Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation

The Resolve of Rudeus and Eris

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 14 Review

That…was the best possible clip I could find that accurately describes how fans reacted to “The Diary.” Hands down, it was one of the darkest episodes in an anime to come out of this decade, and people will likely be talking about it for years. If I had gone into this entire thing completely blind, I have no doubt that I would have been left emotionally scarred by what I witnessed. Heck, I knew about this years in advance, and I still had trouble not crying! HOW THE HECK DID RIFUJIN COME UP WITH SOMETHING THIS MESSED UP!?!? But now that Rudeus knows the nightmare he just avoided, what will his next move be?

HUG YOUR FAMILY, RUDY!!!

The episode opens up with us seeing Rudeus having a very realistic and human reaction to reading his future self’s diary: he is horrified. Every he read in the book, which we were witness to, was so disturbing that he starts vomiting in a panic. And then the look he gets when Sylphie comes to check up on him is superbly haunting. In fact, the anime goes out of its way to continue adding original scenes showing Rudeus being extra nice to his family as he struggles to come to terms with what he came so close to losing. But it’s clear to his wives that, while he’s smiling on the outside, he’s suffering on the inside.

These last few episodes have really made me understand just how hard Rudeus thinks he has it. Despite the vast improvements he’s made to himself since starting his second life, despite learning to rely on others and let his guard down, there is always that final wall he keeps about his darkest secret: the fact that he lived a wholly separate life in another world that he is ashamed about. Part of me wonders if it would be easier for him to just tell them the truth. At the same time, though, I understand that he’s afraid that if he is, Roxy and Sylphie will reject him. But that’s why he didn’t tell them about his future self’s warnings or the Man-God. At least he manages to talk to them about Eris joining their family.

Look, do we want Eris to die or not?

Now, as well-intentioned as Eris’ decision to leave was, it doesn’t change the fact that it led to Rudy going through unnecessary suffering. And while everything worked out in the end, I would prefer that Rudy never had to suffer in the first place; at least not for as long. But at least Rudy is able to Sylphie and Roxy to come around considering letting Eris join their family by explaining how she wasn’t trying to be a b****. She’s just a freaking dumbass who can’t explain things well. And as much as I diss her on here, I also can’t bring myself to hate Eris, either. Not after seeing everything she’s gone through for hers and Rudy’s sake.

That doesn’t mean I’m not going to keep busting her chops, though! I intend to hold her biggest f up over Eris for a long time!

Speaking of which.

Okay, that BSOD face was fun.

By this point, Eris has finished her training at the Sword Sanctum and is saying goodbye to her friends. That is when she gets the fateful letter that will change the course of her life forever. The sad thing is, since the Sword Santcum doesn’t like things like reading and thinking because it distracts from fighting, she can barely read or write anymore. All that effort Rudy put in, wasted!

I have to tell you, though. The look on Eris’ face as Isolte reads Rudy’s letter explaining how he wants to see her again but already has two wives is priceless. Absolutely meme-worthy BSOD moment. Now she’ll have to go for the rest of her life knowing that she blew her chance to become the sole claimant to the land of Rudeus. REAP WHAT YOU SEW, RED! REAP WHAT YOU FREAKING SEW!

If you thought that learning that her man already has already been claimed would deter Eris, though, think again. Because the post-script to the letter is the message that Eris has been waiting five years to hear: Rudeus is going to fight Orsted.

…You Realize that Rudy is gonna die, right?

So, a few nights after Oldeus warned him, the Man-God appeared in Rudy’s dreams and pretty much confirmed that he had been long-conning Rudy this whole time. And it’s not even because he sees Rudy as a threat to him, either; it’s his descendants.

You see, since he comes from another world, Rudeus is immune to the Man-God’s ability to make everyone naturally trust him as well as the curse that makes everyone fear Orsted. That immunity will be passed down to his descendants, and that makes them a potential wildcard in the struggle between the Man-God and Orsted. And when he looked into the future, he saw that if Rudeus and Roxy ever met again, they would fall in love, have a child, and that child would become a threat to the Man-God. Hence why he tried to kill Roxy when she was at her most vulnerable.

In any other story, this would be the part where Rudeus vows to stop the Man-God. But as his future self warned him, he can’t. The only means to reach the Man-God won’t appear for decades. So Rudeus has to make a deal with the devil: kill Orsted to save his family.

2027 is Going to be EPIC

And so, the first half of season comes to an end as we are now into volume 15, easily the most important of the entire series. The events that are to come are going to define how the remainder of the story will progress. More importantly, we’re going to see Rudeus and Orsted have a rematch. It’s too bad that we will have to wait until next year to see it play out in the anime…is what you’d think I’d say!

The fans weren’t willing to wait on the most important fight of Rudeus’ life to make it into the anime. So a YouTube Channel named LanwenTuzi Studio decided to make an amazing fan animation of Turning Point 4 and the fight. The original video was taken down, but plenty of others have reuploaded it, and I highly reccomend you go watch it. Think of it as a preview of what to expect next year.

Now, if you don’t mind, I’m going to go relax and read some high-quality Mushoku Tensei fanfics. May even recommend some more to you guys if I have the time. Until then, enjoy this gif of Aisha dancing with Byt

I Give “Resolve” a 4/5

This…Mushoku Tensei made anime fans cry

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 13 Review

…

…

…You know, I have spent three years keeping my mouth shut about the big twist in Mushoku Tensei and how the Man-God has it out for Rudy and his family. I kept quiet about everything because I was hoping that, when the time came to see the diary of Future Rudeus, the anime wouldn’t just tell us what happened. It would show us the future Rudy avoided in all its horror in some sort of extended episode or OVA. Yet while we only got it in the form of a regular episode, Studio Bind still managed to deliver us a nightmare that nearly became reality.

