Re:ZERO Episode 27 – The Lost Forest of Clemaldy

Introduction

Re:ZERO Episode 27 (or Re:ZERO Season 2 Episode 2): If there’s one thing I’ve learned from Re:ZERO, it’s that if Subaru and Emilia are getting along, something dreadful is about to happen. You could argue that dreadful things are always happening in Re:ZERO, and I would have to agree. But Emilia enjoying with with Subaru seems like a leading indicator. This episode drove that message home again.

Before we get into season 2 episode 2 (or Re:ZERO Episode 27), “The Next Location,“ how are things with you, Irina? Have you gotten used to wearing masks yet? 

Oh yeah, I actually took to it pretty quickly. I worked in labs for a long time so I was used to protective gear. Now I feel like I’m cosplaying a yankee character or something. It’s a ball. We’re still super careful up here. New cases have been declining for a good while now, but regulations are getting stricter and I’m all for it. In fact everyone is.

I wonder if there are protective kitsune masks…. That would be cool. 

I wish Americans would have such a positive (and enlightened!) attitude about masks. Sigh.

I’m in plain text this week. There will likely be spoilers. 

Opening Thoughts for Re:ZERO Episode 27

Emilia wants to become stronger so she can do the saving instead of needing to be saved. Good for her! Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Re:ZERO Episode 27 felt like it had at least four distinct sections, and each had its own charm (or horror!). The first showcased how far Subaru and Emilia’s relationship has come, and Subaru in particular surprised me. The second felt like a descent into a nightmare in a way only a long-running series can pull off. The third deepened the mystery around a character I’ve always found fascinating: Beatrice. I don’t think she expected the scene to go the way it did. Finally, we get to the ending, and I wonder how many people think that Subaru got transported into an old copy of Microsoft Windows XP? But XP, even with all of its security problems, was nowhere near as dangerous as the place Subaru found himself.

Irina, any opening thoughts? 

Even though it’s just the second episode, it hit me square on that this is exactly the type of show that would benefit from a binge watch. Ironically I’m half bingng an older show tha would benefit from weekly watching so… it evens out? 

I should not be allowed to make my own decisions.

Subaru and Emilia Share a Moment

The episode opened with Subaru and Emilia taking leave of Crusch Karsten and Felix Argyle. As our two heroes rode in the carriage that Otto Suewen drove, they talked. Nothing fancy. They talked about Rem. Emilia told him he didn’t need to hide his worry over Rem, and they almost had a moment. 

There was still a lot of exposition, and they actually snuck in some season 1 reminders, which I appreciated. As I stated last week, I really thought I remembered season 1, but it turns out I remember like 2 episodes worth maybe. I’ll take any refresher I can get!

Emilia and Subaru nearly had a moment! Otto’s timing was unfortunate. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Emilia tried to put into words why she felt selfish, and she found she couldn’t. For an instant, she was emotionally vulnerable. This is what I liked about the scene: he didn’t try to take advantage of her. “We can talk everything out after we join up with Roswaal,” he told her. It was a little thing, but it seemed to help restore Emilia’s sense of calm. I’m not sure the Subaru of the earlier seasons would have been quite so sensitive to Emilia’s feelings. Or maybe I’m just reading too much into it.

I’ve been known to do that.

What do you think, Irina?

I always thought Subaru was really attentive to Emilia and very touched by her plight. But again, I am not the person you should be relying on for analysis or comparisons to the past season. Like I remember Subaru was there… right??

Kidding, but honestly, I think Subaru grew a lot in the first 4 to 6 episodes or so but has been pretty steady and true to himself since then. I could be wrong.

Return to the Village and Mansion

Have you ever played Dead Space? It’s a great science fiction/horror video game. It takes place on the planet cracker/mining ship named Ishimura. A lot of really dark, brutal stuff happens on that ship. It left me with a (delightful!) sense of dread. Well, Dead Space 2 started on a space station, but it ends up going back to the dry-docked Ishimura. Even seeing the name plate filled me with apprehension.

Dead Space is a great game with some fantastic game design. It has a simply great hub that is practical, easy to access, but keeps you in the game, doesn’t distract at all and even helps with suspension of disbelief. But where are we going with this?

I got the same feelings in this episode, starting when Subaru and Emilia’s party arrived back at the village. They had the children with them, and a few adults. When they arrived, they found the place deserted. All I could see were the bodies piled high from the original episode 15, “The Outside of Madness,” as Subaru carried Rem’s body back to the mansion. 

Seeing the village again, empty except for members of their caravan, was a lot like stepping back onto the Ishimura. Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Seems Subaru got his feelings in check. Both him and Emilia were pretty calm, even mildly jovial during this scene.

Speaking of the mansion, the feeling was even worse when Emilia, Otto, and Subaru arrived. They stood almost in the same spot where Subaru had stood, still holding Rem’s limp form, as snow swirled and a gigantic Puck towered over the mansion. Do you know I still get chills even when I think about Puck saying, “Sleep… along with my daughter?” Just as Subaru’s head comes off…

Only a long-running series that has established a sense of place could pull off something like this. Did you get a similar impression, Irina?

Um… no. I’m kind of a simple soul. Like I find Puck cute and generally Subaru dying is a good thing. Not exactly good but you know, it’s a sign that things are going to get better. So oddly, both the things you mention are sort of things I look forward to in reZero episodes.

Wow, I’m a ghoul. This show made me look forward its protagonist dying. What can I say, I loves me a Groundhog Day narrative. I really liked Russian Doll too. 

Beatrice Answers Subaru’s Questions?

