Re:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu 2nd Season Part 2

V4Watcher here to bring you the review, as precise and concice as possible. This is my first review, so bear with me. (Minor Spoilers) Re:Zero was always a show that stood apart from the rest, whether it be the story, the gore, or the lore. If you've made it this far, I'd say you're pretty interested in the anime, just like me :) One thing that stood out throughout this anime was the insane character development, sprinkled throughout almost every episode. The anime not only clutches the main characters but also the side characters and forces them to strive and improve. The transformation of Otto from a selfish person; pushing Subaru to his death(White Whale incident) to one risking his life in the most insane way possible for him, Beatrice getting over her fears and inhibition, Ram from being submissive to finally opposing Roswaal for his own sake, and Emilia getting stronger emotionally to face her past, no-one is free from the clutches of character development. Don't even get me started on Subaru, he's had his character developed more times than Romanée-Conti has bit his fingers after becoming all psycho mode. Forget the characters' development, it even tried to make us realise the importance of our parents and those we love, and to cherish those moments. Happy moments, though fleeting, must always be remembered, since we will never know if we'll get another chance. In order to accept who we truly are, we must embrace our past, present and future. Rather than aimlessly making us watch an anime for the sake of it, it made an attempt to make us better as an individual. The strength in numbers and the vibrant power of friendship is highlighted by this season, and it gives a wholesome vibe to it. Whatever was accomplished, was done with the help of other. Subaru, Otto, Garfield, Rem, Emilia, Beatrice, Frederica and everyone else accomplished the end result by sticking for and trusting each other. There was no lone hero, who slugged punches and kicks onto the villain to make him submit. Sadly, Rem(one of my favourite characters), the maid who's character change was a complete 360°, from murdering Subaru brutally before, to becoming more attached to him than a piece of bubble gum, still remains a vegetable this season. If I have any complaints about this season, it's that I didn't see enough of Rem. But I guess that makes the wait for her to make her smashing appearence later all the more worthwile. Some people say Re:Zero is good because of how weak Subaru is and how he's not op. But I don't personally think so, power isn't about just how much you can beat the crap out of someone. Subaru, in my opinion, has one of the most op powers, the power to redo everything until he gets what he wants. The ability to potentially protect everyone you love, is something much more important than being able to wield a sword like it's your wii remote.(Never had a wii or ps4*sob*, feel free to buy me one if you want ;) Overall, if you liked the previous Re:Zero episodes, and want some more stunning visual and auditory content, I'd say go for it and watch this if you haven't already. V4Watcher out. (∗ ・‿・)ﾉ゛

The animation was ok? I guess? Honestly there were so many things that were constantly irritating me, that I couldn't really focus on the animation, let alone the music. Especially after the halfway point, I was permanently annoyed. I will go into detail about some of these points, trying not to spoil anything. The first point involves the overuse of extreme close-ups. At some point I was rolling my eyes every time there was a close-up on the mouth or the eyes of one of the female characters. Don't get me wrong, I understand that it is supposed to put emphasis on the emotions a character is feeling in that moment. But if every third shot in the very long dialogues (or should I say monologues) Subaru has with several characters throughout the season, then the impact of that shot is lost. Needless to say that it also gets extremely repetitive, predictable and therefore boring. My next point is about the already mentioned female characters. Why is it that the women in this show are written as if they are unable to get anything done unless Subaru gives them a motivational speech beforehand? At least the ones that are supposed to join his fanclub are all portrayed as emotionally wounded by their past, carrying a heavy burden that only Subaru can lift by delivering some drawn-out monologue about being strong for him or whatever. Aside from the fact that it is (again) very repetitive it also implies that the female characters are unable to achieve anything unless they have a male character to help them do it. The third point is closely related to the second point I just made. Which is the character Subaru himself. Apart from the fact that the story is written in a way that he achieves anything, especially making women (that are way too good for him) fall in love with him, he is also just a very unlikable character. It is one thing to encourage people to leave their comfort zone and believe in themselves, but a totally different thing to talk (scream) at them until they do what he wants them to do. And even though characters clearly tell him that they don't want something, he keeps on pushing until he gets what he wants. He is self-centred and therefore disregards other peoples feelings. I strongly believe that the reason he is so obsessed (yes, I just said obsessed) with Emilia, is because he believes that she is the reason why he came to that world. That it is his mission to help her in whatever way. He was looking for a purpose for his suffering and found it in Emilia. This has nothing to do with love. And it annoys me how the show tries to force me to believe, that Subaru loves Emilia. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind an unlikable protagonist who undergoes a transformation and becomes a better person. Or an unlikable character that the viewer is obviously not supposed to like. But neither is the case with Subaru. If anything he has become more unlikable this second part of the season while still being presented as someone the viewer should root for. I do have some other points that I disliked but those would go too far into spoiler territory which is why I will stop here. I also feel like this is more of a rant than an actual review, so I am sorry for that. And please excuse my grammar and spelling errors, English is not my native language.

Main characters are just so generic, Emilia is always the "princess" and Subaru is always playing "white knight crybaby" hero character that always saves the day. Side characters I find far-far more interesting then main characters. Literally every single one of them is interesting, world building is easily one the best I have seen. Minor spoilers below But the actual story? It re-applies this "emotional" formulate of "oh im depressed I can't save everyone bla bla" and then some random source of motivation followed by "yeah I'm saving everyone baby" and keeps repeating this very same concept over and over. First time it works but fifth time? It makes you wonder if the writers are so incapable that they need to repeat same concepts to get the show going. I can give 10 different examples to writers repeating same concepts over and over but another example is the usual dialogue between Subarau and Emillia "oh why are you helping me" "because I love you" - literally 2 episodes later "do you really love me" "I really love" it makes you think if Emillia has comprehension problems or anything and no - this happens on same time line, not on a separate one. And another example from last final episode Subaru becomes her knight, literally swears to do anything she orders. And he has already told her that she has her back like 20x up until this point. - Last scene Subaru: "Emilia I will always be there and we will do this together bla bla" Emillia: "Will you really??". Man are you kidding me. When series wants to put interesting story, it can do a great job. But the quality of the dialogue and emotional scenes is pretty bad and unfortunately writers decide to put these on highlight instead of interesting random events and world building that they do a far better job at. Every time a dialogue or emotional scene happens I feel as I have watched that like 5 times because it is going to be basically the same thing from few episodes ago with a slight twists and complete lack of originality. I really think that 30 min per episode greatly harms overall quality of this anime. They could just skip the unimportant forced emotional scenes that exist for sake of existing with 0 proper buildup and focus their development in actually touching emotional scenes with proper build up leading to it and not repeat same concepts over and over again.

