Re:ZERO 4th Season Japan Premiere Held! Yusuke Kobayashi and Spectacular Cast Passionately Discuss the Appeal of the New Arc

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the TV anime "Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-" (commonly known as Re:ZERO). A "Japan Premiere Stage Greeting with Nationwide Simultaneous Broadcast" was held on Saturday, March 7th, allowing fans to enjoy the highly anticipated new season ahead of its release.

The series is based on the novel of the same name by Tappei Nagatsuki, which has surpassed 13 million copies in cumulative worldwide circulation. It depicts the protagonist Natsuki Subaru, who is summoned to another world and confronts harsh fate by utilizing the power of "Return by Death," which rewinds time when he dies. The 4th season, starting in April 2026, is set in the tower at the edge of the world standing tall in the great desert "Auguria Sand Dunes," which even Reinhard, the strongest "Sword Saint," could not conquer, and depicts Subaru and his companions' new journey and harsh life-or-death trials.

At this event, episodes 1 and 2 of the 4th season were screened in advance, followed by a stage greeting by the cast. Yusuke Kobayashi (Natsuki Subaru), Rie Takahashi (Emilia), Satomi Arai (Beatrice), Takuya Eguchi (Julius Juukulius), Fairouz Ai (Shaula), and Nobuhiko Okamoto (Garfiel Tinsel) took the stage and shared behind-the-scenes stories from recording and highlights of the new season.

The event was also broadcast via live viewing at 16 theaters nationwide, with many fans witnessing the opening of the new arc.

■The Long-Awaited 4th Season Begins

After the screening of episodes 1 and 2, the cast appeared on stage to loud applause from the audience. First, discussion turned to episodes 1 and 2. Kobayashi, who voices Subaru, commented, "The 4th season continues from the painful ending of the 3rd season, so it was tough both for Subaru and for me playing him. In episode 2, he dies twice right away, so I think we got to fully savor what Re:ZERO is all about."

Takahashi, who voices Emilia, spoke passionately: "This adventure includes Rem, so I have a feeling the story is really going to progress. Watching the early 4th season episodes after recording has progressed is intense! Everyone's feelings are intersecting at this stage, so I want to really take it all in." She added with a thumbs-up, "I think everyone has noticed, but Emilia is strong. I hope you'll rely on Emilia in the 4th season."

Eguchi, who voices Julius, continued, "I was told that Julius would have a tough time starting from the 4th season, so I approached it with determination. When something is described as tough in Re:ZERO, I think it means it's incredibly intense beyond imagination. So I want to go all out!" He then said, "This time I performed with the feelings of a heroine (lol). Subaru is the one who remembers him the most. Thanks to him, Julius can exist without breaking down."

■New Developments and Characters

Episode 1 features new developments such as the appearance of Meili Portroute and the revelation of "Eridona's" existence. Kobayashi reflected, "The truth about Eridona is revealed from episode 1. During recording, Kana Ueda's wonderful performance distinguishing between Anastasia and Eridona was electrifying."

Meanwhile, Takahashi shared a behind-the-scenes story: "At first, the name in the recording script was written as 'Eridona.' After that, it was corrected to all kanji as 'Eridona,' and I thought it showed how carefully this work is made."

Regarding the episode depicting Garfiel and his mother Lisha Tinsel (Lyala Thompson), Okamoto said with a smile, "Since the story of Garfiel and his mother reaches one goal, I performed with the image of giving it my all. As Garfiel, I'd be happy if he could meet the Boss (Subaru) and the others again somewhere. I want to check the broadcast with the same feelings as the viewers."

■New Characters Shaula and Reid

At the end of episode 2, a scene hinting at the existence of new character Shaula was depicted. Fairouz, who joined as Shaula's voice actor from the 4th season, revealed, "When I saw the illustrations for Re:ZERO, I thought it was a work about cute girls living a slow life in another world. But in reality, there are many painful-looking scenes like coughing up blood, and I was drawn to that gap."

About Shaula, she explained, "She's a bit silly, calls Subaru 'Master,' and is a mysterious character whose mysteries call forth more mysteries. From her way of speaking, I thought she's fundamentally smart, but I consciously performed her as a bit silly."

In response, Arai, who voices Beatrice, praised, "Different from the image I got from the key visual, the lisping performance is interesting! The ad-libs are also fantastic." Kobayashi also said, "Shaula is the lively presence of the 4th season. She becomes a refreshing element in the serious story."

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