Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Vol. 1

Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 [Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu] #1

by Tappei Nagatsuki, Shinichirou Otsuka (Artist)

Subaru Natsuki was just trying to get to the convenience store but wound up summoned to another world. He encounters the usual things--life-threatening situations, silver haired beauties, cat fairies--you know, normal stuff. All that would be bad enough, but he's also gained the most inconvenient magical ability of all--time travel, but he's got to die to use it. How do you repay someone who saved your life when all you can do is die?

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Manga, Fiction, Anime, Young Adult, Magic

231 pages, Paperback

First published January 23, 2014

About the author

Associated Names:
Tappei Nagatsuki
長月達平 (Japanese & Traditional Chinese) /
长月达平 (Simplified Chinese)

Reviews

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

Quick Recommendation

If you enjoy dark fantasy isekai with lots of psychological elements as well as a protagonist who is weak but develops as the story progresses, Re:Zero might be a great choice for you.

If you seek an isekai with lots of action, high stakes and a powerful protagonist, you might won't like this one.

It's also important to note that this light novel features psychological trauma, body horror and violence.

Not a typical isekai
Re:Zero is not a typical isekai anime nor light novel. Yes, there are flaws like a repetitive way of wording things and overly detailed descriptions that can make some chapters feel slow or unnecessary. I admit that the writing style isn't my favourite. Nevertheless I like Re:Zero for many different reasons. First of all, the protagonist is not overpowered or powerful in any way. He's quite a weakling. Often called to be useless. One might think that such a protagonist can be recycled quickly. I mean who even wants to read or watch about a protagonist who is way too weak to survive in an isekai world? What many seem to forget when they watched the anime is that Subaru isn't actually weak. Yes, he is physically weak 'cause he can't wield a sword as he already realised in middle school, but that doesn't mean that he is a lost case. He has a strong main ability that needs a good strategy to make it work. Compared to other isekai protagonists this light novel is for once interesting 'cause it doesn't rely on raw strength. Nothing physical demanding. No, only thing that Subaru needs to train and perform properly is his intelligence. Natsuki Subaru is a strategic.

Psychological aspects
His one and only ability (so far at least), also allows this isekai story to dive into the psychological turmoil of the protagonist. Once more, not something a typical isekai tends to include. I totally understand when people don't like Re:Zero for not feeling comfortable with the psychological themes presented but I don't understand how the same people who watched Berserk or the like call this too ‘edgy’. Re:Zero is actually pretty cute and wholesome compared to some other stuff. That's 'cause even though it includes body horror and existential dread, it only focuses on the protagonist. Only his perspective of the matter. It's not a light-hearted story, (though it has its calmer moments).

What I liked
The reason why I like this rather odd isekai despite its many repetitions and sloppy writing style are first of all the psychological aspects and second of all not only the suffering and pain but also the development that follows. I also felt rather bored by all the isekai being similar with a powerful protagonist and after reading Classroom Of The Elite with the protagonist reached the fullest potential of a human being I wanted to read something that still includes psychological elements but with a weak protagonist. It's a contrast that I felt to have needed right now. I watched the Re:Zero anime first and I noticed that this journey is not just about Subaru but also about many other characters that he wants to protect. Each new time loop made room for new and interesting dialogues and interactions that left quite an impact on Subaru but also the watcher. I started wondering if starting on the wrong foot with someone actually is so significant for the later life of somebody. And how differently Subaru handled it was interesting to watch too. There are many reviews who say that this anime or light novel is a waste of time 'cause everything repeats itself anyway and it's boring to rewind all the moments, but that's not true. It's not always the same. A new time loop also means new choices to pick from. Even new characters to meet. And as mentioned above it deepens the relationship between the characters. There are many déjà vu moments but each time loop has something different to it. Even though I don't like the simple writing style it also has the advantage that it doesn't make each different time loop too complicated to follow.

What I disliked
Natsuki Subaru is both a protagonist that can be liked but also disliked, for many reasons. I feel conflicted about him 'cause while I like that he tries to protect everyone and is determined to fulfil his goals he is also very frustrating to watch at time for his mistakes that he sometimes doesn't really seem to learn from or his rather stupid behaviour to go headfirst into almost every situation. I also thing that the first volume is rather weak to get a readers attention. If I wouldn't have watched the anime I would probably have dropped the light novel series. The ending makes this story somewhat complete as not many questions are open so the desire to find answers is very little to nonexistent. Lastly, as mentioned above already, I don't like the writing style. I will continue the light novel series nevertheless 'cause I still like the story.

StoryGraph review

[Aaron · Rating 1 out of 5]

Bad writing is bad writing. It is inescapable. No story is so primitively authentic as to be above the error of the untalented or the lazy. RE: ZERO: STARTING LIFE IN ANOTHER WORLD, whatever the logic of its origin, fails to initiate the whimsical if not blind adventure it claims lies at the heart of all RPG narratives by succumbing to heedless overwriting, redundant storytelling tropes, and decidedly boring and unoriginal story dynamics. RE: ZERO is not a good book.

This is supposed to be a novelization of the intricately structured play style native to RPG gameplay, an homage as well as a betterment of the bifurcated or path-based storytelling that drives visual novels, as well as PC and console games. The reality is far more coarse. RE: ZERO is long-winded, poorly written, and restlessly dramatic. The book reads as if an otaku were narrating aloud the individual motions of individual characters in individual scenes from the most generic anime title ever produced.

The plight of Subaru Natsuki, a high-school truant, isn't particularly new, interesting, or endearing. As he finds himself thrust into a nameless fantastical realm, whose cities are populated with all sorts of magic, animal-people hybrids, and more, Subaru asserts his role as a hero-in-the-making, faults and all. The young man's hawkish if baseless optimism is a well-worn trait but here it serves its purpose.

Subaru encounters only a handful of recurring characters, all of which, according to the novel's structure, have their fates tested by his presence (or interference) in but one day of their busy lives. Felt is an adolescent petty thief; Satella is a half-elf mage who cannot lie; Reinhard is a knight; Elsa is a bedeviling sadist and assassin. All of whom, to summarize, engage a cat-and-mouse game of theft, item recovery, murder, and saving grace, respectively.

The later-revealed irony that many of these characters would have successfully completed their day with little to no harm had Subaru not interfered is played off as a joke; thus undermining, unintentionally, it seems, the existence of the entire book.

In RE: ZERO, Subaru is not a competent individual, a fact that hampers both reader integration as well as the story's interior dynamics. The character's irrational behavior certainly doesn't help. He starts fights he cannot win; he ignores warning signs and imperils others; he refuses, ultimately, to look before he leaps in everything he does.

Deeper into the rabbit hole, the quality of writing does not support its characters, however reluctant, prescient, or inadequate their heroism. From the onset, a handful of likely translation miscues mar the book's dependability. This includes, among other things, a reference to American currency (p. 10), Imperial units of measurement (p. 14), and the likely transliteration of the character name "Reinhard," which is either obviously wrong or a mark of dubious creativity.

Redundant narration is another problem. In the first chapter, the word "disappear" registers in five consecutive paragraphs (p. 55), leaving readers with cringe worthy, hyper-explanatory phrases, like "The green crystal continued to glow with a faint light in Satella's hand as she held it" (p. 56) and "Feeling the hard texture of the ground against his face, he realized that he had fallen facedown on the ground" (p. 66).

Other times, the writing is so awkward and protracted, it is nearly impossible to read the scene correctly: "Subaru had tried to get things moving again and change the mood, but Subaru only got turned on by both girls, and failed to get anywhere" (p. 179). Wait. What? Incidentally, this excerpt has nothing to do with sexual attraction. Rather, the scene chronicles Subaru's attempt at starting (and maintaining) a meaningful conversation without getting sidetracked.

