#rosram

this is also from my private discord, so if its messily written thats why. enjoy!

ok fine FINE i sit down and ramble about ram. Number one thing (among others) that I love about ram is how her story is told. more narrative bullshit but hear me out. Most Ram's scenes where we actually learn about her she's either not the focus, or not present at all. Most obvious example is her backstory, which is told from Rem's perspective, in a scene where Ram's unconscious. When Rem and Subaru discuss this and Rem's able to get over this, Ram's also not there and plays no part in it. At this point, Ram has no agency as a character- even her scenes with Roswaal are centered around Roswaal. The important things about Ram, we learn them from other characters that have flawed views, just as Rem fails to consider Ram's side of the story and the arc focuses on Her feelings, Her selfish selflessness, Her guilt. Which is natural, it's Rem's arc, Rem's focused character, but it comes at the expense of us now knowing Ram's perspective or her true thoughts, she never gets to tell her story. It's fine. She's fine with it, just like Ram's fine with most things. In a way, Ram's pretty similar to Roswaal- as long as she gets her goals and Rem is okay, she doesn't feel strongly about anything else.

Then, the very first scene where Ram has agency of her own and plays into the story as the focus, is her ''Confession to Roswaal'' (burning the book). Fittingly enough, the insert song that plays here is named ''What You Don't Know''. Note that I haven't watched this episode in years, but from what I remember, the two ''Loves'' in this episode that the title ''Love Me Down to My Blood and Guts'' are both Elsa and Ram. Elsa and Ram actually share a few similarities as well enough to be juxtaposed in this episode: both have been used as tools since childhood and ''Love'' the person who has groomed them. Both are also both victims and perpetrators (Elsa moreso than Ram...obviously)

As a true lover of ''Imperfect victims'' in media, of course I love that Ram's display of agency comes from something most people deem 'uncomfortable' or 'unhealthy' which are his feelings for Roswaal. Initially having offered her life to him for having saved them in the village, her feelings became ''genuine'' love (as genuine as it can be when it's that twisted). Her love for Roswaal also can be juxtaposed to Elsa: her deepest desire is to destroy Roswaal and rob him of everything he is, just like Elsa finds love in gutting people etc. ** side note, i don't actually think that ram and elsa are meant to be character foils aside from sharing this ep, and i think they're vastly different in most aspects. it is however interesting to compare them when Re zero plays so much with the concept of victimhood. In re zero, the lines are always blurry. Every single character is capable of harm when put in the right scenarios / routes, and every character is capable of growth and change too if they truly want to improve.

Ram's feelings are also incredibly important to get to Roswaal specifically to shake Roswaal's beliefs (that feelings don't change). They are more important as a way to challenge Roswaal's obsession (And hopefully, develop him a little...) than for actual romance (in my opinion, despite shipping them). But there being love here is important. The fact that Ram proves feelings change and that she's not just a victim is important. Her confession also parallels Rem's confession to Subaru in a way and this is where it gets truly interesting to me: their words are similar, but everything else about the confessions opposes each other. In Rem's confession, she focuses on Subaru, mentioning all the things she likes about him so he'll look at himself more gently ; but Ram focuses on herself, and all the things she wants to rob from Roswaal so he'll look at her. In Rem's confession, the landscape is beautiful, calm and divine; In Ram's, it's fire and destruction (it's actually visually closer to Ram's scene losing the horn, which is most assuredly intentional! Since both are related to Ros too).

This is very interesting because, deep down, both of their feelings are genuine, however, Rem's feelings are focused on allowing Subaru to love himself. Even if he does escape, she wants it to be with a smile. Accepting Subaru as he is, downsides and all. This confession is seen as ''healthy'', both as a narrative standpoint, by the cast, and by the audience. But Ram's confession is focused on forcing change on Roswaal, striping him naked of everything he relies on, destroying the only thing that is 'safe' to him. And it's ''unhealthy'', both narratively, inside the universe, and as seen by the audience. I think it's really good to see them as ''both extremes are bad'' (to see one as solely unhealthy and the other as the perfect option), and Emilia and Subaru's middle point (that is, funnily enough, actually a middle point chapter-wise between Rem and Ram's confessions) as ''the best outcome'' with both parties accepting each other but still striving to change. (I'm saying this because some people really don't understand why Rem's approach isn't actually the healthiest either, or Rem herself)

I M STILL SCREAM

T OS EMRAY