Episode 24:
The Self-Proclaimed Knight and the Finest of Knights
| Index | <== Episode 23 | [Episode 25] ==> |
Various Links:
MyAnimeList
Streaming:
Crunchyroll has the Director's Cut available.
- Director's Cut episodes are two episodes combined. Make sure to cover the corresponding half of content for each thread.
AppleTV has the regular individual episodes available.
Spoiler Rules:
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As always, please be sure to tag any future content spoilers according to the r/Anime rules. There is likely to be first timer viewers here, and while discussing how previously seen content connects to content later down the road is interesting (be it later episodes or even Season 3), please be sure to properly spoiler tag anything mentioned! Let's make this a fun experience for everyone involved!
-
This also applies to cut content discussions, which I believe are fine to include for the sake of discussion, but should be properly tagged to avoid potentially spoiling viewers. Be mindful with how you present this information!
Story Arc Lengths for Discussion Purposes:
[Arc 1:] S1 Episode 1 – S1 Episode 3
[Arc 2:] S1 Episode 4 – S1 Episode 11
[Arc 3:] S1 Episode 12 – S2 Episode 1
[Arc 4:] S2 Episode 2 – S2 Episode 25
[Arc 5 and later:] S3+
As always, if you have any suggestions for the Re:Watch, let me know!
by Theleux
12 Comments
A bit early as I am out, but you don’t know how glad I am that the start date is October 2nd for Season 3 airing. Bless not having to change anything schedule wise.
**First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed**
I saw the news about season 3 starting on October 3rd on the front page and damn, u/Theleux, you absolutely nailed when to schedule the rewatch to end. [](#neat)
– [At least he only RBD’d to between the battle with the White Whale and the fight with the cult.](https://i.imgur.com/ACRvfLB.png) He could’ve had to do the entire White Whale battle all over again…
– [Off-model Subaru, lol.](https://i.imgur.com/iMRSV6A.png)
– [So they need to kill all the fingers *first*.](https://i.imgur.com/TkEnDYa.png) Although that still begs the question of how to stop Subaru from becoming one… was it just because he held onto that book? [](#hardthink)
– [Is Subaru wearing the same hood Emilia did?](https://i.imgur.com/yiXAB1D.png)
– [Aw, the kids are defeating racism.](https://i.imgur.com/m5utFxY.png) [](#anko)
– [Oh the hood really is magic?](https://i.imgur.com/KYAehEM.png) Would explain why Emilia didn’t recognize Subaru & why the villagers were all a-okay with Emilia during Memory Snow…
– [Oh lol poor Otto.](https://i.imgur.com/CQzm64w.png) [](#azusalaugh)
– [*That’s* the plan they’re going with?](https://i.imgur.com/g4oBUn7.png) [](#jawdrop)
– [Oh… fuck…](https://i.imgur.com/l0DxFtN.png) [](#gasp)
– [Well this is incredibly satisfying.](https://i.imgur.com/tsgNUmU.png) [](#SPORTS)
– [That’s the same cliff Subaru jumped off of in an earlier episode…](https://i.imgur.com/LPaXSFq.png)
– [Hoh…](https://i.imgur.com/s1fnELI.png)
**Re:Watcher**
Heh, they can’t stop themselves from faking us out with these save points. The brief shot of the appa salesman during the rewind sequence (his name is Kadomon, by the way) always cracks me up. [Arc 4] >!It’s almost as if Satella was like “Dammit, that’s too far back. All right, fast-forward, fast-forward… There we go.”!< Thankfully, Subaru’s new checkpoint is immediately after the hunt for the White Whale, so there’s no need for him to fish his harpoon out of storage again.
And I really wonder what it must be like to see Subaru shift immediately from knowing nothing to knowing *everything*. Everyone in the group takes it in stride for the most part, but man, that must be so unnerving to stand next to Subaru while he spaces out and then suddenly be told some unprecedented insider information on the Witch Cult’s operations. That would be some very suspicious behavior coming from anyone other than the hero who defeated the White Whale. But it’s thanks to that info that they’re all able to head into the Mathers Domain with a much more solid plan of attack this time around.
It really is interesting to see the events play out so differently when Subaru approaches them with a different attitude. The villagers are all moved to tears by Subaru’s impassioned plea for them to evacuate, and him softly nudging Emilia towards accepting the evacuation plan and interacting with the kids while incognito is a stark contrast from how things turned out when he screamed at her a few loops ago. It just goes to show how being empathetic towards other people goes a long way when you’re asking them to listen to what you have to tell them. And it’s made all the more apparent when we see how scary Subaru can be towards people he knows are hostile towards him: “Having your enemy always a step ahead, ready to destroy you… You’re about to learn just how terrifying that is.”
Not to mention that Subaru’s willing to fully commit to the bit when he sees Petelgeuse this time. Honestly, “hilarious” doesn’t even *begin* to describe what I think about Petelgeuse being so ecstatic about Subaru’s dedication to the cause. Especially since his feelings flip so drastically after Subaru tells Petelgeuse about his special connection with the Witch. Seriously, that much emotional whiplash must be so exhausting. Who decided to call this guy the Archbishop of Sloth?
Finally, I want to reiterate just how compelling I find the current friendship between Subaru and Julius. They obviously started out on pretty bad terms, but given that both acknowledge their mistakes and are willing to leave things behind in order to become better people, I find their dynamic much more interesting as a result. There’s something to be said about how a huge cast of characters allows your protagonist to have several different relationships that can push them to grow in unique ways, and while characters like Emilia and Rem motivate Subaru to become more heroic, he can still acknowledge Julius as being a paragon of heroism at the same time. Neither of these developments negates the other. If anything, they work together to make Subaru a more nuanced character overall. And I always appreciate nuance!