To this end, RE: ZERO reads a lot like a high-schooler's first shot at fanfiction: run-on sentences and poor editing in protection of characters who vanish and reappear at random, to say nothing of the wildly contrived character interactions, written with annoying precision (or, conversely, in total absence of studied presence).

All too often, the author piles words upon words and ends up with a mass of confusing and crumbling stage directions. For example, "He couldn't understand himself, just why he was so angry. In part because he could not understand it as this emotion rose up inside him, he spit it all out" (p. 181), and, "As Felt's legs started to shake as she ran, she shook her head to try to deny the mess of thoughts running through it" (p. 197) are just plain awful. The second of these two samples can be simplified to read: "Felt was terrified. Her thoughts were a mess and her legs shook as she ran." Done.

Overwriting is the book's largest crime. On nearly every page, the reader suffers the blunt edge of overeager metaphors and inelegant imagery, all gallingly shoved to the fore and then turned and twisted, painfully, as if encountering the same reference in as many sentences has a doubling or tripling effect (it doesn't).

Take, for example, "When he opened his eyes, the sun's light was at an angle and shone into them, causing him to squint at the brightness and rub his eyes" (p. 20). Setting aside the misleading modifier (of which there are many in this book), the odd causality of the passage recounts a character behavior so instinctive and natural, it seems a total waste to actually narrate. Cut out the trash. Have the character wake up while rubbing his eyes. Done.

Similarly, "[H]e rushed to not be left behind this girl who kept continuing on toward her goal" (p. 53) is confusing, regardless of how excruciatingly obvious the writer's intention may be. Why not simply say, "The girl was stubborn, but Subaru followed anyway"?

And of the longwinded, try, "Subaru's brain had already started excreting endorphins and was rejecting the pain, which was greater than any Subaru had felt before" (p. 111). To fix, simply condense: "He pushed through the pain." (Also, "excrete" is the wrong word. The author/translator clearly should have used "secrete" in this instance.)

Vagueness is problematic, too. An assertion that may feel contradictory, given the author's penchant for pulsing the story with excess verbiage, but by encountering, "Subaru felt himself take some intense eardrum damage" (p. 48), the reader is left to wonder why the author is adhering so strictly to the story's (proposed) third-person formula.

Lazy writing invariably follows, as with, "The night flipped immediately from night to noon" (p. 70), which bears evidence of a limited vocabulary, as well as odd anatomical references, like "breaking his left shoulder" (p. 112); "she sliced about 70 percent of the way through Subaru's abdomen with her other hand" (p. 113), which neglects to mention the character is holding a knife; "The target was [Satella], and the strike was aimed to drive the knife into her chest" (p. 182); and lastly, with too many problems to count, is the increasingly misleading, "Felt didn't understand what she was feeling, but because those feelings were in her heart, she kept running about. She had felt something in response to Subaru's actions. Because of those feelings, her feverishness did not subside, and while she felt like she wanted to scream, Felt kept running" (p. 198).

RE: ZERO is not well written. At all. Regarding what blocks of story that are passable, it would behoove the reader to note they are already 130 pages into a 231-page book. Indeed, some passages are truly incomprehensible: "A high-pitched sound rang out, and Felt clicked her tongue from Elsa's side" (p. 110). Huh?

Bad writing is bad writing. It is inescapable. No story is so primitively authentic as to be above the error of the untalented or the lazy. RE: ZERO struggles mightily with its vague duplication of storytelling structure better fit for other media, and everything suffers as a result. There is nothing redeeming about a story for which the reader must slog through the same scene three or four times over, such that the main character, himself dense and illiterate, can learn the simplest life lessons.

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was fun. I had fun reading this.

This is a fantasy version of Groundhog Day. Every time Suburu, our main character, dies, he goes back to a certain period in time and gets to try it all again. He's a bit slow on the uptake, though, so it takes a while for him to figure this out and decide to take advantage of his newfound ability.

This is a fantasy comedy with a lot of death and fighting mixed in. Be prepared for limbs to get hacked off (as if the prologue doesn't make that perfectly clear), but the squeamish need not worry. It's not so gory in description, nor is it particularly horrific. There are several big mood shifts, so the humorous parts usually aren't that violent, and the violent parts aren't usually aren't that funny. The only major downside is that it gets a bit repetitive early on until Suburu figures out his ability, and you'll probably get frustrated with him because you've figured it out long before he has, even if you haven't read the back cover.

There are a handful of characters that vary in how much screen time they get, and since I'd just be paraphrasing the character description on the first few pages, I won't be getting much into them. I like the characters well enough, with some getting more of my love than others. Puck hands-down is my favorite, and not just because he's a cat... but mostly because he's a cat.

If you like people from our world getting stuck in fantasy worlds and laughs, definitely check this out.

[Nərmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

My first light-novel and I loved it! It was fun, though incomplete. I would give it 5 stars but due to incompleteness, I can't. It was not even 1\10 of the whole story, however, it was fun most of the times.

Plot- 4/5 Fantasy, magical worlds are overused, still I love reading this kind of stories. The story wasn't deep, as it is only the first volume, but constant adventure was enjoyable. Half-elves, spirits, magic and swordsmen... it was delicious!

Characters-5/5 loved all the characters. Main character Subaru was funny and curious character, not to mention, brave as hell, with a hero complex. But saving people isn't that easy, even if you have unusual power. Time-travelling by death is a cool concept and he used it pretty well, I guess? He has so much to learn, for sure. Half-elf Emilia was so cute and clever, I loved her. Need more Emilia-Subaru moments! Puck was hilarious and cute too. Other characters such as Felt , Reinhard and old man Rom were quite good. And I think I need more of Reinhard, he is such an interesting swordsman!

Enjoyment-5/5 Loved every moment of it!
Writing style-3/5 I think there were some problems with translation and also some descriptions were long and unnecessary. Still it was easy to read.

Overall-4/5 stars

Need the second volume!

[Kenchiin · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am completely biased so this is not even a review, more like an excuse to rate it with 5 stars.

[Glasdow Teacosy · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was not a good book. The premise appeals to genre fans: A Japanese layabout is swept away to a fantasy world, encounters beautiful but deadly women, and has to survive by his wits and magical ability to start over again from the same moment every time he dies. Unfortunately, the story also featured stilted English, awkward phrasing, tautological terminology, and an uncomfortable lack of polish. I give it two stars instead of one because there were great concepts hidden behind the tortured text. However, I couldn't initially tell who was at fault: Tappei Nagatsuki, the original author, or ZephyrRz, the translator. I decided to look up ZephyrRz, found their blog (https://kafkafuura.wordpress.com), and discovered they are a college student studying abroad. Excellent Japanese knowledge (translates anime songs for fun), but inexperienced writing skills. The blog is filled with sentence fragments, terse phraseology, and literal translations. This is ZephryRz' writing style.

It seems this story was a novice effort for Nagatsuki as well, originally written as a serialized web novel on a novice author website. The story was quite fannish, with the main character Natsuki Subaru's name being one consonant away from the author's. Subaru would often choose unrealistic moments to pose like an anime character, which was supposed to be comical, but came off as off-putting melodrama. The battles would be constantly interrupted with lengthy, overly clever dialogue which might appeal to comic book/manga fans, but didn't appeal to me. Yet the concept of a guy who could fix his mistakes because his day reset every time he died was interesting, like All You Need Is Kill in a fantasy setting. There was also depth and backstory to the characters and world that was only hinted at in the story, but did intrigue me. Now that I know that the story originated as a web novel, the fact that it started off comical and gained depth and drama as it rolled along makes more sense now.

