RE:ZERO KARA HAJIMERU ISEKAI SEIKATSU

DESCRIPTION

CAST

NOVEL ActionRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
TV SHORT AdventureRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Kyuukei Jikan (Break Time)
TV SHORT AdventureRe:Petit kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu
OVA ComedyRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu OVAs
TV SHORT ComedyIsekai Quartet
ANIME ActionRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season
TV SHORT ComedyIsekai Quartet 2
MANGA ActionRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Dai-3 Shou - Truth of Zero
MANGA ActionRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Dai-1 Shou - Outo no Ichinichi-hen
MANGA ActionRe:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu: Dai-2 Shou - Yashiki no Isshuukan-hen
MOVIE ComedyIsekai Quartet: Another World
ANIME ComedySnack Basue

REVIEWS

• 

  Yorshka

  100/100
  This anime is worth it!

  Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World (ゼロから始める異世界生活, Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu), is one of the brightest gems of the Summer 2016 season. While it is not something flawless, as one might think, this series is definitely doing its best to be enjoyable and interesting for its viewer. In my opinion, the fact that the creator of the series actually cares is very commendable. However, it is an open secret that trying to be fascinating and being fascinating is not the same thing. Thankfully, it is not one of these cases. Allow me to share my opinion on Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World, on the anime that is able to leave one speechless, on the anime that bullies you, and on the anime that shows you many events, which are absolutely impossible to foresee.

  Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World is a Japanese light novel series written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shinichirou Otsuka that also has three manga adaptations and an anime television series adaptation by White Fox, which began airing on April 4, 2016. The series tells us a story of Natsuki Subaru, a normal young man that lives his normal life in the modern Japan. However, one day, he is summoned to another world. Without knowing the person that summoned him, or the reason for being summoned in the new world, he soon befriends a silver-haired-half-elf girl, Emilia. Due to some unknown circumstances, the girl is being targeted by an unknown assassin. The assassin manages to kill the two and everything seems to be over. Yet, a second later, Natsuki Subaru awakens and discovers his new ability that he names "Return by Death." That new ability gives him the power to reverse time by dying; however, only he remembers the events of the previous timeline. Why was Natsuki Subaru summoned in this mysterious world, who gave him the power to reverse time? Find the answer by watching Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World now.

  The first thing that might come to your mind after reading the description of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World’s story-line is that this anime is a mix of Steins;Gate, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!, and Boku dake ga Inai Machi. And I must say that you will be right to think so. Of course, this anime has nothing to do with comedy, but all these four anime do have a few things in common. Anyway, Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World reworks all mistakes of its predecessors doing its best to be entertaining and I must say that Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World manages to do it. It is an open secret that the most important thing for all story-lines is to be complex: one should never be able to foresee more than thirty percent of events that will happen in the next episodes. In case of the anime we are talking about, you might have theories on first, on second, …, on thirteenth episodes, but all your theories will be destroyed in an instant. That is, in my opinion, the best part about the story-line of this anime.

  The animation of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World is mostly top notch. There are many characters, they have sometimes unusual and sometimes very beautiful outfits, monsters, demons, some unknown creatures, and magic spells and they all are beautiful. At the same time, when this anime should become dark, it becomes dark. It is so amazing that it helps you to dive in the universe of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World. Without a doubt, it is not flawless, but it is on the level, which is very important for all anime that have such a setting.

  The OST is on the level, as well. From pop music to amazing orchestral pieces, Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World even focuses on music, which some anime tend to not do. Of course, it is not that important, but the amount of attention this anime pays to its music only helps you to dive into the universe of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World and to understand it better. I will not hide the fact that sometimes the music should have been more epic: when you see a good battle, the music should be epic very, but it is still able to make you have gooseflesh. Another part of this section, which is also worth mentioning, is the cast of this anime. All voice actors did one hell of a job making their characters vivid and lively. If it is a villain, you hate them with all of your heart, if it is one of the main heroes, you just wish that they succeed in everything they do and you cannot even imagine what you will do if something bad happens to them.

  The cast of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World consists of the main characters, Rem and Natsuki Subaru, supporting characters, and villains. While I would argue that the main characters do not receive enough development, I completely agree with the fact that supporting characters should have received more development. However, I believe that the main characters and the villains compensate for it well, since Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World has the edgiest villains that you have ever seen in your life. Anyway, let us talk about the main characters: Rem and Natsuki Subaru.

  Natsuki Subaru is the male protagonist of the series. On the way home from the convenience store, he is suddenly summoned to another world. He later discovers an ability that he names "Return by Death" that allows him to go back in time, if he dies. And the most interesting part about it is that only he remembers what happened and he cannot tell anyone about this ability. Natsuki used to be a hikimori, being absolutely useless, he has never done anything in his life. However, in this new world he should not only try to become more powerful, but also to use his wit. He will not be granted with the power to destroy the whole world, he does not have a guardian angel, or a harem of cute girls that will help him in every situation. He just has no other choice but to do everything alone, which makes him change himself. His character development is amazing and you just want to not see him suffer. Rem is the second main character of the series. She has a younger sister and both of them work at Emilia’s mansion. When Subaru meets her, she shows absolutely no signs of being interesting; however, as the story progresses, Rem stops being a doll and becomes a very interesting character.

