Here I am again. I'm caught up to Season 4, Episode 11 now.
Previously did this post: https://www.reddit.com/r/Re_Zero/comments/1uvbe2j/watching_rezero_for_the_first_time_sharing_my/
The rest of the show didn't elevate it for me; it just reconfirmed my opinion. It's a good show for sure, but not a 10/10 or a masterpiece. I'd give it more of a 6/10 by my standards (and before anyone says that's a low score, it isn't. A 6 is still a positive rating for me, it's in the upper half of the scale, where the good shows belong).
I've seen better plots, better dialogue, and better writing. Still, it's a good show. It has some genuinely great and deep moments that definitely make it stand out a little, but it also has those typical isekai elements that, to me, are just mediocre and cringe.
I still think Season 1 handled the Return by Death mechanic the best. It was interesting to watch how Subaru used it, how he gradually changed as a character, seeing him give up, then find the strength to try again, and watching him explore different routes to figure out which sequence of events would lead to the best outcome. That aspect kind of fades away in the later seasons. Take Season 3 for example: he dies a couple of times at the beginning, and from that point onward it just turns into a fairly normal anime with a series of battles. It loses a lot of the appeal that Subaru's ability originally brought to the narrative.
I also still feel the story lacks a proper hook, a clear end goal to pursue. Subaru is randomly thrown into this world, and events mostly happen just because the plot needs to keep moving. You could say the Royal Selection is supposed to be the main objective, or defeating the Witch Cult and its Archbishops, but the way the story presents them, they feel more like secondary plotlines than the central driving force.
Most of the major antagonists also end up being ordinary people who simply don't trust Subaru at first, only to eventually become his friends because everything ends happily in the end. First Rem, then Garfiel, then even Roswaal to some extent (although he's still an asshole).
Because of that, I've never really felt any genuine danger from the story. I always know things will work out eventually. That's the entire point of Return by Death: Subaru will keep trying until he finds the route where everyone survives. That's why character deaths don't really traumatize me. The moment people around Subaru start dying, I already know Subaru himself is about to die, everything will reset, and he'll eventually find the successful route. From that perspective, the anime fails to create lasting tension for me.
Aside from that, the overall story is just... normal to me. There's nothing particularly groundbreaking in terms of depth or writing. It's enjoyable, it's entertaining, but it doesn't leave me feeling like I've witnessed a masterpiece, nor something psychologically devastating like I've seen many people describe it.
When I first read that its genres were Drama, Fantasy, Psychological, and Thriller, I honestly expected something closer to Goodnight Punpun, Monster, or even Neon Genesis Evangelion. Instead, I found the themes to be handled in a much lighter way. That's why I still see Re:Zero as another isekai, just one built around a much more interesting central mechanic that makes it far more enjoyable than the average one.
I could say even more. For example, I find it hilarious that Reinhard is basically an unbeatable god. The guy has practically infinite abilities and blessings, he's essentially immortal, and he can even bounce off the moon like Saitama. It also ties into my opinion that the combat system is pretty generic and flat. Because of that, I often get bored during fights. Let's be honest: using "magic" as the main power system is one of the safest and most generic choices you can make. It doesn't feel like it has particularly solid foundations, and new rules or abilities seem to appear whenever the plot needs them.
I also don't really like how, even after a year, Subaru is still almost incapable of defending himself. I don't expect him to become another Reinhard, but considering this is an isekai, I'd at least expect him to become competent enough to handle himself more efficiently.
Another thing that bothers me is how poorly characters communicate with each other. So many situations could've been solved simply by asking the right questions or explaining things better. I understand Subaru can't reveal Return by Death, but I don't buy the idea that he can't say things like, "Trust me, I have a special ability," or "I have my own power too," or simply explain his plans more clearly whenever people don't trust him. I assume a lot of this comes from the anime cutting Subaru's internal monologues from the novels to keep the pacing moving, but it still stands out to me.
I'll stop here before this gets even longer.
Now, talking about the things I actually loved: the ending of Season 1, Episode 15 still remains one of my favorite moments in the entire series. The execution, the music, the scale of it, and the overall beauty of the scene were incredible. Subaru holding Rem's body while being frozen by Puck in the now snow-covered mansion is still one of the show's most memorable scenes.
I also loved Rem's confession and Subaru proposing that they run away together. Another scene I really liked was Subaru's quiet nighttime conversation with Wilhelm in Season 3, Episode 1. Moments like these are genuinely great. I love these kinds of character interactions because they strengthen the relationships between the cast, and I honestly wish there were more of them, just not the overly cheesy or cringe ones.
Overall, I'd say Re:Zero is a bunch of gems in the middle of a desert.
