#re:zero meta

[megashadowdragon]

The Psychological Dynamics of Subaru's Mental Health Journey in Re: Zero: An Examination of Growth Through Tribulations

Re: Zero provides a rich exploration of psychological theories through the development of its protagonist Subaru. The current post delves into the psychological evolution of Subaru, focusing on Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Bowlby's attachment theory, Kohlberg's stages of moral development, defense mechanisms, Bronfenbrenner's ecological theory, cognitive distortions, and the concept of relapse in personal growth. This is all from Season 1 and Season 2, as I am an anime only. I will state that as the new season airs and more information comes to light, information is subject to change. This is not about diagnosing a character but rather understanding aspects of their mental health journey through a psychological perspective.

Maslow's Hierarchy of Needs and Subaru's Development Maslow's hierarchy of needs theory is a staple in the study of human motivation, proposing that humans are motivated to fulfill basic needs before moving on to more complex ones (Maslow, 1943). The hierarchy is usually depicted as a five-level pyramid, with physiological needs at the bottom, followed by safety, love and belonging, esteem, and self-actualization at the top. In Re: Zero, Subaru's journey through this hierarchy is not linear, with his position within the pyramid fluctuating based on circumstances and experiences. The physiological level, which includes food, water, warmth, and rest, is initially a priority for Subaru. Upon arriving in the alternate world, he grapples with these basic needs, with characters like Emilia and Rem assisting him. However, even after these needs are met, life-threatening events can throw him back to this level, showcasing a fluctuation within the pyramid. Safety needs become important as Subaru faces numerous perils in the new world. His need for personal security and safety is continuously threatened, particularly against violent deaths. Subaru often meets these needs using his unique ability to return by death, creating a safe outcome for himself and those around him. Love and belongingness needs are manifested in Subaru's interactions with Emilia, Rem, and Beako. The companionship and acceptance Subaru experiences through these relationships fulfill his need for love and belonging. However, situations such as Emilia's initial rejection of his overbearing protection can cause him to perceive a loss of this belonging, pushing him down the pyramid. Subaru's pursuit of esteem needs is evident in his constant drive for acknowledgment and respect, particularly from Emilia and Rem. However, frequent failures, rejections, and misunderstandings lead to fluctuations in this area. His dynamic relationship with Beako mainly tests his self-esteem. Self-actualization, the highest level, refers to the need to fulfill one's potential and is seen in Subaru's journey toward becoming a hero in the alternate world. This need is continuous and remains a constant objective for Subaru. However, as evident throughout the series, Subaru's progression to this stage is consistently challenged by the fluctuating state of his lower-level needs.

Bowlby's Attachment Theory, Defense Mechanisms, and Toxic Attachments Bowlby's attachment theory suggests that an individual's early relationships and attachments significantly influence their emotional development and interactions in later relationships (Bowlby, 1969). Subaru's relationships with Emilia, Rem, and Beako reflect various attachment styles, underpinning his emotional growth and development. With Emilia, Subaru tries to form a secure attachment, evident in his constant desire to be in her presence and the comfort he draws from their interactions. He trusts her and often seeks emotional refuge in her, indicative of the secure base in such attachments. However, Subaru's actual relationship with Emilia for most of the series so far presents a slightly different attachment style. While he exhibits affection for Emilia, his constant need to affirm his feelings suggests an anxious-preoccupied attachment. Here, Subaru's reliance on Emilia and others for emotional validation often leads to insecurity and anxiety. In a manner, Subaru seeks validation and approval from Emilia, like his yearning for his father's recognition. Subaru's relationship with Beako demonstrates a disorganized attachment style. This form of attachment is characterized by patterns of behavior that lack a coherent strategy for managing stress and fear (Bretherton, 1992). Subaru seems to fluctuate between seeking some form of comfort from Beako and being wary of her unpredictable responses, resulting in a complex and often turbulent dynamic.

Defense Mechanisms in Subaru's Psychological Development Let us talk a little about Subaru's coping strategies in the face of the series' numerous challenges, often aligning with classic defense mechanisms outlined in psychoanalytic theory. For example, he frequently uses denial, especially in the initial stages of the series. Unable to cope with the harsh reality of his situation, Subaru often ignores or denies some of the evident problems he encounters. As his journey progresses, he begins to employ more adaptive defense mechanisms. For instance, he uses humor to diffuse tense situations, a mechanism often associated with mature psychological coping. He also demonstrates sublimation, channeling his negative emotions into productive activities, like devising survival strategies or working towards resolving conflicts.

Toxic Attachments in Subaru's Relationships Although attachment forms the foundation of social bonds, it can also lead to toxic relationships when mismanaged. In Subaru's case, his strong attachments occasionally push him into toxic behavior. His attachment to Emilia, for instance, initially leads him to be overprotective and controlling, disregarding her autonomy. This behavior is typical of toxic attachment, where one person excessively depends on another for emotional support or validation. However, it is essential to note that Subaru learns from these negative experiences. He gradually understands the importance of respecting individual autonomy and independence, moving away from toxic behavior patterns as he grows. This transformation further underscores the importance of cognitive growth and self-awareness in establishing and maintaining healthy relationships.

Kohlberg's Theory of Moral Development and Subaru's Moral Maturation Subaru's moral growth can be explored using Kohlberg's theory of development (Kohlberg, 1981). This theory encompasses three stages; pre-conventional, conventional, and post-conventional, all of which can be observed in Subaru's relationships with Emilia, Rem, and Beako. Regarding Emilia, Subaru initially operates at the conventional stage by relying on deceit to navigate the unfamiliar world. However, as he matures, he begins to prioritize norms reflecting the conventional stage. As his connections with others deepen over time, Subaru's moral reasoning advances to the post-conventional stage. His selfless actions in protecting Emilia and Rem despite their objections demonstrate a standpoint and signify Subaru's’ progress from self-centeredness to becoming an empathetic and ethical individual (Gilligan, 1982).

Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Theory and Subaru's Growth Bronfenbrenner's Ecological Systems Theory suggests that an individual's development is influenced by systems of relationships that form their environment, ranging from immediate settings to broader social and cultural contexts (Bronfenbrenner, 1979). In Re: Zero, Subaru's growth, and development can be understood within the framework of these interacting systems. At the microsystem level, Subaru's immediate relationships with Emilia, Rem, and Beako shape his behaviors, emotions, and attitudes. Each relationship introduces unique challenges and rewards, significantly influencing his perception of himself and his environment. For instance, Subaru's growing emotional intelligence and resilience can be linked to his experiences within these microsystems. The mesosystem, which involves interactions between different elements of an individual's microsystem, also plays a crucial role in Subaru's growth. For example, the dynamics between Subaru, Emilia, and Rem introduce Subaru to the complexity of social interactions and the importance of understanding and managing interrelation conflicts. The exosystem, which includes environments not directly experienced but still influential, is represented by the broader political and social structures of the alternate world. Subaru's struggles and efforts to navigate these complex systems—such as the royal selection process and the conflicts between different factions—further drive his psychological and emotional growth. The outermost layer involving broader cultural values and customs, the macrosystem heavily influences Subaru's adaptation to the new world. The values and social norms of the alternate world, distinct from his own, compel Subaru to reassess his behaviors, attitudes, and beliefs, fostering personal growth. Lastly, the chronosystem, encompassing changes over time, is fundamental to understanding Subaru's development. His unique ability to "return by death," which involves temporal changes, provides him with multiple opportunities to learn from his mistakes and adapt his behaviors accordingly.

Cognitive Distortions and Subaru's Psychological Evolution Subaru frequently experiences cognitive distortions, irrational thought patterns that tend to reinforce negative thoughts or emotions (Burns, 1989). The most prominent among them is catastrophic thinking, where Subaru perceives a situation as far worse than it is. This distortion is particularly apparent during his early days in the alternate world, where every challenge or setback is viewed as insurmountable, triggering extreme responses, such as desperate pleas for help or self-sacrificial actions. These cognitive distortions come to light in his relationship with his companions. For instance, when Emilia rejects Subaru's overbearing protection, he catastrophically perceives it as the end of their relationship. His interactions with Beako and Rem further amplify this cognitive distortion, where he sees every disagreement or conflict as a personal failure or an indication of their waning trust in him. However, through consistent exposure to his cognitive distortions and their subsequent consequences, Subaru gradually learns to address them. He learns that disagreements or conflicts are not always catastrophic and can be resolved through communication and mutual understanding. His repeated failures (relapses) and successes in navigating the new world's challenges reinforce this understanding.

Relapses and Personal Growth Subaru's' journey toward growth and understanding involves experiencing relapses as elements. According to the Transtheoretical Model of behavior change, setbacks or relapses are not indicators of failure but integral parts of the change process (Prochaska et al., 1992). This model recognizes that individuals attempting to change their behaviors do not follow a path. Rather a cyclical one encompassing stages like pre-contemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and even relapse. In Re: Zero, this cycle is evident through Subaru's’ ability to reset back to a point every time he dies. Each reset represents a relapse triggered by distortions or unsuccessful attempts at overcoming challenges. However, with each reset comes lessons for Subaru as he learns from his mistakes, reevaluates his approach, and develops strategies for survival and problem-solving. These repeated relapses and subsequent cycles of learning and growth significantly contribute to Subaru's development, emotional maturity, and moral evolution.

