The long battle for the city of Priestella is now over, but the wounds inflicted are here to stay. The victims of the Archbishop of Sloth have forgotten everything, or have been forgotten by everyone. The former happened to Lady Crusch Karsten, one of the claimants to the throne, and as the cliffhanger with which the last season ended showed, the latter happened to Julius the knight, friend and rival of our protagonist, Subaru. In turn, those hurt by the Archbishop of Lust have turned into beasts and monsters and are now encased in magic ice. The road forward is clear: Only Shaula the Sage, one of the three Heroes of Lugunica (the other two are the Sword Saint and the yet unseen Dragon Lord), may know how to restore everyone. The problem is, not even Reinhard von Astrea, the all-powerful knight, was able to reach the tower where the Sage resides back when the royal family was in trouble. He kept walking, but the tower kept receding into the horizon. Subaru still wants to try, though. And while he is at it, he will bring a much-missed fan-favorite character with him, in the hopes that she can also be restored to health. But perhaps one of Subaru’s companions may have a secret reason to see the Sage…
After a season that felt like an excellently directed Dungeons and Dragons campaign, the journey continues in style. Man, I’m going to miss the streets of Priestella. We’re going East now, to the Pleiades Watchtower, built long ago to contain the sealed Witch of Envy, the one who caused the Great Catastrophe and who has a yet unexplained connection to Subaru and Emilia. This episode is kind of a breather: Before heading to the Sage, we touch base with Roswaal’s character, split the party, and receive some more clues to keep piecing together Re:Zero‘s labyrinthine lore. The friendship/rivalry between Julius and Subaru looks like something that is going to be at the forefront this season, and it is a dynamic I’m really interested in. Julius is something of an aspirational figure for Subaru, a reminder of what was arguably his lowest moment, and also his polar opposite in some ways: formal where Subaru is casual, collected where Subaru is passionate, and deeply connected to the world Subaru is a newcomer to. Things look good, and I’m hoping for some of the deeply powerful moments this anime often treats us to. And I’m also looking forward to the teased reencounter, of course. Go, Subaru!
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- is streaming at Crunchyroll.
