Re:Zero (novela) nº 02 - Una semana en la mansión 2ª parte

Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活 [Re:Zero Kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu] #3

by Tappei Nagatsuki

Volviendo de su suicidio, Subaru despertó de su cuarta muerte y, al ver a las criadas, agarró las manos de ambas para comprobar si eran las que se habían sostenido de él durante su pesadilla, solo para ganarse los insultos de ambas. Pasando por los mismos acontecimientos que sus vidas anteriores, pidió ser mayordomo de nuevo, asegurándose de actuar normalmente mientras trataba de averiguar la identidad del chamán que los mataba a través de una maldición en los otros bucles. A pesar de los intentos de Subaru de ocultar su estado mental con el duro trabajo que hacía, Pack notó como se sentía, e informó a Emilia que se desgastaría en un futuro próximo a la velocidad en que estaba haciendo las cosas.

Genres: Light Novel, Fantasy, Manga, Fiction, Anime, Novels, Romance

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 22, 2014

About the author

Associated Names:
Tappei Nagatsuki
長月達平 (Japanese & Traditional Chinese) /
长月达平 (Simplified Chinese)

Reviews

[Mika · Rating 3 out of 5]

It was alright. Not too exciting 'cause it wasn't as dark as the previous volume. It's good 'cause a book series being dark from start to finish usually makes me used to it, so I like when it switches between a dark and a more lighthearted mood. I just didn't enjoy this one too much 'cause it was like the missing half of the story since the previous volume cut off at the end and I honestly liked the first piece better. Though I must say that I liked how Subaru finally managed to not only befriend Beatrice but also Ram and Rem.

My favourite chapter was actually the first one 'cause the psychological turmoil was still present and it also reached its peak. The main story was interesting too and seeing how Subaru fought to protect people, but not too exciting. For that I prefer the anime, 'cause I can see it visually and it's more fun for me then.

The only thing that bothered me was how the relationship between Beatrice and Subaru seemed to be less close than the last time loop where Beatrice even protected Subaru long after the time he asked to be protected. Now she seems to be more defensive and less caring. Perhaps they should make a pact again?

“[...]I’m super scared of dying. There’s nothing more frightening in this world than death. People who say there’s worse stuff than dying should say that after they’ve tried death once or twice.”
It was the one unshakable truth Subaru had learned from that world: Death was absolute. He could not abide it being treated lightly. Nor could he stand comparing death to other things by those who had not experienced it.
After all, Subaru, having experienced death multiple times, had returned to the world to start over because he had himself tasted despair worse than death.

StoryGraph review

[Magnus Byrne · Rating 5 out of 5]

A nice finish to the volume 2-3 arc. At this point some of the main cast has been well established and I'm starting to really enjoy the worldbuilding and all that. The plot got interesting as well, with a more thourough look into the world's magic system and mechanics.
As well as this, a few of the character's backstories got pretty well fleshed out, but still leaving room for discovery for some, which sets a nice mystery for the future.
There are about 40 side stories it seems for Arc 1 (Volume 1) and Arc 2( Volume 2-3) so I'm gonna try and read those before Volume 4 (already read 17) and hopefully Volume 4 will be just as good.

[Nərmin · Rating 4 out of 5]

It was the continuation of the second volume. I read it quickly and to be honest, skipped some parts, as I have already seen what happened. Here are pros and cons of the series:

Pros:
1. Characters are entertaining with their own quirks and bizarre personalities. The main character Subaru may not be the best character ever written but he has rather a strong personality to make him likable. The other characters were almost all females, each one of them having strong bonds with the main character.
2. The plot was exciting and engaging, with dark themes and funny moments balanced.

Cons:
1. Writing style was dragging and sometimes over-explained, but overall it was a minor issue.

The fourth volume is not available for me to read it, so I'll put this series to rest for some time. Still, I really want to know the mysteries behind all of this. *sighs*

[Cell · Rating 5 out of 5]

(純廢文)
家裡2歲多的蛙兒很喜歡轉我的雷姆流星錘(護身用)鑰匙圈
以抓週的原理來看的話，長大會像雷姆吧

小說彩插中的流星錘與動畫的樣式有點差異
動畫裡的是簡化的，刺比較少
恰巧手邊有實物(?)做比較

[Jon Ureña · Rating 3 out of 5]

Three and a half.

I came across Re:ZERO when the anime started airing back in 2016. It was the big hit of that season. I very much enjoyed the first few episodes, but in one of them they introduced not only one of them clichéd cat bois, but also went into fantasy world politics. I thought the show had gone through the usual collapses that happen to many anime series, in which some introduced elements completely destroy the tone, balance and flow of the story, and you might as well move on. I moved on back then, but recently, I don't remember why, I decided to watch it again from the beginning. Although the episode in which I bailed was the worst of the series so far, there were great things to come. I'm up to date with the second season, and, at least for now, I'm going to read through the original light novels.

This story is one of the earliest breeds of isekai from a legit genre that has become the termites of manga/light novels/anime. There are isekai of every gimmick imaginable; it's the fictional version of Rule 34: if you can think of something ridiculous, there's bound to be an isekai of it. In any case, this genre doesn't exist outside of Japan as far as I'm aware. You could write dissertations on the cultural implications of its existence and its common elements. Almost invariably, these stories are about some Japanese person getting transported to another world, usually set in a fantasy version of Europe during the Age of Enlightenment. Those fantasy worlds tend to feature fantastic beasts that are a mix of Western and Japanese folklore. Puzzlingly, often the worlds themselves tend to be videogames, or have videogame features such as status menus or shit like that.

In Re:ZERO, the Japanese person who gets transported is former class clown / current hikikomori Natsuki Subaru. As he was getting out of a konbini, he blinked and found himself in the middle of a fantasy metropolis populated not only by humans but also demi-humans. As part of this protagonist's charm he's mostly overjoyed that he can leave his miserable life behind, and he believes that he's going to enjoy protagonist status in this fantasy world. He carries self-aware commentary throughout the entire series so far, making references to the usual narrative tropes and even video games, that none of the characters around him understand. As he's wondering what his superpower is going to be, as per the laws of this genre, he finds out that this fantasy world offers him just a couple of certainties: defeat and suffering (link for a somewhat spoilery compilation of that from the first season of the anime).

