(Nitsuj): Hello and welcome to Project Nitsuj. Seeing as how we’re still in the month of love, one thing I love is a good isekai.
(Seras): I too love a good isekai. Especially those that are dark.
(Nitsuj): Ah~ Seras so nice to see you. Since you’re here and I’m about to talk about isekai that can only mean one thing, Re:Zero. Yep, it’s time to review Re:Zero. While the other Four Isekai Horsemen have been scarce with their releases, Re:Zero continues to push forward and release their seasons at a steady place.
(Seras): 2024 saw them return for a third season. Much like the second season, it would be split into two courses. One in 2024 and the other in 2025.
(Nitsuj): Oh damn, I forgot the second course came out in 2025. No wonder I was getting hate from the isekai fans. My bad.
(Seras): Well you have a chance to make up for it. Despite the two courses, fans were upset that it would only be 16 episodes total. Was that enough to cover the next arc in the story? Well let’s find out.
(Nitsuj): Get ready for infinite lives. This is Re:Zero S3.
Opening and Ending Theme
The opening for season 3 is “Reweave” by Konomi Suzuki. Out of all the openings this is easily my favorite so far. It gets you pumped and excited for the battle that’s to come with all of these characters. I also give credit to the animation for tricking us with the fight match ups. Konomi’s voice is very good here. Knowing when to be slow and subtle but also loud and intense. Shockingly, the anime didn’t play this opening for a few episodes and just went straight into the episode. Those fools.
(Nitsuj): The ending is “Nox Lux” by Myth & Roid. It’s Myth & Roid doing a song for an isekai, you know it’s going to be good. Honestly, this ending could pass for the opening as well. I like the speed, lyrics and this sense of peace before it all gets shattered by the presence of death and despair we see as the season goes on. Once again, the animation here is masterful. The split setting of the city from beautiful to a living Hell is nice, but the best part is Subaru being lifted up by everyone. It’s so fitting. No longer is he the man trying to do everything himself, but someone who can now rely on others to help him out.
Episodes 1-4
(Nitsuj): So in the first episode we get a special 1½ hour episode. We see Subaru clearing a training course which he’s surprisingly good at. About year has gone by since the second season and things have been quiet for the most part until a messenger from Anastasia arrives. She wants to invite Emilia to Watergate City for a party and to give her a magic crystal that Emilia has been looking for (Seras: When was this announced?) to bring back Puck. Despite having some concerns, Emilia agrees to go with Subaru, Otto, Garfiel, and Beatrice at her side (at least two of them will be useful in a fight). They leave the next day with Otto giving us an overview on how the selection is going. While Emilia has gained favor with the people thanks to her efforts in defeating a sin archarchbishop and the whale (Seras: Good times), Anastasia seems to be the one leading right now. With her savvy business sense and a major company backing her financially she has all the momentum in the world. Priscilla is a close second followed by Emilia then Felt and finally Crusch in last place thanks to her memories being stolen. They make it to the city with Anastasia meeting them at the inn (which is Japanese themed) with Julius. Anastasia tells them that the crystal is the hands of the leader of the Muse Company who runs the city. As the group goes to meet him, Subaru and Beatrice get separated from the others and wind up meeting and befriending a songstress named Lilianna who helps them reach their destination where shenanigans ensue (scene here: https://youtu.be/OGJ3ANQg5qI?si=AK4Y2cohuXu3J9eT). With the meeting flopping, they decide to return to the inn where Crusch has arrived with Felix and Wilhelm. Reinhard is also there with Felt and we find out Wilhelm is his grandfather. There’s a rift between the two of them. After Wilhelm’s wife died he became consumed by revenge and pushed Reinhard away. Since then, the two have had a hard time talking to each other. It turns out Anastasia invited them all here to discuss the archarchbishop of gluttony. Not much happens after this. We do get to meet Reinhard’s drunkard of a dad, Heinkel, who is a vice captain of the knights in name only and spills the beans that it was Reinhard who killed his grandmother (Seras: Woah, did not see that coming). Priscilla then shows up revealing she’s the one who brought Heinkel here to stir the pot (well the gang’s all here. (Seras): If you girls would like to fight I have a discount on weapons going on right now. I’ve got swords, axes, spears, bats wrapped in barbwire. And for the sickos, a chainsaw). Near the end of the episode is when things get dark as the archbishop of wrath known as Sirius appears (she’s like a deranged version of The Mummy) putting some kind of spell over an audience and dropping a boy to his doom which results in everyone’s head exploding including Subaru’s head (scene here: https://youtu.be/02hnZQtcAvY?si=5kuUulTTFm7jgNR3).