Conclusion The character growth and development of Subaru in Re: Zero explores many psychological theories within the complexities of his journey. From the perspective of Maslow's hierarchy of needs, Bowlby's attachment theory, and Kohlberg's moral development stages, this series gives us an insight into psychology. Subaru's use of defense mechanisms, interactions within Bronfenbrenner's ecological systems, ability to overcome distortions, and understanding that setbacks are part of personal growth all contribute to his development and maturity. Emilia, Rem, Beako, and all other characters play big roles in this journey as catalysts and companions for Subaru. They offer support while presenting challenges that help him grow, highlighting the significance of relationships in development.

[megashadowdragon]

I disagree with thr part that claims felix is transcoded (

the only reason he starts dressing like he does is an act for the sake of crusch an act of subservience ( I also disagree with the claim that crusch is trans when its simple crusch was just a tomboy

( and the way she acts when her memory is lossed showcases the difference )

in contrast to someone else I do not think either crusch , felix or subaru are trans

crusch is a tomboy , crossdressing doesnt equal trans

and felix only dresses that way due to crusch and he is angry at his bio father due to feeling he took away his chance to be masculine

Brilliant analysis. If I may add my own thoughts on Ferris: I think a huge part of Ferris’ identity is the concept of subservience — specifically, subservience to Crusch, the person who “made him human” by rescuing him from his awful parents. You can see this in so many aspects of his personality, his duties, and especially with his gender presentation. Often it feels like Ferris’ entire purpose in life is to be Crusch’s right-hand man (or right-hand lady, as the role may be) and he has tailor-made everything about himself to fulfill exactly that. He learned to use healing magic so that he could be useful as her knight. He doted on her constantly, acting as her personal servant at a very young age. And then there’s their pact in which they lend each other their masculinity and femininity, and that pact has defined everything about him. "Ferris is not naturally feminine, has little desire to be feminine, and in fact would quite like to be more masculine if it were just up to him alone — but his duty to Crusch is to uphold this role, and so he throws himself into it with everything he’s got. He wakes up every morning and does his routine like an actor getting into a role. “I am a girl. A cute, cute girl.” In front of the mirror, as an “incantation”. He sees his lack of facial hair and other masculine pubescent traits as a blessing specifically because their absence allows him to perform his role better as Crusch’s feminine persona. His everyday actions are flirty, catty, feminine almost to the point of camp, because at the end of the day he is putting on a performance. Even his clothes are…like a costume. It’s easy to miss because it’s an anime, but nobody dresses like Ferris does, with all those ribbons and bows and frilly laces — he even wears a collar with a bell. Ferris has taken on this role and intends to fulfill it with his body, his personality, his presentation, everything. His gender presentation is not the end-all-be-all of that resolution, but it is the part that shouts it the loudest.

And I’d say that it’s largely because his identity is entirely based around his position as Crusch’s servant. He doesn’t seem to understand how to live without belonging to her. It’s a big reason why he breaks down so badly in the IF Routes where she’s erased — she is EVERYTHING to him, and without her he basically loses all sense of identity. He learned how to heal for her, he became a knight for her, he dresses this way for her, he acts this way for her, he molds his physical body for her — it is ALL for Crusch. It’s to the point where he considers Crusch “the thing that makes him human” and without her he’s just — not even a person. He is subservient to her, and that is everything to him. (.)

The Mischaracterization of Ferris: A thread analyzing Re: Zero's most misinterpreted and overlooked character.

Note: This is a re-edit of a thread I wrote on Twitter. I recently decided to start using Tumblr a bit more. Since I've also been wanting to back up most of my threads, I figured I might as well move everything here. This is the first re-edit I'll be posting on this site. It was one of my favorites to write, so I hope it's enjoyable!

Side story spoilers for the entire thread. Arc 8 spoilers in the speculation section (will be marked since so many people aren't caught up).

For novel readers of Re: Zero, Ferris stands as one of the most divisive characters in the fandom. Considering his poor utilization in the anime and his role in the story within Arc 3, it's easy to see why.

On one hand, Ferris is one of the most outwardly aggressive characters toward Subaru in Arc 3. He makes no secret of his disdain from the start and consistently throws jabs at him every opportunity he gets. This behavior can certainly leave a negative first impression.

On the other hand, Ferris is quite a fascinating character who serves an important role within the narrative of Arc 3. He doesn't let Subaru off as easy as everyone else, which is exactly what makes seeing him grow respect for Subaru satisfying.

Whichever opinion you hold, that’s mostly irrelevant today. Instead, I will be simply discussing his character and his role in the story, as well as arguing in favor of many of his merits that people overlook.

Ferris's primary role is similar to all the Royals Candidates' knights: serving as a foil for Subaru. I've explained the similarities between Subaru and the other knights before, but to sum it up as quickly as possible all 3 of them represent a version of what Subaru could be.

Reinhard is a version of what Subaru could've been if he were the typical isekai protagonist, Julius is a lot more complicated but he’s essentially what Subaru could've been if he were granted enough power to face his enemies on even ground, and Al is Subaru if he had been just a bit unlucky in where he had been sent; becoming someone who struggles to care and abuses his powers to the fullest.

Ferris is much the same, though it can be argued he parallels Subaru the hardest, except for maybe Al. The resemblance on paper between the two is uncanny. They are both physically weak men who often don't fit traditional gender roles and have the sole desire of helping a woman they love to achieve her dreams of becoming a Royal Candidate, no matter the personal costs to themselves.

To do this, they use an extraordinary power unique to them (in Subaru's case RB, and in Ferris' case his magic that is relative in power to an authority). Their need to rely on others for victory is a source of immense mental turmoil and often leaves them full of self-loathing.

They place immense value in the lives of others, even those who have or will harm them, to the point that they are willing to be harmed to help them. Seeing others casually disregard the lives of others serves as one of the things that anger them the most.

They are both prone to obsessively possessive behavior and have sometimes even directed it towards the one they love. This often leads to them getting in trouble due to their jealousy.

There are more similarities I could point out, but you get the point.

Where am I going with this though? Ferris is clearly a parallel to Subaru, but what does he represent regarding him? Put simply, I believe Ferris is meant to represent what Subaru could've been if his parents were just a bit different.

Parent and Child is one of the most crucial chapters for informing us about just the kind of person Subaru is. Perhaps the most important piece is how it helps us understand just how much of his current personality is a result of his father. Subaru not only looked up to him but actively mimicked him to achieve his goals. The pressure of the surrounding world caused him to default to trying to be his father instead of who he truly was. Subaru's parents weren't perfect. In fact, they were very flawed people. Regardless of this fact though, they are responsible for many of Subaru's positive traits.

The same is true for Ferris and his shitbag of a father. If you were to ask any novel reader what Ferris' defining trait as a character is, they would probably say anger or bitterness.

This isn't surprising, as that's how he typically acts towards everyone except Crusch and Fourier, even when it comes to friends such as Julius.

I would argue, however, that this is merely an act he defaults to when he is stressed or angry, similar to Subaru's mimicry of his own father.

During his bitter moments, such as his cold statement to Subaru as he leaves Crusch's mansion in Arc 4, Ferris is merely defaulting to what he has learned to be the best method of dealing with his stress...a method that is eerily similar to how Biehn sometimes acts in EX 1.

Whether Ferris acknowledges it or not, his attitude at his worst moments makes him come off like his father. He can be cruel, sometimes even callous. He shows intense rage when he doesn't get his way and attacks the part of his opponent that is most vulnerable.

This attitude can blind him to the point that he can even hypocritically act racist towards Emilia. Ferris' entire life has been defined by discrimination. In the face of someone he should know has faced many of the same issues, he once again acts almost exactly like his own father.

It was in the middle of a mental breakdown, but that does not excuse him just like it does not excuse Subaru.

Speaking of his parents, it's also notable how their inability to connect with Ferris parallels Naoko and Kenichi's struggles with Subaru.

Ferris' dad is a bombastic, loud man who was (once) well-respected and causes many of Ferris's issues through his actions and Ferris' emulation of him. His fatal flaw in the end was that he could not understand Ferris, similar to how Kenichi could not fully understand Subaru.

Ferris' mom, on the other hand, fully understood the distress he was under but did not have the confidence to interfere or make a change as Ferris wasted away, similar to Naoko's inability to help Subaru when he most needed it.

That's not to say Kenichi or Naoko are even a thousandth as bad as either of those two, but their struggles with their child deeply parallel each other.

Back on track though, I want to highlight a bit more of Ferris' parallels with his father using perhaps the most damning example.

This specific scene is from "The Saga of the Great Crusch-sama Begins." When faced with his mother, whom he hates so much, he attempts to stab her in the chest. Crusch gets caught in the crossfire causing Felix to freak out and unlock his water magic to save her.