Shortly after Subaru gets to that world, he casually meets whom he takes for the main heroine and love interest of his fantasy story. He attempts to help her recover some stolen insignia, only to come across a murderer. He gets fatally wounded, and because he couldn't warn the main heroine properly, she gets killed immediately. As the protagonist dies, he holds her hand and promises her that he'll save her somehow. The protagonist dies only to get transported back to a previous checkpoint. Turns out his only "superpower" is to return by death to a previous point during his life in this fantasy world. He can't choose when and where, which causes problems down the road. Additionally, whoever put that curse on him doesn't physically allow him to share the details of his ability with others, so he consistently has issues enlisting others' help to prevent disasters that he knows are coming.

While that concept would entertain me by itself, I find the psychology behind some of the characters quite interesting. The protagonist is a good guy with no particular talents and who couldn't measure up to his dad (shown in the second season). Early in his school days he resorted to making others laugh and organize mischief for their amusement. However, as they grew older, he didn't, and they eventually left him behind. When he reached high school he found out that he couldn't connect with anybody; he couldn't open up about his real self, which was one full of shame and inadequacy, and his joker persona no longer vibed with his high school aged peers. He found himself terrified of going to class, and by the time the story started he barely left his home. It reminds me a bit of Osamu Dazai's memories of himself in his probably mostly autobiographical "No Longer Human". Subaru relates to the people he meets in this fantasy world by being a jokey weirdo, which charms and disarms some, but ends up causing terrible trouble not only for himself but for others; the worst probably when during an official meeting of candidates for the throne in the capital, the protagonist, who had sneaked in there, claims to be the main heroine's knight. One of the official knights of the realm calls his bluff, shaming him about pretending to be an equal to people who had trained for the rank their entire lives. The protagonist realizes he fucked up and this is getting serious. The main heroine is mortified. The knight ends up challenging him to a duel, and beats the protagonist savagely. Afterwards, everybody he had met in the capital treats him as a pariah, a blabbering fool just worthy of being exploited for information. Part of his arc depends on him facing his inadequacies and powerlessness and struggling forward despite it all. The earliest "dark night of the soul" happens during episode 18 of the first season, when Subaru, having died a few times attempting to stop a plot to murder virtually everyone he cares about in that world, gives up and asks a character that's fond of him to just run away from it all and start a life of their own in another country. He opens up about having done nothing with his life, and that nothing had changed in him along with the scenery. All the attempts at struggling throughout his life had consisted of suffering through pain until someone reassured him that he could never achieve whatever he was striving for, due to his lack of talents and other inadequacies, and that he might as well give up.

As other colorful characters we have best girl Rem, a servant for the lord in whose mansion the protagonist ended up living in. This maid also happens to be a demon (or more accurately the Japanese version of them, an oni). She was born a twin to a sister that was a prodigy. Rem grew envious under her shadow despite loving her sister, and when some Inquisition-like group ended up murdering most of her tribe including their parents, she witnessed her sister's horn, the source of her powers, get amputated. Rem's final thought was one of relief, as in "it finally came off". The guilt of having wished that to the depth of her being carried her forward, by taking over her now comparatively powerless sister in all the stuff the sister could no longer do. By the time the protagonist meets her, she's just looking for a good cause to die. She also has blue hair and almost always wears a maid costume, as per the laws of this medium.



Another character whose psychology I found interesting is the librarian of the lord's mansion. She's a possibly immortal being who despite having grown fond of many perishable creatures she has met along the way, she now acts standoffish and unapproachable in order to avoid the inevitable grief. In her own words when a major disaster happened during one of the failed runs in the first season, "I don't care if some maneuver would benefit me in the future. I'm tired of pain, suffering and fear. Of everything, I suppose. At least you can die where I can't see you." She's also a little girl wearing a very elaborate, festive outfit and has a ridiculous hairstyle, as per the laws of this medium.


"She told me she was several millennia old, your Honor"

I started reading the light novels from this volume because apparently the previous ones divert little from the anime. This volume starts after (spoilers from the story up to this point) the protagonist has already been killed like four or five times. He's managed to survive just a few days inside the mansion only to be killed by a curse but also by a previously unknown assailant. He already found out who that murderer was, but he only finds out the origin of the curse during this volume. To stop the curse he needs to befriend and enlist the help of a few people who aren't on his side, and then venture into a monster-infested forest to bravely face some demon dogs. These sequences are the first instances in the story so far in which the protagonist has to complement his numerous shortcomings with the help of the much more powerful people around him, not only to solve the issue at hand, but also to convince them of his good intentions in a world where betrayals and contract killers are around the corner.

As usual in such series, people are divided between whether the protagonist should favor a romantic route or another. Subaru latched on to the first pretty face that helped him in a moment of need: Emilia, a name that probably sounds better for a woman in Japanese, who is a magic user born a white-haired half-elf in a world where the biggest catastrophe was due to a white-haired half-elf having destroyed half of the population a few hundred years ago. Due to some lineage she's a pretender to the throne, but because virtually everybody that meets her just sees a reincarnation of that world's Hitler, she's a very naïve shut-in with old-fashioned morals who needs to be extremely careful of stepping outside of the mansion belonging to the lord that takes care of her. She's a sweet, caring girl and all, but choosing her over Rem would be like dating your own admittedly very beautiful, mostly clueless and naïve mother. The other option is a berserker demon girl in a maid outfit, so no contest there.

If you have already watched the first season of the anime or you don't care about spoilers, you probably should watch the humorous Re:Zero IN 8 MINUTES video that YouTube anime guy Gigguk made back then. Plenty of out of context stuff, but a good summary of the series up to that point.

[Lire-une-passion · Rating 4 out of 5]

"En résumé, c'est un troisième tome pour lequel j'avais à la fois beaucoup d'appréhension et d'attentes. Au final, il m'a vraiment beaucoup plu. Subaru se reprend en mains, redevient sérieux et sa quête principale revient sur le devant de la scène. J'ai beaucoup apprécié ce tome 3, et même certains passages m'ont fait rire."

