Currently on Re:Zero S2E20 and unsure if the series is for me
Started Re:Zero about a month ago and I’m kinda torn on whether to continue or not.
There are definitely parts of the show I’ve genuinely enjoyed - especially the mystery, darker tone, psychological aspects, and a lot of the tension in Season 1. I also really enjoyed the final arc of S1 and felt the pacing and storylines came together nicely there.
But for a lot of the series I really haven’t vibed with Subaru as a main character. I thought he improved quite a bit in the first quarter of Season 2, but overall he’s still probably the weakest part of the show for me.
I’m currently on Season 2 Episode 20 and I’ve really been struggling with this arc. The pacing hasn’t been working for me at all, and a lot of the backstory episodes just haven’t been landing. I do like many of the side characters, but the protagonist himself often takes me out of the experience.
The romance-focused moments also tend to be the weakest parts for me personally. Romance storylines are usually the thing I’m least interested in anyway, but in this series they’ve actively brought the experience down at times. The Subaru/Emilia first kiss scene was honestly painful for me to sit through, and for whatever reason it made me start disliking Subaru again. Even back in Season 1, Rem confessing her love felt really long-winded to me.
Not trying to take shots at anyone who loves the series. I can absolutely see why people connect with it, and there are aspects of it I do think are really strong. I’m mainly just trying to figure out whether the show maybe just isn’t for me, or if people think it might catch my interest again later based on what I’ve liked/disliked so far.
Part of what makes it frustrating is that I still feel invested in the mysteries and want answers, so dropping it after this many episodes feels weird. But at the same time, if the series fundamentally just isn’t clicking with me or if it will go in direction where my personal problems become a bigger focus, I’d probably rather spend my time elsewhere.
EDIT: To be clear, there are very much aspects of this anime that I enjoy otherwise I wouldn't have lasted this long and dropped it long ago. As I do agree with not watching something if you don't enjoy it, but there are elements I really do enjoy in this instance. After posting this I watched Episode 20 of S2 and liked it a lot. The world, music and supporting characters I think are great. I'm more just trying to determine if the aspects I don't like continue to become the main focus.