You see Subaru performing so many acts of heroism and saving as many people as he can. But the person in most need of saving, in this story, is probably just him.
@@ashishkkrishna my 2cents are that rbd was given to him by satela to "save" him.i was in tears in s2 when she told him him to love himself....and i think that she wants him to learn to "love" himself while going thru the matters that affected him the most.the curse thingy is from the witch of envy part and thats propably why his "save points" get updated when something including emilia goes the "right way"...i guess we ll see
People that self harm don’t necessarily need a reason to keep doing it. It becomes therapeutic and cathartic for them. If they refuse to acknowledge how destructive it is and seek better coping mechanisms and outlets that they enjoy then they will likely continue to do it. Subaru really isn’t in the best situation to overcome a tendency self harm, so if it’s something he does to cope, ground himself, and/or focus then he’s unlikely to get over it over the course of this story.
“overcome a tendency [to] self harm,” is what I meant to say. Just now catching this mistake and it bothers me. I know edited comments are often viewed negatively so here’s my correction.
Honestly considering how often he's had to die or outright kill himself as part of his ability, it doesn't surprise me he'd start taking to self-harm. How many times can one feel those painful sensations that come with extreme injury and death before they start feeling familiar? How many times can one relive the PTSD of all the nightmarish horror he's been through before they need something, anything to ground them in reality? And how many times can one choose to engage with it all until the pain is not only routine but comfortable, even reassuring? After all, if you can feel pain-- then you're still alive.
I study psychology and self harm, of any kind, is usually related to an unhealthy attempt to relieve oneself from feeling anxious/anguish/depressed, by making the psychological/emotional pain "real" (physical). In other words, most people do it because it helps them to feel in sync with their emotions by giving their bodies some of the unbearable pain they are feeling inside. Edit: english is not my first languague so I may have expressed myself incorrectly in some way, or not precise enough
@@Tripepdipep more than "feeling good" they feel less bad, so yeah, better kinda, but at the expense of damaging your body and sometimes people feel guilty about doing it
My theory for this has always been that he does it to remind himself that he is still alive. Is normal for us to see him doing it during those 3 examples because it was at important moments of the story, but what's more interesting is that he also cut himself throughout the course of a year in which nothing happened (between arc 4 and 5) Because no one else knows of this besides Beatrice (she is the one who always heals these self-wounds), I'm guessing he does this when he is alone; maybe in a dark room, in total silence, where no one can see him or hear him (even us the readers). This might remind him of the darkness he sees when he is in the middle of going back in time. And so what does he do to remind himself that he is still alive? the common answer would be to just get out of the room. But at what moment does Subaru feels the most alive? probably when he is about to die, because he can feel the severe pain throughout his body, until suddenly all becomes dark. Is not logical and it doesn't make sense, but that's how deep rooted Subaru's trauma is. A nice parallel to this would be Elsa. Why does she kill people? Well, that's her job. But why does she specifically slits the belly open? Because it reminds her of the first time she did, when she felt the bowels and blood all over her, blowing away all of the cold from her body. Of course this is nothing more but my own personal theory. I hope we eventually get an answer in the future.
Very good theory. I also believe it’s a way for him to cope with his CPTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder). CPTSD is more severe than PTSD, and happens when one suffers several traumatic events and not just one. A common symptom of both is self harm. When the victim is suffering an episode (basically when the memories suddenly come back and overwhelm them) they use pain to bring them back to reality. It happens commonly during periods of rest and peace.
I am surprised you didn't mention in season 1 (after fighting with Emilia)Subaru bit his lip and made it bleed whenever he was upset. He started bleeding while arguing with Crusch and she told Felis to heal his lip but Subaru refused and left.
I think we can disregard what he did after the rabbits killed him At that point subaru wasn't exactly sane, the only reason he started smashing his head was because the sensation of it made him forget about what happened for a moment And remember that before starting to smash his head he was touch himself When people feel extreme fear and anxiety they tend to hug themselves because the sensation of touch feels good at the moment and helps reducing fear
i think that at that moment the witch gene of sloth was driving him crazy since his mind was near broken, reason as to why echidna gave him the special tea
@@doublehit9165 no it was because 2 seconds ago he was feeling te worst pain imaginable and suddenly it’s gone? Nah he was remembering the indescribable agony tht he just felt yet thts why he acted tht way.
@@seniorsterling1064 i think he used self harm to distract himself from the emotions n pain of getting eaten by the rabbits. I selfharm when I am overwhelmed because it refocuses my attention on something i can control and makes me feel like im not powerless anymore. So that's how I see it from my point of view
If you noticed whenever subaru is in a lot of mental stress he bangs his head. He did it in ep 15, after the rabbits, when he was tied up in the sanctuary and in arc 7.
My insight on Subarus self harm is that it is ptsd from all those deaths a normal human shouldn’t process dying that many times especially in gruesome ways like being eaten alive inside and out from rabbits even though he resets he still remembers the suffering so he self harms in order to give his mind something to focus on
1:Sliced by Elsa. 2.Sliced by Elsa. 3.Stabbed by thug. Arc 2: 4.Cursed. 5.Maced by Rem. 6.Wind bladed by Ram. 7.Suicided by jumping off the cliff. Arc 3: 8.Froze by Puck's magic. 9.Froze by Puck. 10.Froze by Puck. 11.Forced suicide - After possessing on to Subaru, Betelgeuse forced Subaru to take Wilhelm's sword and stab his throat. (In LN this death is skipped, the event of 11 and 12 is combined and rearranged) 12.After Betelgeuse possessing Subaru, Felis killed him with magic. 13.Suicided by stabbing a knife to his throat after knowing what happened to Rem. Arc 4 14.Sliced by Elsa. 15.Eaten by Big Rabbits. 16.Eaten by Big Rabbits. 17.Suicided by stabbing a knife to his throat. 18.Eaten by Big Rabbits. Arc 5 19.Affected by Wrath’s authority. When the boy fell from the tower and crashed to the ground, everyone including Subaru died in the same way. 20.Affected by Wrath’s authority. Subaru’s emotion was chained with the boy’s. Due to Sirius’s speech, the fear among the two was amplified and shared infinitely until Subaru became mad to death. 21.Affected by Wrath’s authority. When Reinhard chopped Sirius in half, all the people including Subaru died in the same way. Arc 6 22.Headshot by Shaula’s needle 23.Shot by Shaula’s needle 24.Burnt by Gabaou 25.Eaten by Petrasche and a 25 more brutal deaths . No wonder he self harm he can’t talk to people about his death, he has had some of the most painful death imaginable, he has seen his friends loved ones get killed in front of him and tortured , he fails and fails to save them until he dies a few times and in arc 6 he dies over 20 times, he can’t tell anyone exactly what will happened because Satella will kill them ,even if Rem didn’t get eaten He would still do this . Even in wrath if Subaru harms himself when he was a panic attack .
Perhaps he was suicidal before being isekaied but only to the point where he was purposely putting himself in danger by not avoiding death, by doing things like _closing his eyes while crossing the street at night to not see any possible oncoming traffic_
thats actually.... man, it makes sense, also[spoilers for arc 6 and 5] the frist thing that amnesiac subaru, who hasn't ever been on a dangerous situation or been beaten in any way shape or form, does after seeing his "ugly and grotesque" black hand is to scratch it until it bleds, and only stops after emilia (or beatrice) asked him to, after which he tells them (or at least thinks, i don't remember very well) that he only did it beacouse he was curios and that he wouldn't want to harm the body that his parents gave him..... So in conclusion, Subaru was pretty fucked up even before Isekaization.
@@eyebrowdimension After season 2 of the anime or Arc 4 of the wn, I don't think that is the case anymore. No spoilers, but I think he moves past that during season 2 / Arc 4...
Subaru is indeed a hero on his own, he's willing to return by death if that 1 person he cares about dies, and also be willing to fix whatever time loop he's in, its also sad that no one knows about this as well they think that "subaru is a hero who did all those things" (beating the rabbits, whale and gluttony) but in reality Subaru has gone through A LOT and many pains, not that anyone knows of course so Subaru is that 1 person who needs the most saving, he's gone through a lot just to save others over and over but in the end no one even knows about it, and he can't even tell anyone either
As someone who struggles with self harm, for me it's a coping mechanism that I go to habitually to distract myself from my depression and stress. I also notice that it relaxes me and helps me calm down, similar to what Subaru was doing when he was cursed and staying awake. I think that the way it is integrated into the story as a subtle detail is fantastic writing and makes Subaru a much more realistic and relatable character, at least to me.
