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Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
loving amazing episode. Last one had a 10/10 ending and this one trumps it. The whole episode.

Betelgeuse was an excellent kind of madman. The sudden shifts between moments of calmness and extremes of emotion, the ticks with hurting himself, and the contrast with his more comedic behaviors with that and the situation around him add an effective creepy vibe. Definitely feels like someone who made contact with and serves unknowable horros (ie the Witch of Envy), and had his mind broken in the process.

If it had any fault is that it feels like this should've worked better as a double episode with more Rem POV or such, as a lot of it felt rather compressed in other to fit in the loop properly from the end of last to death by giant Puck, but as always the show's good directing shines through.

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Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
It's quite an accomplishment how the show makes you feel for the characters, and Subaru's despair in particular, when the premise is the ability to reset so that bad poo poo didn't happen.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

PerrineClostermann posted:

Didn't he happen upon her dead body in one loop? She got there a lot earlier because she didn't have him to slow her down, iirc.

No. First time Subaru dies he enters the pawnshop first and sees her get cut down in front of his eyes after she follows him in, which happened at night (so Puck wasn't out and active), and he succumbs to his own wounds right afterwards.

NowonSA posted:

Oh yeah I forgot that Emilia's been dead before without causing a Puckageddon. I suppose the most likely thing is that the cultists do something to her before or after her death and cause a puck freakout then, or just something about the cultists being tied to the Jealous Witch causes that because of Emilia's JW ties.

I'm sure that Emilia's going to have some history or tie to the Jealous Witch at this point, she introduces herself as Satella in the first loop, looks just like her, is the female lead of the series... I mean I take that as gospel at this point.

I think the big difference is the hour; it's just past dawn when Subaru reaches the mansion after the massacre the first time, and considering the trail of blood, I can imagine that perhaps Emilia attempted to make a last stand before succumbing to her wounds, only for Puck to awaken to see her dead. Alternatively, she activated him at night but the same thing still happened with her not making it to the morning.

I believe it's later in the day when he reaches the mansion in the last episode, giving Puck more time to be active (and cover the Mathers domain in snow). Killing Emilia to cause Puck to go on a rampage might be the Witch Cult's objective, but :iiam:

Now, being more speculative, I don't know if Emilia even has to have a tie to the Witch of Envy. That is, she looks like her, but that's it. On the other hand we have Natsuki Subaru, who:

- Got transported to another world for no apparent reason (perhaps by the Witch?).
- Smells like the Witch (whereas Emilia doesn't).
- Every time he loops or attempts to break the apparent 'rule' of taking about the loops the Witch smell gets stronger, so we know the power is related to her.
- Legend says that the Jealous Witch is starved for love, as told by Beatrice, but doesn't understand humans.
- And what does Subaru's power do, exactly? It doesn't let him die, and he can't tell anyone that he has it.


I'm more inclined to believe that Emilia is just a victim in all of this, out of looking the way she does, and that Subaru running into her was either coincidence or a product of his own strong connection to the Jealous Witch.

Or, just maybe, the reason he can loop is that he so strongly wanted to save a silver-haired half-elf during his last moments that the Witch chose him, interpreting it as someone who could love her.

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 11:02 on Jul 12, 2016

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Annointed posted:

It's not like their possessions would disappear too, people would start to wonder why entire caravans are left about with their cargo intact and no merchants.

Depends on how exhaustive the 'retcon' effect is, really. The guy's whole cart disappeared, so it affects non-living objects/possessions.

But inconsistencies like suddenly having only one or no parents would easily clue people in on the disappearances.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Amstrad posted:

So I haven't been following the thread, but has this whole 'seven deadly sins' thing been discussed yet?
Betelgeuse specifically calls himself Sloth, and wonders if Subaru is Pride, which if you look back on his outburst in the episodes before he certainly was prideful when he was going off the rails about everyone surviving because of him.
This latest episode is entitled "The Greed of a Pig" and deals with Subaru only thinking of himself and his goals/needs when trying to enlist help.
I'd go so far as to say Subaru is also displaying a good deal on the Wrath end of things too.
That leaves us with: Lust, Gluttony, Envy

Just some thoughts.