A Nightmare

The entire episode is framed from the perspective of Future Rudeus’ life up to the moment he went back in time to change history. While it starts off with the Greyrats celebrating the news that Cliff and Elinalise are going to have a baby, but it already sets us up for the tragedy about to take place, courtesy of the body of a petrified cat. From there, it then moves to Roxy inevitably getting the Petrification sickness, Rudy’s desperate attempts to find a cure, and the misfortune that will destroy his life and family.

I remember reading the light novels a few years ago, so I already knew what was going to happen. However, it’s one thing to read about something and another to see it happen. Studio Bind took full advantage of that by adding additional moments not found in the light novel. There is the moment when he first sees Eris again and yells at her to get lost, but I think the most impactful was an original scene after Sylphie died. Much like his dad after the Teleportation Incident, Rudeus turned to drinking alcohol and lashed out at his remaining family, to the point where they couldn’t take it anymore. Save for Aisha, they all left for their own safety.

Rudeus always had that darkness to him

The hardest part of watching all this and seeing just how awful he became is the fact that we know that Rudeus is capable of ending up like this. He’s always had that darkness in him, and he’s worked hard in his second life to grow and become a better person. Even after Roxy died, it was still well within his power to turn his life around and cherish his family and loved ones even more. The problem is his dependence on Roxy. First, she helped Rudy heal from the trauma of his past life, and then she pulled him out of despair when his father died. Ergo, in Rudy’s mind, Roxy was the emotional rock that kept him stable. Once she was gone, there was nothing to stop him from not only reverting to what he was like before his reincarnation, but becoming even worse. Worse than what even the anime showed.

As dark and sickening as the anime shows us what Future Rudeus’ life became, it was actually pulling its punches. There are several passages from the diary that were either skipped over, such as Eris’ intervention in Asura led to Rudy getting captured by Luke’s dad and thus unable to make it in time to save Sylphie. But then there are the things that the anime doesn’t show us. Seeing Rudy’s home destroyed and his only friends left dead was already horrifying, but the state he found Aisha’s body in was even worse. The Temple Knights hadn’t just kill her and Julie; they dismembered their bodies and left the pieces behind for him to see. The anime shows that Rudy killed the knights responsible, but the light novel revealed that he went beyond that. Future Rudeus would go on to massacre the entire leadership of the Millis Church, effectively wiping it out.

The rest of the pages are shown to be filled with accounts of Rudy picking fights, bullying, and killing people for no reason as well as SA’ing women. Yes; Oldeus was not only a killer with a body count in the thousands, but also a r****st.

Eris…

The real kicker, though, is seeing Eris’ death protecting Rudy from Atofe. In the light novel, the diary describes how she was sliced in half by the Demon King’s attack, but I think her death in the anime is just as traumatic. She dies smiling at Rudy, who is left in complete shock at what happened.

Now, I don’t actually hate Eris Greyrat. I like how strong and loyal she is to those she loves, and I do think she had the right idea wanting to go on a training arc since she didn’t want to keep leaning on Rudy. As frustrating as seeing her leave Rudy was right after they slept together was, though, that’s not why I’ve kept throwing shade at her. I’ve kept throwing shade at her because what we saw in this look at what the future could’ve been is the result of her dumbass being unable to say what she should’ve said. And not knowing Rudeus well enough to understand that her leaving the way she did did more harm than good. Combined with the fact that she spent the rest of her life pursuing Rudeus, to the point where she inadvertently prevented him from making it in time to save Sylphie, is it any wonder why Rudy began to see Eris as an enemy and servant of the Man-God?

What happened between Rudeus and Eris in this dark future is nothing less than a tragedy, moreso because of how easily it could’ve been prevented. Had Eris shown up right as Rudy and his friends left to get the spellbook to save Roxy, she could’ve gone with them and prevented Cliff’s death. Had Eris gotten through to Rudeus after Roxy and Sylphie died, she could’ve been his second chance at being happy. Instead, we had to watch as the last person who cared about Rudeus died for him. AND IT HURT.

It should also be noted that this episode released on National Wife Day, a day when we’re supposed to appreciate our wives. Studio Bind did this on purpose for extra tragedy.

I don’t think I can watch this Dubbed.

This entire episode is just one long tragedy. It’s heartbreaking to watch, I know for a fact that it’s left fans in tears, and frankly, I don’t even know if I will have the strength to rewatch it in dubbed form. It’s one of those things that I never want to see again. But it’s also the best episode in the entire series, as the Internet seems to think. I had to spend two weeks avoiding posts about Mushoku Tensei on social media, but what I saw was nothing but praise for the episode.

It’s a good thing that the last episode of the first half of Season Three is already out. I don’t think I could have waited another week to see the next part of the story get animated. Now, if you’ll excuse me, I need to go finish what I started.

I Give “The Diary” a 5/5

We finally found someone dumber than Eris

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 10 Review

You know, I used to think that Eris was the biggest meathead in the Mushoku Tensei series. I mean, it took Rudy a while to teach her how to read and write, and I’m pretty sure she forgot most of it after she went to the Sword Sanctum. When the two first met, Eris’ default solution to any problem was punching it. Not to mention how her letter to Rudy was trash. But after watching this episode, I think we’ve found an even bigger meathead. Like, someone who makes Eris look like a college professor in comparison. And thanks to this meathead, Rudy is almost kidnapped and forced to say goodbye to his family.

Now what?

