Episode 42:
A Journey Through Memories
| Index | <== Episode 41 | [Episode 43] ==> |
Various Links:
MyAnimeList
Streaming:
Crunchyroll has the regular release available.
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!
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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 (26)
[Arc 4:] S2 Episode 2 (27) – S2 Episode 25
[Arc 5 and later:] S3+
As always, if you have any suggestions for the Re:Watch, let me know!
by Theleux
13 Comments
**Re:Watcher**
Emilia’s newfound confidence is a great look on her! I love how she’s able to simultaneously brush off Echidna’s insults and genuinely appreciate her input, which must drive Echidna crazy. Try as she might to dismiss Emilia as weak-willed, Echidna can’t find any obvious weak points in her armor. All that’s left is to see what Emilia’s past will reveal about her and whether she will have the strength to see it through to the end.
And what a revealing past it is. Not only did Emilia have a mother figure by the name of Fortuna who loved her dearly, it also turns out that Petelgeuse Romanée-Conti, the Archbishop of Sloth, used to be a kind person who helped protect the community of elves that Emilia once called home. Quite the stark contrast from how he ended up. But despite that shocking reveal, what follows are even more questions. Who were Emilia’s real parents? Why is their identity a secret? And what does that seal in the middle of Elior Forest even do? I’m both amazed and amused by the fact that this show will always follow up on the answer to one question with several new questions. By now, it’s practically the show’s MO.
Fortuna and Geuse are voiced by seiyuu veterans Haruka Tomatsu and Yoshitsugu Matsuoka, whom some might know from their other roles as Asuna and Kirito from Sword Art Online. This really was some outstanding casting all around, and not just because they played another couple in another show: Fortuna and Geuse demand a different vocal quality from their SAO counterparts, but they still play off of one another in much the same way.
Honestly, I’ve never really been much for fan casting, especially because the anime industry continues to see new VAs knock it out of the park in career-defining performances. Re:ZERO itself has had more than its fair share of such roles. However, there’s an undeniable fun in seeing a VA be cast as a character that references an earlier role in their career. So in the spirit of that, I thought that I’d try my hand at predicting a few future casts that I think would both be fitting and add a fun dynamic for some characters in upcoming arcs:
**VA** | **Character** | **Parallel in Another Series**
:- | :- | 😐
[Rina Hidaka](https://anilist.co/staff/100250/Rina-Hidaka) | [Arc 5] >!Louis Arneb!< | Last Order (A Certain Magical Index)
[Rina Satou](https://anilist.co/staff/95241/Rina-Satou) | [Arc 6] >!Shaula!< | Mikoto Misaka (A Certain Scientific Railgun)
[Takeo Ootsuka](https://anilist.co/staff/128426/Takeo-Ootsuka) | [Arc 7] >!Vincent Vollachia!< | Jinshi (The Apothecary Diaries)
[Hina Youmiya](https://anilist.co/staff/205892/Hina-Youmiya) | [Arc 7] >!Medium O’Connell!< | Anna Yamada (The Dangers in My Heart)
[Aoi Koga](https://anilist.co/staff/123268/Aoi-Koga) | [Arc 7] >!Yorna Mishigure!< | Kaguya Shinomiya (Kaguya-sama: Love Is War)
[Kana Ichinose](https://anilist.co/staff/124390/Kana-Ichinose) | [Arc 7] >!Tanza!< (she also voices [end of Arc 4] >!Annerose!<, but she can have two characters; Aimi Tanaka is both Ryuzu and Plum, after all) | Fern (Frieren: Beyond Journey’s End)
[Yuuki Kaji](https://anilist.co/staff/95672/Yuuki-Kaji) | [Arc 7] >!Cecilus Segmund!< | Speed-o’-Sound Sonic (One-Punch Man)
If any of these end up being inaccurate, then we’ll have diverged too far from the last loop, and I’ll have to RBD again. Hopefully, this loop ends up being the one to stick. (Let me tell you, being in a four-year loop is *not* fun.)
Emilia, Fortuna, and Geuse were the picture of a happy family, and despite knowing where they all end up, there’s still a part of me that wants to see them be able to live happily together in Elior Forest all those years ago. But every time, Regulus Corneas proceeds to step into the picture. And everything ends up being changed forever.
EDIT: Adjusted the table for proper formatting on New Reddit and mobile.
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[**Re:ZERO After-Talk #42**](https://youtu.be/ucas6Z1JLec)
**VAs:** Rie Takahashi (Emilia) and Haruka Tomatsu (Fortuna)
You know that we’re getting deep into character backstories when Yuusuke Kobayashi isn’t in the After-Talk. These two mainly talk about how this episode pushed them to voice different types of characters from their past roles: Rie voiced young Emilia in a very emotionally driven way to contrast with how centered Emilia usually is, while Haruka performed the kind of mother-like role that she doesn’t usually receive. Apparently, once Haruka learned that Emilia’s “sugoooku” was inherited from Fortuna, she started to think about how it might have been voiced and sounded it out many times. It’s interesting how VAs sometimes have to work backwards from others’ roles to learn how to best perform their own.
**Highlight:** Rie revealing that the “Sneaky, sneak…” was an ad-lib to express little Emilia’s childlike simplemindedness
—
**Fan Art of the Episode:** [*A Happy Family*](https://files.catbox.moe/1c47wn.jpg) by kumuo (September 23rd, 2019)
**Source:** [Twitter](https://twitter.com/roikumama/status/1176118976813748224) (artist’s timeline contains spoilers)
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.
I saw The Neverending Story for the first time last weekend. Some of the special effects obviously don’t hold up, but I was surprised by how a lot of them look better than the special effects nowadays. Especially since it had a far lesser budget.
Puck freeing Emilia from the ice
She is apologizing for leaving him alone
Woah, wait a minute. Why is Emilia’s voice coming out of Puck’s?
This is probably a part of the trials
Emilia in the forest now
Lol, Echidna not having fun like Emilia is
Echidna sticking her hand inside a tree, like one is prone to do.
A separate world that replicates the memories and reflects the consciousness of those who undergo the trial.
It is cool to see Echidna interact with someone other than Subaru.
Emilia thinking she can’t recall her memories on her own because she covered them up.
Even now, she’s still not prepared
“I’m going to prepare myself right now.”
I figured that Subaru giving her confidence was part of her training.
A tree that hosts the Princess Room, whatever that is.
Sent to play here when she was little
Now we see stativ drawings of what looks like Emilia’s youth.
Emilia’s mom got that Miley Cyrus ass
I will say we need more anime moms with short hair.
Mother Fortuna
Something tells me her first name isn’t O
Mom saying she’s got something important to attend to.
Oh, so that’s her father’s younger sister
That keeps my theory alive that Satella is Emilia’s mother.
“My real parents were too busy to spend time with me, so I was left in Mother Fortuna’s care.”
