So I was reading the first Re:ZERO Ex novel and this conversation came up on pages 160-161.
Here’s a rough translation below:
“By the way, I don’t think I’ve heard anything about you, Julius.”
“Unfortunately, I haven’t lived a life that’s particularly worth asking about. As far as I can remember, my life has been thoroughly dull. It would put you to sleep.”
“Phooey. If you don’t want to talk about it, then I won’t pry… but that reminds me. You’ve known Reinhard for a long time, right? You get along with him better than nyather people.”
“Reinhard, huh? I’ve known him for as long as you’ve known the prince.”
As soon as Reinhard’s name came up, Julius’s expression changed in a flash. He started stroking his forelock, a faraway look in his eyes. It seemed as if he was lost in his recollections.
“I suppose it’s been about ten years since we first met. But we only started being close friends when we both became knights. I wasn’t blessed with fond memories as you were with the prince.”
“So you only knew each other by face because you both came from noble families?”
“Not quite. I knew him, but I don’t know if he knew me. He was always special to me, so I’m happy that we became friends.”
“Special, huh?”
There didn’t appear to be any malice or ulterior motives hidden in Julius’s feelings of friendship towards Reinhard. But whether it was mere friendship was somewhat difficult for Ferris to discern. There was something else there, too. Something inexplicable.
But Ferris didn’t know Julius well enough to put his finger on it.
Is this… Is this what I think it is?
Did this novel just imply that Julius has homosexual feelings for Reinhard???
If so… HOLY SHIT.
I LEGITIMATELY DID NOT SEE THIS COMING.
I’m so mind-blown right now that I have no idea what to say. The information is revealed so casually that I almost skimmed over it. That’s the most amazing part of it. If Julius is gay, it’s not a big deal or the butt of a joke. I really hope that I’m not misunderstanding the intention of the scene here because it’s so perfect.
At first glance, it seems hard to believe that a light novel with narou roots would have a queer character who isn’t a complete throwaway, but then you’d be forgetting Ferris’s entire existence. Ferris’s genderbending is handled with a surprising level of sensitivity in the Re:ZERO Ex novel. I may write about Ferris specifically later, but my point is that Nagatsuki has a precedent in writing queer characters that don’t suck donkey’s butt.
So… I am actually inclined to think that this is legit. The homo is real.
Wow.
Thank you anime gods for granting me this blessing. I had no idea how much I wanted/needed this until I got it.
Frog-kun's Blog 
Translate the entire novel you bastard.
I would if I had unlimited hours in my day :(
“I may write about Ferris specifically later”
Please do!!
Please translate the part where Crusch and Fourier free Ferris.
After that, translate all the Ferris scenes in the EX novel.
Do it.
At this point, you’re basically asking me to translate the entire novel aren’t you
W-well…
..please…
Do it faggit
Isn’t it just a bit of Fujoshi-baiting?
How often does that stuff even happen in this sort of LN, though? They don’t usually pass the reverse-Bechdel test.
Huh, I thought this was a weird thing to say, but the more I think of it, the less I can come up with a male-oriented light novel adaptation I’ve watched where there’s at least two male characters who talk to each other about something other than a woman.
Off the top of my head I can only think of oregairu. Index, maybe? Though I’m having a hard time remembering a single instance where two male characters talked and neither Index, Misaka and/or her closes, or girls in general weren’t brought up. Even in Bakemonogatari, one of the most beloved LN adaptations. I can’t think of any. Do Araragi and Oshino ever have a conversation that doesn’t involve a victim of the supertanural, who are always female?
Huh… it’s really interesting how little male representation there is in a genre that seems to be targeted at males. Granted, I haven’t watched to completion that many LN adaptations, so who knows, lol. I wish someone made a post about this… (wink wink, nudge nudge)
Ummmm… The effect is valid but yeah; need to come up with a term that untangles it from the B/A test. That said, I suppose that shonen-ish properties would have less ‘talking about girls’??? I only do manga, not LN’s.. You got the moe ‘girl’, the BFG/ heroic female, the affinity group/ almost or overt harem… You have to go back to FMP to get some guys talking.
Howabout Gate? Nawww, that won’t work either. Gintama isn’t a LN. Hmmmm. No JP LN versions of ICE STATION ZEBRA.
So maybe it is since appx 2007-8 properties are full of these subtextual slash/fujo baiting moments as these might be the ONLY times when guys talk about each other? Hmmmmm.
But I would caution that vague, subtext type mentions are hardly LGBTQIA+etc.,”representation” any more than Emilia being half-elf is any nod towards “diversity”.
Funnily enough, Henai Psychedelic (a light novel) specifically mentions LGBT and features gay and trans characters. While not a popular novel, it was published by Dengeki Bunko.
GAGAGA light novels are infamous for featuring unusual plots and characters that don’t feel very “light novel-y”.
As for Re:ZERO Ex, I don’t think I would have been so struck by the moment I blogged about here if gender stereotypes and gender identity weren’t such prominent themes in the novel. We have Crusch and Ferris both defying traditional gender roles but not quite embodying the “trans” identity. The best word I can think to describe their subversive identities is “queer”; LBGT is probably not a thing in the fantasy universe.
There was also some “BL teasing” between Ferris and the prince, but that struck me more as friendship with a teasing element (much like Subaru and Reinhard’s dynamic) so I wasn’t as interested in it. We see much less of Julius and Reinhard together, so it’s actually plausible that Julius could have romantic feelings for Reinhard that we don’t know about.
I am curious to know what a “queer character that don’t suck donkey’s but” would be… I just finished a novel with two gay characters, a knight (main character) and a prince (supporting character) and would like them not to fall into that category. Thx!
I read the title and my immediate reaction was “His name is Julian, and why would he be gay for Reinhard, they meet like once, also everyone knows Reinhard is gay for Kircheis”, and then I realized that the article wasn’t talking about LoGH.
Well, yeah. Is anyone *not* gay for Reinhardt? Pretty sure Subaru is too.
I can confirm that Subaru is gay for Reinhard.
I’m glad to see Draggle made the comment I was about to type out
Ehhhh
Here cold water for you !
Damn son, what a way to tease us! I sure hope it’s real, because yeah, usually gay/trans/lesbian&etc characters are used as jokes or on the “ew, gross!” variety type which is real annoying to see every single time. I think it’s why works that do feature them as real characters really stand out, like Hourou Musuko <3
Man, the thing that happened in the 5th arc hurts even more now…
[…] be clear, the Ex novel isn’t explicitly about queer and/or gay characters, despite what this post might lead you to think. But there is a consistent theme of defying social norms and gender-based expectations. The novel […]
huh, i didn’t think of any romantic tone when i read it. i just thought he was envious of reinhard’s prestige, since juli’s all about those medieval values.
I feel like you’re overreading it. Based on Julius’ character (and I only know him from the anime), it’s only natural he would look up to Reinhard which comes with many attraction attributes of its own. There may be other texts that supports it, but claiming those lines themselves are indicative to homosexuality would be a gross oversimplification of homosexual personalities =P
*hyperventilates*
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