Re:Zero always comes off as an anime someone either really loves or hates. Whether it's that Subaru is a trash protagonist or the pacing is too slow, Re:Zero will always receive hate. However, when I picked up this anime way back in 2016-2017, I would've never expected it to evolve into the masterpiece I consider it to be to this day. I think that a significant aspect that is often ignored when discussing Re:Zero is the masterful character development of our main character, Subaru Natsuki. At first glance, Subaru Natsuki comes off as a stereotypical protagonist just realizing he's finally out of his boring world. He gets "Isekai'd" into a brand new world, filled with magic and fantasy at every corner. That being said, as the viewer, you believe this character is going to be like any ordinary, mainstream protagonist. However, this isn't the case. This isn't some Shonen or typical isekai MC who has a preset personality and always manages to succeed in the end. Subaru is a character plagued by his past, and time and time again, we witness him being constantly met with failure. Due to his power of return by death, he experiences unimaginable pain and suffering, and as a viewer, all you can do is feel bad for the guy. As the story starts to develop in season 2, you begin to understand, and you begin to emphasize, and most importantly, relate to Subaru. In S2, they show what Subaru's life was like before being isekai'd. At a young age, Subaru had a natural ability and prospered at sports and curriculum. Always being compared to his father, he felt like he couldn't be his own person, and as natural ability and talent began to decline for Subaru, he began to decline as a human being as well. Subaru deteriorated into a person who believes they lack value due to the immense amount of expectations placed on him and the inability to fulfill them. That because he can't live up to anyone's expectations, he should just be forgotten about and left to rot. Having a lack of friends and never leaving his home, it becomes clear to the viewer that he's given up on life. So once he gets transported into a new world, Subaru sees this as an opportunity to "start over." Subaru felt free of the expectations placed on him in his old world and wanted to become the ideal person. He wanted to become the "protagonist," the center of attention, and the main focus, just like in popular anime and video games. However, this wouldn't pan out as in season 1, and you start to see his ideal protagonist facade eventually begin to fade away, as he believes everyone around him is useless and that he and his powers alone are paramount. Furthermore, this power he possesses (return by death) is unknown to all, and because of this, he's never able to express his pain and suffering or reveal his ability for fear he'll die. As a result, these beliefs, mixed with the ignorance of how anyone around him feels, leave him all alone. Realizing that he's useless and the "lowest of the low," he proceeds to self-destruct and destroy himself. However, as Subaru describes the way he thinks about himself, Rem describes the things about Subaru that she loves. The things that led to Subaru becoming Rem's hero. This ultimately gave Subaru the light to see the end of the dark tunnel, and at the end of season 1, he was able to beat the death loop and save everyone he held dear. At least he thought he did. Content that he saved the day, confessed, and smiled with Emilia, Subaru was horrified to find out that no one knew who Rem was. Now in a coma, Rem was effectively wiped out of everyone's mind except Subaru's. This led Subaru reluctant to ask/receive help from anyone. In season 2, new issues and problems seem to arise at each glance, and Subaru returning by death also seems second nature now. Although he escaped his self-loathing stage in season 1, he begins to rely on his return by death ability as he believes without it, he'd be utterly useless. By solely relying on his ability to return by death, he believed he would eventually pave the way for an outcome where he saves everyone, where no one but he should suffer. Repeat after repeat, you start to see Subaru break down, experiencing unmeasurable amounts of pain and suffering alone. The fruits of Subaru's labor being broken down and thrown in the trash after yet another brick wall is thrust in his way. Subaru believes only he should die for the people he cares about; however, he doesn't see this going both ways. People care about his well-being as well, such as Emilia, Otto, and Petra. That being said, as the first trial Subaru completed tackled his past self, the second trial tackled his present self and the current mindset he had. In this trial, Subaru experiences the events that occur after his deaths in certain timelines and witnesses people grieve and experience tremendous pain due to him dying. He realizes that although he saved them from death at his own expense, they still suffer tremendously emotionally due to his demise. Quite literally "back to zero," Subaru is at a loss for what to do and almost takes up Echidna's (the witch of greed) offer out of the fear he's run out of options. At first glance, Echidna's offer seems great. She gives you her insight and wisdom to find the path most desirable, and in return, Echidna wants to experience what Subaru experiences. She wants to explore the hidden future and the possibilities. However, it's much more complicated than that; actually, it's much more messed up and sinister. Echidna would help Subaru achieve his ideal future; However, Echidna wants to satisfy her curiosity. Going into specifics, Echidna would let Subaru die countless times, millions upon millions of times, to satiate her hunger for knowledge. Subaru would eventually reach his ideal future; however, at what cost? Taking up this offer would be tying a direct parallel to Subaru's past where he was trying to live his life according to others' expectations. Rather than living for himself, he'd revert back to the thing that nearly led him astray. Realizing that Echidna is void of any human emotion, Subaru turns down her offer, knowing he would eventually become emotionless like her if he took up her offer. Upon rejecting her offer, Subaru realizes something important. He has not once relied on others for help nor asked throughout his endeavors in the sanctuary arc. Through Otto's actions and words and many others, Subaru finally realized he's not alone. He has people that care about his well-being and people who want to help him. "We human beings are social beings. We come into the world as the result of others' actions. We survive here in dependence on others. Whether we like it or not, there is hardly a moment of our lives when we do not benefit from others' activities. For this reason, it is hardly surprising that most of our happiness arises in the context of our relationships with others."- Dalai Lama XIV. I think this quote summarizes perfectly the battle Subaru was having internally. Previously covered in a shroud of loneliness, Subaru hated himself and believed all of his worth, and his value was tied to his witch authority. That if you take away his unique ability and the fact that he solves everyone's problems miraculously, he'd be left all alone. However, people loved Subaru because of his character, his being, rather than his ability. As a human, you need to rely on others. Although the people around you may not have the answers to help you with your problems, you can relish the fact that you can confide in them and bear the weight of the burden together. At first glance, depending on the help of others to solve your problems may seem like a weakness; however, it's the opposite. By asking the people closest to you for help or advice, you become stronger, knowing not every problem can't be solved solely on your own. Although I would love to say Re:Zero is fantastic for its plot, it just isn't. Many viewers at the end of S1 were…

