It took the world by storm in what was still the fairly early days of isekai. Since it did come in those times before the wave, you can blame the lore-dense details of Re:Zero – and the buzz its waifu wars spawned – for the success of the isekai genre. Still, a good series is a good series, and Re:Zero earned its popularity with its dark themes.
Where To Start The Re:Zero Light Novel After The Anime?
If you have watched through season two of the Re: Zero anime, you can pick up the light novel at Volume 16.
Do note that the Re:Zero movies (OVAs?), Memory Snow and Frozen Bond, are canon. They take place during the first season and fill in a few details for Season 2.
Is The Re:Zero Light Novel Over?
The Re:Zero light novel is still ongoing. Since launching in 2016, it releases at an (absolutely insane) four-novel per year pace usually.
Where To Start The Re:Zero Manga After The Anime?
Re:Zero does, technically, adapt the story in manga form, but it does so in a sort of uncommon way. It creates manga series named after the arcs and then concludes the manga series when that arc is over.
Season one is adapted in:
- A Day in The Capital manga series
- A Week at the Mansion manga series
- Truth of Zero manga series
Season two is adapted in:
- The Sanctuary and the Witch of Greed manga series
Season three will be adapted in:
- Stars That Engrave History (Currently ongoing)
It has not yet made it through the second season, so sadly you cannot read ahead in the manga.
What to Expect From The Re:Zero Source Material Compared to The Anime?
Re:Zero is a dense series. There is a lot of world building and fluff that got cut from the anime in order to keep it well-paced. However, the most noticeable difference is that the light novel features a lot more inner monologue work for Subaru. This means some situations are changed so there isn’t as much reliance on Subaru just thinking to himself, which would not be the most compelling thing to watch.
You don’t need to read the Re:Zero light novels from the beginning. The anime is lengthy and a pretty good adaptation. However, if you are enthralled with the world, there is definitely a lot of small skipped details to reward those who do read the series from the beginning.
Re:Zero Spin-Off
Re:Zero has a modicum of self-control when it comes to side stories, only having a small handful compared to its peers.
- Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World- Sword Demon Love Ballad (Manga, Complete) – Adapts EX Novel 2 Sword Demon Love Song and EX Novel 3 Sword Demon Love Story side stories. Takes place prior to the main story
- Re:ZERO -Starting Life in Another World: The Frozen Bond (Manga, Complete) Manga adaptation of the Frozen Bond OVA story
- Re:ZERO Ex (Novel, Ongoing) – Side stories from throughout the series
Will There Be A Re:Zero Season 3?
It has been announced that Re:Zero Season 3 will air in October 2024, but no further details have been released.
You can find out where to continue the Re-Zero story after Season 3 here after the finale episode of season 3 airs.
