Full disclosure: I already knew going into this season that this would eventually happen. I read about it years ago online. That said, HOLY COW was this worth waiting for! Demon Slayer regularly blows up the Internet, but this time, so many people went onto Crunchyroll that it crashed the website trying to watch it. I would be mad if it weren’t a testament to the show’s popularity. Considering what happens to Nezuko in this episode, though, the Internet’s right to freak out. What Nezuko manages to do changes the game forever, and makes for what has to be the most emotional moment in all of Demon Slayer.
๐จ Crunchyroll servers are DOWN following the broadcast of the FINAL episode of season 3 of Demon Slayer!!! pic.twitter.com/cFiuWsEeLw
While Gyokko was bad enough as he was, Hantengu proves to leagues above the deranged artist in levels of heinousness. No matter what Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko throw at the Demon, he refuses to die and keeps running. Even after Tanjiro beheads him, the Demon gets up and starts running after some swordsmiths hiding nearby while Tanjiro’s reaching his limit. Even when the Sun starts coming up and burning him, Hantengu keeps running to survive. If it were anybody else, that tenacity would be worthy of respect. For Tanjiro, though, he’s had it, and so have the fans.
The mangaka has always done a good job of showing how most Demons represent the worst of humanity made manifest, but even among them, Hantengu stands near the top. As Tanjiro uses his newly reforged sword from the machine doll, there’s a flashback to Hantengu’s life as a Human. Even then, he was a wretched, lying, despicable person. It got to the point where, even when it’s clear he’s guilty of whatever crimes he’s accused of, he says it’s not him. The man tries to blame it on everyone else or say his hands do it of their own will. He’s such a coward that he can’t admit to himself that he’s a worthless excuse for a person. As a result, when Tanjiro finally ends this wretched old man, it’s very cathartic to watch.
Alas, it feels like victory is bittersweet. For in order to get to Hantengu, Nezuko forced her to stop protecting him from the approaching sunlight. The anime makes a point of giving us a look back on all the moments the two spend together trying to find a cure for Nezuko just to hammer home the tragedy: Tanjiro is about to lose Nezuko, his sole reason for joining the Demon Slayers.
It is then that a miracle occurs. Nezuko’s standing there, in the middle of the rising Sun, and she’s alright!
Nezuko Has Become An Apex Demon
I would like to reiterate that, having read the spoilers for the manga some time ago, I knew that this moment was coming. However, that did not make it any less emotional for me. When Tanjiro and the others see Nezuko standing in the sunlight, looking alright, no longer burning up, and now able to talk a little, everyone starts crying. Tanjiro’s crying, the swordsmith’s are crying, the fans start crying. In an anime that’s already give us moments capable of bringing us to emotional high’s that few can achieve, this ranks at the top. Nezuko manages to conquer the Sun, something not even Muzan, the original Demon, has done in the last thousand years.
As to how Nezuko has performed this divine miracle, there’s a theory by Lady Tamayo. Most Demons regain their sense of self after being a Demon for a while, but Nezuko hasn’t. That’s because while she’s been a Demon, she’s been subconsciously focusing her body on a more important priority: being able to survive during the day. The woman’s evolved her body to focus on the more important aspect of survival over power, and it has worked. As a result, Nezuko can walk under the Sun again, albeit her mental capacity’s akin to an infant still. It’s such an important moment for the series!
However, now there’s a bigger problem: Muzan.
The Wretched Origins of Muzan
A thousand years ago, in the Heian Era, Muzan was a sickly young man not expected to live past 20 years. Then a doctor came along with an experimental medicine that he said would make him strong, but when it didn’t work, he killed the man. However, it turns out it was, but since it was incomplete, the process turned him into the first Demon. He’s spent the last thousand years killing, murdering, and slaughtering his way across Japan in search of this rare flower needed to complete the medicine. Barring that, he created more Demons in the hopes that one of them would be strong enough to be immune to the Sun. And now, Nezuko has done exactly that.