Chronique complète: http://lire-une-passion.weebly.com/fa...

[Jorge Rosas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Way better than the previous books, this one is filled with excitement and action, the characters finally get a full development and the story goes smoothly, just hope that the following one is not in a vicious circle with one bad one good book.

[Nicol · Rating 5 out of 5]

Tercer volumen y Tappei mantiene el ritmo: Ram y Rem, e incluso Roswaald, obtienen una profundización de sus motivaciones e intereses en este volumen.

✅ Subaru es un protagonista resiliente que se vuelve a levantar aunque las cosas son difíciles. Es capaz de perdonar y compartir el éxito, buscando el mejor futuro no solo para sí mismo y Emilia, sino, un futuro donde todos sean la mejor versión de sí mismos.

Ella ayudaba a otros, incluso si eso significaba herirse a ella misma. Por eso la amaba.

✅ Emilia como el premio y objetivo del protagonista, vale 100% la pena: Ella vale la devoción y fidelidad de Subaru. Es un alma bondadosa e intrínsecamente pura.

✅ El pasado de Ram y Rem revelado, y dejan suficientes migas como para esperar algo grande en el futuro de Roswaald.

⏺️ Aprendemos más de la Bruja de los Celos pero aún no es suficiente. ¿Cómo se desarrollará en el futuro?

⏺️ Oficialmente acaba la parte 2 de 2, del Segundo Arco de Re:Zero (Asesinatos en la mansión Roswaald).

❌ Subaru lo dijo: todos en la mansión tienen un sentido sobre desarrollado de ayudar a otros a costa de su propia integridad, impidiéndoles pedir ayuda y apoyarse como equipo, sino que prefieren salir en solitario a arriesgar la vida propia.

✅ La novela desarrolla de manera progresiva y bonita la trama. Sin ser muy lenta ni ir demasiado rápida. El volumen no se enreda desarrollando demasiadas cosas al mismo tiempo.



🧶 Opiniones
🗨️ Esa necesidad de intentar hacerlo todo por sí mismos, en vez de pedir ayuda y apoyarse como equipos, los condena una y otra vez. Salen adelante gracias a la buena fortuna y las repeticiones de Subaru que encajan milagrosamente varias piezas.
*¿Se imaginan cómo habrían mejorado las posibilidades de todos si Emilia hubiera ido al bosque con Ram, Rem y Subaru? En vez de preocuparse de que ella saliera lastimada…
*Sin Emilia, cada uno tendría un 65%-70% de acabar mal. Con ella, la posibilidad para cada uno seguro era un 40%. Tendrían más chances todos juntos desde el inicio.




🧶 Líneas de trama
🗨️ Está es una frase que va a envejecer mal. Todos sabemos que el amor ni es eterno ni lo puede todo. Subaru se romperá de nuevo, una y otra vez, ¿pero qué pasará entonces? ¿Seguirá reconstruyendo su amor idealizado a Emilia? ¿O madurará en otra cosa?

El palpitar en el pecho de Subaru se había vuelto cada vez más fuerte cuando miraba a Emilia, hablaba con ella, o sentía el toque de sus dedos, pero él no había tenido un nombre para esto antes.
Cuando pensaba en ella, su cuerpo estaba afligido por los dolores ardientes de esa molesta enfermedad conocida como el amor… Por mucho que se lastimara, sin importar el dolor que soportara, por más que probara la desesperación, todo era para salvar a Emilia. Todo era para pasar sus días caminando al lado de Emilia. Incluso si Subaru Natsuki muriera una y otra vez, ese amor seguiría vivo.

⏺️ ¿Quién es Garfield?

⏺️ La forma demoníaca de Rem será importante en la trama

El cuerpo de Rem se levantó. A pesar de que había tenido un golpe tan espectacular, Rem no mostró ningún signo de lesión mientras se ponía de pie. De hecho, hasta donde podía ver, todas sus heridas se habían cerrado. La energía curativa increíble emitió una temperatura alta, y su misma sangre hervía, aumentando como vapor rojo.
Rem volvió la cabeza, mirando lentamente alrededor de la zona. Sus ojos habían perdido todo rastro de razón. Su rostro, cubierto de salpicaduras de sangre, se retorció en una sonrisa extática. Entonces, Subaru vio.
― Un demonio.
Ahora, con el tocado apagado, vio un cuerno blanco que crecía desde la frente de Rem.
― Ah-ah… ah-ha-ha… Ella rió.
Era una risa fuerte como la de una niña pequeña pero desbordante de crueldad desnuda.

*Sus uñas eran largas y lo suficientemente afiladas como para rivalizar con las de las bestias demoníacas, tal vez un efecto de su forma de cuernos. Bajo su mano derecha estaba su bola de hierro para la "autodefensa" y un charco de sangre y pedacitos de carne, una combinación excepcionalmente ominosa. Eso era lo terrible que Rem estaba en su locura macabra, y, sin embargo, en medio de todo esto, el cuerno blanco que sobresalía de su frente había mantenido su pureza y belleza

⏺️ ¿Porque cuando Subaru se dispone a confesar que tiene la habilidad “Regreso por muerte”, el mundo se congela, no hay color, ni sonido ni tiempo?. Y una nube negra se desplaza por el cielo, formando la silueta de brazos que alcanzan el pecho de Subaru y le estrujan el corazón.

⏺️ ¿Que es la silueta oscura que estaba con Subaru en la Tierra sombría? Silueta indeterminada de una mujer.
. Por alguna razón, cuando sus dedos rozaron suavemente su mente, Subaru quiso llorar.Él tenía un deseo instintivo de que la sombra lo abrazara, que se lo tragara completamente…
― … e… amo.—dijo la sombra.

🌱 El camino hacia la magia que ya era difícil para Subaru, parece h aber sido cortado. Haber sobreexigido a su puerta, dos veces, en un periodo corto, la ha secado casi completamente. ¿Ya no habrá un Subaru brujo?

🌱 ¿Quién guío a las bestias al pueblo?