I loved the anime, and hoped to find more depth in the novel, but if you had to choose between the two, I would recommend experiencing this story through the anime. It's far more polished. I am not sure if I will pick up the second volume. As stated above, the translation became smoother towards the end of the novel, and perhaps that was due to Nagatsuki's growing experience. If ZephyrRz is the translator for the next few volumes, perhaps experience will make a difference in the readability as well.

[Magnus Byrne · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've already watched this anime, so it's quite a slowburn reading through this, but it does introduce the world pretty well despite that and gets some of the main characters introduced fairly well, although it does drag a fair bit.
However, it does the thing most isekai do where they describe women just uncomfortably strangely, like, it always makes me feel weird reading that stuff, it just sounds creepy, but it is what it is, can't get away from it I guess, the other things in the story are good though.
6/10

[Ari ☾ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Four Stars!
I love Re:Zero so much. It was super nice to read this. 💙
This light novel covers the first arc of the anime.
I watched the anime before reading this, so I knew what was going on already. I actually really enjoyed this to know what was going on in Subaru's head. I disliked Subaru as a character from just watching the anime, but after reading the novel I feel quite fond of him.

[Galena Sanz · Rating 2 out of 5]

Uno de los aspectos que más me interesó cuando leí la sinopsis fue que se trataba de un mundo de fantasía en el que, de alguna forma, acababa el protagonista que procedía del mundo tal y como lo conocemos. Me parecía que sería divertido ver cómo podía llegar a desenvolverse en él y averiguar qué papel tendría la chica que aparece en la portada.

La narración es fluida y amena, las conversaciones tienen bastante lenguaje coloquial y muchos diálogos. Sinceramente, me sorprendí al leer que la novela no era una versión de un manga, porque ante tantos diálogos y tanta acción me parecía lógico que proviniera de algo así, en ese aspecto no es una novela al uso, para mí, peca de ciertas carencias.

En primer lugar, la historia comienza de forma abrupta, sin dar las explicaciones necesarias. Subaru ya está en este mundo y de alguna manera sabe que está en un lugar diferente, pero no sé bien por qué. No se sorprende de ello y tampoco se nos dice por qué está seguro de estar en una especie de videojuego. Cree que todo lo que le pasa son misiones que debe resolver y los demás personajes no entienden a qué se refiere. Si él, tal y como cuenta, viene del Japón que conocemos ¿por qué no se extraña de que por alguna razón esté en ese mundo sin comerlas ni beberlas? ¿Por qué iba a estar dentro de un videojuego? Se plantea una situación inverosímil desde el comienzo, no se dan las explicaciones necesarias para que entendamos qué ha sucedido allí y que el protagonista no se pregunte nada del estilo solo hace que sea más irreal.

Dejando a un lado eso considero que hay muchos diálogos y que no siempre se indica quien dice qué, por lo que alguna que otra vez me perdí, por eso creía que se trataba de una adaptación de un manga, porque en las historias tipo cómic el diálogo es, después del dibujo, el formato predominante para contar la historia. El ritmo y los hechos que nos cuentan también me llevaba a creer esto, estamos ante una historia de enredos y de equívocos relacionados con el bucle de reinicio que vive Subaru. Es una historia con humor y ahí los enredos tienen un papel fundamental, solo que estos ocupan tanto espacio que realmente no suceden muchas cosas. Hay páginas y páginas en las que los personajes están hablando y dándole vueltas a los mismo, es como si nos contasen cosas poco relevantes, una vez más, me recuerda mucho al estilo de una historia de manga y no al de una novela propiamente dicha, al menos no de una novela al uso.

La historia incluye diversas aventuras y escenas de acción que incluso pueden ser un poco gores, no nos olvidemos que el “poder” del protagonista es rebobinar en el tiempo cada vez que muere. Los personajes tienen caracteres bien definidos y cada uno posee unas características determinadas que nos ayudan a identificarlos, seguramente se conozcan mejor en las posteriores entregas de la saga.

La edición del libro es preciosa porque incluye diversas ilustraciones a lo largo de toda la novela. Algunas de ellas, a todo color, como una en la que se presentan a los personajes, dejaré varias fotografías para que podáis apreciarlas. No me esperaba este detalle y realmente ayuda a identificar mejor a los personajes. Por lo demás, es un libro flexible con tapa blanda y solapas.

Mi visión general sobre la lectura es un poco confusa, no se adscribe a la narración más tradicional de una novela y cuenta con varios detalles que le restan verosimilitud. Los personajes sí están bien caracterizados, pero a veces lo diálogos son un poco confusos y las situaciones de enredos ralentizan el avance de la trama. Es una lectura sencilla con momentos divertidos que, al ser la primera entrega de una saga, nos deja con muchas preguntas sin responder. Diría que quien disfrute de los mangas lo disfrutará más, pues siempre son historias que avanzan poquito a poco con volúmenes muy breves y esta historia sigue ese patrón.

[Niquie · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've been wanting to read this ever since this was announced. I love love love time loop stories.

Unfortunately my excitement coupled with my paranoia that there be water bugs in my house again may have caused me to be unable to put the book down, and not in that fun I'm so interested in what I'm reading way.

It was like I was feverish and I'm honestly surprised I remember anything. What a waste.

But what I do remember I mostly liked. Time loops are awesome. I'm crazy biased and there's no way I could hate a book that had time loops. OP main character and harems have been killing me lately so thank you author for trying to make the main character struggle as a normal person. And Subaru actually liked the other male characters, none of that I don't like this handsome guy just cuz.

Of course there were some issues.

Like Subaru's personality at first he seemed normal, but then he started saying idiotic things and posing all the time, let's not make him obnoxious or a caricature author. While I loved the inclusion of R and the fact he wasn't conceited or smug like his illustrations suggested, I wish he had been better developed. The villain felt a little too OP and the way the fight ended was a let down. The vol ending was kind of abrupt too.

But I enjoyed myself and I want to see where this goes. I just wasn't expecting this to feel so light and a bit shallow.

I blame my lack of sleep on this, but the picture at the end of the book advertising the anime that showed Subaru surrounded by 5 or 6 girls freaked me out so much I looked up the illustrations of vols 2-8. Based on the illustrations I'm left wondering:

- Is Emilia not the main girl because he sure is cozy with that maid girl?
- Does that kiss mean side couples happen? Please yes.
- There are a lot of cute girls introduced.
- There are not as many but still seem relevant men introduced.
- Are R and F not mentioned again until vol 8?
- Whats up with the spin off novels? Will they be licensed?
- Does he hook up with the maid girl because they sure are together a lot?
- What happens to Emilia? And why don't I care? No seriously I'm weirdly okay with her being gone, or at least not the real love interest, why?
- Now I'm just rambling so I'm gonna stop.

Final Thoughts: I went into this so positive there was no way I wouldn't like it, plus time loops! But the main character was more obnoxious than I was expecting, so please mature Subaru!

[Marcely Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

⭐ [4.5] ⭐

"Eu juro, eu vou te salvar"

Essa é a frase que faz o nosso protagonista se enfiar na maior merda da vida dele. Mas vamos aos poucos.

Sou fã de Rezero e coleciono a novel aqui no grandioso Brasil, onde, diga-se de passagem, é uma tarefa um tanto custosa. Não vou passar pano pra os problemas da obra pois minhas suadas horas de trabalho foram usadas pra adquirir cada capítulo dessa novel.

Nesse primeiro capítulo da novel conhecemos Natsuki Subaru, um adolescente normal, inútil e enfim. Um vagabundo de 17 anos. Eu entendo suas ações como um completo idiota no mundo de fantasia, principalmente pois ele deixa claro que está acostumado a consumir o mesmo material que bom... nós que estamos lendo. Porém, é muito dificil simpatizar com o Barusu durante todo o capítulo. Ele parece só muito irritante, burro, fraco, inútil e que faz comentários desnecessários em momentos inoportunos.