What this means is that the entire war between the Demon Slayers and the Demons is about to get worse. The Demon Slayers now have a member, a Demon, with the ability to withstand the Sun. If Muzan kills her and takes her powers for himself, he’ll be unstoppable. In other words, the final battle is now approaching. And as Tanjiro and Nezuko depart the Swordsmith Village to great fanfare, this fact hangs over everyone’s heads.
Demon Slayer Proves Once More Why it’s one of the GOATS
This episode proves yet again why Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba is among the Shonen greats. This hour-long finale was one of the biggest highlights of a year already full of some great anime. While the season as a whole had its ups and downs, this final episode made it all worthwhile.
And we don’t have to worry about getting the anime renewed. UFOtable’s already released a promo showing that a fourth season is coming. When that will happen remains unknown. However, as we get closer to the final battle with Muzan, fans excitement remains as high as ever.
I’m Not Even Bothering to give “A Connected Bond: Daybreak and First Light” a Rating. It’s Beyond that.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Pt. 3
Last time on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, that reincarnated NEET Rudeus Greyrat went to be the tutor to his distant relative’s daughter, Eris Greyrat. Otherwise known as the tsundere that makes all the other tsundere’s look mid in comparison. And even though their first meeting ends with her punching his face, Rudeus eventually manages to get through to the girl, and they become friends. But before Rudy can get the chance to take things even further, these two kids are hit by this massive pillar of light that sends them off to who knows where!
So, where have Rudeus and Eris ended up? How are they going to get home alive? Will there even be a home for them to return to? In part three of my recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, find out all this and more.
How the Heck Did We Get Here?!?!
First off, Rudeus ain’t dead. He’s alive. But when he comes to, he doesn’t understand that at first. All he knows is that he’s in this white void and back in his old body. He’s not alone, either. He’s greeted by this weird, featureless ghost guy acting like a troll. He says, “What’s up? Call me Man-God, and I’m here to give you a little advice, and you finna pay attention if you want to get your sorry ass home. Now, when you wake up, you’re going to meet someone. And even though they will look scary as Hell, trust them. They are going to keep you and that girl alive. Alright, later!”
So when Rudeus wakes up, it’s safe to say he’s not in Kansas anymore. He’s not even on the same continent anymore. Somehow, that beam of light teleported his and Eris’ sorry butts to the Demon Continent! Not only is that on the other side of the world, but it’s also the most dangerous part of the world. It’s home to all kinds of Demons, Monsters, and other races, and one of those Demons wound up finding him and Eris.
The Superd Boogeyman Stories are Fake
Meet Ruijerd, the Superd, and get ready for some backstory. Five hundred years ago, the Demon God Laplace tried to conquer the world until he got sealed away. However, while much of the world learned to put the past behind them, Ruijerd’s people, the Superd, were hated by everyone, even other Demons. Roxy told Rudeus stories about these green-haired people who killed anything that moved, even their comrades.
Turns out, though, most of that’s cap. While the Superd did fight for the Demon God, the whole “turning on their allies” thing wasn’t of their free will. Laplace gave them these cursed spears that made them go nuts. The only reason Rujierd snapped out of it was his son sacrificed himself to bring him to his senses. Ruijerd, who might be the last of his people, goes around helping people redeem their reputations and look for other survivors. He’s also got a soft spot for kids, so when he finds Rudeus and Eris out cold, he looks after them.
After coming to (and getting Eris to chill out), they realize it’ll take them years to make it back home. And they’re just kids in the middle of the most dangerous part of the world. So, yeah. Ruijerd decides he’ll help them get home. In return, they’ll form an adventuring party to help fix the Superd’s rep. Thus, the unlikely trio begins the long journey back to the Central Continent.
The Party of Dead End! Kicking Ass and Taking Names
Even though they’re still in the most dangerous part of the world, Rudeus and Eris are still kids. And, like many kids, they’re excited to see so many new places and people, which the Demon Continent has in abundance. They’re working as the party of “Dead End,” which is what people call Ruijerd when they’re trying to scare the daylights out of each other. Boogeyman or not, they start getting that sweet street cred and having the time of their lives…mostly.