🌱¿Que significa el objetivo de Roswaald?
Debemos salir victoriosos en la selección real, no importa qué… por el bien de mi objetivo…Por el día en que muera el Dragón



🧶 Personajes
—Subaru Natsuki. 17 años, casi 18.
*Tiene afinidad a la magia de oscuridad.
*Se lleva más con Ram que Rem

—Emilia.
*Busca convertirse en la gobernante #42 del Reino de Lugunica… con el apoyo de la Casa de Roswaal.
*Se especializa en magia de hielo, pero está clasificado como maná de fuego, ya que éste está asociado a la temperatura y el enfriamiento que es caliente se clasifica como parte del fuego

—Puck. Espíritu por encima de la media. Gran Espíritu.
*Trata a Emilia como su hija
*Por naturaleza, Puck se comportaba exactamente igual sin importar cuán alta fuese la presión de la situación. Ella no sabía si era porque era un espíritu o si era simplemente su personalidad lo que lo hacía así


—Señor de Provincial Roswaal L. Mathers.
*Señor de las regiones exteriores y mago de la corte: mago de más alto rango y principal usuario mágico del reino
*Es el benefactor de la candidatura real de Emilia

—Ram. Hermana mayor. Es un demonio.
*No es tan buena en las labores del hogar como Rem
*Tiene una relación más cercana con Roswaald. Tiene una relación de dependencia con él.
*Ram es arrogante, ruda y dominante. Sin embargo, es extrañamente considerada
*Clarividencia o "La Vista de Mil Ojos". Toma prestada la visión de otros seres vivos, y no se limita a las personas. Es literalmente capaz de mirar a su alrededor con "mil ojos"
*Al perder su cuerno, las habilidades de Ram se clasifican incluso más bajo que las de una persona promedio. Perdió su talento.
*Sigue teniendo cierta habilidad de controlar viento
*Puede que no haya estado tranquilo al respecto, pero ahora lo estoy. Perdí mi cuerno, pero gané una vida en su lugar. Aunque Supongo que no es lo que Rem piensa, sin embargo.

—Rem.
*Rem es superficialmente educada, mientras desliza un puñal. Sin embargo, es extrañamente considerada
*Tiene la tendencia de actuar precipitadamente de acuerdo a sus propios juicios.
*Al seguir teniendo su cuerno, puede entrar en un estado berserker demoníaco
*Usa una bola gigante de hierro para machacar enemigos.

—Betty/Beatrice. Habla en tercera persona de sí misma. Es bastante cortante y despectiva con cualquier persona, menos con Puck. Protege el archivo de la Mansión Roswaal.
*Impertinente
*Puck y Beatrice son muy cercanos
*Es… tsundere?
*Especialista en magia oscura



—Kenichi, el padre de Subaru, una vez dijo ‘La vida debe ser vivida’. Era muy normal que una persona como el fuera su padre.


*Mansión Roswaal: actual hogar de Subaru, Emilia, Roswaal, Ram y Rem, y Beatrice.

*Archivo de la Mansión Roswaal. Habitación grande llena de estantes hasta el techo repletos de libros, que protege Betty.

*Earlham Village. Villa que está en las cercanías de la Mansión Roswaal. Prácticamente al lado de la mansión, parte del territorio perteneciente a Roswaal en su papel de Marqués. Era una aldea pequeña, con cerca de doscientos residentes, aproximadamente.



🧶 Sobre el universo
⏺️ Ella que bebe el mundo mismo. Reina del Castillo de las Sombras. El mayor de todos los desastres: la bruja de los celos. En este mundo, sólo hay un ser indicado por la palabra bruja. Incluso se considera tabú decir su nombre en voz alta. Todos la conocen.
Una oscuridad sin paralelo en el mundo. La bruja de los celos, Satella.
Ella consumió a los grandes pecadores de antaño conocidos como las Seis Brujas, tragando a la mitad del mundo en el proceso, la más vil de todas las calamidades.
Se dice que la bruja desea amor. Se dice que ella no comprende el habla humana. Se dice que envidia todo en este mundo. Que nadie la haya visto ni vivido. Que su cuerpo no es tocado por los estragos del tiempo, incapaz de envejecer o decaer. Que el Dragón, el Héroe y el Sabio combinaron su poder para sellarla, porque ni siquiera ellos podrían esperar destruirla. Se dice… Finalmente… que ella es un medio elfo con pelo plateado

⏺️ Satella, la bruja de los celos. Las Seis Brujas habían hecho que el mundo gritara, pero esta bruja las limpió de una sola vez, provocando una calamidad que destruyó la mitad del mundo. Un héroe había sellado su carne dentro de un cristal, donde ella seguía durmiendo, incluso entonces, en algún rincón del mundo.

—Los usuarios mágicos y los magos del espíritu son distintos:
*Los usuarios mágicos usan el maná dentro de ellos cuando usan magia.
*Los magos del espíritu usan el mana en el aire alrededor de ellos.
El proceso es bastante diferente, incluso cuando los efectos son los mismos. La diferencia radica en si una puerta se utiliza o no. El tamaño de una puerta depende del usuario mágico individual, pero eso no importa mucho para los magos del espíritu, ya que usan maná externo.

— ¿Pero eso hace que los magos del espíritu sean demasiado poderosos? No es tan conveniente. En primer lugar, el maná en el aire no es infinito… Y la fuerza de los hechizos que un mago de espíritus puede usar depende del espíritu con el que has formado un pacto. La predisposición necesaria para formar pactos con los espíritus es rara para empezar, y los espíritus poderosos son aún más raros.

—Bestias demoníacas: Son bestias imbuidas de poder oscuro, el enemigo de la vida inteligente. Se dice que la bruja los creó

—La energía mágica que llena el aire que nos rodea se llama mana. Od es lo opuesto, la energía mágica con lo que todos los seres vivos están imbuidos. La capacidad total varía mucho de una persona a otra, y usarla realmente te desgasta

—Para los demonios, los cuernos en la frente formaban la conexión por la cual el maná entraba y salía del cuerpo. Pero Ram, al perder su cuerno, su cuerpo perdió la capacidad de usar mana o emitir energía, una pérdida grave dado el nivel superior de su habilidad. Sin ayuda, su cuerpo moriria. Por eso, diariamente, Roswaal le transfiere maná, ayudandola.