Season 2 Part 2 takes the captivating and emotionally charged story of Subaru Natsuki to new heights, delivering an anime experience that leaves viewers on the edge of their seats and hungry for more. With its intricate plot, rich character development, and stunning animation, this season effortlessly solidifies Re:ZERO as a standout series in the isekai genre. One of the greatest strengths of Season 2 Part 2 lies in its ability to push the boundaries of storytelling. The narrative continues to challenge Subaru's resilience and psychological endurance, forcing him to confront his flaws and inner demons. The intricate web of time loops and unexpected twists keeps the viewers guessing, fostering a sense of suspense and intrigue that is rarely matched in the anime world. Each episode presents new layers of complexity, gradually unraveling the mysteries of Subaru's predicament while simultaneously introducing thought-provoking themes of sacrifice, redemption, and the consequences of one's actions. The character development in this season is truly exceptional. Subaru's growth as a protagonist is palpable, as he learns from his past mistakes and undergoes immense personal growth. His determination and unwavering resolve in the face of seemingly insurmountable challenges make him an incredibly relatable and inspiring character. Moreover, the supporting cast shines brightly, each with their unique motivations and hidden depths. The series does an excellent job of delving into the struggles, fears, and motivations of these characters, giving them a depth and complexity that is truly engrossing. Visually, Season 2 Part 2 is a feast for the eyes. The animation quality is nothing short of breathtaking, capturing the intense emotions and dynamic action sequences with precision and flair. The attention to detail in the character designs, backgrounds, and atmospheric lighting enhances the immersive experience, drawing viewers into the fantastical world of Lugunica. The fight scenes are particularly noteworthy, displaying a perfect blend of fluidity, choreography, and strategic combat that will leave audiences awe-inspired. Beyond its gripping narrative and stunning visuals, Season 2 Part 2 boasts an exceptional soundtrack that heightens the emotional impact of each scene. The hauntingly beautiful melodies and powerful orchestral pieces perfectly complement the intense moments of despair, the poignant character interactions, and the triumphant instances of hope. The sound design is masterfully executed, further immersing viewers in the intricate world of Re:ZERO. In conclusion, Season 2 Part 2 is a masterpiece that surpasses expectations, delivering an emotionally charged and intellectually stimulating anime experience. It combines a captivating narrative, well-developed characters, stunning animation, and a mesmerizing soundtrack to create an unforgettable journey. Whether you are a fan of the series or a newcomer to the world of Re:ZERO, this season will leave you breathless, eagerly awaiting the next installment. The trailer for Season 3 dropped 3 months ago, and I cannot wait to watch it! I hope everyone is alive and healthy by the time Season 3 drops. Take care ✌️

This isnt a full review,but I just have some beef with rezero s2p2.I know season 1 received some mixed reception, but what really hooked me into season 1 was its premise.Subaru repeating days over and over again from checkmarks like a video game, you gotta admit it's kinda cool. The other parts I do like about rezero too are the evil forces like the cult, the whale stuff. Those arcs in the show I really enjoyed. Now. When it comes to everything else about Re zero, I honestly couldnt give a shit even if I had one. WHAT I DIDN'T CARE FOR IN SEASON 1 IDGAF about emilia,because despite being a main character,she had a side character’s worth of development in season 1 and didnt do much.I dont care about the knights,i dont care about how the ppl hate emilia since i dont care about emilia, ram is a bitch i dont care about her, beatrice did next to nothing in s1 so i didnt care about her at all. Everytime Subaru talks about wanting to be with her,I just get annoyed at points because it felt like that was all to him.When in other parts in the show that wasnt the case.And roswall shows up a minimum of 3 times in the entire show so i dont care about him either.To put it this way, the things I find great about s1 of rezero has next to nothing to do with the characters.I know the waifu element is something that is apart of rezero,and love conquers all,but I just dont buy the romance in this show like at all. And pretty much most of the things I didnt care about in Season 1, magnifies and becomes a nuisance in Season 2.The one thing I really dont like about rezero,not just in s1 but in all of the show is what they do to Rem. WHAT I LIKED IN SEASON 1/WHAT I DIDNT LIKE IN SEASON 2 I loved Rem's arc in s1, and I actually really liked how her character arc is really similar to Subarus, in which she faces tough adversity that she eventually overcomes with the help of someone she deeply feels for, just like Subaru with Emilia.As a result, Subaru gets acknowledged by the girl he loves as a knight in shining armor, and Rem after her arc...gets no screentime, gets basically friendzoned trying to help the one she loves, fights a whale, doesnt appear for the rest of the show, then at the beginning of s2,she loses a fight and is put in a fucking bed for the next twenty something episodes with only about 5 overall scenes with her in it.I understand that she is the catalyst for season 2 happening,but while season 2 is happening, it feels like the characters completely forget why theyre doing this crap in the first place, and Rem,who had the best arc in the series, is sweeped into the garbage can. Then Season 2 starts to just lose me with all of the other crap.To a point where I just lose interest in this series altogether. THE OTHER THINGS I DIDN'T CARE FOR IN SEASON 2 - Rezero loves to make the audience cry.I kinda fell for that in season 1 but when it tries to do it again in s2 over and over, I just stopped buying it,because I didnt care about the characters.Literally everyone cries in this season and my eyes were drier than the sun.I was just over it.The first misstep with this melodrama, is with Subaru’s flashback episode.Getting straight to it.It didnt need to last a whole episode.I already went through this “Subaru sucks and he is sad” arc in season 1, I dont need an extra helping. Him crying twice while meeting his parents is OVERKILL. You can never complain about YLIA if you have felt sad during this episode.And then this sadness just keeps going with Beatrice and Emilia, I don't care about Emilia, and Beatrice’s arc didn't hit me either,because it was just raising questions, and then in part 2, it becomes OVERKILL as well. I know the writing wants to hit you in the heart,but this is the equivalent of bringing a longbow to a dart game.It's just OVERKILL and ruins the emotions it was going for. --The villains are weaksauce, I get it, knuckles the echidna is hot and likes to jizz in her tea.Cool beans, but she feels less as a threat and more of just a trickster character,and the revelation on why she does all this crap, is so sooooooooooooo cheesy I swear to god. You think its something serious that causes this and then you realize that it's all for the sake of love, that you don't buy. -Same goes with roswall who is a more prominent villain in season 2. I dont buy him as a villain at all.In season 1 he wasnt really portrayed as a malicious force, so when the show makes him an antagonist, it doesn't really hit.Most of the dialogue is basically him and subaru talking about exposition and exposition and exposition and even more exposition,and there is so much exposition, I never get to feel his character outside of his weird slurring.He is goofy.Outside of Elsa,most of the villains,like the witches,n stuff are either too goofy to take seriously or get screen time for like a millisecond and get outcasted by the multiple villains that it already has.And it sucks because rezero’s villains are so prominent in the story,but i just don't care about them. -The witches were hinted at,but only for a brief second in season 1.But when you see them in season 2, they felt less like intimidating villains and more like waifus that some otaku would want as a figurine. They're goofy. -Garfield is one of my least favorite characters in the show, he is that stupid trope of a rude,loud boy, so he is mostly annoying in s2p1,and then in s2p2, when his arc dealt with his mommy issues, it felt like a joke.I know he has a lot of responsibility but its no excuse for him to be the most annoying dude to exist. -Otto, oh my god dude.I dont know why the show wanted this dude to matter so much.Just make him a side character, dont give him this long ass flashback on how he can talk to bugs or shit. Ive dealt with enough flashbacks already. -Speaking of Flashbacks.Emilia.She is such a boring character,and even the more interesting things about her don't get focused on that much.Most of her character is her trying to overcome her past or whatever.In season 2 part 1,when she tries to overcome this trial,she fails because apparently her past is so tragic,she cant relive it.But when you see the actual past. It's really boring,for half of it,and in the other half of her memory, random villains just pop up that i totally forgot existed.If you take those villains out and replaced them with some henchman or whatever,it wouldn't make a different.I will admit rezero is good at hyping up things,but most of the time in s2 when you get what you want, it's just weak. -And the trials dude, are so disappointing, I was hyped for them in s2p1 especially when each of them got worse and worse. But man. The actual trials are the equivalent of watching a home movie.That's it.And then the final trial,which was supposed to be the hardest one, is just lights flying everywhere and disembodied voices, are you serious? A fucking christmas carol was more challenging then the trial Emilia takes. So,yea,rezero is an odd case for me. I have never been so intrigued for one season and completely lose that intrigue in the next season.There is just so much in s2 i didnt fall for.So much exposition, so much its ridiculous, characters i didnt care about, and moments that end in basically some lame ways.There were cool moments like the final battle with Elsa(where her character gets like five seconds of development) or the bunnies(that show up in like two scenes in the season).But everything else is so underwhelming.And I never felt a sense of urgency in part 2.Season 1 of Rezero felt like a blind gameplay of a video game, and season 2 part 2 at least feels like speedrun of an anime.It just goes through the motions and I barely remember much of season 2 now.I cant even say the visuals make up for it because they are as bland as ever.But yea, if this show gets a season3, Rem better be in it or I swear…….. Overall Season 1-8/10 Season 2 Part 1-6/10 Season 2 Part 2 -5/10