Raenir Salazar posted:

I think he's like, the Highpriest to the cult that specifically follows "Sloth", he makes references to being a "finger" I think for his cult/guild thing. Possible Spoilers as I don't remember their source but I'm pretty sure is mostly speculation and Probably Not A Spoiler: I don't think he's specifically an Avatar for the Sloth counterpart to the Witch of Envy; as if I recall correctly the Witch had actually absorbed the other "sins"; so perhaps he just worships an aspect of her.

Beatrice mentions that the Jealous Witch (aka Witch of Envy) devoured the witches representing the 6 other deadly sins. Betelgeuse being a Sin Archbishop would certainly imply that he worships/represents an aspect of Satella, and what he asks Subaru implies that Betelgeuse hasn't met the Archbishop that represents Pride, and so wonders if Subaru is him since he's so covered by Witch miasma. Subaru could (assuming he indeed does) represent any other sin besides Sloth, but given that Betelgeuse specifically mentions Pride while knowing nothing about Subaru besides perceiving the 'love' hanging around him would imply that he has met the other Archbishops or knows enough about them to discard them as possibilities for Subaru's role.

As for whether the sins as a theme will become more prominent in the narrative is hard to say and perhaps rather pointless to discuss, since the deadly sins are way too open to interpretation and can lead to hours discussing whether some minor action represents one sin or another and ultimately it's unlikely to shed any light into future developments.

But the power of Sloth being telekinesis is kinda neat.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
Though, it's episodes 5 and 7 that reveal the kind of themes Re:Zero is really going for.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Cowman posted:

I'd be kind of disappointed if Emilia was the Witch. Maybe if she was "Kindness" or "Love" or something like that since the Witch apparently is based on the Seven Sins and the emotion "Jealousy." It would be better if she were the good part of the witch that got separated off somehow. I just don't want Emilia to actually be the main villain :smith:

Emilia being the Witch is way too 'in your face' to be it, and it diminishes the discrimination she faces (which is one of her major character traits) by actually being the origin of said discrimination. She also has no connection to the Witch that anyone can detect, unlike Subaru, the mabeasts, and presumably the cultists/archbishops.

It's more likely she's simply a victim of her circumstances in the story - which seems to be one of the running themes.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
That's a causality loop, not a self-fulfilling prophecy :eng101:

It doesn't feel like there should be a reason for a future Emilia to become a witch and then decide to travel to the past - 400 years in the past - to destroy the world. Sure it could happen, but the story just doesn't give any sort of hints at such a big loop being the central twist.

So far, everything just seems focused on Subaru being the one with mysterious abilities and circumstances, thrown into conflict and disrupting what would have naturally occurred. In this context it's clear Satella is his 'benefactor', and very likely the reason why he was suddenly transported across worlds, but the idea that Satella/Emilia is doing this to ensure her own creation who is then transported to the past and sealed is... anti-thematic? There must be some other purpose and reason, surely.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
Subaru's a nobody.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Thor-Stryker posted:

I feel bad for the argument I made earlier in the thread about how Subaru didn't understand the butterfly effect. The dude is 100% average with no excelling qualities in any form. This series makes me pine for a protagonist that at least has one good quality like smarts/athleticism/charisma.

But nope, it's a story about a teen who doesn't learn from his mistakes so he repeatedly suffers gruesome deaths until he gets the right character to carry him through the story arc.

He has good memory, athletic ability and is quite charismatic. And while not the sharpest stick in the woods, he's clever and quite good at thinking on his feet.

However, for the most part he hasn't had time to learn from his mistakes or even think clearly in this arc, and for understandable reasons, he treats every loop like it'd be his last - a fact that frankly allows it to be a much more compelling story with emotional weight than say All You Need Is Kill.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
Episode preview is out. Emilia speaking like Megumin :3:

Emilia: EXPLO—
Subaru: I WON'T LET YOU

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Condiv posted:

i guess i'm just stuck on how she goes from trying to murder him to deeply infatuated with him over the course of a week

effortpost

Rem is very similar to Subaru. As a child she was just the shadow of her sister, and gave up on being anything else than that. Then, after the massacre of the oni village, she lived an even more hollow life of just going through the motions while putting up a poker face (that in truth only barely hides her emotions), hating herself, considering herself worthless and just living for the sake of making things up for her sister (for being glad when her horn snapped off), which is something Ram had no desire for and that everyone who noticed told her was wrong, but she wouldn't listen. And living this way, she only acts out of her own initiative, breaking out of the calm character mask she puts on, on impulsive anger or guilt (like the times she kills Subaru).

