I believe you missed the change in Subaru's motivations in the first season. In much of season1 Subaru was motivated by his hero complex like you stated, he saw himself as a hero and wanted to be one and this is why he tried to do things by himself. However, when his selfish hero complex was destroyed by Emilia and his deaths it did not come back. Episode 18 was about despair and hope, he was not trying to save Rem because of his ego, that was already gone, he just didn't want her to die and didn't think he was able to save those at the mansion. In season2 Subaru was not trying to be a hero, he didn't even want to be a hero he was trying to shoulder the pain and burden himself. He did not take the trials because he didn't believe in Emilia, he just didn't want her to suffer. His development with Otto's from zero speech was being willing to share some of the burden with others. His development with Sattela was accepting that others cared about him even if he hated himself. Subaru appeared to be in a good place mentally at the end of season1, however overall he was far worse then had been at the ceremony. His relatively normal, painfully relatable desire to be recognized as hero had changed into a incomprehensible and completely insane willingness to suffer endless amounts of pain alone and unseen needing no recognition or reward beyond his friends survival.
I don’t think I did, I did say in the video that Subaru was humbled a bit after Rem’s from zero speech. Subaru’s main thing in Season 1 was that he was THAT Isekai Protag that can do it all and save the day. At the end of Rem’s speech, instead of Subaru trying to live up to the expectations of being that typical isekai protag. Subaru vows to be the “most awesome hero ever” to Rem, the one and only person at that time who viewed and acknowledged him as a hero. The only thing that really changed is that Subaru starts to understand that he is treating Emilia like an object and that he is too full of himself. Thankfully at the end of Season 2 Subaru and Emilia’s relationship is in a place that I would call healthy, but in regards to Subaru’s perspective of being a hero and saving everyone. Nothing has changed, it’s just been reframed to live up to Rem’s expectations of Subaru being a hero, instead of Subaru’s initial expectations of being a hero himself.
@@Jamillian8 just want to add that Subaru was all for Emilia doing the trials from the beginning.He even gave her a little cheer before her first attempt. It's only after Garfield's suggestion that maybe he should do it instead, and the failed attempts.
@@Lone1Wolf8 Yep. With every death he started to believe less in her, but its not his fault at all. I don't think he even cared much at one point because he was dying so much that Emilia's issues were just not his main focus.
Emilia didn't destroy his hero complex. It was in fact just the world chewing up Subaru and spitting him back out. It's here where he finally graduates from doing everything himself without powers to learning more about his surroundings and the people around him with being witty with the information he's collected. He still has the hero complex because that's his true nature but now it's backed by actual reasons other than a silly fantasy rpg motive backing it
I'm glad some addressed this, what Rem did to Subaru was far from saving him, she just gave him a reason to keep fighting but in reality, this is not what Subaru needs. As you say, most of the high expectations come from people around him starting with Rem and well, they are totally correct to have that much faith in him, it is stated by Tappei that if Subaru isn't summoned to Lugunica, most of the people in that world are screwed so he really needs to save everyone and it keeps getting worse every arc. The problem is that Subaru knows he needs to be the one and only hero, as much as people around him keep teaching him to rely on his friends and be more confident, what actions and facts show him is quite the opposite: if he doesn't move out, all of them are doomed. Yes he can ask for help, and yes he does have people at his side that would give their lives without a doubt for him, but deeply in his mind, he knows they don't have a chance if he doesn't find the correct answer and each time he fails, there is a chance that the universe goes on with that failure so going back doesn't solve anything, we can see that this senses of despair and weakness are still present later on, the only difference is that he covers it up by pretending to agree with his friends but when he's with his thoughts alone, he's still trying to be the perfect protagonist that he needs to be. Spoilers from arcs 6 and 7: We see those self-harming behaviors in arc 6 when Betty says that is common for Subaru to cut his arms and hide them from everyone and then in arc 7 with the whole ''You are not a hero'' moment.
@GreenAnchor So you are completely denying his arm cuts and the whole Bloodless Castle Plan? or those are my headcanon too? First of all, I know nobody else sees Subaru as the savior of the world or something like that, but it doesn't deny the fact that everyone in the Pleiades tower had Natsuki Subaru in so high regard that the fake Subaru thought he had some hidden power or secret knowledge to be that reliable. Even after trying by himself to save everyone countless times the only option left he had was to bring the real Natsuki Subaru back, which only confused him after reading his books of the dead and realizing that he was the same guy. He doesn't think that he is an op protagonist who can solve everything, that's the problem, he was humbled through arcs 1-4 so now he knows he's not special but it doesn't change the fact that he NEEDS to solve everything. Yes, he can make use of his friends and share some burdens but at the end of the day, Subaru thinks he's responsible for every living being around him, this is clearly shown in the Arc 7 ´´You are not a hero´´ moment. How he acts and what he says to his close friends has nothing to do with how the sees himself, if this wasn't the case he wouldn't have those self-harm behaviors and that hero complex.
Yep I couldn’t have agreed more, I’m planning on doing a part 2 video of this once I finish reading Arc 7 (currently halfway through). I hope Tappei doesn’t let me down as there have been glimpses of how Subaru’s expectations have gotten even more toxic
This is a very good explanation of his character and development behind suburu and the resilience through suffering, so that those important to him, and himself can live happy. Awesome video.
I think the strangest thing about Subaru was that he CHOSE to be a hero. The role was never thrown upon him. No one in this new world ever expected him or needed him to be a hero. At any point in the story he could've simply left. Return by death is ultimately only for Subarus benefit alone. There's a reason why his savepoint updates after every deadly event. It is a tool meant for survival, not heroics. I feel bad that Subaru endured so much pain, but at the end of the day, he CHOSE to save Emilia In arc 1 when he could've just told Reinhard about the assassin and move on with his life. He CHOSE to save Rem despite literally being tortured by her in arc 2 rather then running away at the nearest possible point. He CHOSE to be the hero that everyone needed rather then committing to the idea that he is useless and running away with Rem. At the end of the day always had a choice to put himself first but he never did. So no matter how egotistical or selfish his desires are, I can't help but respect him. He stuck to his ideals from beginning to end.
Dude what about his parents? Dude spend 2 seasons caring about a random anime girl rather than his parents. And dude stalked her despite her not feeling love for him
@@user-db2uj9vc7she already know he can't go back to his own world,so he decide to change as a person and save his friends even tho it's for an egoistic reason at first,now he solely wanted his friends to live a happy life. In a nutshell it's from wanting to be a hero to thinking "I can't die so why don't I just spam this skill to make sure my friends is happy". And his relationship with Emilia is healthy now, don't you call my men a stalker
@Okiji477 year sorry wrote that comment befor watching the garden of dreams episode . But subaru is also drawn to emilia because he never had friends or people that were nice to him
One thing that's so good about return by death is that unlike any other power you could equip a character with, return by death solves no problem on its own. If Subaru doesn't improve as a person or improve his approach to a problem within the remits of his lack of powers, he will be trapped forever in a loop of death. Hence, RbD is not a solution to anything, but rather the tool for finding solutions. This makes it, arguably, the smartest power you could give a normal person in the context of an Isekai etc, because it primes the character having it for character development without ever cheapening the trials he has to overcome to progress on his journey in the boring and predictable way other super-powers in the medium almost inherently have to indulge(power-ups, magic attacks etc). A second point worth considering in terms of how much Subaru struggles acclimating to his "power" and using it properly: Subaru is a frickin teenager, raised in modern Japan and who's now trapped in a world that's largely alien to him. It's frankly speaking baffling to me that there are people out there with so much Dunning Kruger in their head that they think a tenth of the shit Subaru goes through wouldn't completely and permanently break them mentally. I've always found that Subaru's struggles are far more general than people give them credit for. Even if the story is trying to say something specific about shut-in otaku and their unrealistic fantasies and expectations, I think his flaws actually strike at a much broader and human predisposition, because honestly; I think even when his attitudes and actions are wrong or "pathetic", they are expected given his circumstances. If you found yourself magically transported to a different world and "gifted" with return by death, you probably would assume that you were special and summoned there for a reason. You probably would get very attached to the people you end up saving as a result of your power as you learn they'll die without your help. You probably will begin resenting their obliviousness to all that you've done for them at some point as you're doomed to mull over your fate in complete solitude. You probably will start breaking mentally as you undergo physical torture and die over and over and over again. Nothing Subaru goes through is unique to him as a former shut-in otaku. In fact, with the exception of some of his quirks and eccentricities, his responses and actions are extremely human and the people who think otherwise probably have really unrealistic and unhealthy views of their ability to cope under similar circumstances.
Subaru didn’t have a hero complex in season 2, heck his hero complex was handled arguably in ep 3, where he swallowed his pride and asked Reinhardt for help as pride IF starts there. From season 2 onwards Subaru’s self image was the lowest ever and he’s struggling on his own, not cause of a hero complex but because no one should get hurt for him as his life wasn’t worth it . He was starting to return by death as a crutch putting his friends lives above his own and believing he had to do everything on his own. This toxic mindset was only fixed by satella who told him to love himself, to care for himself. That was the start, but then Otto also made his voice heard, as he knew that Subaru was suffering from a younger version of himself and helped.
it definitely wasnt handled in episode 3. He just swallowed his pride and was struck with the realization that he wasnt some hero with overpowered abilities, however his hero complex still lives on because he still strives to be the hero of a situation despite the situation not even being one needing a hero.