"Subaru isn't an OP MC! He can lose by losing his mind! He doesn't get all the girls" -A certain fanboi I happen to know. "Informed Anti-Stu: This Stu is disadvantaged by society, magic, technology or any other factor owning to certain attributes that make him weak and disadvantaged...except none of those weaknesses ever come into play, while any or all of the "positive" elements of the above Stu archetypes continue to apply in the context of the story." -TV Tropes (MartyStu article) This show... the thing I dreaded watching this whole season but did anyway because I wanted to remain true to my convictions to give every show a fair chance to the last second. There's not much to say about the art and sound, it's the same rating as my review for the first half of this moeblob waifu cesspool: Art 7/10 & Sound 6/10. That out of the way, let's get to the point. I'm going to start with the shorter part first, which is the pros. In terms of story and characters, this season does indeed have a positive integer count of improvements from the first half. First, the most significant improvement upon the story is that Subaru stops having at least one death&reset in every episode. Horray! For once this show isn't just retardation on loop! Isn't that great? Second, there is a significantly greater attempt at characterization than the first half and season one of this wreck. No matter the quality just yet, at least it exists and its not just self-insert-kun dies yet again every episode. For this show, this again is cause for celebration. The last and final improvement pertains equally to both story and characterization categories: Subaru got his MC spot stolen for about the first six episodes, more or less. Now, I am listing this as a pro since for many people, Subaru is a reason to not watch this show. However, considering how embarassing it is for a show's MC to get his spot stolen by another character for any duration of the show, this counts simultaneously as a con. Which leads us to... Ah yes, the cons. The long list of cons I noted in notepad while I was binging this show that far outnumber the above. Where to begin... Ah let's just continue with that pseudo-pro/half-con. So... Emilia stole the MC spot for half the show which somehow made the show more bearable and better. Why is this (simultaneously) bad? I would think it's obvious but let's go over an example in case it's somehow not. The last show that I saw that did this was Gundam Seed Destiny where Shinn Asuka flopped so hard on the audience that the only reason that show was in any way redeemable was because Kira Yamato took over as the MC towards the end. Considering these 12 episodes are the latter half of the second season, and considering the drop in reception between season one and season two part one, this is effectively happening again albeit to a lesser degree and only temporarily to finally move the plot along a bit. Had it not, forget too slow, the pacing would be effectively frozen. The next problem with the narrative is nothing new. It's been here since the last part but yes, its here too: dialogue problems. Aside from Pandora uttering nonsensical lines in her attempt to be vaguely sophisticated while meaning absolutely nothing, the jargon that drove many viewers away during the run of season two's part one is still here. There's less of it. It's just still here. Third problem that might take a bit of proper perception of reality to see is a clear defiance of established human medical knowlege. During one flashback fight, Roswaal was said to have had his organs "splattered" (exact word used by the sub; "naizo gucha gucha" is the exact Japanese line, roughly translating to "your insides are all messed up."). According to our medical knowledge, he should have effectively died almost instantly with no time to surgically operate nor time to magically heal him (casting spells take time too). Yet, he still lived! Are humans in this isekai world suppose to defy our knowledge of medicine now? Well, if it is, I guess no one talked about it. I do assume he's human. This is of course, a minor problem. I have forgiven RahXephon's writers for trying to explain physical dimensions with particle-collision diagrams (Feynman Diagrams), I can forgive medical knowledge hiccups (albeit begrudgingly here since this should be more obvious than particle physics). Besides, the next two plot problems are the biggest offenders. Repetition and Subaru's unchanging status as an Anti-Stu (a subtype of a Gary Stu (or Marty Stu, as some call it)). Remember the TV Tropes quote at the start of this review? Yeah, let's go back to it. (By the way, if you're one to be bugged by spoilers skip the next paragraph. The above problem listing sums it up anyway, the paragraph is only here for the post-watch review readers who would like me to elaborate.) If you're reading this review, I do assume you saw season one. There's no rationale behind reading this if you haven't even seen that. From season one alone, the Anti-Stu problem already holds true: Rem is head over heels for him since there, he's hailed as a hero by around midway in and certainly so by the whale arc. This season basically just proves it with Emilia returning his feelings, Garfiel becoming his fanboi&best bro after about one or two episodes, and even the loli is now glued to him. Yay! Did any of his disadvantages of being a NEET, "powerless", etc ever come into play? No. He just loaded his save file a bunch of times until he found out enough information, cried like a kid, got some fawning-over by the squad of beautiful "Witches" and boom. Resolution. As for the other major problem, remember how Subaru used to die over and over while meandering around until he had enough information to resolve whatever the problem is? Well, that form of repetition is gone but there is another form of repetition that replaces it: reusing season one's gimmick to resolve plot problems by cheering up key characters. This kind of writing is lazy. As far as characterization is concerned, the biggest criticisms are the lack of realism in character portrayals, lack of distribution of character intellect, plot-driven and out-of-place occurrence of backstory reveals, and again, repetition. Let me elaborate on these. In the cases of Otto, Garfiel and Emilia, each one of them effectively got their characterization out of the blue. The worst offender here is Emilia: her backstory literally came ala a button press by Puck. There is nothing more unnatural than when three characters simultaneously get backstories and especially so when the trigger is arbitrated by a specific character. An equally noticeable offense is the repetition of trauma type in the backstories of the characters that get a backstory reveal. It was bad enough that Otto, Garfiel and Emilia pretty much got their reveals around the same time, back-to-back. To make it worse, both Garfiel and Emilia's past trauma can be classified under the same type: loss of a parental figure. This is a distinct lack of creativity. Further worsening the repetition problem is the lack of a distribution of character intellect. If one were to take a random sample of people in real life, they would find that the majority of that sample will be average minded, maybe small handful of idiots and a roughly same, small handful of smart people. Unfortunately, the cast of this show do not have a distribution. They are all roughly the same. If someone is fighting and their attack didn't work, they will just try to use that attack again and again and expect a different result. Just as the main character has been throughout season one and season two part one, the rest of the cast also do not learn. This overlaps a bit with the last problem. The last major problem is one that existed since season one, but fails to improve here at the conclusion of season two: The lack of realism in the portrayal of minds. This show and all its preque…