Now, this isn’t some light-hearted story, and we keep being reminded of that. Like this one job to slay a monster. They compete with some other adventuring parties when they get attacked. And Rudeus thinks it’d be a good idea to wait until the last minute to save their butts. Guess how many adventurers got killed?
Another time when they have to smuggle Rujierd to the next continent over, they wind up relying on a group of slavers who’ve been capturing beast children. And Ghislaine’s people mistake Rudeus for one of them and throw him in a cell for a week! And this whole time, Rudeus’ been getting advice from this Man-God person, who looks sketchy as Hell.
Plus, Eris keeps beating up Rudeus whenever he starts acting pervy. Show a little restraint, man! It’s creepy!
Ups and Downs of Traveling
Despite the many hiccups, many good things happen for Dead End. They do help the Superd’s reputation and earn renown for themselves. Rudeus arrives in the village Roxy came from and meets her parents. And after clearing up the misunderstanding with the Beast People, Eris reaches the holy land of the furries. And she is over the moon. Not only does she get to spend a few months amongst the Beast People that her family loves so much, she even meets Ghislaine’s family.
Plus, in this one port, Rudeus comes across this little Demon girl who acts like she’s this chuunibuyo and calls herself the great Demon Emperor Kishirika (she’s not lying, either. She is a Demon Emperor). When he gives the starving lady some food, she’s so grateful that she gives him a gift. She rips out one of his eyes and gives him a new one. This one lets him see into the future!
The downside to that last part is that he misses his chance of reuniting with Roxy, who’s been helping Rudeus’ Dad look for him.
Most Awkward Family Reunion Ever.
Eventually, the party of Dead End makes it as far as the Continent of Millis. There, Rudeus has a run-in with what looks like this group of slavers trying to nab some kids. So while Eris is out hunting monsters and Rujerd’s doing his own thing, Rudeus decides, “Bet. I’m gonna be a superhero.” So he disguises himself by wearing panties on his head like a pervy luchador and goes to town on them. Until it turns out…it’s all a big misunderstanding. Those “slavers” were trying to help those kids out. And…they work with Paul.
Yep. Rudeus reunites with his Dad after five-something years, and it’s awkward as they come. And it gets even worse from there.
So, Rudeus sits down with his old man and asks him why he’s in Millis, and Paul’s like, “Son, didn’t you get my letters? Those letter’s I left for you at the Guild?” And Rudeus is like, “I never got any letters, Dad. What are you talking about?” At any rate, Rudeus then gives the abridged version of everything that’s happened since they last saw each other. However, since he doesn’t wanna worry his Dad, he downplays how wild things got and makes it seem like some light-hearted romp. Right in the middle of doing this, though, Paul finally tells him, “So this whole time, you’ve been goofing around with your new girlfriend and super-powerful bodyguard? What the Hell is wrong with you?” And Rudeus gets confused because he doesn’t get what’s wrong, but Paul tells him to shut up. Then, Paul drops some big truth bombs on Rudy’s sorry butt. He and Eris weren’t the only ones teleported around the world.
What do You Mean, all of Fittoa’s Gone?
We already know about this from watching the anime, but that incident that sent Rudeus and Eris to the Demon Continent didn’t affect them. It hit the entire Fittoa Region, sending every last man, woman, and child to random locations around the world. Almost everyone that Rudeus knows is scattered to the winds. His Mom? She’s missing. Lilia and Aisha? Also MIA. Everyone that served Eris’ family? Who knows? Her parents and grandpa might not even be alive anymore! And Sylphie? She’s still missing, while both her parents are likely dead. In other words, Rudeus and Eris may not even have a home to return to.
So while Dead End’s been making their way home, Paul’s been running himself into the ground with the other survivors from Fittoa, trying to track down everyone still missing. They’ve had to rescue many people from monsters, slavers, and worse. So he left messages at Guild HQ for his son, thinking, “Hey, my son’s a genius. He probably realized all of this and is working on a way to find our family and friends. We can use his help!” And now Paul realizes that Rudeus never saw any of these messages; he didn’t even know the full extent of what happened, and he’s livid over it.