What can at first be written off as just a unique origin for Ferris' water magic gets recontextualized hard in EX 1, where it's revealed his father killed his mother in the exact same method.

It's such an eerie similarity and something that I feel gets overlooked too often when discussing Ferris.

As shown in scenes like the one above, Ferris often projects this image of hatred, bitterness, and malice. It's easy to write that off as just the kind of person he is as so many often do...

...but there's obviously more to it than this. There is far more to Ferris than his mimicry of his father.

Ferris doesn't allow himself to be vulnerable very often in the story. Only when he is with Fourier and Crusch, as well as when he is in the most intense moments of crisis, does he show who he actually is. Stress is the best test of character after all.

The best example to me? His confrontation with the father he so often emulates.

If Ferris was actually as vindictive as he so often outwardly acts, how would you expect him to react to the death of a man he hated so much?

Wouldn't he taunt him? Wouldn't he make his last moments a living hell? Wouldn't he crow in pleasure at his agony? Would you be able to even blame Ferris if he made Biehn's last moments hell?

You would expect that...but that's not how he reacts. At that moment, watching as the man who tortured him so much dies an awful death, he just shows sadness. He thinks about the possibility that they could've just worked things out. He just wishes that things could be different.

Despite everything his father had done to him, despite all the rage at the world Ferris projects, the moment he is put into a scenario he likely dreamed of he can't help but feel pity that this was the only route he could take. He never wanted to hurt even Biehn of all people.

And this, I believe, is Ferris's actual defining trait underneath his persona of cynicism and bitterness: kindness and a greater love for life than perhaps anyone else in the series.

Ferris's power, as Fourier once said, is the kindest in the world. At his core, Ferris is just as kind as his power.

Think about it. Despite Ferris's words, what is the thing that upsets him most?

People who waste their lives. Whether it be Subaru, Fourier, a random Vollachian guard, or even Witch Cultists...Ferris can't bring himself to watch life be thrown away. It just hurts him, regardless of how horrible the person is.

Just like Subaru, Ferris wants to help everyone, even if it costs him so much. The pain that he feels when he is unable to do so is immeasurable, as Subaru himself states in Volume 8. He is struggling with the same realization as Subaru: saving some people is impossible.

So where will this lead? What does this have to do with the themes of the story? Well, to answer that, I’ll have to take a little diversion to talk about one of the more…difficult topics involving Ferris.

Ferris and his relationship with gender is something that I feel a lot of the fanbase is really fucking weird about. Even ignoring the pretty deep-rooted transphobia in a lot of discussions involving him (he isn't trans, but he is heavily trans-coded and there really shouldn't be so much of an issue in letting people read into that), there's a feverish desire to deny that his status as a person not conforming to gender norms matters at all. All too often, people reduce it to just a fetish or something to make jokes about.

The reason this is such a bafflingly stupid take though is because of how blatant the importance is to anyone who has read EX 1. Even Tappei himself has stated that many of the things he wants to do with Ferris could not be done without this aspect of his character.

Ferris's non-conformance is part of a promise made with Crusch. Ferris took on her femininity while Crusch took on his masculinity. It's a promise between the two that proves their devotion to one another. It's the ultimate symbol of their affection for one another.

In Aganau IF Ferris dresses and acts more masculine, precisely because his connection to Crusch no longer exists.

I'd also argue it's why he continues to dress as he does even when Crusch no longer has her memories, desperately holding onto the literal symbol of the bond between them.

However, unlike Crusch who seems to love who she is both when taking on more masculine and feminine traits, finding a balance between them; Ferris can't do the same. He sees it merely as a means to show his devotion rather than something he does for himself.

He constantly expresses that it is all for Crusch and Crusch alone. If anything he seems to resent his inability to fulfill any kind of masculine role, as shown once again in his conversation with Biehn in EX 1.

When pushed to finally unleash all his true feelings to Biehn, what does he bring up as the main reason for his resentment? His abuse? His coldness? His murder of his mother? Any of the innumerable unforgivable things Biehn has done to him?

No. Ferris points at his body. He anguishes over his skinny arms, his inability to wield a sword, his lack of muscle, and his lack of fighting prowess. He hates his lack of masculine features and how he's unable to live up to his idea of what Crusch's knight should be.

He literally sees his masculinity as something stolen from him by his father; leaving him so empty that he needed something else to fill that void.

Crusch gave him something to fill that void. Crusch gave him a way to live. Crusch filled his soul...but he still resents what he "has" to be.

Now does that mean he resents Crusch? No, of course not. But he does resent that this is the only thing he can do for her; the only person he can be. Deep down, he doesn't seem to want to be the way he is, and instead of trying to change that he gives in to despair.

He's stuck in that hatred, in that desire to meet Crusch's expectations, and in that moment where a starving child begged to be released and was finally brought into the light. In many ways, he acts like a child.

This is quite literally represented in him preventing himself from going through puberty; a symbol in many stories of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. He sees his current form as a shackle whether he realizes it or not.

Now does that mean that Ferris should disregard his femininity entirely? Throwing away the representation of his love for Crusch and something that has defined him for so long seems as self-destructive as staying stuck. What's the solution? Where is his arc going?

Well, before that, I want to cover one last thing before I have to delve into Arc 8 spoilers. There's a bit of a side tangent I want to go on.

With everything I've been able to point out up to here, it's clear that Ferris is a remarkably complex character. There's so much to read into and talk about.

So why is he so hated?

He's so similar to Subaru, possibly the most popular character in the novel fandom. Despite all the claims of him being the worst and me highlighting his character's flaws, he hasn't done anything more morally dubious than the vast majority of characters in this series, even when he was pushed to the edge. This is especially true when compared to some of the most popular characters like Subaru or Roswaal. Hell, characters even more directly belligerent than Ferris like Priscilla don't get half the hate (though Priscilla's perception has...its own issues).

Why does he get disregarded so often? Why is he often treated as shallow fetish fuel? Why is he just reduced to being an asshole in every discussion that involves him?

Well, I have a few I can point out.

The first is, most obviously, misinformation. A large portion of the novel reader base has not read Arcs 1-4 in the LN and has very warped views of some of the characters in that section of the story. Ferris is just the most blatant example.

I can't count the number of times I've heard people just blatantly lie about or exaggerate what Ferris did in Arc 3. From the "mana bomb" that has LITERALLY no basis in the text to the "brainwashing" scene treated as a comedy bit that is exaggerated to hell, people go out of their way to interpret him in the worst light possible.

Many of the people who haven't read those sections then see Ferris's ribbing of Subaru in Arc 5 and then run with those pieces of misinformation; spreading it to the point that many believe some blatant lies to be fact.

The second is simply that a lot of people in the fandom don't read the side stories. I don't particularly blame a lot of these people, as there is a lot to get through, but there are a lot of people who take advantage of this for...certain reasons.

This leads to the third point...shipping. Ferris suffers from "Die for our ship" syndrome (https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/DieForOurShip…). A lot of people like Crusch x Subaru and Crusch loves Ferris so that ends up being more than enough for some people to hate him.

That's not representative of even close to every Crusch x Subaru shipper, of course, it's just a notable trend that it's hard to pretend doesn't exist with some of them.

All of these factors often go hand-in-hand with the final factor: the fandom's immense double standards when it comes to certain characters.

I'm not going to go into deep detail with this as it would distract from the main point of the thread...but you know what I mean if you've interacted with the community for a significant period of time. It also doesn't help that many of the same people in this category tend to be incredibly bigoted.

Ferris isn't the only character subjected to these double standards, as characters like Emilia and Ram often face similar purposeful misinterpretations, but his frequently unfair critiques have affected his reputation negatively perhaps more than any other.

This isn't to say that this is all true for everyone who hates Ferris. There are numerous reasons you may just not be interested in his character.

However, I feel it's dishonest to pretend Ferris isn't often targeted far more than other characters for often lacking reasons.

With that out of the way, I can move on to the last thing I wanted to cover in this thread. I have established a lot here, so I want to speculate about the future.

From this point forward there are unmarked Arc 8 spoilers, so...you can't argue I wasn't careful. I don't blame you at all for leaving now and I thank you for reading my ramblings.

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Are you still here? Ok, let's start.

With all of the above established, I want to return to the question of where Ferris' arc will go in the future. My belief? I think it will be something similar to what Pre-Amnesia Crusch has already realized, with Felix’s closest parallel in Subaru being close to doing the same.

Crusch, as I mentioned before, has found balance in the two aspects of her life. Throughout the story, she switches seamlessly between the two without a second thought. She is comfortable and happy with both parts of herself.

Subaru is also on a similar path. He feels most comfortable in embracing his feminine side, idealizing it through Natsumi. All his confidence is channeled into that persona, while the other two aspects of his personality (his main self who has all the self-worth of an abandoned puppy and his child self who is representative of his more masculine traits) are imbalanced.

Arc 8 seems to be going in a direction where he realizes how important all of these aspects of him are. All 3 have flaws. None of them are "complete," just pieces of the coherent whole that is Natsuki Subaru.