And then we have Subaru, a guy who despite clearly being athletic and charismatic had turned to aimless truancy. He hates himself. He diminishes himself putting up the appearance of a buffoon to ingratiate himself with people, and using bravado he hides his doubts and insecurities. Upon arriving to Lugunica he considers himself the hero of the story, barely questions it, tries to go through the motions of saving the day but he can't handle real difficulty; he gets pushed into action by guilt (saving Emilia, saving Rem and Ram upon realizing they aren't bad people and despite everything he cares for them) and anger (the events at the castle, Betlegeuse).

Now, why does Rem fall for Subaru? Because in the last loop of Arc 2 she sees through him, she sees him at his worse putting up a mask and breaking down, and sees him at his best caring for people and risking his life despite his weakness and cowardice. Because despite mistrusting him and acting 'friendly' mostly out of obligation, he cares for and puts his life on the line for her. And because the above, at the right time and with the right words, allowed him to get through to her. Something no one else had managed to, he did through his own effort despite knowing so little about her. It doesn't matter how long they had known each other, they got a feel for each other's character, and his words clicked in. Rem, being the devoted kind of person who devalues herself but for whom others mean the world, couldn't help but hopelessly fall in love with him at that moment, even knowing he was already pinning for Emilia.

Subaru is a hero who saved Rem, in all the ways that count. She sees his flaws better than any other character, and they only make his good parts even more amazing in her eyes. She can't not be in love with him.

Plus we're apparently missing a whole chapter between Arcs 2 and 3 that are Subaru pampering Rem.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

smenj posted:

It's a bit of a stretch, sure, but Rem was pretty messed up, then Subaru rolled in and pretty much resolved all her life's issues at once. Pretty understandable that she's gone all a bit hero worship in that light.

Yeah, he rocked her loving world. But what's beautiful is that this didn't lead to her hanging to his every word, but rather, that she won't let him be less than the best he can be. This is why she refused his offer, despite being something that she desperately wanted.

So now that Subaru has realized this, that there's someone who looks up to him like that, he has no choice but try and be that hero the best he can.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

NowonSA posted:

Yeah I have to imagine that this pep talk is going to be undone, I don't see how he can organize a big military force and fight the Hakugei and cult forces on one pass. I think beating the Hakugei is the perfect chance for a lengthy montage though, show how he gets the forces together and one pass through the fight that doesn't work, then he resets back at the appa shop and instead of being in despair and psychologically messed up like he has been for most of the 2nd cour, he smiles and pats Rem on the head and gives it another try, speed through the alliance forming/battle planning and show a tiny difference in the fight, and repeat for about 5-10 minutes and then they beat it.

They've held off on a montage so far, and this seems like the opportune moment for it.

A multiple tries montage, and getting rid of episode 18 just like that, goes against the theme of living each life to its fullest. It'd turn it into All You Need Is Kill, which is what the series has been trying to avoid. Subaru *has* to try his drat hardest every single loop, specially now, and failure has to hurt him. Anything less diminishes his effort.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Arcanen posted:

I don't really understand Subaru's awakening/redemption/whatever this episode. Over this arc he's been made aware of how he was acting like a complete poo poo to everyone, and has been suffering since that revelation, and now his redemption is some "just be yourself" malarkey and to go back to acting as he was before? Despite there being very real and serious problems with how he'd been acting that he seemed to finally be accepting?

Are we watching the same series?

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

TastyLemonDrops posted:

Man, I think I enjoyed the first season, but I'm on episode 15 now and this show kinda blows?

If you don't like episode 15 you should drop it. A lot can be said of how the series is good, and there are more than a few perfectly good reasons to not enjoy it (and that episode in particular), but ultimately if that episode failed to get any emotional reactions out of you that left you looking for more then it's just not for you.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Futaba Anzu posted:

"why doesn't he just kill himself to reset after he fucks up lmao"

Hahahahahahahaha How The gently caress Is Dying Hard Hahahaha Nigga Just Jump From A Cliff Again Like Nigga Slit Your Wrists Haha

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
In his current predicament, the only things that Subaru can accurately 'predict' that are of any consequence and couldn't be obtained through old-fashioned espionage are the Witch Cult attacking the Mathers domain and the White Whale showing up near Flugel's Tree. Both are related to the Witch, so saying stuff like 'I know when and where the witch cult will strike' will just mark him as a suspicious individual that has some connection with them - particularly since the Cult is apparently known for spying and spreading misinformation.