So Paul snaps and starts berating Rudeus for thinking he’s spent the last year or so wasting time and having fun with his maybe-girlfriend and Superd bodyguard. Meanwhile, he’s so stressed out he’s barely eating and sleeping and has to get drunk to keep himself together. And Rudeus is like, “Dad, what do you want from me? Do you have any idea how hard it was to get here? You don’t get to judge me for that shit when you’re running around with some half-naked woman!” He’s referring to one of his comrades dressed like Red Sonja, but that’s to distract guys so they won’t hit on her traumatized sister. But Rudeus doesn’t know that. And then the two start throwing hands, and Rudeus starts beating up his Dad and his face. That’s when the worst thing could happen. His little sister, Norn, who he hasn’t seen since she was a baby, walks in, sees the brother she never met beating up the only family she has, and tells him, “Stop beating up my daddy!”
That’s when Rudeus realizes he took things too far, and all that sense of inferiority and guilt hits him like the second coming of Truck-Kun. And just like that, he goes back to his friends to sulk.
Reconciling With his Dad
Now, let’s back up a little. During his stint in prison with the Beast People, Rudeus got himself a roommate, a man going by the name of Geese. It turns out that Geese is a friend of his Dad, with them and Zenith working at the same adventuring party back in the day. And after getting out, he joined Dead End on the trip to Millishon to meet with Paul. And when he finds out what happened between them, he chews Paul out for being a deadbeat Dad.
Firstly, Geese asks Paul if he could survive the Demon Continent when he was Rudeus’ age. When Paul says, “Probably, if I had a Superd with me.” And Geese says, “Bruh, no, you couldn’t. You’d die in five seconds. It’s the most dangerous place in the world. Everything from the monsters to the land itself wants to kill you. The fact that your boy managed to make it out of there is a miracle! So quit being so hard on him for not helping out! Your boy could’ve died trying to get here! And for that matter, he probably left out the gory details because if he didn’t, you would naturally freak the Hell out.”
And Paul finally realizes that he’s being a terrible excuse for a Dad and goes to reconcile with Rudeus. It works, but not before Eris tries to throttle him, and Rujerd says, “Hey, man. From one Dad to another, get your act together.”
So after all that’s done, Rudeus and Paul go their separate ways, with Rudeus promising to help find the rest of their family once he gets Eris home safe and sound. That, and he needs to ensure Norn doesn’t hate his guts.
Get Ready for the Next Big Moments in Rudeus’ Life
So, there you have it. Rudeus and Eris embark on this harrowing, potentially life-threatening trip to get back home, only to learn that there may not even be a home to return to. Nonetheless, they do not have any other options to work with, so they continue to press on. In the meantime, they’re getting stronger and stronger as they say goodbye to childhood and say hello to being teens and young adults. Tune in next time for the grand finale to this recap of the first season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
Everyone remembers Sakura Haruno from Naruto, for better or worse. She started as Sasukeโs number-one fangirl and didnโt do much. Then Sasuke ran away and she dedicated herself to getting stronger, which she did, gaining superhuman strength. However, nothing could save her from the menace of poor character writing. Even someone who thinks sheโs overhated like me understands that she was underutilized. Thankfully, we live in a world where thereโs an improved version of Sakura in anime. Her name is Mitsuri Kanroji, AKA the Love Hashira, AKA Sakura 2.0.
Mitsuri Kanroji is such a Badass
After she swoops in to save Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya, the disrespectful demon calls Mitsuri Kanroji a shameless tramp, angering her and the fandom to no end. However, she proves sheโs anything but as she proceeds to demonstrate the power of her Love Breathing style. It lets her cancel out other peopleโs attacks, making it extremely powerful. Unfortunately, she makes the mistake of going directly for Zohakutenโs head, unaware itโs not his real body. Thankfully, the counterattack that follows doesnโt kill her.
It turns out, despite her small size, Mitsuriโs muscles are denser than a normal human’s. As a result, she survives that initial attack long enough for the others to save her.