"I love you so much it makes me crazy! I love you so much I could die! That's why I put up with the pain and suffering!"- Natsuki Subaru. Re:Zero is a show that has made a massive impact on me in terms of anime. The first season completely subverted my expectations on how an isekai should be made, and Season 2 part 1 further improved upon that. Therefore, I came into Season 2 Part 2 with very high expectations, and in this review, I want to discuss whether or not Season 2 Part 2 met that expectation. Story- The story for this season is good but not exceptional. I think the lore and the worldbuilding are still top-notch, but I want to get my main criticism out of the way. Re:Zero is a show that primarily builds off dialogue, and the conversations in Re:Zero to me feels unnatural. I mean that the dialogue seems extremely cliche, and even at times, I would argue it is unnecessary. The pacing can feel extremely slow at times as well, and I want to see better dialogue pacing in the future. For reference, I consider shows like Monogatari, Steins;Gate, and Hyouka to show good dialogue, as each scene with character discussion is lively and exciting. The show still had good emotional impact, but it is hindered by its dialogue. Other than that, Re:Zero still keeps up with its amazing fights and character development in the story. The fights have a huge amount of buildup to it, but I would argue that makes the payoff amazing at the end. The worldbuilding is still as good as ever and is introduced in a way that doesn't seem overwhelming. All in all, if you like a good drama with mystery and thrills, this definitely will not disappoint. Art and Sound- To me, art and sound are both excellent. In terms of art, there is nothing I can critique. I am not an expert in animation, but I did not notice a drop in quality. In terms of sound, the music in Re:Zero is of the highest order, and the voice acting performance is just superb. The emotions evoked by the voice acting are something I rarely see in other anime, and I am glad they were chosen for Re:Zero. Character- The characters in Season 2 dramatically improves upon season 1. My most significant criticism of season 1 is that the characters were not built upon. Sure, Subaru had amazing development, but outside of him, the characters are one-dimensional and Emilia, who is also a main character, looks pretty bland. However, season 2 fixes this. Emilia, who was shy, naive, and unfit to be a ruler in season 1, is now a confident, reliable, caring woman, and the development for this is incredible. The side characters, namely Otto, Ram, and Garfiel, all receive their backstory, and I loved all of them. Otto, in particular, had a backstory that made me care about him, which was not the case for the first season. My only gripe is that the villains are not really developed upon. They exist, sure, but their motives are either petty or not explained upon. I hope this gets resolved for future villains, but for the most part, the character is amazing. Enjoyment- I enjoyed this show very much, but at times the dialogue did make it boring. However, the satisfaction I received when the buildup achieves its payoff is incredible, and it has an amazing ending. I am definitely hyped for the next season. Overall- Re:Zero season 2 part 2 lacks in terms of dialogue compared to its predecessors, but its character development and the worldbuilding is amazing as ever. Re: Zero is a top-notched isekai and this season further cements that. It does have its lows, but when Re:Zero gets good, it has some of the best episodes I have ever watched in anime. Thank you for reading, and I hope to see you in the Re:Zero S3 waiting room.