I can’t even begin to explain how sad that is.
Emilia in the house by herself now
A floating orb
She removes a stone who’s cracks the orb went through.
And now Emilia is outside
Emilolia is precious
It looks like the Archbishop Sins are here
Fortuna talking to one of them
WAIT, GEUSE?!?
[](#flyingbunsofdoom)
The Geuse is loose, motherfuckers
The most surprising part of all this is that he’s actually a handsome man.
Fortuna confirming the seal is intact
They make it seem like Fortuna’s brother married Fortuna’s sister.
Fortuna says she must never forget the weight of the responsibility she carries.
Geuse feels he’s clinging to things that might as well be delusions.
Are they fawking, or are they fawking?
Guy named Archi tells Fortuna that all of the items have been transferred.
By the way, we’re watching Emilia and Echidna watch Emilolia watch her aunt. Just putting that out there.
You know who Archi looks like? Legolas from Lord of the Rings.
Geuse asking if Emilia is in good health
Fortuna confirms she indeed is
“A sinner such as myself could never dare to ask for more.”
Geuse doesn’t seem like a bad guy so far
I wonder why someone calls him Romanée-Conti.
Makes me think of Tay Conti
It’s also interesting how everyone is dressed up in similar clothing as Fortuna.
Archi now suddenly giving me Otto vibes
Fortuna talking about freeing a little princess who must be very bored.
Emilolia trying to hurry back
The orb. It’s returned.
And Emilolia covers herself in drawing ink to cover her tracks.
Fortuna hugging her, telling her she has nothing to worry about.
“I love you.”
So, Subaru wasn’t the first one to say that to her.
Present day Emilia talking to Echidna, and Emilia lets her know she is surprised she doesn’t have anything scathing to say about her parents.
Echidna says her opinion of her continues to plummet.
She suspects his influence on her continues to grow increasingly strong.
She sees that as a compliment
Echidna asks Emilia if she’s ready to face her past, and she says she isn’t.
“There are still important memories I’m missing.”
She’s talking about The Seal
Emilolia and the orb going to escape again
But before she can do so, Archi is here
He brought some snacks. Nuts.
I wonder if I can get fries with that
Emilia having left the house, sadly without nuts.
It looks like the town is packing
Fortuna talking to Geuse again
Geuse touching her forehead
He says he just remembered another time when she seems unhappy while talking to him, and it was because she had a fever.
I hope somebody prescribed her with some cowbell.
**Ran out of space. Part two in the replies.**
**First:Timer Starting Over in Another Rewatch, subbed**
– [omg smol Emilia.](https://i.imgur.com/FL0yJr6.png) [](#akyuusqueel)
– [Ahh, alright, so there *is* a good reason why Emilia looks like her adoptive mom – she’s Emilia’s *aunt*.](https://i.imgur.com/t3dlHwN.png) [](#harukathink)
– [Those clothes…](https://i.imgur.com/kb9NgLH.png) [](#watashiworried)
– [There he is. But like… normal?](https://i.imgur.com/lxPmwht.png) [](#hahahawhat)
– [Fortuna “sore demo”!](https://files.catbox.moe/rmbeyt.mp4)
– [Ah, that’s certainly one way to hide the dirt on her clothes.](https://i.imgur.com/ITsO8JK.png) [](#kotohoops)
– [Hahahaha.](https://i.imgur.com/TpPD6la.png) [](#pointandlaugh)
– [Ram “sore demo”!](https://files.catbox.moe/bg63u0.mp4)
– [This can’t be good…](https://i.imgur.com/OteZ7xO.png)
– [Oh boy.](https://i.imgur.com/83D7Z9E.png)
– [Ah… shit, is *this* why Emilia took Subaru breaking his promise so badly?](https://i.imgur.com/wd8qkTU.png) [](#sakurathink)
– [Oh, Emilia.](https://i.imgur.com/KIhH5Ch.png) [](#kukuku2)
– [That’s a new ED song alright.](#listen)
– [Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuck, I had a feeling it was the Ishida Akira dude before he even started speaking.](https://i.imgur.com/IyJbGsU.png) [](#scaredmio)
**First-Timer**
**On today’s episode of Re:Zero:** I think this might be a record for the least amount of time Subaru has spent onscreen during an episode of Re:Zero. If it weren’t for the brief interlude in between Emilia’s memories, this episode would have had no Subaru at all.
– Echidna needing to get the leaves out of her dress is quite silly. [](#azusalaugh)
– Emilia was often sent to the Princess Room when she was young? That sounds almost like she was being kept there, either to keep her away from people who might harm her or to keep her locked up.
– So Fortuna is Emilia’s aunt. [](#missingpiece)
– Fortuna is probably hiding the information that Emilia’s parents are dead. [](#sadholo)
– Oh no, Emilia’s going to sneak off to the village and discover everyone hates her for being a half-elf, isn’t she? [](#forgotkeys)
– Wait a minute… [WHAT THE HELL!?!](#maxshock) Is that freaking Petelgeuse!?! Why does he look and sound so… normal!?! Why are all these people wearing cultist robes without the hoods? Are these people all cultists? If so, why are they acting so normal and helping people out? The cultists I’m familiar with rarely even talked and did nothing but kill people.
– Petelgeuse mentions that the elves are forced to live in the forest. Why is that? Are elves technically demihumans and so get discriminated against? [](#schemingsaten)
– I do not like that Petelgeuse is calling her Emilia-sama, when we know that he’s going to try and use Emilia’s body as a vessel for Satella. [](#watashiworried)
– Emilia is such a cute girl. [](#anko)
– Is Echidna jealous of how Subaru likes Emilia more than her? [](#tomato)
– Yeah, that “seal” is concerning. Would that be a seal on Emilia’s powers? [](#csikon)
– So that’s the seal. It’s an actual physical door. What could be behind it? [](#kannainspect)
– Oh *that’s* what Subaru was so embarrassed about. Garfiel saw his messages to Emilia. That flew right over my head. [](#missedthepoint)
– Ryuzu Shima says there’s an unavoidable topic if the Sanctuary is liberated. Let me guess, the Ryuzus would disappear if that happened.
– Emilia looks so cute sticking her tongue out. [](#mayushii)
– Oh no. Petelgeuse is the worst person Emilia could have run into. [](#spooked)
– Petelgeuse has gone into full crying zealot mode. He’s definitely a member of the witch’s cult at this point and he’s crying because he’s seen the spitting image of his goddess, Satella, when he looks at Emilia.
– It is extremely strange seeing Petelgeuse be treated like a father figure by Emilia. [](#spinning)
– I see that Fortuna was the one who made Emilia consider promises to be so important.
