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Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 [Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu] #3
Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-, Vol. 3
--Let's get this story moving. Alongside the people most important to him, a boy goes out to meet the same sunrise once more. Strengthening his resolve, Subaru returns to his first day in the mansion. Repeating his loop in the Roswaal household armed with his memories, Subaru attempts to only make the optimal decisions to avoid another tragedy, but his fear and obsession with evading death and failure are slowly warping him. While Subaru slowly falls apart trying to save everyone...who will save Subaru...?
258 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 22, 2014
119 people are currently reading
701 people want to read
About the author
Tappei Nagatsuki
162 books264 followersAssociated Names:
Tappei Nagatsuki
長月 達平 (Japanese)
長月達平 (Traditional Chinese) / 长月达平 (Simplified Chinese)
Tappei Nagatsuki
長月 達平 (Japanese)
長月達平 (Traditional Chinese) / 长月达平 (Simplified Chinese)
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 49 reviews
July 19, 2022
A nice finish to the volume 2-3 arc. At this point some of the main cast has been well established and I'm starting to really enjoy the worldbuilding and all that. The plot got interesting as well, with a more thourough look into the world's magic system and mechanics.
As well as this, a few of the character's backstories got pretty well fleshed out, but still leaving room for discovery for some, which sets a nice mystery for the future.
There are about 40 side stories it seems for Arc 1 (Volume 1) and Arc 2( Volume 2-3) so I'm gonna try and read those before Volume 4 (already read 17) and hopefully Volume 4 will be just as good.
As well as this, a few of the character's backstories got pretty well fleshed out, but still leaving room for discovery for some, which sets a nice mystery for the future.
There are about 40 side stories it seems for Arc 1 (Volume 1) and Arc 2( Volume 2-3) so I'm gonna try and read those before Volume 4 (already read 17) and hopefully Volume 4 will be just as good.
July 3, 2017
It was the continuation of the second volume. I read it quickly and to be honest, skipped some parts, as I have already seen what happened. Here are pros and cons of the series:
Pros:
1. Characters are entertaining with their own quirks and bizarre personalities. The main character Subaru may not be the best character ever written but he has rather a strong personality to make him likable. The other characters were almost all females, each one of them having strong bonds with the main character.
2. The plot was exciting and engaging, with dark themes and funny moments balanced.
Cons:
1. Writing style was dragging and sometimes over-explained, but overall it was a minor issue.
The fourth volume is not available for me to read it, so I'll put this series to rest for some time. Still, I really want to know the mysteries behind all of this. *sighs*
Pros:
1. Characters are entertaining with their own quirks and bizarre personalities. The main character Subaru may not be the best character ever written but he has rather a strong personality to make him likable. The other characters were almost all females, each one of them having strong bonds with the main character.
2. The plot was exciting and engaging, with dark themes and funny moments balanced.
Cons:
1. Writing style was dragging and sometimes over-explained, but overall it was a minor issue.
The fourth volume is not available for me to read it, so I'll put this series to rest for some time. Still, I really want to know the mysteries behind all of this. *sighs*
June 6, 2020
(純廢文)
家裡2歲多的蛙兒很喜歡轉我的雷姆流星錘(護身用)鑰匙圈
以抓週的原理來看的話，長大會像雷姆吧
小說彩插中的流星錘與動畫的樣式有點差異
動畫裡的是簡化的，刺比較少
恰巧手邊有實物(?)做比較
家裡2歲多的蛙兒很喜歡轉我的雷姆流星錘(護身用)鑰匙圈
以抓週的原理來看的話，長大會像雷姆吧
小說彩插中的流星錘與動畫的樣式有點差異
動畫裡的是簡化的，刺比較少
恰巧手邊有實物(?)做比較
September 11, 2020
Three and a half.
I came across Re:ZERO when the anime started airing back in 2016. It was the big hit of that season. I very much enjoyed the first few episodes, but in one of them they introduced not only one of them clichéd cat bois, but also went into fantasy world politics. I thought the show had gone through the usual collapses that happen to many anime series, in which some introduced elements completely destroy the tone, balance and flow of the story, and you might as well move on. I moved on back then, but recently, I don't remember why, I decided to watch it again from the beginning. Although the episode in which I bailed was the worst of the series so far, there were great things to come. I'm up to date with the second season, and, at least for now, I'm going to read through the original light novels.
This story is one of the earliest breeds of isekai from a legit genre that has become the termites of manga/light novels/anime. There are isekai of every gimmick imaginable; it's the fictional version of Rule 34: if you can think of something ridiculous, there's bound to be an isekai of it. In any case, this genre doesn't exist outside of Japan as far as I'm aware. You could write dissertations on the cultural implications of its existence and its common elements. Almost invariably, these stories are about some Japanese person getting transported to another world, usually set in a fantasy version of Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. Those fantasy worlds tend to feature fantastic beasts that are a mix of Western and Japanese folklore. Puzzlingly, often the worlds themselves tend to be videogames, or have videogame features such as status menus or shit like that.
In Re:ZERO, the Japanese person who gets transported is former class clown / current hikikomori Natsuki Subaru. As he was getting out of a konbini, he blinked and found himself in the middle of a fantasy metropolis populated not only by humans but also demi-humans. As part of this protagonist's charm he's mostly overjoyed that he can leave his miserable life behind, and he believes that he's going to enjoy protagonist status in this fantasy world. He carries self-aware commentary throughout the entire series so far, making references to the usual narrative tropes and even video games, that none of the characters around him understand. As he's wondering what his superpower is going to be, as per the laws of this genre, he finds out that this fantasy world offers him just a couple of certainties: defeat and suffering (link for a somewhat spoilery compilation of that from the first season of the anime).