Itโs at this moment, though, where we learn about her backstory, and how it makes her better than Sakura.
Those People Donโt Know what theyโre Talking About
As we see in Mitsurriโs memories, sheโs always been this incredibly strong. When she was a baby, she could lift a pickling stone that even adults would have trouble carrying! As a kid, she could out-eat sumo wrestlers and beat them in arm wrestling contests! Instead of giving her a happy life, though, Mitsuriโs abilities brought her hardship. The man she was interviewing for marriage dumped her for this, plus her pink hair color!
After that happened, Mitsuri felt ashamed of who she was and started hiding it from the world. She wanted to find love and fit in with others, but all this did was make her miserable. All this led her to join the Demon Slayer Corps to help people, find love, and be herself. And it worked!
This is how you write a better version of Sakura Haruno. Sakuraโs initial motivations were shallow, self-centered, and continued to be a big part of her throughout Naruto. While she got better, she never lived up to her full potential. In contrast, Mitsuriโs motivations, while similar, come off as more genuine. She wants to love people, and for people to love her for who she is, something many can relate to. Itโs what makes her a better version of Sakura.
Hantenguโs Done Running
Thanks to the efforts of Mitsuri, Zohakutenโs distracted long enough for Tanjiro, Genya, and Nezuko to chase after Hantenguโs main body. The coward continues to flee, but despite his best efforts, the Demon Slayers arenโt going to let him escape. The Demonโs crocodile tears deserve no sympathy from anyone; heโs done.
Thereโs one problem, though: as Nezuko goes to make the final blow, it becomes apparent that dawnโs almost upon them. If that happens, Nezuko could die! They need to finish this soon for her sake!
Next week, weโre getting the finale to the Swordsmith Village arc, which is a shame, since I thought there would be two more episodes. Given what has happened, though, I think that itโs ending at an appropriate time. At least it doesnโt drag things out like many other Shonen anime tend to do!
Ladies, gentlemen, and those who identify as neither, the Demon Slayers scored a significant win! Against all odds, Tokito the Mist Hashira managed to put an end to the terrible artist known as Gyokko. Muzan’s Demon Army has suffered a devastating loss for the second time in a short period. How did this happen, though? Find out now in the new episode of Demon Slayer!
Tokito Channels Inner Spider-Man to Waste Gyokko
What’s one of the reasons why Spider-Man’s so effective as a crime fighter? There’s the powers, the indomitable will, and his genius-level intellect, to be sure. However, another reason he’s so effective is his penchant for quips, jokes, and general mocking of his opponents in a fight. He does this because he knows it angers them; when they get angry, they’re more likely to make a mistake. Tokito uses a subdued version of this strategy in this episode to significant effect.
Having freed himself from Gyokko’s death trap with help from Kotetsu and remembering his past in full, the Mist Hashira goes to town on the Upper Four Demon. Not only does he continuously dodge Gyokko’s attacks, but he proceeds to troll him the entire time. One minute, he won’t say anything to make the Demon mad, and the next, he’ll be insulting him for reeking like fish. The best part is that this tactic works to a tee. Gyokko transforms into this fish-lamia hybrid to get even more robust, but Tokito no-sells it like it’s nothing. By the halfway point, the deranged, Demonic artist has met his end by beheading. Another one of Muzan’s best assets has died in a short amount of time!
Tokito for the Win!
This entire portion of the episode triumphs Tokito’s character growth. We’ve seen his backstory and how he had to claw his way out of Hell to end the threat of the Demons. Now, he’s not only making good on that, but thanks to Tanjiro reaching his wounded heart, he’s able to become the badass he was meant to be. In addition, we get to see the sadistic monster Gyokko die. He’ll have to make his sick, perverted form of art in Hell now.
The most emotional part of the episode came when it was revealed that Kotetsu survived. Just as important, though, is what enabled the boy to survive his injuries: the tsuba, or sword mount, that belonged to the Flame Hashira, Kyojuro Rengoku. That man went out like a legend, and everyone who knew him missed him. Tokito starts crying as he remembers his late comrade. Given his previously emotionless state, this act feels all the more impactful.