Subaru Found Her Library On the First Try

He found her library on the first try. Does that mean she wanted him to find her? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Did we know that Beatrice was, as the new maid Frederica Baumann called her, a “great spirit of this mansion’s forbidden library?” I don’t remember knowing that. Sure, I knew she was someone unusual, with tremendous power. A quick Google search suggested there are four great spirits, and Beatrice isn’t listed. 

I remember that! I may not remember much, but who could forget Best Girl Batrice. Although maid may be a bit of a loose title there. 

Frederica is certainly no Ram!

The scene started with Subaru and Beatrice trading insults, as usual. They’re almost like an old married couple at times! Things got interesting when he pulled out Petelgeuse Romanee-Conti’s gospel. Beatrice was shocked.

“Why do you, of all people, have one of those?” she demanded. When Subaru explained he’d taken it off the dead Petelgeuse’s body, Beatrice looked almost sad. What she said made no sense to me. In a small, halting voice, she said, “Then you’ve left me behind, too, I suppose… Geuse.”

Irina, do you know what she’s talking about?

We know Queen Bea is both very knowledgeable and has been around for a while. I wouldn’t put it past her to have had dealings with cult members in the past. Especially ones interested in magic like Sloth was. 

Why is Beatrice sad? How did she know the Archbishop of Sloth? Who the heck is Geuse? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

I actually looked up everything about Bea back when I first watched the show, and I don’t know what is a spoiler and what isn’t anymore. Like what I saw in season 1 and what I read in the wiki at the time. So I’m gonna stick with: she’s my favourite…

Sloth’s Witch Factor

That wasn’t all. She tried to regain her poise and asked what Subaru had done with the dead Sin Archbishop’s Witch Factor. Subaru didn’t know what that was any more than I do, and Beatrice was shocked again. Apparently, whatever it is, it’s worth kill for, because Beatrice had assumed that’s why Subaru had killed the villain. Subaru tried to question her further, but she acted completely exhausted and urged him to look for Roswaal, and the answers to his other questions, at Sanctuary.

Beatrice’s patience snapped when Subaru asked her more questions. He seemed to be getting close to something that really affected her. When she ejected him from her library, she seemed on the verge of tears. 

What did you take away from that scene, Irina?

She wasn’t as funny as usual. Seemed even a bit wistful. That is not a good sign. But she actually told him cearly what to do next. Small victories I guess.

I also don’t know what a Witch Factor is. Maybe Subaru has it and doesn’t know he does? If not, can he go back to get it? I wonder… What if a random person just happened on it and Subaru accidentally created another Authority? 

Beatrice finally had enough to Subaru’s questions. She answered more than usual, though… Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Echidna, the Witch of Greed

The last scenes built up to a cliff-hanger. Otto drove Emilia and Subaru in search of Sanctuary, where Roswaal and Ram were. Frederica gave Emilia a crystal pendant that apparently would admit her to the Lost Forest of Clemaldy, which protected Sanctuary. As they entered the forest, the crystal glowed alarmingly. Subaru acted quickly and yanked the pendant off Emilia.

Two things happened at the same time. First, Emilia collapsed. Even as he saw her far, Subaru vanished, to find himself standing in a field that looked suspiciously like the desktop of a default installation of Windows XP. 

I wonder if Microsoft is funding the Witch’s Cult?

Speaking of a witch,the last shots are of Subaru realizing he wasn’t alone. Behind him, talking to him in a polite and melodious voice, was Echidna, the Witch of Greed. I have a bad feeling about this…

Irina, what’d you think of the final scene? 

But before that, there was a little elf girl. Who was she? What was her deal?

Echidna had a lot of character design elements that were borrowed from Emilia. Like the long straight pale hair, the pale pupils, the protruding hair ornament on one side, they even have a very similar neckline to their outfits. It’s not glaring or anything, but those are a lot more design parallels than any other two characters have had so far. I have a feeling that’s not what you wanted to know.

I thought it was a good cliffhanger.

She’s going to be trouble for our heroes, isn’t she? Capture from the Crunchyroll stream.

Final Thoughts on Re:ZERO Episode 27

I enjoyed how this episode added to the depth of the world’s lore. Everything fits together. Sometimes, what we learn fills in a gap. At other times, it goes in an unexpected direction. But it’s keeping the world vibrant and interesting. 

Any final thoughts on the episode, Irina?

I’m not crazy about how the dialogue is adapted. Or rather it feels like it’s not adapted enough. It’s too bad they don’t have you to help with a few edits. The story itself is progressing very well and it makes me want to find out what happens next.

And all we anime-only viewers have to do is wait another week!

Reviews of the Other Episodes

• Re:Zero 2 episode 1 – Like Dejà Vu All Over Again
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 2 (ep 27) – The Lost Forest of Clemaldy
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 3 (ep 28) – The Long-Awaited Reunion
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 4 (ep 29) – That Should Not Have Worked
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 5 (ep 30) – Once More Unto the Breach
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 6 (ep 31) – Knifey and the Three Maids
• Re:ZERO 2 episode 7 (ep 32) – Beatrice’s Reasons
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 8 (or 33) – Before I Heard You, I Saw You
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 9 (or 34) – Natsuki Subaru and the Magical Maniacal Menagerie
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 10 (or 35) – The Witch’s Tears and the Apostle of Greed
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 11 (or 36) – Fridge Horror
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 12 (or 37) – Evil Rem and the Uninvited Guest
• Re:ZERO 2 Episode 13 (or 38) – What is Taken Shall Be Returned