Ironically, Subaru is also scared of being seen like a mad man and instead is trying to fit in, which is why he was reluctant in the first place to tell anyone about his ability before figuring out there was a penalty for trying (and note he's unwilling to test just how much he's allowed to say), and why he hasn't told anyone he comes from another world.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Ytlaya posted:

It's more that it makes the protagonist only the "lord and savior" of a single timeline. Like, it doesn't really matter much if Subaru just manages to save 1 out of hundreds of timelines he ends up experiencing. I guess it's better than nothing to have one "successful" timeline out of many, but it just makes the success feel hollow.

I think it fits in with this setting with how Subaru is really averse to resetting trivially (or rather, making the most out of every life) and thus keeps the alternate timelines to a minimum.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Ytlaya posted:

Actually, regarding Subaru/Rem, I like how straight-forward and upfront the characters are about their romantic interests. In most WNs/manga/anime the girl would just heavily imply she's interested in the main character but not actually explicitly say it (and to the character in question no less). Same goes for Subaru knowing he wants Emilia, which avoids the whole "who will he pick?!" nonsense and makes me hopeful about there not being a harem.

Monogatari does a similar thing with Senjougahara, where she's upfront and right away makes a clear move on Koyomi after he saves her, falling in love with him precisely because he saved her, and they start going out. How he himself feels about things is left vague for a while, and he's overly friendly with girls that are pinning for him to various degrees, but when eventually confronted about whether he's with her just because she was the first to ask him out, his answer is a clear "I love her and wouldn't exchange her for anyone."

Which almost gets him killed. More than once. I'd say about a third of that series deals with the consequences of the protagonist 'choosing' a girl rather than stringing the rest along. In that sense I guess Monogatari was playing with that trope, vs Re: Zero which is outright sidestepping it.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
Probably.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

ninjewtsu posted:

Watching 2 people just talk to each other for an entire episode isn't a terribly entertaining prospect tbh. I thought they did a good enough job with it that I wasn't personally terribly bothered with it, but I see where ViggyNash is coming from. I'd have enjoyed the episode a lot more they had shortened the conversation from 18 minutes to 13 minutes and gave us an extra 5 minutes of Other Things Happening, while still giving the conversation enough time to be developed and meaningful.

It ultimately comes down to how much you grow to care about the characters. 18 episodes of build-up ware required.

I see a lot of misinterpretation of what Subaru giving up means, however. A lot of "he finally realized he's a gently caress up and is learning nothing from his mistakes." :confused:

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Tuxedo Catfish posted:

I could see a total wipe but if only Rem and Subaru survive that would knock out two of the candidates, which seems unlikely given that we haven't really had that much time to get to know them.

e: Also, did somebody mention a manga? Is it ahead of the anime and available in English? I can't stand light novel prose, even in translation, but it's hard to wait every week.

There are three different mangas, each (i think concurrently) covering one of the first three arcs. The anime is already ahead of the manga covering Arc 3.

Quality between the mangas varies and from what I've read the anime is a superior adaptation, but the mangas do include material from the novels that the series has cut out either for time/pacing constraints or apparently due to relevance to future arcs. For example, there is a conversation between Al and Subaru when he gets picked up by Priscilla on the way to the candidates announcement where :siren::siren: KIND OF A BIG REVEAL BUT APPARENTLY NOT REALLY??:siren::siren:Al reveals he's from another world as well.

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 00:35 on Aug 8, 2016

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

darkgray posted:

THE ABOVE POST IS A MASSIVE SPOILER AND SHOULD BE AVOIDED AT ALL COSTS, unless you enjoy that kind of thing.

It just seems way too big to have spoiled on a forum. Hopefully the anime will deal with it in some way or another in the future, so let's not just squander it here. :(


Edit: Oh great, a new page, so this is worthless.

Dunno, I asked why the hell something like that would be cut and apparently it hasn't been brought up again as far as the WN goes (only mentioned in a sidestory regarding Al's backstory, I think). So however big it seems, it's apparently just not relevant to the plot for the next several arcs. I'll add warning signs to it anyway.

a kitten posted:

Maybe discuss the novels somewhere else or not at all.