@Luqha agreed it wasn’t fixed as it resurfaced when he declared to be Emilia’s knight, but firstly he didn’t have a hero complex after ep 3 as he just wanted to make the people there like him and after that his pride became barely a factor as he started viewing himself as lesser, and a tool to make those who he care about happy. It’s so bad that satella tells him to love himself and view himself with the people he’s saving.
@@siddhantchauhan1975 No its not like his hero complex leaves and then comes back, thats not how it works, arc 2 didnt really have a big show of his hero complex because there was no reason to show it, it was present though, and when talking about his pride. He was never really a super prideful person, in fact he had always viewed himself in a bad light because of the expectations placed on him in his childhood which he felt like he failed to live up too. Because of that he always viewed himself as lesser, its just that ofc it got worse in that world. however his pride is still there, its just very faint. And no he does not view himself as a tool to help others, but he is just scared to not live up to expectations. And yes as you said "he just wanted to make the people there like him", but the way he tries to make people like him just does the opposite. Like in arc 3 in the capital, subaru wants emilia to like him more and he wants to keep her save even after she told him that he was not to follow. (my english isnt so good, so its hard to explain in this language)
Incredible video, it very intricately explains much of the motives behind Subaru's action in the latter half of season 1 in the royal capital, and the whole series in general. When I started to understand his character better it really made me appreciate how human he is. A lot of people dropped season one during the royal palace scene because they expected Subaru to be more aware of his situation and go above his ego. I feel his struggle with expectations is incredibly important to the best chapters in Arc 6. In the whole series in general, his ego is an ever-present problem because of return by death. He never receives proper feedback for all of his actions, only his best ones. He can't analyze himself from an objective point of view, so its hard for him to come to terms with his reality. He cycles between feeling like a hero, and suffering from imposter syndrome. It really is a tragedy, and it is essential to the most emotional scenes.
Thank you MeguRem, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! And I couldn’t have agreed more, Arc 6 definitely does Subaru’s internal struggle justice, I do hope that somehow Subaru is able to overcome his expectations and have a happy ending
I specially love having a look at the If stories and see how the Subaru in those versions contrasts with the one we follow on the main path of the story.
I m so happy you mentioned his ego problem because a lot of people think he is a narcissist and yeah that's kinda true(beginning of the anime) after all narcissists became like that either if they get a lot of praise or they don't and they need to praise themselves or they pride would get crushed. He is like that too he can't believe he has any value that's why he needs to lie that he has, that way his ego's glass castle doesn't get crushed.
I feel like Subarus unrealistic expectations were being challenged by Abel and the whole situation in arc 7. I think either arc 8 or 9 is going to completely go in on these issues, since arc 7 seems to have just let Subaru keep his hero complex for a bit longer
I’ve only read up to Chapter 60 of Arc 7 and yeah it does seem like Abel, Al and the situation Subaru is in are challenging his unrealistic expectations. Which is what I’ve been waiting for a while haha, hopefully Tappei doesn’t let me down with the second half!
I think the whole thing about being a hero will stick with him to the end. He needed validation at first, which Rem gave him, but from arc 7 he'll be a hero and do the impossible because he develops faith in himself.
This video is SO underrated Subaru is an amazing character, i dont understand him as much as rezero fans but this video really explains his character's downsides but that's what make him actually human-like
This video is very good, and it makes me appreciate Subarus character writing more. Tappei really made Subaru a well layered and very realistic character, such an underrated protagonist.
Haha, yeah I recently finished Silent Hill 2 for the first time. Not only is the game the masterpiece but oh my god the ost is so GOOD. I need to find a way to add Angel’s Thanatos in a video sometime soon 👀
@@EyeDonutz Oh nice haha, I started playing Silent Hill 1 the other day. I have heard nothing but good things about the trilogy, I think it's well deserved haha
Man videos like these inspire me to make a video about my own thoughts, analysis, and observations on Re: Zero. I find all this Re: Zero content that people do here therapeutic. Its funny because everytime I see a video that just nails it and is universally on point on how to judge a story and its characters in the right approach, attitude, and context, we as the fans can reflect from Re: Zero's writing and its motivations into our own problems in our own lives. For something that is peak fantasy fiction at best, it seems to get right on what so many other anime genres or isekais tend to brush off or not have a cohesive structure on what we can learn from good stories like these. Re: Zero has truly taught us how to live when most people are always dying on the inside. Subaru is our undisputed, unsung, underrated, and underdog hero! It's an undeniable fact now! ❤ 😁
YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN’T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME? - said Death. Unrealistic expectations or not, only The Hero Subaru can achieve anything at all, or he might as well have given up from the start. Subaru was not born a hero, he doesn't have what it takes to be one, but does that really mean he can't be a hero in the eyes of people? We should probably differ the expectations of oneself from expectations of others. Before "From Zero" Subaru was focused on his own expectations, but what made them fail him was the lack of basis - faith - in those expectations. After all, he has a habit to define himself by his failures. Expectations of Rem - and later of many other people - are well earned and based on his actions. Subaru, in turn, has faith in them because he loves those people - and WANTS to fit that image of a Hero even if it's too big for him at the moment. Being a hero now is not a purpose, but the means for him. "Like I said - what's the difference?" Besides, that speech in Pristella - Subaru was not trying to meet anyone expectations, he almost forgot to tell his name. Yet the whole city cheered for the hero who's going to win, without fail. I think Subaru's biggest problem is not heroic expectations, but heroic responsibility: "Not like the usual sort. It means that whatever happens, no matter what, it's always your fault". He shouldn't blame himself for the actions of others, or for his inability to dispassionately discard life to prevent any and all harm to people. That's what Minerva tried to do, and that never worked. He might be a hero, but he's not a god.
I learned about the dangers of expectations from my RimWorld colonies. Those with high expectations always had mental breakdowns and needed to be sent to my special expectation lowering "therapy" program.
And then there are also the Toxic Haters, hating Subaru for not meeting their expactations of Mr.Ultimate Sigma OP Demon Lord Harem God Isekai Protagonist, as a shortend term.
Dont know if my bias comes from being mostly caught up with the web novel and arc 7, but Subaru by no means has a hero complex past episode 18. We'll concretely see that very quickly in season 3. Subaru doesnt want to be the hero that saves the day anymore, but he knows that hes the only person that can change the horrors ready to kill everyone he loves becauses hes already seen them die. His vow to Rem about being her greatest hero was mainly about him facing his troubles head on and not backing down anymore, no more excuses. The only reason that turned into a curse for him to the point where he feels the need to sacrifice himself before something he cant fix happens is solely because of Gluttony putting Rem into a coma when he wasnt there to save her. Even that was addressed by Satella and later fully realized by Otto. Subaru as a character has more or less plateaued in terms of development by the end of arc 4. He's still working on his issues, but he is at least aware that he still needs to work on them and ask for help if he needs it.
I feel like it doesn't resolve further on. I mean, in the Arc 5 Subaru does start to realise that people praise him way too much and expect a lot from him, since he was able to inspire amazing feats with his RBD. He still tries to prove to everyone that he's not a hero, he's scared and all he wants is for people to be safe, and not to die anymore. I can only imagine that Arc 6 is hell, it releases a monster sleeping within this issue, I'd assume, didn't reach that WN reading poing yet.
@GreenAnchor Well, yes, but in Arc 5 it feels like he's not comfortable with people seeing him as one anymore, it was fine only when Emilia and Rem were giving him praise, that's how I started to see it. Maybe it's my poor phrasing does the wrong impression, sorry, but the longer this arc goes, the more Subaru is trying to look like a simple guy for people, often doubting himself and saying how he can't do much on his own still. That doesn't mean his hero complex is completely gone, it's just that he starts to acknowledge it, but doesn't know how to make it work right. The fact that he belittles himself verbally does not help at all. I'm not saying I'm correct, alright, that's how I see it currently.
Ironically everyone has these Big expectations of what the average isekai is that they cant realize that Re: zero is different 💀 if you really are a person who calls Re zero trash and that it doesn't have a plot you need to be check out in a mental hospital, is concerning that a crazy mess up person like me can comprehend more emotions about an anime 💀
@@GrimplaceGraceI felt that too in the first half until the episode 10 then I cried actual tears I thought it's just usual gore but it's something much more but that's still a respectable opinion he is still an insufferable in season 1 but I hope you give it a second chance 🙏
@@Jamillian8 I just mean like, was it unrelated from the main story. And you just thought of something to talk about. Like the show doesn't really talk about subaru's mental health too much. Or how he's relatable, because he's not over powered.
Good review of the hell called "myself" that plague Subaru's heart. Did you read the web novel or the light novel? This could change your opinion on a few points. He became awfully humble to the point of not recognizing his good parts. (soon to be made into a new season?) Yet still has huge expectations of himself. I think that it's hero complex regarding Rem will soon be "fixed" with the upcoming next arc in the light/web novel. ^^
Thank you! Also I am currently on chapter 60 of Arc 7, so yes I’ve read the web novel. I also don’t think Subaru’s hero complex will be fixed (if it even does) until the series is over unfortunately. Given that he has to save everyone he cares about otherwise Roswaal will kill them all and force him to restart
Warning! Dont get too excited that they fixed the Re-Zero anime in season 2. The announcement season 3 and onward theyre going to screw it all up again by the toxic fandom sending death threat to the poor author.
