Manga

Roxy Stans, You Won.

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 23 Review

Death is an undeniable fact of life, but losing someone well before their time is beyond painful. Rudeus and the Black Wolves saved his mother, but it came at the cost of his arm and the life of his father. Paul died saving Rudy, and the guilt over that has all but broken him. If this keeps up, he’s going shut himself off from everything like he did in his first life. And someone else has to step up with Sylphie too far away to help him. And that someone is Roxy.

Too bad the anime skipped a few crucial scenes, though.

How Roxy Planned to Help Rudeus, Now With Context

From day one of his second life, the choices that Rudeus has made have been defined by the trauma of his past life. He didn’t appreciate his family in his first life, and that led his siblings to throw him out when he refused to attend their parent’s funeral. Rudy has always strived to avoid making the same mistakes in his new life, but by not seeing Paul and Zenith as his actual parents, he made the same mistake again. Now his self-loathing has him thinking he’s a worthless son. He isn’t, but it’s hard to escape that mindset alone.

That’s where Roxy comes in.

I’ll be blunt: the anime didn’t do an excellent job handling how Roxy helps Rudy recover. Some anime-only people might even mistake Roxy’s decision to sleep with Rudy as her taking advantage of his mental state. However, the anime skipped an important scene, revealing that the idea wasn’t Roxy’s.

While Rudy spends a week holed up in his room, Roxy and the others discuss how to help him. Elinalise suggests letting Rudy sleep with a woman to help him. When she refuses to do it, she drops a bombshell on Roxy: Rudy is married to her granddaughter and will soon be a father. Neither of which Roxy was aware of until this moment in any adaptation. So now, she feels stupid for flirting with him so much. In her defense, though, Rudy was too dense to realize she was hitting on him.

Maybe Roxy was being a little selfish and took advantage of his mental state. And yes, Rudy did cheat on Sylphie. Given how bad things were, though, I can’t hold it against them. Others will, but I won’t. Desperate times call for desperate measures. And it does work.

The Anime left out Rudy’s big confession!

This next scene also happened to be one that the anime cut out. After mentally berating himself for being so rough with Roxy (it was her first time), Rudy starts telling her a story. He claims its fictional, but the light novel clarifies that he’s just telling her everything that happened to him in his first life. All his regrets, insecurities, guilt, and negative emotions just burst out.

I think the anime made a mistake not including this scene. To my knowledge, Rudeus has never told anyone about his first life. Maybe it was the right decision; he had no clue how his parents or friends would react to hearing that. However, keeping it all inside of him has been detrimental to his mental health. For example, when Eris left him, his low self-esteem and experiences from his first life led him to the worst possible conclusion about Eris’ actions. And after Paul’e death, he couldn’t keep it in anymore. He had to tell someone! And I’m glad he told Roxy.

It’s never made clear if Roxy understood the hidden meaning behind his story, but I wouldn’t put it past her; she’s smart. More importantly, though, she tells Rudeus what he needs to hear when he asks what the man (him) should do. Her advice to Rudy, remembering the people he still has left, is cliche. Rudeus himself thinks so. But that doesn’t make them any less accurate. He lost something that he can never get back, but he still has more people who care about him. And thanks to that, Rudy regains his strength to keep moving forward.

Which does bring up an awkward issueโ€ฆ

Roxy Stans Can Be Happy Now

So, as the group makes the trip back to Sharia, Rudy needs to address the elephant in the room. Roxy admits she fell in love with him when he saved her life. And between the feelings he already had and her saving him from complete mental collapse, Rudy realizes he feels the same way. But he also swore loyalty to Sylphie, and they have a child on the way. Soโ€ฆwhat now?

It’s Elinalise who states the apparent solution to him: marry Roxy. Marry both her and Sylphie. And here’s where some more controversy for Mushoku Tensei pops up. Some people aren’t cool with the idea of a person marrying more than one person. However, Elinalise makes some intense arguments.

Firstly, keep in mind that Sylphie is still Elinalise’s granddaughter and she wants her to be happy. But she’s also Roxy’s best friend, and she hates the idea of Roxy denying herself her best chance at happiness like this. She wouldn’t suggest this if she didn’t think Rudy could make both happy.

Which brings us to the second point: Paul’s example. Once he took responsibility for getting Lilia pregnant, he married her, too. Instead of their family falling apart, it became happier than ever. Sure, not everyone supports polygamy, even in our world. From how I see it, though, if Rudy can love both girls equally, there’s not much of an issue.

Also, and this was taken out of the anime, but in the light novels, Elinalise implies that Rudy got Roxy pregnant. If he abandoned her now, he really would be a scumbag.

So, that’s that.

Return Home

So, I was expecting this episode to be the season finale, but it turns out, we have one more to go. Even though Rudy has finished grieving for his father’s death thanks to Roxy, he still has a few significant hurdles to overcome. He has to explain how Paul is dead, how Zenith is a mental invalid, andโ€ฆhow he wants to marry Roxy.

No matter how you slice it, the next episode will be hard for Rudeus. But now that he’s healthily dealt with his grief, I think he can handle it. I just wish the episode hadn’t skipped so much.