This is from the manga.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Verizian posted:

WiFi? You know one of these otherworld fantasy RPG shows are going to use that at some point. Probably another successful hero in Konosuba who asked for a smartphone with a YouTube playlist full of gold farming, quest, and boss guides.

What is this genre called anyway? Lost in a game style world is nearly long enough to be a LN title.

"Isekai"

And...


異世界はスマートフォンとともに (Isekai wa Smartphone to Tomoni)
In a Different World with a Smartphone

Description

Oh no, the MC is accidentally killed by a god. Because of the mistake, the MC starts a second life in a parallel world. God revives his body and he is allowed to take and use his smartphone. He comes across various people while making important comrades and before the MC is aware of it, he has discovered this world’s secret. He inherits the legacy of an ancient civilization and he goes around the world nonchalantly while having power that matches that of the god in this world.

ED: gently caress japan

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 01:52 on Aug 8, 2016

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
I think there's far too much bashing on Subaru. He's not a perfect being but most of the bad situations and outcomes he gets in the story are circumstantial rather than a karmic consequence for his actions. His only real significant fuckups have been in the first two arcs thinking for the most part he could solve things on his own (asking for Reinhard's help would've made things go much more smoothly arc 1, and in arc 2 he tried asking for help only after getting emotionally crushed), and the fool he made out of himself in the selection by running his mouth and then dueling Julius (which led to Emilia returning to the mansion on her own).

Although he could've learned much more of the situation in the first go from traveling with Rem if they had trusted each other more, and perhaps skip being catatonic out of guilt for the 2nd loop, he really couldn't have negotiated assistance from Crusch and Anastasia in his first two attempts at doing so, and it's really difficult to condemn his actions on the third loop if you're a human being with a decent capacity for empathy.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

madmac posted:

Browsing the authors twitter feed lately has taught me that there is a shitload of awesome looking Felt x Reinhard fanart.

It really does feel like most of the female characters besides Emilia and Rem are paired off with other people, which I like. Felt/Reinhardt, Ram/Roswall, Priscella/Al, Crusch/Felix, ect all register as kinda being things already.

Why do people romantically pair up Priscilla/Al or Crusch/Felix? Felt and Reinhard I can see given he's the almost literal knight in shining armor that came to the rescue of a damsel in distress and then elevated her from the street urchin life she was struggling to escape to the status of a princess (with bumps along the way), but those other two pairings... what romance are people seeing?

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Mindblast posted:

What if someone is convinced they are telling the truth, but aren't?

Check mate, divine magicks. :smugdog:

This is half the reason why Crusch rejected Subaru's plea for help the first time.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Ytlaya posted:

It's a little strange it didn't also rewrite history to the squads just containing a different number of members, then.

The power seems pretty broad but not that exhaustive as to remove any and all inconsistencies, which for some cases would be impossible (say deleting one's mother while the father and siblings remain), and probably filters by personal connects so it starts with memories and personal belongings and branches out from there, but can't infringe that much further I'd think, which is when inconsistencies can start to be spotted and deletion made sense of. In that case, organizing things across even groups and numbers makes sense as a way to keep track of forces; if for example there were three main divisions in the army and one got completely deleted, its possible they'd forget there were 3 divisions deployed, but as long as some survivors remained (or people that died not by way of deletion) they'd remember there was a third division that had by logic a similar structure to the other two.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
I believe the implication is that pure magical/blunt attacks are strongly dispersed, and while piercing/slashing attacks seem to be drawing a lot of blood, their effect is only superficial. As a magical construct, it's dangerous to assume blood is vital to its functioning, or that it even needs eyes to see.

Reminded me a bit of the Endbringers from Worm.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Mindblast posted:

Oh yeah totally , it is just that they could have worked on the framing a bit better. It just comes across so strangely.

I also agree. It'd have worked better if the flashback before he got eaten had cut at watching Theresia save him - it'd have resonated better with the current event of facing something beyond his power, which in turn would've left his survival more ambiguous.

But with with this parallel story truncated like that it's obvious he isn't dead yet. It just wouldn't be narratively appropriate.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

darkgray posted:

Am I the only one who avoids previews like the plague? They always seem to give you moments like when you're worried about Rem ever showing up again after ep 17, and oh look, there she is in the ep 18 preview.

