice actor Yuusuke Kobayashi of Darwin’s Game and Fuuka fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the primary protagonist of the series. A human being from his earth who after purchasing daily consumables from the local konbini and embarking on his journey home was rather than reaching home safely to continue his life of being a shut-in was instead reincarnated in a brand-new world with a most peculiar ability. In his initial appearances, Subaru was shown to be a kind-hearted, considerate and intelligent person by nature who while preferring to sidestep troublesome problems when encountering them was shown to have an interesting knack for solving them in unexpected ways that will serve to allow the best outcome possible for him and his allies which is perhaps best shown in the alliance that he managed to forge between the Emilia, Crusch and Anastasia camps during the hunt for the white whale and his attempt to break through the long closed-off heart of Garfiel that had been borne out of the mistrust that he had of the outside world that he viewed as being responsible for stealing everything that was dear to him. While these accomplishments showed well his quick thinking nature, determination, and stubbornness to never accept defeat unless all avenues of approach had been attempted this ability to forge bonds and negotiate with others on an innate level also showed well both his bravery at interacting with dangerous characters and situations as well as the loyalty and care that his displays towards his friend's people that he despite wanting nothing more than to live a carefree life with the girl that he loves will ensure that he will do his utmost to help no matter what.
As a result of the many trials that Subaru had to face and overcome in the previous season, Subaru was shown to as the series progresses gradually mature both in terms of personality as well as in how he interacts with others. In the beginning of the series Subaru due largely due to the circumstances that surround his arrival in this world was shown to have a degree of selfishness in his actions and indeed was shown to have an innate desire to help others to achieve a sense of self-satisfaction in the progress a fact that served to strain his relationship with Emilia when this becomes apparent. However, as a result of the many struggles that he had managed to overcome over the course of the journey this sense of selfishness was shown to have been largely replaced by a sense of humility and a genuine desire to help those that he sees as genuine friends. At the same time while never completely mastering the sense of fear that comes from facing down both the fearsome foes that bar their path as well as the sense of dread that comes from interacting with the powers that are associated with the feared witches Subaru though still feeling it was shown to be able to control it better and indeed unlike before was shown to be able to not let it dictate his actions and instead be able to bounce back from sudden situations faster and much more effectively than his past selves and in the process be able to provide much more emotional support to his friends and allies when they require it. When used in conjunction with his newly gained traits of humility Subaru as an individual was shown to have become a much more steadfast and reliable person a fact that allows him to easily take centre stage when his allies require his help. However, despite being able to control his fear better Subaru is not immune to the sense of despair that he experiences when facing down terrible enemies and revelations which when used in combination with his reluctance to involve his friends for fear of losing them can have the effect of causing lockup within his psych a fact that is shown well in ep14 within part 2 of the season in which Otto had to remind him sternly what his primary motivation was. Largely as a result of this rather stern lecture from Otto who he initially pegged as a minor supporting character that Subaru was able to realize that in his stubborn desire to protect everyone by himself that he had made the cardinal mistake of not only not respecting their wishes but also not allowing his friends to actively take part in his plans and thus demonstrating that he does not trust them enough with his plans.
As a result of this sense of revelation, Subaru was finally able to realize that by trying to do everything by himself he was not only worrying his friends greatly but also not letting them share his burden as well something that I felt was ironic considering the lengths that he was going to achieve that. Though willing to place his trust in his allies and friends with his plans in the aftermath Subaru was shown to maintain a degree of his stubborn nature and prefer to take to the field personally when dealing with the most critical of plans. At the same time, his newfound trust in his friends with his plans also served to awaken within Subaru a desire to be rather direct in his methods of persuasion bordering on disrespect when saving those that he deems necessary for his plans as shown in his saving of Beatrice from a fate that she had long accepted an encounter that showed well not just how far he was willing to go with his words but also how far he will go to drag them back into the reality that is the real world. As a character, I felt that Subaru Natsuki was one that over the course of the season was developed excellently with much of his initial traits that I found to be annoying in the first season be largely replaced by traits that served to remake him into not only a reliable and confident person that while lacking in combat ability was able to make up for it by having excellent intelligence, quick thinking and a knack for forging unexpected alliances thanks to his innate sense of cunning and by doing so reshape the field into one that’s more suited to his skillset being the most notable that within the series was shown well in the many bold and ambitious plans that he had created to help his friends and allies heedless of the risks that he exposes himself too which is shown best in his determined attempt to save Betty from her fate.
While Subaru’s famed ability to return by death is one that has served to allow him to create and enact many interesting plans thanks to its unique ability that allowed him many opportunities to gather useful intel it was also one that was seen to place a heavy emotional burden on him due to not only the effects that being killed provides but also of the sense of dread that comes from having a power that was granted to you by one of the famed witches of the land. While an ability that was powerful when used for its intended purpose it nonetheless was one that took an equally heavy toll that one must pay for making use of its power in the form of loss of memory which for Subaru who had since entering this beautiful but equally deadly world has plenty of was still a heavy one to pay. But to both Subaru’s credit and the brief but powerful support he received from the witches Subaru was able to realize that crazy as his powers are that it can also be used to change the fates of his friends and allies if correctly used a revelation that served to make him even more determined to use it as a means to protect the one’s most precious to him even if it costs him his life in the future. Overall, I felt that Yuusuke Kobayashi did an excellent job portraying the character of Subaru Natsuki with his effective displays of the different kinds of emotion that Subaru encounters within the series as a result of the many trials that he faces being especially praiseworthy.