—
**Fan Art of the Episode:** [*SubaEmi*](https://files.catbox.moe/sdg2tj.jpg) by @shakerizero (September 19th, 2016)
**Source:** [Pixiv](https://www.pixiv.net/artworks/59070454) (artist’s profile contains spoilers)
## Rewatcher, sub, basically a secondhand novel reader (Arc 4)
It seems reddit doesn’t like some of the terminology I used, so I am using “ultimate sloth” as a replacement term for the general concept of what Subaru needs to do in order to loop.
As a side note, for all you first timers. If you are watching via the Director’s Cut, there is an additional scene at the very end of Season 1 (DC episode 13). I don’t [believe that we will be discussing it](https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1ezgbvv/rezero_starting_life_in_another_world_rewatch/ljlf2az/?context=3) as part of S01E25 (u /Theleux correct me if I’m wrong here). And it will most certainly affect how you perceive the season, so I recommend not watching it as part of the Director’s Cut. It’s the first scene in Season 2, so you won’t miss anything.
As always, I’ve numbered all my spoilers tags so that they’re easier to respond to
—–
###First Timer Safe Section
This section is safe for first time watchers.
Seems like we don’t have to fight the White Whale again with [this as our checkpoint](https://i.imgur.com/xPWjllL.png).
[Felix](https://i.imgur.com/ex18GBM.png), [you can’t just nibble on someone’s ear](#lewd)
[Yeah this is gonna make things a bit awkward](https://i.imgur.com/jSjzsT3.png).
It seems that Emilia is also thinking a lot about [episode 13](https://i.imgur.com/ByHJ99E.mp4) too.
[This is a depressing line](https://i.imgur.com/DA0DRiY.png). Confirming that what you already know inside, that everybody hates you.
[Good line by Puck](https://i.imgur.com/YlLqATe.png), and you can also apply it to [RBD](https://i.imgur.com/e7fohUE.png).
Ram went out to [confront the army rapidly approaching the mansion](https://i.imgur.com/QrqZgri.png), that she saw via [her clairvoyance](https://i.imgur.com/XnEtmaq.png).
Interesting that Wilhelm uses his [maiden name](https://i.imgur.com/nI3YX8y.png) here instead of Van Astrea.
Wonder when we’re gonna learn more about this [mystery character](https://i.imgur.com/hxwLJCv.png).
A great example of [bigotry being a learned behavior](https://i.imgur.com/JoimaTA.png)
[Petelgeuse](https://i.imgur.com/eEmrEmo.png) [approves](https://i.imgur.com/bQvMZ68.png) of [this](https://i.imgur.com/SgQyb23.png) [message](https://i.imgur.com/XNBNodT.png)
Woah, how did Subaru just [appear like that](https://i.imgur.com/RWFzmyX.png).
Subaru would be a [horrifying person](https://i.imgur.com/Ti4roRU.png) to be pitted against in a strategic context. As he [perfectly counters](https://i.imgur.com/NElg111.png) your [secret plans](https://i.imgur.com/aLGhqYy.png).
Now I can finally talk about the [cloak of non recognition](https://i.imgur.com/3gqN3U7.png) (not official name probably). It’s also one of the two plot holes I know of in Re:Zero. Basically Emilia must of been wearing this cloak in Arc 1. As we’ve seen, [people don’t take too kindly to her](https://i.imgur.com/zHp6fuy.png) when she doesn’t have it on. There’s just no other explanation for why Emilia wouldn’t be wearing it in the Capital besides that they probably just didn’t want to introduce the FMC in a non standard outfit. [Spoiler #1: completely irrelevant side story from between Arc 2 & 3] >!Subaru is the one who suggested that it have a hood, before it used to actually just be a cloak.!<
[Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/zJvjuL4.png) [“borrowed it”](#aliens)
Subaru: Here’s the plan guys, [we’re just gonna hold these signs up while we travel](https://i.imgur.com/1ifOZF8.png).
[Subaru rolls persuasion](https://i.imgur.com/KzuKi0H.png). [18, you pass](https://i.imgur.com/66ioCH9.png).
[Subaru rolls deception](https://i.imgur.com/VptUqua.png). [16, you pass](https://i.imgur.com/Rc8Y83Y.png).
If [this was zoomed out a bit](https://i.imgur.com/NfDz0ox.png) it would make a great shock / surprise comment face. [This one too](https://i.imgur.com/Jq0Fxqw.png).
Some background on [Tora, Tora, Tora](https://i.imgur.com/rJ3liTC.png). One might think that this means, Tiger, Tiger, Tiger (tora is the Japanese word for tiger), but that’s actually not correct. It’s from the code word that the Japanese used to convey that the attack on Pearl Harbor was a success, and it’s short for **To**sugeki **ra**igeki or lightning attack.
[Emotional](https://i.imgur.com/FeU40LF.png) [damage](https://i.imgur.com/1Ynls6d.png)
I believe what [Petelgeuse is doing](https://i.imgur.com/NnTgMtQ.png) is having some hands hold him up, while some of his other hands are walking on the ground. So he’s technically not flying.
[Guess the Witch Cultist never skip leg day](https://i.imgur.com/aTfXfua.png). They’re fast as fuck boiii.
[An S tier meme](https://i.kym-cdn.com/photos/images/original/001/169/631/7bf.png).
[Ain’t that the truth](https://i.imgur.com/mrBToXc.png).
[Slothman gets his revenge](https://i.imgur.com/hgsPt92.png) on the other [Sloth man](https://i.imgur.com/NGJki11.png).
[Ore wa Natsuki Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/9FqwGU7.png)! [Emilia’s self proclaimed knight](https://i.imgur.com/LyTtNck.png)!
[Julius doesn’t die jumping off the cliff like Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/rQMccP6.png). He’s just [built different](https://i.imgur.com/HcPXR9A.png) (or just cheated and used some magic).
[No longer Juli](https://i.imgur.com/x9u6yh9.png).
Not a big fan of translating [Julius’s title as “Greatest Knight”](https://i.imgur.com/fCOd0mz.png). It makes him seem like he’s the most powerful knight (he’s not). Julius is the [“Greatest Knight”](#aliens) in terms of his character (he is the most knightly of the knights). So I like “Finest Knight” better.
