The Morality of Natsuki Subaru

Subaru gets heavily criticized for some of his decisions, but how does Return by Death impact him? Let's examine this powerful narrative tool in Re:Zero.
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[@WinterGirlRules]

"Cute girls kinda have a duty to make themselves look pretty for others," takes on a whole new meaning when you realize Subaru was one of those cute girls for three days before being clocked in high school.

[@AsarathaHSYT]

MY MC

[@Based4045]

​@@AsarathaHSYTcan you explain?

[@Igotaglockinmyrari17shotnot38]

@@Based4045 I think in the ln he crossdress

[@WinterGirlRules]

​​@@Igotaglockinmyrari17shotnot38ubaru does a lot more than crossdress. Small SPOILER: Subaru, in an effort to get out from Kenichi's shadow & start over in high school, decides to attend Freshman year as a girl. It goes well, & she's fairly well received as one of the girls, but then her voice gives her away on the third day, & the ensuing trauma is why Subaru stopped going to school. Subaru also never dressed, or identified as a girl again on Earth. It's discussed in the side story "My Fair Bad Lady", & it's revealed in Arc 7 that it's the reason Subaru stopped going to school. Since then, Natsumi Schwartz, the female half of Subaru's identity, has appeared in the "Re: Zero" world on three separate occasions. Once to help the first girl Subaru fell in love with, Emilia, in "My Fair Bad Lady". The second was to help Subaru's Big Sister Ram in "The Three Idiots Set Out: The Cursed Goddess Statue" & the third is in Arc 7 of the main story to help the second girl Subaru fell in love with, Rem. Each was an occasion in which a woman was needed to complete a mission & none of the other women in the Emilia Camp could do it. Natsumi insists that's the only reason, & that she doesn't like it, but it's fairly implied that, if Natsumi isn't a trans girl, Subaru is at least gender fluid. This makes Subaru an even more interesting Isekai protagonist than we've seen in the previous 6 Arcs. It also explains why Subaru "acts like a teenage boy should act". It's not only so no one realizes how weak he is, but also so no one picks up on Subaru's womanly aspects & sees Subaru as a bukimina hentai. Conversely, Subaru claimed not to like being mistaken for a girl at a younger age, after that Subaru was let out for 3 days, then sealed away for years, only being let out three times as Natsumi Schwartz, & only twice for more than half a day. It's so fitting for Natsuki Subaru that the girl Subaru treats the absolute worst, is Natsuki Subaru.

[@goat7557]

@@WinterGirlRulesyou completely misses the point in the LN Subaru is not gender fluid he is a guy you seem to miss that the reason Subaru cross dressed was to again put on a mask and pretend to be someone he’s not which is why he hates natsumi Swartz because it’s a mask that Subaru would want to be Vincent even calls him out on this in the carriage you completely missed the point Subaru has several masks he puts on when his cornered or feels like he has to put a front and he gets called out for it by Vincent and Emilia (the Emilia one was at the mansion when he was overworking himself but it’s basically the same mask the same thing he put on a mask to hide his true self) so no Subaru is not gender fluid Subaru is Subaru who doesn’t recognize how great he is and puts on a front sometimes

[@howdypartner8326]

Honestly, best way to live a great life with RBD is to live like you DON'T have it. Subaru being reckless by being involved with danger magnets through acknowledging the power and in classic Uncle Ben fashion holding himself responsible to save others is purely his choice. Satella does not force Subaru to die countless times over, nor does RBD. Honestly, he may be able to obtain the factors and reach Satella without any need for the Emilia Camp and countless deaths. Re:Zero only involves so much trauma because Subaru goes out of his way to be a far better person than anyone or anything is forcing him to be. That's why I like the poor guy. He still risked his wellbeing to repay Emilia before he knew RBD and, as far as he knew, he had no powers in a dangerous fantasy world. Man's got a heart of gold. Definitely a great boy born if great parents even if his social skills were atrocious at the start.

[@That_One_Guy...]