In episode 2 Subaru returns from death mere minutes before his death (so, how was the future?). Knowing what’s going to happen, Subaru quickly rushes to rescue the captured the boy only to fail and get hung (scene here: https://youtu.be/Pm_i8Ml6Vl8?si=sch9fyN2ZA3OY4N8, well that was a speedrun). Realizing he can’t do this alone, because of some brainwashing power she has that connects feelings and sensations with others and makes them forget all about fear, he tries to think up a plan to defeat her. He settles with Reinhard (Seras: Sure let’s send the guy with family issues to fight a brainwashing cult member. That’ll be good therapy for him). Reinhard is able to beat and kill her but she used her powers to connect with everyone in the area so when he killed her he killed a whole bunch of other people including Subaru (scenes here: https://youtu.be/ZffZVWdC05A?si=N4dlB58PF0NKF62e and https://youtu.be/0VN4JCm-pWU?si=Qr8UeqdrX8A-m7B0, this walkthrough is going to require a bit more brain power). Since Reinhard was a bust, he goes with Betty on his next run where it gets reveled, she and Reinhard are a bad matchup. He has the power to nullify spirts and magic users (Seras: Alright. We summon Reinhard and have him fly the bitch out into an empty field where no one’s around and kill her. Problem solved). While Betty and Subaru can cancel out her magic the problem is they don’t have anyone who can beat her. That’s when Emilia appears saying she’ll fight. Emilia strikes first but unfortunately Betty’s magic can’t block Sirius’s power. However, Emilia does get Sirius’s attention and she’s angry. The two ladies fight while Subaru and Betty save the boy only for Sirius to reveal a second hostage she’s been keeping. Emilia gets forced to stand down and then gets burnt alive (scene here: https://youtu.be/LU3jDQ0KT5c?si=XEQDnIA49P_ZyeyV) only to get saved by Regulus who intends to make Emilia his 79th bride (Seras: Hopefully this one sticks. Scene here: https://youtu.be/gL8Mp16c8kA?si=XnlvLnmVB8Ff_wHq).
Not much to say about episode 3. Regulus escapes with Emilia and Sirius falls in love with Subaru claiming that he’s the reincarnation of Petelguise the man she loves (Seras: Her taste in men is questionable). As if dealing with those two wasn’t bad enough, we find out that two more archbishops of the Witch’s Cult in the city and they’ve taken over. We see Garfiel befriend a woman named Liara who is actually his mom. Unfortunately, she’s loss her memory and doesn’t remember Garfiel at all and has started a new family with a new husband (https://youtu.be/fVeAEwrL1Ts?si=P2hVfWTzsi2W5Uwq). When the Witch’s Cult takes over the city, Liara’s kids go missing and Garfiel vows to help find them. Meanwhile, Subaru and the others form a council to fight the Witch’s Cult. They know that the cult is looking for the remains of a witch. In the past Watergate City was used as a trap to imprison and kill a witch by flooding the whole city (seems a little excessive but given the personalities of the witch’s I think I see why). It’s said that the body remains within the city and the Witch’s cult is determined to reclaim it.
In episode 4 Subaru and the others try to take out the archbishop of Lust, Capella who is a dragon (Seras: Of course. These archbishops can never be simple). Despite their best efforts she recovers from hits and retreats (scene here: https://youtu.be/lXLUXRtTa08?si=kbyjOqUmcZCpMkn6) just in time for Roy the archbishop of Gluttony to take the stage (you stole Rem from us you son of a bitch).