I Give “Let’s Return Home” a 3/5

Muzan, We Come for You!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu No Yaiba S4 Ep 8 Review

There have been a lot of horrifying villains in anime over the years. One Piece is filled with so many detestable scumbags that I can’t keep track. Madara Uchiha was an evil mastermind whose mere name getting thrown around was enough to start a war. And Frieza is so brimming with black air force energy that its become his strongest form to date! However, another name deserves to be added to the list of baddest anime villains. The monster in the dark seeking immortality, the being who stole Michael Jackson’s whole flow. The mortal enemy of the entire Demon Slayer Corps, Muzan Kibutsuji!

Demon Slayer hasn’t been around as many other big names in Shonen, but there are reasons why it’s considered one of the all-time greatest. And a big part of that is because of how much of a menace Muzan is. The penultimate episode for Demon Slayer’s fourth season airs, and the big thing everyone’s talking about is that two-minute-long scene of him arriving at Ubuyashiki Mansion, looking like the Devil himself. And the hour-long season finale only serves to hype him up even further. As Muzan tries to cut the head off the Demon Slayer Corps, he finds himself at the center of an elaborate trap. What he does in response marks the start to the endgame to this ancient war between humans and demons.

Kagaya Stares Down the Devil Himself

As lighthearted as Season Four of Demon Slayer is, there’s an unspoken sense of dread. Everyone knows the final battle against Muzan is coming, but the Corps doesn’t know when or where he’ll strike from. The Hashira Training Camp was meant to help prepare for the final battle, but even that may already be too late. After years of searching, Muzan has found the Ubuyashiki Mansion, the de facto HQ for the Demon Slayer Corps. And he shows up in the middle of the night, ready to kill the man leading the corpsโ€ฆonly to find it’s pointless. Kagaya Ubuyashiki isn’t just on death’s door. He’s a talking corpse that should’ve died months ago. The only reason he’s still alive is because of his pure, unadulterated hatred for Muzan.

As Kagaya reveals to the Demon King, the Ubuyashiki family is distantly related to Muzan. Because their bloodline produced the first demon, they’ve been cursed to die young until they kill him. Thus, when Muzan comes to kill Kagaya, the man isn’t afraid of him. He already knows he’s going to die anyway, with his wife and two of his kids to follow at Muzan’s hands. Rather than fear death like Muzan, Kagaya mocks his distant relative for how pathetic he is and how the world will be a better place once he’s gone!

See you in Hell, Muzan!

I loved this scene. Don’t ask me why, but seeing someone stare down a monster that could easily kill them and choose to definitely flip them off is so awesome. However, it’s what Kagaya does in his final moments that is so badass that it takes even Muzan aback: he blows up the mansion and everyone in it. The anime does a great job of increasing our emotional responses by having the explosion play out in slow motion.

Plenty of fictional characters have used the “taking you with me” card before, but the context here sets Kagaya apart. He didn’t just blow himself up; he blew up his wife and two of his children. And while it doesn’t say it outright, the story clarifies that they all knew this would happen. However, instead of running or panicking, they all chose to remain calm and accept it. They understood that Muzan is such a threat to humankind that they have to pull out the contemporary equivalent of a nuclear bomb.  And they do it to make sure that the Demon Slayer Corps can end Muzan here and now.

The entire sequence of events is masterfully animated, with Ufotable pulling out all the stops. And that’s only the beginning. Seeing Muzan slowly regenerate from that is both grotesque and fascinating to look at. And though he’s still alive, it really got to him. He didn’t think Kagaya would have the guts to do that. But that was just the first part of the trap that Kagaya laid.

Wrath of the Hashira

The next part sees Tamayo, one of the few demons not under his control, trap him in place with her blood demon art. Then, she injects him with a sample of the fruits of her labor: she’s finally made a drug that can turn demons back into humans. In other words, the means to turn Nezuko back to normal now exists. I didnt read the manga, so I don’t know if Tanjiro’s sister took the drug yet, but I’m willing to bet that she did. Not only does that mean that one of Tanjiro’s biggest goals is about to be completed, but the minute she becomes human again, Muzan will lose his means of conquering sunlight.

And the bad news just keeps coming for Muzan.  The Hashira and Tanjiro, having been made aware Kagaya was in danger, were already in the process of rushing to the Ubuyashiki Mansion. They arrived just in time to see it go up in flames. Now they’reโ€ฆI actually can’t think of a word to best describe how angry they are.

One would think that the combined might of 8 Hashira, a demon, and a boy on par with a Hashira, would be enough to pin Muzan down. However, that is when Muzan brings out his own trump card. He not only teleports himself to the safety of the Infinity Castle, but pulls in the entire Demon Slayer Corps. Every. Last. One. No matter where they are, they fall into the Infinity Castle. And we get yet another amazingly animated shot in an episode that’s already packed to the brim with them. I could feel myself getting goosebumps as my heart began to race. I started grinning like Inosuke because I knew what was about to happen. The final battle between the demons and humans was about to begin!!