I believe a similar thing will happen with Ferris.

He will need to find a balance between Ferris, his feminine side that has defined him for so long, and Felix the masculine identity he craves. He needs to find a role that makes him as happy as Crusch was, accepting who he is while striving to become who he wants to be.

I don't expect that to be easy though. In fact, I think the path to get there will be immensely messy and self-destructive.

The idea of Ferris having a breakdown or lashing out has been well-foreshadowed throughout the story. He has had numerous smaller outbursts and has displayed similar problems to Arc 3 Subaru when pushed to an extreme. There's a large amount of toxicity in him that will rush out, sooner or later. It will likely take similar levels of suffering to force him to get a grip, possibly hurting Crusch in the process.

Who do I believe to be the trigger for this? My best guess is Capella.

It is quite possible Capella freed Sphinx and recreated her arms initially. Why would she do this? Why not? We're seeing firsthand how much of a monster Sphinx can be with the Sacrament of the Immortal King. Why wouldn't someone like Capella want something like that under her control?

Of course, Sphinx is almost certainly dying soon. Capella will need a replacement, and who's the only other potential user of the Sacrament? Ferris.

There's also the idea that Capella may have poisoned the Royal Family and, most importantly, Fourier. If Capella does become the main antagonist for Ferris, that could serve as motivation for him to want her dead regardless of his own reservations about killing.

Adding onto this is the fact that shapeshifting is a power with a long history of being associated with identity issues. Tappei likes making his antagonists strong narrative foils to his protagonists, so it would be interesting to contrast Ferris' identity issues with the potentially strong identity issues of Capella.

Finally, there's a lot of potential for her tragic past to parallel Ferris' past, with many implications that the Royal Family may not exactly have treated Emerada the best. The idea that the Royal Family may have locked her away is not implausible and it could make their connections even stronger.

Whatever that breakdown leads to, I expect Crusch and/or Subaru to be the one who snaps him out of it. This will likely be the catalyst that forces Ferris to find a balance. He'll need to let go of things like his self-blame over being unable to help Fourier, his internalized hatred of his current identity, his idealization of Crusch, and his need to save everyone. Ferris's love will finally allow him to grow and change into a person who is the middle ground between his desires and his true self.

After all, that's what Re: Zero is truly about: love and growth. Almost every character reflects this and, if my interpretation of Ferris is right, he could embody that theme just as much as Subaru himself does.

He could be a shining bastion of what this story is all about.

Of course, this is all just my interpretation and speculation. If you disagree with it, feel free to. I just hope I was able to make you appreciate Ferris a bit more/changed your mind on how much potential his character has.

I wish whoever is reading this a nice day!

[sufferu]

Just realized that Arc 5 and Arc 8 are like. Direct inverts of one another.

In Arc 5, Subaru does literally everything right. He tries his best with what he’s got, he refuses to abuse RBD, he relies on his friends, and he does what he can to save his part of the city while leaving the rest up to those he knows he can count on. Priestella is saved, but with heavy collateral damage — damage that the rest of this section of arcs has, in part, been about rectifying. From any other point of view, the Battle of Priestella was a disaster and a tragedy, even if it was also a remarkable victory against four Sin Archbishops, and we are still feeling the ramifications of it four arcs later.

Meanwhile, in Arc 8, Subaru legitimately does EVERYTHING wrong. He spams RBD like a videogame mechanic, he breaks all his promises with glee, he keeps up lies and facades to manipulate others into going along with whatever he wants, he impresses his own desires and values onto other people with little regard to how they might feel about it, and he very explicitly takes the brunt of the entire Great Disaster onto his own back while refusing to rely on anyone to do anything that he did not, in some way, orchestrate for them to do. And then he gets out of it with a singular casualty, with that sole sacrifice being someone choosing to go out in her own way and outright refusing to allow him to save her because this is how she decided she wanted her time to end.

It’s also worth mentioning that neither of these Arcs — not the Priestella Arc nor the Vollachia Saga — has gotten an IF route, nor will they likely ever, now that we’re finished with the Seven Deadly Sins (rip Lust IF). I think I’ve mentioned before that Arc 5 was basically just an assessment to see how far Subaru has come since Arcs 1-4, with no additional lessons for him to learn that arc, and I’m calling it now and saying that Arc 8 was basically the meta culmination of all five Sin Routes, what with how heavily it decided to parallel each and every one of them. It’s almost like they’re meant to parallel one another, instead of each having their equal-opposite in an additional Bad End IF Route.

Anyway Arc 9 is gonna be fucking insane.

[somethinginworl]

Congrats to the winner of the Kirby deletion bracket... Who was it again?

[styxisms]

-- IF I TOLD YOU,

that this is not the end and that

we will meet again

WOULD YOU BELIEVE ME...?

// indie multi-fandom multi-muse featuring g'raha tia and muses from other fandoms such as alan wake, dead by daylight, final fantasy xiv, and others. NON RP BLOGS DO NOT INTERACT

[ruiination]

RUIINATION - a multi-fandom multi-muse roleplay blog by topaz. featuring muses from alan wake, final fantasy, persona, dead by daylight, and more. ( template. )

[zeivira]

Sometimes I'm really annoyed with the re zero fandom. But other times I genuinely love it???

Like— today I was on r/ao3 and someone showed their stats because they reached 1000 kudos. My problem with it? The person only had 35 comment threads. 1k people liked their fic enough to kudo but only 35 commented.

The re zero fandom has several problems (for real) but at least readers comment a bit more. You don't feel like you are writing to the void.

[sufferu]

I think that depends heavily on how you define “incel.” Because Subaru definitely has unfavorable traits — he’s oblivious to the people around him, somewhat self-absorbed, clingy to the point of codependency, very challenged in the department of “making real connections with others,” over-reliant on escapist fantasies to the point where it can occasionally completely eclipse his view of others as “real people,” and does, even, act entitled towards Emilia — but I still wouldn’t call him an “incel,” because I feel like that term has very specific qualifications that I don’t believe Subaru fulfills.

When I think of “incel,” I mainly think of three things: 1) the idea that women solely exist for the pleasure of men, 2) the idea that women “owe” men sex, and refusing to date them is akin to an infringement on their rights (Regulus lmao), and 3) the idea that if a woman DOES refuse to give a man pleasure, then she deserves some sort of horrible punishment for that transgression. For all his faults, I do not believe that Subaru fulfills any of these qualifications.

1) For all his reliance on escapist fantasies, Subaru really doesn’t see the women around him as props for the men in his life. He DOES see them as characters in a story at first, but that’s not a female-specific thing: he has the same problem with Julius when they first meet, because he slots Julius into the role of his story-given rival. And although he’s very much expecting something from Emilia (get to that in a sec), I think it’s a stretch to say that he sees all women as owing him some sort of pleasure. He has to work to make sure Rem and Ram don’t literally torture him to death, for one, and even after that’s done he notably never blames them for it despite, frankly, the fact that he would be absolutely in the right for it. Also, he wouldn’t get along with Ram nearly as much as he does — even early on — if he had that view of women: not just because Ram would never be as friendly with him as she is in canon if that were the case, but because Subaru would end up being resentful of her constant refusal to go along with his delusions.

2) This one’s a little complicated because Subaru DOES act entitled towards Emilia in Arc 3, but I actually don’t think it’s as simple as him being entitled because she’s a woman that he has a crush on. It’s not that she’s a pretty girl who owes him stuff by virtue of being a pretty girl: it’s that he literally died for her seven times and she has no clue, and also his abandonment issues are making him panic and yelling a whole bunch of stuff at once and hoping something’ll stick because he doesn’t want to be alone. (This works out great.)

(Also, uh, spoilers for Arc 6: it’s worth noting that when he loses his memory in Arc 6, he does not act anything like this around Emilia despite immediately regaining something of a crush on her for being a beautiful girl. There’s even a scene where he tries to flirt with her and then gets SCARED OFF when she flirts back. This very much frames his entitlement in Arc 3 as something that came from the circumstances of Arcs 1 and 2 — which would include, from his perspective, dying on her behalf SEVEN TIMES — rather than something inherent to his character from the very start.) (Also, also: Shaula’s whole inclusion basically highlights how Subaru NEVER wanted a stereotypical fanservice-y anime waifu who would throw herself at him constantly by virtue of existing as an Isekai protagonist, because now he’s got exactly that and he hates it so much that other characters actively drag her away from him due to her making him so viscerally uncomfortable.)

3) This one’s the most obvious: even at his absolute worst, Subaru NEVER gets the idea that Emilia deserves some horrible fate because she rejected him. The closest he gets to this is being happy that the Witch Cult is attacking the Mather’s Estate because that means he has a chance to prove himself — which is horrendously stupid and really rather shitty, but his focus isn’t on the possible damage or the idea that someone might get hurt: it’s on the idea that he can prove himself to Emilia so that she’ll accept him again. And when he comes to the village and sees that everyone is dead now, it breaks him so badly that he becomes a gibbering mess for like three days. He didn’t WANT anyone to get hurt — Emilia least of all — he just wanted to fulfill his escapist delusion of being a Hero and didn’t realize what he was actually asking for until it was too late. And then two loops later when he ends up actually hurting her by trying to break the taboo, the sight of what he did is enough to be the main factor in his subsequent decision to run to the other side of the world.