Shortly after Subaru gets to that world, he casually meets whom he takes for the main heroine and love interest of his fantasy story. He attempts to help her recover some stolen insignia, only to come across a murderer. He gets fatally wounded, and because he couldn't warn the main heroine properly, she gets killed immediately. As the protagonist dies, he holds her hand and promises her that he'll save her somehow. The protagonist dies only to get transported back to a previous checkpoint. Turns out his only "superpower" is to return by death to a previous point during his life in this fantasy world. He can't choose when and where, which causes problems down the road. Additionally, whoever put that curse on him doesn't physically allow him to share the details of his ability with others, so he consistently has issues enlisting others' help to prevent disasters that he knows are coming.
While that concept would entertain me by itself, I find the psychology behind some of the characters quite interesting. The protagonist is a good guy with no particular talents and who couldn't measure up to his dad (shown in the second season). Early in his school days he resorted to making others laugh and organize mischief for their amusement. However, as they grew older, he didn't, and they eventually left him behind. When he reached high school he found out that he couldn't connect with anybody; he couldn't open up about his real self, which was one full of shame and inadequacy, and his joker persona no longer vibed with his high school aged peers. He found himself terrified of going to class, and by the time the story started he barely left his home. It reminds me a bit of Osamu Dazai's memories of himself in his probably mostly autobiographical "No Longer Human". Subaru relates to the people he meets in this fantasy world by being a jokey weirdo, which charms and disarms some, but ends up causing terrible trouble not only for himself but for others; the worst probably when . Part of his arc depends on him facing his inadequacies and powerlessness and struggling forward despite it all. The earliest "dark night of the soul" happens during episode 18 of the first season, when .
As other colorful characters we have best girl Rem, a servant for the lord in whose mansion the protagonist ended up living in. This maid also happens to be a demon (or more accurately the Japanese version of them, an oni). She was born a twin to a sister that was a prodigy. Rem grew envious under her shadow despite loving her sister, and when some Inquisition-like group ended up murdering most of her tribe including their parents, she witnessed her sister's horn, the source of her powers, get amputated. Rem's final thought was one of relief, as in "it finally came off". The guilt of having wished that to the depth of her being carried her forward, by taking over her now comparatively powerless sister in all the stuff the sister could no longer do. By the time the protagonist meets her, she's just looking for a good cause to die. She also has blue hair and almost always wears a maid costume, as per the laws of this medium.
Another character whose psychology I found interesting is the librarian of the lord's mansion. She's a possibly immortal being who despite having grown fond of many perishable creatures she has met along the way, she now acts standoffish and unapproachable in order to avoid the inevitable grief. In her own words when a major disaster happened during one of the failed runs in the first season, "I don't care if some maneuver would benefit me in the future. I'm tired of pain, suffering and fear. Of everything, I suppose. At least you can die where I can't see you." She's also a little girl wearing a very elaborate, festive outfit and has a ridiculous hairstyle, as per the laws of this medium.
"She told me she was several millennia old, your Honor"
I started reading the light novels from this volume because apparently the previous ones divert little from the anime. This volume starts after (spoilers from the story up to this point) the protagonist has already been killed like four or five times. He's managed to survive just a few days inside the mansion only to be killed by a curse but also by a previously unknown assailant. He already found out who that murderer was, but he only finds out the origin of the curse during this volume. To stop the curse he needs to befriend and enlist the help of a few people who aren't on his side, and then venture into a monster-infested forest to bravely face some demon dogs. These sequences are the first instances in the story so far in which the protagonist has to complement his numerous shortcomings with the help of the much more powerful people around him, not only to solve the issue at hand, but also to convince them of his good intentions in a world where betrayals and contract killers are around the corner.
As usual in such series, people are divided between whether the protagonist should favor a romantic route or another. Subaru latched on to the first pretty face that helped him in a moment of need: Emilia, a name that probably sounds better for a woman in Japanese, who is a magic user born a white-haired half-elf in a world where the biggest catastrophe was due to a white-haired half-elf having destroyed half of the population a few hundred years ago. Due to some lineage she's a pretender to the throne, but because virtually everybody that meets her just sees a reincarnation of that world's Hitler, she's a very naïve shut-in with old-fashioned morals who needs to be extremely careful of stepping outside of the mansion belonging to the lord that takes care of her. She's a sweet, caring girl and all, but choosing her over Rem would be like dating your own admittedly very beautiful, mostly clueless and naïve mother. The other option is a berserker demon girl in a maid outfit, so no contest there.
If you have already watched the first season of the anime or you don't care about spoilers, you probably should watch the humorous Re:Zero IN 8 MINUTES video that YouTube anime guy Gigguk made back then. Plenty of out of context stuff, but a good summary of the series up to that point.
I came across Re:ZERO when the anime started airing back in 2016. It was the big hit of that season. I very much enjoyed the first few episodes, but in one of them they introduced not only one of them clichéd cat bois, but also went into fantasy world politics. I thought the show had gone through the usual collapses that happen to many anime series, in which some introduced elements completely destroy the tone, balance and flow of the story, and you might as well move on. I moved on back then, but recently, I don't remember why, I decided to watch it again from the beginning. Although the episode in which I bailed was the worst of the series so far, there were great things to come. I'm up to date with the second season, and, at least for now, I'm going to read through the original light novels.
This story is one of the earliest breeds of isekai from a legit genre that has become the termites of manga/light novels/anime. There are isekai of every gimmick imaginable; it's the fictional version of Rule 34: if you can think of something ridiculous, there's bound to be an isekai of it. In any case, this genre doesn't exist outside of Japan as far as I'm aware. You could write dissertations on the cultural implications of its existence and its common elements. Almost invariably, these stories are about some Japanese person getting transported to another world, usually set in a fantasy version of Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. Those fantasy worlds tend to feature fantastic beasts that are a mix of Western and Japanese folklore. Puzzlingly, often the worlds themselves tend to be videogames, or have videogame features such as status menus or shit like that.