Subaru no doubt has changed since season 1, but that doesn’t change the fact that people expect a lot more out of him, from becoming Emilia’s knight and Roswaal expecting him to have the resolve to save everyone he cares about, otherwise he will kill everyone and force Subaru to restart as many times as possible until he saves everyone
Great video 👏👏, but I disagree about Subaro’s ego, after episode 18, he doesn’t have one, his mentality either 120% ego, or -120%, whenever people compliment him he disregards them etc
(This will contain WN spoilers) These are just my thoughts as an anime only for arc 1-4 and a WN reader for everything further so I might be off a bit, but I kinda disagree with the notion that the from zero scene just had subaru build a new glass castle, i'd say its more along the lines of being his starting point in realizing self worth by building true confidence and growing as a person, not relying on the facade that dictated many of his actions in eps 13-17. Rem calling him her "hero" also became part of the foundation for his motivation in doing so. I think by the end of arc 3 his hero complex is gone, correct me if I'm wrong but after this arc does he ever say anything explicitly about wanting to become a hero? He says he's Rems' hero because thats her own words and his motivation, but he never says a "hero" is something he is or wants to become in an overarching sense. He said to Rem he's going to "become the most awesome hero ever", but thats likely just him appealing to her thoughts of him as its never brought up as a goal again. Arc 7 and 8 take a deeper dive into Subarus desire to save people, and this desire isn't the same as a hero who wants to save any and everyone everywhere he's not deku, he just wants to save the people he loves and can't help but want to save those in front of him who could be saved as well (his own bias also plays a factor, emphasizing the lack of him having some strict heros code). Thus in arc 4 when subaru tried to recommend the option of taking on the trial himself it was not a matter of him thinking Emilia was useless and needing saving. Trying to take the trial for her wasn't even an idea in his mind to my memory until Garfiel brought it up, not a matter of "his hero complex kicking in". Emilia shot it down and that was the end of that. He wanted to take the trial because he didnt want her to suffer, as, if he's not taking on the burdens of everyone through return by death then in his eyes he has no worth. This tragic yet toxic way of thinking was partially rectified by his meeting with satella who told him to love himself and took a step towards freeing him from his delusion that people he likes dont "actually" like him. Thats why after that he tries to believe he can do something for the people he likes besides taking on the entirety of the burden, taking another step in realizing self-worth which allows him to help instill confidence in emilia. I believe that as the story has gone on, Subarus expectations of himself evolve into desires, things that he doesn't absolutely have to accomplish and burden just himself with but instead things he can strive for with the help of others.
"This will contain WN spoilers) These are just my thoughts as an anime only for arc 1-4 and a WN reader for everything further so I might be off a bit, but I kinda disagree with the notion that the from zero scene just had subaru build a new glass castle" WRONG
Stop putting Rem's speech on a pedestal. it was her putting Subaru on a pedestal and it led him to continue to trying to live up to unrealistic expectations that he can save everyone in the end. Rem's speech is only a minor fix that needed to be resolved. Arc 7-8 has debunked you
Oh so your talking aboutr Arc 7-8 and you completely missed the POINT that he broke down, gave up on everything he ever did INCLUDING loving Emilia because "MUH REMU DIDNT CALL ME HERO ANYMORE!" Literally just stop, you Rem stans can't grasp any understanding of Subaru character. You people just put Rem on a pedestal and think "her words are his gospel to live up to" Stop it Rem stan, arc 7-8 has COMPLETELY proved you wrong
But most people just quit watching re zero because they find subary pathetic i mean tf would u do if u were him and dont say "i would just leave em bitches and live my own life"
he is pathethic . he is the mc . the worst part is i think the author has no idea on how to give a power up to mc . the watchers want subaru till the season 2 become slightly stronger but no when he dies all his physcial power or magic resets to 0 . infinite torture . i dropped it after season 1 cause the fans are too toxic plus they dont like when u disagree on their fav anime. and ofc the enjoyablity of watching the mc getting thrashed with no progression is as much as the size of a atom. (also this was my first iskeai 5/10)
@ShubSociety I get it u thought re zero was one a basic isekai where the mc gets op as fuck and solves everything in 2 secs well then it's not for u re zero shows the struggle and realism of actually getting Isekaied he is just a normal human tring to fight these super powered villains as the story progressed u can see him develop and grow anime is subjective some people like full on action where the mc gets overpowered as fuck some like mix it and some likes to see people overcoming their struggles and focusing on more psychological aspects
@@politedonut2637 i just expected him to progress episodes by episodes. But when I heard the statement from the author that if he dies , all his abilities resets . That's just evil . Most of my fav anime i watch have mc progression.. One piece , demon slayer , black clover , bleach , etc. these are shone I know but mostly watching a mc get a reward after a particular point in story is enjoyable to watch if ur liking the character. But re:zero is polar opposite
@ShubSociety I also love op and bleach but for me some shonen are way to long too repetitive or the story is plain but new gen shonen like chainsaw man and dandadan feels fresh and very entertaining (don't even know what jjk was cooking)
I disagree with the assessment here. Subaru doesn't "have to go through" anything. He's choosing to do it. Nobody said he has to be a hero. . .nobody put those expectations onto him except for himself. During the show, I notice he lashes out at people all the time and blames them for everything, but everything he does is his choice. No one forces him to do or not do anything except for not tell people he can "reset his game", so to speak. Throughout most of the show, nobody expected anything of him and did not expect him to save the day. Most people told him to stop getting in the way of everything. Subaru is a mentally and especially emotionally unstable person, and almost all of his issues stem from that specifically, with the exception of Roswell's schemes to make bad things happen. Subaru desperately wants to be seen as a hero and get the girl because of his low self-esteem and lack of having had a girlfriend. That's why he's always displaying attention-seeking behavior throughout the entire show, acting out, lashing out, having mental breakdowns, etc. His own personality is wildly different and not consistent from episode to episode and arc to arc, like he is bipolar or something. He totally freaks out when dying to the exact same thing that killed him before in the exact same location he died to it before despite knowing going back to it would result in that potentially anyway. He chooses to go back anyway, then acts surprised. Huh? Then he confidently makes speeches then commits suicide at other times, with a smile on his face as he does it while hero music plays in the background. To continue going back to places where he died before is a choice. To kill yourself is a choice. To keep relying on the resurrection power rather than learn to fight, is also a choice. Multiple times he had the chance to learn to fight (Training with WIlhelm). . .then only went through the motions so he could seem like he was trying, then ultimately did nothing. Just gave up because he knew it would take a lot of work. Instead, he relied on his rez powers to try to counter stuff rather than ever be prepared to deal with anything as it comes because he never bothered to learn how to do that out of laziness and the fact that if he is seen as always training, then he's seen as not being great and needing to improve, which lessens his projected image, which is why he seems practically allergic to doing that. In reality, Subaru is actually a very dishonest and toxic character who manipulates everyone around him through dishonesty, emotional abuse, guilt tripping, getting aggressive when questioned, trying to learn stuff about people to use against them or to his benefit later while pretending he's someone he isn't, etc. He even uses Rem's speech about why he loved Subaru on Emilia instead shortly after. Like wow, what a dbag move. Is he that much of a lying chameleon that he can't even come up with his own words and basically repeats what Rem said to him because he thinks it'll "work" on Emilia? That was arguably even worse than how he treated Rem at the end of that season. Is anyone forcing him to do any of this? No. He's choosing to do all of it. So yeah, I just reject the idea that he had "unrealistic expectations placed upon him". He had those already from Day 1.and was too dumb and stubborn to ever change his expectations even when slapped in the face with reality over and over. Running away is not the only way to cope with problems. He could have easily coped with ANY of his issues. Oh, other people are doing as good as me now )even though he admits he was putting in like no effort)? Okay, maybe I should put a normal level of effort in to keep up then. . . .NOPE! Never mind! Let's just run away instead! Because screw working hard. No wonder he got the sloth witch factor and why greed and envy too so much interest in him. He wants everything but with as little effort as possible. As soon as he realizes he has to put in effort, he goes in to a depression. I do not think he will ever grow as a person and his story will only be him "becoming a hero" through use of special witch powers. He has some extremely abusive interactions with multiple female characters and shows that he cannot even co-exist in the same room with competent men without lashing out or trying to cause scenes unless he somehow deems them to be "not a threat", or "too useful to lash out on yet". So to summarize, I think Subaru has a lot of problems, and almost all of them are internal mental and emotional ones. Including his apparently very low IQ and nearly non-existent talent stack.