Picking up where the last episode left off, Rudy, Cliff, Elinalise, and Zanoba’s search for a cure for Nanahoshi’s sickness has borne fruit: they found Kishirika! As thanks for feeding her, she tells them about the herbal tea that will help take care of Dryne Syndrome. The key is this plant called Sokas Grass. It’s original environment was destroyed long ago, but most of the Demon Lord’s castles have plenty of it. There’s just one problem. Her old castle in that very city is currently occupied. And the person occupying is the one who put out those wanted posters for Kishirika: Atofe Rybak, the Immortal Demon Queen.

Upon hearing all this, and that Atofe is mad at Kishirika because she drank her favorite alcohol, Rudy doesn’t hesitate to hand her over to the Demon Queen’s guards in exchange for the grass. That’s the good news. The bad news? He and Zanoba have to have an audience with Atofe.

She’s a Dumbass! Dumbass!

I’m just going to come out and say it: Atofe is dumb. Like, really dumb. Rifujin, the author of Mushoku Tensei himself, says that she Eris taken to her logical extreme. Look at what she does the second she meets Rudy and Zanoba to her own guard!

This is like looking at the worst-case scenario of what Eris could’ve grown up to be like if she hadn’t met Rudy. And not even he can keep her fully under control!

It gets worse. She starts demanding that, as a “reward,” Rudy join her personal guard and serve her. Now, the anime doesn’t cover it, but in the light novels, that means spending ten years enduring her training and antics, and then getting two years off to see family. That means that Rudy would have to miss the majority of Lucy’s childhood! So he naturally refuses…but Atofe doesn’t take no for an answer. There’s only one thing to do:

And so, the group had no choice but to get the heck out of dodge, with Atofe in hot pursuit.

Scratch that. She managed to cut them off at the portal to Perguius’ castle.

This was a Cool Fight

For the first time in a while, Rudeus is fighting a battle that he can’t win, and he is painfully aware of it. Worse, he knows that if Atofe beats him, he can say goodbye to his happy family life forever. But at the end of the day, what matters most is getting the sokas grass to Perugius. So while the others fight Atofe and her guards, Cliff makes a beeline for the portal. For a moment, it looks like they’re gonna make it!

But then we get tricked into thinking that Atofe’s guards had cut off escape, only to learn that they had set foot inside the portal. Which means they ran into Perugius.

Perugius Has been Waiting for this!

Now, interesting story about Perugius and Atofe. Back in the Laplace War, the two had fought on opposing sides and hated each other. But Perguius’ brother in arms, the first God of the North God sword style, managed to beat her. Then, he used that to convince her to marry him! So, Perugius and Atofe had to promise not to try and kill each other anymore, much to their dismay. And while Perugius has every intention of keeping his word, that won’t stop him from beating her up!

There are so many people in this world that are stronger than Rudeus, it’s crazy. But at least things worked out. They got the plant needed to save Nanahoshi’s life. So we can all breathe a sigh of re…wait a second. What’s the title of the next episode? Oh. Ohhhhhhh…Turning Point 4.

Oh boy…

Dang, I thought I had more time to mentally prepare myself for this. By now, you guys should know the drill. When there’s an episode called Turning Point, that means that something big is about to shake up Rudeus’ life. Something that I have had to keep my mouth shut about for the three years I’ve been covering Mushoku Tensei. I’m not spoiling anything yet, as I want to see how the anime plays out. All I’m going to say is that we are about to enter the best arc of the story. Please, anime. Please don’t ruin this for us!

I Give “An Audience with an Immortal Demon King” a 4/5

LINIA VS PURSENA IN RUMBLE IN THE JUNGLE!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 7 Review

Ahh, graduation day! One of the most important milestones in any young person’s life! Of course, it’s not Rudeus who’s graduating. He’s got years before that actually happens, and since he lives nearby and Roxy works at Ranoa University, it doesn’t really matter. No, this is the graduation for two of his friends who are getting ready for the next stage of their lives: Linia and Pursena. But it’s a reminder of how time continues to move forward!

Place your bets Folks!

So, Linia and Pursena are finally graduating from Ranoa University. Which in and of itself is a pretty big achievement, because from what we’ve heard, they were so bad in their early days that they could’ve gotten expelled. At least losing to Rudeus gave them a lesson in humility, so I guess it worked out. But before they leave school forever, there’s one loose end that they need to tie up: which of them’s the strongest.

The whole point of Linia and Pursena coming to Ranoa University was to prepare one of them to become the next chieftain of the Beastfolk. They wanted to find a strong man to help them, but all their suitors were too weak to meet their expectations. So, in true delinquent fashion, they decide to settle the succession through a 1v1 fight. Winner gets to go home as heir, the loser can live their own life. And to make it even sweeter, they have Rudy, Zanoba, and Nanahoshi come along to witness it. Which is awesome, because this was one rumble that they didn’t want to miss!

This entire fight was like watching two pro wrestlers or boxers square off against each other, with all the implications that go with that. The two start off by throwing insults at each other, and then they go in for that mutual punch to the face. When Rudy used magic to make a bell and hammer and started doing commentary, I almost lost it. The guy just can’t help but be a goofball sometimes, can he?

We’re gonna see them again. I Know it!

In the end, Pursena comes out on top. In the fight between cat and dog, the dog wins! And with that, the two decide to part ways for good, with Pursena heading home, while Linia deciding to travel and try her hand as a merchant. It’s a very tender, bittersweet moment for the two of them…that then gets immediately ruined when they end up leaving from the same way out of the city. Last we see of them, they’re still arguing like cats and dogs.

By the way, as an aside, I thought you guys should know: according to the Man-God, if Rudy hadn’t gone to Begaritt, the two of them would have tried pursuing him next mating season. Which means that this fight could have turned into one over Rudy.

I’m sure we’ll see them again one day.

WATERMELON!