In Re:ZERO, the Japanese person who gets transported is former class clown / current hikikomori Natsuki Subaru. As he was getting out of a konbini, he blinked and found himself in the middle of a fantasy metropolis populated not only by humans but also demi-humans. As part of this protagonist's charm he's mostly overjoyed that he can leave his miserable life behind, and he believes that he's going to enjoy protagonist status in this fantasy world. He carries self-aware commentary throughout the entire series so far, making references to the usual narrative tropes and even video games, that none of the characters around him understand. As he's wondering what his superpower is going to be, as per the laws of this genre, he finds out that this fantasy world offers him just a couple of certainties: defeat and suffering (link for a somewhat spoilery compilation of that from the first season of the anime).
Shortly after Subaru gets to that world, he casually meets whom he takes for the main heroine and love interest of his fantasy story. He attempts to help her recover some stolen insignia, only to come across a murderer. He gets fatally wounded, and because he couldn't warn the main heroine properly, she gets killed immediately. As the protagonist dies, he holds her hand and promises her that he'll save her somehow. The protagonist dies only to get transported back to a previous checkpoint. Turns out his only "superpower" is to return by death to a previous point during his life in this fantasy world. He can't choose when and where, which causes problems down the road. Additionally, whoever put that curse on him doesn't physically allow him to share the details of his ability with others, so he consistently has issues enlisting others' help to prevent disasters that he knows are coming.
While that concept would entertain me by itself, I find the psychology behind some of the characters quite interesting. The protagonist is a good guy with no particular talents and who couldn't measure up to his dad (shown in the second season). Early in his school days he resorted to making others laugh and organize mischief for their amusement. However, as they grew older, he didn't, and they eventually left him behind. When he reached high school he found out that he couldn't connect with anybody; he couldn't open up about his real self, which was one full of shame and inadequacy, and his joker persona no longer vibed with his high school aged peers. He found himself terrified of going to class, and by the time the story started he barely left his home. It reminds me a bit of Osamu Dazai's memories of himself in his probably mostly autobiographical "No Longer Human". Subaru relates to the people he meets in this fantasy world by being a jokey weirdo, which charms and disarms some, but ends up causing terrible trouble not only for himself but for others; the worst probably when . Part of his arc depends on him facing his inadequacies and powerlessness and struggling forward despite it all. The earliest "dark night of the soul" happens during episode 18 of the first season, when .
As other colorful characters we have best girl Rem, a servant for the lord in whose mansion the protagonist ended up living in. This maid also happens to be a demon (or more accurately the Japanese version of them, an oni). She was born a twin to a sister that was a prodigy. Rem grew envious under her shadow despite loving her sister, and when some Inquisition-like group ended up murdering most of her tribe including their parents, she witnessed her sister's horn, the source of her powers, get amputated. Rem's final thought was one of relief, as in "it finally came off". The guilt of having wished that to the depth of her being carried her forward, by taking over her now comparatively powerless sister in all the stuff the sister could no longer do. By the time the protagonist meets her, she's just looking for a good cause to die. She also has blue hair and almost always wears a maid costume, as per the laws of this medium.
Another character whose psychology I found interesting is the librarian of the lord's mansion. She's a possibly immortal being who despite having grown fond of many perishable creatures she has met along the way, she now acts standoffish and unapproachable in order to avoid the inevitable grief. In her own words when a major disaster happened during one of the failed runs in the first season, "I don't care if some maneuver would benefit me in the future. I'm tired of pain, suffering and fear. Of everything, I suppose. At least you can die where I can't see you." She's also a little girl wearing a very elaborate, festive outfit and has a ridiculous hairstyle, as per the laws of this medium.
"She told me she was several millennia old, your Honor"
I started reading the light novels from this volume because apparently the previous ones divert little from the anime. This volume starts after (spoilers from the story up to this point) the protagonist has already been killed like four or five times. He's managed to survive just a few days inside the mansion only to be killed by a curse but also by a previously unknown assailant. He already found out who that murderer was, but he only finds out the origin of the curse during this volume. To stop the curse he needs to befriend and enlist the help of a few people who aren't on his side, and then venture into a monster-infested forest to bravely face some demon dogs. These sequences are the first instances in the story so far in which the protagonist has to complement his numerous shortcomings with the help of the much more powerful people around him, not only to solve the issue at hand, but also to convince them of his good intentions in a world where betrayals and contract killers are around the corner.
As usual in such series, people are divided between whether the protagonist should favor a romantic route or another. Subaru latched on to the first pretty face that helped him in a moment of need: Emilia, a name that probably sounds better for a woman in Japanese, who is a magic user born a white-haired half-elf in a world where the biggest catastrophe was due to a white-haired half-elf having destroyed half of the population a few hundred years ago. Due to some lineage she's a pretender to the throne, but because virtually everybody that meets her just sees a reincarnation of that world's Hitler, she's a very naïve shut-in with old-fashioned morals who needs to be extremely careful of stepping outside of the mansion belonging to the lord that takes care of her. She's a sweet, caring girl and all, but choosing her over Rem would be like dating your own admittedly very beautiful, mostly clueless and naïve mother. The other option is a berserker demon girl in a maid outfit, so no contest there.
If you have already watched the first season of the anime or you don't care about spoilers, you probably should watch the humorous Re:Zero IN 8 MINUTES video that YouTube anime guy Gigguk made back then. Plenty of out of context stuff, but a good summary of the series up to that point.