I don't think anyone could have beaten some archbishop if it weren't for Subaru, so it's unlikely for him to be able to obtain witch factors without being involved with actual strong peoplem

[@tjjordan4207]

That said, Satella didn't have to bring Subaru to this fantasy world (assuming she was the one who did it) and give him RBD. She could have left him alone and his life would have turned out for the better regardless, as it was revealed by the author that Subaru's parents would have helped him become a better person and go on to achieve a job that would have added a true sense of worth to himself as a person and his life. I'm not saying Satella is completely responsible for all that Subaru has done, as he made his own decisions, but she is the one who interferred in a guy's life and pulled him into a world without telling him what is going on, the power he has, or what he needs to do.

[@WanukeX]

He is also *not* an Audience Surrogate character, which alot of viewers go into the series expect him to be then are hit by major whiplash.

[@Virrno3773]

Another aspect of rbd regarding morality and justice is that even if someone tortures and kills subaru in multiple timelines, it is difficult for him to punish that person since it never happened in the current timeline.

[@user-pushingthrough]

That’s fucked up not gon lie

[@torchperish]

Subaru can be quite cringe at times, but beneath that cringe is a really amazing guy. Great video!

[@Healer0079a]

Kinda like... guys in real life???

[@B10-HAZARD]

Let's gooooooo, finally people will learn something that should've been incredibly obvious.

[@pridebaru.]

Why do people still call him cringe? Dude hasn't been cringey since arc 3 and is one of the best mc ever.

[@TheRealJohnux]

Because those people don't get over the first half of season 1.

[@dr.doctor4878]

They purposely ignore Season 2 and refuse the Web Novels

[@tjjordan4207]

It's the opposite for me, since I'm into the beginning of Season 3 and Season 1 (the first half) is kind of a distant memory. Trying to rewatch those first 14 episodes (technically 7, if going by Director's Cut) are indeed cringe, because Subaru does a lot of dumbass things. But it's part of his development and learning to be better. But to answer your question, I think the people who say that are the ones who don't make it past Season 1. Heck, I don't even think they made it to Episode 15 (which would be Director's Cut Episode 8).

[@deepdawn1284]

What can I say, best Re:Zero content always come from Asa!

[@majoraswrath1417]

I still remember the first time I watched Re:Zero. All the while during the catastrophe of the Royal Selection Ceremony, his duel with Julius, and his fight with Emilia, I was thinking about how this obviously needs to be reset, I mean come on. I was wondering when and how it would. But I remember seeing that scene after all that when he's training with Wilhelm, and thinking to myself: "Why doesn't he just kill himself..." And then it hit me how awful of a mindset that is. I remembered him hesitating to throw himself from the cliff in Arc 2. And I realized just how horrifying his situation is. That, I think, is the exact moment I realized I loved Re:Zero.

[@twicejaeger6997]

Subaru should just take a bath to get rid of his trauma imo, even other characters tell him he smells bad

[@menuradesilva1273]

horikoshi is that you?

[@--The_class_clown--]

Barusu: Why you killin' me bruv! Enemy: YOU SMELL LIKE SHIT

[@rblxspw8722]

@@--The_class_clown-- XD

[@Miner_Experting]

this is shown a lot through the story in different ways. Like later in the story a "enemy" (hard to explain w/o spoils) confronts Subaru about how selfish he is. This person recognizes the good he has done to save those he cares about, but asks him what gives him the right to play god as to who lives and dies, is it by your own prefrence or mood or own sense of justice. This story is a great one and I hope more people will give it chance despite its shortcomings.

[@ultrapyrusbrawler]

While this is nothing new to me; it is still a fantastic video on the topic. RBD has always been a conduit for Subaru to express himself, not the other way around.

[@acousticco]

Some people fail to realize the human that lies beneath Subaru as a character. Despite his flaws that show in the series he is truely a good natured person with neglible mal-intent. The show does a good job of carrying out this message but some people simply dont care to realize it and thats their choice I guess. Great video though.

[@caper7635]

The ReZero train never stops These smaller analysis vids are always a treat, Asa :)

[@KingLAO2964]

I can already see that this video is another banger

[@szalyn8849]

And oh god, it is a banger

[@dragongus9574]

Great video as always Asa

[@heato8870]

lets goooo another amazing vid

[@Blinkehyo]

You have no idea how happy it makes me to hear you pair RZ with CotND. But I agree heavily. It's perfectly fine to hate the character but to call him irrational in his circumstance and say he should abuse RBD just makes no sense. Neither narritively nor as a human going through experiences in general

[@oscarmendez1477]

That was a reallly good analysis of Subaru and RBD!

