Straight Bet

Happy New Year! After three months of silence and crossing into a new year, starting today is the second cour of Re:Zero -Starting Life in Another World- Season 2 (what a long name!)! Just like last year, the author will be live-commenting this second cour too, so if you think I'm too noisy, please mute ""! All right then, let's do this!

By the way, last time ended right where Otto beat the hell out of me! So you're the next assassin, Otto!?

It's started!

This opening... no way, the OP... no, let's not get carried away with my own assumptions.

If Subaru and Otto got into a bare-knuckle fistfight, it'd be a total blowout in Otto's favor, just like this opening exchange. Otto has properly learned self-defense and such as a merchant, but Subaru's about as trained as someone whose dad only taught him a few pro-wrestling moves.

The reason Subaru can't rely on other people is of course because Echidna and Roswaal put him through hell, but Rem is a major part of it too. The result of relying on someone was what happened to Rem, so he instinctively recoils from relying on anyone.

The morning sun falls over the change in Subaru's feelings. And the insert song that starts playing is...!!

"STRAIGHT BET" is also the subtitle of this episode, but it was originally imported back from an insert song from Re:Zero Season 1. This was exactly where I wanted it to play, so I'm extremely satisfied that the anime actually used it here for the direction!

Last time, Subaru learned that Roswaal had orchestrated the problems at the mansion, so this change in Subaru and this declaration are completely unexpected for Roswaal too. He thought Subaru would get crushed, wear his heart down, and in the end use "Return by Death" to choose the path of least loss.

Last time ended feeling completely hopeless, and yet one punch from Otto was enough to bring him back this far. A solid punch to the face really is a wonderful thing.

Come to think of it, I think this was also the first time the subtitle was entirely in English letters, and it looked cool!

"Maybe he likes me too..." expresses Subaru's desire to rely on people who would help him out of pure goodwill, including Otto and Patrasche choosing to support him.

In fact, Subaru doesn't think for even a moment that Ram would ever turn against him. That's probably one of Nee-sama's virtues.

Since he's already gone through most of the problems that happen in the Sanctuary and at the mansion, Subaru is doing something unusually close to an RTA here. Lewes-san is very quick to understand, so she's letting that sort of thing slide.

But looking at it like this, well... when I write her in the novel, I write her as an old woman, so seeing Lewes-san in the anime with visuals, movement, and a voice makes her super cute...

Lewes-san explains it as the first four, but in reality the four of them, "Arma," "Bilma," "Shima," and "Delma," take turns acting. They basically behave as if they're the same person, but small discrepancies in memory and slight conversational mismatches do occur. People in the village who don't know the details just think, "She's a little senile."

That wonderful insert song, "STRAIGHT BET," was an insert song from Season 1, so it's already on sale! Give it a listen!

Roswaal is one opponent Subaru has to face, but Garfiel, who stands in the way as part of the Sanctuary's problems, also becomes an enemy Subaru has to overcome. He heard various things from Lewes-san, but now the question is what Subaru's stance should be...

Emilia-tan unable to sleep, sitting on the floor hugging her knees under the covers, really feels childlike. It really is like a child hiding.

The story of how Emilia, who was frozen in the forest, was awakened by Puck and then spent that time with him is the OVA The Frozen Bond.

Before falling asleep, Emilia can't clearly remember the days she spent in the forest. This is true of how everyone forgot Rem too, but my view as the author is that when memories are lost, the very option of "remembering" falls away in the first place. So when you realize that option has disappeared, it shakes you.

That's some pretty serious freezing.

Puck was introduced as having stopped waking up, but really he had just become unable to come out from inside the crystal. The condition for him waking up is Emilia being in danger, and the fact that he counts Subaru as danger shows that his parental instinct is the real deal.

Part of Puck and Emilia's contract, and part of what Puck is trying to break, is also briefly shown in The Frozen Bond.

The explanation for what will happen to Emilia now that Puck is gone comes a little later. For now, just keep in mind that Puck is gone, and for whatever reason that causes a change to occur inside Emilia.

It's heartbreaking seeing her wearing the shattered crystal around her neck.

In her dream, Emilia sees the dream of someone whose dream she had never seen before. That's because of Puck being gone, but what exactly that means will be explained next time and after.

No OP or ED again!? I'm sorry, but thank you!

This time, the flow is that Garfiel, who's been stirring up the situation in the Sanctuary this whole time, is now the one getting thrown around! And making his cool entrance is, of all people, Otto...!

It begins with Otto, and ends with Otto...

We're okay! It didn't end with Otto! It ended with Subaru and Emilia-tan!

Kyaaaaaaa! A Mushoku Tensei commercial!!

No waaaaaay, the Mushoku Tensei anime starts on January 10oooo!!

All right! And with that, the second cour of Season 2 has begun! From here, Subaru's great advance begins... maybe? Maybe it does! Maybe it doesn't! You'll have to see with your own eyes! Anyway, thanks for watching with me! See you again next week, and thanks in advance!