Hope you have been doing better in the year since this comment. Ive struggled with it in the past. Its a really damaging habit, but unfortunately there isnt any clear or easy path to getting better. Nobody deserves to feel so bad that they self harm. Hope you are doing better, and if not, hope you get better.
While this a difficult subject matter it’s why Re:Zero is such a compelling story. This isn’t brought up in many anime or manga unless it specifically geared towards it. Having these moments makes the character more three-dimensional and even might give others a reason to discuss this.
I think the point being made about his self-harm is that mental illness can't just be willed away. It also doesn't necessarily get better just because your material condition improves. For most people, mental illness is something they have to battle their entire lives. That's not to say it can't or doesn't get better for some, but it's not guaranteed. I think in a way it shows Subaru's more human and vulnerable side that even we the audience don't always get a good look into. Just my thoughts.
This is I think exactly the case with Subaru. Sure, maybe his life and circumstances improve after arc 4, but that doesn't change the absolute nightmare he went through within the span of several months leading up to that. He went through a worse sort of hell than soldiers in an active and brutal war zone experience. Many of those men are trained before going, then come home to loving families, good jobs, supportive networks of people-- and a lifetime's worth of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. And yeah, it's not uncommon for those people to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs or resort to self-harm as well. Because trauma is just not something you forget or will away once things in life get 'better' or once you're out of danger. Mental health is a process, not something you just win. Subaru has been through significant trauma. I imagine even if he saved the world, ended up a hero, married Emilia, had children, and got everything in life he ever dreamed, he would still struggle through it all and need that support network of family and friends to help him through. And in his darkest moments, I'm sure Emilia or Beatrice may have to occasionally clean his arms and talk him through the late nights to let him know he's loved and safe.
I agree. Its likely this is a cry for help. Petelguese self harmed and was unable to end his own suffering. Subaru is in a similar boat. He's losing something and can't find a release.
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 will he have could said this is where they siblings relationships and sleeping together started or something like that and this is English many words have more then one meaning this days and that what makes it fun
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 best phrasing would probably be "when she and Subaru started sharing a bed together" or "when she and Subaru started sleeping in the same bed"
You forgot the most basic one of them all for anime only We can see subaru bitting his lip many times during season 1 and 2 to the point of bleeding just because stuff is not going his way
I’ve honestly never realized this, wowie. Perhaps the reason he still does it is out on instinct? Like a sort of bad habit you don’t realize you’re doing, because it comes so naturally from how used to doing it you are
I believe that it is some influence from the Sloth authority. It is something Betelgeuse did, after all. It might show how Subaru is slowly corrupted by his Authorities.
@@user-oq4ff7tg5s I could see that happening, but keep in mind, as shakes mentioned, he’s done it before back in ARC 2, meaning it was before he even knew of the archbishops or the authorities
@@convolutedpeanut9341 We still don't have evidence that he did this on a regular basis. We only see this in Arc 6, in fact, and before this arc we have like 2 isolated incidents that we are easily explainable.
As someone with a form of self-harm that is rather mundane, simply picking at scars and preventing them from properly healing; I can say that you don't necessarily need a "reason" to do it. It's something I have always done and will often do without realising it. Even when people point it out to me and say I need to stop, I do it anyway because it's habitual. Breaking a habit is incredibly difficult, and even if things in Subaru's life might seem to have gotten better that doesn't mean he'll just break a habit that easily. I can only imagine that the more severe forms of self-harm are actually even harder habits to break.
On the rabbits, subaru started smashing his head because the pain caused by rabbits was so bad and it happened just few seconds ago because theres no pause after subaru has died. And smashing his head was the only thing that would help the pain
This is the best story i have read in all my life I think as subaru tries to save more and more things with his low strength he need more and more saving himself , that is why we see him getting saved so many time throughout the story then he proceeds to save other people but even then the result of all his effort still not saving people leaves lasting impact on him. I just want someone to know that he is suffering, a lot of people realise he is suffering but they dont know the exact reason That is why a lot of people loved echidna and wanted subaru to have a contract with him and named her best girl but when he rejected her i just thought that he is so damn strong he just rejected the only person who knows his truth and chose someone who needs him more and the greed if story makes this a lot more sensible . I think he just has so much PTSD ,because he is physically weak and that makes him a lot more susceptible than people like rienhart or julius to PTSD and he harms himself to suppress those memories . In real life people who have PTSD either get medication (which he cannot) or they get therapy (which he cannot because he cannot talk about it ) so i guess exercise to the point of overwork i guess ( one year after arc 4) deflection which he constantly does and self harm are his only options
While Echidna did help Subaru she was emotionally manipulating him and encouraging him use Return By Death as a tool. Greed IF showed us that relying on Echidna would only lead to Subaru become emotionally dead and miserable more or less isolating himself from everyone around him. Growing further and further from the person he truly wants to be. Saving his friends in the physical sense but making them miserable and forcibly dependant on Subaru.
@@zenoblues7787 yes you are correct but a person on the verge of despair generally chooses instant relief even at the cost of future pain Him rejecting echidna showed so much strength of character his character development is the strongest I have ever seen from a shutin to such fortitude …truly remarkable and well written.
@@aakashsinghkharayat5025 I suppose that's what makes Subaru truly remarkable. The thing I like most is that it's a result of his previous character growth. By truly accepting the people he cares about also care about him and that there is something worth caring for about him. Subaru accepts that using Return By Death as a mere tool is not only bad for him but also hurts the people he cares about. He finally moves past his self destructive mindset and becomes a better person for it. I think the best manifestation of this is his absolute refusal to force Beatrice to leave without her own consent. Because he doesn't just want to save Beatrice he also truly cares about her and wants her to move past her own self destructive mindset.
I agree with your reason, as one of the reasons behind his self harm actions are I think due to his hero mindset and the fact that he blames himself whenever something bad/negative occurs. This can be shown by like the example you gave, in arc 7 showing his self-deprecation and self-loathing despite Satella telling Subaru to love himself and care for himself. He probably has more reasons outside of what I said, but this is what I believe of why Subaru self harms sometimes in specific circumstances.
First reading that scene with Beatrice commenting on his bad habit was one of the most hard to stomach moments in Re:Zero and some of the only things in the same ball park are "I Hate Myself," The Tea Party, more of arc 6, the if routes (greed and gluttony in particular), Anything involving Beatrice before "Choose Me" and maybe a few more.
I feel like it all ties together of whether or not he loves himself. I remember seeing a scene from evangelion that correlates with this. Rei states “It’s not about being loved or loving others, it’s about loving yourself” All of his friends serve as people who do just that. Most importantly, the two girls he loves Rem->the one who loves him Emilia->the one he loves. Everyone shows importance, but the most important person he should understand is himself
There are a few reasons to do this in Subaru's case I suspect he is using physical pain to escape mental pain. Him still having nightmares was brought up in arc 5
What makes me really admire about Subaru's character is how insanely crazy he is from the very beginning. Subaru’s mental fortitude is unnatural when he just experienced something brutal from a previous loop and swoops back at the battlefield as if nothing happened. Well let's try to put ourselves in his shoes. If you died, had your heart/soul touched by your 400 year old gf who is some dark entity and then popped back up and everything that happened is gone but you still remember, wouldn’t you be pretty messed up right? Especially if it happened time and time again. You remember the pain. The suffering. And any progress you made with people to become friends was just gone. You say things that you shouldn’t know and they instantly think you’re a stalker or a creep even though you remember these things but they don’t. And while he did manage to save everyone at the end of season 2 and became Emilia's knight; that doesn't make the nightmares go away and it certainly doesn't make the mental and physical side effects disappear either. To elaborate on why Subaru’s self-mutilation to "relieve" pain: Psychological pain is something you generally have little control over without lots of therapy. Self-inflicted physical pain, you do have control over. By self-harming, you can distract from the uncontrolled pain and focus on a pain you do have control over, which can be a lot easier to cope with, he also does it because it allows him to tell if he RBD without knowing it. The very first loop in the mansion messed him up. The one where he died in his sleep. He doesn't want to be caught in situation where he loops in his sleep and is unaware. That shit will do a real number on a teenager’s mental health. Normally this surprised fans that he actually kept it together and recovered mostly. He does and will have PTSD but he’s taking it in stride and trying to make the best of his situation which he’s finally getting some tangible results from his efforts in the way he wants them to be. Subaru built his relationship with the other cast and he even has a personal ranking of his friends and he would use Return By Death if one of them died. How did Subaru not go insane? The simple answer: He doesn't. The more in depth one: He keeps up the farce of not being 'insane' by convincing himself that what he is doing is for a good cause, to "save people". It's stated multiple times throughout the series by Subaru himself that everything he is doing is for "their sake". With the infinite chances of Return by Death he is aware that his desired outcomes will change to his favor if he just works hard enough. Of course he is afraid of death, this goes for granted. But the thing is : with every single death he was slowly getting back to his pre isekai depressed self, because he was constantly reminded of his own shortcommings. And at the episode 18 he finally accepted that, because he couldn't ignore that anymore.