A primeira run do Subaru é definitivamente patética, mas acredito que era necessário que fosse assim. Eu acho importante que seja a run onde ele foi mais idiota, mas também, a run onde ele cria algum laço com a Emilia.
A segunda é também interessante, o Subaru ainda não sacou o que aconteceu, o que pode fazer nós pensarmos que ele é bem idiota, porém, como foi a primeira morte do cara, acho compreensivo esse delay. Também não é tão fácil assim de se acreditar que você morreu e reviveu magicamente no mesmo dia. Passarei pano pra isso somente porque acredito que eu teria o mesmo tipo de reação, seria muito difícil ligar esses fatos. Aqui Baru conhece Felt, a ladra, e o velho Rom, além de tomar conhecimento de Elsa. Se não me engano é aqui que ele descobre que a Emilia mentiu sobre o nome.
A terceira run... eu prefiro me abster do quão BURRO E IDIOTA O NOSSO PROTAGONISTA FOI. Porém, preciso ao menos dar os créditos à novel nesse aspecto. No anime faz parecer que o Subaru tá entrando no mesmo beco várias vezes, igual um animal, porém na novel fica claro que em qualquer beco que ele entre, ele acaba encurralado pelos três patetas. Isso porquê Subaru estava sendo seguido. Ponto pra novel, que fez a minha visão sobre o Barusu nesse inicio parecer menos imbecil.
A última run e a bem sucedida é, definitivamente a mais interessante, porém, com alguns pontos questionáveis e que talvez sejam respondidos no próximo volume. Não sei, não me lembro mais de quase nada desse inicio no anime.
Me deixa curiosa como os personagens só aceitam tlgd? esse esquisito falando com a gente como se fosse próximo e ajudando a gente? Gritou até pelo Pack, que tbm não questionou como o Barusu sabia sobre ele. Talvez eu seja a louca aqui e esteja fazendo perguntas demais.

Enfim, ficamos no fim com o caso do que a Emilia vai fazer com o Subaru em aberto, que sinceramente, não me interessou nem um pouco em saber, e ficamos com o caso da Felt em aberto, que foi praticamente sequestrada pelo Reinhard. Inclusive, o Santissímo espadachim levou a Felt, massa. E o Rom? Largamos um velho com sintomas de perca de memória após uma contusão na cabeça no meio da rua mesmo? Esse "Santíssimo" tá pouquissimo santo se foi isso que ele fez.

Adorei ver como foram as primeiras concept arts dos personagens, achei lindo, porém, vale dizer que se o Subaru fosse daquele jeito com 17 anos, seria justo dizer que só se fosse 17 anos de cadeia.

Enfim, eu gosto muito de Rezero e gosto do Barusu. A obra amadurece e torna ele mais legal com o tempo, só não dá pra mentir aqui no inicio e dizer que o cara é a miss simpatia.

Indico a obra pra quem tá buscando um isekai com um mundo vasto, uma comunidade ativa e cheia de teorias e rotas alternativas, além de, claro, ter garotas bonitas de belíssima personalidade de sobra pra escolher a sua Waifu.
Apesar de disso que falei, sou alguém que não consome nada da comunidade de rezero e indico quem for ler também se abster de spoilers e de se afogar em canais de teorias de rezero e etc. Leia a obra com calma e tome seu tempo para aproveitar e compreender os pontos importantes da história. Apenas pesquise se for algo que o deixou genuinamente curioso, por exemplo, a respeito de como seria a rota da preguiça, luxuria, ganância, etc.

Enfim, obrigada Tappei, pelo mundo tão interessante que você criou.

[Carol · Rating 2 out of 5]

SLIGHT SPOILERS AHEAD. READ WITH CAUTION.
...

I'm not entirely happy with this book. The story was ok, and the premise is actually interesting, but it gets really tiresome to see the main character doing the same mistakes and coming back to the same point, repeating everything at least three times, I was getting desperate.
And when the story finally moved forward and it seemed that they would get past the same point, I thought the villain was just too much. I know this is a fantasy setting, I know fantasy like the back of my hand and to have someone like Elsa on the first book is too much. This is the kind of evil person you encounter a bit farther along the road, preferably when you get closer to the main villain. The woman is practically invisible!!! It was too much for me, and I didn't like that.
I might read another book, because the story seems like it could go in a very interesting way, but I might not get to far if the characters are all like this. Subaru is very annoying as a main character, as he is not very bright. The girl seems about right for a half-elf, and I'm very curious about Felt, she might be the only reason for me to keep on reading, because Reinhard also looks like a bit too much, but I don't have enough info on him to judge him just yet.

[Ian Mccartney · Rating 1 out of 5]

I have never experienced anything like this before. I'm hoping it's the translation but the writing is absolute trash and chalk full of redundancies. The protagonist is an absolute lack-wit who, despite the whole premise of his being genre savvy, approaches every interaction with the same inane banter and oafishness. The story itself, a parody of cookie cutter JRPG games, would probably be fine if it wasn't for the fact that this "light" novel could have been half the length if it didn't spend so much time repeating itself and if every single character didn't speak in the exact same way or if anyone in this booked behaved anything like a human actually behaves.

[Aakif · Rating 2 out of 5]

2 stars.

Is it the story that's bad? No. Are the characters the issue? No.

Rather, this novel receives two stars for the sheer amount of cringe and frustration I felt from the main character. Why is my stomach not open? Why am I standing at the exact same spot as a few hours ago? Why doesn't anyone recognize me for nearly 60 pages, and not once does he think of a time reset? I could have tolerated it if he were a normal Joe, but we are reminded again and again of how much Subaru's mind is influenced by anime and how he is aware of various isekai tropes. And then somehow, he is unable to put two and two together for so long.

[Ari · Rating 1 out of 5]

I hate this with a BURNING passion. Honestly, I don't even care how good the plot is, or how satisfying the fight scenes are. The main character is just so PAINFULLY annoying, that it hurt to read. I regretted being literate after reading this.

If I could give it zero stars, I would in an instant.

[shlee · Rating 5 out of 5]

Subaru is so relatable I'm so happy I found a good isekai for once

[Martin · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ein durchschnittlicher erster Band einer Light Novel Reihe. Obwohl es ein wenig enttäuschend ist, dass der Beginn einer der erfolgreichsten Light Novel Reihen in Japan so durchschnittlich anfängt. Hoffentlich wird es mit der Zeit besser, sonst endet mein Ausflug in diese Welt schnell wieder.

- Der Protagonist ist recht nervig. Besonders intelligent kommt er auch nicht rüber, er braucht recht lange bis er seine Besonderheit (?) erkennt. Dabei stirbt er recht dumme Tode.
- Die fremde Welt wird für das Isekai-Genre noch recht wenig ausgeführt. Eigentlich fast gar nicht, man erfährt recht wenig über Rassen, Orte, Gegebenheiten etc.
- Die bis dato auftauchenden Figuren sind recht generisch.
- Handlungsmäßig passiert auch noch recht wenig, das Geschehen bezieht sich streng genommen auf einen einzelnen Tag.
- Der Humor ist ziemlich abgedroschen. Ich mag japanischen Humor in Populärkultur generell sehr und in all seinen Facetten, aber das hier ist zwischen Fremdschämen und dem, was der Japaner als 寒い (samui) bezeichnet. Mag aber auch mit dem folgenden Punkt zusammenhängen.
- Die Übersetzung ist sehr schwach und klingt für mich eher wie Fanfiction denn offizielle Übersetzung. Da gibt es zahlreiche Gruppen und einzelne Personen, die gratis bessere Übersetzungen von japanischer Populärkultur anbieten.