– I bet the spirits are going to unlock Emilia’s powers and that’s what will cause everyone to freeze. [](#kaguyashaking)
– Exactly how old is Petelgeuse if an elf like Fortuna seems young to him? [](#morethanonewaifu)
– From Petelgeuse’s slip, I think that’s confirmation that Emilia’s parents are either dead or dying. [](sadholo)
– Pouting Emilia is adorable. [](#jibrilaww)
– That promise between Emilia and Fortuna won’t be kept, will it? [](#imdone)
– Oh shit! It’s Regulus! I was just thinking earlier today that we hadn’t seen the other Sin Archbishops in a long time and there one is! [](#bigshock)
– Oh my fucking god, this asshole has been putting on the same “introduce yourself first” routine for almost a decade here. [](#tiredaoi) [](#laughter)
– Regulus talks like he’s the world’s most annoying online forum poster. In other words, he’s perfect as a villain. [](#pointandlaugh)
This is the stuff I was waiting for. When I wanted to learn more about Emilia’s past, this was the kind of thing I had in mind. We’re learning about what Emilia’s childhood was like and who the people were that she knew at this time. Emilia meeting Petelgeuse and Regulus in the past is fascinating. I never would have guessed Emilia knew who both of them were.
I do have a speculation about what is sealed away inside that door. I think it’s Puck. So far Puck has been nowhere to be seen, but we know he meets Emilia by the time of Frozen Bond. Puck being inside the door would explain why everything was frozen around the door, since Puck can create ice without any problem. I think it’s possible that Emilia will open the door and free Puck. The massive release of magic that would result from that would be enough to freeze the forests, all the people living in as well. This would explain why Puck is so attached to Emilia because she is the one who freed him. It would also explain why Puck sealed Emilia’s memories because he didn’t want Emilia to see those terrible memories.
Petelgeuse must not be human if he’s lived longer than an elf. I’m assuming Petelgeuse is already a member of the witch’s cult, so he’s probably gained a long life as a result of that.
I notice as well that Emilia’s village is not discriminating against her. This could be because they don’t realize she’s a half-elf. Emilia herself apparently didn’t realize until the events of Frozen Bond. Or, it’s possible the villagers do know and are okay with that. Maybe they just aren’t prejudiced. Or maybe the villagers like half-elves because they are also witch worshippers. I said above that I believe Petelgeuse was already part of the Witch’s Cult. The villagers being cultists would explain why they are getting help from someone like Petelgeuse.
**Re:Watcher** – anime only
We see the unfreezing scene from Frozen Bond. Just for relevancy, of course, surely there’s *not a single person* in this rewatch that hasn’t seen Frozen Bond. Time rewinds to a time before the forest was frozen.
Emilia skipping through the forest and enjoying the ambience is so cute. Another sugoooku get, the 50th so far to my count. Contrast that with old lady Echidna who got a tiny bit overwhelmed. No, Echidna, Emilia’s worries are genuine. Her kindness in face of your hostility is genuine. And non-Emilia sugoooku get.
And we get to meet Smolia. Smol Emilia is an incredibly cute child, and I’ve been waiting for so long to talk about her. The way she sits, she moves, but especially the way she talks. Specifically I want to talk about voice acting here. Rie Takahashi manages to make her sound incredibly cute, heart-meltingly cute. But the fact that she can act her is incredible. She takes her Emilia voice and modulates it to sound like a child. That’s the most impressive thing I’ve noticed Rie Takahashi doing as Emilia, maybe in her whole career. It’s some of the most impressive voice acting I’ve ever seen, in fact.
Fortuna gives some hints to Emilia’s parents. Her silver hair is like her father’s, her face is like her mother’s. For everyone speculating, the latter part might strongly hint at Satella, but the former part implies she doesn’t share the same hair as her mother. Fortuna is her aunt and voiced by Haruka Tomatsu, whose most popular roles include Asuna, Zero Two and Hori.
Smolia’s sneaking and sliding sounds make me so happy I want to cry. That’s the hardest part of the episode, trying to not rewind that scene forever and continuing on with the story.
Some nice robed dudes deliver goods to the elves. There’s even a green-haired dude voiced by Yoshitsugu Matsuoka. Yeah, I’ve said it before. It took me until this scene to realize that Petelgeuse was voiced by Matsuoka. His performance before just didn’t let me connect his voice to the character.
Fortuna and Geuse talk about some things we can’t really understand. Emilia’s parents, the seal, Geuse’s motivations, a non-Emilia sugoooku and another one and a third one… Yes, Fortuna is where she got that from. Sometimes I wonder if that was ever in the web or light novels, or if that’s something only the anime did. If so, it really adds a lot to Re:Zero. Also I think it’s rather funny to see the voice actors of Asuna and Kirito interacting so closely here.
Smolia hurries back to her room after having overheard the conversation, again being the cutest child worrying about having misbehaved. The sugoi at the spirit’s help gets added to the count, now ever counter has two digits. And Smolia seems to be a better liar than regular Emilia, covering up her mischief with more mischief. Fortuna might have noticed anyway, but it leads to an emotional moment between the two, and another Fortuna sugoooku. Fortuna also seems to be where Emilia got her idea of selfishness from, as Fortuna acts like satisfying your feelings is selfish, even if those feelings relate to another person.
Gotta love how Emilia’s openness and kindness pisses off Echidna. None of Echidna’s slights work on Emilia, she even thanks her for what Echidna intended as a diss. And Echidna offers to end the trial, but Emilia wants to get deeper in her memories. *She* decides what the trial is about now, not Echidna.
Remember Emilia eating nuts in Frozen Bond? Well, I guess most of you do. Seems like she loved nuts in her childhood already. Another sugoooku from Smolia as she is off to do mischief again. And more sneak and sliding sounds, oh, my heart. She spys on Fortuna and Geuse again, the former sugoookuing again. And the two are definitely flirting.
With the help of a spirit, Smolia wants to check out the seal. The woods look significantly different here. And whatever this seal is, Echidna who posses knowledge beyond our imagination, doesn’t know about it.
A short break from out main character to see what her cute boyfriend is up to in the meantime. Since we’ve had single scene breaks from Subaru’s perspective before, I’ll still count this as practically a full episode break from his perspective. He’s still worried Garf has seen his intimate message to Emilia. And he freaks out about it since it’s more intimate written down than him constantly declaring his love out loud. But actually, Garf respects him for it. Even if this is Emilia’s episode, I do enjoy the time with the boys – and Ram is one of the boys here, showing that she too believes in Emilia. We also learn that there’s something up with Shima, which will surely be relevant in the future. Also, Garf’s grandmother that was mentioned before really seems to be Ryuzu as he always calls them that.
Back to the seal, Smolia pushing against it and wondering why it doesn’t fall over is so cute. Though it really makes you wonder if she just doesn’t understand the seal being so strong, or if she is actually used to objects like this falling over from this small child being pushed. She thanks the spirits for having led her here, even if she doesn’t get it. Applause in Japanese sounds cute to begin with, but it’s extra cute coming from Smolia.
