Sorry for the wait, but this past week has been incredibly busy and I could not find the time to sit down and write this post until now. Anyway, we’re finally back! And man, it is good to have a Subaru that is closer to the original that we know and love. I’m glad that it seems like he finally realizes how much he means to the people around him in this little group (most at least) and he has put his reservations and suspicions of them to rest. It’s actually very sweet to see him so glad to see both Beatrice and Emilia now instead of the fear and doubt he had for them initially. And while it did surprise me that this Subaru actually went down the route of telling everyone he lost his memories, considering the last time he revealed it things went absolutely terrible, it might also be a testament to him trusting the others this time.
Even Ram who continues to be abrasive, by being transparent with what he wants to do with his newfound determination, Subaru was able to win her over as well. As much as it is difficult to fully defend Ram, I do think she’s a lot more complex than what she lets on. Despite saying a lot of brutally honest/rude things, it always feels like there’s something else beneath her words. Kind of like earlier in the season where she says things like she only does it for Rem’s sake and while that’s a part of it, it never feels like that’s the whole truth. And even in her talk with Subaru, while she still says the typical rude comments, she slips in words of praise. Not to mention I found it really sweet that she holds out hope that the Subaru she knows is still there and he’ll eventually come back. There’s just something about that sentiment that really touches my heart and I think it demonstrates just how much trust Ram has in Subaru despite all her verbal criticisms. Underneath it all, Ram is just scared and desperate to get Rem back. Despite her memories of Rem being taken, she probably still feels unease about the absence and know something is “missing.” Without Rem, a big part of Ram is fundamentally missing since the two are so deeply intertwined. So when finding out that even Subaru lost his memories of her, Ram lashes out of desperation, confusion and hurt because without him, she won’t be able to put back the missing pieces of herself without Rem. I can’t even imagine how it must feel to have something important to you go missing but just cannot fully comprehend it.
Finally, FINALLY we get the reveal of who pushed Subaru several episodes ago even though it did feel very obvious lol. But man, I was about to throw a fit if he ended up getting pushed AGAIN after all that. They did actually get me with that fake out that ended up being a flashback. To no one’s surprise, it was Meili. And man, I do feel really bad for her. Just as I suspected, her way of speaking and mannerisms were taken straight from Elsa, who really wasn’t the best role model for her. But compared to Lust, Elsa really would seem like the best option between the two. Especially since it seemed like Elsa genuinely did care about her to an extent, allowing herself to be distracted during the fight with Garfiel when she thought Meili was in trouble. Despite the rocky first impression was, the two did seem to form some sort of bond and affection for the other. Enough that despite not fully understanding it, Meili wanted to kill Subaru to avenge Elsa.
I’m so glad that Subaru didn’t decide to try and face Meili alone. I was so surprised to see Emilia walk up on them after securing Subaru’s whip in her ice. Which honestly was for the best since as Subaru is now wouldn’t even know how to do all the whip tricks he learned at this point. And man, I’m also glad that Emilia is finally getting more spotlight after feeling like she was being sidelined for a bit. I’ve honestly been missing her and to see her act dare I say motherly towards Meili just melted my little heart. It’s pretty clear that Meili isn’t used to receiving actions of affection with how shocked she was when Emilia first embraced her. And I find that really sad. This poor girl grew up never feeling true love and affection from a parental figure. So I’m happy that both Subaru and Emilia understand that and doesn’t hold her attempts to kill Subaru against her because in the end, she’s just a confused little kid. I also agree that it isn’t wrong for her to continue remembering Elsa for who she was to her since she was technically her first bond, albeit a twisted one, but it was still genuine in their own way.
After running around with their heads cut off for several episodes, despite Subaru still not having his memories, they are still proceeding to try and get through the tower. To which, thank goodness because it does feel like we’ve just been standing in place for a while plot-wise despite getting some good character insights and interesting viewpoints. But it does make sense to try and progress the trials since that could lead them to answers and a possible hint to how to get Subaru’s memories back. Though I am a little surprised they didn’t think to look for Reid’s book earlier. Granted a lot did happen after Reid’s introduction, leaving little time for them to really think about it due to the insanity that would constantly break out.