May 10, 2018
"En résumé, c'est un troisième tome pour lequel j'avais à la fois beaucoup d'appréhension et d'attentes. Au final, il m'a vraiment beaucoup plu. Subaru se reprend en mains, redevient sérieux et sa quête principale revient sur le devant de la scène. J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce tome 3, et même certains passages m'ont fait rire."
Chronique complète: http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
Chronique complète: http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...
March 26, 2018
Way better than the previous books, this one is filled with excitement and action, the characters finally get a full development and the story goes smoothly, just hope that the following one is not in a vicious circle with one bad one good book.
June 14, 2020
Alright, fuck, I like the maid twins. Jesus. I'll buy you're fucking merch, Kadokawa, so calm down.
Perhaps somewhat interesting, in the sense that I believe Re:ZERO is maybe plague to too many violent waifu wars, is that while I've grown to like Rem more through this volume, I think I've also grown to like Ram even better. I still hold a position of Emilia as Best Girl, if not pretty much solely for her character design (I feel Otsuka gives her the fattest thighs of the girls, and that's sometimes important), especially as she barely does anything here. Rem grows to fall in love with Subaru because she's impressed by his tenacity, particularly as she's spent much of her life trying to make up for Ram's losing her oni horn, and the whole thing is quite cute, I must admit. However, the brief interlude of the sisters' backstory, as sappy as it is, kinda "got" me a wee bit, and so I have an interest in Ram that's very much the same as Rem's own reverence for her sister. It helps, then, that Ram has quite a bit of screentime ("page-time"?) compared to the younger maid as Ram and Subaru search the woods for Rem (who was searching for the majuu to kill them and lift Subaru's curse, earning herself some moe points). Actually, thinking about it a little more, and being too lazy to revise this paragraph by including this statement earlier on, Emilia's lap pillow is far too significant for anything the other girls do to try to bridge the gap. Rem holding Subaru's hand in his sleep at the end is definitely cute, but it's bittersweet since there's a feeling she will be friendzoned hard, and indeed the next scene is Subaru hanging out with Emilia.
I play around too much with taking on a sort of persona that's seemingly obsessed with moe elements in Japanese media, and with perhaps a particular interest on boobs and butts and things, so allow me to say just one thing more before taking this novel seriously: Rem's boobs look nice in the illustration in the Epilogue.
Okay, so, anyway, this volume wraps up the story arc that began with Volume 2. Subaru kept dying from a debilitating magic curse, or otherwise Rem would die from the curse, or Rem would hunt and murder Subaru regardless of whether he's being killed by the curse. Subaru eventually got the impression there was an evil shaman afoot who has been fucking with Subaru in an attempt to create chaos in Roswaal's mansion, so he killed himself to trigger Return by Death. Volume 3 here is Subaru's last run at trying to solve the mystery of the shaman's curse. Pretty sure he didn't die at all in this volume, which is a nice change of pace, and hopefully a sign for the future. There are several points at which Subaru's life is definitely at stake, and indeed there is a chapter that seems like it would end with another death for our hero (an "interlude" chapter postpones us from seeing too soon that he actually survived). I believe the next arc is Volumes 4 through 9 or something, which I predict could very well be annoying if he's dying three or four times each in the first several novels before actually solving whatever problem in the final book, so my guess is that Subaru's not-dying in Volume 3 sets us up to see him not-die for some great stretch of page-count in future.
Worldbuilding expands more than in the previous two volumes. We finally have confirmation that "Satella" is the name of the Witch of Jealousy. It is assumed the black shadow Subaru sees is Satella or an avatar of the witch. Subaru and the village children have been cursed by majuu (translated as "demon beasts" in the novel, but that sounds stupid to me, so bear with my preservation of the Japanese), who are also thought to be powered by the Witch's mana. Subaru learns a little bit of magic, being able to cast a spell that causes a mixture of Silence, Blindness, and Confusion statuses (not stated explicitly, but I'm using generic JRPG terms for simplicity's sake). Subaru also works out a plan to force the black shadow to grip his heart by intentionally half-speaking of Return by Death to Ram in order to increase the Witch-scent around him to lure the majuu toward him and Ram, while also drawing the demonized Rem's attention. And I guess, then, I should also mention that the twins are confirmed to be small parodies of the mythic red and blue oni, and that Rem has her horn, but Ram lost hers, and oni are supposed to have two horns by the number is split for twins (though, how the fuck would triplets work?), and Rozchi saved Ram and Rem from some Witch-fueled angry mob burning their oni village. And all the brief scenes that seemed like Rozchi was fucking Ram are revealed to be Roswaal dripfeeding Ram with his mana because she kept burning through hers by spamming her Blades of Wind because her missing horn makes it harder to maintain her MP or something.
The "afterword" and the preview for the next volume mention that Volume 4 will be the beginning of the "main story." Author Tappei Nagatsuki referred to Volume 1 as "the tutorial," as it sets up the basic idea of Return by Death and Subaru's desire to protect Emilia. Volumes 2 and 3 expand the series to introduce Roswaal, Beatrice, Ram, and Rem, to confirm Subaru's love for Emilia, to set Rem up as a third wheel in love with Subaru, to give Subaru some minor means of combat (he uses a sword, learns the attribute of his mana and a single spell he can use, and he weaponizes Return by Death's Witch-stank), and to broaden the plot with the ideas of royal candidates and how Emilia's life may be at stake for her superficial resemblance to the evil Witch. Taken as a whole, these three volumes of prologue are all pretty good, so I'm definitely interested enough in moving onward. That said, I'm uncertain whether I should read the following light-novels immediately, or watch the anime first, or read the webnovel (which I've been told is superior to the LN). Either way, I'm locked in because I keep fucking buying cheap prize figures of the oni maid twins....
