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Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World-
Episode 25

by Theron Martin,

How would you rate episode 25 of
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- ?
Community score: 4.6

Throughout the series, Subaru has only succeeded at being heroic by serving as the catalyst for others who are stronger and more skilled to act. He might help set an opponent up for a fall, but he's never actually landed a triumphant blow himself, except in an emotional sense (see Rem). In the past, when he has tried to act directly, he's almost invariably come to a bad ending. That makes it quite fitting that in the final episode, when Subaru has his act more together than he ever has before, he finally gets his opportunity to directly be the hero. And while he does have help even in that (Otto is back and reveals his ultimate purpose in the story!), he's the one who finishes this part of the story with his own hands. He may not have been the only person who could have accomplished this task, but he's the one who has the most motivation and drive to do so.

Before it comes to that point, there's still a lot to like here. The (supposed) final battle against Betelgeuse is fun to watch, with the double-team between Julis and Subaru working beautifully to counter everything that Betelgeuse can do. Now that he has time to think about how to respond, Subaru has a neat solution to Betelgeuse trying to possess him that hadn't occurred to me: invoke the Witch by trying to reveal Return by Death and have her come down on Betelgeuse's possessing spirit. The parallels to the way Subaru got rejected by Emilia back in episode 13 are striking, and my, wasn't it suspicious that the Witch's voice sounded an awful lot like Emilia's? Perhaps that's why Subaru almost seemed a little sympathetic toward the monstrous lingering form of Betelgeuse during Otto's wild ride through the wilderness; in a figurative sense, he practically was that person himself at one point. Otto's wild ride is also a treat, and I loved how they handled Subaru's entrance to the carriage, which marks the first time he has actually been in Emilia's direct presence since episode 13: no music, excellent shot framing and lighting, and just a brief moment of pause before he's immediately back to business. The show understands that this isn't the moment for a reunion scene, as the day must be saved first. But that doesn't keep the scene from having a massive payoff, as Subaru finally directly tells Emilia that he loves her.

The series has had a lot of great and truly dramatic moments, but I would still put that simple scene high on the list. I wasn't really sure where the series might go with the final episode, but I can't think of a more satisfying way for it to end than with Subaru finally being directly heroic (and no, I didn't miss how the awesome Patrasche protected him in the explosion), and then properly admitting his mistakes during Emilia's last meeting and laying out that he has always been acting out of love, even if he didn't always understand that himself. Given Emilia's situation, the amount of trouble that she's always had being accepted for who she is by anyone other than Puck, there were no more effective words that Subaru could have used toward her, and Subaru finished by doing the classy thing this time and not pressuring her too much for a response. This scene also makes it clearer why Rem was sent away a couple of episodes ago; she would have been in the way here by her mere presence.

There are minor points that could be quibbled about here. The scene with Subaru and Emilia went on just a little long (although the producers apparently felt that was important, as this episode is three minutes longer than normal), a musical effort reminiscent of the climax of a classic Hollywood romance threatened schmaltzy overkill, and this cycle ended with Emilia not actually doing anything herself. But it also leaves us with some mysteries, too. What was Subaru about to say in that very last shot, after the flash to the scene in episode 1 where she didn't respond well to being called Satella during the second loop? And should anything be made of Betelgeuse's cryptic comments about all Satella has done for him, or was he just referring figuratively to her giving him motivation? Guess we'll have to wait and see if another TV season gets made to get answers on that, but as stopping points in the story go, this is as good as any.

So while the high point of the season was its middle, the end is nonetheless quite strong too. The daring, fresh angle the overall story has taken on self-insert “trapped in another world” stories and the general quality of its production on all fronts make it the title to beat for Series of the Year honors as far as I'm concerned. Going into next season without more Re:Zero to anticipate will be sad indeed.

Rating: A

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


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