And as for the IF Routes (up to Arc 3):

I’m discounting Sloth:IF because he legit just becomes a house-husband. He’s not even a BAD husband, and he and Rem have a pretty alright relationship (minus them both being insanely codependent). He works hard to provide for her and she’s happy to be his wife. If it weren’t for the themes of stagnation and repression haunting them both, it might actually be a pretty nice ending.

Oboreru, then, is more typically evil, but the main theme of that one isn’t entitlement, refusing to see others as people, or even a disproportionate drive for retribution: it’s a lack of trust in other people. Subaru basically responded to his ordeal of being tortured for hours with a flail by someone he thought was his friend by deciding to never trust anyone ever again — not even himself — and became a mass murderer who kills everyone he thinks MIGHT try to hurt him so that nobody gets another chance to do the same to him. He’s basically a feral animal constantly gnawing off his own leg to escape a series of traps that only he believes are there, it’s really sad. He’s SO not a good person, but — honestly, he’s hardly even a person at ALL anymore, he’s just this bundle of self-preservation instincts constantly screaming “STAY AWAY.” And sure, he kidnapped Emilia and keeps her in a cage with the help of her father figure, but he’s not entitled to her: he actually fully believes that she will hate him and even takes comfort in that “fact,” to the point where her refusal to leave his side later is enough to actually drive him insane and run off screaming, crying for her to stay away from him. That…is horrible, but it’s not incel behavior.

And then, Ayamatsu. This is the IF where I could see someone making the claim that Subaru is an incel, and they wouldn’t be totally wrong, but I still think it’s a little bit off. The whole thing with this one is that Subaru has decided that he is going to become Emilia’s hero whether she likes it or not, and he’s going to do this by burning down the kingdom, killing all her rival candidates, and then having her murder him so that everyone can see her as THEIR hero and accept her as King. He even acknowledges himself that this plan will hurt her and he knows she will hate him forever, but he just…doesn’t care. He doesn’t even demand that she gives him something in return for it, he just wants to play the part of Emilia’s Hero and then die. You could make the argument that this is incel behavior, but I feel like the lack of demanding sex or intimacy as compensation — or even him fully acknowledging that Emilia would hate him for this — makes it a different scenario. I have no idea WHAT you would call this, though. It’s kinda just…it’s own form of batshit lunacy.

Anyway — I agree that Subaru is a very flawed character who grows over time, with that being the main draw of his arc, but I disagree with the term “incel” simply because I see it as a very specific label that isn’t…quite accurate when it comes to his specific brand of entitlement/escapist fantasies/etc.

I also don't get why people argue that Subaru doesn't have incel traits (especially in early re zero) because MOST if not all of the IF routes are some sort of pseudo-loner horrible unhealthy path. Like Tappei is textually saying if Subaru doesn't get over that aspect of himself in said related arcs he will turn into the worst person you know.

[megashadowdragon]

The Mischaracterization of Ferris: A thread analyzing Re: Zero's most misinterpreted and overlooked character. Side story spoilers for the entire thread. Arc 8 spoilers in the speculation section (will be marked since so many people aren't caught up).

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h On the other hand, Ferris is quite a fascinating character who serves an important role within the narrative of Arc 3. He doesn't let Subaru off as easy as everyone else which makes seeing him grow respect for Subaru's growth satisfying. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Whichever opinion you hold, that’s mostly irrelevant today. Instead, I will be simply discussing his character, his role in the story, and arguing in favor of many merits of his character people overlook. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Ferris's primary role is similar to all the Royals Candidates' knights: serving as a foil for Subaru. I've explained the similarities between Subaru and the other knights before, but to sum it up as quickly as possible all 3 of them represent a version of what Subaru could be. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Reinhard is a version of what Subaru could've been if he were the typical isekai protagonist, Julius is a lot more complicated but he’s essentially what Subaru could've been if he were granted enough power to face his enemies on even ground, and Al is Subaru if he had been- Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h -just a bit unlucky in where he had been sent; becoming someone who struggles to care and abuses his powers to the fullest.

Ferris is much the same, though it can be argued he parallels Subaru the hardest with the exception of maybe Al. The resemblance on paper between the- Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h -two is uncanny. They are both physically weak men who often don't fit traditional gender roles and have the sole desire of helping a woman they love to achieve her dreams of becoming a Royal Candidate no matter the personal costs to themselves. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h To do this, they use an extraordinary power unique to them (in Subaru's case RBD, and in Ferris's case his Water magic that is relative to an authority). Their need to rely on others for victory is a source of immense mental turmoil and often leaves them full of self-loathing. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h They place immense value in the lives of others, even those who have or will harm them, to the point that they are willing to be harmed in order to help them. Seeing others casually disregard the lives of others serves as one of the things that anger them the most. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h They are both prone to obsessively possessive behavior and have sometimes even directed it towards the one they love. This often leads to them getting in trouble due to their jealousy.

There are more similarities I could point out, but you get the point. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Where am I going with this though? Ferris is clearly a parallel to Subaru, but what does he represent in regard to him? Put simply, I believe his primary branching point is he is what Subaru could've been if his parents were just a bit different. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Parent and Child is one of the most crucial chapters for informing us about just the kind of person Subaru is. Perhaps the most important piece is how it helps us understand just how much of him is a result of his father. Subaru not only looked up to him but actively mimicked-

-him to achieve his goals. The pressure of the surrounding world caused him to default to trying to be his father instead of who he truly was. Subaru's parents weren't perfect, in fact they were very flawed people, but they are responsible for many of Subaru's positive traits.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h The same is true for Ferris and his shitbag of a father.

If you were to ask any novel reader what Ferris' defining trait as a character is, they would probably say anger or bitterness. This isn't too surprising, as that's how he- Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h -typically acts towards everyone except Crusch and Fourier; even when it comes to friends such as Julius.

I would argue however that it is, similar to Subaru, merely an act he defaults to when he is stressed or angry. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h During his bitter moments, such as his cold statement to Subaru as he leaves Crusch's mansion in Arc 4, Ferris is merely defaulting to what he has learned to be the best method of dealing with his stress…a method that mimics his father.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Whether Ferris acknowledges it or not, his attitude at his worst moments makes him come off like his father. He can be cruel, sometimes even callous. He shows intense rage when he doesn't get his way and attacks the part of his opponent that is most vulnerable. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h This attitude can blind him to the point that he can even hypocritically acts racist towards Emilia.

Ferris' entire life has been defined by discrimination. In the face of someone he should know has faced many of the same issues he talks almost exactly like his dad.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h It was in the middle of a mental breakdown, but that does not excuse him just like it does not excuse Subaru.

Speaking of his parents, it's also notable how their inability to connect with Ferris parallel Naoko and Kenichi's struggles with Subaru. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Ferris' dad is a bombastic, loud man who was (once) well-respected and causes many of Ferris's issues through his actions and Ferris' emulation of him. His fatal flaw in the end was also that he could not understand Ferris, similar to Kenichi.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Ferris' mom on the other hand fully understood the distress he was under but did not have the confidence to interfere or make a change as Ferris wasted away, similar to Naoko's inability to help Subaru when he most needed it.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h That's not to say Kenichi or Naoko are even a thousandth as bad as either of those two, but their struggles with their child deeply parallel each other.

Back on track though, I want to highlight a bit more of Ferris' parallels with perhaps the most damning example. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h This specific scene is from the "The Saga of the Great Crusch-sama Begins". When faced with his mother, the he hates so much, he attempts to stab her in the chest. Crusch gets caught in the crossfire causing Felix to freak out and unlock his water magic to save her.

What can at first be written off as just a unique way to show off Ferris' water magic gets recontextualized hard in EX 1, where it's revealed his father killed his mother in the exact same method, stabbing her to death in a fit of rage.

Outwardly, this image of hatred, bitterness, and malice is what Ferris projects. It's easy to write that off as just the kind of person he is as so many often do…

…but there's obviously more to it than this. There is far more to Ferris than his mimicry of his father. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Ferris doesn't allow himself to be vulnerable very often in the story. Only when he is with Fourier and Crusch, as well as when he is in the most intense moments of crisis, does he show who he actually is. Stress is the best test of character after all. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h The best example to me? His confrontation with the father he so often emulates.