Geuse meets Smolia, and for some reason that makes him happier than anything in his life. Smolia comforting him is incredibly cute, he sure won’t ever forget this moment.
And some more Emilia and Echidna banter. Echidna tries dissing her once more, it’s still not effective. Seeing this growth in Emilia is absolutely amazing, we can be really proud of her. Echidna even smiles at her words – as much as she hates her guts, she also likes her development as it’s very interesting.
Geuse playing catch with Smolia is funny, he can’t get her. The other elves can’t keep up with her either, it seems. Another Fortuna sugoooku here. But Fortuna knows a trick to win the game. She’s metagaming, and Emilia is forced to admit her misdeeds, along with two more Fortuna sugoooku as Smolia broke a promise here herself. And Fortuna explains to her why promises are important, leaving a strong impression on Smolia. If you break a promise, you break someone’s trust in you. Now it might dawn upon you why every time Subaru broke a promise to her, even if for good intentions or good reasons, it hit Emilia so hard. She was made to understand that you need to keep promises. They are like binding contracts to her, bound with feelings.
We also see how Emilia’s talent as a spirit caller became apparent. And Smolia ships Fortuna and Geuse as her parents. Geuse says something interesting here. Fortuna might be an elf with a long life span, but that seems to pale in comparison with Geuse’s life span – so he’s definitely not an ordinary human. More flirting between them and another Fortuna sugoooku.
Oof, Geuse almost told us something about Emilia’s parents! But Fortuna cut him off, phew. That was close. Almost leaked important information to the viewer. But we get the promise from Fortuna that we’ll hear more about this soon, and a promise can’t be broken. And the ED plays, and… it’s a new song! Is that a proper ED (sans visuals) now four episodes into this cour? *Belive in You*, just like *Memento* – the first ED -, is by nonoc. It’s a very beautiful and melodic song, in style relatively similar to *Door*. I’ll talk about it more another time, but I really like it. Especially since it’s an Emilia-themed song, it’s great how the singer tries to give an Emilia impression in the song. Of course she’s not Rie Takahashi, but she does sound a little bit similar to her, and that must be intentional.
But we also get an “aftercredits” scene. Someone is coming. Did any first timer guess who it is just by his shoes? Surely half his face gave it away. It’s none other than Regulus Corneas, Archbishop of Greed. Hopefully Echidna reacts to him in some way. It’s funny how his introduction here is similar to when Crusch and Rem met him. He really is the type to trigger a certain reaction, I guess. Fortuna even cut off his monologue just like Crusch did.
So what the whole situation in the forest is all about isn’t explained here, and at this point we can only speculate. Geuse and Regulus being there hint at the fact that this happened after the six witches got eaten, since that must have released their witch factors to find new hosts. So it might be at any time between almost 400 years ago and maybe just a few decades ago- The whole purpose of the village seems to be to protect Emilia and the seal. The seal might be the one that holds the Witch of Envy, but I don’t think it is, as it wouldn’t be guarded just by some elves. The Witch Cult seems to consist of pretty nice guys here, they help the elves out. So whatever the village is about, it most likely has to do with the Witch. And since Emilia is at the center of the village, she seems to have something to do with the witch as well. Whether she is a reincarnation or a possible new host or an offspring of her is unknown, it might also be something else completely. But Geuse reacted quite strongly to seeing Smolia. It was like Smolia was his lady and saviour. If he revered Satella, he reacted to Smolia just as if he had met Satella herself. In fact, much later, at the end of his life, he’d cry about this special moment he shared with Satella. Maybe it was because he was mad at that point and confused his memories, or maybe it was because Emilia is Satella to him, but with all we know it feels like he was referring to this moment. So, yeah, all more food for the “Emilia is Satella somehow” theory.
Unexpectedly ran out of characters, so a little bit more in the replies.
**First Timer!**
Watching the dub
Start Time 9:48
I actually watched the last minute or two of last episode leading into this one just because I wanted to see and hear Emilia call Subaru a dummy again, The graffiti was so cute
We see Elior forest before it’s permanent winter
So that woman we saw flashes of is her mother, It had to be. [Fortuna](https://imgur.com/a/MGphnKZ)
Nevermind, Mother Fortuna is her title. But she is Emilia’s Aunt. So Emilia gained most of her features from her fathers side of the family. Meaning that her mother must be human?
Was Emilia locked away as a child?
These people’s robes look eerily similar to another set of robes we’ve seen
[Is that young Betelgeuse??](https://imgur.com/a/wLTT8Ye) We saw a super brief flash of him during Frozen Bonds
Elior Forest has something to do with the seal. I would Imagine it’s about Satella’s seal
Subaru is still agonizing over Garf seeing the graffiti
Betelgeuse and Crusch have the same hair color
Fortuna says that she is fairly old and Betelgeuse says that he is even older, except that he looks like a human so how is he so old?
Emilia’s mother and father is a detail they keep teasing us with, they must have been important people. Opening up the speculations notepad.
It’s the Sin Archbishop of greed, his smile is so creepy, just like Echidna’s and Roswaal’s.
I wonder how Echidna feels about this guy representing her
I mostly just sat back and watched this episode. I was preparing myself for something bad to happen at every moment but it was mostly a cute episode up until the very end. Knowing the context of the scene is that something really traumatic is about to happen at some point makes it hard to relax.
Fortuna is so amazingly sweet and caring for Emilia. I understand why it hurts her so much knowing that she forgot about her. I wonder if we are going to get a reveal about Emilia’s parents. It sounds like she remembers them but that they were barely ever around.
Apparently there is a seal in Elior Forest, now I’d like to know if this is just *a seal* or *the seal* for Satella. It’s also disturbing to know that this seal is on Roswaal’s territory, basically in our backyard. Not some far off island or in a dungeon within the badlands, just in the middle of a field surrounded by a forest.
As far as the timeline goes…. I’m completely in the dark. Knowing that Betelgeuse is potentially hundreds of years old throws off my scale of time. We know that Emilia is between 6 and 7 at this time but it’s still impossible to calculate how long she was in the ice for. The Sin Archbishop of Greed, Regulus, appears to be the same exact age as when he was in the first episode, so what do these humans have in common that prevent them from aging? Roswaal too for that matter. It’s interesting because we have seen Roswaal and Geuse who are supposedly human but say they are very very old and we have seen Wilhelm who is also human and shows normal human aging. I’m pretty sure this is one of the few times that the show hasn’t given us ANY hints and has left us in the dark about this detail, though I imagine it will be answered by the end of the season.
On today’s episode of Break Time. We get to see why Echidna was so tired and dirty when she was walking with Emilia. Maybe she should join in the next time Subaru does radio calisthenics. And we see that Echidna loathes Emilia because of how she looks and sounds so similar to Satella, a sentiment that would have bothered her previously but Subaru’s words have gotten through to her and she’s able to love herself and her features more.