[@brandonarnold7430]

I always come back every week looking for more content 😂

[@goldenangel158]

Great video

[@AManJumps]

yesss!!!!! give me more re zero content from critikal

[@GrimReaperNegi]

Didn't "Hero Has Returned" have the main villain be a guy who repeats his life, and the only way to truly end it, having to be from another hero becoming the villain or something. Feels like that would be Natsuki Subaru's true ending.

[@NoxeliLo]

hi dad sick video

[@Karlos1234ify]

He’s a good guy just a little cringey. Poor guy suffers from RBD. Everybody practically crapped all over him in Arc 3. All he wanted was help to save the village, each of the candidates made his life a living hell.

[@kap1618]

Subaru is neither a good person or a bad person. At worst, he's a dumb teenager in a world that expects way more than he's used to giving or being asked.

[@SoilKilonova]

​@@kap1618 He is definitely a good person. Dedicating his RBD ability to help ALL of his friends despite IMMENSE suffering he endures is selfless.

[@R3in_Ch]

i might be one of those very few people who understands him, the poor man looks like he is a broken character and season 2 proves it. Whoevenr said "subaru just resets man" is a sus person in real life. who are they to decide what subaru should do? they only watch rezero for the females anyway but this anime/novel strictly tells the story around subaru.

[@christophervasques4510]

people keep thinking that what subaru did during the royal selection was cringe, when he was actually right all along. The only reason people think it was cringe was because he didn't have raw power to make his words meaningfull. He used pure emotion against corrupt idiot authorities. P.S. I really love your philosophical way of explaining RBD, but honestly? RBD is literally only a tool for subaru himself to survive and nothing else. The one who gave him that power, already confirmed that.

[@whateverwhatever4476]

I mean he really wasn't. Especially in the novel version. Subaru didn't need to even be there. Emilia was able to gain the respect of the council then Subaru decided to just tack onto it for no reason. His first lash out was justifiable because of Roswaal pissing him off on purpose, the second one we see that was adapated into the anime was because his ego got bruised

[@christophervasques4510]

@@whateverwhatever4476 Roswall stated that if not for subaru, emilia would have gotten out of the palace empty handed and without any respect for relying on a spirit that can destroy lugnica kindom and that keeps threathening everyone. Subaru was right.

[@dimskomusic]

God i love your videos so much, no one makes better re zero content than you right now :)!

[@orangecat901]

"That guys child" I see what you did there lol. Great stuff as always!

[@mike1564]

Subaru is sometimes cringe but that applies to anyone.

[@chimoshi3393]

very epic

[@iGotIceInMyRice-s1y]

Requiem of silence, Your Voice and Whereabouts of the Future are amazingly played in their respective episodes. Kenichiro composes heat.

[@MoppetMage]

cooked

[@Potoooooooo0831]

People who hate Subaru just hate him because they hate seeing their own cringe in the mirror.

[@Edgarrat_1]

The reason Subaru feels and is cringe in season 1 is because mentally he feels entitled to being a protagonists, he was isekaied to a world of magic and even if you want to say RBD is bad it’s still his “cheat” power, it isn’t until after the fight with Emilia that he starts to understand he isn’t some all powerful savior needed in the world. His inferiority complex and anxiety are certainly amplified by RBD but they were already there to begin with, even in the first few episodes he always tried to seem more cheerful or happy than he actually was, and even though his actions change his mentality doesn’t until mid-season 2 because again, RBD allows him to undo any and all mistakes, be it a characters death or a horrible outcome, and due to his low self esteem he feels the need to put others above himself and decides that as long as he alone suffers then it’s all justified. Subaru despite all his strength mentally is still just a young boy who was stranded in another world with nothing and no one, in season 1 his only way to cope was to convince himself that he was a savior, and after rem told him that he was a hero he stopped trying to be natsuki Subaru the person, but rather be rem’s hero, because in his mind one was a child doing their best and the other was a great man overcoming his challenges without fail

[@Stryfe52]