If Ferris was actually as vindictive as he so often outwardly acts, how would you expect him to react to the death of a man he hated so much? Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Wouldn't he taunt him? Wouldn't he make his last moments a living hell? Wouldn't he crow in pleasure at his agony? Would you be able to even blame Ferris if he made Biehn's last moments hell? Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h You would expect that…but that's not how he reacts at all. At that moment, watching as the man who tortured him so much dies an awful death…he just shows sadness. He thinks about the possibility that they could've just worked things out; that things could be different.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Despite everything his father had done to him, despite all the rage at the world Ferris projects, the moment he is put into a scenario he likely dreamed of he can't help but feel pity that this was the only route he could take. He never wanted to hurt even Biehn of all people. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h And this, I believe, is Ferris's actual defining trait underneath his persona of cynicism and bitterness: kindness and a greater love for life than anyone else in the series. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 8h Ferris's power, as Fourier once said, is the kindest in the world. At his core, Ferris is just as kind as his power and loves life arguably more than any other character in the series.

Think about it. Despite Ferris's words, what is the thing that upsets him most?

People who waste their lives. Whether it be Subaru, Fourier, a random Vollachian guard, or even Witch Cultists...Ferris can't bring himself to watch life be thrown away. It just hurts him, regardless of how horrible the person is.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop Just like Subaru, he wants to help everyone. The pain that he feels when he is unable to do so is immeasurable, as Subaru himself states in Volume 8.

He is struggling with the same realization as Subaru: saving some people is impossible, it's just a simple fact of life.

The reason this baffles me is because of how blatant the importance is to anyone who has read EX 1. Even Tappei himself has stated that many of the things he wants to do with Ferris could not be done without this aspect of his character.

Ferris's non-conformance is part of a promise made with Crusch. Ferris took on her femininity while Crusch took on his masculinity. It's a promise between the two that proves their devotion to one another. It's the ultimate s

ymbol of their affection for one another.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h In Aganau IF Ferris dresses and acts more masculine, precisely because his connection to Crusch no longer exists.

It's also why he continues to dress as he does even when Crusch no longer has her memories, desperately holding onto the literal symbol of the bond between them.

However, unlike Crusch who seems to love who she is both when taking on more masculine and feminine traits, finding a balance between them; Ferris can't do the same. He sees it merely as a means to show his devotion rather than something he does for himself.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h He constantly expresses that it is all for Crusch and Crusch alone. If anything he seems to resent his inability to fulfill any kind of masculine role, as shown once again in his conversation with Biehn in EX 1. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h When pushed to finally unleash all his true feelings to Biehn, what does he bring up as the main reason for his resentment? His abuse? His coldness? His murder of his mother? Any of the innumerable unforgivable things Biehn has done to him? Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h No. Ferris points at his body. He anguishes over his skinny arms, his inability to wield a sword, his lack of muscle, and his lack of fighting prowess. He hates his lack of masculine features and how he's unable to live up to his idea of what Crusch's knight should be.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h He literally sees his masculinity as something stolen from him by his father; leaving him so empty that he needed something else to fill that void.

Crusch gave him that thing. Crusch gave him a way to live. Crusch filled his soul, but he still resents what he "has" to be.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Now does that mean he resents Crusch? No, of course not. But he does resent that this is the only thing he can do for her; the only person he can be. Deep down, he doesn't seem to want to be the way he is, and instead of trying to change that he throws the blame on his father. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h He's stuck in that hatred, in that desire to meet Crusch's expectations, and in that moment where a starving child begged to be released and was finally brought into the light. In many ways, he acts like a child. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h This is quite literally represented in him preventing himself from going through puberty; a symbol in many stories of transitioning from childhood to adulthood. He sees his current form as a shackle whether he realizes it or not.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h With that out of the way, I can move on to the last thing I wanted to cover in this thread. I have established a lot here so I want to speculate about the future. From this point forward there are unmarked Arc 8 spoilers, so…you can't argue I wasn't careful from here onwards. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h I don't blame you at all for doing so and I thank you for reading my ramblings.

* * *

Are you still here? Ok, let's start.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop With all of the above established, I want to return to the question of where Ferris' arc will go in the future. My belief? I think it will be something similar to what Pre-Amnesia Crusch has already realized, with Felix’s closest parallel in Subaru being close to doing the same. 9:38 AM · Nov 14, 2023 · 239 Views

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Crusch, as I mentioned before, has found balance in the two aspects of her life. Throughout the story, she switches seamlessly between the two without a second thought. She is comfortable and happy with both parts of herself.

Subaru is also on a similar path. He feels most comfortable in embracing his feminine side, idealizing it through Natsumi. All his confidence is channeled into that persona, while the other two aspects of his personality (his main self who has all the self-worth of an abandoned-

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h -puppy and his child self who is representative of his more masculine traits) are imbalanced.

Arc 8 seems to be going in a direction where he realizes how important all of these aspects of him are. They all 3 have flaws but together, they can make up for those flaws. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h They are pieces of the coherent whole that is Natsuki Subaru.

I believe a similar thing will happen with Ferris. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h He will need to find a balance between Ferris, his feminine side that has defined him for so long, and Felix the masculine identity he craves. He needs to find a role that makes him as happy as Crusch was, accepting who he is while striving to become who he wants to be. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h I don't expect that to be easy though. In fact, I think the path to get there will be immensely messy and self-destructive.

The idea of Ferris having a breakdown or lashing out has been well-foreshadowed throughout the story. He has had numerous small outbursts already and has- Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h -displayed similar problems to Arc 3 Subaru when pushed to an extreme. There's a large amount of toxicity in him that will rush out, sooner or later. It will likely take similar levels of suffering to force him to get a grip, possibly hurting Crusch in the process. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Who do I believe to be the trigger for this? Capella.

It is quite possible Capella freed Sphinx and recreated her arms initially. Why would she do this? Why not? We're seeing firsthand how much of a monster Sphinx can be with the Sacrament of the Immortal King. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Why wouldn't someone like Capella want something like that under her control?

Of course, Sphinx is almost certainly dying soon. Capella will need a replacement and who's the only other option we know of? Ferris. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h He is the perfect target for her.

Adding onto this, there's the whole idea that Capella may have poisoned the Royal Family and, most importantly, Fourier.

Shapeshifting is a power with a long history of being associated with identity issues. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Considering Ferris' identity issues, who better is there to oppose him than someone like that?

Finally, there's a lot of potential for her tragic past to parallel Ferris' past, with many implications that the Royal Family may not exactly have treated Emerada the best.

Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Whatever that breakdown leads to, I expect Crusch and/or Subaru to be the one who snaps him out of it. This will likely be the catalyst that forces Ferris to find a balance. He'll need to let go of things like his self-blame over being unable to help Fourier- Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h -his internalized hatred of his current identity, his idealization of Crusch, and his need to save everyone. Ferris's love will finally allow him to grow and change into a person who is the middle ground between his desires and his true self. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h After all, that's what Re: Zero is truly about: love and growth. Almost every character reflects this and, if my interpretation of Ferris is right, he could embody that theme just as much as Subaru himself does.

He could be a shining bastion of what this story is all about. Gourmet_of_Gluttony @Gluttony_Bishop · 9h Of course, this is all just my interpretation and speculation. If you disagree with it, feel free to. I just hope I was able to make you appreciate Ferris a bit more/changed your mind on how interesting he is.

I wish whoever is reading this a nice day.😁

[sufferu]

plz no

[styxisms]

『 This is the 𝑭𝑨𝑻𝑬 that brought us here to watch my 𝐋𝐎𝐍𝐆 𝐒𝐇𝐎𝐓』 ©

[sufferu]

I think it’s important to emphasize that Subaru was specifically the one forcefemming all of his nearby male friends and not the other way around

Yes! Another season of Subaru Natsuki's trauma accumulation is out

[ruiination]

𝐑𝐔𝐈𝐈𝐍𝐀𝐓𝐈𝐎𝐍 - a multi-muse featuring muses from video games and anime/manga. FEATURING: final fantasy xvi, final fantasy xiv, persona 5, re:zero, vinland saga, ace attorney, and more!

By topaz! (template)

[lintwriting]

How to Write a M/M Romance: Scum Villain's Bingqiu

Where Masculinity and Teacher/Student Intersect

Teacher Student Romance is the APPEAL, NOT a Plot Convenience

Easily the most problematic part about Scum Villain (beyond the dubcon papapa to save the world) is the teacher/student relationship baked into the main romance of the work—the one between Shen Qingqiu and Luo Binghe. Not only is it pervasive, it's not even brushed aside for the reader to forget about, the way the problematic aspects of other medias often are.

In fact, unlike the way age is brushed aside in fantasy dramas that have "teenage protagonists" for marketing reasons, such as The Vampire Diaries or Re:Zero, where the age is only there to draw in a teenage audience and otherwise the characters act like young adults, Scum Villain's Teacher x Student is purposely highlighted in a way that makes it clear that the dynamic is part of its main appeal.

For one, Luo Binghe's main form of address for his romantic partner is "Shizun," calling him teacher in a super respectful, almost worshipful way. This is the opposite of weakening the unbalanced dynamic. It's elevating the Teacher/Student power imbalance (in ways that make the reader suspect it's a kink thing for Luo Binghe LMAO).