Emilia
Emilia portrayed by veteran seiyuu singer Rie Takahashi of Comic Girls and School-Live fame is one of the main characters of the series and is the main heroine of the series. A half-elf and one of the candidates of the country’s succession race for its new queen Emilia from her initial appearances was shown to be a kind, calm, caring, and determined person by nature that treated everyone around her with respect and humility. Due largely to the rumours that surround the feared witch of Envy Satella and her own uncanny resemblance to her Emilia was exposed to many displays of hatred, fear, and distrust that served to make her life within the kingdom of Lugnica an uncomfortable one. However, despite these displays of hostility towards her Emilia did not deviate from her base nature maintaining her kind and caring nature while being considerate and polite towards all she meets regardless of their social standing within the kingdom showing well not only her honourable nature and the traits that define her foundation as a person but also the views of the world that she hopes to create within the kingdom.
As the season progresses however and Emilia not only manages to overcome the trials within the sanctuary but also make peace with the painful past that she had kept bottled up within her heart Emilia’s personality gradually starts to change. In her initial appearances back in the first season Emilia while showing well her base personality traits was shown to only see the succession race as a means to accomplish her wish rather than try and forge that into a life path that she can follow, unlike her rivals. As a result of her earnest desire to save her frozen family, Emilia was forced to largely dismiss the feelings of others and where possible avoid showing her true feelings to others both as a means to protect herself and also protect her position as a candidate for the succession.
However, as a result of not only meeting Subaru as well as the people of the nearby village and her fellow rivals within the succession Emilia was gradually able to realize that while closing off her heart and not interacting with others does indeed serve to protect her from harm it did so at the expense of weakening her as she knew not the kind of bonds that can be forged between friends and allies and neither can she rely on the support of those that she grows close to with certainty. As a result of this harsh revelation, Emilia was not only able to realize that by opening her heart to others and actively helping out others in need that she was not only able to understand others better but also for the first time in a long time forge a bond of friendship with people who will support her not for political reasons but rather because they want to support her because they consider her a dear friend. Perhaps more importantly she was finally able to realize the kind of strong bonds that had existed within both her heart and Subaru’s own that she had until now been bottling up within her heart a revelation that served to finally allow her to openly rely upon Subaru not only for his ability to achieve the impossible but also for the sense of emotional support that he brings to her heart a development that served to create a solid foundation from which Emilia can rely upon to grow as a person and use this to confront the many trials that this season throws at her and overcome them together.
Overall, in terms of character development, I felt that Emilia as a person was able to not only grow significantly as a result of her revelations in the present day but at the same time also be given much more character and emotional depth as a result of the insight into her painful past that we were afforded to via the trials within sanctuary both elements of which I felt synergized well with each other and allow her to become a much stronger character within the series both physically and mentally. Overall, I felt that Rie Takahashi like her fellow co-star Yuusuke Kobayashi also did an excellent job at portraying the character of Emilia especially in portraying her younger self and in vocalizing the sense of pain, fear, and loss that came from seeing her loved ones be cut down in front of her.
AMV
In terms of animation while the character designs for the existing main cast of the series remained unchanged I felt that the designs for the many new characters within the season were one’s that were both well designed and developed with the new archbishops of Gluttony, Greed, and Pandora the witch of vainglory and the designs for the various witches being the notable ones. In particular, I felt that the designs for the witches of sloth and lust while certainly impressive had a degree of an oddity in their design as I felt that the design for the witch of sloth Sekhmet was far more suited to Camilla the witch of lust that Carmilla’s current body.
In terms of location while the season only featured a handful of locations these I felt were both well designed and animated with the sanctuary, the witch’s tea party as well as the past version of the forest where Emilia and Mother Fortuna lived being especially noteworthy with both being well animated and really beautiful as well. One location that I felt deserves special mention was the replica of the real world that Subaru visited as part of his first trial. While the location itself was not one that was not as breathtakingly beautiful as the others were what made this setting so special was because this space allowed us a rare opportunity to meet Subaru’s parents Kenichi and Naoko and see the kind of relationships that existed between them and Subaru as well as the amends that Subaru made to them as a result of the life lessons that he had learned as a result of overcoming the many trials that barred his path. When used in combination with the mental image of Subaru’s lament at never being able to see them again in the flesh and their perceived grief at not being able to find one trace of their missing son in the real world this setting served to create quite the emotional effect within me that made this scene truly stand out.
