The long-awaited second season of the anime "Re:ZERO − Starting Life in Another World" has finally been confirmed! This fantasy alternate world story has become a huge hit. A new episode depicting Emilia and Puck's first meeting is scheduled for theatrical release in Fall 2019! First, let's take a closer look at the protagonist, Natsuki Subaru, as a refresher on the first season.
The Protagonist from Another World
Natsuki Subaru is a 17-year-old high school student in the real world. However, as a recluse, he didn't attend school, instead spending his days lazily playing games and watching anime. Then, on his way home from shopping at a convenience store, he suddenly warped into another world. However, the "beautiful girl who summoned me" he was hoping for was not there, and his life in another world begins without knowing who summoned him.
By the way, he has zero fighting ability...
Subaru himself is immersed in anime and games, so he thought being summoned to another world meant being the strongest warrior, but Subaru has nothing and can't use magic. Unfortunately, throughout the first season of the anime, he is weaker than everyone else, relying solely on Rem and those around him in battle. This makes him a sad protagonist.
An annoying character who can't read the mood?
Subaru's personality can hardly be described as "refreshing, protagonist-like." To put it nicely, he's straightforward, but he's not good at reading the mood, so he speaks casually and gets too familiar with everyone. He's also not good at controlling his emotions, so he often takes out his anger on others or screams and yells, which often angers others.
But he's very compassionate!
As I mentioned earlier, Subaru has some flaws, but he's also very compassionate! He's willing to put himself in harm's way for those he's close to. While this may be difficult at first, more and more people will come to trust Subaru. He's especially trusted by those closest to him!
I love Emilia!
Subaru arrives in another world and finds himself in a predicament, only to be rescued by the heroine, Emilia. Despite her own dire circumstances, Emilia rescues Subaru, heals his injuries, and stays by his side until he wakes up. Despite this, Emilia made sure Subaru didn't feel inferior. Subaru was drawn to her kindness (and of course her appearance...), and he fell in love with her.
Bond with Rem
At first, Rem didn't trust Subaru at all, due to the witch's lingering scent. Subaru tried to start over using "Return by Death," but was killed by Rem twice. Even though Rem doubted Subaru and saw him as a threat to her place in life and the people she cared about, their bond grew stronger as they spent time together.
She believed in Subaru even when he gave up.
No matter how many times he tried to "return by death" and start over, various patterns of despair awaited him. Reaching his mental limit, Subaru gave up on everything and asked Rem to run away with him and live somewhere. Rem refused, saying, "You have to laugh when you talk about the future," but in fact, this was because she knew Subaru was the kind of person who couldn't give up on the future. Even when Subaru himself hated himself and tried to give up on the future, Rem alone believed in him.
Subaru's Ability: "Return by Death"
No discussion of Subaru can leave out his "Return by Death" ability. Because of this ability, he experiences "death" multiple times, returning to a specific point in the past and starting over each time. While Subaru himself retains memories of what happened before his death, those around him have no memory of what happened before his death. Incidentally, the point of return changes after a certain point in the story, so it's like a save point in a game.
Subaru's "Return by Death" ability is something he can't tell anyone about.
In fact, Subaru can't tell anyone about his "Return by Death" ability. The reason is that whenever Subaru tries to talk about it, time around him seems to stop, black smoke rises, and a black hand clutches Subaru's heart. Furthermore, when he actually told Emilia about it, the black smoke killed her.As a result, Subaru was unable to tell anyone about the "Return by Death."
Is "Return by Death" a Witch's Power?
So why does Subaru have the ability to "Return by Death"? It seems to be related to the "Witch of Envy," Satella. From the beginning of the story, Subaru has constantly said that he can smell the "lingering scent of the witch," and this scent seems to grow stronger each time he dies and starts over. This suggests that the power of "Return by Death" itself is Satella's power. While this isn't revealed in the story, it's a very plausible theory.
The Mystery of Subaru.
There must be a reason why Subaru was summoned to this world, but it remains unclear even in the original work. The "Return by Death" also seems to be related to the witch's power, but that too remains a mystery... Since Betelgeuse of the Witch Cult says that Subaru is favored by the witch, it seems safe to assume there is some kind of connection between Subaru and the witch, but this has not yet been explicitly stated. Subaru remains a protagonist shrouded in mystery.
By the way, the "Witch of Envy, Satella," who is said to be Subaru's favorite, looks just like Emilia! What's more, Satella and Emilia share the same voice actor...so suspicious! The relationship between these two has yet to be revealed, but it's impossible to believe they're not related!
Natsuki Subaru Summary
Subaru has a flawed personality and often gets himself into trouble. However, his feelings for Emilia are honest and pure! He's a kindhearted person, and he's earned the trust of many people, including Rem. He has lost his own life many times due to "Return by Death" and has witnessed the deaths of loved ones, but thanks to Rem and Emilia he has somehow managed to continue living in another world. You just can't help but root for him.
I hope that in the future all the mysteries surrounding Subaru will be solved and we can all laugh about Emilia, Rem and the others!