P.S. I just sat here staring at my screen, unmoving, for 30 minutes, trying to organize the pieces we’ve gotten so far and I keep going back to who Puck is and what his relation with Emilia is. I wonder if Puck’s relation to Emilia is the same as Satella’s relation to Subaru, Someone that they were very close to in a different timeline or the reincarnation of that person. Would make sense since Puck knew first hand about Satella’s shadows and some other details he has mentioned.
Stop Time 12:22am
**S02E17 – Rewatcher from who doesn’t believe anything I say about why I dislike something could satisfy you**
* [Come on, talk about Subaru!](https://i.imgur.com/URbRDDy.jpeg) …is this the first time this show passed the Bechdel Test? Like, surely not? There must have been a scene with Rem and Ram talking, but not talking about Subaru, directly or indirectly, right? Or another one, right? Like talk between the throne candidates? But since Subaru is the MC and usual POV character, he’s usually there and talking with people, not?
* [I watch this](https://i.imgur.com/HP40H4E.jpeg) a few hours after seeing [this comment](https://old.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/1fcsvj4/rezero_starting_life_in_another_world_rewatch/lmaljns/) talking about how nice Echidna is.
* [They sure love hair accessories.](https://i.imgur.com/pTngTFQ.jpeg)
* [Busy, huh.](https://i.imgur.com/pj8VDrn.jpeg)
* [This will get some nice surprised reactions from first-timers.](https://i.imgur.com/H5V3e30.jpeg)
* [This will get even more surprised reactions from first-timers.](https://i.imgur.com/83SYwRJ.jpeg) Yeah, Geuse was not insane, once upon a time.
* [“Yes, why do you specify this? Surely our audience is not that stupid?”](https://i.imgur.com/YEYVg0m.jpeg)
* [This dialogue needs some major rewriting.](https://i.imgur.com/gMgN3Ia.jpeg) Stop expositioning to each other.
* [Sinner of what?](https://i.imgur.com/bvTpx28.jpeg)
* [The forbidden ship!](https://i.imgur.com/TkoU2XB.jpeg)
* [Maybe we will find out what it is sealing this episode?](https://i.imgur.com/ZFRkkPQ.jpeg) Satella?
* [Doors not connected to anything are never a good thing.](https://i.imgur.com/sVauu5N.jpeg)
* [Geuse was always a weirdo.](https://i.imgur.com/Zij0xEL.jpeg)
* [Thank you, geuse, she didn’t know.](https://i.imgur.com/J3gTv5r.jpeg)
* [The cruel irony of Geuse almost having been Emilia’s step-daddy.](https://i.imgur.com/iecTcqx.jpeg)
* [Look at that! Regulus does reappear!](https://i.imgur.com/1L9aSR7.jpeg) Forgive my slander!
* [Okay, so the Archbishops already existed back then.](https://i.imgur.com/uh0n588.jpeg) Weird since the cult seemed so nice.
**Episode 42 (first timer)**
* “I can’t touch the door” – Subaru could touch his father. The dream world Echidna created for Emilia has different rules to his.
* Locked into her room?
* Fortuna and Geuse knew each other – more than that, they were on cordial terms.
* I assume the “sin” he is talking about does not refer to the future.
* Are they flirting?
* Clean-up fairy – useful!
* Wait, not a clean-up fairy? That’s cheating.
* Yep, flirting.
* *Sneezing while being talked about* trope.
* Meeting Geuse – Emilia’s hiding skill could be improved.
* “You are acting like a mommy and daddy” – found out by a little girl.
* “Very very important promise” – no way that can go bad, right?
* Hello again, Greed!
**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**
[oh boy it’s puck x Emilia from the frost movie](https://imgur.com/Jh8IYbA)
[oh boy the forest used to not be frozen](https://imgur.com/9ipOg3l) This lends creedence to the theory that Emilia caused a great ice calamity N years ago.
Ok time for everyone’s favorite part actually seeing Emilia’s past. Since this is pre-frozen forest We’ll probably see the part before Emilia becomes the frozen calamity.
man echidna is a savage. going over how bad emilia struggled and going LMAO get rekt girl
[aww sweet Emilia x big sister time](https://imgur.com/BEQKTnW)
Echidna just is ruthless with Emilia, this is totally unlike her when she was with Subaru.
[Is that the Witch’s cult?](https://imgur.com/zbu4own) man the witch’s cult used to be a lot cooler or maybe they were always this way and have had terrible branding.
[Oh hey it’s young Betalgeuse](https://imgur.com/kaDi420)
If we go by human lifespans Betalgeuse is probably only about 30-40 years old, which implies Emilia somehow was frozen in ice for roughly 20-30 years since theere was a 10 year period between Bonds of Ice and the anime.
I wonder if he’s currently a sin Archbishop or not, both would make sense.
Hmm I wonder what the seal is, and I wonder if Emilia broke it.
“your brother and his wife’ Oh boy SWEET HOME ELINOR FOREST is this Yosuga no Sora?
“the seasons don’t change very much in the forest” HMM I wonder if that’s why the forest became an ice cube.
“A sinner such as myself” Oh boy so this means the witch’s cult is a great group of guys? When did they go from “Let’s save elf villages ” to “Let’s kill Emilia”
So it’s time to check the seal
Oh boy the Betalgeuse x Fortuna love story is cute… apologies for killing your sisters husbando though.
“that was decades ago”
This puts Betalgeuse’s age around 35-45 and he has remarkably good skin (lol anime I guess) for someone of that age then he’s probably old, probably around 70+ by the time we get to Subaru, which puts around 40 years between this and Subaru?
[Hmm around the seal the world suddenly becomes ice.](https://imgur.com/n73L0z7) this is really strange
and we’re back outside talking about subaru embarassment, just a reminder that…. uh others exist and trials do not take 0 time.
[Oh boy it’s worst Ryuzu Shiima and cute Ryuzu Arma](https://imgur.com/sq5TC78)
[oh no oh no Emilia’s trying to open the door that everyone has been trying to keep locked]()
phew she didn’t open it
Emilia running and hiding I see.
[holy shit Betalgeuse goes “is this Emilia”](https://imgur.com/xDAZh9M)
Wait if he’s going for an appointed time is he trying to meet another sin archbishop?
Yo betalguese crying the moment he sees Emilia, idk why her sister was trying to Guard Emilia from Betalguese what was the goal there?
“you’re opting to abandon depending on a man or father figure” Yeah because previously she depended on Puck, and now she doesn’t. In some sense puck was a POS who made Emilia unable to face her destiny.
Emilia x Betalguese was cute, now it’s time for the REAL Trial
oh boy is this where Emilia encases the world in ice?
ahh so I wonder about this I bet emilia subconciously remembers that keeping your vows is really important that’s why she’s so hurt that Subaru is unbelivably unreliable when it comes to that.