The back half of the episode, though, focuses on soemthing we haven’t covered in a while: Nanahoshi’s experiments to get home. She hasn’t had that many appearances in the first half of the season, and that’s because she keeps getting sick. It’s not that bad, yet, but she’s so focused on getting home that she has tunnel vision. But the results prove to be worthy it when she and Rudy manage to summon something organic from Earth: a watermelon.

The real win, though, is that this means that Nanahoshi can move on to phase four of her experiments. So everyone gets together to celebrate. And from Rudeus has said, these sorts of parties have become fairly regular and helped them all bond. Which is good, because it’s helping them all have the kind of fulfilling school life that they would want to have. Also, seeing drunk Roxy acting possessive of Rudy is adorable.

And then we come to the bombshell. Nanahoshi says that to proceed with phase four of her experiments, she’s going to seek out her mentor in magic, and she offers to introduce him to Rudeus and the gang. This mentor might also know some secret to returning Zenith back to her old self, sweetening the deal. Who is this mentor, you ask? Perugius Dola, the Armored Dragon God.

DRAMATIC BACKSTORY!

A quick lore dump is in order if you haven’t watched the first two seasons. Four hundred ago, the Demon God Laplace was out for world domination and threatening all of mankind. Thanks to the efforts of Perugius and his comrades, Laplace was defeated and sealed away, but it would not last forever. In the next century or so, Laplace will be reborn. Thus, Perugius has spent the last four centuries in his floating castle with his familiars preparing for the day he would come back. He’s a hero respected all over the world and one of the most powerful and influential people alive. So, he’s a big deal.

This marks the start of a new chapter in Rudeus’ life, and one that will not be as peaceful as what we’ve seen thus far. Things are about to get very crazy as we meet new faces, travel to familiar lands, and crazy things will happen.

https://x.com/OtakuSpirited/status/2076364629404426240?s=20

I Give “Phase Four” a 4/5

Happy Birthday, Norn and Aisha

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 5 Review

Fun fact about Mushoku Tensei: did you know that in the world of the series, they don’t celebrate birthdays every year? In that world, birthdays are generally celebrated three times: when someone turns five, when they turn ten, and again at fifteen, where they’re considered legal adults. I don’t think Rudeus ever got a chance to celebrate becoming an adult (biologically), and due to the chaos in their lives, Norn and Aisha actually missed their tenth birthdays. As the new man of the house, it is up to Rudy to fix this!

He loves his sisters so much.

Weddings are so beautiful!

So, it all starts with Cliff and Elinalise’s wedding. I had forgotten about it, but right before Rudy and Elinalise left for Begaritt, Cliff proposed. I guess he does have some CHAD in him. So, we get this nice scene where we see the two of them tie the knot together.

I don’t remember much of it from the light novel, but I think that the whole thing took a lot longer than what we got. Not that I’m complaining, because it was still sweet to see. It even makes Rudeus question if he should have had a ceremony for Roxy and Sylphie but they’re happy with what they got.

No offense to Eris, but I don’t think that she would want that kind of ceremony, either. Her parents would’ve insisted on it, but she would just want to drag Rudy off somewhere and get to the intimacy.

Speaking of which, Elinalise asks Rudy to get her some of that aphrodisiac that Sylphie used to help his impotency as a gift for Cliff.

She bribes him with the promise of talking Sylphie and Roxy into…a threesome. And it works, on every account.

Again, don’t remember much from the light novels, but it still turns out like this. He’s lucky his wives are so open-minded.

Birthday Surprise!

With that out of the way, though, Rudy realizes something important: they missed Norn and Aisha’s 10th birthdays! Thus, the Greyrat family decides to make up for lost time by throwing them a surprise party. This is especially important, since due to their lives have turned out, the girls never got a chance to celebrate their fifth birthday properly. And more importantly for Rudy, hes never had the chance to celebrate their birthdays at all. As such, he wants to go all out. But how to distract them long enough to get everything set up?

He and Roxy take them out fishing while the others set everything up.

The plan is actually two-fold: Norn and Aisha are still not used to having Roxy around. If you’ll recall, Norn made a fuss about her brother marrying another woman. Rudy was hoping that this would help to break the ice. And it actually works. Roxy teaches Norn how to fish, as she’s had plenty of experience from her days as an adventurer. It’s sweet to see the two bond so well.

What was even more entertaining, though, was seeing Rudeus suck at fishing! He was watching Aisha catch them like a pro, and all he got was an old boot. So he resorts to using what is basically Sith Lightning to electrocute the water to catch all the fish. I was shaking my head at the tv and saying how that was just cheating, and Aisha actually said that! Way to be petty, Rudy!

This…this is nice.

After that’s done, it’s time for the party, and it…is just so sweet. Seeing the Greyrat family together, celebrating the girl’s birthdays and how they’ve finally found a new home for themselves is so touching. Yeah, it’s not as cool as the adventures that Rudy has had over the years, but it’s moments like this that make life worth living. And that scene with Zenith…damn. I don’t know if Zenith will ever be back to the way she was before, but just seeing her be able to dote on her daughter and step-daughter like this is just so heartwarming. I think I almost cried watching it.

I need to be taking notes about these moments you guys. I’m hoping to write my own series in the future once I have more time (we need more hands), and I need to keep these slice-of-life moments in mind!

Oh, and I loved the new hat that Rudy got Roxy. She really is the one responsible for the whole family being together again. If she hadn’t trained Rudy, then he, Sylphie, and everyone else might not have survived.