He reminds me of Kei Kurono from Gantz, except I loved Subaru from the start, partly because I related hard to his self hate on my first watch of season 1(And I still kinda do). Kei to me was this absolute selfish asshole, but then halfway through Gantz I actually started rooting for him inadvertently. Oku makes it very clear that Kei is a product of his environment, and you can see that all throughout the shitty world of Gantz. The depraved bullies, the criminals, the sadistic aliens, or both of our main characters having loveless family situations. That’s why it’s so fucking gratifying to see both Subaru and Kei become better people in spite of all the reasons they have to become even worse. My one problem with Subaru as a protagonist is that Tappei is absolutely allergic to giving him any cool moments. Like, Kei started off as an underdog as well, but Hiroya Oku is not afraid at all of making him look badass once he’s earned the right. I just wish Subaru had more moments like how Kei does; he’s certainly more than earned it

[@haomakk]

you = the goat

[@bandarsalh1338]

I feel like the anime could have done a better job at delivering the message Think of hxh narrator in the ant arc, he tells you things about the characters they themselves aren't aware of

[@RenderingUser]

having a narrator is the worst way to do story telling tho

[@bandarsalh1338]

@@RenderingUser I disagree, sometimes it's better to have a narrator than an internal monologue, especially to explain the mental state of the characters For example in arc 6 Subaru starts to see himself as 3 separate entities. Himself, his past self and meili, on top of that his self hatred can't be explained using internal monologue

[@RenderingUser]

@@bandarsalh1338 sometimes yes But not for re:zero Other stories have done really well with narrators. But re:zero is different. Adding a narrator to re:zero is an easy way out to explain context. There's always a good way to explain then visually.

[@bandarsalh1338]

@@RenderingUser I'm not saying you need to have it in every episode, just when you need it Re zero after all is novel that focuses on dialogue rather than action

[@RenderingUser]

@@bandarsalh1338 it would be insanely out of place. People will see it as nothing but a lazy writing Also, as for your example of arc 6. It can very much be represented visually. No need for narration. Also don't give me examples like this lmao I haven't even finished reading arc 5

[@fareeddehne4747]

W

[@Griswalf]

YEAHHHH

[@exusad]

Bro sounds exactly like moist critical

[@KuroLurker]

Why people forget that in most anime the protagonist is a fucking kid?

[@Nothingtoseriousfr]

Because most animes don't consider age in regards to mental capacity to emotional understanding and situational awareness. The average 15 year old anime protagonist now doesn't feel pain from falling from a mountain and gains powers through the littlest of deeds, yet others believe this is now the standard to making a "badass mc" simply because they are strong and emotionless, not because that they feel emotions.

[@U.S.G]

I am probably only exception to hating early subaru because I am just as cringe as early Subaru He's literally me minus the character development

[@Toon_Topaz]

I liked Subaru from the start too, I found his cringefail persona endearing, before I even saw the deeper character beneath

[@lordtouchme77]

Im late but this is still a good content 👍

[@TheWeekly_Weeb]

Arc 7 phase 6 review 🥹

[@tjjordan4207]

Is Subaru at fault or responsible for what happens in this fantasy world due to his power? Well, I believe he is responsible in what he chooses to do but not for the situations themselves that are outside of his control. He never chose to come to this world, he never asked for or chose to have Return By Death, and he never asked to be suddenly involved in these situations he doesn't have the power to fix directly himself. In fact, he has to get others to do that themselves and be of assistance to them. But to say that he is responsible for everything bad when he doesn't use his power is wrong, because even he cannot prevent everything if he doesn't have the abilities or allies to do so, as seen multiple times throughout the series. Plus, something that gets lost is that life is a series of choices and lives that are outside of our control, we cannot always get the best ending for every situation. It's a matter of "doing our best, accepting what happens, and learning from it".

[@kap1618]

I feel as though audiences don't need to be able to like or root for a protagonist but the protag needs to be interesting enough watch, think, and talk about. See Light Yamagi from Death Note as an example.

[@legendssama7252]

Thought this was moistcr1tical lmao

[@breest5588]

good vid i squarted👍

[@tsembashi]

[@mongoliaenginerzpop5316]

In the start it was cringe but time goes on it kinda make sense he act like this

[@84ganta]

to this day i lol when i think that handfull(or more) 30+year old dudes critisize and drop re zero when they watch the "cringe" part of subaru vomiting all those stupid words to emilia after his "loss"....its hard to watch that scene but thats the damn point!!an imature 17 year old boy went thru hell a bunch of times and tries to rationalize his "do what i say" thoughts by yelling whatever he can to the girl he loves,we know he s wrong and that he s an idiot at that point but thats the only way he can think at that moment,he thinks that if emilia follows his "suggestions" everything will be fine(thats what roswald tries to make happen in arc 4 btw)...i should stop rumbling on n on but i cant help myself when its about re zero,i adore this story!