Rem kinda did. Because Subaru is one to her. Only thing she believes in Subaru is that he is a hero who will save everyone and everything will be okay. That is the expectation Rem placed on Subaru and that is what Subaru has been striving to do the entire time. Without Rem Hero, Subaru's glass will crumble and break again and will give up. "In reality, Subaru is actually a very dishonest and toxic character who manipulates everyone around him through dishonesty, emotional abuse, guilt tripping, getting aggressive when questioned, trying to learn stuff about people to use against them or to his benefit later while pretending he's someone he isn't, etc. He even uses Rem's speech about why he loved Subaru on Emilia instead shortly after. Like wow, what a dbag move. Is he that much of a lying chameleon that he can't even come up with his own words and basically repeats what Rem said to him because he thinks it'll "work" on Emilia? That was arguably even worse than how he treated Rem at the end of that season. Is anyone forcing him to do any of this? No. He's choosing to do all of it." You obviously did not watch or Read Re:zero you monkey. So yeah, I just reject the idea that he had "unrealistic expectations placed upon him". He had those already from Day 1.and was too dumb and stubborn to ever change his expectations even when slapped in the face with reality over and over." Read Arc 7 you monkey "I do not think he will ever grow as a person and his story will only be him "becoming a hero" through use of special witch powers. He has some extremely abusive interactions with multiple female characters and shows that he cannot even co-exist in the same room with competent men without lashing out or trying to cause scenes unless he somehow deems them to be "not a threat", or "too useful to lash out on yet". " You're more of a monkey then I thought. Literally, you are actually so FACKING stupid its unreal
Buddy subaru made an alliance with 2 candidates, kill the white whale, an sin archbishops, and trap the great rabbit in a dimension as well. Do you truly believe a subaru that has no iq, no social skill, no room to grown and didn't grow at all can do 'ALL THAT'?
@@Ltmqt I think he has a low IQ and VERY poor social skills, yes. When you can "reset" and keep trying different things until something works, that is not "high IQ and good social skills". It's just manipulative lying and effectively erasing people's memories to forget all of his failures so he can try to manipulate them later. Since it's also a fictional story, I think we can throw out any "success" are just plot, and not an indication of "effectiveness" as an argument, since it's not real. All you can do is look at how he acts and what he's doing (given the situation), and judge for yourself how that would work irl. And his attitude and actions would lead to massive failure and alienation of everyone around him irl. He would be very frustrating to be around.
Never liked rezero couldn't even finish the second season part of the reason is the characters don't seem to have depth to me and the passing is off I am a huge fan of the horror genre and the thing that rezero has going best for it is the horrific experiences witch would feel very well done if this was as short and focused as something like uzumaki but when the horrific elements are wrapped up in generic isieki settings and side characters it begins to feel more like (dont like to use the term) torture p*rn. It simple isn't focusing on the elements it does the best for me. For people who do find the setting interesting I can differently see how it would be enjoyable though.
after reading novel , Subaru is still pretty dumb and he can be really cringe with Emilia , he still treat her like perfect goddess ( for him she is absolutely right no matter what) it is not real love ( and yeah i say it after watching season 2 ). For a lot of people Rem moments was so great ... this girl was ready to give up everything she had in life ( her sister even) just to escape with a guy she met some week ago and just say pretty words. I don't think these people know how to have a good relationship xD
Did you actually read the novel or did you just nitpick? First of all, Subaru literally loves Emilia because she's saved him multiple times without her knowing. Not to mention he even said multiple times that he loves rem and Emilia. Also Emilia is absolutely in love with Subaru, she just doesn't know it yet because she doesn't know what love is due to how puck raised her. Also I can immediately tell after the second season that you're just a biased rem fan, rem didn't want Subaru to run away or to accept her confession, she wanted Subaru to be at his very best saving everyone, that is ",Rems hero". With that being said, either reread rezero or look forward to season 3.
first ... i really dont care of what you think , cry more. In an a what if ( write by the same author , and where he continue he writes her story) Rem litteray abandon everything she know o be withe subaru , they had a life , with child and all. This what if depend only of the choice of subaru@@TheManUnderTheSun
Going to have to strongly disagree here, especially with the context of what happens in S3 and going forward. Subaru is burdened by expectations, after episode 18, he now has the burden of vowing to be the most awesome hero, after Rem was the only person who saw Subaru that way, when he had given up entirely on being a hero and being able to save everyone. On top of that in Season 2 he is now officially Emilia’s knight and now if he lets a single person that he cares about die, Roswaal will kill everyone that he cares about and force Subaru to restart. Roswaal is forcing his OWN expectations on Subaru to possess the resolve to restart as many times as possible, to lead everyone he cares about to that happy ending.
TBH, me from the future is confused about this comment of mine. I do not remember the context of this video and under what circumstances did I type that. As person with no memory of this, expectations can burden anybody on this planet ... It's weird cuz, I was pretty updated till the latest chap at that point too. Anyway me from the future here does not understand why this comment was typed nor am interested in learning or defending it.
@@peanutbutteraddict22 Because you don't understand anything of nauce, you just see Rem say 'MUH HERO" and Subaru being like "OMG IM GONNA BE HER HERO NOW AND SAVE EVERYONE!" Then you honestly think thats a "realistic goal"
I was positive this video would be about peoples expectations for the series and how those very expectations are souring peoples enjoyment of the series. That would of honestly made for a more interesting video topic if I'm honest not that I'm crapping on the video it's just the re zero analysis genre has been milked dry at this point.
2:28 I can't...I'm not an anime character that cares *SO MUCH* for no reason for anime characters that he just met 1h ago. I will never care for *ANYONE* that much...because...I'm a real human being.
So you would let people die painful deaths even if you knew about it and could've done something to stop it. You're a real human being alright, but not a good one.
Buddy, the character you have your pfp from is in a Spiderman movie. Do you believe that Spiderman helping people despite all of his life problems is unreasonable as well😂?
Subaru was a hypocrite manipulative entitled mc.. He is fraud and a false hero, and a preditor.. When someone says subaru is good mc. You are one of those people have the same traits of subaru and have a bad life decisions on life. He tries to be relevant but he failed so much.
This, was by far the hardest video I've made so far. I hope the wait was worth it!
Man, you got really into this video. Good job
@@bennygarciacarrera-wg4cc Thank you Benny! I'm glad it was worth the extra effort
subaru deserves happiness
@@crostthefrostt Fr
@@Jamillian8 🙏
I believe you missed the change in Subaru's motivations in the first season. In much of season1 Subaru was motivated by his hero complex like you stated, he saw himself as a hero and wanted to be one and this is why he tried to do things by himself. However, when his selfish hero complex was destroyed by Emilia and his deaths it did not come back.
Episode 18 was about despair and hope, he was not trying to save Rem because of his ego, that was already gone, he just didn't want her to die and didn't think he was able to save those at the mansion.
In season2 Subaru was not trying to be a hero, he didn't even want to be a hero he was trying to shoulder the pain and burden himself. He did not take the trials because he didn't believe in Emilia, he just didn't want her to suffer. His development with Otto's from zero speech was being willing to share some of the burden with others. His development with Sattela was accepting that others cared about him even if he hated himself.
Subaru appeared to be in a good place mentally at the end of season1, however overall he was far worse then had been at the ceremony. His relatively normal, painfully relatable desire to be recognized as hero had changed into a incomprehensible and completely insane willingness to suffer endless amounts of pain alone and unseen needing no recognition or reward beyond his friends survival.
I don’t think I did, I did say in the video that Subaru was humbled a bit after Rem’s from zero speech. Subaru’s main thing in Season 1 was that he was THAT Isekai Protag that can do it all and save the day. At the end of Rem’s speech, instead of Subaru trying to live up to the expectations of being that typical isekai protag. Subaru vows to be the “most awesome hero ever” to Rem, the one and only person at that time who viewed and acknowledged him as a hero. The only thing that really changed is that Subaru starts to understand that he is treating Emilia like an object and that he is too full of himself. Thankfully at the end of Season 2 Subaru and Emilia’s relationship is in a place that I would call healthy, but in regards to Subaru’s perspective of being a hero and saving everyone. Nothing has changed, it’s just been reframed to live up to Rem’s expectations of Subaru being a hero, instead of Subaru’s initial expectations of being a hero himself.
@@Jamillian8 just want to add that Subaru was all for Emilia doing the trials from the beginning.He even gave her a little cheer before her first attempt. It's only after Garfield's suggestion that maybe he should do it instead, and the failed attempts.
@GreenAnchor It's not that simple.
@@Lone1Wolf8 Yep. With every death he started to believe less in her, but its not his fault at all. I don't think he even cared much at one point because he was dying so much that Emilia's issues were just not his main focus.
Emilia didn't destroy his hero complex. It was in fact just the world chewing up Subaru and spitting him back out. It's here where he finally graduates from doing everything himself without powers to learning more about his surroundings and the people around him with being witty with the information he's collected. He still has the hero complex because that's his true nature but now it's backed by actual reasons other than a silly fantasy rpg motive backing it
Man expectations really be crushing Subaru from the beginning.....figuratively and literally
Yeah it’s really sad : (
I'm glad some addressed this, what Rem did to Subaru was far from saving him, she just gave him a reason to keep fighting but in reality, this is not what Subaru needs. As you say, most of the high expectations come from people around him starting with Rem and well, they are totally correct to have that much faith in him, it is stated by Tappei that if Subaru isn't summoned to Lugunica, most of the people in that world are screwed so he really needs to save everyone and it keeps getting worse every arc. The problem is that Subaru knows he needs to be the one and only hero, as much as people around him keep teaching him to rely on his friends and be more confident, what actions and facts show him is quite the opposite: if he doesn't move out, all of them are doomed. Yes he can ask for help, and yes he does have people at his side that would give their lives without a doubt for him, but deeply in his mind, he knows they don't have a chance if he doesn't find the correct answer and each time he fails, there is a chance that the universe goes on with that failure so going back doesn't solve anything, we can see that this senses of despair and weakness are still present later on, the only difference is that he covers it up by pretending to agree with his friends but when he's with his thoughts alone, he's still trying to be the perfect protagonist that he needs to be.