I'm not into self-harm, but I can relate to it. There are two reasons: 1) I suffered of depression and felt dead on the inside. I was continuing the things I did, but i was feeling empty. Even my favourite foods and activities didn't make me feel. Then, I accidentally got surprised by a storm and saw trees breaking around me. There were things flying down that could kill me instantly. It was impossible to keep watch for every threat and there was absolutely no guarantee that I'd make it back home. In an odd way, I felt happy! It wasn't that I was longing for death, but I suddenly felt alive again! All the worries and problems that had been crushing me were absolutely a joke compared to situation I was in right now. Everything felt so intense and I even enjoyed feeling the cold rain on my skin. Again, before something had dimmed down most of my sensations to the point that I was acting like a robot. I was surviving but not living. 2) you said it right: pain can pull you back in and dispell anything distracting you. Moreover, at a certain degree of pain, it triggers the bodies emergency response that kills the pain and makes you feel high. I've noticed this after I fell down some stairs. It allowed me to walk back. But after it faded I couldn't move due to the pain.
Tappei is brilliant, this show makes me think the characters are real because of how well fleshed out they are compared to most mainstream anime characters these days.
He starts sleeping with beatrice and thats at that miment she surely notice his arm. I can see people coming so : no, not sleeping in the way you think, just like cuddling with a baby or a sister.
Probably one of the few places in life where being a coward is good, you are too afraid of hurting yourselves... but then again you are not able to vent pent up stress and mental strain, either way, a mentally unstable person is screwed over.
He does this probably to take his mind off of some of the trauma that has slowly snowballed across his deaths, or it could be due to Rem as well. Honestly Subaru just has the tendency(affinity?,lol) to Self Harm and he is able to naturally derive some solace amd relief from it, however scary or repulsive it may sound to a person who doesnt self harm. [ARC 6 SPOILERS] Louis going insane on witnessing Subaru's memories probably proves that he self harms due to trauma. If an archbishop who has probably seen so many memories and done so many barbaric acts goes insane from seeing a teen's memories, it is quite certain that Subaru must be having a bad time for so long and must be using some method to relieve himself(Self Harm in the main route, Echidna's Tea and 'therapy' in the loop right after getting eaten by the great hare)
Here’s my theory, and it’s similar to the video’s. I believe it’s a way for Subaru to cope with his CPTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder). What makes it different from PTSD is that victims with CPTSD are haunted with several traumatic experiences rather than a specific one. CPTSD is more severe than PTSD, and a common symptom of both is self harm. When the victim is suffering an episode (basically when the traumatic memories suddenly come back and overwhelm them) they use pain to bring them back to reality. It happens commonly during periods of rest and peace.
Arc 4's rabbit death is still reasonable. After dying in sucdh a grotesque way only for everything he felt to come to a sudden and abrupt halt, its understandable his brain shifted to self-defense and started banging itself into the ground in order to relieve itself of those horrible memories. Later, this could've just been engrained into him that this action was therapeutic, and thus continued to do it under stressful circumstances.
I might be mistaken, but Subaru only self harmed in arc 6 because of Louis that was trying to posses his body. Beatrice statement was heavily implied to be a lie since it appeared that she noticed Subaru's unusual behavor . There's also the fact that felix would have obviously noticed and pointed out in arc 5 that subaru self harms but he never really did so, even though crush ' s life "depended" of subaru. And tbh, a lot of other characters from other animes did almost the same things subaru did in arc 2 and 7, really, like kirito from sao, Ban from the tower of god, Ban from nanatsu no taizai, the MC'S of no game no life, etc. So I can't really agree with this specific topic of subaru self harming.
@@gigarmon In One of the last episodes of sao war of underworld, Kirito literally opened a hole in his chest to take his heart out. And I don't know wich Ban you're referring to
Id hate for him to just be fine after walking through hell endless amounts of time. It's sad but it would make sense for parts of him to be broken and never the same, never to be fully whole, a part of him must be stained
Honestly i sort of feel like its just him being stressed out i mean didn't he die over 16 times I doubt he can forget that easily and it's not like he can get therapy since satella would crush his heart plus the stress of suddenly being taken to another world would make him even more stressed out
I would argue that in Arc 2 his stabbing himself on the hand was more about fighting the overwhelming sleepiness from the curse than distracting himself from emotions, since he went through worse on different points without hurting himself, but it only really started after he absorbed Sloth. We see Petelgeuse self harming all the time, he repeatedly smashed his head against the wall the moment Subaru surprises him with a massive curve ball on his plans, he bites his fingers when something really goes out of order. Plus Echidna specifically mentioned that the Sloth factor was breaking his mind, considering that she said this moments after he revived from the Great Rabbit attack and was smashing his head on the ground (sounds familiar?) Maybe its all the Sloth witch factor amplifying a, previously weak and almost insignificant, part of him that wanted to hurt himself making him smash his head on the wall like a crazy person.
The Sloth Witch Factor actually has the opposite effect it encourages stability. Meaning it's forcing his mind to be calm even if it otherwise wouldn't be without it. The self harming may be amplified by the fact Sloth removes any sense of guilt or mental discomfort caused by the act. He harms himself because it makes him feel better if only a little and he doesn't feel bad about because Sloth keeps him stable. That's probably why he has so many cuts once he started he only felt the "positive" effects without "negative" effects it just got easier and easier.
I mean arc 2 was because the guy got tortured to death in the prior loop and the same person was living in the mansion with him , so I don't blame him for that
i hope you dont mind me overanalyzing in your comments, but... (wn spoilers) the exchange between subaru and beatrice happens in arc 6 chapter 48, “murder becomes a habit”, and “habit” seems to be the key-word this chapter. the dialog at the end of the chapter explains what this phrase means; that a person who has solved one problem by murder is tempted to solve any other problem that arises with murder again, even if they dislike it, by the time they start to consider other options, the most important thing has changed, and the habit does not go. maybe its just a translation thing using the word “habit” twice for these two things within the same chapter, but it feels intentional to me. its linking subaru’s suicidal ideation and self-harm with the phrase, just replace murder with one of those. because of the nature of subaru’s return by death, he actually DOES and HAS solved his problems via suicide, by murdering himself. throwing his own life away and harming himself has became his habit. of course the more overt meaning of the phrase applies too, amnesia subaru misunderstands betty’s comment in his paranoia and assumes that “natsuki subaru” murders people regularly. and now, by murdering meili, hes considering murder to as a solution for his problems. especially after reading her book of the dead, since this theme applies just as much to meili herself, who only knew how to solve problems via murder for her whole life. its a force that tempts subaru throughout the entire arc, murder your teammates and acquire their memories to become whole again. and though he overcomes this “gluttonous” urge in the main story, in gluttony:if he actually does it. he really does murder everyone. and what does he plan to do by the end of it, once hes gotten all their memories of him? kill himself.
Rem being eaten by gluttony can be a really valid reason, as (spoiler alert) arc7, Rem still doesnt have memories, and fuck please help me im a Rem fanboy I just want the old Rem back :(
I'm pretty sure Subaru self harms to ground himself in reality. Self harm is usually a twisted coping mechanism more than self-punishment. There are a couple of exceptions in the story like when he bashes his head into the wall after Rem's "you're not a hero" moment.
It’s actually not self harm in my opinion, more like he was so stressed out and witnessed so many things that he needs something to calm him down or to distract his mind from all the emotions he is feelings. And that thing that he found out helped him, is probably the feeling of pain, since it just overwhelm everything else he is feeling and distract him from all the stressful things he has to think/worry about.