[How nice of Petelgeuse to let them talk for a bit](https://i.imgur.com/t9wFjXe.png).
[Petelgeuse’s breakdown](https://i.imgur.com/whXf4Ri.png) when people can see his [Unseen Hand](https://i.imgur.com/XxHUHhI.png) will never get old.
And [this is a really cool application of Nect](https://i.imgur.com/tRrsL5R.png). Previously Julius used it mostly to [connect everyone’s hearing together](https://i.imgur.com/D8XVNNg.png) (to tell them how to break the flower’s hypnosis effect). This time he’s using the sight of Subaru to fight the Unseen Hand in 3rd person. Which btw, has to be very disorienting and extremely difficult to fight in [Spoiler #2: next episode] >!especially since Subaru is also moving around as well!<.
[My friend, Natsuki Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/jHzQfif.png), though I don’t think Subaru feels the same way about you Julius.
And so [The Self-Proclaimed Knight and the Finest Knight](https://i.imgur.com/CaIbYbB.png) team up to try and take down the Sin Archbishop of Sloth, Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti.
—–
###PETIT Section
In this episode’s PETIT, [Betty is working at the bookstore](https://i.imgur.com/cXf5RE7.png), how appropriate. Subaru takes [a long time](https://i.imgur.com/B25uWDp.png) to figure out what book he wants, and gets [accused of being](https://i.imgur.com/HKcwrtJ.png) [lwed](#lewd). It’s a good thing [Betty hired](https://i.imgur.com/6LFcWwu.png) a [part-timer](https://i.imgur.com/xm6QzQW.png). Crusch [interrogates](https://i.imgur.com/zVpvGWq.mp4) Subaru, and finds Subaru [not guilty](https://i.imgur.com/mNKdZcT.png) of coming to the store to look at the NSFW section. But Crusch does find Subaru [guilty](https://i.imgur.com/9ZyVZFI.png) of [doing that](https://i.imgur.com/xgtuUCm.png) [sometimes](https://i.imgur.com/SMS7L2z.png), just [not today](https://i.imgur.com/fypTFth.png). And so Subaru buys [the light novels](https://i.imgur.com/bhQhijv.png) ([Subaru’s gonna spoil himself](#whisperwhisper)). And Subaru [tells us](https://i.imgur.com/f5T1Uf3.png) about [how great](https://i.imgur.com/0YhZ8vc.png) ([ain’t that the truth](https://i.imgur.com/h1yyqBn.png)) the [anime and manga are](https://i.imgur.com/wKhVxhR.png). Though he does give a [warning about the MC](https://i.imgur.com/uTW8SgQ.png).
—–
###Preview Section
In the last episode preview of Re:Zero, Emilia tells a very serious story about an isekaied hero who saved the world from the evil Demon King. That’s right, the story of the mayonnaise hero, Natsuki Subaru! My favorite part was when Subaru said “It’s mayoing time” and then all mayoed over the Demon King.
—–
###Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
[Spoiler #3: Arc 4] >!<
u/BlueVenix [Spoiler #4: Arc 4 cut content] > that only a [few people](https://i.imgur.com/bOsN8ZC.png) are eligible targets for Petelgeuse.!<
[Spoiler #5: Arc 4] >!I think I mentioned this before, but Puck’s contract with Emilia has already been doctored at this point (making it harder for him to materialize or something like that).!<
[Spoiler #6: Arc 4] >!<
[Spoiler #7: Arc 4] > at least, not explicitly true. Betty staying in the forbidden library I recall as being her choice / interpretation of the contract. She after all, does occasionally leave the mansion (most notably in episode 7, though you could argue that Betty was free of it at that point, having chosen Subaru).!<
[Spoiler #8: Arc 4] >!Subaru says a [similar thing](https://i.imgur.com/PDXqhz2.png) when [he becomes her knight](https://i.imgur.com/M5Wp3J8.png).!<
[Spoiler #9: Breaktime S2] >!<
[Spoiler #10: Arc 4] >. It’s a complete byproduct of Subaru’s actions to save Emilia. Subaru doesn’t even realize how much this meant to Otto and how it would affect Otto’s perception of him.!<
**Re:Watcher** – anime only
The good news is that Subaru’s checkpoint is after the whale fight. The bad news is he’s confirmed to be a witch cultist – or equal to one at least. Juli’s proposal of destroying the fingers first seems to be a superior strategy now, but they still have to decide on how to deal with the fake witch cultist among them.
Emilia waking up is another important scene. It should be obvious to anyone watching (especially considering the OP and ED and episode 17), but it absolutely makes clear she didn’t just try and cut ties with Subaru because she doesn’t care for him anymore. It all still weighs heavily on her mind. At least she still has Puck to keep her company. And I love that her first thought about feeling better is to find a way for everyone to get along better.
And this time, Subaru sent Wilhelm to clear up the misunderstanding. Why does he introduce himself with his maiden name (bachelor name?)? I guess van Astrea might make him sound more important than he wants to be in this situation.
Emilia drops a sugoku-like. It’s a bit of cheating to come to the one you had a fallout with pretending to be someone else, but I get Subaru here, it does ease the tension a lot. Using the children and the disguise to talk to her is also a bit of cheating, but that way he could tell her some things she needed to hear and let her gain a bit of courage.
Also finally we can talk about the disguise. Something that’s been used a fair amount of times already gets explained in the penultimate episode of the season. Now some earlier scenes might make more sense.
And getting the witch cult plans delayed by two hours is a great use of the knowledge of a spy. Turns the disadvantage into an advantage.
Otto is back! I love how light-heartedly Subaru laughs here. Otto really brings out the best in him, even in better timelines.