The first season had an impact on me when I was a teenager and many many years later, the impact was big enough that I did remember how interesting this anime was even though I have forgotten 99% of the animes i've watched when I was younger. Subaru has never been an interesting character. Call it the "Isekai disease" but these characters tend to be random losers we know nothing about and because they were hikikomoris, their lives are dull and uninteresting. The point of the genre is to forget that life and live another life in another world. We were unaware of Subaru's past and he has always been an idealistic kid simping over a girl but the setup during the first season gave the anime a better success compared to a vast majority of Isekais. The loop concept is interesting, the physical and psychological torture endured by Subaru gave the impression that the depicted world was a rough place. There wasn't really any comforting moment even though the season was 25 episodes long. Indeed, considering the problem to be solved implied a shocking and unpredictable end during the first season. The anime had the audacity to show us violent scenes to make us understand the pain Subaru came across. However, the second season is nothing less than a glorified 25 episodes stretched single arc that pitifully tries to make us feel pain using psychological means instead of showing us violent scenes like the first season. While long dialogues with a lot of infos and details to make us understand a character's psychology works in a novel, it is a blatant insult to cinematography and that is precisely what this entire season did. We are supposed to feel the sorrow of Subaru and the impact of his choices meanwhile 75% of the season depicted him as a naive kid spouting about the "power of love and frienship" during all his speeches. This season is nothing more than a giant filler episode you could find in Boruto. The season introduced interesting concepts regarding the sins and the witches. But it seems to me the animators were more focused about the "waifuization" of these witches than what really lies beyond. 2 episodes in which we can finally use our brains to analyze and understand the deeper meaning behind their behaviour and their related sins and that's all. On the same note, this seasons really tried hard to be a "character development" moment with the trials that force the characters to face their past and the hidden consequences of their decisions (for Subaru). I won't even speak about the low quality of character's past and the related flashbacks. Let's just say Subaru was a better character when we didn't know anything related to his previous life because that part was litteraly treated as an entire joke as if it was a comedy. Regarding the consequences of his actions, this part lasted 5 minutes at most. How can we believe these 25 episodes of 30 minutes each were full of mature and interesting conversations if the most important topics are either treated as jokes and poorly written or if they last 5 minutes ??? A single boring motivational speech about simping and love lasts literally longer than every major thought provoking moments during the entire season ??? You've got a story about sins and interesting powers related to these sins and everything you show in 25 episodes is just a mix of waifus and Boruto level speeches for 20 episodes ? The season is so bad even the rhythm is an insult to my brain. I do remember that moment a flashback began until the end of the episode. Then, for no reason, another flashback about another unrelated character begins at the start of the following episode and then we finally see the end of the first flashback. Wtf am I watching ??? I could speak about how dull side characters are during this season of about the scandalous amount of time we get to see them considering how bad they are. I could explain how much of a mistake it was to lock this season on one arc and one location. How disappointing and naive character development is in this season. But at this point, just read the novel if you're a reader or just go beyond that season if you consider watching this. It really is a time consuming and time wasting season.

While the animation and character building of those outside of Subaru's typical party was nice, the amount of background info/flashbacks gets overwhelming and boring. A lot of talking but it doesn't feel like any progression occurs until the last 1-2 episodes which is not what I need from a season separated in two parts. That's not including the fact that it feels like someone was upset that Emilia was not as popular as Rem, so the only solution to help increase her popularity was by removing Rem in general. I recommend watching this part in sped up form to skip most of the talking. Especially since most of the flashbacks barely answer any questions and just add more to the list of 'What's going on?'

"As long as i have life all i can do is fight with all my might" ~Subaru First of all a salute to white fox for giving us 30 min episodes with amazing animation non stop! Watched the last episode just a couple of minutes ago and here i am writing a review Gotta say this season truely delivered each episode had me on the edge of my seat every episode executed perfectly and qas banger. This season truely surpassed my expectation if you loved season 1 then boy be ready to be amazed cuz this was even better Tho we all know re zero is known for the "depression and suffering" this season was anything but that.. Yep you heard that right.... it was more based on the character development story progression and hope. Story: 10/10 As we all know the story of re zero is amazing straightforward and interesting with next to no loopholes tho it might not be everyone's cup of tea but for me tho it was amazing and it was adapted just as good the pace and execution were just amazing specially in second half plot progression waa there hype was there and most importantly the re zero excitement and unpredictable plot twists where there Character: 10/10 Oh boy this season introduced many amazing well built characters and added depth and development to old one's. The best thing about re zero is their characters which unlike other isekai animes are relevent and likeable! Sound: 10/10 As we all are familiar with the amazing sound tracks and osts of re zero as expected this season brought more to the list with beautiful on spot sound tracks and good ost sung by the same person who gave us the amazing opening 1 Art: 10/10 Imma be honest season 1 lacked in the animation department it was that bad but nothing special either it seemed lifeless but the this season improved so much the animation is wayyyy better white fox really worked hard the animation seemed alive and lovelier then ever Conclusion 10/10 Loved it i would seriously miss re zero lets all hope season 3 will soon be announced either that or another 4 tough years of waiting awaits. Well my fellow weebs next time we unite will be when re zero season 3 us out good luck lets all live to witness it! Lastly the "daijoubie" of emilia in last episode man that was cute!

With the finale of the second part of the second season of Re: Zero Starting Life in a Different World (Re: Zero for short) I’ve finally decided to speak my peace about this masterpiece. I understand a lot of the criticisms this show gets and trust me I do understand quite a few of them, but for me, that is more than made up for the expansive list of characters, animation, and most importantly the excellent world-building. The story picks up not long after the events of the first season and takes place within the Sanctuary and while this seems a bit dull for the entire season we finally get the much-needed character development and backstory for some of the characters from last season and the one’s we were introduced to this installment. White Fox did a great job giving everyone enough screen time to where it felt right (not too much that we miss important moments for others but not too short to where we don’t care about them. The sound was amazing, when the op did play in the first and second parts of the second season they were bangers man. The songs that played during key emotional moments were fitting and never became overbearing for me personally. I came in hyped and was not left disappointed. Would recommend it to those seeking a good fantasy with a psychological drama twist to it.

"God I fucking hate myself" These are words that we have all said to ourselves at some point in our life. Self-loathing is no stranger to many of the people who watch this show, and it's precisely what makes this season so powerful. Natsuki Subaru is no different than any of us, subject to immensely low self-worth symbolized through his repeated use of Return by Death. Part 1 of the second season establishes Subaru's self-struggle culminating in his decision to finally love himself and cast aside his one special ability in this world. Part 2 then represents the journey to self-love and the fruits that it bears. What I love about this season is how much Subaru is able to achieve without his abilities and his reliance solely on his own compassion. Representative of his newly found compassion for himself, we see Subaru acting as the emotional support to not only Emilia but a whole cast of characters. Yet Subaru is not simply just a sole pillar of support, Otto acts as the emotional support necessary for Subaru to begin his adventure to resolve Rosewall's challenge. What is amazing is how every single problem faced in this part is resolved not through any special abilities or magic or even intellect, but through emotional support. Many shows often opt for problem resolution through the former options, but this is disconnected from our reality. In truth, when faced with self-loathing tendencies, our own self is the biggest and most difficult enemy we face. From Rosewall to Beatrice, Garfiel to Emilia, each character is forced to face themselves and their past. However, none of them are capable of doing so without having a friend support them in their challenge. This couldn't be clearer than in Rosewall's case of being stuck deep in the past, isolated from everyone around him only being saved by Ram's deep concern for her master. Re:Zero masterfully demonstrates the importance and real-world power of friendship and support in the least shounen ass-pully way possible. Despite being a story about life in another world, Re:Zero hits close to reality in a way most shows could only dream of doing.

