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Daniel Sipiora

LIS 722

Dr. Rimer

29 September 2016

Book Review (Re:Zero Vol. 1)

Nagatsuki, Tappei . Re:ZERO Vol. 1: Starting Life in a Another World. Yen On, 19 July 2016.
240 pages. $10.00 ISBN: 978-0316315302.

Nagatsuki's light novel series Re:ZERO chronicles the unfortunate tales (and deaths) of a young

man pulled from the modern age and into a medieval fantasy world where he encounters an array of

mystical characters, attempts to adapt to his new life, and becomes cursed with a fate worse than death: to

die over and over.

Re:ZERO introduces a darker twist on the fantasy genre and its tropes, which have been overused

and recycled by all forms of media. The main character Subaru is depicted as an advocate of the genre,

believing the new world he is summoned into operates on the same themes and elements. However, the

story as a whole represents a complete deconstruction of the genre, and in turn, Subaru's ignorance of the

world around him, as he is subjected to its cruel, malicious reality. In addition, Nagatsuki presents readers

with a complex, unnerving, yet compelling plot which leads the reader into a short-lived sense of security

with its light-hearted and humorous moments, before suddenly taking a turn for the worst in an instant;

for every tragedy averted, two or more take its place in spades. Each character is enjoyably unique and

memorable in their own way, but it is Subaru's development that primarily sticks out to young adult

readers the most, as each tragedy and death that befalls him gradually breaks and reshapes his personality,

psyche, and view of the world around him. Shinichirou Otsuka's captivating artwork brings Nagatsuki's

deconstructed fantasy to life in the style of a Japanese manga, highlighting its brightest and most tragic

moments in a mystical, compelling manner, drawing fantasy lovers to a new vision of the genre. In a

library collection, it is debatable on what form of literature it falls into, as a light novel is a unique form

on its own originating in Japan, like manga, thus it tends to be overlooked by readers in an American
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library setting. However, as a series that can be compared to fantasy series like Harry Potter, fantasy

enthusiasts who know where to find it will be entranced and drawn to this deconstructive tragedy.