Oh boy Emilia is a child prodigy when it comes to spirit arts, no wonder she could contract with puck.
It would be great if she continued this but nooo.
[Emilia going “I’m going to be a spirit user](https://imgur.com/JmTCeFi)
Emilia continues to be a cute sweet little child but god she’s insufferable too. at least she’s got OP spirit arts powers.
Ahh yes Emilia goes “Sister and Betalguese are like mommy and daddy” What a great ship I wish them luck… Oh wait your boyfriend murdered your adoptive father… awkward.
HMM fortuna and Betalguese can’t talk about Emilia’s mom and dad, this really increases the “Satella is the mom” theory probability. (Though I still think the “Satella is the time traveling witch” Theory holds merit given Satella’s comments about Subaru.
[A wild sin archbishop of greed appeared](https://imgur.com/kPrgYUH)
Man people are so Hostile to the sin archbishop of greed the moment they meet him. Maybe just go “Hi what’s your name!” instead of having such strong hostility in your voice.
**Speculation**
Yeah so either Betalgeuse isn’t a sin archbishop right now, or the Witch’s cult had a very bad PR campaign in the estimated 20-80 years since this timeline.
Betalguese is almost a completely different person, it’s as if his witch’s factor made him go mad. Heck before he was trying to rescue emilia, and right before he died he was literally planning an assasination mission on Emilia.
It’s odd that Betalgeuse’s followers have black robes while other witch’s cultists wear white, it’s as if he’s a different sect entirely.
Annoyingly I don’t have a lot to say about Emilia’s backstory, we know so much from the movie frozen bonds, and while this doesn’t cover the same ground a lot of the mystery of Emilia’s backstory is kinda gone.
However I do theorize that the witch’s cult is nowhere near as evil as they were protrayed in arc 3.
I think it’s much less likely now that Emilia is the sister of the witch of envy, Daughter or marty mcfly is most likely for sure now.
The main question on emilia’s backstory is what did she do other than be the ice calamity witch? and what caused Puck to hunt for her?
Was Puck the one who was sealed away? Or is the seal in Eilior forest guarding the witch’s tomb?
Speculation on importance of this trial for arc 4
This trial will have little consequence for arc 4 as Arc 4 is going to be Deus Ex Beatrice. At this point I’m convinced that Deus EX Beatrice is going to be the answer to all problems.
Speculation on the sin archbishop of greed x Betalguese
I suspect that the sin archbishops are meeting here to talk business, after all the witch’s cult isn’t just a charity! (Though honestly why does the cult seem so nice and all).
Sadly I have little to speculate on, uhhh Emilia causes Elinor forest to become the frozen forest, Betalguese becomes evil and we have to assume the sin archbishop of greed changes him.
Too little info about the characters too much knowledge about story. 🙁
## 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.
Time taken: 95 minutes (~1.6 hours).
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.
[Spoiler #1: random author comment I want to share] >!”This start is something that those who have seen “Frozen Bonds” should have some memory of. If you’d like to know the details further, be sure to see “Frozen Bonds”! For even more details, wait for when the main story has gone around ten arcs!”. Tappai please!<
[This is I think my favorite transition](https://i.imgur.com/gD5vq8d.mp4). So we [Journey Through Emilia’s Memories](https://i.imgur.com/vLEvXo3.png), that is the prologue to Emilia’s first trial and enter the Elior forest, from before it was frozen.
More [info on how](https://i.imgur.com/n8EsPEv.png) these [Trial’s work](https://i.imgur.com/nzZIZcd.png).
[Spoiler #2: author comments / what time period this trial takes place during] >!It’s roughly 100 years pre Subaru.!<
[Still can’t touch the door](https://i.imgur.com/DI1rKLq.png).
[Yeah we can walk through the door](https://i.imgur.com/RgYTlSc.png) you dumbass. Echidna probably.
And we have a name for the elf we’ve briefly seen a few times now, [Mother Fortuna](https://i.imgur.com/btuhUHn.png).
[You know who also has mean eyes?](https://i.imgur.com/SDgaiea.png), [Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/TY1nEkF.png).
Mother Fortuna is Emilia’s [aunt](https://i.imgur.com/Fzsayhw.png). Now given that Mother Fortuna is a full elf, one would presume her brother is (though that’s not necessarily the case, half siblings do exist and can have different blood proportions). Do not forget basic generics with this information. You have to end up with Emilia being a half elf. [Spoiler #3: author comments on generics] >!”Emilia is a half-elf due to her father being an elf, and her mother being human.”.!<
Also, [wtf is that Emilia](https://i.imgur.com/l5Lu7td.png)? Emilia is a hooper? Why does a basketball exist in the world of Re:Zero.
[The people who watch Re:Zero for the action and not the dialogue during this arc](https://i.imgur.com/xTgm5c6.png). Also pay attention to Emilia’s hair ornaments.
[Recall that Emilia eventually believes that fairies are evil spirits](https://i.imgur.com/NwHjYDY.png).
It’s [adventure time](https://i.imgur.com/A3sPjas.png).
[So](https://i.imgur.com/h18NsKZ.png) [cute](https://i.imgur.com/WfXMCWS.png).
Just because he’s dead, doesn’t mean that [Petelguese](https://i.imgur.com/0qgj9Uj.png) can’t still impact the story.
I wonder [what exactly these things are](https://i.imgur.com/6mqijcD.png), Geuse. Also, [why do you care about Emilia so much](https://i.imgur.com/97OfZGB.png), and [why exactly can’t you meet](https://i.imgur.com/HF3bgdH.png), Mother Fortuna?
[Petelgeuse is still just a regular bishop at this point](https://i.imgur.com/l2GjVXp.png).
[Maybe the Witch Cult is also just misunderstood](https://i.imgur.com/f9n5xqf.png). They don’t seem very evil here. [Spoiler #4: cut content I think technically next episode, but it’s just as relevant here] >!There are 2 factions of the Witch Cult, a moderate faction (led by Petelgeuse) and a radical faction (led by Regulus).!<
[100 years of turmoil](https://i.imgur.com/aSkLCgr.png), huh.
Notice the”fairy” [heals smol Emilia here](https://i.imgur.com/72Ro1Jv.png). But not her clothes, so smol Emilia comes up with a [brilliant plan](https://i.imgur.com/HHJFewS.png).
oh yeah, [we’re not even in the Trial yet](https://i.imgur.com/t0K5poN.png). This is all just the warm up. And we still have [the seal](https://i.imgur.com/ug4lgsa.png) to visit.
[Poor Archi](https://i.imgur.com/IzLBQqy.png), just catching strays.
[extra info on the physical area](https://i.imgur.com/OE5L6OZ.png) [Spoiler #5: cut content] >!This isn’t frozen, it’s just without color or something like that. Basically it’s more bleached then frozen. It’s not cold here.!<
[Implications of previous cut content](https://i.imgur.com/3zM2gBw.png) [Spoiler #6: cut content] >!This is not where the Witch of Envy is sealed. It was said in side stories (I think) that the Witch of Envy sealed location is public knowledge. And that is not this location.!<
[Subaru](https://i.imgur.com/zg8D3YG.png) [it’s gonna be ok](#therethere).
