The Frozen Bond, a Re:Zero OVA/film, is criminally underrated! Coming off the heels of Re:Zero's first-half of its first season, everything that Frozen Bond has to offer is a huge change of pace from the central premise of the series, and in all of the best ways possible.
This prequel to Re:Zero focuses on further developing Emilia and Puck as central characters. It gives the essentials of both of their backstories, as well as what their lives were like predating Emilia's inclusion into a more noble, refined life. The emphasis here is focusing on the discrimination Emilia suffers due to her being seen as a terrible witch, and for the terrible magic that she holds within her.
Such a long, dedicated runtime allows for good introspection, and the film makes sure that any topic they touch on is with a deft hand. They reveal just enough to keep the viewer intrigued, without giving firm explanations, making things both clear while leaving a layer of mystery yet to be uncovered. Rather than just dumping backstory and lore, this film is more about contextualizing the relationship that has already been developed in the main series.
What makes this stand out above its own source material, as well as other anime of a similar caliber, is that its self-contained narrative holds on its own. Not only is little context needed from the main series, but instead, the context given in the film only enhances your knowledge of the main series. Because of its deliberate separation from the main narrative, it's free to flex its narrative muscles and explore in any direction it wants, telling a fantastic fantasy story, tinged with levity and heartache.
The main series is always mired in its edgy tone, and Subaru's ignorant perspective, and his never-ending cycle of fail and repeat until success comes his way. Emilia takes the reins of protagonist quite deftly, having full ownership, character depth, and character development, perhaps even deeper than her original presentation.
It is not without faults. The art and animation is fantastic throughout, as is expected of a series of its stature. But because of its simple setting - snowy forest with little variation - the backgrounds can be a bit dull. The OST features some unique music as well, but a lot of it is largely forgettable, and struggles to stand out in any way, especially compared to the absolute bangers in the series' soundtrack.
Also, don't you dare watch the other OVA included as a part of this: Memory Snow. It's a straight-up fanservice episode, with some goofy scenes and memes of light comedy. But while Frozen Bond is edging just shy of a masterpiece, Memory Snow is criminally stupid, should be avoided if you value your time, and has almost no redeeming qualities.
Any criticisms offered, however, are demonstrably nitpicks on what is clearly a stellar display of storytelling within the Re:Zero world. This is an easy recommendation for anyone already interested in the Re:Zero franchise - much watch material! - but also a good recommendation for those who may be intrigued by the series overall, but are a bit put off by Subaru as a protagonist, or the darker themes of the mainline series. Frozen Bond captures all the best aspects of the Re:Zero worldbuilding, with essentially none of the faults or lag that comes with its source.
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