For two, Shen Qingqiu is cognizant of how bad it looks to be called Shizun in a romantic context, feeling textually weirded out when it happens during romantic relations. Despite this, most of the ways he shows affection to Luo Binghe are very paternalistic (milf-coded), such as scolding him in fond exasperation or kissing him on the forehead like a father. In addition, Luo Binghe is specifically noted for not having older male authority figures in his life other than Shen Qingqiu, as his adopted mother was a single woman and his bio father could not care less about the son his late wife gave up her life for (seemingly for no reason, BUT I'll get to that in a different meta) (AND despite ample evidence that he CAN be a good father to Luo Binghe's cousin).

And while one aspect of it is that the Shizun/disciple dynamic is a genre-wide trope thanks to the influence of the early work, The Return of the Condor Heroes, wherein the Confucian taboo of the teacher/student romance is a source of tension and excitement within the novel, I wouldn't say that that's the whole of why Scum Villain (SVSSS) emphasizes the teacher/student romance.

Why are We Hot For Teacher: Return of the Condor Heroes vs Scum Villain

For one, within Return of the Condor Heroes, the romance is between a male student and a female teacher (because it's a het novel, lol), but SVSSS is a BL novel and wouldn't necessarily need to play into such tropes to create this "taboo"-evoking tension.

A lot of BL novels already play into the way being gay is marginalized or frowned upon to accomplish this, for instance, SVSSS's author's latter work, Mo Dao Zu Shi (MDZS) (The Grandmaster of Demonic Cultivation), wherein the main character has compulsory heterosexuality.

For two, the dynamics of the Return of the Condor Heroes is playing with heteronormative ideas about the roles of men and women in romance. It's notable that the student is the male lover, and the master is the female lover in this relationship, playing with non-traditional ideas about who is submissive and who is dominant—while simultaneously using it to reaffirm traditional pursuer/pursued dynamics.

This male pursuer/female pursued dichotomy is not usually explicitly stated within media as that can seem sexist and clunky, rather it is usually implicit and portrayed through various contrivances. Xiaolongnu is a "cold beauty" who therefore must remain pure/aloof, which is accentuated by her role as a teacher, and while she is "dominant" as the teacher setting the terms for their relationship, it's mostly to emphasize the lengths that Yang Guo, the student, would go to pursue her. He becomes extra romantic for pursuing her while accepting her lead on choices like separating for 16 years.

In addition, the teacher/student relationship is a contrivance that affirms society's implicit bias about gender by giving textual, non-gendered excuses for the man to pursue. In this case, it would be an abuse of a teacher's power for Xiaolongnu to make the first move. Thus, traditional gender dynamics where men are the ones pursuing women are reaffirmed without making clunky statements about gender, even through nontraditional dynamics like a teacher/student relationship where the woman is dominant.

But, again, SVSSS is a BL, so the two main characters are both men, meaning there is no societal answer on who should be pursuer and the pursued. However, it is notable that SVSSS does play with this same dynamic of "cold, aloof teacher" and student who would go to extreme lengths to pursue them, while also purposely describing Luo Binghe as the "peak of masculinity."

This is where we start getting into SVSSS's intersection between Masculinity and the teacher/student relationship.

Because while although Condor Heroes uses the teacher/student relationship to affirm the heteronormative dichotomy of the male pursuer/female pursued, SVSSS's usage of this dynamic is in service of satirically demonstrating the "acceptable" avenues of affection when living as a man (since there's no women, and they're both men lol).

Teacher/Student Romance as a Way to Escape Restrictive Masculine Gender Roles

Teacher/student dynamic is a huge aspect to SVSSS because it’s a way to escape the masculine gender roles critiqued within the work. This is on the face of it obvious. Shen Qingqiu lets Binghe act bizarrely clingy under the assumption that he’s merely taking care of a filial or needy child. The understanding that "masculine men have to be straight" and the understanding that "Binghe is the most manly person within the novel as the stallion protagonist" intersect to ensure that any affection between them is strictly platonic, which is a double edged sword.

Because Shen Qingqiu allows Binghe close to him with the reassurance that Binghe HAS to be straight (a surprisingly common way for straight men to interact), that means that as Binghe ages, his access to affection will also get cut off, since he's supposed to be aging out of the role of a clingy student and into the role of stallion protagonist.

This is even grafted onto the scum villain/protagonist dynamic, as exactly at the point where Binghe's on the cusp of becoming an adult, Shen Qingqiu is forced to be the opposite of affectionate and become the villain by throwing him down into Xianxia hell. Which, to him, means that he's killed his baby student and replaced him with a stallion protagonist out to take him out.

So when Binghe becomes an adult, he loses access to affection along two axises within Shen Qingqiu's mind. The first being that he's now vengeful stallion protagonist out to get him throwing him away, which is the explicit reason Shen Qingqiu rebuffs him. And the second being that he's now a straight adult man who isn't supposed to get affection from his old teacher, which is also a factor.

This loss and transformation into a protagonist causes him to become insane to almost comical proportions, indiscriminately killing people and so distraught that at any point he's liable to self-destruct—all because he's constantly being rebuffed when seeking affection from his teacher, who thinks he wants to take him out for throwing him into hell. It's notable that any time Shen Qingqiu rejects him, Binghe lashes out in an almost stoic anger, rather than with the vulnerable crybaby tears that Binghe used as a kid. All this is highlighting the consequences of toxically masculine gender roles—where a severe lack of emotional vulnerability creates only violence and status as ways to express yourself, leading to severe emotional issues.

Now this is where it gets to the satirical aspects. Because all that before is pretty angsty and not very funny, but Scum Villain is a comedic satire. This is because it's not from the perspective of Luo Binghe—it's from the perspective of Shen Qingqiu.

The Point of Scum Villain's Meta

To all of this, Shen Qingqiu is totally oblivious, as he is still under the impression that everything was platonic. Which I'd argue he SHOULD be, considering that Binghe was a young student in his care that he was only trying to groom into being nice, person not into a sexual relationship 💀💀. Now, the ethics of fiction about raising your spouse is a whole other issue outside of the scope of this discussion, but within the universe of Scum Villain, where we know his intentions, he gets the pass from me!

The reason Shen Qingqiu is oblivious is because one, as the most terminally online hater on the Internet, he's read about stallion protagonist Luo Binghe way before transmigrating into the story. And the Luo Binghe of the original story was a miserable sack of shit who got an unhappy ending despite being the peak of what masculinity "should" be.

A harem of women to show his virility, a stoic facade, and a constant stream of face slapping for hundreds and hundreds of chapters. He's an alpha male to the point of farce because Airplane needed to appeal to the lowest common denominator of teen boys on the internet—Andrew Tate's main demographic. It's not just a satire of YY novels—this, too, is part of Scum Villain's critique of toxic masculinity.

The second reason Shen Qingqiu is oblivious is because he's homophobic, sexist, heteronormative, etc. etc. etc. He was an INTERNET TROLL for a reason. And while people like to joke that he was a feminist king on the forums, I feel like it's more in line with the themes of the story to take him reading this schlock at face value because it's part of Scum Villain's trap! Anytime you feel like complaining about Scum Villain's hack writing, you're one meat bun away from an uno reverse card. The instant you start complaining, the author can hit you with a "Cucumber-bro calm down," and BOOM you're done! Never comment again!

And this is so effective because none of us want to be an un-self-aware, terminally online, trash-reading hater like him.

So, the satire of the novel is taking this kind of guy—both the Andrew Tates of the world and his basement dwelling followers—and wondering "Would gay sex fix them?" And the answer is YES, WHICH is HYSTERICAL to play straight in a romance like this. It's "Fellas, is it gay to like women?" but make it into an actual romance.

On a thematic level, being gay is indeed antithetical to a masculinity that upholds having sex with tons of women as the ideal, so it's doubly poignant for this closeted gay man to realize that the only thing he needed to do to live was to accept himself and the people around him by giving up his need to fit them into boxes—both on a meta "they're not fictional characters to him anymore" level, but also on a "toxic masculinity shouldn't define us" level.

Climaxing

The old Shen Qingqiu is dead. Long live Shen Qingqiu. Gay sex to save the world. Luo Binghe is back to his crybaby self. All is well in the world.

One thing I love about this teacher/student romance that it portrays Bingqiu afterwards as really happy and in love. Logically, nothing about that makes sense — 45 year old stepfather marries 25 year old stepdaughter from a bad home who idolized him, even while he acts like he's embarrassed to be around her and encourages her helplessness—but it makes perfect sense because it's a perfect marriage between all these different layers.

The "bird leaving the nest" conflict

Qingqiu is allowed to be affectionate with a scary adult Binghe because Binghe can be both a clingy student and an adult

2. The scum villain/protagonist conflict

Binghe never wanted to kill Shen Qingqiu, only to be loved by him.

3. The comphet conflict

Binghe never intended to go out and get a harem of women as a sign of masculine status, he just wants to be gay with Shen Qingqiu.

4. The "should I treat them like real people or fictional characters" transmigrator conflict—

Binghe is a real person separate from the character of Luo Binghe because he's no longer that unattainable masculine ideal—he's human and happier for it.

All solved with a student/teacher relationship in service of critiquing toxic masculinity. Now that's economical writing!

