Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World

Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World (Japanese: Re:ゼロから始める異世界生活, Hepburn: Ri:Zero kara Hajimeru Isekai Seikatsu, lit. "Re:Starting Life From Zero in a Different World") is a Japanese light novel series written by Tappei Nagatsuki and illustrated by Shin'ichirō Ōtsuka. The story centres on Subaru Natsuki, a hikikomori who suddenly finds himself transported to another world on his way home from the convenience store. The series was initially serialized on the website Shōsetsuka ni Narō from 2012 onwards. Twenty-one light novels, as well as four side story volumes and five short story collections have been published by Media Factory under their MF Bunko J imprint.

The series' first three arcs have been adapted into separate manga series. The first, by Daichi Matsue, was published between June 2014 and March 2015. The second, by Makoto Fugetsu, has been published by Square Enix since October 2014. Matsue launched the third adaptation, also published by Media Factory, in May 2015. Additionally, Media Factory has published two anthology manga with stories by different artists. An anime television series adaptation by White Fox aired from April 4, 2016 to September 19, 2016, starting with an hour-long special. The first of two OVA based on the series was released on October 6, 2018, and the second OVA was released on November 8, 2019. In March 2017, game developer 5pb. released a visual novel based on the series. A second season was set to premiere in April 2020, but was delayed to July 2020 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.[6] The second season was announced to be in a split-cour format, with the first half airing from July 8 to September 30, 2020, and the second half airing in January 2021.

The novels and all three manga adaptations are published in North America by Yen Press. The anime adaptation has been licensed by Crunchyroll outside Asia, which released the anime on home video through Funimation in the United States and Anime Limited in the United Kingdom. In Southeast Asia, the series is licensed by Muse Communication.[7] The light novels have sold more than three million copies, while the anime series has sold more than 60,000 copies on home video. The light novels have been praised for their fresh take on the "another world" concept, but have been criticized for awkward dialogue and redundancy. The anime series has been praised by critics for its "culturally complex world" and for the actions of its characters. The series received awards at the 2015–2016 Newtype Anime Awards and the 2017 Sugoi Japan Awards, and was nominated for Anime of the Year at The Anime Awards 2016.