I think subaru sometimes recurr to self harm not because thats a habit but a predisposition. for example when a person is enraged of suffer a lot there are instances where he/she punchs of kicks object in order to distract oneself from the trouble temporarily. its a normal reaction to highly stressing moments. and we know subaru had this stressing moments. now, this is also foreshadowing from the author, i think, about the self harm occasionally showing up when there werent a reason for it, from the moment subaru picked up the authority of sloth onward (mimicking Geuse need to self harm since he felt he need to smash something as an unresistable urges). this particularly happens when subaru mind is weakened enough. it can also be a sign that geuse is actually really just barely alive inside him as stated by Sirius in arc5. it could be then a subversion of the audience expectations, where you thought that Sirius obviously lied with malicious intent when in reality she was simply telling the thruth, preparing the trouble that later will happen.
In the scene after the death from the rabbits, IIRC the novel stated that his very SOUL could not comprehend that death. Why he was conscious throughout it all. Thus his screams of one question, "Why?" I figure that one scene wasn't indicative of his other self harm. I believe it was how it was stated. Echidna also made mention that his distress was so great that his soul would have torn apart had it not been for the sloth witch factor.
From being friends with someone who self harms from what They tell me Is that they want to feel something So They ether self harm drink alcohol or other things just to get that sensation the warm feeling it’s kind a hard to describe
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 therapy and prescribed drugs, finding ways to vent, hobbies it’s probably just the easiest answer though a lot of people don’t like feeling weak and I can understand the feeling of being afraid to talk about problems with others because there’s always that chance that you open yourself up to be rejected and that could just leave you in a worse place so a lot of these people do this stuff because they’re afraid and because it’s the easy way out I don’t think it’s right but it’s understandable
For me it already did. But i finish the web novel today sooi....... now have to wait....... days..... week...... months..... years just so i can read many chapiters in one go
I think Louis said in the LN (arc 6) that deep down subaru still misses his parents and feels regret. I am not able to confirm this right now, but I am sure it might be the reason.
Regrets are reason for self harm? I don't think that's the reason. Self harming is usually a result of a desperate need to distract oneself from cruel memories. It's a twisted coping mechanism. And Subaru has had plenty of agonizing loops filled with trauma that he would be more than happy to avoid revisting.
It's more settle in the anime, I recently rewatched the show, and he tends to bite his lip in an extreme fashion that i bleeds out. It happened in the first opening of season 2, and twice in the first season, so it shows as a habit of him to self-harm
Didn't read the novel. But i thought that, when in one episode of s2 he bite his lips intentionally when he's angry due not get help from Crusch Karsten.
Dude what "Issue" just imagine you actually have to live through the hell that Subaru has to live through. Self harm to this extent is izi price to pay for staying sane otherwise.
@@grandbatenkaitos6922 Ha?! What's with the attitude? If it wasn't cause of the book I would never let a bunch of clowns have the great opportunity to stand beside me. You know I'm very generous to let such thing happen, and you and your siblings must be thankful and learn from your senpai.
Arc 7 chapter 20 kept using words like rem’s words were stabbing him and things like that. I didn’t pay too much attention to it but after watching this video then reading it I think ur onto something. Seriously reread the charter with this in mind.
Even if this isn't normal in the realm of escapist behavior, just goes to show how insane the mental burden he is enduring, even after all the "successes" he has had, and how things are basically looking up the most they ever had, from the start he was enduring pains that nearly no human could properly do so
Being overwhelmed by intense emotions and then proceeding to injure himself to cope with them sounds a lot like sensory overload, usually a symptom of something like A.D.D. or autism. Interesting theory bait.
Mm yes, a psychopath. Maybe its from the sloth factor? Cause Petelgeuse used to smash his head and bite his fingers. Well the fingers were for a different reason but maybe, just maybe.
Well isn’t it explained that Subaru was banging his head on the floor in arc 4 because that pain felt better than the lingering pain of having been eaten alive by the great rabbit?
@@Jakez123 well haven’t read the LN myself personally but I watched a cut content from AniNews and he explained why Subaru was banging his head on the floor
@@TheAwsomeManny I would have to re-read the LN, but from my perspective when I covered cut content and made my own videos, and then watched aninews versions, not sure how he did it but what would take me 5 minutes to summarise he would somehow get 20 minutes of content, half the time it felt more like he was inserting his own opinion rather than just talk about the cut content so I can’t comment on the head smashing until I re check the LN
Hmm... If I'm not mistaken, in the arc 6 of web novel, the fresh scratches on his arms were made by Meili, or at least it was implied to be so. Beatrice might have been covering for him.
In his arm was „Subaru was here“ (or something like this) written as scratches. In Japanese. Please explain me why Meili knows Japanese and why she would write that on someone else’s arm while being choked to death?
You see Subaru performing so many acts of heroism and saving as many people as he can.
But the person in most need of saving, in this story, is probably just him.
Ironicly his ability alowed him to do just that 😂
"He could save everyone from death but himself"
That's why it was so impactful when "satella" said she will save *him*
That's why I consider Return by death as a curse and not a power/ability.
@@ashishkkrishna my 2cents are that rbd was given to him by satela to "save" him.i was in tears in s2 when she told him him to love himself....and i think that she wants him to learn to "love" himself while going thru the matters that affected him the most.the curse thingy is from the witch of envy part and thats propably why his "save points" get updated when something including emilia goes the "right way"...i guess we ll see
People that self harm don’t necessarily need a reason to keep doing it. It becomes therapeutic and cathartic for them. If they refuse to acknowledge how destructive it is and seek better coping mechanisms and outlets that they enjoy then they will likely continue to do it. Subaru really isn’t in the best situation to overcome a tendency self harm, so if it’s something he does to cope, ground himself, and/or focus then he’s unlikely to get over it over the course of this story.
Self harm becomes a habit 😳
“overcome a tendency [to] self harm,” is what I meant to say. Just now catching this mistake and it bothers me. I know edited comments are often viewed negatively so here’s my correction.
Source: trust me bro.
Honestly considering how often he's had to die or outright kill himself as part of his ability, it doesn't surprise me he'd start taking to self-harm. How many times can one feel those painful sensations that come with extreme injury and death before they start feeling familiar? How many times can one relive the PTSD of all the nightmarish horror he's been through before they need something, anything to ground them in reality? And how many times can one choose to engage with it all until the pain is not only routine but comfortable, even reassuring? After all, if you can feel pain-- then you're still alive.
@@arthurramirez5665 Source: Literally any peer reviewed studies on the psychology of self harm
I study psychology and self harm, of any kind, is usually related to an unhealthy attempt to relieve oneself from feeling anxious/anguish/depressed, by making the psychological/emotional pain "real" (physical). In other words, most people do it because it helps them to feel in sync with their emotions by giving their bodies some of the unbearable pain they are feeling inside.
Edit: english is not my first languague so I may have expressed myself incorrectly in some way, or not precise enough
Do they feel better after injuring themselves?
@@Tripepdipep more than "feeling good" they feel less bad, so yeah, better kinda, but at the expense of damaging your body and sometimes people feel guilty about doing it
@@Tripepdipep No...speaking from experience...tho it make you change the focus of what are you thinking.
@@Tripepdipep No, but it can be a distraction if the emotions/thoughts you were feeling were too painful to continue with.
My theory for this has always been that he does it to remind himself that he is still alive.
Is normal for us to see him doing it during those 3 examples because it was at important moments of the story, but what's more interesting is that he also cut himself throughout the course of a year in which nothing happened (between arc 4 and 5)
Because no one else knows of this besides Beatrice (she is the one who always heals these self-wounds), I'm guessing he does this when he is alone; maybe in a dark room, in total silence, where no one can see him or hear him (even us the readers). This might remind him of the darkness he sees when he is in the middle of going back in time. And so what does he do to remind himself that he is still alive? the common answer would be to just get out of the room.
But at what moment does Subaru feels the most alive? probably when he is about to die, because he can feel the severe pain throughout his body, until suddenly all becomes dark. Is not logical and it doesn't make sense, but that's how deep rooted Subaru's trauma is.
A nice parallel to this would be Elsa. Why does she kill people? Well, that's her job. But why does she specifically slits the belly open? Because it reminds her of the first time she did, when she felt the bowels and blood all over her, blowing away all of the cold from her body.
Of course this is nothing more but my own personal theory. I hope we eventually get an answer in the future.
