English Dub Review: Re:ZERO ~Starting Life in Another World~ “Love Love Love Love Love Love You”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

Subaru and Echidna discuss the person responsible for Subaru’s ability, the Witch of Envy. They discuss his ability a bit more before he makes the decision to keep on using the ability to save others. Then Subaru requests to meet the witch that created the White Whale and the Great Rabbit, Daphne. Echidna warns him of the risks and of Daphne, but he still decides to go through with the choice. Unfortunately, he doesn’t meet Daphne first, Subaru meets Typhon, the Witch of Pride who breaks him literally. Soon after that, he meets Minerva, the Witch of Wrath who uses her fists to restore him back to normal. At last, he meets Daphne, the Witch of Gluttony who is in restraints. He asks why she created the beasts and how to kill the Great Rabbit.

After getting the information he needs Subaru gives Echidna her payment before regaining his consciousness. Subaru returns to the ruins unable to find Emilia, he goes outside. Once out of the ruins Subaru is met with a shadow which he soon recognizes as the Witch of Envy, who continuously says that she loves him as he recalls the gruesome memories of his past loops. Subaru is saved by Garfiel, who grabs him and leaps to higher ground. When the Witch of Envy doesn’t chase them and starts heading outside, Subaru guesses that she headed to Roswaal’s mansion and refuses to let her get away with anything.

Our Take:

Re:Zero takes a person’s preconception of a witch and cranks it up to the max with this episode. For starters, Subaru’s ability to return by dying multiple times appears to be a twisted gift from the Witch of Envy as speculated by Echidna, who even as a witch has no desire to know what goes on in the Witch of Envy’s head. That comment set a benchmark on how the Witch of Envy, Satella is viewed by her other witches. Furthermore, it makes sense on how Echidna can be able to remember Subaru and not be affected by his ability: you can’t die if you’re already dead as reminded by Echidna in their conversation about the Malbeasts and Daphne.

Overall the episode was full of witches and the information that Subaru got will be useful to everyone if they make it out of the sea of shadow alive or if Subaru has to go through another death.