And the best part? Ufotable is treating the final battle with the reverence its going to deserve. Rather than give Demon Slayer another season, they’re turning the Infinity Castle Arc (and presumably the one after it) into a movie trilogy!

Infinity Castle Needs to Break the Box Office!

To date, there is no news about when the trilogy will come out, but when it does, I am hoping that they dont just make it a limited-run event. I want to see it compete with other movies and remain in theaters as long as possible. And you can bet that I will get in line to see each on opening night!

Demon Slayer has always managed to go hardcore regarding the season finales, but this one might be the best. The animation, the story, everything is flawless! This is why Demon Slayer is one of the GOATS! I am looking forward to seeing the Infinity Castle trilogy, and I hope we can get them to break box office records!

Muzan, your days are numbered!

I Give “The Hashira Unite” a 5/5

Training’s Almost Over. Muzan is on the Move

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 7 Review

So, the Hashira Training Arc is already ending, and it’s happening soon. I knew that this arc was going to be short, but I wasn’t expecting it to be this short. That being said, even without reading the manga in advance, I already knew that this whole arc was going to be the calm before the storm. I just didn’t expect the storm to roll in so quickly.

Gyomei’s Backstory is SO SAD!

Tanjiro and his friends continue their training under Gyomei, and thankfully, Tanjiro and Inosuke have made some progress. Both of them are now able to move the boulder, though the effort almost causes Tanjiro to pass out from dehydration. Thankfully, Gyomei is there to give him water to drink, so he doesn’t die of thirst. And in the process, Gyomei opens up about his past…and it is so sad!

Gyomei was born blind, meaning that the lack of irises wasn’t just an artistic choice. Yet that didn’t stop him from living the humble life of a priest and taking care of a group of orphans. They didn’t have much, but they were still happy together. However, one night, one of them stayed outside after dark, and ran into a demon. To save himself, he sold out everyone else, leading to the demon slaughtering all but Gyomei and one other child. Then he snapped and somehow managed to beat them to death with his bare hands, an act that deeply ashamed him.

It gets worse. When the authorities showed up, they mistook the little girl’s words to mean Gyomei killed everyone and arrested him. It was only thanks to Kagaya, the head of the Demon Slayers, that he escaped execution.

…Sweet mercy, that is a sad story. No wonder the man is always seen crying like that. He’s haunted by his failure to save most of his adoptive family and for lashing out like he did. He was in the right to do so since it was self-defense, but even so, the act of killing someone is not something one should take lightly. So, when Gyomei chooses to praise Tanjiro for saving the villagers in the Swordsmith Village, he means it. He doesn’t Tanjiro to make the same mistake he did.

Too Late, Demon Slayers. The Shadows Have Arrive

And with that, Tanjiro finishes his training with Gyomei and heads to the next Hashira…is what I would say! However, the forces of darkness are already converging on the Demon Slayer Corps!

Throughout the season, Muzan and his army of demons have been laying low. That’s because Muzan is using one of the Upper Ranks powers to help locate Nezuko and the head of the Demon Slayers, Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And as Sanemi manages to catch one of those demonic eye monsters, he realizes something horrible: they’ve already been found out.

Sure enough, the final moments of the episode are dedicated entirely to Muzan showing up at the Ubuyashiki Mansion and confronting Kagaya. And much like all the important moments in Demon Slayer, the animation is knocked into high gear. The way the air seems to freeze as Muzan comes strolling in wearing his white suit and hat is bone-chilling to look at. It’s as if the devil himself has descended upon the Earth; and given who Muzan is, that’s pretty much accurate!

The next episode is going to be the final one of the season, and from what I’ve heard, it’s going to be an hour long. Given how it’s setting us up for the final battle, it needs to cover as much as possible. Because once that’s done, there’s no turning back. No more funny moments, no more wholesome stuff. Just a fight to the finish with the fate of all Japan at stake. Make some popcorn. This is going to be epic.

I Give “Stone Hashira Gyomei Himejima” a 4/5

Gyomei’s Training Makes Everything Before Look Weak in Comparison

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 6 Review

This Hashira Training Arc may have little action, but does it show how hard the Demon Slayers are working themselves! Even though he breezed through the earlier portions, the last episode of Demon Slayer saw Tanjiro starting to really exert himself. Mitsuri’s flexibility training made men scream. Obanai hated Tanjiro’s guts for being friends with Mitsuri. And Sanemi? Tanjiro got banned from training with him for standing up for Genya! However, all of that pales in comparison to the training under the strongest Hashira, Gyomei Himejima (the one who’s always crying.)

Can we go back to Mitsuri or Obanai? They weren’t trying to kill him!

This is Brutal!!

So, having made it to Gyomei’s training course, Tanjiro and Zenitsu realize two things. Firstly, its very simplistic, consisting of strength training exercises. Secondly, and this is the most important, they’re all brutal beyond belief!

Standing under a freezing waterfall until they pass out! Lifting gigantic logs over their heads!And pushing a massive boulder hundreds of feet! And they have to do that every day until they pass out!