My mind went to how he realized he RBDed in arc 2 when the cuts on his hands were gone
I really like this theory. Wonder if tappeis gonna go more into this any time soon. Seems unlikely but we’ll just have to see
Bro literally hit us with that "It's just a theory, a GAME theory"
Very good theory. I also believe it’s a way for him to cope with his CPTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder). CPTSD is more severe than PTSD, and happens when one suffers several traumatic events and not just one. A common symptom of both is self harm. When the victim is suffering an episode (basically when the memories suddenly come back and overwhelm them) they use pain to bring them back to reality. It happens commonly during periods of rest and peace.
I am surprised you didn't mention in season 1 (after fighting with Emilia)Subaru bit his lip and made it bleed whenever he was upset. He started bleeding while arguing with Crusch and she told Felis to heal his lip but Subaru refused and left.
I didn't notice that
lol yeah I commented something similar, even in the opening of season 2 you can see him doing this.
I think we can disregard what he did after the rabbits killed him
At that point subaru wasn't exactly sane, the only reason he started smashing his head was because the sensation of it made him forget about what happened for a moment
And remember that before starting to smash his head he was touch himself
When people feel extreme fear and anxiety they tend to hug themselves because the sensation of touch feels good at the moment and helps reducing fear
i think that at that moment the witch gene of sloth was driving him crazy since his mind was near broken, reason as to why echidna gave him the special tea
@@doublehit9165 no it was because 2 seconds ago he was feeling te worst pain imaginable and suddenly it’s gone? Nah he was remembering the indescribable agony tht he just felt yet thts why he acted tht way.
@@seniorsterling1064 i think he used self harm to distract himself from the emotions n pain of getting eaten by the rabbits. I selfharm when I am overwhelmed because it refocuses my attention on something i can control and makes me feel like im not powerless anymore. So that's how I see it from my point of view
@@marka112
When being overwhelmed with emotions i just tend to grab something really hard or hold my hands
If you noticed whenever subaru is in a lot of mental stress he bangs his head. He did it in ep 15, after the rabbits, when he was tied up in the sanctuary and in arc 7.
My insight on Subarus self harm is that it is ptsd from all those deaths a normal human shouldn’t process dying that many times especially in gruesome ways like being eaten alive inside and out from rabbits even though he resets he still remembers the suffering so he self harms in order to give his mind something to focus on
Yeah, to clear his mind from what he just experienced, in a way.
1:Sliced by Elsa.
2.Sliced by Elsa.
3.Stabbed by thug.
Arc 2:
4.Cursed.
5.Maced by Rem.
6.Wind bladed by Ram.
7.Suicided by jumping off the cliff.
Arc 3:
8.Froze by Puck's magic.
9.Froze by Puck.
10.Froze by Puck.
11.Forced suicide - After possessing on to Subaru, Betelgeuse forced Subaru to take Wilhelm's sword and stab his throat. (In LN this death is skipped, the event of 11 and 12 is combined and rearranged)
12.After Betelgeuse possessing Subaru, Felis killed him with magic.
13.Suicided by stabbing a knife to his throat after knowing what happened to Rem.
Arc 4
14.Sliced by Elsa.
15.Eaten by Big Rabbits.
16.Eaten by Big Rabbits.
17.Suicided by stabbing a knife to his throat.
18.Eaten by Big Rabbits.
Arc 5
19.Affected by Wrath’s authority. When the boy fell from the tower and crashed to the ground, everyone including Subaru died in the same way.
20.Affected by Wrath’s authority. Subaru’s emotion was chained with the boy’s. Due to Sirius’s speech, the fear among the two was amplified and shared infinitely until Subaru became mad to death.
21.Affected by Wrath’s authority. When Reinhard chopped Sirius in half, all the people including Subaru died in the same way.
Arc 6
22.Headshot by Shaula’s needle
23.Shot by Shaula’s needle
24.Burnt by Gabaou
25.Eaten by Petrasche and a 25 more brutal deaths . No wonder he self harm he can’t talk to people about his death, he has had some of the most painful death imaginable, he has seen his friends loved ones get killed in front of him and tortured , he fails and fails to save them until he dies a few times and in arc 6 he dies over 20 times, he can’t tell anyone exactly what will happened because Satella will kill them ,even if Rem didn’t get eaten He would still do this . Even in wrath if Subaru harms himself when he was a panic attack .
Holy shit arc 6 seems insane (I am an anime only)
@@tomaliothetomato439 arc 6 is nightmare
@@tomaliothetomato439 If the great rabbit is the most brutal death to date, arc 6 has the most emotionally horrifying one.
so excited to see Arc 5 animated
Then he does like 5 times in 30 minutes in arc 7 at one point lol
You understand that you read too much Re:Zero when the words "Tax Authority" make you shudder.
Perhaps he was suicidal before being isekaied but only to the point where he was purposely putting himself in danger by not avoiding death, by doing things like _closing his eyes while crossing the street at night to not see any possible oncoming traffic_
thats actually.... man, it makes sense, also[spoilers for arc 6 and 5]
the frist thing that amnesiac subaru, who hasn't ever been on a dangerous situation or been beaten in any way shape or form, does after seeing his "ugly and grotesque" black hand is to scratch it until it bleds, and only stops after emilia (or beatrice) asked him to, after which he tells them (or at least thinks, i don't remember very well) that he only did it beacouse he was curios and that he wouldn't want to harm the body that his parents gave him..... So in conclusion, Subaru was pretty fucked up even before Isekaization.
I wouldn't be surprised if he still is, even when permanent death isn't an option.
@@eyebrowdimension After season 2 of the anime or Arc 4 of the wn, I don't think that is the case anymore. No spoilers, but I think he moves past that during season 2 / Arc 4...
Subaru is indeed a hero on his own, he's willing to return by death if that 1 person he cares about dies, and also be willing to fix whatever time loop he's in, its also sad that no one knows about this as well they think that "subaru is a hero who did all those things" (beating the rabbits, whale and gluttony) but in reality Subaru has gone through A LOT and many pains, not that anyone knows of course
so Subaru is that 1 person who needs the most saving, he's gone through a lot just to save others over and over
but in the end no one even knows about it, and he can't even tell anyone either
As someone who struggles with self harm, for me it's a coping mechanism that I go to habitually to distract myself from my depression and stress. I also notice that it relaxes me and helps me calm down, similar to what Subaru was doing when he was cursed and staying awake. I think that the way it is integrated into the story as a subtle detail is fantastic writing and makes Subaru a much more realistic and relatable character, at least to me.
Hope you have been doing better in the year since this comment. Ive struggled with it in the past. Its a really damaging habit, but unfortunately there isnt any clear or easy path to getting better. Nobody deserves to feel so bad that they self harm. Hope you are doing better, and if not, hope you get better.
While this a difficult subject matter it’s why Re:Zero is such a compelling story.
This isn’t brought up in many anime or manga unless it specifically geared towards it.
Having these moments makes the character more three-dimensional and even might give others a reason to discuss this.
I think the point being made about his self-harm is that mental illness can't just be willed away. It also doesn't necessarily get better just because your material condition improves. For most people, mental illness is something they have to battle their entire lives. That's not to say it can't or doesn't get better for some, but it's not guaranteed. I think in a way it shows Subaru's more human and vulnerable side that even we the audience don't always get a good look into. Just my thoughts.
This is I think exactly the case with Subaru. Sure, maybe his life and circumstances improve after arc 4, but that doesn't change the absolute nightmare he went through within the span of several months leading up to that. He went through a worse sort of hell than soldiers in an active and brutal war zone experience. Many of those men are trained before going, then come home to loving families, good jobs, supportive networks of people-- and a lifetime's worth of depression, anxiety, and PTSD. And yeah, it's not uncommon for those people to self-medicate with alcohol or drugs or resort to self-harm as well. Because trauma is just not something you forget or will away once things in life get 'better' or once you're out of danger. Mental health is a process, not something you just win.
Subaru has been through significant trauma. I imagine even if he saved the world, ended up a hero, married Emilia, had children, and got everything in life he ever dreamed, he would still struggle through it all and need that support network of family and friends to help him through. And in his darkest moments, I'm sure Emilia or Beatrice may have to occasionally clean his arms and talk him through the late nights to let him know he's loved and safe.
I agree.
Its likely this is a cry for help. Petelguese self harmed and was unable to end his own suffering. Subaru is in a similar boat.
He's losing something and can't find a release.
@@iamm3667 oh no
The anime turned emo.
Jakex123:when Beatrice and Subaru would start sleeping together
Archer: haha phrasing
Well technically they are. How could he have phrased it better/different?