I Give “Celebrations” a 4/5

Money, Piranha Plants, and New Spells

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , ,

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 4 Review

Welcome back to a day in the life of the Greyrat family, and that is where we will be staying for a good while. I know that some people are going to be eager to see the story move forward some more, but part of Mushoku Tensei’s charm is that it doesn’t limit itself to the big moments. It focuses on the little ones in Rudeus’ life in equal value, something that we should already be used to. And I for one am enjoying getting to see these smaller moments in his life as he continues to better himself. And in this episode, he makes his next big leap forward as a mage. Also, the family gets a new pet.

Is Rudy Loaded?

It’s been a few months now since Rudy made it back from Begarit, and all the members of the Black Wolf Fangs (minus Ghislaine) gather at Paul’s grave to bid farewell. Geese and Talhand are headed off on their own with their share of the loot they got, but not before leaving Rudy his and his dad’s cut. And it’s a lot of money, I should note. Enough to last his family for a good, long while.

Come to think of it, I don’t think that Rudy has ever really had to worry about money that much in his second life. He was pretty well-off thanks to his days in Dead End on his globe-trotting odyssey, and even if he wasn’t, he could make do using his magic. Remember those figurines he likes making? If he made that a full-time job, he would be rich in no time! But I digress. Life is going well for Rudy. His mom is more active, even if she still isn’t acting like how she used to, and it was funny to see him try to make his daughter laugh. He looks just like his dad when he was doing that to Norn and Aisha.

Speaking of which, the Light Novels go a little further into it, as Rudeus has this internal monologue about how he sees the ideal dad. And despite all of his faults, Paul is the person he sees as an example. And, if Paul were alive, he would be just as doting towards his granddaughter.

Oh, and that’s not even getting into the surprise that Rudeus discovers for himself in the first half of the episode: Aisha got a new pet.

Piranha Plant

So, you might have noticed that the Greyrat family brought a pet with them back from the Begarit Continent; that giant armadillo? Well, it turns out that Aisha has also gotten herself a pet that she’s been keeping a secret from her brother. Or rather, she had planned to tell him about it, but he found it before she could. It’s not a cat, dog, or any other animal that you would expect a little girl to bring home, either. It’s a…Piranha Plant.

Okay, the actual name of it is a Treant, a type of plant monster that’s this world’s equivalent to slimes. But it more or less looks like a cross between a Piranha Plant and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. And Rudeus must be familiar with one of the two, because his first instinct is to want to burn it! But Aisha begs him not to, saying that it’s her pet that came out of this seed around the time Rudy got back from Begarit. And she’s doing a good job of training it to not hurt anyone. But when that doesn’t work, she plays dirty and resorts to blackmail.

I have to admit: I did laugh when Aisha threatened to tell Roxy and Sylphie about Rudeus’ secret shrine to them, complete with Roxy’s “holy relic.” That girl is going to be a menace when she’s all grown up! Thankfully, Roxy shows up and tells Rudy that the Treant is safe. Her people even use them to ward off pests from their farms. So, the plant monster stays. And Aisha has named it Byt. I would’ve name it Seymour or Audrey III.

But then something even funnier happens. Well, it’s funny in hindsight.

Rudy Wants to Level Up

So, the student council got reports that someone was harassing a student at school, so Luke and Sylphie went to see what the problem was. Except when they get there, it’s just Rudy bothering Roxy. Apparently, not everyone is aware yet that Roxy’s a teacher now, much to her dismay. And to Sylphie’s chagrin, the lack of context makes it sound like Rudy is trying to ask Roxy for something dirty, and he thought he was being his usual pervy self. In truth, though, he was just begging Roxy to teach him how to be come a King-Class Water Mage like her, and she didn’t want to. One of the few things that she can say she tops her husband in is her rank as a mage. But she eventually backs down.

Frankly, I don’t blame Sylphie for thinking Rudy was up to something pervy. Most of the people in their world are pretty horny, if you ask me!

That Was Awesome

So, we then get to see this awesome moment where Roxy teaches Rudy and Sylphie this King-Class water spell, and it’s basically like calling down lightning from on high onto a target. And, like most of the anime, it’s superbly animated. Absolutely breathtaking to look at! And Roxy manages to pull it off rather well.

But then Rudy tries it, and…well, it’s basically like him dropping a tactical nuke. I swear, that guy could end up destroying an entire city if he’s not careful!

Well, with that done, Rudy is now a King-Class Water Mage, and he and his wives head home to continue their lives. But, honestly, I think that Rudy could take it even further. If he applied himself as much as Eris is in her training, he could become the strongest mage in the world in a few years. Maybe he’ll need to do that, depending on the motivation he has. Questions for later, though.

By the way, it’s not mentioned in the anime, but in the light novels, we start to get these little anecdotes about legends of Ranoa University revolving around Rudy. Well, it’s basically stuff that Linia and Pursena spread about their “Boss.” Like, how he has trained monsters at his house, how he can summon lightning from his fingertips, or (this is my favorite) can fire his arm like a rocket. It’s funny.

I Give “A King-Class Water Mage” a 3/5

Rudeus Has Got the Good Life

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 3 Review

Rudeus has been through so much in his relatively short life second life. He got teleported halfway across the world, spent close to three years trying to get home on a journey worthy of Odysseus, lost his v-card and self-esteem as a man, got it back, married his childhood sweetheart, rescued his mom, lost his dad (and hand), married his former teacher, and became a father. He’s only sixteen (technically fifty), and he’s already done more than most people do in their lifetimes. But after all the twists and turns, he’s finally ready to kick back, relax, and enjoy some slice-of-life. And I’m okay with that! Though I might have a bias since I started reading the light novels around when Rudy started school.

https://twitter.com/RegalDemocrat/status/2076333180538200194?s=20

Welcome Back, Rudeus

With this episode marking our reunion with Rudeus, it’s pretty much focused on showing what his life is like now that he’s achieved a relatively normal environment. After all, it’s only been a few months since he got back from Begaritt, but for the viewers, it’s been 2 years. We need to catch up on what’s going on with our resident former deadbeat. And I know I’ve said it before, but part of the beauty of Mushoku Tensei is how it doesn’t skirt over the quieter moments of life.