The whole experience is so brutal that several of Tanjiro’s fellow trainees call it quits and bail. You could call them cowards, but knowing your limits is important. Yet Tanjiro, Inosuke, and Zenitsu persist in it, with Tanjiro working the hardest, and unlocking a very important power: his Demon Slayer Mark.

Tanjiro is Unlocking His Shonen Transformation

Tanjiro has unlocked his Mark before when under extreme circumstances, but he’s never been able to control it. He doesn’t know how he activates it, but realizes that if he learns that trigger, it could be make all the difference. And thanks to some advice from Genya and Gyomei’s brutal training, Tanjiro starts to know what makes it work for him. The memories of his murdered family. The last words given to him by Rengoku. By remembering how he felt, Tanjiro starts to gain better control over his Mark. The episode ends before showing us the full extent of the results, but Tanjiro is on the right track.

Muzan is on the Move

And not a moment too soon, as Muzan is moving from amidst the shadows.

This season has seen a massive absence of the Demons that the Slayer Corps must fight, and for a good reason. Muzan is marshaling his dark army for the final battle. However, there’s more to it than that. He’s looking for two people: Nezuko and Kagaya Ubuyashiki. And he’s using one of his Upper Four, Namiko, to do so.

I had to watch a video on YouTube explaining this, but Namiko might be the most important of Muzan’s remaining minions. Firstly, she can create those little eye-monsters that he’s using to scout the location of the Corps to find Nezuko and Ubuyashiki. Secondly, those videos revealed that she’s the source of the Infinity Castle that he uses as his headquarters. So, taking her out will be an essential part of this final battle.

As I was watching this episode, I couldn’t help but feel bad for Tanjiro. I knew that the Hashira Training Camp would be brutal, but Demon Slayer has a way of making it even worse than we can imagine. Or that’s just me. Either way, the episode’s ending shows that Tanjro’s training under the strongest Demon Slayer (physically) is not done. Judging by the title to the next episode, I’m hoping to learn more about Gyomei’s past. Specifically, why is he always crying? It’s out there, even for the Hashira’s!

I Give “The Strongest of the Demon Slayer Corps” a 4/5

Now the Real Training Begins, Tanjiro!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 5 Review

Citizens of the internet, I have been a fool. Since Tanjiro has done so well with Hashira boot camp until now, I thought he could handle the rest of it. Little did I know that he only handled the easiest parts of the whole thing. From here on out, he’s going through the meat grinder of three Hashiras.

I loved watching this, but I still feel bad for the poor guy.

Mitsuri Proves Ballet Isn’t Girly.

When I was a little boy growing up, I never understood the concept of guys doing ballet. I dont think I thought less of guys who did, but I just didn’t understand why they would do it, or wear the outfit required. Now that I’m an adult, I see that ballet is a physically intense dance that requires great physical strength, flexibilty, and stamina.

Why mention all of this? Because Mitsuri’s training is all about ballet. And increasing flexibility. It’s painful!

Obanai Iguro Needs to Chill!

Thats nothing compared to his next teacher, Obanai Iguro, though. He hates Tanjiro right from the start, mainly because hes in love with Mitsuri and is livid at how friendly she is with him. Though, he’s not any better with any of the other trainees. The man ties them posts for annoying him, then makes Tanjiro fight him while trying to avoid hitting them.

The point is pretty obvious: Obanai wants to make sure the Slayers do not hesitate to strike, or the demons will kill her. That being said, seeing him treat the trainees like punching bags is demoralizing. However, it does lead to yet another interesting duel between Tanjiro and a Hashira.

The duels in Demon Slayer are some of my favorite parts of the anime, and for good reason. That animation is so incredible!

In the end, Tanjiro passes, but Obanai still hates him. However, the last Hashira is worse than all the others: its Sanemi! AKA, the Hashira who stabbed Nezuko and tried to tempt her with his blood! And he still hates Tanjiro.

Sanemi is Too Harsh on Everyone!

Now working with Zenitsu and Genya, Tanjiro spends the whole time-fighting Sanemi in brawl after the brawl. That alone is brutal, but its for the sake of training. However tbings take a tjrn for the worse when Tanjiro learns something: Sanemi is Genya’s older brother, and he makes it clear he doesn’t want Genya in the Corps.

As the older brother to Nezuko and his late siblings, Tanjiro can’t understand why Sanemi can be so cruel to Genya. When things escalate to an outright fight, Tanjiro starts defending Genya. Even if he can’t use breathing styles, his eating demons meant that they won in the swordsmith village.

No dice. Not only does Sanemi not lighten up, but Tanjiro gets banned from training with him.

If I had to guess, though, I think Sanemi has a good reason for being mean to his brother. He knows how being a Demon Slayer means a very short life, even with their skills. Since Genya can’t use breathing techniques, the likelihood of him surviving is even lower. The only issue I have is that he should come out and say it.

Tanjiro is In for Even Worse!

Either way, Tanjiro and Zenitsu head to their next Hashira camp with Gyomei. And it looks like its going to be even harder than all of them!