Das klingt jetzt bei genauerer Betrachtung eigentlich schlechter als drei Sterne, aber es liest sich zumindest recht schnell und einfach und erfüllt damit zumindest ein Kriterium für einen Light Novel. Mal sehen wohin die weitere Reise geht, ein paar interessante Anknüpfungspunkte würden sich zumindest anbieten.

[Karol · Rating 4 out of 5]

It’s an okay beginning for what becomes in later volumes a great story. There are three main issues that turned me down in this volume, which may drive away other readers away from continuing the series:
1 - the amount of references to the “otaku” (otaku, in free translation, is an unhealthy obsession for anime, manga, and gaming) type of culture. The protagonist is a shut-in, who has abandoned school and does not work, but has been mysteriously summoned to a fantasy world. This has been a staple background for many isekai stories (isekai = genre in which the protagonists find themselves transported to another world). Many of the references, especially along the first 50 pages, can be obscure for certain readers, and the translation unfortunately does not include any explanatory footnotes. Having to look things up or feeling left out of the context can be a bit frustrating for some readers, even for the ones that may know quite a bit about Japanese culture in a general sense. It is clear that otaku or manga/anime/gaming fans are the target audience for this light novel, but focusing on this target audience too heavily can have an alienating effect to audiences who are interested in just reading a fun fantasy story and trying re:zero as their first light novel.
2 - the dialogues can feel a bit strange sometimes. Although both Subaru and Emilia are from different worlds, neither seem very interested in probing into their different origins. We have the occasional moments where one expresses surprise about a fact and the other, in turn, is equally surprised by the other’s lack of knowledge about a common fact, or moments where a popular Japanese saying is mentioned while the other character is completely oblivious to it, but that’s basically it. Personally (yes, all of this review is just an opinion), it often felt that, at times, dialogue did not advance much the story or served for any purpose other than filler. The rhythm was off perhaps.
3 - Subaru is a bit of a strange guy and may come across as unlikable. And that’s okay. I am fully aware that this part of his personality is part of his character arc. We need to see him descend into his worst before he can redeem himself. However, for first timers, this can be a deal breaker.
I am a fan of the series, and there’s plenty of things to praise in it. The action scenes are often thrilling. The author is especially good at building tension and creating incredibly vivid battle scenes. Some background characters, such as the old man Rom and Felt, in this volume, are really well depicted and developed in their scenes. For me, the best moments in this volume were the ones in the slums, where, despite all adversity, we have characters like Felt, who wants to struggle against her reality, not just for her own sake, but for the sake of Rom, whom she sees as a fatherly figure. These relationships, where trust in one another is absolute, are at the heart of what makes this series great for me. We see a little bit of the bond shared by Emilia and Puck, but I wish it had been developed a bit more, so their side of the story would have felt more meaningful.
In any case, for those who have finished this volume with some doubts about continuing, I’d still make the case to try volume 2, which starts to develop Subaru’s character in a more profound way, distinguishing him from any other stereotypical isekai hero-like protagonists and highlighting his vulnerability, which makes him one of the most realistic characters in an isekai story I’ve ever read. But to get that, one unfortunately has to persist past volume 1.
I’m reading volume 7 now and can assure any potential readers that the story and the characters are developed in many interesting ways past this okay beginning. Re:zero is a great series, and just like with Subaru, it should not be judged merely by a first impression. This is the author’s first serialized publication, and his (and his editor’s) efforts in improving and evolving his writing artistry with each volume are visible and satisfying, making this series one that I’d highly recommend.

[Danny Zhu · Rating 4 out of 5]

Re:Zero is an ongoing fictional Japanese light novel series by Tappei Nagatsuki about an ordinary teenage shut-in who's suddenly transported to a fictional world with his only ability being able to return by death. This ability of his is very video game-like, after dying he returns to his last checkpoint. I find it very interesting how the author Nagatsuki portrays the main character. The main character, Natsuki Subaru, doesn’t have an outlandish personality or look, in fact it is quite the opposite. Subaru has a basic hair style, black hair,average-looking clothes and a relatable personality.

The best aspect of Re:Zero is its realistic nature and characters. Nagatsuki’s way of showing human emotion In Re:Zero is very unique and realistic. Re:Zero also has a wonderful side cast. One example is the spirit Beatrice; She’s a character that hides her pain through a sarcastic and stoic personality. With just reading the exposition phase of Re:Zero, it gives it an advantage to add more suspense and mystery that can be explored later on.

I would recommend Re:Zero to anyone looking for something new to read; as of right now, I don't think it’s perfect but definitely has an intriguing plot with its world, main character, and side characters.

[Destiny · Rating 3 out of 5]

Okay,to start, this is my first light novel and I have nothing to base it off of. I would give this a two based on enjoyment but I bumped it to three since I think light novels just aren't always my jam. I do plan on reading more when I'm in a certain mindset.

That being said, this was a fun read once you get passed that it's not supposed to be a literary genius of work(hence the term "light novel"). It had me genuinely interested in the well-being of the characters at moments, which can be hard for me while I read.

Also, I definitely think things get lost in translation so the original version is probably written much better. It's just hard for me to get passed that fact when I'm reading it. Better be off to learn Japanese so I can read it in all it's glory!

P.S. I defintley suggest this to anyone who wants to get started in reading light novels. :)

[TG Lin · Rating 4 out of 5]

最近在Animax頻道看了重播的白狐社動畫，於是便去圖書館借來看看原著小說。開場的王都篇，動畫的故事幾乎完全與原作小說相同，只在媒體各自擅長的表現方式有所不同。小說比較能刻劃心境的轉變︰比如女主角的傲嬌特性，講出同樣一句話，小說可以藉由男主角的內心感想來加以詮釋，但動畫中則只像是他們兩人在唱雙簧與吐嘈的對白罷了。當然，動畫的聲光效果還是比文字更有臨場感，特別是本作有一大堆奇幻世界的戰鬥特效，影像絕對勝過單純的字句描述。
男主角486的角色塑造，令我想起《鹿鼎記》裡的韋小寶……

[Artem Huletski · Rating 3 out of 5]

С точки зрения компьютерной игры — хорошо, с точки зрения литературы — не очень. Теперь понятно, откуда Пелевин берёт свои bad end #4.

[Casper · Rating 5 out of 5]

So epic super awesome hihi hoho

[Szybki Zum Zum Traktor · Rating 4 out of 5]

Hejtowanie nijakich protagonistów isekaiów z lat 2010-2019 to moja pasja

[Anne-Claire · Rating 4 out of 5]

☆4,5

[Nushra Ameer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fun and fast read! It was a little hard to get into first because so much content is thrown at you with no context. But once it comes together, the plot is really good.

[Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Después de haber visto tres temporadas del anime, tengo muchas expectativas puestas en la novela ligera: Quiero conocer los pequeños detalles que el anime se saltó.

— ¡Mi nombre es Subaru Natsuki! ¡El ignorante y sin inteligencia, por siempre y eternamente sin dinero! ¡Gusto en conocerte!

✅ El eterno positivismo de Subaru lo hace un tremendo protagonista.

✅ En pleno 2026 el mercado está saturado de “Morí y reencarné en un mundo Isekai”. Series insípidas y sin corazón. Re: Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu resalta y tiene buena dosis de originalidad, entretenimiento, personajes variopintos y un buen sistema de escalada de conflictos.

✅ Está conformado por un elenco de personajes sólidos, con un buen trasfondo, personalidad y relevancia para la trama.