It’s Time for Mitsuri Kanroji to Shine
Meanwhile, the fight against Hantengu’s Hatred Demon could be better for Tanjiro, Nezuko, and Genya. Even though they’re giving it their all, the Hatred Demon keeps overwhelming them. Now Tanjiro’s eardrums are shattered, his left foot gets crushed, and he’s a sitting duck.
It’s moments like this, though, when the cavalry comes in to help save the day. In this case, said cavalry comes from the Love Hashira, Mitsuri Kanroji. Fresh from defending the Swordsmith Village, Kanroji is the extra firepower the Demon Slayers will need to destroy Hantengu once and for all. That woman’s started to grow on me in the short timeframe of this season, so I’m looking forward to seeing her go all out.
We are nearing the end of the Swordsmith Village Arc at this point. While there have been plenty of incredible moments, the anime has yet to live up to the sheer destructive power demonstrated at the end of the Entertainment District Arc. z
Given how there are still a few episodes left, though, we should not have much longer to wait. It should be pointed out that by now, the Demons should consider retreating. They’ve lost this fight; they don’t know it.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Pt. 2
Last time on Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, a fat, miserable shut-in got himself thrown onto the streets by his family. After saving a group of teens from the dreaded Truck-Kun, this bum found himself Isekaied and reborn into a world filled with magic, magical species, and more. Now going by Rudeus Greyrat, this guy’s ready to live life to the fullest and make the most out of this second chance. He starts learning magic, gets himself a waifu teacher that looks like a loli and becomes a certified badass. He even calls himself a best friend in the form of a cute elf-girl named Sylphie. But if he wants to succeed in life, he’s got to enroll in a big magic school.
Since his new Dad will only pay for him to enroll and not Sylphie, Rudeus decides he needs to get a job. So his Dad, Paul, pulls some strings and calls him a job working as a tutor at their distant relative’s home. He also knocks him out, lets their bodyguard/his former adventuring buddy, Ghislaine, take him, and leaves a letter saying, “Hey Rudy, don’t come back home for five years. You and Sylphie need to learn to be self-sufficient and not rely on each other. Otherwise, it isn’t gonna end well. Oh, and no writing letters either.”
So, Rudeus leaves home for the first time. How will he fare with his new job? Will this end up being too much for him? And will we learn how scary a tsundere can be? Find all this and more in part two of my recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation!
Eris, the Tsundere to End all Tsundere’s
Now, besides having to teach Ghislaine essential learning, Rudeus’ main job will be to teach the head of the Boreas’ house granddaughter, Eris Boreas Greyrat. Everyone tells her that Eris is “a little willful,” but nothing that Rudeus can’t handle…right?
Now, in anime, there are tsunderes. They’re characters that act harsh and abrasive before warming up to others. Then there’s Eris. She’s not just a tsundere. She’s a tsundere cranked up to eleven. She’s like if you fused Asuka from Evangelion with Jotaro Kujo from JoJo’s. She yells at Rudeus, talks down to him since he’s younger, and when retaliates her response. Beat the ever-loving crap out of him!
Like, for real, no cap; she’s so scary that even the adults are afraid of her. Despite the beatdown he’ll get, though, Rudeus refuses to go crawling back to his Dad and be like, “Wah, Dad! I couldn’t handle that demon spawn from the depths of Hell!” Nah, he’s got a better idea to get her to respect him: he pretends to get them both kidnapped.
No, I’m being serious. He talks to Eris’ parents, and they decide to hire some actors to pretend to kidnap them. Then Rudeus can save them both and show her the importance of knowledge. Except it goes haywire. One of their servants decides to kidnap them for real and sell Eris off to some pervert. Luckily, Rudeus still manages to bust them out, and then Ghislaine comes in clutch and wastes one of the kidnappers. She blows his head off, and there’s blood all over the ground in front of Rudeus. It’s traumatizing for him!