I dont know how much longer the Hashira Training Arc will be, but I’m really hoping that the season doesn’t end in the middle of the coming final battle. That would be so lame! In addition, I’m enjoying getting to see these light-hearted moments!

I Give “I Even Ate Demons” a 4.5/5

This Might Be the Worst Day of Rudeus’ Life

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Mushoku Tensei S2 Ep 22 Review

…

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…You know, there’s an interesting thing about spoilers some people dont get. Even knowing what happens beforehand only sometimes makes things easier to read or watch. The Red Wedding is still horrific. Watching Ace die at Marineford is still traumatic. And what happens in this episode of Mushoku Tensei is still horrifying. I held back on watching this episode until I finished it in the light novel, and I procrastinated on that despite knowing how it would end. It was just too traumatic to want to sit through. Even so, I knew that this was the climax of Turning Point 3 for Rudeus, so I steeled myself for what happened. Rudeus and Paul pull out all the stops to rescue Zenith, but even with their strength, they cannot win without great sacrifice.

The Ultimate Boss Fight

After locating the true circle leading to the teleportation labyrinth’s final floor, the group comes face-to-face with their ultimate goal: Zenith. She’s inside magic crystals, frozen in suspended animation, and it is not made clear if she’s alive or dead.

That’s the good news. The bad news? That hydra that appears in the opening is guarding it. And when Paul pulls a Leeroy Jenkins and charges right in, the party learns two bad things. Firstly, since its a hydra, it can regenerate. Secondlyโ€ฆits scales are immune to magic.

They have to knock Paul out and run before they get killed. As someone who’s played games with many tough bosses, I know this is the right move. Rushing into a boss fight without knowing everything can kill you. And Rudeusโ€™ group doesn’t have the luxury of returning from death.

Rudy Has Never Considered his Parents…His Parents.

Even though they made the right call, Paul can’t help but snap at Rudeus for remaining calm. He points out how cold he’s being when his mother, the woman who gave birth to him, is in danger. Which brings up an uncomfortable subject. Paul and Zenith might be his biological parents, and Rudeus cares about them, butโ€ฆheโ€™s never seen them as his parents.

It’s not entirely Rudeusโ€™ fault. He had lived a whole other life before being reincarnated, and from the way he talks about them, he wasnโ€™t that close to his original parents. He regrets it, but at the same time, he’s never done anything to correct it. He mentally calls Paul and Zenith by their first names rather than โ€œDadโ€ and โ€œMom,โ€ highlighting the emotional walls he’s put between them. And not helping matters is the fact that Rudeus hasn’t seen Zenith in ten years. Its not like he’s as close to her as he is to Paul. And its going to be something he will regret before the day is out.

I Wish That Rudy had Brought More People With Him

At any rate, what Rudeus, Roxy, and the Fangs of the Black Wolf is the equivalent to the final boss of an MMORPG Dungeon. They’re all strong, but they’re at a disadvantage. Paul and (to a lesser extent) Elinalise are the only ones that can damage it. And those magic-proof scales mean Rudy, Roxy, and Talhand can’t even scratch. Even so, they do have a plan. Cut off the heads, cauterize the wounds with magic at point-blank range, rinse and repeat until they win. They do float around the idea of heading back to town and recruiting more adventurers, but Paul will have it later. His wife is finally in arm’s reach, and he’s so eager to rescue her that he won’t wait any longer.

If I seem misgivings about this, it’s because I do. I’ve had them since Rudy decided to join the rescue mission with only Elinalise. If he had asked any friends he made at Ranoa U for help, they probably would’ve gone with him. If Badigadi were still hanging around, that would’ve been even better since the guy’s immortal! Most of all, though, what I knew was coming next made me wish now more than ever that Eris hadn’t left. They could have prevented what comes next if she had stuck around.

The Fight that Fans Waited for.

The following fight is nothing short of the best in the entire season. I know there has been a limited amount of fighting in season two, but that doesn’t change the fact that it’s amazing. I’d even call it one of the best anime moments for 2024! The fluid animation, the music, the setting. Moments like this make Mushoku Tensei a cut above most isekai! Everyone was magnificent, and seeing Paul and Rudy fight alongside each other was a privilege.

This only makes the outcome even more difficult to consider. Rudy losing his arm would be bad enough, but Paul…

Paul…

I had known this moment for a long time. But, again, I needed more time to watch. Nor does the Drama CD detailing Paul’s final thoughts.

And the fact that this episode came out on Father’s Day 2024? Whoever distributes the anime in Japan intentionally did that to make it an even bigger tearjerker than it already is.

This Doesn’t Feel Like a Win

The rest of the episode is nothing but one massive tearjerker. Telling everyone back in town about Paul’s death. Rudy looking at the bloody stump where his arm once was. And the biggest kick in the pants? When Zenith finally awakens, she doesn’t remember anything. She can’t even speak!

I don’t know who feels worse: Rudy for knowing that his getting distracted led Paul to sacrifice himself, or the Black Wolves for not being fast enough. Lilia, knowing that the man she loves is dead and her best friend may never recover. This might be the worst day of Rudy’s life.