🧶 Frases que me gustan

Subaru no podía cambiar los engranajes de su mente cuando sentía sus suaves dedos acariciándole la frente.
― Estás cansado, ¿verdad?
― Yo… todavía puedo hacer… más. Estoy totalmente… bien…
― ¿Has tenido problemas?
― Estás siendo tan amable conmigo, quiero decir, voy a sonrojarme. Si sigues haciendo eso, yo… voy a… Ha-ha…
Incluso él podía decir que sus palabras sonaban huecas y vacías.
—Ha sido difícil para ti, ¿verdad? ―Parecía que lo cuidaba.
Eso era todo lo que necesitaba para que las paredes de Subaru colapsaran. Todas las emociones intensas que había intentado mantener encerradas, no habían desaparecido en lo más mínimo y se filtraron.
― Fue difícil. Fue realmente, duro. Estaba muy asustado. Estaba muy triste, lo suficiente como para pensar que iba a morir. ¡Me dolió tanto…!
― Sí.
― Yo… lo intenté. Realmente lo intenté. Hice todo lo que pude. ¡Traté desesperadamente de hacer todo bien…! ¡Lo hice! En serio, en serio. ¡Nunca he intentado hacer algo tan difícil!
― Sí, lo sé.
― Es porque me gusta estar aquí… ¡Este lugar, es precioso para mí…! Por eso me moría de ganas de tenerlo de vuelta. Tenía miedo. Tenía tanto miedo de volver a ver ese día… y lo odiaba. ¡Me odié por eso!
No podía controlar sus emociones.
Era una lástima verlo: un hombre adulto con la cabeza en el regazo de una chica, llorando a más no poder. Lloró, lloró, se lamentó, y en algún momento, los sollozos se desvanecieron en la distancia. El único ruido que llenó la habitación después de eso fue el sonido de un sueño tranquilo.

― …Rem.
Rem sintió una poderosa presión de la mirada de Emilia
― Subaru es un buen chico.
― …
Rem respondió haciendo una reverencia. Luego, sin decir nada más, se dirigió a la puerta y dejó a Subaru y Emilia en el cuarto de huéspedes.

― Wow, esto es raro. Tu afinidad es pura Oscuridad. Ah, tampoco tienes talento. Tu puerta es pequeña; ¿Al menos el número está bien…? Pero apenas hay una apertura, así que no hay mucho.
― ¡Cállate, ya lo sé! Por cierto, ¿qué significa esa cosa de talento, por los números?
― Si pasaste veinte años en el entrenamiento diario, podrías convertirte en un usuario mágico de segunda categoría de alta gama.
― Así que yo dedicaría la mitad de mi vida y todavía llegar a corto de nivel superior… Creo que sería mejor dejar ahora….

― .. Es una oportunidad de oro… ¿Qué hacer…?
Con cada momento que esperaba durante esta oportunidad ideal para salvar a la chica, el peligro aumentaba. ¿Por qué fue Subaru Natsuki el que está aquí? ¿Y si hubiera sido Roswaal? ¿O Beatriz? ¿O Reinhard? Si fuera uno de ellos, bendecido con poder digno de héroes, la situación podría ser fácilmente resuelta.
Pero fue Subaru Natsuki quien se quedó allí. Fue Subaru Natsuki quien anheló un milagro. Y fue Subaru Natsuki quien seguramente no pudo traer un milagro

«Finalmente. Finalmente se rompió.» Ese fue el pensamiento que tuvo en aquel momento.

Pero incluso esforzarse hasta ya no poder más no era suficiente.
Era debido a que era inferior en todo. Incluso si se esforzaba hasta el punto en el que ya no podía más, hasta el punto en el que su alma fuera destruida y su cuerpo fuera quemado hasta ser convertido en cenizas, nunca llegaría a alcanzar lo que debería haber sido. ¿Qué podría hacer para expiar su culpa? Y así, Rem dedicó su vida a recorrer el camino que su hermana debía haber recorrido por sí misma, pero que Rem le había robado. Para Rem, ella era sólo un sustituto de su hermana en todas y cada una de las cosas.

― Soy una incompetente, alguien sin talento y un demonio rechazado por su propia raza. Es por eso que nunca podría estar a la altura de Nee-sama. Yo era muy lenta en comparación a Nee-sama, y no podía pensar en ninguna manera de alcanzarla además de correr más rápido. Nee-sama hacía todo mejor. Nee-sama nunca se equivocaba. Nee-sama nunca vacilaba. Nee-sama siempre tenía razón en todo. Nee-sama… Si era ella, entonces… Siempre fui… su reemplazo. Siempre he sido inferior. Realmente, soy una buena para nada. No pude alcanzar a Nee-sama sin importar cuánto la perseguí.
Lágrimas comenzaron a emerger abruptamente de sus ojos.
― ¿Por qué fui yo la que pudo conservar su cuerno? ¿Por qué no fue Nee-sama? ¿Por qué Nee-sama nació con un solo cuerno? ¿Por qué…? ¿Por qué tenemos que ser gemelas? Rem parecía ser incapaz de mantener la calma, secándose las lágrimas de sus mejillas. ― L-lo siento
― Oye, Rem. Después de haber oído todo eso de ti, sólo puedo decir que realmente eres una idiota. Te preocupas demasiado aunque lograste salvarme. Siempre intentas llevar todo el peso sobre tus hombros por ti misma. Estoy realmente feliz de que fueras hasta tal extremo por mi seguridad, pero todo tiene un tiempo y un lugar. Para empezar, si hubieras hablado con otras personas acerca de eso, probablemente habríamos encontrado una mejor manera de solucionar las cosas. Y otra cosa. Rem, solo porque ella es tu hermana mayor, la pones siempre sobre un pedestal y a ti te pones por los suelos… No creo que Ram estuviera siempre en una mejor posición que tú, ¿cierto? Su resistencia es peor que la tuya, su cocina es pésima, se escapa del trabajo, hace comentarios sarcásticos, es grosera… Bueno, supongo que ella también piensa demasiado, ¿cierto?
― N-no.… estás equivocado. Nee-sama es realmente… Si tuviera su cuerno, nunca la juzgarías así…
― Pero Ram no lo tiene ahora. Así que no conozco a una Ram como esa. La Ram que conozco es justo como la describí. No puede compararse a ti en la cocina, la costura, la limpieza, la cortesía, o la forma en que habla… Probablemente seas la única a la que le importa si tiene un cuerno o no. Lo que Ram no tiene lo tienes tú. Así que sólo acéptalo y ya… Eres amable, trabajadora, siempre das lo mejor de ti, eres hermosa y tus pechos son más grandes que los de Ram, también…