🌱 Es refrescante rememorar los inicios de Subaru. No recordaba el origen de su amor por Emilia: Ella lo salvó desinteresadamente cuando estaba recién llegado al mundo Isekai y en general, es una persona muy bondadosa.

⏺️ Sentí que esté arco iba a tomar varios tomos, me sorprendí cuando se acabó con solo uno.



🧶 Mis opiniones
⏺️ ¿Emilia es digna de toda la devoción que le profesa Subaru? Él literalmente muere, revive y sigue adelante por ella.

Una sonrisa retorcida se formó en la cara de Subaru mientras buscaba desesperadamente alguien que negara la muerte que se le acercaba. Sin embargo, tal conveniente desarrollo no llegó.
La punta del cuchillo se acercó. Un sentimiento de resignación llegó a Subaru y sintió lágrimas brotando de sus ojos.
No era miedo lo que lo abrumaba; era más el sentimiento de vacío que este sería el fin sin que fuera capaz de lograr nada.
En medio de esta abrumadora desesperación, sintiendo que había sido abandonado por todo y todos.
—¡Deténganse ahí, malhechores!
Había una chica de pie en la entrada del callejón. —No toleraré y observaré más de sus fechorías. Es suficiente.
Su voz, como campanas plateadas, resonó hermosamente en los oídos de Subaru y por un momento olvidó en la situación que estaba. Estaba deshecho por la presencia de la chica de pelo plateado.

✅ Si lo creo. Todo el volumen se explaya en la enorme bondad desinteresada de Emilia. No busca elogios, ni siquiera prioriza su propio bienestar o beneficio. Ella es realmente buena de corazón.

✅ Subaru no tiene nada a su favor. Ni skills ni habilidades secretas, solo su infinita persistencia. Cada vez, paga con su vida el precio de la información que se ingenia para aruñar. Es un personaje que animamos desde el fondo de nuestros corazones, porque aún sin nada, no se rinde, porque tiene a alguien a quien proteger.

Con las mano de Subaru aún en la cabeza de Felt a pesar de sus protestas, el silenciosamente solidificó su determinación. Él podía cambiar no solo el destino de no-Satella, sino el de Felt y Rom también… de todas las personas que movieran su corazón. Ésta es la razón por la que Subaru se mantendrá repitiendo este día una y otra vez.

✅ He estado pensando en lo increíble que es Subaru: empieza en un tablero con reglas y jugadores que no conoce ni le han presentado. Si, él decidió aferrarse a Emilia cuando podía elegir cualquier papel que quisiera, así que ahora debe repetir una y otra vez la historia, hasta que consiga las piezas necesarias para un happy end. ¿Cómo consigue todo eso cuando empieza de 0? Y peor ¿Cuando paga muy caro cada reinicio?

⏺️ Recuerdo un a escena en qué Subaru está enloquecido, diciendo una y otra vez “te adoro, tú me salvaste, te he salvado”, algo así. Y Emilia, perdida y asustada le dice “yo no te he salvado ni pedido que me salvarás”. Seguro el malentendido surge porque el primer encuentro de Subaru y Emilia está enterrado en un pasado que nunca ocurrió (para Emilia).



🧶 Líneas de trama a desarrollar
⏺️ — ¿¡Un semi-elfo con cabello plateado?! . ¿A quién se parece Emilia? ¿Es la bruja de los celos?

⏺️ ¿Cuál será esta habilidad especial? ¿Cuáles son los detalles del contrato Emilia-Puck?
*— Si algo sucede, obedeceré mi contrato. De ser necesario llámame, incluso si tienes que usar tu sobredosis —dijo Puck con una advertencia.
*—…Tengo otro truco bajo la manga, pero si lo uso, seré la única que quede con vida.

⏺️¿Cual es el origen de la habilidad de Subaru?
— Supongo que la llamaré “Regresar de la Muerte”… El hecho que es un poder que asume que vas a perder, realmente lo hace adecuado para mí, ¿no es así? Es un poder que es activado una vez que el usuario ha perdido su vida.
*Esto era algo que el descubrió luego de experimentar la muerte tres veces, pero cada vez era increíblemente doloroso. No quería experimentar algo como eso de nuevo. Subaru estaba ansioso acerca de dejárselo a su poder Regreso de la Muerte cuando no sabía cómo, ni porqué trabajaba.

⏺️ ¿Que hace Reinhard?
—Esa mujer es como un monstruo, así que no bajes la guardia, ¿está bien?
— Afortunadamente, podrías decir que luchar contra monstruos es mi especialidad —dijo Reinhard confiadamente.

⏺️ ¿Quien es el empleador que contrató a Elsa para robar la insignia de Emilia?



🧶 Personajes
*Capital de Lugunika: lugar donde aparece Subaru en el nuevo mundo.
**Los medio humanos son comunes, igual que el cabello rubio, rojo, café, azul, verde.
**La ropa es variada, la gente usa armadura, túnicas negras o ropas llamativas.

—Empiezo a sentir que la gravedad de este mundo es, como, solo un décimo de la de mi mundo. Puedo hacerlo. ¡Puedo hacer esto! ¡Voy a segarlos y hacer este el primer capítulo de mi glorioso futuro! ¡Solo están aquí para que pueda obtener puntos de experiencia, basuras!

—Subaru Natsuki. 17 años, casi 18. Estudiante de tercer año. Personaje ordinario. Fortaleza, suerte e inteligencia ordinarias. Sin habilidades especiales. Su única característica sobresaliente es su alta resiliencia y positivismo ante situaciones críticas. .
*Cabello negro corto, peso promedio, altura promedio. Poco musculoso y siempre usa un traje gris de correr barato.
*Habilidad curiosa: fuerza de agarre sobrepasa los 70 kg de fuerza y puede alzar 80 kg

—La razón por la que curé tus heridas y la razón por la que hice que Puck sirviera de almohada hasta que despertaras… todo fue por mí. Así que voy a hacer que lo pagues, ¿okay? —Parecía que era una de esas personas que solo dicen “ayudar a otros no es solo por su bien”.

—Emilia. Solo Emilia. Es una persona incorregiblemente amable. Es hermosa, largo cabello plateado, ojos violetas, suaves facciones, su rostro combina juventud y una belleza madura. Tiene un aire noble a su alrededor que le da un encanto peligroso y encantador. Mide 1,60 mts
*Semi-elfo
*Subaru dice que recurrentemente usa palabras anticuadas al hablar.

—Puck. Espíritu con forma de gato gris que hizo un contrato con Emilia. Usa magia de hielo
*Al caer la noche, debe ir a dormir a su contenedor
*Se lleva muy bien con Subaru
*Dice que Emilia es su “hija”

— Ahora que lo pienso, no te llamaron algo así como ¿maestro espadachín...?
—La posición de mi familia es bastante especial, ya ves. Así que tengo muchas expectativas sobre mis hombros. Cada día es una batalla—Reinhard sonrió, encogiéndose de hombros.Al parecer, Reinhard también tenía un sentido del humor.
Subaru estaba completamente seguro de que este tipo era el ser humano perfecto.

—Reinhard van Astrea de la línea de maestros espadachines. El Maestro Espadachín Reinhard. Es un caballero muy honorable con un sentido del deber para proteger al débil, mirada inquebrantable y muy honorable.
*Pelo rojo llameante, ojos azules, extraordinaria buena apariencia, galantería, y con una sola mirada se notaba que este joven estaba por encima del resto. Era delgado y alto y llevaba ropa de color negro bien hecha, espada de caballero, funda grabada con la imagen de las garras del dragón.