Perhaps somewhat interesting, in the sense that I believe Re:ZERO is maybe plague to too many violent waifu wars, is that while I've grown to like Rem more through this volume, I think I've also grown to like Ram even better. I still hold a position of Emilia as Best Girl, if not pretty much solely for her character design (I feel Otsuka gives her the fattest thighs of the girls, and that's sometimes important), especially as she barely does anything here. Rem grows to fall in love with Subaru because she's impressed by his tenacity, particularly as she's spent much of her life trying to make up for Ram's losing her oni horn, and the whole thing is quite cute, I must admit. However, the brief interlude of the sisters' backstory, as sappy as it is, kinda "got" me a wee bit, and so I have an interest in Ram that's very much the same as Rem's own reverence for her sister. It helps, then, that Ram has quite a bit of screentime ("page-time"?) compared to the younger maid as Ram and Subaru search the woods for Rem (who was searching for the majuu to kill them and lift Subaru's curse, earning herself some moe points). Actually, thinking about it a little more, and being too lazy to revise this paragraph by including this statement earlier on, Emilia's lap pillow is far too significant for anything the other girls do to try to bridge the gap. Rem holding Subaru's hand in his sleep at the end is definitely cute, but it's bittersweet since there's a feeling she will be friendzoned hard, and indeed the next scene is Subaru hanging out with Emilia.
I play around too much with taking on a sort of persona that's seemingly obsessed with moe elements in Japanese media, and with perhaps a particular interest on boobs and butts and things, so allow me to say just one thing more before taking this novel seriously: Rem's boobs look nice in the illustration in the Epilogue.
Okay, so, anyway, this volume wraps up the story arc that began with Volume 2. Subaru kept dying from a debilitating magic curse, or otherwise Rem would die from the curse, or Rem would hunt and murder Subaru regardless of whether he's being killed by the curse. Subaru eventually got the impression there was an evil shaman afoot who has been fucking with Subaru in an attempt to create chaos in Roswaal's mansion, so he killed himself to trigger Return by Death. Volume 3 here is Subaru's last run at trying to solve the mystery of the shaman's curse. Pretty sure he didn't die at all in this volume, which is a nice change of pace, and hopefully a sign for the future. There are several points at which Subaru's life is definitely at stake, and indeed there is a chapter that seems like it would end with another death for our hero (an "interlude" chapter postpones us from seeing too soon that he actually survived). I believe the next arc is Volumes 4 through 9 or something, which I predict could very well be annoying if he's dying three or four times each in the first several novels before actually solving whatever problem in the final book, so my guess is that Subaru's not-dying in Volume 3 sets us up to see him not-die for some great stretch of page-count in future.
Worldbuilding expands more than in the previous two volumes. We finally have confirmation that "Satella" is the name of the Witch of Jealousy. It is assumed the black shadow Subaru sees is Satella or an avatar of the witch. Subaru and the village children have been cursed by majuu (translated as "demon beasts" in the novel, but that sounds stupid to me, so bear with my preservation of the Japanese), who are also thought to be powered by the Witch's mana. Subaru learns a little bit of magic, being able to cast a spell that causes a mixture of Silence, Blindness, and Confusion statuses (not stated explicitly, but I'm using generic JRPG terms for simplicity's sake). Subaru also works out a plan to force the black shadow to grip his heart by intentionally half-speaking of Return by Death to Ram in order to increase the Witch-scent around him to lure the majuu toward him and Ram, while also drawing the demonized Rem's attention. And I guess, then, I should also mention that the twins are confirmed to be small parodies of the mythic red and blue oni, and that Rem has her horn, but Ram lost hers, and oni are supposed to have two horns by the number is split for twins (though, how the fuck would triplets work?), and Rozchi saved Ram and Rem from some Witch-fueled angry mob burning their oni village. And all the brief scenes that seemed like Rozchi was fucking Ram are revealed to be Roswaal dripfeeding Ram with his mana because she kept burning through hers by spamming her Blades of Wind because her missing horn makes it harder to maintain her MP or something.
The "afterword" and the preview for the next volume mention that Volume 4 will be the beginning of the "main story." Author Tappei Nagatsuki referred to Volume 1 as "the tutorial," as it sets up the basic idea of Return by Death and Subaru's desire to protect Emilia. Volumes 2 and 3 expand the series to introduce Roswaal, Beatrice, Ram, and Rem, to confirm Subaru's love for Emilia, to set Rem up as a third wheel in love with Subaru, to give Subaru some minor means of combat (he uses a sword, learns the attribute of his mana and a single spell he can use, and he weaponizes Return by Death's Witch-stank), and to broaden the plot with the ideas of royal candidates and how Emilia's life may be at stake for her superficial resemblance to the evil Witch. Taken as a whole, these three volumes of prologue are all pretty good, so I'm definitely interested enough in moving onward. That said, I'm uncertain whether I should read the following light-novels immediately, or watch the anime first, or read the webnovel (which I've been told is superior to the LN). Either way, I'm locked in because I keep fucking buying cheap prize figures of the oni maid twins....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 30, 2017
Volume 1 world building, volume 2 building the story and series, volume 3 the conclusion of the second arc.
Overall I found this book interesting as we dive into characters past, as well as get into the mental state of the main character.
The plot was also interesting, final being able to put everything together from the second book, solving all the mystery accumulated in volume 2.
The future of the series really falls on the next book, and whether it can hold interest in the series. Although I have heard various reviews about the next arc saying that it could be somewhat dark but I'll no doubt get my hands on it.