In terms of combat animations, I felt that this season featured a fair number of battles between the main cast and the various antagonists of the series that served to showcase not only the stakes that came about from encountering and overcoming the trials but also of the increasing attention that the witch-cult was casting in their direction as a result of recent events. Notable fights that I felt deserve special mention were Elsa’s fight with Frederica, Beatrice’s fight against Elsa, Ram’s fight against Garfiel, Mother Fortuna, and Petelgeuse’s tragic fight with Pandora and Garfiel’s fight against Elsa. Beatrice’s fight against Elsa I felt was especially impressive as I was under the impression that she had no combat ability outside of her library for which she greatly surprised me with her attempt to stop Elsa. While the season had many excellent fights my favourite one was arguably Garfiel’s fight with Elsa within the burning mansion that not only featured a tension-filled fast-paced fight but was also one that served to expand upon both Elsa and Garfiel as characters as well particularly with regards to the former. However, while these fights were well designed and animated I felt a number of them were one’s that ended up being off-screen which I felt were a shame as I would have liked to see them take place on screen.
In terms of music the series as a whole made use of two opening’s and three ending themes which was Realize that was performed by veteran singer Konomi Suzuki, Long Shot by veteran singer Mayu Maeshima, Memento, Believe in you that was both performed by nonoc and Door that was performed by Emilia’s seiyuu veteran seiyuu singer Rie Takahashi. While all of these songs I felt were excellent ones I felt that my favourite ones were Realize whose dramatic vocals combined well with the visuals of that opening to showcase just how determined Subaru is to help his friends even if it meant dying countless deaths to achieve it and reflecting well on Subaru’s fierce defence against the despair that threatens to envelop him. Long shot on the other hand I felt was a similarly strong song with excellent vocals and visuals to match but the feelings that I got from that song were the polar opposite of what we saw in Realize as that song to me represented not only a stand against the myriad foes that surround and threaten them but a stand that was no longer being conducted alone but instead in the company of allies that you can trust wholeheartedly representing well the many connections that Subaru and Emilia had managed to forge as a result of the many trials that they have managed to face and overcome together. While the series animation’s breathtakingly beautiful animations have already been stated I felt that within the series this was complemented nicely by the series OST that while providing excellent situational music also reserved the best tracks for the more heartfelt moments within the series such as in Subaru’s rescue of Beatrice from her library and Ram and Puck’s fight against Roswaal being the best examples.
In terms of voice acting, I felt that overall, the series main voice cast all did an excellent job at portraying their characters whether they were main or support ones. In particular, I feel that Yuusuke Kobayashi and Rie Takahashi both did an excellent job of portraying the main characters of Subaru and Emilia with both being able to add much additional emotional weight to their lines that served to make their interactions within the story that much more heartfelt. At the same time, I also felt that Yuka Iguchi, Yui Horie, Satomi Arai, Kaori Nazuka, Rie Murakawa, Aimi Tanaka, Nobuhiko Okamoto, Mamiko Noto, Nao Touyama, Misaki Kuno, Mikako Komatsu, Manaka Iwami, Mai Nakahara, Kouhei Amasaki, Rie Kugimiya, and Maaya Sakamoto all did an excellent job of portraying the characters of Crusch, Felix, Beatrice, Frederica, Ram, Ryuuzu, Garfiel, Elsa, Daphne, Typhon, Minerva, Carmilla, Sekhmet, Otto, Pandora, and Echidna respectively. While only shown in a handful of episodes I felt that Kousuke Toriumi, Ryouka Yuzuki, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, Haruka Tomatsu, Inori Minase, and Eri Suzuki also did an excellent job at portraying the characters of Kenichi and Naoko Natsuki Subaru’s grief-stricken parents who until this day pray fervently for their son's return, Petelgeuse when he was still a normal lovestruck man, Fortuna the guardian of the seal whose death was the main cause of Emilia’s painful past, Rem who sadly was stuck in seemingly eternal sleep over the course of the season and Meili the child turned beastmaster
Overall conclusion
In overall Re Zero season 2, I felt was an excellent series that served to not only expand upon both the lore and characters that were introduced back in the first season but also serve to expand upon both the stakes and struggles that Subaru and Emilia face as a consequence of their actions by introducing not only new characters and locations but also present a more personal take on their struggles in the form of the trials that allow us to see the kind of trauma and regrets that existed within their respective hearts. Re Zero season 2’s main strengths I felt were its premise, story, characters, music, voice acting, and overall animation all of which combined to make this season perhaps one of the best animes of this anime season.
The season’s focus on the more personal aspects of one’s heart and the regrets that they kept hidden from their friends and allies in the form of Subaru and Emilia’s trials I felt was an excellent move as not only did it allow us to see the kind of pain that had been lurking deep within their hearts that they did their best not to show others preferring instead to hide them instead but at the same time it also allowed both characters an opportunity to not only confront them and make peace with the things that they most dearly miss and allow the emotions that they had until now kept hidden to flow freely and allow both to make their final farewells to those regrets as they take their next steps forward toward the future.
In overall I felt that Re Zero’s second season was an excellent anime that had among its main strengths an excellent premise, story, characters, voice acting, music, and animation and served to not only reinforce the foundations that the first season introduced but also expand upon it by introducing new characters and events that tied in nicely with both Subaru and Emilia’s journey via its skilled weaving of emotions, revelations, and character development. As a final score, I would say that the second season of Re Zero easily deserves a final score of 10/10.
