"I Loved Every Moment of Waiting, Too!" Devoted Shaula's Heroine Power Hits Its Limit... Her Bashful Kiss on the Cheek Moves Viewers to Tears / Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 Episode 85

Episode 85 of the anime Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Season 4 (Recapture Arc) has been airing in sequence since September 30. The scene in which Shaula (voiced by Ai Fairouz) kisses Subaru Natsuki (voiced by Yusuke Kobayashi) on the cheek and tells him of her love with total sincerity moved many viewers to tears.

Shaula, the warden of the Pleiades Watchtower, is a mysterious figure who, for some reason, adores Subaru Natsuki and calls him "Master" even though they should be meeting for the first time. Her true identity is the magical beast Guren. When the conditions of the Great Library's trial are broken, she transforms into a giant monster and attacks without mercy, even when her opponent is her beloved Subaru.

Shaula waited devotedly for 400 years to be reunited with her "Master." As Subaru wept at their parting, she gently kissed his cheek and told him again and again, "Master, I love you." Recalling the wait in a light tone, she said, "Four hundred years was nothing. It felt like the day after tomorrow," and declared cheerfully, "Because I loved the time spent waiting, too!"

Shaula's single-minded love drew a flood of reactions on social media, including "I couldn't stop crying during Shaula's part," "I'm going to sob at an ending like this...," "My personal ranking of the most moving Re:ZERO scenes just got updated," and "Maybe Shaula should just be the main heroine with the true ending." Some viewers also offered a theory about why Shaula kissed Subaru on the cheek rather than the lips: "She knows Subaru has someone he loves, so she deliberately chose his 'cheek,' I think."