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 will he have could said this is where they siblings relationships and sleeping together started or something like that and this is English many words have more then one meaning this days and that what makes it fun
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 best phrasing would probably be "when she and Subaru started sharing a bed together" or "when she and Subaru started sleeping in the same bed"
@@crveno thanks for the help😁
@@crveno yeah. I think that works without a third person misunderstanding it.
Jakez is literally keeping re:zero alive
He’s holding and protecting us. Like a caring father
Is Jakez our dad? | Re: Zero Theory
Of course he is literally your father
@@amrezzat7706 and your father
*our father*
You forgot the most basic one of them all for anime only
We can see subaru bitting his lip many times during season 1 and 2 to the point of bleeding just because stuff is not going his way
Ouch 🤕
I’ve honestly never realized this, wowie.
Perhaps the reason he still does it is out on instinct? Like a sort of bad habit you don’t realize you’re doing, because it comes so naturally from how used to doing it you are
I believe that it is some influence from the Sloth authority. It is something Betelgeuse did, after all.
It might show how Subaru is slowly corrupted by his Authorities.
@@user-oq4ff7tg5s I could see that happening, but keep in mind, as shakes mentioned, he’s done it before back in ARC 2, meaning it was before he even knew of the archbishops or the authorities
@@convolutedpeanut9341 We still don't have evidence that he did this on a regular basis. We only see this in Arc 6, in fact, and before this arc we have like 2 isolated incidents that we are easily explainable.
@@user-oq4ff7tg5s true, true.
@@user-oq4ff7tg5s hmmm, then yes, I suppose your theory on sloth’s authority corrupting him could be true
As someone with a form of self-harm that is rather mundane, simply picking at scars and preventing them from properly healing; I can say that you don't necessarily need a "reason" to do it. It's something I have always done and will often do without realising it. Even when people point it out to me and say I need to stop, I do it anyway because it's habitual. Breaking a habit is incredibly difficult, and even if things in Subaru's life might seem to have gotten better that doesn't mean he'll just break a habit that easily.
I can only imagine that the more severe forms of self-harm are actually even harder habits to break.
I want to hug him
On the rabbits, subaru started smashing his head because the pain caused by rabbits was so bad and it happened just few seconds ago because theres no pause after subaru has died. And smashing his head was the only thing that would help the pain
And remember they where eating him and his organs from the inside too at the same time
Jakez is the father of all in the re:zero community
Jakez123
We have got a competition.
- Lewis Steward
This is the best story i have read in all my life
I think as subaru tries to save more and more things with his low strength he need more and more saving himself , that is why we see him getting saved so many time throughout the story then he proceeds to save other people but even then the result of all his effort still not saving people leaves lasting impact on him.
I just want someone to know that he is suffering, a lot of people realise he is suffering but they dont know the exact reason
That is why a lot of people loved echidna and wanted subaru to have a contract with him and named her best girl but when he rejected her i just thought that he is so damn strong he just rejected the only person who knows his truth and chose someone who needs him more and the greed if story makes this a lot more sensible .
I think he just has so much PTSD ,because he is physically weak and that makes him a lot more susceptible than people like rienhart or julius to PTSD and he harms himself to suppress those memories .
In real life people who have PTSD either get medication (which he cannot) or they get therapy (which he cannot because he cannot talk about it ) so i guess exercise to the point of overwork i guess ( one year after arc 4) deflection which he constantly does and self harm are his only options
While Echidna did help Subaru she was emotionally manipulating him and encouraging him use Return By Death as a tool. Greed IF showed us that relying on Echidna would only lead to Subaru become emotionally dead and miserable more or less isolating himself from everyone around him. Growing further and further from the person he truly wants to be. Saving his friends in the physical sense but making them miserable and forcibly dependant on Subaru.
@@zenoblues7787 yes you are correct but a person on the verge of despair generally chooses instant relief even at the cost of future pain
Him rejecting echidna showed so much strength of character his character development is the strongest I have ever seen from a shutin to such fortitude …truly remarkable and well written.
@@aakashsinghkharayat5025 I suppose that's what makes Subaru truly remarkable. The thing I like most is that it's a result of his previous character growth. By truly accepting the people he cares about also care about him and that there is something worth caring for about him. Subaru accepts that using Return By Death as a mere tool is not only bad for him but also hurts the people he cares about. He finally moves past his self destructive mindset and becomes a better person for it. I think the best manifestation of this is his absolute refusal to force Beatrice to leave without her own consent. Because he doesn't just want to save Beatrice he also truly cares about her and wants her to move past her own self destructive mindset.
I agree with your reason, as one of the reasons behind his self harm actions are I think due to his hero mindset and the fact that he blames himself whenever something bad/negative occurs. This can be shown by like the example you gave, in arc 7 showing his self-deprecation and self-loathing despite Satella telling Subaru to love himself and care for himself. He probably has more reasons outside of what I said, but this is what I believe of why Subaru self harms sometimes in specific circumstances.
First reading that scene with Beatrice commenting on his bad habit was one of the most hard to stomach moments in Re:Zero and some of the only things in the same ball park are "I Hate Myself," The Tea Party, more of arc 6, the if routes (greed and gluttony in particular), Anything involving Beatrice before "Choose Me" and maybe a few more.
I feel like it all ties together of whether or not he loves himself. I remember seeing a scene from evangelion that correlates with this. Rei states
“It’s not about being loved or loving others, it’s about loving yourself”
All of his friends serve as people who do just that. Most importantly, the two girls he loves
Rem->the one who loves him
Emilia->the one he loves.
Everyone shows importance, but the most important person he should understand is himself
There are a few reasons to do this in Subaru's case I suspect he is using physical pain to escape mental pain. Him still having nightmares was brought up in arc 5
Can u start the rezzero novel series right after where the anime ended? Would love that
I'd say so, just look up the cut content from the anime, like Jakez' video, and then just read
You can see the studios reverrie videos for season 3 rezero
yeah same here, i kinda wonder what happened in arc 5, and early arc 6, i had to piece it together from context clues in other videos
@@kyokajiro1808 yea exactly, I know bits and bobs here and there but a summary of all those chapters would be great
It Will started from arc 5 because the end of anime season 2 is arc 4 or if you curious about LN you can read from volume 15 of rezero
What makes me really admire about Subaru's character is how insanely crazy he is from the very beginning. Subaru’s mental fortitude is unnatural when he just experienced something brutal from a previous loop and swoops back at the battlefield as if nothing happened. Well let's try to put ourselves in his shoes. If you died, had your heart/soul touched by your 400 year old gf who is some dark entity and then popped back up and everything that happened is gone but you still remember, wouldn’t you be pretty messed up right? Especially if it happened time and time again. You remember the pain. The suffering. And any progress you made with people to become friends was just gone. You say things that you shouldn’t know and they instantly think you’re a stalker or a creep even though you remember these things but they don’t. And while he did manage to save everyone at the end of season 2 and became Emilia's knight; that doesn't make the nightmares go away and it certainly doesn't make the mental and physical side effects disappear either.
To elaborate on why Subaru’s self-mutilation to "relieve" pain: Psychological pain is something you generally have little control over without lots of therapy. Self-inflicted physical pain, you do have control over. By self-harming, you can distract from the uncontrolled pain and focus on a pain you do have control over, which can be a lot easier to cope with, he also does it because it allows him to tell if he RBD without knowing it. The very first loop in the mansion messed him up. The one where he died in his sleep. He doesn't want to be caught in situation where he loops in his sleep and is unaware. That shit will do a real number on a teenager’s mental health.
Normally this surprised fans that he actually kept it together and recovered mostly. He does and will have PTSD but he’s taking it in stride and trying to make the best of his situation which he’s finally getting some tangible results from his efforts in the way he wants them to be. Subaru built his relationship with the other cast and he even has a personal ranking of his friends and he would use Return By Death if one of them died. How did Subaru not go insane? The simple answer: He doesn't. The more in depth one: He keeps up the farce of not being 'insane' by convincing himself that what he is doing is for a good cause, to "save people". It's stated multiple times throughout the series by Subaru himself that everything he is doing is for "their sake". With the infinite chances of Return by Death he is aware that his desired outcomes will change to his favor if he just works hard enough. Of course he is afraid of death, this goes for granted. But the thing is : with every single death he was slowly getting back to his pre isekai depressed self, because he was constantly reminded of his own shortcommings. And at the episode 18 he finally accepted that, because he couldn't ignore that anymore.