  The supporting characters of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World do not receive enough development; however, as I have already mentioned, the villains compensate well for it. You just want to see their death, you just want to see their sufferings, and you hate them with all of your heart. While I understand that it is impossible to grant enough screen time for all characters, I still think that all characters are very interesting to follow and it should be more than enough for you.

  All in all, I cannot guarantee you that you will like this series and I am not going to do it. Personally, I like the fact that this anime tries to rework mistakes of its ancestors in order to not make them again, I like the fact that the characters of this series are realistic and not overpowered like in some other series, I like the fact that it is never possible to guess what will be shown in the next episodes, which is very important, as well. With every episode, you are trying to prolong your enjoyment and to watch this series little by little; however, it is simply not possible. You just want to know what will happen in the next episodes. It is, of course, not flawless, nothing is, but if you want to see something very dark, I would highly recommend you to give Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World a try. I hope that you will enjoy watching Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu!

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• 

  Zaphkiel

  70/100
  Not my cup of tea, but probably still worth the watch

  Second Chances

  

  Intro/First thoughts

  There’s always that one airing show that has everyone talking. Earlier this year, I almost didn’t watch Erased until I heard everyone talking about how good it was online. Similarly, I didn’t pick up Re Zero until I heard about all the drama about a certain character in a certain episode. It was everywhere so I figured that if everyone was talking about it, I should probably give it a try. So here are my thoughts on the show now that I’ve finished it.

  Story

  

  I would argue that the story of Re Zero is one of its weaker aspects. The premise is nothing special really: Subaru wakes up in a new world (that just happens to be fantasy themed). He meets a white haired girl who we later learn is named Emilia. Subaru also possesses a unique ability to start from a previous “save point” upon dying.

  In the first episode, Subaru is depicted as a sort of shut-in as he is going to buy snacks from a convenience store and then return to playing video games or something. Immediately, this reminds me of a show called Konosuba (it has a similar premise). I figured that Subaru and his experience with video games would serve as a basis for him to do interesting things in the new world that he is summoned into. Perhaps he will learn to fight and take on quests to gain money (much like Konosuba). This really isn’t the case, which makes things more interesting. My main gripe is that the story felt like it was all over the place. The first few episodes focus on Subaru realizing his power and trying to save some of the people he meets then it shifts to the story of Rem. Later, the story shifts to the Royal Selection and the subjugation of a beast called the White Whale. None of these little arcs felt that related. Sure, they are things that Subaru experiences in this world but it seemed like the writer felt like there always needed to be something going on. Once Subaru is able to save a few characters, he later moves into the Mathers Domain where he runs into problems only a short time after his arrival. There are only more and more problems awaiting him. The White Whale arc is actually related to the Royal Selection arc but the real reason behind the White Whale arc is because of the Final arc (it’s all a bit confusing).

  Once the show begins a new arc, it goes in depth into the events. It draws you in and often times I had a hard time remembering what happened earlier in the show because most of the events currently happening felt almost unrelated to previous occurrences. I will say that the show got interesting towards the end; some of the cliffhangers left me impressed.
  

  
  Characters

  

  A lot of people have different opinions about Subaru. I personally didn’t like him at all but from a reviewer’s standpoint I can see his appeal. Subaru has some moments where he makes (very) questionable decisions. He came off to me as a brat, especially during a duel he has with a knight named Julius. During the Royal Selection arc, I almost had to quit because many moments were very cringe worthy. However, Subaru experiences some incredible development throughout the show. He dies many times only to find himself coming back as if nothing had happened. To deal with seeing your friends die many times is obviously very difficult but Subaru manages to do so and is able to work towards a better ending for him and his friends. Once the White Whale arc starts, it’s clear how much he has matured. His initial character (of being a shut-in) is stripped away and almost non-existent at this point, which I found to be a good thing. To understand how hard life can be and to accept its challenges allowed Subaru to get where he is now. Subaru’s mental strength honestly amazes me.

  The other cast is very large but there are casts for each arc. I missed seeing Old Man Rom, Elsa (holy shit, Elsa is bae), and Mathers during other arcs. I honestly don’t know why some of these characters didn’t appear in other arcs. It would have given the series some more cohesiveness. I wondered why they decided to introduce a few characters that would pretty much be non-existent later in the show.

  Animation and Sound

  

  White Fox handled the show well. Nothing too flashy but still a pleasant viewing experience. The animation didn’t really stand out but certain character designs (mostly Ram, Rem, Mathers) did. The battle scenes were just okay, nothing to write home about.

  The soundtrack didn’t feel too memorable except for a few moments. One of them is a certain death scene that I found to be brutal. The orchestral track played during this scene was by far my favorite. You are most likely watching this show for its story rather than its animation and OST anyway.