Spoilers from arcs 6 and 7: We see those self-harming behaviors in arc 6 when Betty says that is common for Subaru to cut his arms and hide them from everyone and then in arc 7 with the whole ''You are not a hero'' moment.
And because of that I like the approach Subaru's mom used in episode 4 of season 2.
@GreenAnchor Did you read the web or light novel? it's the entire point of arcs 6 and 7
@GreenAnchor So you are completely denying his arm cuts and the whole Bloodless Castle Plan? or those are my headcanon too?
First of all, I know nobody else sees Subaru as the savior of the world or something like that, but it doesn't deny the fact that everyone in the Pleiades tower had Natsuki Subaru in so high regard that the fake Subaru thought he had some hidden power or secret knowledge to be that reliable. Even after trying by himself to save everyone countless times the only option left he had was to bring the real Natsuki Subaru back, which only confused him after reading his books of the dead and realizing that he was the same guy.
He doesn't think that he is an op protagonist who can solve everything, that's the problem, he was humbled through arcs 1-4 so now he knows he's not special but it doesn't change the fact that he NEEDS to solve everything. Yes, he can make use of his friends and share some burdens but at the end of the day, Subaru thinks he's responsible for every living being around him, this is clearly shown in the Arc 7 ´´You are not a hero´´ moment. How he acts and what he says to his close friends has nothing to do with how the sees himself, if this wasn't the case he wouldn't have those self-harm behaviors and that hero complex.
Yep I couldn’t have agreed more, I’m planning on doing a part 2 video of this once I finish reading Arc 7 (currently halfway through). I hope Tappei doesn’t let me down as there have been glimpses of how Subaru’s expectations have gotten even more toxic
@@Jamillian8 Awesome I'll be waiting for it!
Subaru is such an amazing character especially wn Subaru.
Yeah 100% agree
Ain’t gonna lie the author of this video made me cry at 7:20 towards the last message saying “why are you so useless” bro broke me.
I’m honored that sequence moved you that greatly, thank you for sharing your thoughts! I’m glad the extra effort paid off : )
This is a very good explanation of his character and development behind suburu and the resilience through suffering, so that those important to him, and himself can live happy. Awesome video.
Thank you Suburu! I tried my best to do it justice, glad you enjoyed the video!
I think the strangest thing about Subaru was that he CHOSE to be a hero. The role was never thrown upon him. No one in this new world ever expected him or needed him to be a hero. At any point in the story he could've simply left. Return by death is ultimately only for Subarus benefit alone. There's a reason why his savepoint updates after every deadly event. It is a tool meant for survival, not heroics. I feel bad that Subaru endured so much pain, but at the end of the day, he CHOSE to save Emilia In arc 1 when he could've just told Reinhard about the assassin and move on with his life. He CHOSE to save Rem despite literally being tortured by her in arc 2 rather then running away at the nearest possible point. He CHOSE to be the hero that everyone needed rather then committing to the idea that he is useless and running away with Rem. At the end of the day always had a choice to put himself first but he never did. So no matter how egotistical or selfish his desires are, I can't help but respect him. He stuck to his ideals from beginning to end.
I thing he was drawn to emilia because of Satella and that if he does nothing he whould eventually always die from puck
Dude what about his parents? Dude spend 2 seasons caring about a random anime girl rather than his parents. And dude stalked her despite her not feeling love for him
@@user-db2uj9vc7she already know he can't go back to his own world,so he decide to change as a person and save his friends even tho it's for an egoistic reason at first,now he solely wanted his friends to live a happy life. In a nutshell it's from wanting to be a hero to thinking "I can't die so why don't I just spam this skill to make sure my friends is happy". And his relationship with Emilia is healthy now, don't you call my men a stalker
@@ace_-kn6slnah he's drawn to Emilia cause she's his sweetheart,satella has nothing to do with it.
@Okiji477 year sorry wrote that comment befor watching the garden of dreams episode . But subaru is also drawn to emilia because he never had friends or people that were nice to him
I got actual chills at 3:10 when you said "why are you so useless"
Thank you! I’m glad that moment landed haha, took several takes to make it right : )
One thing that's so good about return by death is that unlike any other power you could equip a character with, return by death solves no problem on its own.
If Subaru doesn't improve as a person or improve his approach to a problem within the remits of his lack of powers, he will be trapped forever in a loop of death. Hence, RbD is not a solution to anything, but rather the tool for finding solutions. This makes it, arguably, the smartest power you could give a normal person in the context of an Isekai etc, because it primes the character having it for character development without ever cheapening the trials he has to overcome to progress on his journey in the boring and predictable way other super-powers in the medium almost inherently have to indulge(power-ups, magic attacks etc).
A second point worth considering in terms of how much Subaru struggles acclimating to his "power" and using it properly:
Subaru is a frickin teenager, raised in modern Japan and who's now trapped in a world that's largely alien to him. It's frankly speaking baffling to me that there are people out there with so much Dunning Kruger in their head that they think a tenth of the shit Subaru goes through wouldn't completely and permanently break them mentally.
I've always found that Subaru's struggles are far more general than people give them credit for. Even if the story is trying to say something specific about shut-in otaku and their unrealistic fantasies and expectations, I think his flaws actually strike at a much broader and human predisposition, because honestly; I think even when his attitudes and actions are wrong or "pathetic", they are expected given his circumstances.
If you found yourself magically transported to a different world and "gifted" with return by death, you probably would assume that you were special and summoned there for a reason.
You probably would get very attached to the people you end up saving as a result of your power as you learn they'll die without your help.
You probably will begin resenting their obliviousness to all that you've done for them at some point as you're doomed to mull over your fate in complete solitude.
You probably will start breaking mentally as you undergo physical torture and die over and over and over again.
Nothing Subaru goes through is unique to him as a former shut-in otaku. In fact, with the exception of some of his quirks and eccentricities, his responses and actions are extremely human and the people who think otherwise probably have really unrealistic and unhealthy views of their ability to cope under similar circumstances.
We got echidna over here 😂
@@cynicamane187
I'm not sure whether to take that comparison in stride or feel insulted lol =P
Subaru didn’t have a hero complex in season 2, heck his hero complex was handled arguably in ep 3, where he swallowed his pride and asked Reinhardt for help as pride IF starts there. From season 2 onwards Subaru’s self image was the lowest ever and he’s struggling on his own, not cause of a hero complex but because no one should get hurt for him as his life wasn’t worth it . He was starting to return by death as a crutch putting his friends lives above his own and believing he had to do everything on his own. This toxic mindset was only fixed by satella who told him to love himself, to care for himself. That was the start, but then Otto also made his voice heard, as he knew that Subaru was suffering from a younger version of himself and helped.
it definitely wasnt handled in episode 3. He just swallowed his pride and was struck with the realization that he wasnt some hero with overpowered abilities, however his hero complex still lives on because he still strives to be the hero of a situation despite the situation not even being one needing a hero.
@Luqha agreed it wasn’t fixed as it resurfaced when he declared to be Emilia’s knight, but firstly he didn’t have a hero complex after ep 3 as he just wanted to make the people there like him and after that his pride became barely a factor as he started viewing himself as lesser, and a tool to make those who he care about happy. It’s so bad that satella tells him to love himself and view himself with the people he’s saving.
@@siddhantchauhan1975 No its not like his hero complex leaves and then comes back, thats not how it works, arc 2 didnt really have a big show of his hero complex because there was no reason to show it, it was present though, and when talking about his pride. He was never really a super prideful person, in fact he had always viewed himself in a bad light because of the expectations placed on him in his childhood which he felt like he failed to live up too. Because of that he always viewed himself as lesser, its just that ofc it got worse in that world. however his pride is still there, its just very faint. And no he does not view himself as a tool to help others, but he is just scared to not live up to expectations.
And yes as you said "he just wanted to make the people there like him", but the way he tries to make people like him just does the opposite. Like in arc 3 in the capital, subaru wants emilia to like him more and he wants to keep her save even after she told him that he was not to follow. (my english isnt so good, so its hard to explain in this language)
IT'S DIO
Incredible video, it very intricately explains much of the motives behind Subaru's action in the latter half of season 1 in the royal capital, and the whole series in general. When I started to understand his character better it really made me appreciate how human he is. A lot of people dropped season one during the royal palace scene because they expected Subaru to be more aware of his situation and go above his ego. I feel his struggle with expectations is incredibly important to the best chapters in Arc 6. In the whole series in general, his ego is an ever-present problem because of return by death. He never receives proper feedback for all of his actions, only his best ones. He can't analyze himself from an objective point of view, so its hard for him to come to terms with his reality. He cycles between feeling like a hero, and suffering from imposter syndrome. It really is a tragedy, and it is essential to the most emotional scenes.
Thank you MeguRem, I’m glad you enjoyed the video! And I couldn’t have agreed more, Arc 6 definitely does Subaru’s internal struggle justice, I do hope that somehow Subaru is able to overcome his expectations and have a happy ending
Amazing video, by the way, it does feel like a rare gem, since this topic in Re:zero community has been rarely addressed.
Thank you Gotta Stoppo! I am surprised as well that no one has really talked about it until now haha
I specially love having a look at the If stories and see how the Subaru in those versions contrasts with the one we follow on the main path of the story.