—Felt. Niña de 15 años. Ladrona criada en los barrios Bajos de Lugunika, que tiene la bendición de los espíritus del viento, haciéndola muy rápida.
*Pelo rubio, diente canino que sobresale, pecho bastante plano, pequeña y delgada, tiene una personalidad fuerte y obstinada, decidida y audaz, profundizada por los mimos de Rom.

—Rom. Maestro de la Bodega de Botines. Conoce a Felt desde hace mucho tiempo y es como si la hubiera adoptado.
*Anciano calvo gigante con el rostro rojo (le gusta beber). El hombre usa ropa andrajosa, tiene un cuerpo musculoso. En otras palabras, era un gigante, un anciano con un aspecto muy enérgico.
*Usa un garrote enorme de madera (entre 120-150cm), con puntas afiladas.



—Elsa ‘La Cazadora de Intestinos’ Gramhilde. Mercenaria asesina con un aire muy erotico. Tiene un aire muy tranquilo y aunque esté en combate, tiene mucho autocontrol. Muy habilidosa. Obsesionada con la sangre y las entrañas de sus víctimas.
*Es increíblemente hermosa, muy alta, delgada con muchas curvas, en sus veintitantos, su piel tiene una blancura casi enfermiza y cabello negro. Lleva un abrigo negro y bajo de ella, su ropa también era negra y estaba fuertemente apretada a su piel. Su arma es la espada curva particular de los países del norte.



—Sr. Vendedor de frutas. Personaje terciario con el que Subaru se encuentra recurrentemente. Sabemos que tiene una esposa muy guapa, una hija y que él parece un pandillero con poca actitud servicial como para regentar un negocio.

—Mujer con largo cabello marrón. Esposa del Sr. vendedor de fruta. Era una mujer hermosa y conducta gentil. ¿Esta mujer y ese hombre de aspecto severo? Tiene que haber algún error.


—Señor de Provincial Roswaal.


*Bodega de Botines. Lugar a donde son llevados los objetos robados y revendidos.



🧶 Universo
—Los espíritus menores son el estado previo de un verdadero espíritu. Tienen cierta conciencia, así que si ganan poder y conciencia, podrán convertirse en un verdadero espíritu.

—Lugunika es el país más al este. —Actualmente, Subaru se encuentra en la capital de Lugunika. Es la ciudad más grande de la nación, con +300.000 residentes y muchos otros que vienen y van. Había semi-humanos, semi- bestias y humanos regulares juntos.

—Mitia: items raros y especiales que permiten hacer magia sin necesidad de abrir una puerta, al igual que los usuarios de magia. Se venden por muchas monedas de oro bendito.

—Oro bendito, que es mucho más raro que el oro normal, por lo que diez monedas de oro bendito equivalen a veinte monedas de oro.



🧶 Frases que me gustan

—Lo siento por eso. En realidad no es honesta consigo misma. No pienses mal de ella, ¿okay? —dijo el gato con riendo.
Subaru pensó que el gato tenía razón. Aunque le habían robado algo, y estaba en un apuro por recuperarlo, salvó a Subaru, lo curó cuando se desmayó y cuando despertó, ella usó un terrible razonamiento para tratar de mostrarle que no debía sentirse culpable.
Sus esfuerzos estaban saliendo mal en todo, y era difícil de ver. La chica tenía toda la razón de culpar a Subaru por atravesarse en su camino, pero no se había quejado ni una vez y ni siquiera buscó una disculpa. Eso porque para ella, la única razón para salvar a Subaru era “porque le convenía”..
—Si vives así, solo vas a seguir perdiendo hasta que no quede nada —dijo Subaru mientras recordaba la generosidad de la chica que, a pesar de seguir diciendo que haría Subaru se lo pagará, no tomó nada de él a cambio.

— Si miras el mapa del continente,, así que… no hay ningún país al este de aquí.
— ¿Qué, lo dices en serio? ¿Estamos al final del este? Así que… ¿esto hace este país mi anhelado Zipang?
— Así que no sabes dónde estás, no tienes dinero, no puedes leer y no tienes nadie en quien contar. Empiezo a creer que estás mucho peor que yo…
Mientras Subaru fue sacudido por ese nuevo desarrollo, la chica también parecía ansiosa. Con cada acción que hacia podía verse el elemento de su personalidad que la hacía querer ayudar a otros. Probablemente no podía evitar preocuparse por Subaru, que para ella se veía más y más no solo indefenso, sino también absolutamente impotente.

Elsa miró a Subaru mientras caía al suelo.
— No eres para nada bueno. Eres tan inexperto como te ves y tus movimientos están por todo el lugar. No tienes ningún tipo de protección divina, o ninguna habilidad especial. Pensé que ibas a utilizar tu cabeza y tener algún truco bajo la manga, pero veo que no tienes nada. ¿Por qué diablos creíste que ibas a tener una oportunidad contra mí?
— Cállate… a esto se le llama terquedad… ¿Creíste que iba a quedarme sin hacer nada?

—No lo usaré. No puedo mientras haces lo que puedes. Puedes hacerlo, así que sigue luchando. Confiar en el poder de los padres de uno es mi opción final absoluta —replicó No-Satella.
Mientras decía eso realmente parecía como si se estuviera quedando sin opciones y eso encendió un fuego dentro de Subaru.
De cierta manera, No-Satella parecía como si estuviera lista para rendirse; al mismo tiempo que parecía aceptar el hecho de que Subaru era débil y no ayudaría mucho.
Para Subaru, No-Satella era alguien que, no importa que tan difíciles fueran las cosas, nunca miraría hacia abajo y se rendiría. Porque esa era la manera de ser de ella, Subaru había trabajado duro para verla sonreír. Subaru había muerto varias veces y había llegado hasta aquí para salvarla. No había venido hasta aquí solo para verla rendirse.
— No vi nada justo ahora. ¡Esta conversación que acabamos de tener, no sucedió! Acabo de recordar la razón por la que estoy aquí. ¡Déjamelo a mí, maldición! ¡Voy a asegurarme de que nunca tengas que usar esa opción final tuya!

[noblegeas · Rating 1 out of 5]

Oof. The translation's prose was unbearable. Can't only blame the translation though, I don't think it could've invented all of the repetitiveness; I suspect they could've cut the word count in half and lost literally no information. Some of it worked fine as manic hyperactive speech in the anime, but it doesn't make for good *writing*. I wonder how much of it was padding to make the first arc last a whole book?

I'm definitely no longer intending to read the part covered by the anime, but after this, I'm hesitant to read the new arcs, too.

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a weird fucking book. Going in, I knew Re:Zero was an "isekai" story about a kid who is granted a time-rewinding power that acts akin to video game save-points. I'd read things describing the series as "dark fantasy," and I assumed the tone would be a bit more "mature," with hero Subaru getting himself brutally murdered on his path to resolving whatever issues for plot progression (not that graphic violence automatically makes something "mature," but you get what I mean). The -actual- product is hardly different from e.g. KonoSuba, except that Re:Zero isn't meant to be explicitly a comedy and so all "humor" sticks out grossly to ruin any "seriousness" it may otherwise attempt in its violence.

In finally beginning to read this book (having previously read the first volumes of Overlord, Youjo Senki, and the aforementioned KonoSuba), I tripped over a glaring fault for the genre, getting in my way as I tried to run through the novel: the "isekai" fad is so wide-spread that author Tappei Nagatsuki is allowed to side-step a hell of a lot of background info by having nerd protagonist Subaru being familiar enough with the subgenre that the reader's own familiarity stands in place of Nagatsuki actually having to do any effort to describe what happens. What I mean is that Subaru just spontaneously finds himself transported to a fantasy world, not even explicitly dying or having consciousness sucked into a video game or anything, rather the novel just opens with him walking around in a market square in a pseudo-Medieval world (okay, technically it opens with an "in medias res" description of what would be his future first death, but whatever). As is typical of isekai protagonists, Subaru is a bit genre-savvy and so isn't too taken aback by his transportation, and what's worse is he has this sort of ironic distance to his character wherein he has to joke about everything that happens to him, establishing an extremely sharp contrast between the intended darkness of the story versus the silliness of Subaru's character.

