

I'll preface this by saying I've never been a fan of isakei or fantasy anime, but the amazing series that is Frieren made me lighten my tune toward the genre. I watched Re:Zero years ago, and I did not like it, but my experience with Frieren and the overwhelmingly positive reviews made me watch it one more time. I couldn't really remember it and perhaps my opinion had changed.
Upon rewatch, I was shocked to find that I enjoyed it up until episode 12, at which point Subaru makes it nearly unwatchable. His obsession with Emelia leads to him being such an ass in ways that are not fun to watch. In a show based in a medieval society, where the sole power of the MC is respawning after death, he should be executed for disrespecting, insulting, ordering around, and generally being an idiot in front of nobility and lords from time to time so he could learn a goddamn lesson. The emotional impact of someone crying about how they don't want to die is completely lost, when the character 1. WILL GODDAMN RESPAWN ANYWAY, 2. you want the character to die, and 3. any scene in which he appears actively makes the show an unpleasant watch.
very slight spoilers in the next two paragraphs
Subaru is the definition of an active protagonist. You don't react to the action, you cause it. Subaru causes every problem in the show, then cries when the consequences come back to him. I understand, you feel strongly for the others. It's hard seeing the future and trying to change things when you respawn, especially when you can't tell them how or why you know the future. How can you make them trust and believe you without the necessary context? I don't know, a start might be keeping your promises to them, not being a selfish idiot, and learning from your mistakes. Maybe he finally starts to learn from his mistakes and changing starting in season 2, but I very strongly doubt it and I'm not willing to find out.
Granted, from the beginning there were only six or seven characters that I actually liked. The old man, Felt, Emelia, Rem, Ram, Crusch, and Wilhelm. I did not actively dislike Reinhardt or the other knights, except when Julius stopped short of beating Subaru to death with a wooden sword. No other character is relatable in the slightest. Unfortunately for 3/7 that I mentioned liking, their continued association with Subaru makes one start to hate them as well.
This is the first ever review I've ever written for an anime, I hate Subaru that much. He's supposed to be 18 but acts like 10 year old Eren before Mikasa punched him in the face.
First 12 episodes 7/10, last 13 2/10, average 4.5/10 and I refuse to watch any further after season 1.
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