[!] THIS REVIEW NOT ONLY CONTAINS POSSIBLE SPOILERS BUT ALSO TALKS ABOUT THE WHOLE SEASON, NOT JUST A SEPARATED INSTALLATION [!]
Alright, I’ll just get this out of the way: this show is complete trash. Re:ZERO is actually the best isekai in terms of premise though. Compared to other isekais, which mostly focus on dumb power-scaling bullshit, this one revolves more around the mysteries of what’s based on a grouping and classification of vices within Christian teachings. Personally, this could have been a great isekai if it tackles those ideas properly, surpassing even the likes of Konosuba and possibly Mushoku Tensei. But because this show really likes to randomly mix things up for whatever reason, I have lost hope for it.
Before we get to me reviewing the series, same warnings as always:
All of these are 100% opinion-based. What you’ll see is very subjective and therefore, shouldn’t be taken seriously.
I have no problems with anyone liking the series. If you’re a fan of the series, feel free to share why you think it’s better than what I said.
Alright, let’s get to it.
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If you’ve watched Re:ZERO before, you’ll easily notice what it is about. But for starters, it’s about a boy named Subaru who travels around a fantasy world with a possibly immortal elf-girl named Emilia. Both of them are overwhelmed with mysterious darkness, which rules over said fantasy world. Subaru then discovers a cursed power that allows him to rewind time upon death (and revive him). Season 2 is quite different from the previous, though. It also focuses on what’s based on the seven deadly sins (not the Shounen series, mind you). Subaru then encounters the seven witches after abolishing the threat of the White Whale and defeating Petelgeuse. The idea of the witches being based on the seven deadly sins could have made this season great. Hell, might as well fix the problems the first season has. There are so many interesting and refreshing concepts to explore.
But no. As mentioned, Re:ZERO likes to waste its time randomly mixing its story elements for a living. One of the most laughable parts of the series is the pacing. To me, pacing is quite subjective. If you want to know why I strongly dislike the series then it would be this one. Re:ZERO has no desire to tell a complex story despite how it was built. How it handles the relationship between Subaru and Emilia as well as Subaru’s desired love for her in season 1 were already bad enough. On paper, they’re engaging and emotional. After all, Emilia is responsible for guiding Subaru through an overwhelming curse they’re encountering. But season one has no idea how to handle them. Not only did it make those confusing but it made the relationship toxic and not even in ways that helped the story.
Season 2 is even more laughable. Not only wasn’t it even arsed to fix the fundamental problems season 1 has but it shoves in its otherwise interesting ideas randomly as I said earlier which in turn destroys any integrity whatsoever. Season 2 is too stupid to notice when is the right time to introduce the fucking witches. I don’t care if they’re all introduced at the same time, it just shoves them randomly regardless of what kind. Not only that but it also does a poor job explaining each of them. This series really had the stupid tendency of turning them into brainless dick riders for Subaru. The series didn’t even show what they really are. Instead, it treats them as nothing but dolls with batteries. Oh, and dare I say the useless “magical” dialogue in the second half of season 2. That really wasn’t needed. It just makes the series even more stressful than it already was.
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This brings me to the other laughable part of the series: the “characters”. Let’s start with the 2 main leads. There’s Subaru, the teenager who can rewind time by dying. There’s Emilia, the white-haired elf-girl who wants to become a ruler in the future. I don’t know what kind of ruler to be exact but eh, we’ll just find out. They are nothing but soulless puppets to excuse the series. Subaru is a really bland protagonist not because of the fact that he’s a loser. In fact, the concepts for his character would make him a phenomenal MC. Compared to other isekai MCs, he would definitely be a solidly written character for how human his motives are. The biggest problem I have with him is that the series can’t be bothered to use him properly. Subaru is more of a plot device that just unfolds the mysteries and that’s it. His dynamics with either character aren’t really interesting. They’re rather bland and forced.
Emilia is the worst offender of the series. Season 1 already made her a generic female lead who serves as nothing but a one-trick pony but Season 2 made her a complete dumbass. She has no clue about what she’s doing in the show. What do we do to handle her character? Oh, that’s right! Make a fucking long flashback of her 400 years past that doesn’t even contribute to the damn story. She has no excuse whatsoever. At this point, I wouldn’t even be sad if the series killed her off which is probably never happening. Side characters are also borderline pointless. I’m honestly glad that Rem barely appeared but other than that, she’s still a stiff and useless rhinoceros. The witches, as mentioned earlier, have no real purpose except being dick-riders for a subpar protagonist.
I guess Echidna stands out from the other witches a bit since she has more screen time? I don’t know. Other than the fact that she pisses to make cursed tea, she’s still a mannequin with functioning legs. Garfiel, while not on the level of Emilia when it comes to ruining the series, is also a baffling addition. He has no use throughout the series other than being a cheap comic relief. Shoving in a backstory doesn’t really help in a department either. He is without a doubt one of the most annoying side characters I’ve ever seen in any anime.
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Despite how shitty this series is, I’ll admit that the animation is quite decent. Not great but there could be merits to it. The character designs are amazing. They actually express the identity and lore of each character very well. At least better than the actual “characters”. Personally not too big on the OPs and EDs but the OST is also great. It reflects the visuals and drama quite nicely. The English voice acting is good but the Japanese voice acting is great, with my personal favorite performance in the show being Maaya Sakamoto as Echidna for how she captures her mysterious personality very well.
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Re:ZERO season 2 is an unbelievably pathetic and stupid sequel that serves nothing more than stupid theatrics. Hell, even season 1 wasn’t good. It was hamfisted with plot conveniences and such. But at least it was a mindlessly fun series that doesn’t take too many things the furthest way. Season 2 couldn’t achieve any of that. It was just blatantly stressful to sit through. The lore is admittedly great but the story screws all of it up. Without question one of the most wasted stories ever. Compared to other series like Shield Hero for example, though, it’s peak. It’s definitely superior to those things. But that’s not saying much. That’s like saying “Oh, that was the least painful explosive diarrhea I ever had”. Well good for you! It’s still diarrhea… 