Overall I found this book interesting as we dive into characters past, as well as get into the mental state of the main character.
The plot was also interesting, final being able to put everything together from the second book, solving all the mystery accumulated in volume 2.
The future of the series really falls on the next book, and whether it can hold interest in the series. Although I have heard various reviews about the next arc saying that it could be somewhat dark but I'll no doubt get my hands on it.
July 11, 2024
[4.5⭐]
Finalmente o final do arco 2 e, graças a Deus, fechado com chave de ouro!
Esse capítulo foi melhor do que o passado, principalmente por dar fechamento ao loop de mortes incessantes do meu mano Subaru. Achei interessante a explicação, finalmente, do motivo da Rem desconfiar tanto do Baru e do que molda a personalidade da personagem, com o passado das gêmeas sendo parcialmente revelado. Tentei fazer um paralelo da cena da novel com o anime enquanto lia, porém, honestamente, eu não lembro é de mais de nada do anime.😅
A novel sempre é mais completa que o anime, isso é fato, até pela mídia ser diferente e o modo como as coisas são apresentadas em cada uma, então, me agradou bastante. Como fã de re:zero e alguém que faz coleção da obra, acredito que, nada mais justo que eu critique um pouco a obra e, claro, como eu a conheci pelo anime e me dói muito recomendar a alguém a assistir, afinal, eu acho o anime muito legal, porém não consigo negar que o meu mano Barusu é, tecnicamente falando, um protagonista insuportável funcional. Na novel isso funciona super bem, afinal, a gente não só tá na cabeça do cara, a gente lê os pensamentos dele e entende que ele tá "sendo idiota" mas não exatamente à toa. Ele demonstra ser humano na novel, parece até que ele é uma pessoa decente! Aí no anime meu mano Surabu é só burro e às vezes vc precisa pausar o anime pra dar uma suspirada 😮💨 e dizer "complicado né gente" antes de prosseguir. Enfim...
Explicaram o que diabos era a relação do Roswall com a Ram .
Algo que me incomodou um pouco esse volume foi a tradução, principalmente em momentos que a concordância do português se esvaiu completamente e deu lugar ao modo mais "uga buga" possível.
Finalmente o final do arco 2 e, graças a Deus, fechado com chave de ouro!
Esse capítulo foi melhor do que o passado, principalmente por dar fechamento ao loop de mortes incessantes do meu mano Subaru. Achei interessante a explicação, finalmente, do motivo da Rem desconfiar tanto do Baru e do que molda a personalidade da personagem, com o passado das gêmeas sendo parcialmente revelado. Tentei fazer um paralelo da cena da novel com o anime enquanto lia, porém, honestamente, eu não lembro é de mais de nada do anime.😅
A novel sempre é mais completa que o anime, isso é fato, até pela mídia ser diferente e o modo como as coisas são apresentadas em cada uma, então, me agradou bastante. Como fã de re:zero e alguém que faz coleção da obra, acredito que, nada mais justo que eu critique um pouco a obra e, claro, como eu a conheci pelo anime e me dói muito recomendar a alguém a assistir, afinal, eu acho o anime muito legal, porém não consigo negar que o meu mano Barusu é, tecnicamente falando, um protagonista insuportável funcional. Na novel isso funciona super bem, afinal, a gente não só tá na cabeça do cara, a gente lê os pensamentos dele e entende que ele tá "sendo idiota" mas não exatamente à toa. Ele demonstra ser humano na novel, parece até que ele é uma pessoa decente! Aí no anime meu mano Surabu é só burro e às vezes vc precisa pausar o anime pra dar uma suspirada 😮💨 e dizer "complicado né gente" antes de prosseguir. Enfim...
Explicaram o que diabos era a relação do Roswall com a Ram .
Algo que me incomodou um pouco esse volume foi a tradução, principalmente em momentos que a concordância do português se esvaiu completamente e deu lugar ao modo mais "uga buga" possível.
July 9, 2021
Again another fantastic entry by Tappei-Sensei and another really good book read.
I breezed through this entry as it was 90% action with the fight with the Urlgarm in the forest and everything virtually pitch-perfect in their action and revealing, loved every single second of it.
And yes I teared up during the morning after talk between Rem and Subaru. (I'm gonna hate him again in upcoming volumes).
It's brilliant, every single part of it and after watching the anime several times I FINALLY understand what is going on with Ram and Roswaal at nights. See I always assumed it was a healing type magic, that was shown to be a sort of sickness (Roswaal gets similar treatment later on) but turns out instead of extracting Mana because there's too much, it's putting Mana in the body this time.
And that kinda makes it even more intimate and the upcoming reveal is amazing.
Beako being absent for a while is explained better here than in the anime. (poor lil loli is scared for her friend) and Emilia actually scolding Subaru is hilarious, both hesitant and annoyed at the same time that ends with a happy scene.
All in all an end to the Mansion arc of Re:Zero and the halfway point of the prologue finishing is fantastic.
Didn't think I'd love them as much as I am but dammit if I've been proven wrong.
Now to start Volume 4 and the bestest best knight to ever nyah ever. I hope anyway.
and yes he is a boy.
I breezed through this entry as it was 90% action with the fight with the Urlgarm in the forest and everything virtually pitch-perfect in their action and revealing, loved every single second of it.
And yes I teared up during the morning after talk between Rem and Subaru. (I'm gonna hate him again in upcoming volumes).
It's brilliant, every single part of it and after watching the anime several times I FINALLY understand what is going on with Ram and Roswaal at nights. See I always assumed it was a healing type magic, that was shown to be a sort of sickness (Roswaal gets similar treatment later on) but turns out instead of extracting Mana because there's too much, it's putting Mana in the body this time.