Episodes 5-8
(Seras): We open episode 5 with Regulus asking Emilia a very important question: is she a virgin (given the innocence we saw last season I’m going with a hard yes). She has no idea what he’s talking about (Nitsuj: Good God, woman) and that’s all Regulus needs to know. Meanwhile, Subaru along with Julius and Crusch take on Roy. Julius decides to fight him alone while Subaru and Crusch save the hostages inside. Capella is there where she reveals that she turned all the hostages into giant flies and she’s a shapeshifter, she can turn herself into anything or anyone (a fitting power for a representation of lust. Scenes here: https://youtu.be/qRF2MLaJhoI?si=GydAaIYYcvkK6hbw and https://youtu.be/OnqksTUx69A?si=SwQr_GY3ACa2OBxS). She rips off Subaru’s leg (we just reattached it) and spews her blood on Crusch to transform her into something as well, but the dragon that was originally there wakes up and attacks everyone dropping an unconscious Subaru into the water just as the city became flooded. We also see Reinhardt rescue Felt from his drunkard of a father thanks to Otto who’s still alive by the grace of God.
Episode 6 begins with Subaru regaining consciousness and meeting Priscilla and Lilianna (where the hell have you been?). It gets revealed that his leg has been infected with dragon blood which gives his leg a healing factor (Nitsuj: Every day he grows closer to becoming Deadpool. It’s both cool and scary at the same time). The three then get surrounded by demibeast who are now plaguing the city (I’m just gonna say it, this city is fucked. Nobody is coming back). Priscilla easily defeats the monsters and then returns to her original mission (scene here: https://youtu.be/ycB6ssoVFVs?si=UrKIaFjTTA5xZRVX). Escorting Lilianna to the shelters to calm everyone down who’s been infected by Sirius’s magic (Nitsuj: So she looks down on others but still helps them. (Seras): She lives a complicated life). Actually, it’s a political move. The song has a subliminal message telling people to support Priscilla. She’s gaining support directly in Anatasia’s home base. Subaru makes it back to the others where the dragon’s blood is having a nasty side effect on Crusch and tearing her up inside (this girl has the worst luck) and they work to come up with a way to win without having to sacrifice the life of the citizens. Meanwhile, Emilia decides it’s time to escape.
Nothing much happens in episode 7. Subaru gives a speech to the whole city calming everyone down and letting them know that they are fighting to save them and reclaim the city (scene here: https://youtu.be/qfAI4oIz0zM?si=HgZ_zzyOw8omNoNy). At the end of the episode, Reinhard returns to join the fight.
At the start of episode 8 the group goes over the four demands of the witch’s cult. They want the witch’s bones, Emilia, Beatrice because she’s a great spirit, and the Book of Wisdom which is their gospel. Otto reveals that he has the Book of Wisdom (something you want to share with us Otto?) but it’s a tattered burnt mess totally unreadable. He left it with a restorer hoping they can put it back together (Nitsuj: And given the state of the city there’s a good chance they’re dead). After this, Subaru goes to visit Crusch where the dragon blood has really messed her up. Thankfully, Subaru somehow manages to transfer some of the dragon’s blood to his body making Crusch feel a little better but infecting his body in the process (scene here: https://youtu.be/aIK3S4SDBHM?si=MQMISYpspdtHxCBz). Wilhelm tells Subaru that one of the masked fighters he fought is his wife who had her corpse reanimated. He also tells Subaru what happened between him and Reinhard. We find out that Sword Saint’s power is inherited, it moves on to the next of kin in Wilhelm’s family. During the fight against the whale, that power left Wilhelm’s wife and was transferred to Reinhard as a child. Without the Sword Saint’s power, Wilhelm’s wife was just a normal woman on the battlefield in over her head and she died. As Wilhelm mourned the death of his wife he took his anger out on Reinhard. Cursing him and saying she died because of him (wow, that’s like the worst thing you could tell a child). Returning to the meeting, the group finally makes a game plan on who’s going to attack which tower and fight their designated cult member. Subaru and Reinhard get tasked with taking down Regulus and reclaiming Emilia. Speaking of Regulus, we go to his wedding with Emilia (Nitsuj: Haven’t seen anything this forced since a bitcoin commercial) where he tells her that once they’re married she can neither smile, cry, or have an opinion of her own without his permission (well this explained why the other marriages didn’t stick). Emilia finally speaks her mind rejecting Regulus’s love (Nitsuj: Is that what we’re calling it?) and he decides to kill her. Luckily, Subaru and Reinhard arrive in time and we end the first half of season 3 on a cliffhanger (scene here: https://youtu.be/JfxQdGscD0Y?si=fsXIjJi24VVL2aWw).
(Nitsuj): And that does it for the first half of season 3. Come join us next week as we the counterattack.
(Seras): Thanks for reading and we’ll see you next time on Project Nitsuj.