So, now that Rudy has officially married Roxy, she and Sylphie have taken to swapping sharing a bed with him every other night. The logic being that this way, he can care for them like a good husband should. That, and so Sylphie can look after Lucy, who remains as adorable as ever. And we know that Rudy is gonna be one of those doting fathers!

Speaking of parents, Zenith remains as quiet as she was after waking up from crystal.  She’ll respond to her kids, but otherwise, there’s no sign she’ll ever recover. It’s sad, but also realistic, because this sort of thing happens to people IRL. At least she has her family and best friend in the form of Lilia to care for her. Not everyone is fortunate enough to get that.

Speaking of family, Norn’s visiting home more often to see her mom, and she’s getting popular at school. Though with Paul gone, that means Rudy has taken it upon himself to be the ‘overprotective dad who won’t let anyone have his daughter.’ I consider it a sneak preview of what it will be like when Lucy starts dating, LOL.

As for Roxy, Rudy made sure to introduce her to his social circle, albeit as his master as opposed to his wife. She also got a teaching job at Ranoa University, as Rudy’s homeroom teacher no less. And Cliff wasn’t exactly happy to hear that Rudy had gotten another wife. Thank heavens that he’s open-minded enough to understand he can’t judge Rudy by his own beliefs when he doesn’t follow them. You would think this would cause more problems for him, but it doesn’t.

The real highlight of the episode, though, is the new toy that Rudy gets.

Rocket Punch

So, when Rudy impulsively used his own hand to kill that Hydra, he ended up losing it in the process. It doesn’t handicap him, but it’s still a pain. Thankfully, while he was gone, Zanoba and Cliff made something that, quite frankly, surpasses modern-day technology: a fully-functioning prosthetic hand.

The Hand of Zaliff, as Rudy dubs it, is, frankly, amazing. All he has to do is where the glove, channel his mana into it, and it form an artificial hand out of earth. He can fully use his magic with it, and he can even feel when he touches something. To the best of my knowledge, that’s something that we have yet to do with artificial limbs in the real world, which makes it awesome. Plus, the one-glove look is kinda badass.

So, we’re back with Mushoku Tensei and more slice of life. But don’t worry, folks. We’re going to get more excitement before the first part of the season ends. For now, let’s just enjoy the quiet. That, and the fact that Rudy now looks taller than his wives, and the ED focused on Eris.

I Give “Life Back at Home” a 4/5

Code Red: the Mad Dog is back!

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Eps 1 & 2 Review

It’s been a long two years, you guys, but we’re finally back with the new season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. The Isekai series is more popular than ever, so much so that when Crunchyroll put out their trailer for the summer season, they had Eris as the thumbnail on YouTube.

And speaking of Eris Boreas Greyrat, it’s pretty much an open secret that this will be the season that will see her reunite with “her man.” But before that happens, the story decided to shed some light on what she was up to during her training arc. In the light novels, we got this in the form of side stories sprinkled through each volume. The manga took it a step further by giving her own spin-off about some of her adventures. But now, it’s time to see what the Mad Dog has been up to on her anime training arc. Or, as I call her, the Heartbreaker.

Yes, I am holding what Eris did to Rudeus over her, and I will do so for as long as I please.

Where did Eris go?

The season premiere starts up in the aftermath of the moment that changed Rudy and Eris’ lives forever: the night they traded v-cards, but now from her perspective. And, already, we have a moment where I think the anime doesn’t do the story justice found in the manga or light novels. In the manga, the moment when Eris notes how small Rudeus’ hand is compared to hers, I think she starts to have PTSD-induced flashbacks of Orsted. Seeing her boyfriend come close to dying with her unable to do anything about it was, hands down, the worst moment of her life, and something that she NEVER wants to see happen again. Hence why she decides to go on her training arc to the place Ghislaine learned how to use a sword, the Sword God Sanctum, up north of the Asura Kingdom.

Oh, sweet Eris. I get why she chose to do this, but I really wish she had added an extra sentence to her goodbye letter. Something like “Think you can wait another five years for me?” Or anything to indicate you were coming back. But that’s not what we’re here for. We’re here to see what the Mad Dog did while training.

The Mad Dog Goes on an ABSOLUTE TEAR!

So, after some time on the road with Ghislaine, the two make to the Sword Sanctum, run by Ghislaine’s old teacher, the Sword God Gal Farion. AKA one of the seven strongest people in the world. And the first thing that Eris says to him?

And then when Gal gives her a chance by dueling one of his students:

And then he has her duel his daughter, Nina, who you might recognize from the second season. But look:

She made the girl wet herself! If it wasn’t for Gal deciding to spar with her, she probably wouldn’t have stopped until she had beaten everyone in the dojo. But Gal is so impressed with her that not only will he train her, but makes her a Sword Saint on spot!

I couldn’t help but laugh at this entire scene! That’s our Mad Dog for you! I can’t wait for the dub to hear Lindsay Seidel’s voice again!

The animation is still awesome!

Enjoyment about getting to see Eris again aside, the real winner of these two episodes has to be the animation. I know that the anime dipped in quality in the second season, though I can’t quite tell when. What I can say is that the quality picked up in these two episodes. Every time we see Eris train or fight someone, we see how good the animation looks. More than that, though, I was impressed with how the show changes Eris’ look. At some point in the first episode, we see Eris’ facial features lose their childishness and become sharper, symbolizing how she’s coming closer to full adulthood like Rudeus. It’s a nice touch. It also highlights why Eris is called the Mad Dog by her peers. Not that she cares. She only cares about beating Orsted, and that means learning as much as possible from everyone. Including the other sword styles.