[Otto has a point here](https://i.imgur.com/CInxZ8w.png).
The [Otto abuse](https://i.imgur.com/cPaXXid.png) will continue.
[More lore incoming](https://i.imgur.com/bKzq13q.png) (sometime later).
[If you recall from the shorts](https://i.imgur.com/Wc4gupw.png), Emilia is actually physically very strong. She could probably actually just push over a normal door like that.
[Our first timers like every other episode](https://i.imgur.com/y3YdTUt.png).
[If this was a frontal shot](https://i.imgur.com/8D4Gf1g.png), I think it would make for a good comment face.
[Uhhhh, about that Emilia 🚩](https://i.imgur.com/WI0uDNj.png).
[Wording Geuse](https://i.imgur.com/h2lrXqO.png).
[I just witnessed a man fall to his knees in a forest](https://i.imgur.com/sc41Udy.png).
So, theories on what happened to Petelgeuse and Emilia / the Witch of Envy to [garner this response](https://i.imgur.com/saB0lZA.png)?
[I am pretty convinced there’s some deeper meaning here](https://i.imgur.com/gd8Cfdp.png) that we just don’t know yet. I guess we’ll find out in another decade or two.
I think [Subaru would forgive you, even if you destroyed half of the world](https://i.imgur.com/SzbksQZ.png).
So the [warm up is over now](https://i.imgur.com/ljulxHK.png). [Time for the Trial proper](https://i.imgur.com/xbvMW6U.png).
In case it wasn’t clear, [Emilia gets her sugoooku from Mother Fortuna](https://i.imgur.com/4fHlDDO.png). Also have fun counting all of these u/Urgnu-the-Gnu. It’s a gold mine of sugooku’s in this episode.
Does your [brain tremble](https://i.imgur.com/AuWyEQq.png) Geuse?
[Baited](https://i.imgur.com/dMt4Dgo.png) and [outsmarted](https://i.imgur.com/NmmpfqN.png).
A [promise](https://i.imgur.com/OkwKy0f.png), [huh](https://i.imgur.com/s3ZkQOq.png). [More eye reflections](https://i.imgur.com/4zVorbc.png). Also I don’t think [Geuse is alright](https://i.imgur.com/ZNpz5O9.png).
So yeah, the [“fairies”](#aliens) are actually just [lessor spirits](https://i.imgur.com/8hGy6Wv.png).
[Geuse is right about that](https://i.imgur.com/swZa1a3.png).
I see that [smol Emilia is into shipping](https://i.imgur.com/SBjZl5K.png).
Oh and [Petelguese is way older then Mother Fortuna](https://i.imgur.com/NTfi0qv.png).
[Geuse roll persuasion](https://i.imgur.com/7U6VC90.png). [17? You pass](https://i.imgur.com/aJQYF2v.png).
[SPILL THE FUCKING BEANS GEUSE](https://i.imgur.com/5D50eFx.png).
And we get the new ED (on visuals of course though, ain’t nobody got time for non story frames)
A good [comment face candidate](https://i.imgur.com/VgvE6WZ.png).
[Guess who’s back](https://i.imgur.com/eaS5z5j.png), [back again](https://i.imgur.com/k5Zlmg4.png), [~~Shady’s~~ Regulus’s back](https://i.imgur.com/1psJ024.png), [tell a friend](https://i.imgur.com/1psJ024.png).
[Spoiler #7: if you clicked on Spoiler #2] >!Yeah it’s a good question how Regulus was around 100 years ago too, looking the same as he was. I guess he must not be human or there’s something funky going on with his body.!<
—–
###BreakTime Section
In this episode’s Breaktime, It’s Echdina and Emilia in the [Witch’s Tea Confectionery](https://i.imgur.com/q9LYdPL.png) ([Ouch](https://i.imgur.com/Q9NN8lR.png)). [Echidna still doesn’t like Emilia](https://i.imgur.com/Igz53cA.png), and thankfully, [Emilia doesn’t match that](https://i.imgur.com/qBl9YEQ.png). [Intriguing statement](https://i.imgur.com/KC1r78m.png). [Echidna tree cosplay](https://i.imgur.com/E2F1Zw6.png). [Someone who skips leg day](https://i.imgur.com/hN8OfCi.png). [Definitely skips leg day](https://i.imgur.com/dPSEEHN.png). [Lies](https://i.imgur.com/owzQUZ8.png). [Echidna just can’t handle how awesome EMT is](https://i.imgur.com/Sb05z3U.png). [I don’t think Echidna is](https://i.imgur.com/E3wURgs.png).
—–
###Rewatcher Section
This section is for people who have already watched Re:Zero. This is not safe for first timers.
[Spoiler #8: Arc 4 cut content] >!The “fairies” are lessor spirits under control of Pandora, to led Emilia to the seal. And also them [instigating Emilia and Petelguese meeting](https://i.imgur.com/2rIgXRW.png).!<
[Spoiler #9: Arc 4] >!<
**Rewatcher**
A leap back in time to days when Elior forest was not covered in snow is what awaits us. Our entrance to this place accompanied by a track we’ve heard in Frozen Bond. [The Beauty of The World]( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nQ6KRYo4iZQ). And boy is the world we are presented ever so beautiful. Emilia in her youth being a rambunctious princess kept in a tree, much like she was with Puck, causing mischief for the inhabitants of the forest. Mostly towards her aunt Fortuna. A mother figure to the young girl in the stead of her absent parents. Even the cult we know to be severe in the extreme in their methods is now helping the elves of the forest. Among them a familiar face. Petelgeuse, or rather Geuse. If you thought our days with the archbishop were over, they are only beginning it seems. A peaceful village full of elves and the witch’s cult helping them. A picturesque image indeed.
But we know all of this is not bound to last. There is tragedy afoot, and Emilia of the present is here with the Witch of Greed to examine it. The dynamic these two have being ever so entertaining to watch. Echidna delivering undiluted hatred from her side and being met only with compassion. Echidna even using sugooku. Write that one down for the counter, because I doubt we’ll get it again from the malicious witch. Together they observe the daily life that led to the trial that broke Emilia. Fortuna taking care of Emilia with the highest degree of love. Watching over the girl with mean eyes that come from her part of the family. Mean eyes that Emilia likes. Might that fondness be cause for her liking another set of mean eyes? Fortuna means well, but keeping a girl like Emilia locked up just means her escape is a question of when and not if. And the princess is indeed freed from the castle with the help of a lesser spirit.