[@asterlofts1565]

The added problem to this, is that Subaru Natsuki has a hero complex, he is practically starved for easy attention and has histrionic personality disorder, he is really lazy (especially at the beginning), he is very naive, believing that his fantasies will come true and will be fulfilled AS HE WANTS (again, this is noticeable especially at the beginning), he is a coward very quickly when things go a little bit out of the range of what he expects or everything goes wrong, he has too high expectations of himself and the world around him and vice versa, the world gives him too high expectations, not knowing that he "only knows things" thanks to his power to go back in time every time he dies (essentially, Subaru is largely useless and a fraud, although that changes over time and he becomes great later, BUT MUCH LATER), he doesn't really have any "special" talent (by special I mean supernatural powers such as throwing fire or having super strength initially) but he BELIEVES he has it and even if he does, he doesn't know it. He doesn't polish it or make an effort to improve it until much later (he doesn't train mentally or physically), since Subaru himself got the idea that just by being in an alternate world, everything is given to him, easy or granted out of nowhere, that he receives everything just like that but that's not how it works, in addition to the fact that he also got the idea that all his problems from his original world are gone and that now he can do what he wants without consequences (which of course, didn't last long before he realized that no, the new world is not an escape from reality or a place to fulfill his selfish whims. They quickly brought him back down to earth when he realized that his only power or super power really, except for magic and the so-called Authorities, is to travel back in time every time he dies)... and I think there's more but these are the important points.

[@martinjimenezmoreno5539]

Thank you! This right here is why, despite having watched seasons one and two, I still don't enjoy Re:Zero.

[@asterlofts1565]

​@@martinjimenezmoreno5539 But now, Subaru change 180°, he is really good.

[@youreallyaresomething306]

Personally Subaru's showcase in the first season made him look WAY worse then in the light novel. The removal of his struggle fight in the celler, his frustrations at his own weakness early on at the manshion arc. How he speak with Rem about choosing Emillia. Subaru is courages, I only dislike Tappi (the author) never developing his physical attributes, he feels like a side-support character for emillia.

[@Fortnite_Frost_Clips]

I actually think Subaru is much stronger than Reinhardt because Reinhardt was given everything on a silver plater and is omnipotent while Subaru worked his ass off to get the outcomes he wants trough Return By Death and his mental fortitude.

[@nathankeel6667]

RBD and how it effects subarus emotions is fasinating wail it isnt a cause for either subaru's selfless or selfish emotions it in many ways spurse them on especially during arc 3 were subaru's shitty thoughts and actions wail existing due to subaru's inferiority complex and the want to be recognized as a strong guy RBD gave him a mostly undeserved ego witch acting as a catalyst turned his jack asery up to 11 that turned everyone but his escapist waifu away from him until he was able to understand others importance and existence in the world and it doesn't revolve around him

[@danielellis6327]

Good video great character analysis

[@KexerHD]

can subaru die of old age though?

[@TheManUnderTheSun]

No, aganau if exists and sloth if ending is where he goes back to the previous checkpoint back to the appa man stand. He has to "kill" satella to somehow die, but it hasn't been confirmed yet.

[@Mavuika_Gyaru]

​@@TheManUnderTheSun in the pride If Subaru does permanently die after making Emilia the new ruler. He ends up in the shadow garden with Satella

[@juanestebanvasquezmesa187]

This Is moist ??!!!

[@frankmalditx]

Asa and cringe mc’s name a better duo

[@AsarathaHSYT]

not wrong

[@NA-ud6qm]

Yeah, basically.

[@Hetsu..]

why do u sound like charlie haha

[@crostthefrostt]

In what way is subaru misogynistic?