― Tú y Rem están entre aquellos seres preciados para mí, son tan pocos que apenas puedo contarlos con una mano. De hecho, si te hubiera sucedido algo terrible en este incidente, no estoy seguro de haber podido contenerme.
― Para el Maestro Roswaal, Rem y yo somos…
― Sí, para mí, tú y Rem son mis preciadas, vitales, e irremplazables…
― …Peones.
― …Sí. …
Sus mejillas se ruborizaron mientras asentía con la cabeza. El comportamiento de Ram era perfectamente dócil y lleno de adoración mientras Roswaal la atraía aún más hacia su regazo.

— Las cosas se pondrán más difíciles a partir de ahora. Requerirá de mucho trabajo, pero estoy contando contigo y Rem, ¿cieeerto?
― Como desees. Soy tuya, Maestro Roswaal, como lo he sido desde aquella ardiente noche.
Ram agarró el dobladillo de su falda y dobló las rodillas en señal de reverencia.

[Brandon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Alright, fuck, I like the maid twins. Jesus. I'll buy you're fucking merch, Kadokawa, so calm down.

Perhaps somewhat interesting, in the sense that I believe Re:ZERO is maybe plague to too many violent waifu wars, is that while I've grown to like Rem more through this volume, I think I've also grown to like Ram even better. I still hold a position of Emilia as Best Girl, if not pretty much solely for her character design (I feel Otsuka gives her the fattest thighs of the girls, and that's sometimes important), especially as she barely does anything here. Rem grows to fall in love with Subaru because she's impressed by his tenacity, particularly as she's spent much of her life trying to make up for Ram's losing her oni horn, and the whole thing is quite cute, I must admit. However, the brief interlude of the sisters' backstory, as sappy as it is, kinda "got" me a wee bit, and so I have an interest in Ram that's very much the same as Rem's own reverence for her sister. It helps, then, that Ram has quite a bit of screentime ("page-time"?) compared to the younger maid as Ram and Subaru search the woods for Rem (who was searching for the majuu to kill them and lift Subaru's curse, earning herself some moe points). Actually, thinking about it a little more, and being too lazy to revise this paragraph by including this statement earlier on, Emilia's lap pillow is far too significant for anything the other girls do to try to bridge the gap. Rem holding Subaru's hand in his sleep at the end is definitely cute, but it's bittersweet since there's a feeling she will be friendzoned hard, and indeed the next scene is Subaru hanging out with Emilia.

I play around too much with taking on a sort of persona that's seemingly obsessed with moe elements in Japanese media, and with perhaps a particular interest on boobs and butts and things, so allow me to say just one thing more before taking this novel seriously: Rem's boobs look nice in the illustration in the Epilogue.

Okay, so, anyway, this volume wraps up the story arc that began with Volume 2. Subaru kept dying from a debilitating magic curse, or otherwise Rem would die from the curse, or Rem would hunt and murder Subaru regardless of whether he's being killed by the curse. Subaru eventually got the impression there was an evil shaman afoot who has been fucking with Subaru in an attempt to create chaos in Roswaal's mansion, so he killed himself to trigger Return by Death. Volume 3 here is Subaru's last run at trying to solve the mystery of the shaman's curse. Pretty sure he didn't die at all in this volume, which is a nice change of pace, and hopefully a sign for the future. There are several points at which Subaru's life is definitely at stake, and indeed there is a chapter that seems like it would end with another death for our hero (an "interlude" chapter postpones us from seeing too soon that he actually survived). I believe the next arc is Volumes 4 through 9 or something, which I predict could very well be annoying if he's dying three or four times each in the first several novels before actually solving whatever problem in the final book, so my guess is that Subaru's not-dying in Volume 3 sets us up to see him not-die for some great stretch of page-count in future.

Worldbuilding expands more than in the previous two volumes. We finally have confirmation that "Satella" is the name of the Witch of Jealousy. It is assumed the black shadow Subaru sees is Satella or an avatar of the witch. Subaru and the village children have been cursed by majuu (translated as "demon beasts" in the novel, but that sounds stupid to me, so bear with my preservation of the Japanese), who are also thought to be powered by the Witch's mana. Subaru learns a little bit of magic, being able to cast a spell that causes a mixture of Silence, Blindness, and Confusion statuses (not stated explicitly, but I'm using generic JRPG terms for simplicity's sake). Subaru also works out a plan to force the black shadow to grip his heart by intentionally half-speaking of Return by Death to Ram in order to increase the Witch-scent around him to lure the majuu toward him and Ram, while also drawing the demonized Rem's attention. And I guess, then, I should also mention that the twins are confirmed to be small parodies of the mythic red and blue oni, and that Rem has her horn, but Ram lost hers, and oni are supposed to have two horns by the number is split for twins (though, how the fuck would triplets work?), and Rozchi saved Ram and Rem from some Witch-fueled angry mob burning their oni village. And all the brief scenes that seemed like Rozchi was fucking Ram are revealed to be Roswaal dripfeeding Ram with his mana because she kept burning through hers by spamming her Blades of Wind because her missing horn makes it harder to maintain her MP or something.