Another meeting between Subaru and Petelgeuse. He gets Petelgeuse to hug him, what a truly revolting feeling. But we learn more about the witch cult. They think Emilia might be a vessel for Satella, and they want to try if she can be. I think that might be why Petelgeuse was so happy at the end of episode 17. He might have been able to tell that Emilia had been touched by Satella and died in the process, already having gone through what he wanted her to be subjected to.
How do the unseen hands work? They are not just an extension of Petelgeuse, else they couldn’t carry him like that. They are more like disembodied limbs, I guess. Or maybe he’s using some of them off-screen to work like legs and lets himself get carried like that.
Petelgeuse claims that the gospel determines his fate, and interestingly it’d go in such great detail that he should know about Subaru because of it.
Subaru self-proclaiming himself as Emilia’s knight again. But this time, it’s cool.
Subaru and Julius weren’t shown to talk much this episode, but their last interaction here does make up for that a little bit. Subaru has said the most important part of what he wanted to say. His humiliation is proof that Julius is a good and trustworthy knight. And Subaru’s acknowledgement as well as his efforts and determination let Julius see Subaru as a trustworthy ally. A strong knight, even. And, most importantly, a friend.
One more episode left. See you tomorrow for the grand season final of Re:Zero – Starting Mayonnaise in Another World!
Sugoooku counter: 22
non-Emilia sugoooku: 3
short sugoku and sugoku-likes: 6
non-canon bonus material sugoooku (Re:Petit): 4
**Rewatcher for Season 1**
**On today’s episode of Re:Zero:** Subaru and Julius are just a couple of tsunderes for each other. They spend all this time talking about how much they dislike each other before casting a spell so they can share their minds together.
Thankfully Subaru’s save point was updated to right after he defeated the White Whale, so he doesn’t need to fight it again. Going by Dark Souls rules, the boss stays dead once it’s dead. Even though this is the first time he’s gone back to this respawn point, Subaru is able to figure out what he needs to do pretty quickly. This loop is probably the most well-prepared I have ever seen Subaru be in the series. Not only is he making use of the information he knows, he’s actively using misinformation to trick others to his advantage and lay traps for the cultists.
I really am impressed by Subaru’s performance here. He knows Ram doesn’t trust him so he works to clear up the misunderstanding asap. He knows the villagers don’t trust Emilia, so he changes his approach on how he speaks to them. Rather than get angry at them for their prejudice, he begs them to trust him and evacuate so he can convince them to trust Emilia later on. Knowing which merchant belongs to the cult, Subaru can feed him false information to trap the cultists in ambushes. Subaru is also able to figure out Petelgeuse’s ability to transfer to different bodies and come up with countermeasures against that.
The most sneaky thing Subaru does, though, is use Emilia’s cloak to trick her. I imagine Subaru doesn’t want Emilia to know that he’s here, since he did promise that he would remain in the capital. But, he’s able to use that cloak to try and draw Emilia out a bit more.
Knowing just how poorly half-elves are treated, Emilia’s desire to have Subaru treat her normally makes a lot more sense. Emilia is used to people either instantly distrusting her or being overly considerate towards her. With Subaru, Emilia hoped that she might have finally found someone who would treat her like anyone else. That’s why she was so saddened that he wouldn’t.
Subaru seems to have finally figured that out and one of his goals here is to try and smooth things over between Emilia and the villagers. That’s why Subaru tries to get Emilia to evacuate alongside the children. He’s trying to show Emilia that not everyone will treat her so poorly as she fears. It’s rather sweet.
I love seeing how Subaru and Julius’s relationship changes over time. By this point, it really does feel like they are a pair of tsunderes. While there is certainly lingering resentment from their duel, it has been replaced by respect for the other. Julius respects that Subaru managed to defeat the White Whale and he respects that Subaru has been able to put together such a detailed plan to defeat the Witch’s Cult. Subaru has been forced to recognize that Julius absolutely deserves his title as a knight and that he was in the wrong for insulting Julius about it earlier. While Subaru doesn’t admit to liking Julius, he does trust him. Being willing to share his senses with Julius using Nect so Julius can see the Unseen Hand shows a tremendous level of trust. And I really like Julius’s final line this episode, referring to Subaru as his friend.
The title of this episode is such a good indication of how Subaru and Julius’s relationship has changed. “The Self-Proclaimed Knight and the Greatest of Knights” describes Subaru and Julius quite well. But tellingly, their titles are placed right next to each other as equals. Subaru and Julius have started to respect each other and they make for quite a team when they learned how to cooperate.
**Miscellaneous Thoughts**
– It’s interesting that Petra recognized Emilia as the woman who was with Subaru doing radio calisthenics, even though Emilia was wearing her cloak back then. Petra also seems to recognize Subaru even though he’s wearing the cloak. It’s like the cloak doesn’t work on her.
– Mimi continues to be a wonderful little gremlin. Look at how happy she sounded announcing that they’d killed all the cultists. [](#terminate)
– Poor Otto still gets caught up in all kinds of shenanigans even when Subaru isn’t the one dragging him into them.
– “Tora Tora Tora” was the signal Japanese pilots used during the Pearl Harbor attack in WWII to signal that they had achieved complete surprise against the Americans. Subaru shouting it here is very appropriate because it signals that they’ve achieved complete surprise against Petelgeuse. Incidentally, “Tora Tora Tora” is also the title of an excellent WWII movie that I highly recommend.
– Petelgeuse looks so weird using his Unseen Authority to fly. [](#azusalaugh)
Hey guys. Holofan4life here.
Welcome to the In Preparation of Season 3 Rewatch of Re:Zero!
Oh, and nay I forget…
**First Timer**
I decided to watch this show because I wanted to do something for the month of August. ’Course, this was before the yearly Spice and Wolf rewatch got pushed back to September, but I just found myself looking for something to occupy my time with. And with this show being in my top 5 must watch list, I figured now was as good a time as any.