I'm not into self-harm, but I can relate to it. There are two reasons:
1) I suffered of depression and felt dead on the inside. I was continuing the things I did, but i was feeling empty. Even my favourite foods and activities didn't make me feel. Then, I accidentally got surprised by a storm and saw trees breaking around me. There were things flying down that could kill me instantly. It was impossible to keep watch for every threat and there was absolutely no guarantee that I'd make it back home. In an odd way, I felt happy! It wasn't that I was longing for death, but I suddenly felt alive again! All the worries and problems that had been crushing me were absolutely a joke compared to situation I was in right now. Everything felt so intense and I even enjoyed feeling the cold rain on my skin. Again, before something had dimmed down most of my sensations to the point that I was acting like a robot. I was surviving but not living.
2) you said it right: pain can pull you back in and dispell anything distracting you. Moreover, at a certain degree of pain, it triggers the bodies emergency response that kills the pain and makes you feel high. I've noticed this after I fell down some stairs. It allowed me to walk back. But after it faded I couldn't move due to the pain.
So that's why he always wears the track suit to cover the sleeves
when he wakes up he is also happy to see new scars as proof he didn't die and reset
Well that was pretty dark, it could also be a coping mechanism to filter all the trauma that he has lived
Let’s pray for our boy baru he fighting demons he can’t talk about
Tappei is brilliant, this show makes me think the characters are real because of how well fleshed out they are compared to most mainstream anime characters these days.
He starts sleeping with beatrice and thats at that miment she surely notice his arm.
I can see people coming so : no, not sleeping in the way you think, just like cuddling with a baby or a sister.
Probably one of the few places in life where being a coward is good, you are too afraid of hurting yourselves... but then again you are not able to vent pent up stress and mental strain, either way, a mentally unstable person is screwed over.
He does this probably to take his mind off of some of the trauma that has slowly snowballed across his deaths, or it could be due to Rem as well. Honestly Subaru just has the tendency(affinity?,lol) to Self Harm and he is able to naturally derive some solace amd relief from it, however scary or repulsive it may sound to a person who doesnt self harm.
[ARC 6 SPOILERS]
Louis going insane on witnessing Subaru's memories probably proves that he self harms due to trauma. If an archbishop who has probably seen so many memories and done so many barbaric acts goes insane from seeing a teen's memories, it is quite certain that Subaru must be having a bad time for so long and must be using some method to relieve himself(Self Harm in the main route, Echidna's Tea and 'therapy' in the loop right after getting eaten by the great hare)
It probably because of anxiety, self harm sometimes works like a destruction from anxiety
I always just figured it was because he is stressed a lot... plus its not necessarily an easy habit to break
Stressed out...a cute way to put it
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 ah yeah LMAO
Here’s my theory, and it’s similar to the video’s. I believe it’s a way for Subaru to cope with his CPTSD (Complex post-traumatic stress disorder). What makes it different from PTSD is that victims with CPTSD are haunted with several traumatic experiences rather than a specific one. CPTSD is more severe than PTSD, and a common symptom of both is self harm. When the victim is suffering an episode (basically when the traumatic memories suddenly come back and overwhelm them) they use pain to bring them back to reality. It happens commonly during periods of rest and peace.
I should've known this sooner
Yeah. You could’ve used that against him in arc 5 to distract him and finish him off
Subaru needs real fucking help
I want to hug him
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 Believe me, we all do.
Arc 4's rabbit death is still reasonable. After dying in sucdh a grotesque way only for everything he felt to come to a sudden and abrupt halt, its understandable his brain shifted to self-defense and started banging itself into the ground in order to relieve itself of those horrible memories. Later, this could've just been engrained into him that this action was therapeutic, and thus continued to do it under stressful circumstances.
It might be a way of punishing himself for the other timelines he failed to save himself
I might be mistaken, but Subaru only self harmed in arc 6 because of Louis that was trying to posses his body. Beatrice statement was heavily implied to be a lie since it appeared that she noticed Subaru's unusual behavor . There's also the fact that felix would have obviously noticed and pointed out in arc 5 that subaru self harms but he never really did so, even though crush ' s life "depended" of subaru.
And tbh, a lot of other characters from other animes did almost the same things subaru did in arc 2 and 7, really, like kirito from sao, Ban from the tower of god, Ban from nanatsu no taizai, the MC'S of no game no life, etc. So I can't really agree with this specific topic of subaru self harming.
i dont remember kirito or bam self harming 🤔
@@gigarmon In One of the last episodes of sao war of underworld, Kirito literally opened a hole in his chest to take his heart out.
And I don't know wich Ban you're referring to
@@natsukisubaru2604 ah
right i literally forgot that part
I agree, it does seem like something which most people would do in his position and its something rather normal
@@bilaldemir8712 something normal is running away from there
The thing in Arc 2 is normal, I’d do it to stay awake in class at school with my pencil and I know a bunch of other people who also did to stay awake
Id hate for him to just be fine after walking through hell endless amounts of time. It's sad but it would make sense for parts of him to be broken and never the same, never to be fully whole, a part of him must be stained
If he was totally okay he'd just be the same as an Archbishop
this has made me look at the show with a different perspective. i have rewatched this show 3 times
Honestly i sort of feel like its just him being stressed out i mean didn't he die over 16 times I doubt he can forget that easily and it's not like he can get therapy since satella would crush his heart plus the stress of suddenly being taken to another world would make him even more stressed out
Satella: I want you to love yourself
Subaru: noooooooo
I would argue that in Arc 2 his stabbing himself on the hand was more about fighting the overwhelming sleepiness from the curse than distracting himself from emotions, since he went through worse on different points without hurting himself, but it only really started after he absorbed Sloth.
We see Petelgeuse self harming all the time, he repeatedly smashed his head against the wall the moment Subaru surprises him with a massive curve ball on his plans, he bites his fingers when something really goes out of order.
Plus Echidna specifically mentioned that the Sloth factor was breaking his mind, considering that she said this moments after he revived from the Great Rabbit attack and was smashing his head on the ground (sounds familiar?)
Maybe its all the Sloth witch factor amplifying a, previously weak and almost insignificant, part of him that wanted to hurt himself making him smash his head on the wall like a crazy person.
The Sloth Witch Factor actually has the opposite effect it encourages stability. Meaning it's forcing his mind to be calm even if it otherwise wouldn't be without it. The self harming may be amplified by the fact Sloth removes any sense of guilt or mental discomfort caused by the act. He harms himself because it makes him feel better if only a little and he doesn't feel bad about because Sloth keeps him stable. That's probably why he has so many cuts once he started he only felt the "positive" effects without "negative" effects it just got easier and easier.
Maybe it’s because he know he will continue to die until his journey is over. And that scares him.
At least its really heartwarming how much Beatrice cares about him now, best girl, I suppose.
I mean arc 2 was because the guy got tortured to death in the prior loop and the same person was living in the mansion with him , so I don't blame him for that
I'm surprised he hasn't developed masochism in order to cope with the shit that will most likely happen to him.
i hope you dont mind me overanalyzing in your comments, but... (wn spoilers)
the exchange between subaru and beatrice happens in arc 6 chapter 48, “murder becomes a habit”, and “habit” seems to be the key-word this chapter. the dialog at the end of the chapter explains what this phrase means; that a person who has solved one problem by murder is tempted to solve any other problem that arises with murder again, even if they dislike it, by the time they start to consider other options, the most important thing has changed, and the habit does not go.
maybe its just a translation thing using the word “habit” twice for these two things within the same chapter, but it feels intentional to me. its linking subaru’s suicidal ideation and self-harm with the phrase, just replace murder with one of those. because of the nature of subaru’s return by death, he actually DOES and HAS solved his problems via suicide, by murdering himself. throwing his own life away and harming himself has became his habit.
of course the more overt meaning of the phrase applies too, amnesia subaru misunderstands betty’s comment in his paranoia and assumes that “natsuki subaru” murders people regularly. and now, by murdering meili, hes considering murder to as a solution for his problems. especially after reading her book of the dead, since this theme applies just as much to meili herself, who only knew how to solve problems via murder for her whole life. its a force that tempts subaru throughout the entire arc, murder your teammates and acquire their memories to become whole again.
and though he overcomes this “gluttonous” urge in the main story, in gluttony:if he actually does it. he really does murder everyone. and what does he plan to do by the end of it, once hes gotten all their memories of him? kill himself.