And that kinda makes it even more intimate and the upcoming reveal is amazing.
Beako being absent for a while is explained better here than in the anime. (poor lil loli is scared for her friend) and Emilia actually scolding Subaru is hilarious, both hesitant and annoyed at the same time that ends with a happy scene.
All in all an end to the Mansion arc of Re:Zero and the halfway point of the prologue finishing is fantastic.
Didn't think I'd love them as much as I am but dammit if I've been proven wrong.
Now to start Volume 4 and the bestest best knight to ever nyah ever. I hope anyway.
and yes he is a boy.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 3, 2025
Pretty great.
Coming back to the superior isekai series has been quite enjoyable...
I forgot how much I liked the time travel aspect and its endless possibilities within Nagatsuki's world he's built. This series inspires a lot of imagination for me, more than Konosuba does.
The final act was satisfying. RamRem development was welcome. Roswaal's kinda busted. Subaru's still a bit much with his goofy mannerisms here and there, but as I'd hoped for last volume, Subaru's constant exposure to trauma seems to have hardened him a bit, which I like.
He's also become more desperate as he is always fighting way outside of his weight class, which is exciting.
Resolving volume 2's plotline, I think I liked this one more than the last volume, having clarified alot of things and being good closure as well.
Nagatsuki's afterword was interesting, as well. He described volume 1 as the "tutorial" to the series and the 2nd and 3rd volumes as a precursor to the main story showcasing how the rest of the series will go. Supposedly, volumes 4+ dive into the larger world of Re:Zero, which should be interesting.
Of course, I will be along the ride to see how Subaru's power is used throughout it all. This premise, I imagine, will keep me hooked throughout the series, as long as Return by Death remains prevalent.
duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i mean konosuba better konosuba betterrrrrrrrrr duhhhhhhhh
Coming back to the superior isekai series has been quite enjoyable...
I forgot how much I liked the time travel aspect and its endless possibilities within Nagatsuki's world he's built. This series inspires a lot of imagination for me, more than Konosuba does.
The final act was satisfying. RamRem development was welcome. Roswaal's kinda busted. Subaru's still a bit much with his goofy mannerisms here and there, but as I'd hoped for last volume, Subaru's constant exposure to trauma seems to have hardened him a bit, which I like.
He's also become more desperate as he is always fighting way outside of his weight class, which is exciting.
Resolving volume 2's plotline, I think I liked this one more than the last volume, having clarified alot of things and being good closure as well.
Nagatsuki's afterword was interesting, as well. He described volume 1 as the "tutorial" to the series and the 2nd and 3rd volumes as a precursor to the main story showcasing how the rest of the series will go. Supposedly, volumes 4+ dive into the larger world of Re:Zero, which should be interesting.
Of course, I will be along the ride to see how Subaru's power is used throughout it all. This premise, I imagine, will keep me hooked throughout the series, as long as Return by Death remains prevalent.
duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i mean konosuba better konosuba betterrrrrrrrrr duhhhhhhhh
July 9, 2020
Nagatsuki no para de sorprenderme. Me gusta mucho cómo consigue adaptar la evolución de su trama para conseguir incluirlo en un espacio tan breve sin que se sienta corto (aquí el experto en novelas ligeras).
Aunque me habría gustado más unificar los dos últimos libros en un solo tomo para tener todo el arco conjunto, entiendo la necesidad de partirlo en dos y aplaudo la capacidad del autor para tomarse su tiempo en el desarrollo de la trama y, sobre todo, de los personajes.
Quizás sea que no estoy acostumbrado a leer novelas ligeras pero esperaba menos nivel de Re:Zero y me he encontrado con uno de los pocos isekai realmente coherentes que he visto, una historia absorbente y un casting de personajes muy bien trabajados y con cero miedos a trabajar con excentricidades.
Aunque me habría gustado más unificar los dos últimos libros en un solo tomo para tener todo el arco conjunto, entiendo la necesidad de partirlo en dos y aplaudo la capacidad del autor para tomarse su tiempo en el desarrollo de la trama y, sobre todo, de los personajes.
Quizás sea que no estoy acostumbrado a leer novelas ligeras pero esperaba menos nivel de Re:Zero y me he encontrado con uno de los pocos isekai realmente coherentes que he visto, una historia absorbente y un casting de personajes muy bien trabajados y con cero miedos a trabajar con excentricidades.
July 24, 2022
Me parece que los diálogos están mucho mejor trabajados que en el segundo libro (las extensiones en las palabras de Roswaal son menores aunque permanecen presentes, y Beatrice aparece menos con sus "me lo pregunto") y considero que recurre a expresiones menos, digamos, juveniles.
Asimismo es interesante ver la resolución de los problemas que se van presentando, con unos siendo inteligentes y otros no tanto. Por ejemplo, el uso de la magia por parte de Subaru me pareció una solución muy buena, una que fue inmediatamente desechada por la aparición de otro personaje.
De eso en más va desarrollando una historia excelente, esto junto con las relaciones de los personajes como la de Ram con Roswaal, Subaru con Rem, y Subaru con Emilia.
Asimismo es interesante ver la resolución de los problemas que se van presentando, con unos siendo inteligentes y otros no tanto. Por ejemplo, el uso de la magia por parte de Subaru me pareció una solución muy buena, una que fue inmediatamente desechada por la aparición de otro personaje.
De eso en más va desarrollando una historia excelente, esto junto con las relaciones de los personajes como la de Ram con Roswaal, Subaru con Rem, y Subaru con Emilia.
July 25, 2022
It's a nice finale to the second part. It's so short that I wished it came as a 400 page volume with the second one instead as to not ruin the pacing. It's a very high tempo read, for better or worse.
