Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-

Episode 19

Over the past few episodes, Subaru has had to learn some painful lessons about himself and what he can and cannot do. Episode 19 shows that he was indeed taking notes and learned his lessons very well.

In fact, the degree to which Subaru takes advantage of what he learned – especially in the last loop – is pretty impressive. Based on the details he put together from various ventures, he correctly surmised that his knowledge of where and when the White Whale would appear was actually very valuable, as multiple parties would be interested in its defeat; there were people like Wilhelm who sought to avenge fallen loved ones and there were people like Crusch and Anastasia with trade-related reasons for wanting to get such a dangerous predator out of the way. Furthermore, he took pains to set up support for his argument before he went to pitch his alliance proposal to Crusch, including putting some mining rights into the mix. (Frankly, I had forgotten about the magic stones.) Instead of pursuing personal goals or endangering Emilia's position, he focused on what other people might have to gain from working with him – although I got the sense that even though the White Whale was his trump card, he underestimated exactly how strong a card he was playing. He also finally accepted that he wasn't the one to be the hero this time; all he could really do is get others to act and keep the Whale's attention while other forces took it down. This was a turning point whose importance should not be underestimated, since (aside from Return by Death) that is where his power lies in this setting.

There were a lot of nice little touches mixed in with these developments. I was happy to see Subaru get nervous or apprehensive at a couple of points, as it shows that his restored confidence isn't blind anymore, and his method for explaining how he knew the timing of the White Whale's presence was pretty clever. The revelation of Crusch's special ability also explains a bit about how thoroughly she was able to read Subaru in their dealings in the previous loop. Showing the retired, middle-aged knights join the war party was also a very welcome sight, lending a deeper sense of realism to the campaign. I could have done without the cutesy stuff with Anastasia's war leader, but the infusion of a little humor for the first time in quite a while was appreciable; I particularly loved how Crusch used her ability to shoot down Subaru's newest effort at posing. The direction for the final scene, where the White Whale finally appears, also impressed; taking this approach instead of going for the dramatic build-up was very effective and left me wondering for a moment if they might actually leave Subaru hanging.

This episode also raises a couple of issues though. First, I thought the major players got convinced a little too easily that Subaru had the authority to negotiate those mining rights. Yes, it's presumable that Roswaal wouldn't object to giving those up in exchange for the White Whale's elimination, but that still seemed like a stretch. The pacing also felt like it was stretching to get the episode to end at the right place. And was it just me, or did the artistry seem to take a dip again? Whether Wilhelm's words about his wife and the sword should be taken literally or figuratively is also in question, and while that's not a problem, if the White Whale “took” her, that again raises the question of how she's still remembered, considering the Whale's powers.

Regardless, it looks like a major battle awaits us next episode, for the first time in a long time. I look forward to seeing how that will play out.

Rating: A-

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