Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 2 Review

It’s not every day when you’re fourteen years old and living on your own like Rudeus Greyrat is. Then again, Rudeus is technically close to fifty, and his life’s anything but ordinary, even by the standards of his new world. He’s already lost his home, his Mom’s missing, and his girlfriend left him, breaking his heart. Many people would give up after what he’s gone through, but Rudeus knows better than most what that can lead to. Thus, painful or not, he’s trying to get his life back together, one day at a time. Even if that means going out and dealing with obnoxious people who rail on him without knowing what he’s going through.

Rudeus is Trying to Live His Best Single Life

Now that he’s decided to try and move on from Eris, Rudeus has spent the last few months living his best life. He’s working out every day (and getting ripped), and doing everything job he can get to grow his rep so his Mom might hear about it. However, he’s still going through his lone-wolf phase, and it shows. He’s even taken to naming his muscles and talking to them! 

It’s not like he’s fully alone, though. Ever since he met them, he’s been working with Counter Arrow on a part-time basis a la Batman and the Justice League. Sara still gives him a hard time, but he’s growing on her. Case in point, she invites him to join them on a job hunting monsters in some nearby ruins.

There’s one problem. This other party ends up taking a similar job and the two run into each other mid-mission. They don’t come to blows, but when everyone gets back, the leader of the other party shows up drunk and starts railing on Rudeus. He keeps saying how he hates arrogant guys like him who act humble but hide how strong they are and think Rudeus’ is making light of their jobs as Adventurers.

Those who know what Rudeus has been through know how uncalled for this is. He’s only doing this to find his Mom, and that requires working with more people. Despite this, Rudeus is still clearly hurt by what gets said to him, something even Sara picks up on. Thankfully, Rudeus knows the importance of staying humble so he doesn’t become lazy like in his last life. 

He does get a good chance to flex later, though.

Becoming Sara’s Knight in Shining Armor.

Sometime later, during a blizzard, Rudeus sees Counter Arrow coming back from a job in low spirits. While they were out fighting, monsters ambushed them, killing of their members, Mimir. In addition, Sara’s missing, presumed dead. While the others plan to head out and find her once the storm lets up, Rudeus has no such compunctions. He leaves without another word, and, using his magic, proceeds to clear the storm all by himself.

What follows is essenitally a glimpse at how strong Rudeus’ gotten since his fight with Orsted. He’s killing monsters before they even have the chance to fight back, and all while questioning why he’s even doing this. Sara was pretty harsh with him and it’s not like he’s that close with her. Still, the fact that he rescues her from getting eaten by a plant monster, and then nurses her back to health before giving her his jacket to stay warm, speaks volume to how kind he is. Even at his lowest, Rudeus can’t help but emphasize with others; he’s become a good person. 

His selfless actions end up being worth it, too. When he gets back and Suazanne berates him for doing something so dumb, Sara steps in and defends him. A tsundere she may be, but he’s wearing her down without even trying. 

One Step at a Time

So, this episode of Mushoku Tensei might not be as exciting or as memorable as some people might like. However, that’s not the kind of story that Mushoku Tensei is. It’s a slow-burn. It trades a lot of little moments doing things like world-building and character development in exchange for isekai action. Once it does get to the real action and drama, though, it pays off in a big way. Not every story has to be filled to the brim with action when the little moments work just as fine. 

Bottom line, don’t give up on this anime yet. It’s only getting started, and when it’s done, it’s going to leave people in tears. That, and the opening and ending are absolute fire!

I Give “The Forest in the Dead of Night” a 3.5/5