This will be my final post about Re:Zero, until the second season!

I have completely enjoyed the second go around of Re:Zero. I wasn’t sure if the director’s cut would add any value to Re:Zero, or if it was simply just something to get me hyped for the second season (the second season that should be out now, but has been slated for Summer 2020). I was lucky enough to get more story that really contextualized the Re:Zero series, fleshed out Subaru and the  side characters better, and it still delivered on the hype that I was expecting.

My first watch through of Re:Zero was when it originally aired in 2016. I was still relatively new to the anime scene at the time (and for those who have been around a lot longer I am still relatively new). I really enjoyed the twists and turns that the story had. But that being said there were times I was lost and didn’t really follow the story very well. I didn’t know if I was missing something, but there were times it felt incomplete. Overall I enjoyed the series, but at the time I would have rated Sword Art Online (SAO) higher on my list of favorite isekai.

Fast forward to 2020 and my rewatch of Re:Zero the Director’s Cut has been amazing. It filled in a lot of the gaps that I felt were missing from the first Re:Zero. There was missing dialogue and the formatting of the first airing in 2016 split the episodes up in 20-30 min segments. The Director’s Cut filled in those dialogue holes and the average air time was 50-60 mins per episode. Overall it delivered a more complete experience that made far more sense and paced better than its predecessor.

And yes in case you were wondering if you haven’t seen Re:Zero I strongly recommend it.

Of course my list of favorite anime has varied from year to year. The more you watch the better idea you have of what your interests are in terms of fantasy and science fiction. When I compare Re:Zero to other isekai I have watched I rank SAO, Log Horizon, Konosuba, Overlord, and The Shield Hero as among the best. As honorable mentions I will throw in Saga of Tanya the Evil and Cautious Hero as other great Isekai anime (there just has been less content in terms of these two series to get a better idea of how they fit into my scheme of favorite isekai). I am sure there is other stuff out there that is also great that I haven’t watched yet.

In the context of isekai I have watched Re:Zero has elements that I enjoy in terms of storytelling and what I expect/want out of a fantasy adventure. I like the active deception of characters surrounding Subaru. I enjoy the fact that even though Subaru is the protagonist I dislike the most of all the isekai protagonists, the story and supporting cast weave so well around him that it makes me willing to forgive Subaru to continue to enjoy my watch of the anime. I enjoy how everyone has their own motivations and reasons for doing what they do. There is no character that is really filler or just there without having their own wishes and desires. I love the cast and the world building. Re:Zero is a mystery to unravel slowly and fully enjoy with time.

Agree? Disagree? What are your thoughts? I want to know!

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