I liked the first part of season 2 because it finally added a formidable antagonist to the show; namely, Roswaal. He was the first villain to be fully aware of Subaru's ability. And better yet, he seemed more than happy to abuse the hell out of it to achieve his goals. Naturally, I expected their conflict to spiral into cat-and-mouse mind games, involving situations where e.g. Subaru would get within an inch of saving the Sanctuary, only to be cornered by Roswaal killing Otto or doing something equally dramatic, forcing him to reset all over again. Roswaal was a natural enemy to Subaru―I was genuinely interested in seeing how Subaru would go about defeating this type of adversary. But as it turns out, Roswaal is all bark and no bite. No matter how bad things would get, he would never attempt to force Subaru to reset. He literally did nothing new in this season. All loose ends are tied up in the most unimaginative, low-effort ways possible. Otto, Ram and Subaru use BS superpowers to beat Garfiel. Garfiel teams up with Subaru, and beats Elsa and Maylie with... raw strength, I guess. Finally, Roswaal realizes that he's fucked, so he summons the rabbits... but they, too, end up being easily defeated with basic magic attacks. In these 12 episodes there's nothing even resembling so much as a hint of tension. Everything proceeds through a path of least resistance. There are no surprises. And what's worse, the dialogue is even more cliche and long-winded than in previous seasons. By the end of it all, we still have no clue why the Sanctuary was relevant to begin with, or why the trials had to be passed to break the barrier. It's all fluff and no substance. To top it all off, the animation is below average. It hardly even uses any special effects anymore; a far cry from the consistent quality of S1. And while the OST is as fantastic as ever, the season literally has no entertaining scenes; not even the finest musical masterpiece could turn garbage into gold, so all the great new compositions by Suehiro Kenichiro end up going to waste. Fans will no doubt love this part despite its rather obvious faults. But if you're like me, and you mainly watch the show because you enjoy seeing Subaru find ingenious ways to break out of hopeless situations via a deadly process of trial and error... well, there's literally nothing to see here.

Holy damn! I haven't expected this series to went this much to a downfall. What a boredom! My brain was melting in it. My body is dying from inside attempting to stay focused watching second season. I couldn't possibly imagine that this anime, one of better recent surprises, one of most creative about the main plot (reviving after death) would end up (or at least end up for now) this way. As first season was a bit disappointing, but I'd give it 6/10 because it had its solid moments, second season is a complete mess! All this die and revive thing barely exists here, there is no specific event worth mentioning, maybe near ending, but even that lasts little too short, it doesn't add up well to rest of the season and it simply isn't as exciting as ending of first season. First part of second season was repeating same scene all over the time, its annoying, its boring, its killing my brain cells. And then came the second part, lets say 10 times worse. Entire second part of the season was things happening before first season and nothing besides the past memories even appear. I don't know for you, but for me, it destroyed me from inside, entirely. Even worse is that all episodes are 30min long, barely any have opening/ending sequence (to skip it), so yea, was a hard mental battle to finish this season. Ending is typical hollywood movie. And its even funnier that entire second season is full of a mess stuff going around Subaru, but somehow, it had best possible and happiest ending. Sorry to disappoint, but I expect more dramatic stuff, not anime to turn into disney cartoon. And it had everything to end up in way more realistic way, but whatever, I'm glad I'm done with this anime. Also, its laughable to see how much Roswaal is wannabe Hisoka from HxH with joker looking, weird voice, sounding like a creep. They achieved none of this. I usually rank few animes with all possible scores (from 5 to 10) and then use them as an orientation to score other animes, but Re: Zero second season simply can't have score higher than 4 from me. I do have watched very weak anime entries, but in the end, there was always something that would be good enough to be scored with at least 5/10. Re: Zero second season offers absolutely nothing. I think even 4 is high score, but at the same time, giving it anything below that would make me question myself why I even bothered watching that bad anime. I had to double-check any entries I watched and gave it score 5, and all of them are simply better than Re: Zero second season. Summary of second season: 25 episodes of complete boredom!

From where should I begin. Never did I thought that s2 part2 would be disappointing after seeing s2 part1. The hardships Subaru went through part1 was so painful as a watcher for me too. They payoff and the charecter development of every charecter was phenomenal. I almost watched every ep 3 times before next one came and Im planning to do a full 50ep rewatch in next week. This season was one hell of an experience. Calling this show a masterpiece is now general knowledge for everyone. I hope this show also rises in popularity. Wait for s3 is gonna hurt but its fine as White Fox makes the wait worth it.