But first, she has to start coming out of her shell.

This moment had me laughing!

By the time of the second episode, some time has passed, and Nina has taken it upon herself to be Eris’ rival. Eris couldn’t care less, but when Nina tries to shame her by saying she’d be a virgin forever, Eris hits her with the Uno Reverse Card.

Nina denies it at first, but the more she learns about him, the more she realizes that Eris wasn’t lying. Not only was her self-proclaimed rival beating her in the sword, but in romance. So she comes up with the half-baked plan to go to Ranoa, kidnap Rudeus, and drag him back as her servant to make Eris jealous. Which is how she wound up present in the second season with the Beastmen and Badigadi and sees what happens.

She promptly returns home, now enlightened as to why Eris trains like a woman possessed. And that leads her to become a lot nicer to Eris.

Eris has friends that aren’t Rudeus or Ruijerd?

The crux of the second episode is mostly about getting Eris to come out of her shell as a person. She’s always been aggressive and off-putting to a lot of people, but if you earn her trust, then she’ll sing your praises, as Rudeus knows. Case in point, Gal invites the Water God and her apprentice, Isolte, to train her and Nina, with each of them managing to balance each other out. Eris can beat Nina, Isolte beats Eris, and Nina beats Isolte. It’s a balance of equals that leads all of them to spur each other on. Before long, the three of them actually become friends. And then, we get this awesome, anime-original moment where we see how Eris get this awesome jacket that will become sort of her trademark in the series.

This is the stuff that I have been waiting two years to see, you guys! And it was worth the wait! I can’t wait to see more of this season, because we’re about to head into the best part of the entire series.

I Give “Burn Bright, Mad Dog” and “Howl, Mad Dog” a 4.5/5 Each

What if Eris came back years earlier?

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Early Arrival-A Mushoku Tensei Fanfic Pt 2

Hello, everyone! RJ Writing Ink here and I’m so happy to say that Mushoku Tensei is back for another season. And more importantly, Eris “The Heartbreaker” Greyrat is about to become relevant to the story once more! If you have read my recap of the first season of the show, or the way I mentioned her in season two, then you know my opinion on Eris: her decision to go on an anime training arc for the sake of her boyfriend, while well-intentioned, was horribly executed. And that when she returns to Rudy, she is going to have to work like crazy to make up for the three years of depression she gave him. But what if there was a fanfic that already did that ahead of time? And what if that fanfic was one that I had already brought up?

Some time ago, I put the spotlight on Early Arrival, this canon-divergent fanfic where Rudy ran into Sylphie, Ariel, and Luke as they were fleeing to Ranoa. He and Sylphie spend an entire year dating, helping him heal his trauma, couple, and then tie the knot even sooner than in the canon. I couldn’t talk about the story past a certain point because I didn’t want to spoil something big. However, with the third season now here, and with us already knowing that Eris is going to come back, I’m free to talk about it. Why? Well, while I can’t say when Eris returns in the canon, what I can say is that it happens much earlier in Early Arrival. And the results are pretty cathartic, if I do say so myself.

Name: Early Arrival

Type of Fanfic: AU

Written By: GameGladiator46

Started: April 2024

Status: Ongoing

What if Eris Tried to Stop Nina?

So, if you saw the second episode of the new season, then you’ll know about Nina, that blue-haired girl who showed up during that thing with Badigadi. She had shown up so she could beat Rudy, drag him back to that sword school, and show him off to Eris because she was jealous Eris had a boyfriend. It didn’t work out, and as far as I know, Eris never knew about this in canon. But that changes in Early Arrival.

In this fanfic, Eris hears about what Nina is up to and, rather than let her bother Rudy, she attempts to head her off without him finding out. She shows up just in time to stop her, but unfortunately, they get into a fight that attracts a crowd, including Ariel, Luke, and Sylphie.

I’m not sure if it’s mentioned in the anime, but in the light novels, when Sylphie learns about Eris and how she broke Rudy’s heart and left him depressed, she was mad. She said that she would beat Eris up if they ever ran into each other, leaving Rudy genuinely worried for her safety and asking her not to. In this fanfic, though, we get to see Sylphie try to make good on that threat, because the second she sees Eris, she knew it was her. The heartbreaker. And when she hears that Eris didn’t even plan on seeing him, she snaps. She proudly tells Eris that she’s Rudeus’ wife and that she lost her man because of her own mistake.

After that, Eris was pretty much seeing red until the moment Rudy left his hiding place in the library and sees everything. So he grabs Eris and drags her somewhere to talk in private.

Rudy just tears into Eris, and it is SO CATHARTIC

Now, in this story, Rudy had already figured out Eris’ reason for leaving him thanks to Sylphie. He had thought he could talk to her rationally. But the moment she asks him why he didn’t wait for her, all this resentment and frustration he had burst out. And he goes off on her for everything. For the letter. For leaving him so depressed that he wouldn’t leave his tent for a week. For crippling his self-worth as a man to the point that he got ED for a year. Everything. Eris is brought to tears by the end of it!

I absolutely loved this moment in the story. As a reader, we are supposed to understand the logic behind Eris’ decision to leave. She was traumatized by what happened with Orsted, so she went on a training arc to make sure she could protect Rudy. And I respect her self-awareness of the fact that she was too dependent on her boyfriend and had to get stronger. We are supposed to understand why, but at the same time, we get mad over how she went around doing it. And since I don’t know if anyone ever calls her out on it in the story, we have to rely on fanfics to vent our frustrations at Eris. And the writer manages to do so while keeping Eris and Rudy perfectly in character. I tend to go for the higher-quality fanfics, so the fact that I liked this is a testament to how good I think it is. I would’ve wanted it to spend more time on Sylphie and Eris’ fight so they could get their feelings out, but other than that, it felt great. Incredibly cathartic.