F in the Chat for Paul

The thing is, I don’t think that Paul regretted the choice he made. Despite all his flaws and self-deprecation, Paul was a good Dad. He made some mistakes, but so does everyone. And despite telling Rudy to save his mom even if it killed him, he still gave his life to save Rudy. Anyone who deserves to be called a parent would sacrifice themselves if it meant their child got to live. And if I ever have kids, I hope to God I can be that good.

And, since no one else is going to say it, I want to: think about how everyone that knew Rudeus would react if they learned he died? His friends at Ranoa University would be wracked with grief. Once she found out, Eris would likely never forgive herself for leaving Rudeus to train without saying goodbye. She might even take her own life out of guilt! And worst of all, imagine how utterly broken Sylphie would be? Her husband, her first friend, the man she loved, would be dead. Their child would grow up never knowing their father! That’s messed up!!!

This might be the worst day of Rudeus’ life. Almost dying at the hands of Orsted was traumatic. Having Eris leave him? Mentally scarring. But this? This is the sort of thing that would break a lot of people. All that he can do now is pick up the pieces. Next episode, we have the season finale. Then, we’ve got a long wait for the inevitable third season.

Please pay tribute to Paul Greyrat. He may not have been a perfect dad or a perfect human being, but he did well in the end.

I Give “Parents” a 5/5

Good Heavens, Roxy Has Got it Bad!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 21 Review

By decree of High Priest Rudeus, all Roxy stans are asked to report to their local Temple of Roxy to pay homage to her Roxyness. Their blue-haired goddess of wisdom/waifu has returned to bless the world with her teachings.

That’s just my way of saying that after more than ten years, Rudeus has reunited with his beloved Master Roxy. Having saved her from certain death in the labyrinth at the end of the last one, this episode of Mushoku Tensei focuses primarily on the reunion between Master and Student. And I know that I was pretty critical about last week’s episode and how it ended. However, seeing what happens this week, I’m glad they waited. Its all kinds of heartwarming.

I should probably mention this now: the group has a new problem. Roxyโ€ฆis in love.

How I Met My Future Husbando

The episode starts with a brief look back at how Roxy has survived in the labyrinth by herself for so long. And while I’m glad that the anime did dive into it, I still think the light novels did a better job conveying how bad things were for her. However, that gets overshadowed by it jumping immediately to the reunion between master and student. And this moment is not just significant because it’s the first time Rudy has seen Roxy since childhood. He doesn’t know it, but he did something greater than he can imagine.

I didn’t mention it in my recap of Roxy’s journey throughout season one, but there’s a moment when she tells Elinalise what she’s looking for in a guy.

And guess who just checked all those boxes without even realizing it? The whole thing’s made even funnier because she doesn’t realize at first that her knight in shining armor was the boy she taught. That and Rudy puked from shock. I couldn’t stop laughing at that. Or the idea that Rudy somehow sensed her presence and charged through the walls like the Hulk to get to her.

The rest of the episode does show the party, Roxy now included, as they continue their efforts to reach the bottom of the labyrinth. However, beyond the smug grin Paul gets when Rudeus praises him (dads like to look cool in front of their kids), the main focus is on Roxy and Rudeus. It should be pretty obvious that Roxy has fallen head over heels for Rudeus. The side glances she gives him. Her acting more awkward than usual. The silent fist pumps when she asks him to go on a date in another labyrinth when this is over. Everyone can see that Roxy has got it bad for her former student.

The sad irony: Rudeus is oblivious to this.

I’ve noticed this has been a problem with every relationship Rudy has had with a girl up until now. Events from his first life left him with such low self-esteem, he’s unable to tell when someone’s actually into him. Thats part of why things went so bad when Eris left despite (in her eyes) making it clear she loves him. Now that I think about it, every girl he’s tried to date has had to make the first move! He thinks so badly about himself that he can’t understand when the women are into him!

Thankfully, Paul manages to give Rudeus some pretty good advice.

While the setting for the moment changes from the way they use the bathroom, I still liked Paul’s speech to Rudeus about his two swords. It’s pretty obvious to viewers that it’s a clever metaphor for his two wives. He may have only planned to marry Zenith, but that doesn’t change the fact that Lilia is just as important to him and needs them both by his side to be the best he can be.

Or, in simpler terms, Paul knows Roxy’s into his son, and he’s giving Rudy his blessing.

This might be one of my favorite episodes of the entire season, and for good reason. Roxy has been largely absent from the series until now, but that may no longer be true. However, if this feels like the calm before the storm, that’s because it is. The red, ominous-looking teleportation circle that the party finds within the sixth level of the labyrinth has all the hallmarks of a point-of-no-return. And since the anime opening already spoiled things, yes. They’re going to have to fight a Hydra. So, prepare for that!

I Give “Magic Circles of the Sixth Stratum” a 4.5/5

Tokito Needs to Lighten Up for Everyone’s Sake

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 4 Review

Now that Tanjiro is healed, he’s participating in the Hashira Training bootcamp. And apparently, that also means he’s helping the other trainees deal with their own issues. First, he got Giyu to join the camp, and then he gave the slayers under Tengen the fire they needed to get through their training. Now, he’s on to Tokito, and he’s not holding back on any of them! When Tanjiro becomes concerned, it falls to get Tokito to lighten up, or else none of the trainees will make it.