So what's odd is that Subaru seems like he's supposed to be the quasi-hero for an isekai parody, yet the story otherwise plays everything straight. The Big Idea is that Subaru is trying to recover a stolen badge by the half-elf calling herself "Satella," but the whole thing keeps ending with an assassin Elsa killing everybody, resetting Subaru back to square one. We get graphic descriptions of Subaru feeling so much pain he starts vomiting, but he still ruins the mood by joking aloud to Elsa and other things, as if Nagatsuki cannot commit to one tone or the other. It's hard to give a shit about any time Subaru dies, not only because we know he will reset in the marketplace, but also because neither the narrator nor the author seems to treat death with any gravity. Of course, we keep reading Subaru say things like "dying really hurts so I don't want to feel it again" (not an exact quote), but that doesn't really matter, instead feeling like a half-assed attempt by Nagatsuki at simulating "weight" to Subaru's plight.

Another flaw to this novel is that it feels very much like a "part one of x." This is a big issue with light novels in general, particular those of the past decade. Things like The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya or Boogiepop and Others each began with books that felt completely "singular," like they could be "it" with no continuation. Hell, even the first Sword Art Online book feels like a complete "whole." Most LNs nowadays all feel like pilot episodes to TV series, which indeed they are. This first volume of Re:Zero feels like there is little purpose other than to introduce Subaru and his "Return by Death" ability so that more interesting shit can happen in later books, just as how I'm sure this novel is adapted into three or four anime episodes so the rest of the season can focus more on future story arcs. The antagonist here is Elsa, but she doesn't really feel like a "real" villain so much as something like a video game "mid-boss." Additionally, the day is saved by Reinhard, a "real" hero, who only appears in the dead-ass end of the book, during Subaru's last time through these events, Reinhard's entrance during the Big Final Fight only foreshadowed a few pages earlier in the very same chapter. The greatest sin is that the back of the novel lets us know about Subaru's ability, of which he does not learn until halfway through the book, meaning we have to sit through Subaru twiddling his thumbs for about one-hundred pages before the real "meat" of the story can actually begin.

But it isn't all bad. Before Subaru's first death, the slice-of-life goings-on with not-Satella are pretty cute. It's somewhat interesting to see Subaru carry out his second life by skipping his meeting with not-Satella, "breaking sequence" as it were, due to not realizing his death and subsequent reset, and thus believing he has already met the half-elf. It's kinda funny that his third life is cut so short due to an accidental fatality during his oft-repeated encounter with the alley thugs, this cycle being the shortest chapter to reflect how each chapter otherwise shows a whole "life." And it's also pretty neat when Subaru finally realizes his predicament in the last cycle, continues to break sequence with events, and yet not-Satella still rescues the shopkeeper's daughter in the background and arrives at the slum basement earlier than expected, with Subaru realizing the delay during the first cycle was because of his own incompetence when traveling together. The description of Reinhard's power is pretty cool, including his whole fight against Elsa (though Elsa's fight against not-Satella is kinda shitty, as if Nagatsuki kept forgetting there was a mortal battle going on while Subaru wasted time talking with Felt).

Also, it's pretty annoying knowing beforehand that the half-elf girl's real name is "Emilia," and having to spend the whole novel with the character going by "Satella" before getting mad at Subaru for calling her by the same name in a different cycle.

****

This is kinda-sorta funny. Shinichirou Otsuka's art looked vaguely familiar to me, but I made no attempt to think about why. So I'm reading the novel and I'm looking at the illustrations, and I'm thinking the girls' legs are kinda weird with how they taper down to their feet like the simplistic 3D models in e.g. Bravely Default on 3DS or something. Everyone looks kinda THICC where maybe they aren't supposed to be. Not-Satella's boobs are kinda big, but I know one of the maid twins is supposed to have bigger boobs, so here it feels like one of those things where one character is known for big boobs in a world where everyone already has big books (see: Lucoa in Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid). The volume's cover also gives Not-Satella big ass/hips/thighs/whatever, which actually looks more like Otsuka fucked up human proportions and made her THICCer by mistake. Well, anyway, five years ago I bought the game Conception 2 on PSVita, in which I know one of the girls to have THICC-ish thighs, but all of the girls have these weird tapered/pointed legs. And one day I get an email from NIS America announcing preorders for the remake of the first Conception game when it hits me: the characters in Conception 2 have the same eyes as drawn for Re:Zero. The similarity in thighs and legs and breasts and things thus further stood out in a "holy shit, it's the same artist, how did it take me so long to realize?" sort of way. So that was kinda cool, like how I played Devil Survivor on the DS and recognized Yasuda's boob-drawing for DanMachi.

****

Honestly, this isn't really a -bad- light novel, but that's mostly because the medium is pretty low-quality in general. I am somewhat interested in the future of the series, but this is largely due to a) hype from other people and b) the small handful of sequel hooks at the end of this volume. I think, if I can find the next two books (which I believe constitute a singular arc) at a low-ish price, I may buy them. Otherwise, I might just watch the anime and make a decision to read the novels afterward.

In short, I can't really recommend this, but that doesn't mean it's a shitty read. It's just not as entertaining as e.g. KonoSuba.

[Gary Peterson · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stuck on Zero: Starting Lifeless in Another World Just Like Ours

I tried valiantly to enjoy and to finish this book... but I failed. I admitted utter defeat on page 93 when it appeared Subaru sealed the deal with Felt. Wow, I foolishly exulted, something was actually accomplished in this book. But noooo! Felt declares she wants to "sweeten the deal" and takes the negotiations back to square one. Aarrghh! I screamed and slammed the book shut.

The joke long ago was Star Trek: The Motionless Picture because the movie just took so maddeningly long to get anywhere. This light novel suffers from the same plodding pacing problem. It is just page after page of protracted and pointless conversation with zero plot progression.

I almost quit when after making it through Chapter 1 Tappei took it from the top in Chapter 2. Oh, no, am I gonna have to suffer through a repeat of Chapter 1? Well, yes and no. Drawing from Stein's Gate, it helped that Subaru retained his knowledge of the previous world line and was able to correct his missteps in this one. But by now the novel had exhausted my grace and goodwill and was placed on double secret probation.

Not helping was the gratuitous hate heaped on Boomers. Rom eats Subaru's chips and it sets the youth to editorializing: "Blaming others while you're doing the same yourself is a really bad habit of you baby boomers" (p. 85). Wait, what? I thought this story was about "life in another world" where the concept of "baby boomers" shouldn't even exist. Heck, Rom isn't even human judging by the illustration in the glossy front pages that depicts him as a cross between the Incredible Hulk and a God-forsaken gorilla.

That brings to light a major problem. I never once felt transported to another world. Besides the offhand remark about lizard-drawn carts, this world was too much like our own. Street thug in an alley brandishing a knife, for example. And Satella dropping slang like "nincompoop," "no matter how you slice it," and "you dummy." Subaru tells her, "Nobody uses the word 'nincompoop' anymore" (p. 45). Well, who's he to say whether the word has fallen out of fashion on this alleged "another world"? Why are otherworlders even using our slang expressions, anyway?

Hey, I love a good isekai and a thoughtful time-travel story. Re: Zero flopped on both fronts. I will give the anime a shot, but if it spins it wheels for five or six episodes like this book, I'll have to start life in another series.