I am going into this show relatively blind. I know some of the memes, who Rem, Ram, Emilia, and Subaru are, and that this show got its inspiration from Familiar of Zero, but that’s it. I find rewatches and my participation of them more fun when I have no idea what I am in store for. And with this series, I think we’re in for a blast. It’s also going to be the longest rewatch I participate in this year and second longest overall only behind the 20th Anniversary Fullmetal Alchemist rewatch. And given how joyous that show turned out, I don’t see why I should expect nothing less from this one.
With that out of the way, let’s begin.
I’m watching the sub, by the way.
Have you ever talk tired to where you never tired of talking?
Pringles should be considered a poor man’s hors d’oeuvres.
This is like Subaru’s life flashing before his eyes.
Subaru with Ricardo and Felix now
I guess this is the new checkmark
Felix nomming Subaru’s ear, which should certainly question his sexuality.
Subaru talking about a power you can use to overwrite someone’s consciousness so you can psychologically possess them.
He says he calls it “possession”.
I call it “Unpolite” [](#hikariactually)
Julius bringing a research account of a similar subject.
A magic that has been lost, but the technique only works under certain conditions.
It is thought that only some of the Witch’s Cult members are capable of it.
If the fingers were wiped out, then his soul would have nowhere to go and that would be it.
I believe a soul powered by fingers was the inspiration for The Power Glove.
Julius believes they should eliminate the fingers in the forest, and then face Sloth directly.
Subaru, however, believes it’s not just the fingers.
Talking about possessing himself as well
Lol, that “Huh”
Lowlights of people badmouthing Emilia
Emilia. She has awoken.
Talking to Puck now
Puck tells her thar he was worried about her.
“Even if you know you’ll fall, when it happens, you still hurt and bleed.”
It’s like Puck is telling her that just because these things happen doesn’t mean it should be any less jarring.
Emilia asking how she can be better to everyone and have them be better to her.
Puck advises she should do what she wants.
“I’ll be on your side, no matter what you do.”
I really like Puck. I feel like him and Beatrice are the most underutilized characters in the whole show.
Ram
And Wilhelm
He says he came here on Crusch’s behalf
Emilia says she received a blank letter, which Wilhelm says contradicts the message his master wished to send.
He is here to inform them that they would like to evacuate those remaining in the mansion, along with the villagers.
Wilhelm going over what happened in episode 19.
Half of the villagers will go to the capital, the other half will be lead safely by Ram in the Sanctuary.
Even Roswaal is heading there
That guy looks like Subaru in a hoodie
That’s because it is [](#whowouldathunkit)
Emilia eventually agrees to their demands
Beatrice going to stay in the forbidden library, I suppose.
I like how Puck calls Beatrice his sister and Emilia his daughter. The family dynamic of the mansion is quite amusing.
Puck telling Emilia to do whatever she wants.
Eyy, mini Chitoge and the other kids
Ram informs Emilia that she’s going to ride with them.
And Subaru is trying to build up her self-esteem by saying they want to ride with her.
I like how he’s looking out for her the way she looks out for him.
Petra doesn’t see Emilia as this evil witch woman. She sees her as the lady with the potato stamps.
The one who came with Subaru to watch their radio calisthenics.
The kids in this show are so pure, I swear :c
And Emilia agrees to share a carriage with the kids.
The black cloaked figures look on, one in casual clothing holding what I presume to be a metia.
Subaru
And Wilhelm, Felix, and Joseph
Subaru says that the guy gave his buddies a schedule that was two hours behind. As a result, they’ll use the time to get Emilia and the others away.
“Having your enemy a step ahead, ready to destroy you… You’re about to learn just how terrifying that is.”
Subaru continuing to be a badass
Emilia and the kids are off
Wilhelm wishing Subaru luck
Oh, the robe was made by Roswaal
It had a spell woven into it that prevents recognition.
Maybe that’s what was in Clark Kent’s glasses.
Subaru even was able to convince the villagers to give Emilia a chance.
The damage control Subaru is doing is seriously impressive. He should work in PR.
I also love how much of a tease Felix is in terms of loving to embarrass other people.
Ricardo is here, saying the initial attacks went well.
Mimi and Tivey arrive
Otto!
Poor Otto [](#azusalaugh)
Julius telling Subaru they can leave any time.
“This time, we’ll finish it!”
Subaru eyeing Betelgeuse from afar
He calmly asks him if he would be willing to carry out the Ordeal.
Betelgeuse doing usual Betelgeuse things
“With this Ordeal, we must test her… To learn if this half-devil is a worthy vessel, if she is worthy to put the witch into.”
That sounds troublesome
He’s hoping that the witch will be reborn into this world on the coming fated day.
Betelgeuse holding his Gospel
And Subaru instead shows him his ~~cock~~ metia.
Betelgeuse doesn’t know what he is
And as he’s distracted, Patrasche hits Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse showing off his Unseen Hands
Subaru implying he’s talked to the witch, which makes Betelgeuse incensed.
Betelgeuse riding his Unseen Hands, which is probably the coolest thing he’s ever done.
Subaru being chased by the black cloaked figures now.
But there’s a lot of explosions to throw them off.
Mimi and Tivey helping as well
The two of them are freaked out by Betelgeuse.
Betelgeuse still wondering what he is
“My name is Natsuki Subaru, the silver-haired, half-elf Emilia’s knight.”
I thought his hair was black, not silver
A place with spikes in it
Subaru says it will be where Betelgeuse’s time ends.
**Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.**
**24: Rewatcher waiting for the inevitable**
* [Oh, that’s a good save point!](https://i.imgur.com/llMaNmb.jpeg) Willhelm and the others are still fine, the village is still fine, but the whale is dead. Now to kill Petelgeuse’s fingers in time, and everything will have been done easily, barely an inconvenience.
* [FerrisxSubaru is the love affair ship that will never be.](https://i.imgur.com/1UOW7SQ.jpeg)
* [Props to the Fingers then!](https://i.imgur.com/33GGu9P.jpeg) They are super special!