The main character is starting to learn that he should try to understand people, and other characters finally feel more believable now that he tries to see anyone elses capabilities. It's fun to see the side characters change, it doesn't feel unusually contrived. It is a bit annoying that it took three books to break away from what seemed like another harem series. At least it does this faster than the anime!
Looking forward to the continuation.
The main character is starting to learn that he should try to understand people, and other characters finally feel more believable now that he tries to see anyone elses capabilities. It's fun to see the side characters change, it doesn't feel unusually contrived. It is a bit annoying that it took three books to break away from what seemed like another harem series. At least it does this faster than the anime!
Looking forward to the continuation.
August 15, 2020
After watching and reading the novel and the tv series adaption. I got to say, Re: zero has got to be my best read novel of all time. Without a doubt, this novel has stolen the special spot I've placed Evangelion on. In this novel and the rest of them introduces a cast of characters that blew my mind away, although it wasn't something I've never seen before, but the way the story makes them interact with each other just blows my mind. This is my biased review on the current state of Re:zero 2020.
April 1, 2025
Maybe 3½ stars.
Not bad, but not great.
I frequently found myself able to set it down. Doesn't help that circumstances allowed me to read e-books easier for a few days than a physical one, but when I had the choice, I would finish the ebooks rather than pick up this one. So I whittled away at it.
Had I devoted more direct time to it maybe I would not feel quite the same way, but I have yet to really connect with any of the characters to the point where I really care. I'll read more, but I'm not dying to grab book 4 and start right away.
Not bad, but not great.
I frequently found myself able to set it down. Doesn't help that circumstances allowed me to read e-books easier for a few days than a physical one, but when I had the choice, I would finish the ebooks rather than pick up this one. So I whittled away at it.
Had I devoted more direct time to it maybe I would not feel quite the same way, but I have yet to really connect with any of the characters to the point where I really care. I'll read more, but I'm not dying to grab book 4 and start right away.
May 30, 2024
Volume 3 wraps up the Manor arc. I think my favorite moment is when Subaru uses Shamak against the demon beasts right at the end - by that point, I'd forgotten he could do that, and it was a great moment of hollering and hooting when it seemed like he would perish. That being said, I'm glad to get out of the "warm-up" arcs and into the real juicy stuff come Volume 4. We gotta get to the good witch cult stuff!
June 22, 2018
Intense
I watched the anime a while ago. Long enough ago that the details of the story are hazy.
I love all the characters, especially Beatrice. Subaru is as annoying as ever, but he makes the other characters truly shine.
This is a great read for fans and also for people who want a well structured, fast paced fantasy story.
I watched the anime a while ago. Long enough ago that the details of the story are hazy.
I love all the characters, especially Beatrice. Subaru is as annoying as ever, but he makes the other characters truly shine.
This is a great read for fans and also for people who want a well structured, fast paced fantasy story.
July 17, 2020
El segundo arco ha estado muy bien, la primera mitad del volumen si se me hizo algo más pesada pero, la segunda parte ha sido muy entretenida y no he podido parar de leer.
La escena de Rem ha sido tan hermosa como lo fue en el anime. <3
En el próximo volumen empezamos un nuevo arco y habrá que ver que tal está.
La escena de Rem ha sido tan hermosa como lo fue en el anime. <3
En el próximo volumen empezamos un nuevo arco y habrá que ver que tal está.
November 20, 2021
Tohle byla jízda. Čte se mi stále lépe a lépe, takže rozhodně budu v brzké době pokračovat. A i když znám děj z anime, stále se najdou nové věci, které mě mile překvapí. Plus Roswaal - ten je best.
4/5*
4/5*
August 12, 2022
I loved the interactions of this volume.
Seeing Subaru overcome and sacrifice for his desired outcome made this an enjoyable read. As usual, my thanks to the author, illustrator, and translator.
Seeing Subaru overcome and sacrifice for his desired outcome made this an enjoyable read. As usual, my thanks to the author, illustrator, and translator.
October 19, 2022
Ótimo desenvolvimento
Esse volume foi surpreendente para mim. Não esperava a movimentação que houve, muito menos o aprofundamento de duas personagens muito interessantes. Para que gosta da série, é uma ótima continuação, muito envolvente.
Esse volume foi surpreendente para mim. Não esperava a movimentação que houve, muito menos o aprofundamento de duas personagens muito interessantes. Para que gosta da série, é uma ótima continuação, muito envolvente.
October 20, 2022
Now we're getting to the meat of the story. There are some heart-wrenching moments of selflessness and sacrifice. The theme is becoming clear... light-hearted banter and misdirection that mask deep emotions.
What's with that look? You're gonna make me cry.
What's with that look? You're gonna make me cry.
November 16, 2024
3.5
It has pros and cons, like the additional information which is cut in anime is great. While, the cons is the over-explained which bothers me since I feel like I'm reading the essay I wrote, a rollercoaster one and full of yapping lol.
It has pros and cons, like the additional information which is cut in anime is great. While, the cons is the over-explained which bothers me since I feel like I'm reading the essay I wrote, a rollercoaster one and full of yapping lol.
March 3, 2018
so satisfying not having to restart life over and over again, at least for this volume
January 28, 2019
2.5 stars.
February 26, 2019
Brilliant completion of the running saga of events and great entrance into the next chapters of the series!
April 19, 2020
Cant spell book without Beako.
December 1, 2020
Amazing as always; Re:Zero is one of the best light novel series out there.
5.0
5.0
June 14, 2021
Um volume que foca uma parte boa do seu tempo numa das melhores personagens do enredo. Gostei
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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