Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

Episode 14

So episode 14 features the introduction of the new opener, and my but it is interesting for what it suggests. Based on the imagery, it looks like the rift between Subaru and Emilia is going to be ongoing, and that Rem will continue to be a major player this season. (Ram isn't shown at all though.) And what might that image with the spectral hands imply? The song's pretty decent too.

As for the actual episode content, I thought Subaru had fully imploded last episode, but no, he's clearly still in the process of imploding. Even Emilia rejecting him isn't enough on its own for him to hit rock bottom. Chipper Subaru is gone, and he's turning into a mean, nastily obsessive Subaru, displaying the kind of behavior that would lead to him becoming a villain if he wasn't already the protagonist. He doesn't seem to either recognize or care that a fair number of people – whether on orders or because they actually like him – are genuinely trying to help him; he's become locked into a mode of thinking where he's the only one who can take action. In fact, the writing goes so far with this that I have to think a point is being made; this is what the dark side of heroism looks like, what it can be twisted into when the entitlement of a character isn't recognized by others, perverting the sense of righteousness that walks hand-in-hand with being a hero. It's a daring but interesting approach, coming off so disconcertingly in execution that it commands the audience's attention.

Compounding the sadness of the situation is Rem. Subaru is completely failing to recognize her as his strongest and most loyal ally who cares deeply for him. Her warmth toward him is wonderful to see, which makes her “so save just a tiny bit of that for me too” comment (in reference to his feelings toward Emilia) practically heartbreaking. Kudos to the score in that scene and kudos also to Yūsuke Kobayashi for his great voice work as Subaru.

The episode's central conversation with Krusch was interesting, both because it fleshes her out more and because it suggests that she doesn't want to be enemies with Emilia. So is the early exchange between Felix and Julis that suggests he might have motives for doing what he did to Subaru beyond being offended at some play against Emilia. This all gives me the impression that there's much more at stake than just who rules the kingdom, and that Emilia figures more deeply into the overall machinations than just as a possible successor. The conversation Subaru has with the shopkeeper about how the public views the witch (and Emilia because of her similar physical traits) is also interesting, because it exposes how much public sentiment might be against her. So is the ring of hooded figures – the same group who slaughtered Ram and Rem's village – who surround Subaru and then bow to him before departing without doing anything. That would seem to even more firmly associate Subaru with the Jealous Witch, but then why did they also slaughter the village near Roswaal mansion? Given the ugliness of that scene, it's no surprise that Rem turns up dead too. The episode ends before we can determine what might have happened to Ram or Emilia, but damn, what a cliffhanger to stop on!

As much as I hate to put it this way, this series is at its very best when its content is at its ugliest, and this episode is at least as ugly as episode 7. (To be absolutely clear, I definitely don't mean the artwork. It's great throughout the episode, returning to the higher standards seen earlier in the series.) The ending raises strong suspicions that the next loop is imminent, and if so, Subaru sure has a lot of things that he can correct! Either way, this has easily become the most compelling series to air so far this year.

Rating: A

Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.