You Thought Rudeus Was Getting Better? Think Again!

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 3 Review

Let it go on record that I read ahead about what happens next in Mushoku Tensei. As such, I knew that this moment would happen, but I didn’t make things any easier. If anything, knowing what would happen in advance makes it more painful. Everyone who thought Rudeus was moving on from Eris, prepare for a bitter truth. 

Darn You, Eris!!!

So, on the surface, it looks like Rudeus got his act together. He’s building his rep as “Quagmire Rudeus,” he’s been working a lot with Counter Arrow. As for Sara, it becomes obvious that she’s falling for him. So when she asks him out, he agrees. It could be fun. And she does start sending out all the signs that she’s into him like that. So, Rudeus decides to move on from Eris altogether and takes that leap.

It was at this moment, though, that his despair reached new heights. In that crucial moment, Rudeus realizes something terrible: his trauma over Eris leaving him…has rendered him impotent.

Now you see why I made such a big deal about Eris leaving as she did. However unintentional, she hurt him to the point that he has lasting trauma. Regardless of how you feel about Rudeus, he doesn’t deserve not being able to find love.

Soldat Proves to be a Real Bro

What happens next reverses my opinion about another person completely: Soldat. Even though he acted arrogant and kept insulting Rudeus. But when Rudeus tries to drown his sorrow in beer, and Sol does that again, Rudeus just let’s all that anger burst out until he starts crying. It’s here that Soldat proves that he’s a real bro.

Soldat lets Rudy vent about all of his problems and the trauma he got from Eris. He’s watching the guy bawl his eyes out and asking why Eris left him! Then, like a real bro, he tries to give him a pick-me-up. Granted, taking him to a brothel to get “professional help” isn’t a good idea, but it’s the thought that counts. 

None of it works, though. As the woman who tried helping notes, what happened with Eris has left him scared of women. He needs help from a girl he KNOWS won’t laugh or run out on him. That’s part of the reason why I never liked Sara. She’s too much like Eris, too quick to judge people. Case in point, when Rudy gets drunk and starts bad-mouthing her, Sara overhears it and slugs him! So much for Counter Arrow.

Moving on to the Next Arc

So, this episode marks the end of the events of Volume 7 of the light novel. While it’s happening sooner than I thought, I’m not going to complain about the anime rushing things. I never liked this part of the story, and I didn’t like Sara. In fact, I question why the promo material for this season put so much emphasis on her. She barely has any role to play in the story. 

The good news is that next week, the anime’s getting into a portion that I’m looking forward to. In the episode’s stinger, we see the elven friend of Rudeus’, father, Elinalise, looking for him. Without giving too much away, Rudeus is about to do something he’s kept on the backburner for a long time now.

I Give “Abrupt Approach” a 4/5

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