* [Misunderstanding fixed woooo.](https://i.imgur.com/EfrtGFb.jpeg)
* [Arc 4]> RAAAAAM! YOU’RE CAUSING ALL OF ARC 4 TO HAPPEN! RAAAAAM!!<
* [Emilia either not recognising Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/OEpZ7K2.jpeg) or unwilling to confront him.
* [You’re SO good at blending in.](https://i.imgur.com/ThH0s4r.jpeg)
* [And with your spiri-](https://i.imgur.com/GnusIQC.jpeg) eh… and with your Lord?
* [An actual “A Wizard did it.”](https://i.imgur.com/iH5gpmv.jpeg)
* [Right.](https://i.imgur.com/0eMdaov.jpeg) Some commenter wrote that.
* [Ah, Otto.](https://i.imgur.com/AY4I3RX.jpeg)
* [SUBARU THE BULLSHITER WOOOOOO](https://i.imgur.com/w2GaANG.jpeg) SUBULLSHIT! I love it when Subaru bullshits people.
* [MORE LORE.](https://i.imgur.com/3XI7rrm.jpeg)
* [First-Timers sure will be able to deduce stuff from this.](https://i.imgur.com/GBDgy0t.jpeg)
* [Tappei Nagatsuki cancelled for praising Imperial Japan.](https://i.imgur.com/n2kLVbh.jpeg)
* [Oh I remember,](https://i.imgur.com/ouytjLl.jpeg) we memed the shit out of that shot.
* [For a second I expected Rem.](https://i.imgur.com/RASQ1Aa.jpeg) But spirits make more sense.
* [You know,](https://i.imgur.com/7TwKJZK.jpeg) I think it’s great ReZero doesn’t have a Demon King.
* [HIJIKATA-SAN!!!](https://i.imgur.com/FGm7rL5.jpeg) Subaru and Gintoki truly are the same kind of people.
**Rewatcher**
We’ve reached the penultimate episode. Armed with the knowledge of the previous run Subaru returns once again to save her.
Today was the MF Bunko J Summer festival so we got some more news on S3. A great day to be a Re:Zero fan! [October 2nd**Here we come!**](#grandhype)
A new checkpoint has been set. After the White Whale has been vanquished. Ending the RbD rewind on the frame of the Appa salesman is giving Ep 15 vibes. He didn’t seem to bring Petelgeuse back with him though. Julius comments that there does seem to be precedent for the Archbishop’s body hopping. Still unknown why Subaru’s a target or how he plans to counter it.
We switch over to Emilia in a superb dream sequence. Using only footage and audio that we’ve all seen and heard but distorting it in an anxiety inducing manner. A good representation of a nightmare I feel. Repeating your worst experiences in your head until you wake. We have Puck here to help. Emilia is relying on him for emotional support, though I feel he’s an enabler more than a caretaker. [S2] >!Don’t know how Puck manages to show up not just here, but also in S2 Ep 1. He should only be able to show up when Emilia’s life is in danger after Roswaal’s tampering. Maybe Emilia really felt that threatened after her nightmare.!<
Enter Willhelm. Come to clear up the blank letter misunderstanding. Ram finding out about it through clairvoyance is clever. The Sword Devil introduces himself as Willhem Trias, his former name before he married Theresia. I’m not sure why. Perhaps because he’s doing business on behalf of the Crusch-Emilia camp alliance and doesn’t want to use the Van Astrea name? Half of the villagers are going to the capital and half to the Sanctuary.
And Subaru comes in not being recognized by Emilia. We later find out this is because of the cloak he’s wearing. Emilia’s Anti Recognition Cloak. She wore it during arc 3 and in Memory Snow to prevent being recognized. Not in Arc 1 though for some reason. For why she doesn’t have it now… My head canon is that she was too embarrassed to take the cloak away from Subaru after throwing it at him and cutting ties with him.
Subaru learns his lessons. That is one more thing I love about him. When he’s not weighed down by inner conflict, he gets shit done. Constantly mulling over the information he has and forming strategies. Giving the cultists a schedule that’s 2 hours behind, killing the other fingers and taking care of the rat. Always being one step ahead of your enemy. Subaru is a terrifying existence all things considered. [S2 Ep 10] >!As he says himself there are no secrets as long as he doesn’t give up. I feel there’s a great story to be told about someone who can perceive Subaru’s looping and regard him as the threat he truly is.!<
We hear of Beatrice, she seems to be holed up in her library. Wonder what she was doing while the attacks were happening in the past loops.
Subaru’s evacuation efforts seem to be really paying off. The kids in the village are nothing but nice to Emilia. Petra even seeming to recognize Emilia was with Subaru in Ep 12. [Novels: Arc 9] >!It’s insane to me how much of a character Petra becomes later on. Especially considering current events. In Arcs 2 & 3 she seems like just some kid.!<
As Willhelm leaves he gives a knowing look to Subaru. Conveying his intent to protect Emilia and all the villagers with the entirety of his being. In another life perhaps Willhelm and Subaru could have been teacher and disciple. An idea for an IF maybe? Tappei write that down!
Here comes Otto. The guy who almost got us killed the loop before last. Mimi and the gang seem to have rescued him from the Witch Cult this time. But I assume Subaru and the audience are so far past that now in many ways that we can all join in Subaru’s earnest laugh. [S2 Ep 15] >!Otto appreciates this forever.!<
Now we come to the final boss. Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti. Saving him for last really amps up the threat he poses. Subaru is calm and composed. Such a great parallel to how he was in ep 16. Subaru was so filled with Wrath for Petelgesue, but now he’s putting that all aside for the plan. He still hates his guts of course. [Novels: Arc 4 Interlude] >!A shame that he never talks to Emilia about him!<
We hear of what the Ordeal entails. The resurrection of Satella. Subaru commenting how Emilia is just an afterthought might hit very close to home. Considering his actions during Ep 13. [Novels: Arc 6] >!Interesting how trials/ordeals, pronounced ‘shiren’, show up two more times in the story.!<
The chase begins. Petelgeuse flying on nothing will never cease to be funny. He keeps insisting that Subaru is Pride, but the tracksuit boy proclaims himself Emilia’s knight. Not to grandstand it’s just what he wants to be. Leading Petelgeuse to a cliffside.