The "afterword" and the preview for the next volume mention that Volume 4 will be the beginning of the "main story." Author Tappei Nagatsuki referred to Volume 1 as "the tutorial," as it sets up the basic idea of Return by Death and Subaru's desire to protect Emilia. Volumes 2 and 3 expand the series to introduce Roswaal, Beatrice, Ram, and Rem, to confirm Subaru's love for Emilia, to set Rem up as a third wheel in love with Subaru, to give Subaru some minor means of combat (he uses a sword, learns the attribute of his mana and a single spell he can use, and he weaponizes Return by Death's Witch-stank), and to broaden the plot with the ideas of royal candidates and how Emilia's life may be at stake for her superficial resemblance to the evil Witch. Taken as a whole, these three volumes of prologue are all pretty good, so I'm definitely interested enough in moving onward. That said, I'm uncertain whether I should read the following light-novels immediately, or watch the anime first, or read the webnovel (which I've been told is superior to the LN). Either way, I'm locked in because I keep fucking buying cheap prize figures of the oni maid twins....

[Marcely Melo · Rating 4 out of 5]

[4.5⭐]
Finalmente o final do arco 2 e, graças a Deus, fechado com chave de ouro!

Esse capítulo foi melhor do que o passado, principalmente por dar fechamento ao loop de mortes incessantes do meu mano Subaru. Achei interessante a explicação, finalmente, do motivo da Rem desconfiar tanto do Baru e do que molda a personalidade da personagem, com o passado das gêmeas sendo parcialmente revelado. Tentei fazer um paralelo da cena da novel com o anime enquanto lia, porém, honestamente, eu não lembro é de mais de nada do anime.😅

A novel sempre é mais completa que o anime, isso é fato, até pela mídia ser diferente e o modo como as coisas são apresentadas em cada uma, então, me agradou bastante. Como fã de re:zero e alguém que faz coleção da obra, acredito que, nada mais justo que eu critique um pouco a obra e, claro, como eu a conheci pelo anime e me dói muito recomendar a alguém a assistir, afinal, eu acho o anime muito legal, porém não consigo negar que o meu mano Barusu é, tecnicamente falando, um protagonista insuportável funcional. Na novel isso funciona super bem, afinal, a gente não só tá na cabeça do cara, a gente lê os pensamentos dele e entende que ele tá "sendo idiota" mas não exatamente à toa. Ele demonstra ser humano na novel, parece até que ele é uma pessoa decente! Aí no anime meu mano Surabu é só burro e às vezes vc precisa pausar o anime pra dar uma suspirada 😮‍💨 e dizer "complicado né gente" antes de prosseguir. Enfim...

Explicaram o que diabos era a relação do Roswall com a Ram e eu genuinamente não tinha entendido isso no anime, afinal, A DESCRIÇÃO DA CENA E O MODO COMO FOI MOSTRADO ME DEU CERTEZAS SOBRE QUE NÃO ERA E NUNCA FOI SOBRE "RECARREGAR MANA".

Algo que me incomodou um pouco esse volume foi a tradução, principalmente em momentos que a concordância do português se esvaiu completamente e deu lugar ao modo mais "uga buga" possível.

[HardLight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Again another fantastic entry by Tappei-Sensei and another really good book read.

I breezed through this entry as it was 90% action with the fight with the Urlgarm in the forest and everything virtually pitch-perfect in their action and revealing, loved every single second of it.

And yes I teared up during the morning after talk between Rem and Subaru. (I'm gonna hate him again in upcoming volumes).

It's brilliant, every single part of it and after watching the anime several times I FINALLY understand what is going on with Ram and Roswaal at nights. See I always assumed it was a healing type magic, that was shown to be a sort of sickness (Roswaal gets similar treatment later on) but turns out instead of extracting Mana because there's too much, it's putting Mana in the body this time.
And that kinda makes it even more intimate and the upcoming reveal is amazing.

Beako being absent for a while is explained better here than in the anime. (poor lil loli is scared for her friend) and Emilia actually scolding Subaru is hilarious, both hesitant and annoyed at the same time that ends with a happy scene.

All in all an end to the Mansion arc of Re:Zero and the halfway point of the prologue finishing is fantastic.
Didn't think I'd love them as much as I am but dammit if I've been proven wrong.

Now to start Volume 4 and the bestest best knight to ever nyah ever. I hope anyway.

and yes he is a boy.

[Adam · Rating 4 out of 5]

Pretty great.

Coming back to the superior isekai series has been quite enjoyable...

I forgot how much I liked the time travel aspect and its endless possibilities within Nagatsuki's world he's built. This series inspires a lot of imagination for me, more than Konosuba does.

The final act was satisfying. RamRem development was welcome. Roswaal's kinda busted. Subaru's still a bit much with his goofy mannerisms here and there, but as I'd hoped for last volume, Subaru's constant exposure to trauma seems to have hardened him a bit, which I like.

He's also become more desperate as he is always fighting way outside of his weight class, which is exciting.

Resolving volume 2's plotline, I think I liked this one more than the last volume, having clarified alot of things and being good closure as well.

Nagatsuki's afterword was interesting, as well. He described volume 1 as the "tutorial" to the series and the 2nd and 3rd volumes as a precursor to the main story showcasing how the rest of the series will go. Supposedly, volumes 4+ dive into the larger world of Re:Zero, which should be interesting.

Of course, I will be along the ride to see how Subaru's power is used throughout it all. This premise, I imagine, will keep me hooked throughout the series, as long as Return by Death remains prevalent.



duhhhhhhhhhhhhhh i mean konosuba better konosuba betterrrrrrrrrr duhhhhhhhh

[Genni]

I am not an anime watcher or the target audience for this so I’m not going to rate it. But having fulfilled my commitment to read three volumes of this while on vacation, here are a few thoughts:

1)This is more like fantasy than I thought. I assumed it would be faster-paced, but it is really more like slow world-building of the Sanderson variety.

2)I don’t know what the writing is like in the original Japanese, but the English translation is very basic.

3)The characters have quite a bit of development and the main character is pretty funny and charismatic, which is enjoyable.

4)The plot is interesting, but not really unique (though what plot is?). However, the author uses tropes to explore the characters from different angles and also explores the concept of memory as well as time and circumstances on free will.

I can see how this would be thought-provoking for young people….

[Noah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nagatsuki no para de sorprenderme. Me gusta mucho cómo consigue adaptar la evolución de su trama para conseguir incluirlo en un espacio tan breve sin que se sienta corto (aquí el experto en novelas ligeras).

