Nothing worth having comes easy. Cathartic moments like the ending of episode 21 of Re:ZERO are so satisfying precisely because we must endure so much to reach them. The conclusion we experienced this time could be described as almost picturesque. The white whale has been slain, everyone worth giving a name is alive and well, and Subaru stands ready to march forward with new allies toward his ultimate goal.
A metaphor for how this episode makes you feel inside
Although it's something of a departure from Re:ZERO’s increasingly fatalistic narrative, it’s hard to feel that this moment of happiness was undeserved. Having been to hell and back is actually an understatement to describe what Subaru went through to finally pass just this one milestone on his way to reuniting with Emilia. The result felt so good precisely because it had been effectively called into doubt with Subaru's deteriorating mentality. His failure had begun to seem inevitable, the consequence of his now immalleable past, and immune to his struggles in the present. This idea was driven home by Anastasia in the midst of Subaru’s final failed attempt to reach Roswaal’s mansion.
An honest attempt at looking sinister while she said it
Escaping the past, rather than simply changing it, became the central theme of Re:ZERO’s third arc. This concept evolved and took on several different meanings over the course of the arc as Subaru was confronted with greater challenges. His singular ability and fanatic drive had taken him as far as they could, ultimately betraying his desired outcome. Greater obstacles forced him to evolve (extinction isn't really an option for him), providing him with a greater understanding of his situation and allowing him to grow. His first attempt to escape his past reflected his juvenile mindset of fulfilling his heroic narrative. Subaru considered his current predicament to be a temporary setback from which the solution was finding a way to put himself back in Emilia’s good graces. When he discovered that Emilia was in danger, Subaru smiled because he considered it an opportunity to prove his worth to her.
An accidental success at looking sinister while he said it
As his attempts to reach Emilia resulted in repeated traumatic failures, Subaru’s resolve began to crack. Given the seeming impossibility of reaching Emilia in time and in one piece with only the ever-loyal Rem as support , Subaru lost confidence in his ability to see his story through. He lost hope and his flight from his past became quite literal, leading to his proposition to escape the country with Rem. This event revealed a great deal of the underlying psychology motivating Subaru’s actions over the course of the series. He had been trying to run away from his past self since he had first appeared in the world. A worthless otaku, perfectly willing to let his entire life pass him by without effort or accomplishment. Subaru hated who he had been and wanted desperately to escape from being that person. The inescapability of his predicament convinced him that he hadn't changed at all and was simply fooling himself.
Never ask Subaru to tell you how he really feels
Rem’s reassurances represented a turning point in the arc and, likely, the entire series. Rather than considering helping Rem in the previous arc just another action made under the guise of being a hero, Subaru was able to appreciate the reality of his accomplishment. Rem had seen him at his highest and lowest points and still considered him an individual with worth, one still capable of doing great things. By “returning to zero” Subaru was letting go of his past and escaping his own resentment to start from a new beginning to build himself upward, measuring success in his distance from his goal rather than how much ground he had gained from his starting point. The moment was particularly impactful since Rem was providing the same gift to Subaru he had given Rem, allowing her to escape from the weight of her past by telling him what he needed the hear, when he needed to hear it, just from who he needed to hear it from.
In retrospect, he totally delivered
Anastasia’s words referencing Subaru’s public humiliation were correct, but they also work both ways. Just as his embarrassments would never go away, the same is true for his accomplishments. A reputation is a complex interaction of negatives and positives that result in a net score which defines popular opinion. Subaru's only recourse to become the hero he aspires to be is accomplish great things until the good outweighs the bad. To that end, Subaru has likely already succeeded in reversing the Anastasia and Crusch camp’s perception of him. The lack of political savvy he displayed in court was countered by his adept control over negotiations to form the hunting party under everyone's mutual benefit. The cowardice he displayed during his duel with Julius was overwhelmed by his willingness to act as a lure for the white whale, despite his personal weakness, while others cowered in fear. Finally, the arrogance of his disgraceful boasting was reversed when he credited Crusch and Wilhelm with the whale’s defeat.
The old Subaru would have said "achievement unlocked"
As a bonus, our picturesque ending also included not only Wilhelm’s fortunate survival, but his achieving his personal vengeance against the white whale. Although many details regarding his personal story with Theresa remain a mystery, such as the circumstances of her encountering the white whale despite being defeated by his sword, we witnessed the beginnings of their relationship and potentially yet another regret which Wilhelm carried into the battle. Having been too embarrassed to announce his love to her before, his shout of triumph upon slaying the whale was a declaration of his undying love for Theresia. Wilhelm’s show of gratitude validates the positive impact Subaru has had upon this world, having freed yet another person from the burden of their regrets and escape from their past.
14 years for this is a long time even by anime romance standards
Subaru’s final escape from the past was simply to cease dwelling upon it and to look toward the future. The only way to become the person he aspires to be is to live that way and fearlessly put forth his greatest effort. Having masterminded the defeat of a 200-year-old menace to the world while displaying both bravery and humility, Subaru had acted just like the hero he hoped to become and Rem believes him to be. Subaru tells Rem this is just the first step and it’s hard to argue with that. To reunite with Emilia he must actually become the hero he played at when he first met her. That said, there are parts of his past which he must still overcome and others he must learn to let go.
Dude, just remember what Elsa said... The cold one...
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Peter Fobian is an Associate Features Editor for Crunchyroll, author of Monthly Mangaka Spotlight, and streams on Crunchyroll's official Twitch channel. You can follow him on Twitter at @PeterFobian.
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