A place where Subaru’s time once ended is where Petelgeuse’s time will stop. Subaru certainly has flare for the poetic. And from the place Subaru jumped from comes a Spirit Knight, the natural enemy of both participants in the battle.
Subaru has felt so much shame because of Julius. But that shame is a testament to his being the finest of knights. As Petelguese intrudes on their budding bromance Julius counterattacks signalling the beginning of a Takt of Heroes, one last heard when the great Sword Saint last displayed his sword art.
To show how much they now trust each other they are literally sharing senses. Using the Nect spell Subaru was previously privy to. Julius now being able to see the Unseen Hand.
The battle begins in earnest as Julius calls upon his friend Natsuki Subaru.
The Sin Archbishop VS The Self-Proclaimed Knight and The Greatest Knight
—
Closing thoughts:
The word for this episode is “Counterattack”. Subaru is gearing up for a perfect run. All seems to be going well. Friendship with Julius is established, and the villagers evacuated. Only the issue of Petelgeuse’s possession remains, not considering the difficulty of the fight.
Julius is not just a knight, he’s a spirit knight, which makes him 10x as cool. Able to dispense rainbow coloured justice.
Both Takt of Heroes: Origin and Takt of Heroes playing at the end is so hype. Suehiro’s diverse range is not to be understated. Being able to pull you from the deepest depths to the most glorious heights. [Arc 5] >!With the upcoming fights in Arc 5 I’d love to see another version of the track. We got Awakening in S2 so we’ll most likely get another one. If I had to guess a title for S3’s takt I’d say Luminary. Referencing the Arc name.!<
Tomorrow is the S1 finale. I’m still hyped from today’s announcements so let’s carry that energy to the end.
**First Timer!**
Watching Dubbed
Really nervous to find out what happened to Subaru, never trust an off screen death!
[1 Holy shit we unlocked another checkpoint after the battle, that’s so relieving](https://imgur.com/a/5w7PpV1)
[2,3 ME NEXT! I’M NEXT FELIX!](https://imgur.com/a/mqLDUMX)
So the fingers are actually just spare bodies of the Sin ArchBishops
Emilia seems to be having nightmares
[4 Oh? so Wilhelm rushed ahead.](https://imgur.com/a/Y9TpjFm)
I hope it’s not a body double, or something, why’d he give a different last name?
Sooo Emilia sees right through this terrible disguise, right?
Apparently not…
Aww it’s so sweet that Petra accepted Emilia and she was able to see it firsthand
[5 Oh snap did Subaru just knock that cultist out himself?](https://imgur.com/a/j7irbSx)
YES SUBARU, I love the new type of confidence and the smart planning, he’s flipping the script on the cult
Wilhelm is going with Emilia’s carriage, they’ll be in good hands
Oh that’s the same robe that Emilia threw at Subaru, nice detail
[6 I was wondering when we’d see Otto again](https://imgur.com/a/84rUobS)
[7 Lol, confusion does not look good on Betelgeuse](https://imgur.com/a/4zXyXhS)
Oh maybe he wasn’t confused, just his usual weird face
We finally hear what the ordeal is, they planned on using Emilia’s body as a vessel
[8 interesting use of the ability](https://imgur.com/a/17PQbph)
Without seeing the hands it’s even funnier
[9 Julius’s time to shine (literally)](https://imgur.com/a/f8YAMwZ)
So Julius is considered the greatest of knights? I guess I missed when they said that, I would have assumed it was Reinhard.
They must have used Nect to link their senses, how clever
They explained that less than a second later….
“For my friend who hates my guts!”
We really dodged a bullet there with the new checkpoint being right after the battle with the whale. Thankfully nobody in the group questioned or doubted Subaru’s newly acquired knowledge about the Witch’s Cult, probably because of the respect he’s gained from everything else so far, and after the plan was so successful this episode he’s bound to receive even more notoriety and respect. How many people do you think would be able to pull off two HUGE missions in one day like killing the White Whale and eliminating a sect of the Witch’s Cult? Subaru’s name is bound to be popular in the capital after this. Hopefully he doesn’t let it all go to his head and repeat what happened at the beginning of the arc.
I hope Subaru can give Emilia a good explanation for why he deceived her in the mansion. My guess is that time was of the essence and they needed her to agree as soon as possible, but it could also be because Subaru isn’t ready to talk to her until everybody is saved, hopefully he isn’t still thinking that he needs to be the hero for her.
The cloak disguise was a brilliant detail to return to the story. I remembered that it was thrown at Subaru during their fight but I completely forgot about its ability. I wonder if Petra was able to notice that it was Subaru behind the cloak, I can’t stop feeling that she’s going to be a significant character in some way.
Now I have a few questions about the Ordeal. Could the reason we didn’t see Emilia’s body in the first couple loops be because they were successful and her body was used as a vessel? or maybe they didn’t need her alive for the witch to possess her, maybe that’s why Puck is required to destroy the world if Emilia dies. If Emilia really is the right vessel for Satella then why does she allow Subaru to continue to use RbD to save Emilia? Especially against the witch’s cult. And if Satella is able to reach out and kill Emilia from Subaru then why does she need the cult to do her bidding?
I wonder what the plan is to keep Betelgeuse from possessing Subaru. I don’t think my theory about the Gospel being a conduit for it holds up since a couple people pointed out that Subaru was possessed by Betelgeuse in episode 18 and he never even saw or knew about the gospel. They didn’t show the conversation about it after Subaru brought it up so I’m guessing it’s gonna be a cool twist when we find out.