I am in the same boat haha, makes you really appreciate main story Subaru taking the long road and how much work he has to put in
This video was amazingly written. Probably one of your best so far. Great job man! ❤
Thank you!! I tried really hard with this one, I’m glad you liked it : )
I m so happy you mentioned his ego problem because a lot of people think he is a narcissist and yeah that's kinda true(beginning of the anime) after all narcissists became like that either if they get a lot of praise or they don't and they need to praise themselves or they pride would get crushed. He is like that too he can't believe he has any value that's why he needs to lie that he has, that way his ego's glass castle doesn't get crushed.
haven't seen a re zero analysis channel as good as you. you deserve more subs! ggs from ireland
Thank you Dingo!! I appreciate the kind words : )
This really puts the events of Arcs 6 and 7 into perspective
Yeah they for sure inspired this video haha
3:00 my parents after seeing my test score
Damn haha
And I expected this channel to have atleast 100k subscribers with this video quality!
Thank you haha! Hopefully one day : )
I feel like this discussion must have a continuation after having season 4
100% agree
Dem, this video is really good, I can see the passion put into the video, great job man, just continue on making these qualities o7
Thank you Greedy Little King! I plan on doing so and doing my best!
I feel like Subarus unrealistic expectations were being challenged by Abel and the whole situation in arc 7. I think either arc 8 or 9 is going to completely go in on these issues, since arc 7 seems to have just let Subaru keep his hero complex for a bit longer
I’ve only read up to Chapter 60 of Arc 7 and yeah it does seem like Abel, Al and the situation Subaru is in are challenging his unrealistic expectations. Which is what I’ve been waiting for a while haha, hopefully Tappei doesn’t let me down with the second half!
I think the whole thing about being a hero will stick with him to the end. He needed validation at first, which Rem gave him, but from arc 7 he'll be a hero and do the impossible because he develops faith in himself.
This video is SO underrated
Subaru is an amazing character, i dont understand him as much as rezero fans but this video really explains his character's downsides but that's what make him actually human-like
I look forward to the next arc to be animated so that we can see the other side of expectations shine, the less toxic side of it. Be excited.
Yes sirrr
This video is very good, and it makes me appreciate Subarus character writing more. Tappei really made Subaru a well layered and very realistic character, such an underrated protagonist.
Thank you! I'm glad you enjoyed the video, Subaru is well written character for sure
Not even Subaru can live up to the expectations of being Subau, I wonder we'll get to see that in season 3
If Arc 6 gets adapted in S3 we will 100% see it
This is a realllly good analysis. I like it a lot and it makes a lot of sense
Thank you! I’m glad you liked the video!
i appreciate your use of the silent hill 2 ost in this video lol
Haha, yeah I recently finished Silent Hill 2 for the first time. Not only is the game the masterpiece but oh my god the ost is so GOOD. I need to find a way to add Angel’s Thanatos in a video sometime soon 👀
@@Jamillian8 i beat it and the other 2 silent hills in the trilogy too a few months ago! great series for sure and one i respect a lot
@@EyeDonutz Oh nice haha, I started playing Silent Hill 1 the other day. I have heard nothing but good things about the trilogy, I think it's well deserved haha
RE:Zero with Silent Hill song in the background is my two favorite things together
Silent Hill OST does slap
Man videos like these inspire me to make a video about my own thoughts, analysis, and observations on Re: Zero. I find all this Re: Zero content that people do here therapeutic. Its funny because everytime I see a video that just nails it and is universally on point on how to judge a story and its characters in the right approach, attitude, and context, we as the fans can reflect from Re: Zero's writing and its motivations into our own problems in our own lives. For something that is peak fantasy fiction at best, it seems to get right on what so many other anime genres or isekais tend to brush off or not have a cohesive structure on what we can learn from good stories like these. Re: Zero has truly taught us how to live when most people are always dying on the inside. Subaru is our undisputed, unsung, underrated, and underdog hero! It's an undeniable fact now! ❤ 😁
Thank you! I'm happy to hear that my video was good enough to inspire you to think of making content yourself. Good luck if you decide to!
interesting to see a perspective of a person who likes the anime vs me who found it below average
Guys remember this is only the envy route, the one where he chooses to be a hero
Arc 7 really is what you mean by the rebuilt house of glass causing problems down the line....After what she of all people said...
Yep that is exactly what I had in mind while writing the script for this video haha
you mean in arc 7 she said "Rem : you are not a hero " this line ? oww its hurt..
@@Luna-oy8ej Yep
Brilliant video! said what i always say about my guy Subaru.
Thank you!
YOU NEED TO BELIEVE IN THINGS THAT AREN’T TRUE. HOW ELSE CAN THEY BECOME? - said Death.
Unrealistic expectations or not, only The Hero Subaru can achieve anything at all, or he might as well have given up from the start. Subaru was not born a hero, he doesn't have what it takes to be one, but does that really mean he can't be a hero in the eyes of people?
We should probably differ the expectations of oneself from expectations of others. Before "From Zero" Subaru was focused on his own expectations, but what made them fail him was the lack of basis - faith - in those expectations. After all, he has a habit to define himself by his failures. Expectations of Rem - and later of many other people - are well earned and based on his actions. Subaru, in turn, has faith in them because he loves those people - and WANTS to fit that image of a Hero even if it's too big for him at the moment. Being a hero now is not a purpose, but the means for him. "Like I said - what's the difference?"
Besides, that speech in Pristella - Subaru was not trying to meet anyone expectations, he almost forgot to tell his name. Yet the whole city cheered for the hero who's going to win, without fail.
I think Subaru's biggest problem is not heroic expectations, but heroic responsibility: "Not like the usual sort. It means that whatever happens, no matter what, it's always your fault". He shouldn't blame himself for the actions of others, or for his inability to dispassionately discard life to prevent any and all harm to people. That's what Minerva tried to do, and that never worked. He might be a hero, but he's not a god.
I learned about the dangers of expectations from my RimWorld colonies. Those with high expectations always had mental breakdowns and needed to be sent to my special expectation lowering "therapy" program.
Got to say glad season 3 is coming out with a bang.
Can’t wait for S3 haha
Based take. Love your videos man! :)
Thank you Jumper! I’m glad you enjoy the content : )
Great character love him
And then there are also the Toxic Haters, hating Subaru for not meeting their expactations of Mr.Ultimate Sigma OP Demon Lord Harem God Isekai Protagonist, as a shortend term.
oh boy the video is fucking worth it!!
thanks for the hard work!
Thank you! I’m glad it was worth it!
PEAK video Subaru is My favorite Character and I love Subaru evoluutio every arc And Arc 7 Subaru is My favorite now
Thank you Jani! Subaru is a pretty good character haha
@@Jamillian8 😇👍
@@Jamillian8 i AM Subaru Natsuki the spirit Knight 😎✨
Never going to mention the time he talks to some witches or gods whatever they are
Amazing vid mate
Sheeesh
Thank you!
Dont know if my bias comes from being mostly caught up with the web novel and arc 7, but Subaru by no means has a hero complex past episode 18. We'll concretely see that very quickly in season 3.
Subaru doesnt want to be the hero that saves the day anymore, but he knows that hes the only person that can change the horrors ready to kill everyone he loves becauses hes already seen them die. His vow to Rem about being her greatest hero was mainly about him facing his troubles head on and not backing down anymore, no more excuses. The only reason that turned into a curse for him to the point where he feels the need to sacrifice himself before something he cant fix happens is solely because of Gluttony putting Rem into a coma when he wasnt there to save her. Even that was addressed by Satella and later fully realized by Otto.
Subaru as a character has more or less plateaued in terms of development by the end of arc 4. He's still working on his issues, but he is at least aware that he still needs to work on them and ask for help if he needs it.
2:40 felt like bro was speaking to me
GREAT VIDEO THOUGH
I feel like it doesn't resolve further on. I mean, in the Arc 5 Subaru does start to realise that people praise him way too much and expect a lot from him, since he was able to inspire amazing feats with his RBD. He still tries to prove to everyone that he's not a hero, he's scared and all he wants is for people to be safe, and not to die anymore. I can only imagine that Arc 6 is hell, it releases a monster sleeping within this issue, I'd assume, didn't reach that WN reading poing yet.
Without spoiling, yeah it hasn’t as far as I’m aware. Hopefully it gets touched on more
@GreenAnchor Well, yes, but in Arc 5 it feels like he's not comfortable with people seeing him as one anymore, it was fine only when Emilia and Rem were giving him praise, that's how I started to see it.
Maybe it's my poor phrasing does the wrong impression, sorry, but the longer this arc goes, the more Subaru is trying to look like a simple guy for people, often doubting himself and saying how he can't do much on his own still.
That doesn't mean his hero complex is completely gone, it's just that he starts to acknowledge it, but doesn't know how to make it work right. The fact that he belittles himself verbally does not help at all. I'm not saying I'm correct, alright, that's how I see it currently.
diavolo and subaru
lol accurate
Subaru got them hotdogs in em
What 😭
@@Jamillian8 auto correct doesn't like Subaru, is that cannon?