Review for full season's 25 episodes (first part I'm rating 5, second part I'm rating 6, and overall I'm rating the season a 6): Aside from the problems I had with the previous season's gratuitous violence and characters behaving at the whim of what the MC needs rather than how characters would believably behave, this season (which assuredly persists with these same problems) surfaces with another pretty significant problem: pacing. This season relies on the usual premise of Subaru using his power to rewind death and solve several mysteries while keeping as many people he cares about safe, though there're differences that makes it less compelling than the previous times. A big difference is that this is the fourth iteration of the same premise, meaning its lost its novelty factor; another big difference is that the mysteries are uninteresting. Personally, I didn't care about Sanctuary, its history, its founding, and its guardians. I chalk up my disinterest to the pacing, as the season is frontloaded with exposition (practically all the way up until the last 3 episodes of the season), and most of it is either incomprehensible or irrelevant. It'd work if there was character-building and plot developments woven in and happening alongside it, but the only significant character and plot developments happen in the concluding episodes. Given that, it's basically a tiring slog of waiting for Subaru's "right" attempt for things to work. It's not great that the new characters are largely unengaging. As aforementioned, they pose as obstacles for Subaru, but are incomprehensible for the majority of the season (again, up until the concluding episodes). I noticed the characters tend to be written with this frustrating formula of being incomprehensible in their actions, likely to maintain the air of mystery, and then once resolution arrives they're given motive retrospectively. It'd be nice if a character, like Garfiel, was given something, anything really, to be relatable or likeable alongside his repeated (and, again, incomprehensibly stubborn) obstacle-ness for the MC. But, alas, most of the new characters are given no such qualities until it doesn't really matter anymore (minor spoiler: I didn't care that Garfiel had a hard time with his family by the time the pacing decided to provide that info, and I also didn't find such backstory compelling, even retrospectively, in explaining his actions). The only exception among the new characters being actually interesting was Echidna, the Witch of Greed. As for already introduced characters, Otto was a standout (though he suffers a similar odd and unearned fondness for Subaru much like Rem did in the 3rd arc of the first season), and Subaru continues to be pretty decent. The rest... well, they're okay, I guess, though I was unimpressed with Emilia's trials (likely due to the Re:Zero movie priming me to regard her character as just an object of motive for the MC (seriously, that film was such a nothingburger)). So, yeah, in sum the pacing really crippled the season. I can't count how many times I asked myself, "Are they going to leave Sanctuary yet? They're still there?" Followed by internal (and sometimes external) groans. I'm rating the first part as "fine" since I only found it boring rather than bad or egregious; I'm rating the second part slightly better due to it actually having payoffs, even if the pacing really took the excitement out of said payoffs. I'm hoping for a tighter plot in the future, as the show seemed to work best when there wasn't more than a few major plot threads going on all at once (i.e., the first two arcs of the first season).

The pacing is bad. It is extremely slow; the story barely crawls forward. This fact is mostly due to how bad the dialogue is unfortunately. There is way too much dialogue and it hurts the pacing real bad; there are scenes with twice as much dialogue as needed. Less is more, and the same is true for dialogue; a good writer should strive to tell his or her story with just the right amount of words. There is no need to insult the viewers' intellects by spelling out everything happening on screen. Besides this, the show is good. There are some other problematic elements: The occasional voice and animation desync, a lot of flashbacks, characters acting in cartoonish ways, and some dumb op abilities. And there are some good elements: Nice animation, cool premise, interesting messages, and a good mix of hope and despair as the main themes of the story. Overall, bad dialogue is the main problem of Re:Zero and it is not going anywhere.

Re:Zero is simply captivating; the second season has an incredible plot, I lack words to describe it. The involvement with the characters, the drama inserted in each of the episodes, the fear that Subaru always gets into more trouble as time passes—it gives such dynamism to the story that few works can achieve. To better define Re:Zero, it's a surprise; unimaginable things can happen to Subaru, and you just accept it and experience watching a story like this. The anime tackles it in a more visual way; those who read the novel carry a burden of imagination, which sometimes makes things much worse. This season itself carries one of the most interesting and mystical arcs of the story, and for this reason, I believe it to be one of the best. Re:Zero has become one of my favorite works because of how it manages to involve me in the story and make me want to rewatch it many times and reread the novel over and over again. With that said, RE:ZERO IS AMAZING. Reviewer Score: 10/10

I watched the first season and enjoyed it but ultimately thought it was somewhat forgettable in the burgeoning isekai landscape. I was surprised to later learn that Re: Zero is many people's favorite isekai and one of the more highly ranked recent anime in general. I wasn't particularly anticipating watching the second season but thought I would give the show another chance going into it with the mindset that this was a well respected show. I watched the second season, kept an open mind, paid close attention, tried to get into it, and now I like the show even less. This show has a few good things going for it but there are so many bits that are off that detract from the show and get in the way of the story. Plot advancements are predictable, setbacks are predictable, character advancement and setbacks are just as predictable, and the story drags about at a tepid pace. I get the Groundhog's Day aspect of the show, I like and accept that, but Re: Zero brings repetitiveness to another level. Even within a loop(or a week, or a day, or a single conversation) characters and events seem like they are repeating themselves and not because it is required by the plot, but because of unoriginality in writing. Characters are portrayed and convey themselves in only a certain number of set patterns. Characters have the emotional output equivalent to a game of rock-paper-scissors; they have such a limited set of emotions and expressions that it makes everything seem childlike. The emotions they experience may be intense, again like children having tantrums, but they are simple. To feel emotional attachment with the characters or story I needed some more complexity or depth in what they experience, not just more intensity. Watching characters bash each other over the head with emotions can only happen so many times before it is meaningless. Characters talk and talk, but in mysterious ways, so then they have to repeat themselves, but they still speak in riddles or aren't understood so they repeat themselves again, and again, and then finally after repeating the same thing 4-5 times they finally decide to speak plainly and from the heart so that everyone finally has the realization of what we had failed to understand before, UGH!! How many times can you write a character trying to convey their feelings but being misunderstood/rejected over and over only to have to come to a new understanding themselves and then be accepted and appreciated for their new level of expression? That's a good scene, once or twice, or a half dozen times, but when it happens multiple times every single episode it becomes trite. I couldn't even count on two hands the number of times this precise thing happened in one half of one season. "After repeating it so many times, after touching upon it so many times, you still haven't realized my true intentions." - Rem(or you could jam these exact words into ANY other character's mouth because almost everyone has their version of this exact moment) The slow roll of characters true intentions and feelings being revealed is done in the exact same way over and over. They try to make the characters unique by giving them different backgrounds and motivations, but despite being supposedly being wildly different characters, every character essentially feels the same on the inside and has the same ultimate attitude and moral compass(they may be oriented differently, but everyone works the same way) despite wildly different outward motivations. Its like every character is just a different facet of a single being. In an attempt to make the characters have depth you strip away their shells to reveal that everyone looks the same on the inside and it is oh so boring. The background world, story, and lingering questions were just interesting enough to drag me along and keep me watching to the end of the season, but everything else just falls short, feels slightly off, or is too formulaic not to notice. All the details that are supposed to drive me deeper into the story are what drives me away and keeps me from enjoying the show more. Frankly I had to force myself to watch the last few episodes of this season, everything got so boring, I didn't care that they were resolving lingering plot threads because the resolutions were too formulaic, unsurprising, and uninteresting that they gave no satisfaction. This show gets worse the more is revealed about it, the mystery was better than the truth of the matter.