**Episode 24 (rewatcher)**
* We jumped back to the aftermath of the White Whale fight – that went well, so no need to redo it. Got to say, the safe point updating is rather in Subaru’s favor. Imagine if he had to redo all successful parts, too, whenever he died, 1980s arcade style.
* We cut away from Subaru’s reveal – I think there would have been a few hard-hitting follow-up questions for him.
* Subaru with the impenetrable hood disguise.
* *Using children to overcome prejudice* – a good idea, since prejudice is socially learned and children might not have learned it yet.
* *You really have not recognized him yet? Are you an idiot?*~Ram’s face.
* Subaru uses *antagonist explains his plans to the captured hero* trope despite being the protagonist.
* Emilia got tricked by her own robe?
[](#azusalaugh)
* *Put the witch into Emilia* – uhoh.
* “We are so close, she grabbed my heart” – good banter.
[](#laughter)
* These guys can outrun a dragon? I think their sloth cards need to be revoked.
* *Evil guy lets the good guys talk* trope.
* *Final fight vs Betelgeuse* cliff-hanger.
Compared to the early and middle episodes, this feels like a victory lap for Subaru.
**First Timer Dubbed**
Note ORV=Omnicient reader viewpoint it’s a way to describe the difference between thinking in Subaru’s knowledge and the Knowledge of the Viewer.
Note2 Intentionally trigger RBD means what you think it means it’s just reddit has crazy admins.
**Reaction to the Episode**
[Ok so he loops back to post white Whale](https://imgur.com/ZV5CjGh)
You know it’s really weird watching realzing that Subaru didn’t break the tension previously, and most notably Rem isn’t with us, so you can’t trivially break the tension with Ram.
This part of the episode is roughly at the 1 minute mark of episode 22.
The meeting is weird, Subaru talks a lot about things that at this point in the loop aren’t known to people in his army yet they talk as if they know what he’s saying? Is this the first time Tappei didn’t keep his facts straight?
[Emilia getting the classic harem anime misunderstanding trope](https://imgur.com/9ndZYY8) Subaru says one thing “I can’t look at you the same” to him it means “I love you” to her it means “You are the witch”. Classic misunderstanding.
[ok emilia is just far and away the nicest girl ever](https://imgur.com/Af20MRf) The way she tries to actually help everyone just shows that she’s a far more moral person than basically everyone else in the series.
[I wonder how Subaru told Willhelm about the blank letter](https://imgur.com/HozwF23)
[Subaru has arrived! he’s wearing emilia’s cloak I see](https://imgur.com/domfe4T) You know when I expected Subaru to wear emilia’s cloak to blend in with the troops I sotra expected it to be more of blending in with Felix not hiding his identity to Emilia.
And now we learn that Beatrice can’t leave the mansion due to a contract (probably with Roswaal). Beatrice takes contracts EXTREMELY seriously given arc 2 loop 4.
[Emilia not wanting to ride in the same carriage as the kids due to her ostracization](https://imgur.com/jV2MmG8) this is weird, but Subaru could have possibly done “we need a person to guard the children and you are clearly one of the best fit” But his way makes emilia better.
At least best child petra was able to help diffuse emilia’s tension.
[Hello my name is Willhelm von Sonic the hedgehog](https://imgur.com/dcc2CdL)
[So the robe was just a normal Anastasia style robe but Roswaal added the spell?](https://imgur.com/CaLKVao)
[The villagers trust Subaru a lot more in loop 2 relative to loop 1, though I guess in some sense they always trusted subaru it was just that Ram’s presence made the difference???](https://imgur.com/JnKocTi)
[So subaru has some special plan to kick Betalguese out? Was he just using being possessed as a cover to get himself to be RBD’d? ](https://imgur.com/zv29k8D)
[So the witch doesn’t actually exist right now?](https://imgur.com/tNtPuvk) Emilia being a potential vessel for the wtich of envy means that the racism half elves face makes even more sense. The witch’s cult wants a vessel for Satella and emilia is a nice fit
[You know it’s really weird but the previous ambush worked way way better, this ambush let Betalguese actually defend himself meaning you have much less ability to take him out.](https://imgur.com/THZG1ZL) Yeah sure you faield to defeat all the fingers.
[Julius X subaru gets resolved way better this go around it only took 1 episode!](https://imgur.com/IOxykyL)
**Commentary**
For now I’m going to be using a different way to refer to Subaru’s loops, previously I was using Arc, Loop (Ex arc 3 loop 2 is the loop where Subaru was mind broken for an entire loop)
So now I’ll use Arc, Save point, Loop notation
Ex This will be Arc 3, SP 2, Loop 2.
This whole arc has been a lot of really high quality episode/moments with a weak cohesive piece. This meant that the episodes that were more about themselves (episode 13, 18) were incredible while episodes that were more about the arc (16, 19, 21, 22, ) were weaker.
This whole arc is mostly about Subaru character development (which is cool) but as a result the plot itself had to be kinda low impact. Things like Episode 16 mostly standing to contrast with episode 19, and episode 17 was sort of the most “mystery box openign” episode, where we learned about White whale fog, and RBD’s ability to kill Emilia.
You can see a microcosm of that in this episode, the part where Subaru was cleaning up the mistakes from the previous loop were kinda meh, but the Julius and Subaru stopping Petalguese scene was 10/10. The Petra x Emilia scene was also very good.
Generally speaking the “payoff” arcs are less interesting from my POV than the “learning” arcs, one reason Arc 2 works so well is that the Payoff part is very short.
**Speculation**
So Petalguese definitely has infected Subaru, I wonder if it’s either that Satella will kick Betalguese out, or Julius can do something to Kick him out.
I will be grading my speculation for this arc next episode I suppose, though next season will be weird to do grading for, maybe i’ll do it in stages for next season.
**What I would do if I were Subaru**
So there’s the little matter of the explosives rigged to one of the carriages, kinda would be a good idea to make sure those don’t accidentally blow up.
Remember to tell Emilia you love her (ORV says this would be key, but even from Subaru’s POV it would be important)