@@ymws 100%
Great video
Thank you!
re zero is so good omg 😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫😫
Sheeesh
Ironically everyone has these Big expectations of what the average isekai is that they cant realize that Re: zero is different 💀 if you really are a person who calls Re zero trash and that it doesn't have a plot you need to be check out in a mental hospital, is concerning that a crazy mess up person like me can comprehend more emotions about an anime 💀
Get help mf
No one had expectations nor they set its Subaru himself set these expectations up and gets fucked everytime and it's boring to see
@@GrimplaceGraceI felt that too in the first half until the episode 10 then I cried actual tears I thought it's just usual gore but it's something much more but that's still a respectable opinion he is still an insufferable in season 1 but I hope you give it a second chance 🙏
Nice video! Never looked at it from this prospective.
Thank you Segagam!
@@Jamillian8 Id this something that comes up in the main story beyond the anime at all? Or was this something that you thought of on your own?
is this* Had time to reflect on your video and wanted to ask.
@@segagam2830 Yes it comes up in future arcs also wdym by this is something I thought of on my own?
@@Jamillian8 I just mean like, was it unrelated from the main story. And you just thought of something to talk about. Like the show doesn't really talk about subaru's mental health too much. Or how he's relatable, because he's not over powered.
I have a small disagreement, Subaru always believe Emilia could pass the trials but not within the very limited time.
i guess its time to rewatch re:zero again 🤷
Have fun!
@@Jamillian8 been pretty good so far, at season 2, thanks
Good review of the hell called "myself" that plague Subaru's heart.
Did you read the web novel or the light novel?
This could change your opinion on a few points.
He became awfully humble to the point of not recognizing his good parts. (soon to be made into a new season?)
Yet still has huge expectations of himself.
I think that it's hero complex regarding Rem will soon be "fixed" with the upcoming next arc in the light/web novel. ^^
Thank you! Also I am currently on chapter 60 of Arc 7, so yes I’ve read the web novel. I also don’t think Subaru’s hero complex will be fixed (if it even does) until the series is over unfortunately. Given that he has to save everyone he cares about otherwise Roswaal will kill them all and force him to restart
I feel like you will enjoy arc 6 a lot.
Silent Hill huh.... makes sense.
Pyramid Head, the Bowel Hunter 😂
Lmaoo
Love to see it
🫡
Yes (I’m very worn out right now to make a detailed comment)
Take it easy Theunexplained, thank you for commenting though!
Shuba Natsuki has a hard life... like us...
let's be honest this is why no game no life still not getting a season 2 because the expections of fans want the anime want to be.
Warning! Dont get too excited that they fixed the Re-Zero anime in season 2. The announcement season 3 and onward theyre going to screw it all up again by the toxic fandom sending death threat to the poor author.
Bot
@@LtmqtTroll
@@anonymoustroll2432 OK @anonymoustroll2432
I believe Subaru will die a sad painful permanent death and not get the girl but he will save his friends at least
I hope he gets a happy ending personally haha
I would say the things in the video for season 1 are right, but in season 2 he changes a lot
Subaru no doubt has changed since season 1, but that doesn’t change the fact that people expect a lot more out of him, from becoming Emilia’s knight and Roswaal expecting him to have the resolve to save everyone he cares about, otherwise he will kill everyone and force Subaru to restart as many times as possible until he saves everyone
Great video 👏👏, but I disagree about Subaro’s ego, after episode 18, he doesn’t have one, his mentality either 120% ego, or -120%, whenever people compliment him he disregards them etc
Good video
Thank you!
(This will contain WN spoilers) These are just my thoughts as an anime only for arc 1-4 and a WN reader for everything further so I might be off a bit, but I kinda disagree with the notion that the from zero scene just had subaru build a new glass castle, i'd say its more along the lines of being his starting point in realizing self worth by building true confidence and growing as a person, not relying on the facade that dictated many of his actions in eps 13-17. Rem calling him her "hero" also became part of the foundation for his motivation in doing so. I think by the end of arc 3 his hero complex is gone, correct me if I'm wrong but after this arc does he ever say anything explicitly about wanting to become a hero? He says he's Rems' hero because thats her own words and his motivation, but he never says a "hero" is something he is or wants to become in an overarching sense. He said to Rem he's going to "become the most awesome hero ever", but thats likely just him appealing to her thoughts of him as its never brought up as a goal again. Arc 7 and 8 take a deeper dive into Subarus desire to save people, and this desire isn't the same as a hero who wants to save any and everyone everywhere he's not deku, he just wants to save the people he loves and can't help but want to save those in front of him who could be saved as well (his own bias also plays a factor, emphasizing the lack of him having some strict heros code). Thus in arc 4 when subaru tried to recommend the option of taking on the trial himself it was not a matter of him thinking Emilia was useless and needing saving. Trying to take the trial for her wasn't even an idea in his mind to my memory until Garfiel brought it up, not a matter of "his hero complex kicking in". Emilia shot it down and that was the end of that. He wanted to take the trial because he didnt want her to suffer, as, if he's not taking on the burdens of everyone through return by death then in his eyes he has no worth. This tragic yet toxic way of thinking was partially rectified by his meeting with satella who told him to love himself and took a step towards freeing him from his delusion that people he likes dont "actually" like him. Thats why after that he tries to believe he can do something for the people he likes besides taking on the entirety of the burden, taking another step in realizing self-worth which allows him to help instill confidence in emilia. I believe that as the story has gone on, Subarus expectations of himself evolve into desires, things that he doesn't absolutely have to accomplish and burden just himself with but instead things he can strive for with the help of others.
"This will contain WN spoilers) These are just my thoughts as an anime only for arc 1-4 and a WN reader for everything further so I might be off a bit, but I kinda disagree with the notion that the from zero scene just had subaru build a new glass castle"
WRONG
Stop putting Rem's speech on a pedestal. it was her putting Subaru on a pedestal and it led him to continue to trying to live up to unrealistic expectations that he can save everyone in the end.
Rem's speech is only a minor fix that needed to be resolved.
Arc 7-8 has debunked you
Oh so your talking aboutr Arc 7-8 and you completely missed the POINT that he broke down, gave up on everything he ever did INCLUDING loving Emilia because
"MUH REMU DIDNT CALL ME HERO ANYMORE!"
Literally just stop, you Rem stans can't grasp any understanding of Subaru character. You people just put Rem on a pedestal and think "her words are his gospel to live up to"
Stop it Rem stan, arc 7-8 has COMPLETELY proved you wrong
All bad things cant
But most people just quit watching re zero because they find subary pathetic i mean tf would u do if u were him and dont say "i would just leave em bitches and live my own life"
he is pathethic . he is the mc . the worst part is i think the author has no idea on how to give a power up to mc . the watchers want subaru till the season 2 become slightly stronger but no when he dies all his physcial power or magic resets to 0 . infinite torture . i dropped it after season 1 cause the fans are too toxic plus they dont like when u disagree on their fav anime. and ofc the enjoyablity of watching the mc getting thrashed with no progression is as much as the size of a atom. (also this was my first iskeai 5/10)
@ShubSociety I get it u thought re zero was one a basic isekai where the mc gets op as fuck and solves everything in 2 secs well then it's not for u re zero shows the struggle and realism of actually getting Isekaied he is just a normal human tring to fight these super powered villains as the story progressed u can see him develop and grow anime is subjective some people like full on action where the mc gets overpowered as fuck some like mix it and some likes to see people overcoming their struggles and focusing on more psychological aspects
@@politedonut2637 i just expected him to progress episodes by episodes. But when I heard the statement from the author that if he dies , all his abilities resets . That's just evil . Most of my fav anime i watch have mc progression.. One piece , demon slayer , black clover , bleach , etc. these are shone I know but mostly watching a mc get a reward after a particular point in story is enjoyable to watch if ur liking the character. But re:zero is polar opposite
@ShubSociety I also love op and bleach but for me some shonen are way to long too repetitive or the story is plain but new gen shonen like chainsaw man and dandadan feels fresh and very entertaining (don't even know what jjk was cooking)
@@politedonut2637 I guess I can agree of dandadan. That's new right now. But hope the fanbase doesn't get ruined like some popular anime..jjk
🔥
🙏
You’re on the money on the toxicity of expectations on Subaru from ep 18, especially considering what happens later on.
Thank you! I’m surprised that it hasn’t been talked about that much haha
THE WORST CHARACTER OF ALL TIME
TRUE
I disagree with the assessment here. Subaru doesn't "have to go through" anything. He's choosing to do it. Nobody said he has to be a hero. . .nobody put those expectations onto him except for himself. During the show, I notice he lashes out at people all the time and blames them for everything, but everything he does is his choice. No one forces him to do or not do anything except for not tell people he can "reset his game", so to speak.
Throughout most of the show, nobody expected anything of him and did not expect him to save the day. Most people told him to stop getting in the way of everything.
Subaru is a mentally and especially emotionally unstable person, and almost all of his issues stem from that specifically, with the exception of Roswell's schemes to make bad things happen. Subaru desperately wants to be seen as a hero and get the girl because of his low self-esteem and lack of having had a girlfriend. That's why he's always displaying attention-seeking behavior throughout the entire show, acting out, lashing out, having mental breakdowns, etc.
His own personality is wildly different and not consistent from episode to episode and arc to arc, like he is bipolar or something. He totally freaks out when dying to the exact same thing that killed him before in the exact same location he died to it before despite knowing going back to it would result in that potentially anyway. He chooses to go back anyway, then acts surprised. Huh? Then he confidently makes speeches then commits suicide at other times, with a smile on his face as he does it while hero music plays in the background.
To continue going back to places where he died before is a choice. To kill yourself is a choice. To keep relying on the resurrection power rather than learn to fight, is also a choice.