She gets to see first hand the interactions the cult of sinners has with the elf population. Them bringing supplies to help the isolated village. Her focus being on the interactions between Fortuna and Geuse. Geuse always checking on the state of some seal. And he’s met with a soguko from the woman herself. Definitely write that one down! I’d wager we’re looking at the progenitor of sugokus in the flesh! u/Urgnu-the-Gnu is going to have a field day with this. Her sugokus would surely carry him through a hundred years of turmoil. Geuse really is an enigma though. How did he become the man we know him as? What could cause such a seemingly compassionate man to slaughter entire villages in the name of a witch?
I’d be remiss to not mention Rie Takahashi’s stellar performance as Kidmilia. She really brings her bratty nature to the forefront and gives her a childlike energy we rarely see in the show. Speaking of performances Fortuna is voiced by Haruka Tomatsu of Asuna and Zero Two fame. Geuse’s VA also voices Kirito so it seems these two star crossed lovers have been reunited in another show. Geuse and Fortuna displaying signs of more than just regular affection for each other.
It wouldn’t be Re:Zero without some cryptic lore being dumped on us. The seal is an otherworldy presence that seems to suck the colour of it’s surroundings. Not letting any existence other than itself take the stage. Emilia seems to have made a promise to Fortuna not to go near it, but she is subscribed to the Subaru school of thought when it comes to promises. Her encounter with Geuse on the way back home is cause for even more intrigue. Why would Emilia grant a lowly sinner like Geuse salvation. Might that have to do with what he was saying in S1 Ep 25 about Satella and what she did for him?
Even with a slowly emerging family dynamic of an overly indulgent father in Geuse and strict mom in Fortuna these good times cannot last forever. Fortuna does imbue the meaning of a promise in Emilia before the sin archbishop of greed Regulus Corneas makes his existence known to any who have the displeasure of perceiving it. With the arrival of a sin archbishop is seems we’ve arrived at the main course and come to the end of a journey through memories.
—
Closing thoughts:
The word for today is “Nostalgia”. Emilia must be feeling all sorts of it right now. And come to think she didn’t even know of this past just an episode before. We haven’t even started the trial and we’ve already received so many bits of information to chew on. Geuse, the seal, Emilia’s parents, the nature of the Witch’s cult… It’s a good day for theorizing.
I didn’t mention them much, but our trio of idiots in Subaru, Otto and Garfiel really do come of as a bunch of bros. Subaru hasn’t had many male friends in this world so I’m happy to see that change.
With promises made between our family of three let’s hope we can keep them in the face of an evil that we haven’t seen in a long time.
**Rewatcher**
**We are finally here for Emilia’s backstory:**
Echidna seems to really hate Emilia, which I do wonder why that is the case. Echidna was dead 400 years when Emilia was not even born, so it does make me wonder how she knows Emilia and why she hates her. Echidna also hates Satella. Coincidence?
Little Emilia and mother Fortuna! Fortuna has something important to do? The important matter I am guessing is the regular meeting with Geuse and the witches cult. And who on earth are Emilia’s parents?
[Little Emilia](https://imgur.com/a/Qgiaruq) [is too damned cute](https://imgur.com/a/SRi2FKH) [for this world!](https://imgur.com/a/GAFw6jk)
Seal? Fortuna is the sister of Emilia’s father? Geuse comes to check up on the seal and the forest dwellers seem responsible for it. I’ll talk about it in speculation.
An interesting world bit that spirits are stopping the change of the season in the forest. So it’s always summer? For someone who dislikes summer the most I’d hate that. But if it’s always like 15-25 Celsius, I’d be down.
So Geuse knows of Emilia, but isn’t allowed to meet her and is part of the witches’ cult. SUS!
[Oh no!](https://imgur.com/a/8yAo4CM) [Smart Girl!](https://imgur.com/a/Ipzn8ZZ) [Shit](https://imgur.com/a/J3yGGge), I think she is on to her.
Okay, don’t know about anyone else, but little Emilia is very cute and mischievous. It’s interesting to see how different Emilia used to be. The current Emilia is nowhere near so mischievous and brave. So does this mean Emilia will change? Honestly I love a bit of mischief and hope she does change. Subaru will still love her right? Well I certainly would love her more.
Subaru dying from embarrassment cos his love letter was found out. Honestly it would be the same for me.
[Detective Emilia on the case! ](https://imgur.com/a/7USjnTo)What she found was Geuse. [Shit we’ve been found again.](https://imgur.com/a/niqFgq0) You’re not good at this are you now Emilia? [And Geuse starts crying like he just saw someone he lost, hmmmmmm.](https://imgur.com/a/o1e4vYn)
Another [Sugoooku](https://imgur.com/a/Yq8nqVC), which I noticed. There’s so many of them in this episode and I can’t stop noticing them. Not that I am complaining since it’s cute and it’s a nice little detail that Emilia picked up Sugoku from Fortuna as a child. u/Urgnu-the-Gnu is probably having a field day.
[I think this is the moment when Emilia got the idea that promises are extremely important and should never be broken.](https://imgur.com/a/yAsipoo) [Good girl.](https://imgur.com/a/SIDpNuC)
[The prodigy Emilia!](https://imgur.com/a/xA8FrCv) [I am certain that she will be the best spirit user.](https://imgur.com/a/BloVAD3)
[Geuse](https://imgur.com/a/Tt9JxFg) and Fortuna ship let’s gooo! Wait, isn’t Petelgeuse dead? Ohhh :’(
Imgur stopped working….
So Emilia’s parent’s topic is completely banned for now, hmmmmm. Well at least Fortuna promised Emilia to talk about it someday, but wait Emilia called Fortuna a liar before. Well shit.
**Speculation and overall thoughts bellow**
Rewatcher
Dub
So…much…backstory! So this actually requires a lot of processing and I will do a few bits that shouldn’t wind up being spoilers.
First, Echidna more or less admits that she answers all quesstions. Since we know Echidna hates the WoE and thus at minimum dislikes Emilia, it makes her being somewhat cooperative interesting. Also, I grow to suspect that Echidna’s dismissive language is actually because she is pissed about losing Subaru to Emilia, though that is conjecture.
Anywho, weirdness the first: Did you notice the Princess Room locks from the outside? Also, the movable rock is not accidentally placed. It is light enough for a child to use, exits into a pit obscured from sight, just wide enough for someone small to get through, and would be a flooding hazard. But the spirits keep the weather basically the same so there are no seasonal deluges to fear.
Next, Fortuna explicitily states something yet doesn’t: Emilia has her family’s eyes, i.e. Emilia’s father is likely the purple eyed one. And with an ear check, he is probably the elf, unless both of Emilia’s parents are half elves. Which is not ruled out because I don’t actually know the visual cues for full elf in this series. I think Archie is but I might be wrong.
Final safe one for today: Betelgeuss is *older* than Fortuna. That’s right, despite appearing human, Geuss is significantly older than Fortuna, who herself has groused about being old. Ponder this.