Rem being eaten by gluttony can be a really valid reason, as (spoiler alert) arc7, Rem still doesnt have memories, and fuck please help me im a Rem fanboy I just want the old Rem back :(
I'm pretty sure Subaru self harms to ground himself in reality. Self harm is usually a twisted coping mechanism more than self-punishment.
There are a couple of exceptions in the story like when he bashes his head into the wall after Rem's "you're not a hero" moment.
Ptsd, maybe punishing himself for failing to save everyone in past loops, honestly a lot of reasons i can think of
It’s actually not self harm in my opinion, more like he was so stressed out and witnessed so many things that he needs something to calm him down or to distract his mind from all the emotions he is feelings. And that thing that he found out helped him, is probably the feeling of pain, since it just overwhelm everything else he is feeling and distract him from all the stressful things he has to think/worry about.
Its still self harm
He self-harmed during the one year time skip so it's not just in stressful situations.
I think subaru sometimes recurr to self harm not because thats a habit but a predisposition. for example when a person is enraged of suffer a lot there are instances where he/she punchs of kicks object in order to distract oneself from the trouble temporarily. its a normal reaction to highly stressing moments. and we know subaru had this stressing moments. now, this is also foreshadowing from the author, i think, about the self harm occasionally showing up when there werent a reason for it, from the moment subaru picked up the authority of sloth onward (mimicking Geuse need to self harm since he felt he need to smash something as an unresistable urges). this particularly happens when subaru mind is weakened enough. it can also be a sign that geuse is actually really just barely alive inside him as stated by Sirius in arc5. it could be then a subversion of the audience expectations, where you thought that Sirius obviously lied with malicious intent when in reality she was simply telling the thruth, preparing the trouble that later will happen.
In the scene after the death from the rabbits, IIRC the novel stated that his very SOUL could not comprehend that death. Why he was conscious throughout it all. Thus his screams of one question, "Why?" I figure that one scene wasn't indicative of his other self harm. I believe it was how it was stated. Echidna also made mention that his distress was so great that his soul would have torn apart had it not been for the sloth witch factor.
Well you already spoiled Subarus cross dressing hobby to the anime onlys
Also Subarus self harm reminds me of Betelguese
he just does it to cope. he's been through more trauma than practically anyone ever by arc 4. if anything, it's a surprise it's this little.
From being friends with someone who self harms from what They tell me
Is that they want to feel something
So
They ether self harm drink alcohol or other things just to get that sensation the warm feeling it’s kind a hard to describe
Destroying your body from the outside (self harm) or destroying your body from the inside (drinking alcohol). Is there third option? A better option?
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 therapy and prescribed drugs, finding ways to vent, hobbies
it’s probably just the easiest answer though a lot of people don’t like feeling weak and I can understand the feeling of being afraid to talk about problems with others because there’s always that chance that you open yourself up to be rejected and that could just leave you in a worse place so a lot of these people do this stuff because they’re afraid and because it’s the easy way out I don’t think it’s right but it’s understandable
@@mattblaster2378 can you help him?
I believe it's likely he does it after returning by death to calm himself. I don't think Subaru would do it for any other reason.
I have a huge feeling arc 7 will surpass arc 6, even though it seems impossible, I think we are gonna lose our minds with some plot twists...
For me it already did. But i finish the web novel today sooi....... now have to wait....... days..... week...... months..... years just so i can read many chapiters in one go
I think Louis said in the LN (arc 6) that deep down subaru still misses his parents and feels regret. I am not able to confirm this right now, but I am sure it might be the reason.
Regrets are reason for self harm? I don't think that's the reason. Self harming is usually a result of a desperate need to distract oneself from cruel memories. It's a twisted coping mechanism. And Subaru has had plenty of agonizing loops filled with trauma that he would be more than happy to avoid revisting.
Very expressive and emotional anime
It's more settle in the anime, I recently rewatched the show, and he tends to bite his lip in an extreme fashion that i bleeds out. It happened in the first opening of season 2, and twice in the first season, so it shows as a habit of him to self-harm
Didn't read the novel. But i thought that, when in one episode of s2 he bite his lips intentionally when he's angry due not get help from Crusch Karsten.
Oh yea thats definitely another example I forgot, then crusch tells felix to heal subaru's lip and he declines.
Subaru : I am going to save you I swear
Jake is literally my father❗️❗️❗️
OUR father
Dude what "Issue" just imagine you actually have to live through the hell that Subaru has to live through. Self harm to this extent is izi price to pay for staying sane otherwise.
It could be an attempt to forget his deaths and problems from the other loops as well.
How big is the Re:Zero world compared to Earth? Is it smaller or larger by it's surface area?
I thought they were scars from scratching, i.e. with his fingernails. not necessarily cutting with blades
I love the scene when Subaru kissed Emilia I crying 😭
Maybe they are tallies and hes keeping track this way of all his deaths?
Everyone: Dayum. Subaru has some kind of genius
Subaru: Why am I still here? Just to suffer?
Jake raised me from a newborn
"Look at this dude"
@@reguluscorneas6669 What are you doing here bishop corneas? No one asked for your soft face to show up here
@@grandbatenkaitos6922
Oya Oya
Anatawa...
TAIDA DESU NEEEE 😀😀😀😀
@@grandbatenkaitos6922 Ha?!
What's with the attitude?
If it wasn't cause of the book I would never let a bunch of clowns have the great opportunity to stand beside me.
You know I'm very generous to let such thing happen, and you and your siblings must be thankful and learn from your senpai.
Arc 7 chapter 20 kept using words like rem’s words were stabbing him and things like that. I didn’t pay too much attention to it but after watching this video then reading it I think ur onto something. Seriously reread the charter with this in mind.
"..since that's when Beatrice and Subaru would start sleeping together." Ah! That put a big warm smile on my face.
He was also slamming his head against the ground after Rem got all twisted up.
I wonder if this will be a topic later on
From a writing point of view
It wouldn’t really be mentioned to this day for no reason
Even if this isn't normal in the realm of escapist behavior, just goes to show how insane the mental burden he is enduring, even after all the "successes" he has had, and how things are basically looking up the most they ever had, from the start he was enduring pains that nearly no human could properly do so
I’d assume his self harm comes from a need to get an outlet for his intense and almost completely untreated PTSD.
Being overwhelmed by intense emotions and then proceeding to injure himself to cope with them sounds a lot like sensory overload, usually a symptom of something like A.D.D. or autism. Interesting theory bait.
When someone says help a hero arises but who helps the hero
Mm yes, a psychopath. Maybe its from the sloth factor? Cause Petelgeuse used to smash his head and bite his fingers. Well the fingers were for a different reason but maybe, just maybe.
Well isn’t it explained that Subaru was banging his head on the floor in arc 4 because that pain felt better than the lingering pain of having been eaten alive by the great rabbit?
I don’t remember that being mentioned, you sure that’s the case? Need a source
@@Jakez123 well haven’t read the LN myself personally but I watched a cut content from AniNews and he explained why Subaru was banging his head on the floor
@@TheAwsomeManny I would have to re-read the LN, but from my perspective when I covered cut content and made my own videos, and then watched aninews versions, not sure how he did it but what would take me 5 minutes to summarise he would somehow get 20 minutes of content, half the time it felt more like he was inserting his own opinion rather than just talk about the cut content so I can’t comment on the head smashing until I re check the LN
@@Jakez123 although I think it might be LN only where it’s explained
@@TheAwsomeManny yea I checked the LN, Subaru smashes his head since the pain makes him forget the “memory” of being devoured.
I think he self harms because he need to remind himself that he is alive
Hmm... If I'm not mistaken, in the arc 6 of web novel, the fresh scratches on his arms were made by Meili, or at least it was implied to be so. Beatrice might have been covering for him.
In his arm was „Subaru was here“ (or something like this) written as scratches. In Japanese. Please explain me why Meili knows Japanese and why she would write that on someone else’s arm while being choked to death?
@@letsplaysaschagd9331 well, he didn't do it either. Probably Louis messing with him.
It is kind of like petelgeuse how he bites his fingers
Bad habit how many times he die to grow that insanity turn to self injury that cute
Gourmet was in the video let's go B)
3:28 INTERESTING
@jackz123 you should do a another live stream
Didn't expect that... I really forgot about it. I really though you were going to talk about his asphixiation fetish lol
The s*** he goes through it's perfectly understandable but still problematic at same time