[@whateverwhatever4476]

He says a lot of questionable shit about women in side stories that even in universe have ppl look at him sideways

[@GinHindew110]

This doesnt really takes on the morality points i was expecting First of all, Subaru's inability to set the savepoints absolves him of moral responsibility. Think about it, *what if Subaru was capable of selecting the savepoints?* _Do you think he would do better?_ not really, the whole point is to force him into a situation where he has to git gud or suck it Therefore Subaru's failings are due to his inability to control his power, while his victories are all his, thats a big part of his moral, and a reason why his power gets accused of being the true character Second is that suffering by itself is just a tool, not a guarantee of quality *What is left of Subaru if you take away the suffering?* I dont care about the gore at all, so is just a guy forced to repeat stuff until he gets it right Remember that Subaru cannot choose the savepoints, so he has to suffer the pain _because his power wont let him do otherwise_ The thing is, the story present everything as extreme dicotomies Subaru is either a dumbass who cannot move ahead unless he is heavily tortured, or he becomes a super edgelord to edgelord over the world "Subaru becomes convinced he has nothing to offer but his demise" is exactly the kind of edgy conclusion the show keeps producing, cant he do anything more nuanced? To try and explore the world from different angles to get more info on new loops, or prepare hints and clues for himself, are the kind of tricks i expect from a time looper, but Subaru just goes straight to suffering It gets old really fast I have read other time looping series, and all of them recognize the potential for personality warping, but never revel into the edgy extent of ReZero, is just too silly to see Subaru suffering again and again I get it he is just a random teenager, and a pretty crappy one at that, but he is also dying a lot, yet he doesnt become more cunning The deaths are presented as extremely shocking and terrible and all that, but they also have no impact on Subaru's mentality other than fear and suffering If a person cuts their finger with a knife, they learn to use the knife more carefully, but Subaru only learns to fear the knife, and wonder if he should stab himself to end his pain *Even an animal learns to be cautious after feeling pain, yet Subaru keeps doing his cringe act over and over* Just go to any poor area and you will find kids who have become cunning due to suffering, its not even an outlandish concept Thats what cheapens the deaths, and without the suffering, ReZero is pretty meh

[@AsarathaHSYT]

this has got to be one of the most emotionally disconnected and least human replies i have ever gotten. have a good day

[@GinHindew110]

@@AsarathaHSYT Then enlighten me Had Subaru been capable of controlling the savepoints, would he have done better?

[@Kelvin23.]

​@@GinHindew110Shut up

[@TheAntiNihilist]

1. The idea that Subaru not being able to control his save points absolves him of moral responsibility is false on its face. 2. Subaru controlling his save points could change the story and his development drastically depending on where it’s at. It really depends on what you think is “better.” Most likely he’ll end up an arrogant villain. 3. Point of return by death is to force Subaru to either “get wise” and change for the better to get better outcomes or continue to struggle. It’s the same with anyone who has character flaws or weaknesses of any kind really. Drug addict either finally decides to quit and face their demons or keeps suffering. Someone with social anxiety either starts to confront their fear or stays worried and alone, etc. Return by death is a narrative tool to reflect those deeper ideas on the human condition. Re:Zero focuses on progression through development of strength and goodness of character, rather than on development of raw competence or “cunning.” 4. Subaru does get more cunning, so claiming that he doesn’t is false, but he can’t use that to escape the need to get better as a person. The emphasis is on becoming a better person rather that simply becoming more “cunning.” This being the case Subaru becoming more “cunning” could defeat the point of the story, which is quite literally to force Subaru to become a better person (NOT more competent or cunning) or continue to fail.

[@GinHindew110]

@@TheAntiNihilist You said it yourself, the story is about FORCING Subaru to grow up, _he never chose it_ And yes, the inability to control the power dies absolves him of responsibility, because people cannot be held accountable for stuff they have no control over Is a teenager responsible for getting cancer? of course not, same logic Subaru is not responsible for his actions, and yet is forced to grow up, thats realistic and all, but is also not an achievement, when he has countless tries The ability to redo time eliminates any pretension of maturity because it was not a choice _Instead of Subaru, you could replace him with any other kind of person,_ AND WOULD EVENTUALLY DEVELOP THE SAME ANSWERS, *because the power wont let him progress unless he delivers the acceptable answers* Actually, forced looping unless a specific answer is delivered, sounds like a brainwashing technique, im pretty sure there must be a work that uses it, gotta check

[@GoatTron-rp4yl]

Gojo: I hate to disappoint I won’t let it get close. 4:55