So, after his brilliant plan goes haywire, Rudeus decides to dip out, thinking he failed. But then Eris dials the tsundere back enough to admit that he’s not as worthless as she thought and that she’ll allow him to tutor her. Bet.
Being a Professional Tutor Comes With Perks
So after this rough start, Rudeus settles into the Boreas household, serving as a tutor to Eris and Ghislaine. He’s teaching them how to read, write and Eris how to use magic. And despite being utterly terrifying and using him as a punching bag when he’s being a pervert, the two become friends.
Eventually, the time comes for Eris’ tenth birthday. Now, in this world, birthdays aren’t celebrated yearly. The big ones are at 5, 10, and 15 when you’re considered an adult. So her Grandpa, Sauros, who Eris gets a lot of her personality from, throws this big bash to show Eris off to everyone…except Eris sucks at dancing. But Rudeus steps in and somehow teaches her how to dance and sweep her off her feet at her party.
Happy Birthday, Rudy!
Two more years pass, and it’s Rudeus’ 10th birthday. So Eris gets everyone to throw this big surprise party for him that he totally knows about. But he still acts like he’s moved to tears by the whole thing. He does get sad for real, though, when he finds out his parents couldn’t visit due to monsters acting up. But then, out of nowhere, Eris’ mom glomps on him and is like, “Forget about them, sweetie! We’ll be your family now, and you can marry my daughter to make it official!” And Eris and Rudeus are both like, “WHAT!?!?” Other than that (and Sauros saying he’ll kill Rudeus’ uncle and make him the head of his family branch), the parties are great. Eris even gets Rudeus this cool new staff called Aqua Heartia.
But then her Dad pulls Rudeus aside and says, “Hey, man. We were being serious about all that stuff before. Join our team, and we’ll help you become the head of your family’s branch. Heck, I’ll even let you have my daughter.”
Remember that Rudeus’ is only ten, and Eris is twelve. But this is a medieval world with Game of Thrones vibes, so they don’t bat an eye at this. Heck, Mr. Greyrat even tries to have Eris seduce Rudeus that night. Thankfully, since Rudeus pushes her too far, Eris acts like Eris and slaps him to his senses. They both apologize, and Eris says, “Look, Rudeus. Let’s put a rain check on this for now. We’ll return when we’re both adults in five years and see what happens.”
And Rudeus is like, “AWWW, YEAH!!! EVERYTHING’S COMING UP, RUDEUS!! MIGHT HAVE TO CHOOSE BETWEEN ERIS AND SYLPHIE, BUT WHO CARES?!”
Too bad for him; his whole life changes the next day.
The First Turning Point
Now, I know what you’re all thinking: what’s so special about this Isekai? What sets it apart from the other light-hearted ones we’ve seen? While the show hasn’t had the highest stakes for the first seven episodes, that’s just to lull us into a false sense of security. Because, at this point, the story takes a complete 180.
So, for months now, this weird, magical sphere thing’s been hovering above the capital of the Fittoa region. And no one knows what it’s doing there. It just keeps sitting there, all mysterious, while these weird storm clouds gather around it. So, the day after Rudeus’ birthday, he, Eris, and Ghislaine head off to test out his new staff, and it hits the fan. First, this weird guy shows up and tries to kill Rudeus. Then, that sphere explodes into this column of light! Before anyone can figure out what’s happening, they’re all engulfed in this thing, with Rudeus barely managing to grab onto Eris before they get hit!
And this ends the first turning point in Rudeus Greyrat’s life.
Oh, You Thought this was a light-hearted Isekai?
So, if you thought this would be some light-hearted Isekai, think again. Everything that you just read or watched was setting up everything for what’s to come. From here on out, expect Rudeus’ life to become a lot more dangerous and filled with a lot more trials and tribulations. That’s part of what sets Mushoku Tensei apart from a lot of other Isekai. It’s a slow burn at first, but the story gets a lot more interesting once it takes off.
Please tune in for the next part as we cover what happened to Rudeus and Eris as they get thrust into an adventure neither of them expected as their lives are changed forever.
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