Tanjiro Helps Tokito Lighten Up

Ever since he regained his memories, Tokito has changed for the better. Whenever he talks to Tanjiro, Tokito is always smiling and showing real emotion. It’s clear that their shared experience fighting in the swordsmith village has changed Tokito for the betterโ€ฆto an extent.

As Tanjiro witnesses first-hand, while Tokito gets along well with him, he’s as cold and harsh as ever to everyone else. As a result, while he passed Tanjjro in five days, everyone else has to stay behind. And they’ve been training under him for two weeks.

Given how they’re fighting demons in what will be the final war, itโ€™s expected for Tokito to be so harsh. He has to make sure they’re able to survive the final battle, so he can’t afford to go easy on them. However, he’s so blunt that its demoralizing everyone. And, once again, Tanjiro has to help.

His solution: paper airplanes.

Team-Building is Important for Morale

I never took Tokito as someone who was into paper airplanes, but its a pretty fun hobby. There are even actual competitions for paper airplane making and flying. And Tanjiro challenges Tokito to a contest to see who can fly the furthest. If he wins, Tokito has to be nicer to everyone.

He gets his butt kicked! But while he lost the battle, Tanjiro wins the war.

The sight of everyone laughing and making paper airplanes and throwing them into the air together is pretty inspiring. Its like a metaphor for how the Demon Slayer Corps can go further working together than they can alone. Or a symbol of the hope that they carry for all of Japan. Either way, Tanjiro breaks the ice between Tokito and everyone, and thus, he can go on his merry way.

I’m really enjoying this training arc. Its giving us plenty of chances to enjoy time with all the Slayers. Additionally, the anime even went out of its way to add a new scene to the story in the form of a three-way duel between Obanai, Sanemi, and Tokito. And it’s awesome!

It’s moments like this that remind us why Demon Slayer has proven so popular. The animation is art in motion, and I love it. I wish that more anime could pull off what Demon Slayer manages to do! If we get more scenes like this, then I don’t mind waiting another season for the final battle. This stuff makes it worth it.

That, and now I wanna make my own paper airplane.

I Give “To Bring a Smile to One’s Face” a 3.5/5

Just Make Tanjiro a Hasira Already!

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Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba S4 Ep 3 Review

Now that Tanjiro is healed, itโ€™s time for him to commence his anime training arc! To prepare for the final battle against Muzan, the Demon Slayer forces everyone to endure training from the Hashira. The reason boils down to the idea of the chain only being as strong as its weakest link. Having the Hashira get stronger wonโ€™t mean anything if the rest of the group canโ€™t fight worth a darn. However, itโ€™s not until Tanjiro joins the training under Tengen Uzui that we see how far the Corps needs to go. That shows just how strong Tanjiro is compared to the regular Slayers.

Can they promote Tanjiro to Hashira already?

Tanjiro Aces Boot Camp

In the real world, many elite special forces are known for their skill and prowess on the battlefield. Thereโ€™s a good reason for that: they have to be the best to survive, which means they have to train their bodies until they collapse from exhaustion. And the training camp the Demon Slayer Corps is going through is like that, but on steroids. When the audience catches up with the Slayers working under Uzui, they are pushed to their physical and mental limits. Itโ€™s like Hell for all of them.

Then Tanjiro arrives.

The series has made it no secret that Tanjiro is stronger than most Demon Slayers despite only being a rookie. Seeing how he outpaces all of them in Uzuiโ€™s boot camp demonstrates how big the gap is between him and the others.

Itโ€™s actually funny to see how much better Tanjiro is compared to most of the Corps. Whereas the others are winded, out of breath, and barely able to complete their exercises, Tanjiro is the opposite. He barely breaks a sweat and does everything with a big grin. Thatโ€™s how far ahead he is of the rank-and-file. But it gets to the point where the other trainees feel disheartened by the gap in strength.

Strength Through Unity

Iโ€™ve never undergone a training camp like the one the Hashira are running, but even I know theyโ€™re not working everyone like this to be cruel. Any good military instructor knows that soldiers need to be tough to survive on the battlefield. And since theyโ€™re fighting actual Demons, the Demon Slayer Corps canโ€™t afford to rely on a small handful of elites to win. They need everyone to work together to bring down Muzan.

Lucky for the trainees, they have inspiration in the form of Tanjiro. In a late-night training session with Uzui, Tanjiro shows everyone how strong he has to be to fight a Demon. And seeing him hold his own against a former Hashira lights a fire in everyone that refuses to go out.

The rank-and-file of the Demon Slayer Corps may never reach the same level as the Hashira and Tanjiro, but thatโ€™s not the point. They know they wonโ€™t reach that level, but they realize they donโ€™t care. They can still support the Hashira and ensure that theyโ€™re ready for the final battle.