Multiple times he had the chance to learn to fight (Training with WIlhelm). . .then only went through the motions so he could seem like he was trying, then ultimately did nothing. Just gave up because he knew it would take a lot of work. Instead, he relied on his rez powers to try to counter stuff rather than ever be prepared to deal with anything as it comes because he never bothered to learn how to do that out of laziness and the fact that if he is seen as always training, then he's seen as not being great and needing to improve, which lessens his projected image, which is why he seems practically allergic to doing that.
In reality, Subaru is actually a very dishonest and toxic character who manipulates everyone around him through dishonesty, emotional abuse, guilt tripping, getting aggressive when questioned, trying to learn stuff about people to use against them or to his benefit later while pretending he's someone he isn't, etc. He even uses Rem's speech about why he loved Subaru on Emilia instead shortly after. Like wow, what a dbag move. Is he that much of a lying chameleon that he can't even come up with his own words and basically repeats what Rem said to him because he thinks it'll "work" on Emilia? That was arguably even worse than how he treated Rem at the end of that season. Is anyone forcing him to do any of this? No. He's choosing to do all of it.
So yeah, I just reject the idea that he had "unrealistic expectations placed upon him". He had those already from Day 1.and was too dumb and stubborn to ever change his expectations even when slapped in the face with reality over and over.
Running away is not the only way to cope with problems. He could have easily coped with ANY of his issues. Oh, other people are doing as good as me now )even though he admits he was putting in like no effort)? Okay, maybe I should put a normal level of effort in to keep up then. . . .NOPE! Never mind! Let's just run away instead! Because screw working hard. No wonder he got the sloth witch factor and why greed and envy too so much interest in him. He wants everything but with as little effort as possible. As soon as he realizes he has to put in effort, he goes in to a depression.
I do not think he will ever grow as a person and his story will only be him "becoming a hero" through use of special witch powers. He has some extremely abusive interactions with multiple female characters and shows that he cannot even co-exist in the same room with competent men without lashing out or trying to cause scenes unless he somehow deems them to be "not a threat", or "too useful to lash out on yet".
So to summarize, I think Subaru has a lot of problems, and almost all of them are internal mental and emotional ones. Including his apparently very low IQ and nearly non-existent talent stack.
Rem kinda did. Because Subaru is one to her. Only thing she believes in Subaru is that he is a hero who will save everyone and everything will be okay. That is the expectation Rem placed on Subaru and that is what Subaru has been striving to do the entire time.
Without Rem Hero, Subaru's glass will crumble and break again and will give up.
"In reality, Subaru is actually a very dishonest and toxic character who manipulates everyone around him through dishonesty, emotional abuse, guilt tripping, getting aggressive when questioned, trying to learn stuff about people to use against them or to his benefit later while pretending he's someone he isn't, etc. He even uses Rem's speech about why he loved Subaru on Emilia instead shortly after. Like wow, what a dbag move. Is he that much of a lying chameleon that he can't even come up with his own words and basically repeats what Rem said to him because he thinks it'll "work" on Emilia? That was arguably even worse than how he treated Rem at the end of that season. Is anyone forcing him to do any of this? No. He's choosing to do all of it."
You obviously did not watch or Read Re:zero you monkey.
So yeah, I just reject the idea that he had "unrealistic expectations placed upon him". He had those already from Day 1.and was too dumb and stubborn to ever change his expectations even when slapped in the face with reality over and over."
Read Arc 7 you monkey
"I do not think he will ever grow as a person and his story will only be him "becoming a hero" through use of special witch powers. He has some extremely abusive interactions with multiple female characters and shows that he cannot even co-exist in the same room with competent men without lashing out or trying to cause scenes unless he somehow deems them to be "not a threat", or "too useful to lash out on yet". "
You're more of a monkey then I thought.
Literally, you are actually so FACKING stupid its unreal
Buddy subaru made an alliance with 2 candidates, kill the white whale, an sin archbishops, and trap the great rabbit in a dimension as well. Do you truly believe a subaru that has no iq, no social skill, no room to grown and didn't grow at all can do 'ALL THAT'?
@@Ltmqt I totally forgot this OP is completely retarded
@@Ltmqt I think he has a low IQ and VERY poor social skills, yes.
When you can "reset" and keep trying different things until something works, that is not "high IQ and good social skills". It's just manipulative lying and effectively erasing people's memories to forget all of his failures so he can try to manipulate them later.
Since it's also a fictional story, I think we can throw out any "success" are just plot, and not an indication of "effectiveness" as an argument, since it's not real. All you can do is look at how he acts and what he's doing (given the situation), and judge for yourself how that would work irl. And his attitude and actions would lead to massive failure and alienation of everyone around him irl. He would be very frustrating to be around.
Damn, you really wrote a whole ass wall of text about how you don't understand a character
Never liked rezero couldn't even finish the second season part of the reason is the characters don't seem to have depth to me and the passing is off I am a huge fan of the horror genre and the thing that rezero has going best for it is the horrific experiences witch would feel very well done if this was as short and focused as something like uzumaki but when the horrific elements are wrapped up in generic isieki settings and side characters it begins to feel more like (dont like to use the term) torture p*rn. It simple isn't focusing on the elements it does the best for me. For people who do find the setting interesting I can differently see how it would be enjoyable though.
(in generic isieki settings and side characters) who lied to you? generic isekai and characters?
after reading novel , Subaru is still pretty dumb and he can be really cringe with Emilia , he still treat her like perfect goddess ( for him she is absolutely right no matter what) it is not real love ( and yeah i say it after watching season 2 ).
For a lot of people Rem moments was so great ... this girl was ready to give up everything she had in life ( her sister even) just to escape with a guy she met some week ago and just say pretty words. I don't think these people know how to have a good relationship xD
Bro did not think at all when he watched ss2 Ep. 15
Did you actually read the novel or did you just nitpick? First of all, Subaru literally loves Emilia because she's saved him multiple times without her knowing. Not to mention he even said multiple times that he loves rem and Emilia. Also Emilia is absolutely in love with Subaru, she just doesn't know it yet because she doesn't know what love is due to how puck raised her. Also I can immediately tell after the second season that you're just a biased rem fan, rem didn't want Subaru to run away or to accept her confession, she wanted Subaru to be at his very best saving everyone, that is ",Rems hero". With that being said, either reread rezero or look forward to season 3.
first ... i really dont care of what you think , cry more. In an a what if ( write by the same author , and where he continue he writes her story) Rem litteray abandon everything she know o be withe subaru , they had a life , with child and all. This what if depend only of the choice of subaru@@TheManUnderTheSun
@@unviewerrandom4792 the if stories aren't actually canon though so the fact that you brought that up just proves you're being biased.
@@TheManUnderTheSun Subaru doesn't love Rem. Chapter 74 of Arc 8 has proven this.
Expectations don't burden him after EP 18. Being a hero for Rem is a goal now. Giving up on the goal is defeatism.
Going to have to strongly disagree here, especially with the context of what happens in S3 and going forward. Subaru is burdened by expectations, after episode 18, he now has the burden of vowing to be the most awesome hero, after Rem was the only person who saw Subaru that way, when he had given up entirely on being a hero and being able to save everyone. On top of that in Season 2 he is now officially Emilia’s knight and now if he lets a single person that he cares about die, Roswaal will kill everyone that he cares about and force Subaru to restart. Roswaal is forcing his OWN expectations on Subaru to possess the resolve to restart as many times as possible, to lead everyone he cares about to that happy ending.
You already got complely proven wrong in Arc 7
TBH, me from the future is confused about this comment of mine. I do not remember the context of this video and under what circumstances did I type that.
As person with no memory of this, expectations can burden anybody on this planet ...
It's weird cuz, I was pretty updated till the latest chap at that point too.
Anyway me from the future here does not understand why this comment was typed nor am interested in learning or defending it.
@@Jamillian8 Also highly agree with this reply.
@@peanutbutteraddict22 Because you don't understand anything of nauce, you just see Rem say
'MUH HERO" and Subaru being like "OMG IM GONNA BE HER HERO NOW AND SAVE EVERYONE!"
Then you honestly think thats a "realistic goal"
Man I really deeply hate this MC, I've never felt this much loathing for a fictional character.
So, YOU ARE SUBARU TOO. Nice, you are wrong...
Tbh, i had high hopes for Rezero s2, but it later went to dust...
In what way?
subaru is a simp
I was positive this video would be about peoples expectations for the series and how those very expectations are souring peoples enjoyment of the series. That would of honestly made for a more interesting video topic if I'm honest not that I'm crapping on the video it's just the re zero analysis genre has been milked dry at this point.
2:28 I can't...I'm not an anime character that cares *SO MUCH* for no reason for anime characters that he just met 1h ago.
I will never care for *ANYONE* that much...because...I'm a real human being.
So you would let people die painful deaths even if you knew about it and could've done something to stop it. You're a real human being alright, but not a good one.
Buddy, the character you have your pfp from is in a Spiderman movie. Do you believe that Spiderman helping people despite all of his life problems is unreasonable as well😂?
first
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Subaru was a hypocrite manipulative entitled mc..
He is fraud and a false hero, and a preditor..
When someone says subaru is good mc. You are one of those people have the same traits of subaru and have a bad life decisions on life.
He tries to be relevant but he failed so much.
3:00 - 3:20 was tough