(I love the inclusion of the original Luo Binghe meeting them in the Extras, and that Luo Binghe is pretty evenly matched with him. I feel like the idea that someone "is automatically stronger with the power of love, and therefore that's why love is better" is pretty shallow, as it plays into the toxically masculine idea that strength is all that matters. Luo Binghe may not be stronger than the toxically masculine ideal version of himself, but he doesn't feel the need to be because he's happy the way he is. And his ideal self is jealous of him for that—not vice versa.)

On their own, these resolutions would probably still feel as creepy as Lolicon, but in the context of critiquing masculinity, it makes a lot more sense. Masculinity, I think, fascinates as a writing tool because there's a lot of mini tools baked-in its structure, like Shen Qingqiu's comedic plausible deniability thing, as well as assumptions about power.

For instance, since Binghe is quite literally the God-emperor of his world, it feels more like a kink thing for him to call Qingqiu Shizun, and not like he's actually less powerful than Shizun in their dynamic. His bouts of learned helplessness come off as traditionally feminine Sajiao, NOT like the learned behavior of creepy pick-me pedophilia. It's like a cat showing its belly, because we all know it's a murder machine showing its vulnerable side out of trust, not because it feels the need to degrade itself. So, while his behavior emphasizes the Teacher/Student imbalance, the reality is that he's doing it mostly for kinky reasons and that the two of them are on a pretty level playing field. It's extremely funny when people joke that he and Qingqiu are the same age due to all that time Qingqiu spent dead, because they are Not Wrong.

Problematic Kinks

Romance fiction is usually about ways to get certain needs met in ways that would never be possible in real life, which is why a lot of it is problematic. Virginity kink is not about real life virgins, but the idea that your partner is guaranteed to think you're competent in bed. Bodice ripper stories do not reflect the reality of getting raped, but is more about the idea of getting sexually satisfied with none of the shame of "being slutty" for desiring sex, since it was "against your will." Or they're about controlling the fear of getting raped within this safe romantic fantasy where everything turns out all right. Or various other things because kinks are personal.

Shen Qingqiu is the perfect example of this, where he functions as a great insert for female readers who might have shame around sexuality, since he's a "prude" without actually being one, hence his parallel with Xiaolongnu. Instead, he's just comedically under the misconception that he's straight or that Binghe's only platonically in love with his teacher—that's why he's always ashamed and putting on airs. It's a comedic/unrealistic version of comphet, so you don't gotta think about purity culture while reading your silly little stories.

And Luo Binghe is the self-insert fantasy of readers with daddy issues. His strict father who criticized him all the time actually secretly thought he was the bestest-westest, most handsomest boy in the whole wide world, and there was a secret understandable reason he had to be mean to him, and he secretly loves when he acts like a crybaby because that just means an excuse to pamper him.

And while in real life, many of these would be incredibly dysfunctional—within fiction, we can make these fantasies work anyway. If your romance manages to hit at one of these underlying desires in a fantastical way, you've got a hit with one audience of people! Whether that be by making them EVEN MORE dysfunctional (papapa to save the world) or by having them somehow communicate it out into a healthy dynamic (the extras, presumably).

All this to say, if you're a man frustrated with your love life, all you need is a gay, milf-y male teacher to ruin your life.

[lynnsenpai]

Not really a question but I really love how MIS shows that an isekai deconstruction doesn't need to overly dark nor overly meta either. Don't get me wrong I love Re:Zero (meta) and Now and Then, Here and There (overly dark) as they're great but it's great pieces of isekai, but I love how we got a non-derivative, introspective, and throwback take on a now oversaturated genre that still manages to be mostly feel good and sincerely wholesome. Though I kinda do hope MIS will contain some elements of shows like Now and Then, Here and There (not too much obviously cause this is still a PG rated feel good comic) cause I do know you know how to explore and delve into dark topics as shown in Rain, but overall I'm just loving it the way it is now.

Thank you! That means so much to me to hear! ^_^ I'm a big fan of the isekai genre, but I also generally find it a bit frustrating because there's so much untapped potential that's never ever explored. Instead, these days it's mostly just a lot of, "this dude is wimp but WAAAAAAIIIIT actually his wimpy power (or lack thereof) is actually what makes him the strongest ever (and maybe even a god)! Also all the girls want him now!" But I'm just not into power fantasy, so it doesn't really do much for me. I do love Re:Zero, though, and would like to see Now and Then, Here and There one of these days (although I do know going in it won't be an easy watch). But I grew up on 90's isekai like Fushigi Yugi, Visions of Escaflowne, and Magic Knight Rayearth. Female leads. Not afraid to have queer characters. Absolutely no cheat skills or status screens. I feel like there's nothing quite like them out there today, and while I wouldn't call MIS exactly like any of them, I really wanted to match that kind of energy. All in all, like Rain, MIS will also go to some heavy or dark places at times, but I do want it to always maintain a sense of hopefulness. These kids will face a lot of hardship, but largely because I think it's valuable to see them overcome and conquer.

[pinkandbluebracket]

Introducing... The Pink and Blue Bracket!

Round One will be broken up into four parts for organization purposes. The following rounds will be split between Side A and Side B (with the exception of the finals/semifinals which will be released all at once)

As of April 29th the bracket has concluded.

The full list of competitors (and sources) can be found below the cut:

🌸Side A

-Amy and Sonic (Sonic) -Megurine Luka and Hatsune Miku (Vocaloid) -Kirby and Meta Knight (Kirby) -Princess Peach and Rosalina (Mario) -Mabel and Dipper Pines (Gravity Falls) -Susie and Lancer (Deltarune) -Jessie and James (Pokémon) -Howl Pendragon and Sophie Hatter (Howl's Moving Castle) -Hilda Valentine Goneril and Marianne Von Edmund (Fire Emblem Three Houses) -Madoka Kaname and Sayaka Miki (Puella Magi Madoka Magica) -Cure Black and Cure White (Futari Wa Precure) -Mew Ichigo and Blue Knight (Tokyo Mew Mew) -Perfuma and Mermista (She-Ra and the Princesses of Power) -Nazuna Hiwatashi and Michiru Kagemori (Brand New Animal) -Charlotte and Tiana (The Princess and the Frog) -Rapunzel and Cassandra (Tangled Series) -Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto) -Saiki Kusuo and Kaidou Shun (The Disastrous Life of Saiki K) -Amitie and Sig (Puyo Puyo Fever) -Hinata and Yuta Aoi (Ensemble Stars) -Momoi Airi and Hinomori Shizuku (Project SEKAI) -Ram and Rem (Re:Zero) -Trans Flag (Pride Flags/Real Life) -Sylveon (Pokémon) -Unikitty and Puppycorn (Unikitty!) -Yin and Yang (Yin Yang Yo) -Murray and Sly Cooper (Sly Cooper) -Piglet and Eeyore (Winnie the Pooh) -Blossom and Bubbles (The Powerpuff Girls) -Webby Vanderquack and Dewey Duck (Ducktales 2017) -Magenta and Blue (Blue's Clues) -Angel and Stitch (Lilo and Stitch)

💙Side B -Roxy Lalonde and Jane Crocker (Homestuck) -Max Caulfield and Chloe Price (Life is Strange) -Vi and Jinx (Arcane) -Allura and Lance (Voltron) -Pinkie Pie and Rainbow Dash (My Little Pony) -Princess Bubblegum and Finn the Human (Adventure Time) -Chrissy and Francine (Animal Crossing) -Satsuki Momoi and Daiki Aomine (Kuroko no Basket) -Asmodeus Alice and Iruma Suzuki (Welcome to Demon School Iruma-kun!) -Cure Blossom and Cure Marine (Heartcatch Precure) -Yae Miko and Kamisato Ayato (Genshin Impact) -Yuki Rurikawa and Muku Sakisaka (A3!) -Rozaliya and Liliya Olenyeva (Honkai Impact 3rd) -Natsu Dragneel and Gray Fullbuster (Fairy Tail) -Martha Dunnstock and Veronica Sawyer (Heathers) -Sasha Waybright and Anne Boonchuy (Amphibia) -Lewis Pepper and Vivi Yukino(Mystery Skulls) -Queen of Hatred and Knight of Despair (Lobotomy Corporation) -Heartful Punch and Undine Wells (Sleepless Domain) -Pretzel and Gillion Tidestrider (Just Roll With It) -Pink and Blue Diamond (Steven Universe) -Stephanie and Sportacus (LazyTown) -Yona and Hak (Yona of the Dawn) -Ami Onuki and Yumi Yoshimura (Hi Hi Puffy AmiYumi) -Anais and Gumball Watterson (The Amazing World of Gumball) -Annalise and Erika (Barbie: Princess and the Pauper) -Flora and Bloom (Winx Club) -Lala and Kiki (Sanrio) -Five Pebbles and Looks to the Moon (Rain World) -Bot and Goo (Inanimate Insanity) -Pink and Dark Blue (Animator vs Animation) -Pink and Blue Crewmate (Among Us)