A chain is only as strong as its weakest link, and thanks to Tanjiro, that link has gotten a little sturdier. His task done, Tanjiro moves onto the next part of his training with the Mist Hashira.

I donโ€™t know how long this season of Demon Slayer will be, but Iโ€™m actually hoping that we donโ€™t rush toward the final battle. The final battle against Muzan is going to need to take up an entire season on its own, its so big. So I donโ€™t really care if we have to wait until next season to see Tanjiro wreck Muzan. This training will make it worth it.

I Give “Fully Recovered Tanjiro Joins the Hashira Training!!” a 4/5

Father and Son Reunited! Paul and Rudy Journey into the Labyrinth!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 20 Review

When the second season of Mushoku Tensei started, there were several moments from the Light Novel I looked forward to seeing. I wanted to see the moment when Rudy truly reunites with Sylphie. That tearful moment between Rudeus and Norn. I even wanted to see the time when Rudy went nuts on Linia and Pursena. I know it wasn’t right, but seeing him get so mad about his figurine was funny! But near the top of the list of moments I wanted to see was the start of the Labyrinth Arc. When Rudeus, his dad, Roxy, and everyone else team up to rescue his mother. So, after months of waiting (and finally reading Volume 12), how did the anime measure up to my expectations?

Meh, I think the light novel did a few things better. Mainly because it managed to leave a few things out.

Paul is Even in Worse Shape than the Anime Lets On

Having made it to the city of Rapan, it doesn’t take long for Rudy and Elinalise to find Paul’s party; they run into Geese at the local Adventurer’s Guild, and he brings them to Paul. And this is where some of my issues with the episode begin to unfold. To be fair, though, part of it has to do with some of the advantages of literature over animation.

Geese told the two going in that Paul was in a pretty rough state, but the anime doesn’t emphasize just how bad it is for him like the light novels do. Rudeus’ perspective describes how, despite lacking the stubble and scent of booze, Paul looks ready to drop dead from exhaustion. He’s so out of it that it isn’t until Rudeus mentions he’s going to be a father soon that he realizes he wasn’t dreaming. It’s that bad!

And for some reason, they push back Rudy revealing he got married to Sylphie to a later scene. It doesn’t make sense to me.

At the very least, the anime remains faithful to most of the scenes that come next. That awkward reunion between Paul and Elinalise is there, as well as him calling Cliff weird for wanting to marry her (LOL.) They skip over some details about the teleporter labyrinth, but the important part is how Roxy is missing. I did like how the dialogue faded out in the anime as Rudeus processed that piece of information, though. It just shows how horrifying hearing that was for him.

My favorite part of the episode is the scene in the inn afterward. Paul, Rudeus, and Lilia share the same room, and what follows is pretty heartwarming.

Like a Family Again

This episode marked the first time in almost ten years that Rudeus has managed to spend time with his father and Lilia as an actual family. They had managed to meet during Rudeus’ grand odyssey three years ago, but circumstances meant they couldn’t afford to enjoy their time together. This time, though, they all feel free to use their time together to the fullest, especially Paul.

You can tell throughout the episode that, despite their dire circumstances, Paul’s elated to see his grown-up son again. He’s happy that his son reunited with and married Sylphy, and they’re about to have their first child. He’s eager to show off in front of his son in the labyrinth. And as crude as it is, he enjoys being able to have some “locker room talk” with Rudeus now that he’s no longer a virgin.

It may seem like Paul’s overdoing it a bit, but keep in mind their circumstances. Had the Mana Disaster not occurred, Rudy would’ve eventually returned to Buena Village (assuming he didn’t get engaged to Eris.) Had that happened, the two would’ve had plenty of time to bond in that case. Thus, it makes sense that Paul wanted to make up for lost time, and I enjoyed every minute of it.

The descent into the labyrinth itself was about what I expected, besides leaving out some funny moments, like Paul learning Elinalise is Sylphie’s grandmother. At least until we see Roxy again.

Rudy’s Roxy Sense Tingles

Much like the scene with Paul, the anime could’ve better with Roxy’s reintroduction. The light novel does a much better job of emphasizing the fact that Roxy has spent a month trapped alone inside the labyrinth. Her appearance is unkempt, she’s got bags under her eyes, and she’s slowly dying from mana depletion and poisoning. The anime doesn’t show it, but she’s had to spend the last month or so eating monsters to survive, and that’s slowly sapped her strength due to having to detoxify them. By the time we see her again, she’s on her last legs. Her last thoughts being of her life up until that point, and how, if she got out of this mess alive, she wanted to become a teacher. She’s just begging for someone to come save her.

And then, as if the universe answered her prayers, Rudeus appears. And the episode ends.

I was not happy with the ending of the episode. I dont know if the anime intends to show what happens next in full, but let’s say this ends up becoming one of the funniest moments in the entire series. If you’ve read the light novel or my recap on Roxy’s life after she left Buena Village. I hope they adapt what comes next in full. I will be disappointed otherwise.

This was an okay start to the Labyrinth arc. I wish the anime had spent more time adapting everything, but you can only win some of them. I hope it gets better from here on out.

I Give “Into the Labyrinth” a 3/5