Aunque me habría gustado más unificar los dos últimos libros en un solo tomo para tener todo el arco conjunto, entiendo la necesidad de partirlo en dos y aplaudo la capacidad del autor para tomarse su tiempo en el desarrollo de la trama y, sobre todo, de los personajes.

Quizás sea que no estoy acostumbrado a leer novelas ligeras pero esperaba menos nivel de Re:Zero y me he encontrado con uno de los pocos isekai realmente coherentes que he visto, una historia absorbente y un casting de personajes muy bien trabajados y con cero miedos a trabajar con excentricidades.

[Rayiull Gutierrez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Me parece que los diálogos están mucho mejor trabajados que en el segundo libro (las extensiones en las palabras de Roswaal son menores aunque permanecen presentes, y Beatrice aparece menos con sus "me lo pregunto") y considero que recurre a expresiones menos, digamos, juveniles.

Asimismo es interesante ver la resolución de los problemas que se van presentando, con unos siendo inteligentes y otros no tanto. Por ejemplo, el uso de la magia por parte de Subaru me pareció una solución muy buena, una que fue inmediatamente desechada por la aparición de otro personaje.

De eso en más va desarrollando una historia excelente, esto junto con las relaciones de los personajes como la de Ram con Roswaal, Subaru con Rem, y Subaru con Emilia.

[Kenchiin · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am so happy to be back in this little world! It’s been forever since I read the second volume, and it was nice to reconnect with Subaru and the gang.

This light novel covers a small piece of what was Season 1 in the anime adaptation, so I mostly knew what was going on. However, I did find some little details here and there that the adaptation decided to leave out; of course, Subaru’s thoughts and POV really help set the tone in a different way.

Recommended for those who enjoyed the previous two volumes, as this is a direct follow-up to Volume 2... and for those who haven't read the series yet, if you are looking for a good combination of mystery and fantasy.

PS: Emilia-tan is the softest!

[Tiliqua · Rating 3 out of 5]

It's a nice finale to the second part. It's so short that I wished it came as a 400 page volume with the second one instead as to not ruin the pacing. It's a very high tempo read, for better or worse.

The main character is starting to learn that he should try to understand people, and other characters finally feel more believable now that he tries to see anyone elses capabilities. It's fun to see the side characters change, it doesn't feel unusually contrived. It is a bit annoying that it took three books to break away from what seemed like another harem series. At least it does this faster than the anime!

Looking forward to the continuation.

[Siew Hok Rui Ray · Rating 5 out of 5]

After watching and reading the novel and the tv series adaption. I got to say, Re: zero has got to be my best read novel of all time. Without a doubt, this novel has stolen the special spot I've placed Evangelion on. In this novel and the rest of them introduces a cast of characters that blew my mind away, although it wasn't something I've never seen before, but the way the story makes them interact with each other just blows my mind. This is my biased review on the current state of Re:zero 2020.

[Casey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe 3½ stars.

Not bad, but not great.

I frequently found myself able to set it down. Doesn't help that circumstances allowed me to read e-books easier for a few days than a physical one, but when I had the choice, I would finish the ebooks rather than pick up this one. So I whittled away at it.

Had I devoted more direct time to it maybe I would not feel quite the same way, but I have yet to really connect with any of the characters to the point where I really care. I'll read more, but I'm not dying to grab book 4 and start right away.

[Casey Hampsey · Rating 4 out of 5]

Volume 3 wraps up the Manor arc. I think my favorite moment is when Subaru uses Shamak against the demon beasts right at the end - by that point, I'd forgotten he could do that, and it was a great moment of hollering and hooting when it seemed like he would perish. That being said, I'm glad to get out of the "warm-up" arcs and into the real juicy stuff come Volume 4. We gotta get to the good witch cult stuff!

[ALi · Rating 5 out of 5]

Intense

I watched the anime a while ago. Long enough ago that the details of the story are hazy.

I love all the characters, especially Beatrice. Subaru is as annoying as ever, but he makes the other characters truly shine.

This is a great read for fans and also for people who want a well structured, fast paced fantasy story.

[Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

El segundo arco ha estado muy bien, la primera mitad del volumen si se me hizo algo más pesada pero, la segunda parte ha sido muy entretenida y no he podido parar de leer.
La escena de Rem ha sido tan hermosa como lo fue en el anime. <3

En el próximo volumen empezamos un nuevo arco y habrá que ver que tal está.

[Jonathan · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK so this series is too close to 5 stars for me to rate it 4. I absolutely loved reading volume 3. Maybe it's just me and my personal preferences but I totally adore Re:Zero. I'm in love with its world and its characters. If you are looking for an Iseksi light novel, where the main character is perfect and overpowered - look elsewhere. Poor Subaru. EMD! (Emelia-tan is majorly divine!)

[Vendea · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tohle byla jízda. Čte se mi stále lépe a lépe, takže rozhodně budu v brzké době pokračovat. A i když znám děj z anime, stále se najdou nové věci, které mě mile překvapí. Plus Roswaal - ten je best.

4/5*

[Evan McCullen · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved the interactions of this volume.

Seeing Subaru overcome and sacrifice for his desired outcome made this an enjoyable read. As usual, my thanks to the author, illustrator, and translator.

[Rony Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ótimo desenvolvimento

Esse volume foi surpreendente para mim. Não esperava a movimentação que houve, muito menos o aprofundamento de duas personagens muito interessantes. Para que gosta da série, é uma ótima continuação, muito envolvente.

[Tony Hinde · Rating 4 out of 5]

Now we're getting to the meat of the story. There are some heart-wrenching moments of selflessness and sacrifice. The theme is becoming clear... light-hearted banter and misdirection that mask deep emotions.

What's with that look? You're gonna make me cry.

[Paul Sanchez · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5

It has pros and cons, like the additional information which is cut in anime is great. While, the cons is the over-explained which bothers me since I feel like I'm reading the essay I wrote, a rollercoaster one and full of yapping lol.

[Eldon Siemens · Rating 5 out of 5]

so satisfying not having to restart life over and over again, at least for this volume

[isaa✩ · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5 stars.