  Also, shoutouts to Yoshitsugu Matsuoka for voicing Betelgeuse. Some of his scenes were incredible not to mention creepy AF. He definitely nailed the portrayal of Betelgeuse

  Personal Enjoyment
  

  _tfw she tells you to come to her room later tonight which lowkey means a long ass beating because you didn't take out the trash like a good butler_

  I can’t say I fully enjoyed this show. It left me salty (I’m a whiny weeb. Fight me) and cringing most of the time but that’s just me. I was never too excited about the next episode coming out until the series was about to end. Unfortunately, this just wasn’t a show that clicked with me.

  I would still recommend this show to other people. “Wait, didn’t you basically say it was a cringe fest?” While I didn’t find it that enjoyable, I’m sure many others would. It’s not that bad of a show. A lot of people are probably going to disagree with my opinions in this review but this show has some redeeming qualities. Even if you don’t end up liking it, it’s still an interesting watch.
  __

  Conclusion__ Re Zero isn’t my cup of tea but maybe it’s yours. As impressive as it is to see how far Subaru matures, you can’t hide that fact that some of his actions are rather questionable and even crazy. I watched it because I wanted to see what everyone was talking about and, oh boy, I sure found out. I will recommend this to you if you like to see a lot of character development or you just don’t know what to watch next. This show has its fair share of action and can be pretty interesting. If you want to avoid all this Re Zero discussion drama you’ve been seeing online and hate to see a whiny main character during their development, just don’t.
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• 

  beanwolf

  90/100
  An isekai with production value AND a plot to carry it. Not perfect, but for isekai, you'll struggle to find better.

  This is a spring season holdover series, and it was definitely the most popular show in the anime community in a long, long time. Like anything popular, opinions on the show are divisive, with people either singing its praises or saying that it's utter garbage. As any fan of anything has come to expect, it's truly neither A nor B. Re:Zero is far from a perfect show, but White Fox definitely did an incredibly job with this light novel adaptation, and watching it week to week from the beginning was an absolute treat. They are truly the masters of week-in, week-out cliffhangers, keeping us all chomping at the bit for more each week.

  It's also worth remembering the genre in which Re:Zero lives, and just how much utter and complete trash anime fill this genre. We're not comparing Re:Zero to Evangelion or Madoka or Bakemonogatari, anime that many people consider stand above all others outside of their genres and considered "good anime" as a whole. No, Re:Zero is best compared to its contemporaries, just like anything else, and within that space, I don't think that it could have been much better. Yes, the series has some character and plot issues, but it goes out of its way to try to justify and make you care about these things far better than it's compatriots (think SAO and NGNL).

  With that out of the way, lets talk some brief specifics. Subura is a dude who gets thrust into a fantasy world for no rhyme or reason. The first thing the guy does is try to be genre-savvy, asking where the princess is who summoned him there and things like that, and he gets fucked up for it. Killed in fact. As it turns out, Suburu's only special ability is that he can respawn, and its this horrifying power that he's cursed to use to solve problems and advance through the story. Throughout the action and adventure, we're introduced to a pretty large cast of characters, all with their own personalities and motivations which we'll get to see at least briefly in the spotlight throughout our 25 episode run. Speaking of runtime, one of the major criticisms with this show is the early pacing problems that the show has. Episodes 3 through 6 in particular can be an incredible slog as they are almost pure world and character building with no action or plot advancement in the slightest, especially if someone isn't sold on the premise yet. The pace picks up significantly from episode 7 and onward but the dip in quick action is worth noting to those thinking about checking this series out.

  Re:Zero isn't all flash though, it takes a good bit of time to examine just how mentally exhausting and terrifying it is for Suburu to be killed over and over again, having the power drive Suburu nearly completely insane. This is a far more dramatic examination of the trauma someone might experience from this kind of power than even Steins;Gate dared to explore with Okabe's character, and is a welcome big of emotional content among the quickly paced action sequences. The show also deals thematically a lot with what it means to be "fake" and what it truly means to be a hero, with Suburu in actuality being a giant dickbag that is only looking out for #1, despite touting that he cares for everyone and wants to save them out of the "goodness of his heart". Episode 18, where this all comes to a head, is one of the most masterfully delivered dialogues I've had the pleasure of watching in anime yet. It was welcome to see some attempts at true character development over the course of the series instead of just mindless action sequences.

  Aesthetically, this one is a drop dead knockout. Gorgeous visuals, fluid animation both in dialogue and fight sequences, and far above average music to boot. White Fox really knows what they're doing and I'm glad that they pick and choose which series that they will adapt full force instead of just taking a bunch of cash grabs as many newer studios do. Although the series is 25 episodes, White Fox regularly omits both the OP and the ED from the show, giving Re:Zero a complete length of almost 29 full 24 minute episodes. For a TV anime, this level of detail and passion for the material is unfounded, especially in this day and age, and deserves to be acknowledged.

  I could talk about this one a lot longer but that's not the point of this kind of post. Just remember that the scores are based on a show's genre, and that Re:Zero is one of the best action adventure and fantasy series that we've seen in a long time. It's not for everyone, but it can definitely be an enjoyable ride. It even ends in a satisfying way, which is unfounded for an anime adaptation of an ongoing light novel series.

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