:same: but people worried that Rem would completely disappear from the universe were stupid.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Condiv posted:

wasn't that tree supposed to be important?

It was a landmark.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Lestaki posted:

What you got from it is manifestly unreasonable. That scene was very clearly teasing the fact Crusch was romantically attracted to Subaru while acknowledging she wasn't going to act on that fact in any way. I for one am not wringing my hands for the harem bullshit of the future so much as rolling my eyes at the pandering found in the present. I think that scene and their dynamic would have worked better without the line about heartstrings. With that said, it's not exactly a huge deal or anything, so whatever.

Subaru said, with some levity, he was so impressed by Crusch that if he wasn't already committed to another (plus someone madly in love with him pulling at the rest of his heart), he might just have fallen for her right there.

Crusch response was, with the same levity, that she hasn't gone as far and her heart has its own commitments, but can't deny that as a woman she felt some pulls of attraction there (presumably from witnessing him be a total badass).

You guys know what rapport is, right? They're just being friendly with each other. Regardless of how honest Subaru was being his words, her response was both rejection and praise on the same terms he praised her.

What the gently caress is wrong with you? Like that other guy who bemoans harem while seeing every male/female interaction as a possible romance. I know this is japanese media but come the gently caress on.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Kytrarewn posted:

To me, the more interesting part of this episode was "It's been so long since i had a body that suited me as well as this one" That would seem to add some fuel to the Witch is future-emilia sent to the past, fingers are future-subaru sent to the past fire.

I think that just implied that Betelgeuse has been body hopping for some time now, and the one we were initially introduced to wasn't even his original body. And the affinity for Subaru's body as Subaru having high compatibility with the witch/spirit powers, which JuliusJuli commented on this episode.

Actually, having rewatched earlier episodes recently, I think Subaru's high spirit compatibility has been an ongoing theme. The reason his Shamac exploded the first time seems to be because Puck miscalculated and Subaru ended up releasing all of his body's mana in what should've been just a simple test, and his frankly understated ability to see through Beatrice's door crossing might also be related.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
Episode felt rushed, and low on budget, but pretty fun otherwise. I suppose it works as setup for the final episode, on both fronts.

Whats up with the blank letter?

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Vanilla Mint Ice posted:

It's weird they couldn't bother to record an additional line but when Subaru catches the merchant/finger he calls them out for swapping out the letter with a blank letter to seed confusion and fear

Ah, that makes sense.

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Spiritus Nox posted:

Good to hear. Really loving the character work in this show. Subaru is really doing a great job of walking the 'likable well-intentioned dumbass' tightrope. I mentioned in the chat thread that it's really, really endearing just how hard he's fallen for Emilia.

He gets transported to a fantasy world away from his NEET life (which implies he had ongoing social issues he wasn't facing and wanted to run away from) where he meets this wonderful, beautiful half-elf girl who saves his rear end. Of course he's completely smitten.

It's such an innocent crush, too, and all their interactions just add to it.

Until his emotional baggage and inadequacies as a person rear their head.

IIRC, the director mentioned in an interview that his everyday life at the Roswaal mansion is exactly the life Subaru wanted; a place he felt he belonged in with immediate duties and responsibilities that made sense, surrounded by interesting friends and even a girl he loved.

Conspiratiorist fucked around with this message at 14:42 on Sep 15, 2016

Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day
And then you find out that they were only pretending to be friendly with you, and willing to murder you the at the slightest misstep.

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Conspiratiorist
Nov 12, 2015

17th Separate Kryvyi Rih Tank Brigade named after Konstantin Pestushko
Look to my coming on the first light of the fifth sixth some day

Donnerberg posted:

That isn't quite right.

Spoiler tags for the guy who's in arc 2 and still reading the thread. Rem jumps to the conclusion that Ram is pretending to like Subaru, but it's only Rem that can smell the witch on him since she still has her horn. Ram and Ros are suspicious, but I think he won over Ram in some of the loops. Emilia is confused, Puck likes him and Betty doesn't care.

They said they were 7 episodes in, which is exactly past that part. My comment was within Subaru's context; that notion, after Rem's actions, is what really fucks him up. It takes the realization that they are all nice people after all to pick himself back up and do the otherwise unthinkable for their sake.

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