And after this, a lot of things change for the story.

Eris moves in

So, despite everything that’s happened, Eris is still in love with Rudeus, and despite being committed to Sylphie, he’s still in love with her. So, much like what we saw at the end of the second season with Roxy, Rudy asks Sylphie for her permission to eventually marry Eris. And Sylphie, bless her heart, can’t bring herself to be mad at Eris, and lets her join their family. But WITH STIPULATIONS!

  • Eris can’t sleep with Rudy for a year as punishment for making Sylphie wait that long.
  • Sylphie calls dibs on their first kid.

And that’s it. Eris starts to live with them, with plans to go back to the sword sanctum later to finish her training. She starts going to school with Rudy and Sylphie, meets their friend group. And most of what happens in the canon still happens. Except for one thing, and I am so glad that it happens.

I always wondered if that would happen

By now, we all know how Paul died saving Rudy from that Hydra. And for the longest time, I have wondered if it was possible to keep that from happening. I concluded that this would have only been possible if Eris and Ghislaine had been a part of the group. With their additional swordsmanship augmenting the Black Wolf Fangs, it stands to reason that the party could take the Hydra down sooner, and thus spare Paul’s life. Thankfully, this fanfic validates that idea. When Rudy and Elinalise set off to help rescue Zenith, Eris and Ghislaine join them, bolstering the overall party’s strength.

This was something that I greatly appreciated about the story. I think that not having Ghislaine present was a missed opportunity for a reunion of Paul’s old adventuring party, which is something that will never happen thanks to his death. And it also gave us a chance to see what the dynamic between Eris and her father-in-law would have been like had he lived. The two butted heads in the brief time they knew each other thanks to Paul’s fight with Rudy, and they do clash a little when they meet again. But they do develop a level of respect for each other.

A wrinkle that Eris’ presence adds to the labyrinth is how Rudeus’ relationship grows with Roxy. The anime was more subtle about it, but it’s meant to be obvious that Roxy had fallen for him. The reason that she was trying so hard to win him over was that she didn’t know until after they found Zenith that Rudy was already married and going to be a dad. Here, though, Roxy has yet to act on her feelings, despite encouragement from the others.

Sadly, I cannot tell you where it goes from here, as the author has only just started to update the story again. It’s a shame, but there are plenty of great fanfics that remain incomplete. But I’ve rambled on enough about it. I just wanted to gush about one of my favorite Isekai some more.

New Members Join the Greyrat Family as ‘Mushoku Tensei’ Ends S2

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 24 Review

It’s almost hard to believe, but by the time this goes up, it will have been a year since Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation returned for its second season. Yet here we are, at the end of the road for now. Rudeus, Roxy, and his father’s friends have made it back to Sharia with Zenith in tow, but their toughest fight is still to come. Rudeus not only has to explain to his wife and sisters how their father’s dead and his mother basically has a disability. More importantly, how Rudy intends to marry Roxy and have her move in with them.

…The awkward levels are off the charts.

Love Sylphie’s New Hairdo

Much like in the first season, the episode eschews an OP to get right into the story, highlighting just how important this moment is. Once he’s within sight of his house, Rudeus starts panicking and runs inside, remembering the Man-God’s words about him regretting leaving. Oddly, Rudeus doesn’t consider losing his Dad to be what he’d regret. I’m unsure if this point covers it, but in the light novels, the Man-God tells Rudy that had he stayed behind, Paul wouldn’t have died while Zenith would still be saved. The entity is merely messing with Rudy, though. Also, while Paul might not have died, Roxy might have been lost.

Thankfully, though, nothing’s wrong with Rudy’s family, Sylphie’s now sporting longer hair. I will miss the short-haired Sylphie, but longer hair makes her look cuter.

The Painful Part

Then comes the tearjerker moment where they tell everyone about Paul’s fate. I already read the light novels, but I still felt my heart breaking for Norn, who took the news the hardest out of anyone. Out of everyone in the family, Norn had been with Paul the longest, and thus was the one closest to him. As she starts bawling her eyes out, I can only imagine how much she must regret not staying with him. At the same time, I like how the story subtly shows off her desire to become stronger by asking for her father’s sword and for Rudy to train her. She’s probably thinking that if she had been stronger, Paul wouldn’t have sent her away. I don’t know if that’s the case, but if that’s what helps her grieve her loss, then good.

As a quick sidebar, it was equally heartbreaking to see Zenith cling to Paul’s armor like she did. She’s likely going to have lucid moments like this for the rest of her life, and while it might be painful, Rudy and his family have no intention of abandoning her. They will be a family and live together, even if its not the way Rudeus envisioned.

Speaking of which, time for the awkward part.

Norn, You Protest Too Much

So, after everyone else leaves, Rudeus tells everyone the news: he cheated on Sylphie with Roxy and wants to take her in as his second wife. And like before, Norn is the one with the strongest reaction. Or overreaction, and it’s pretty faithful to the light novels. It’s also going to be the scene that will make many people hate Norn for a while.

Seeing Norn tear into her brother for how selfish he’s being and how unfaithful he was to Sylphie was hard to watch, even if she did break up some good points. Rudy broke his promise to be faithful to Sylphie, and Roxy understands that, even if desperate times called for desperate measures, she slept with Rudy because part of her was selfish. However, at the same time, Norn is also being inconsiderate. She lets it slip how Millis (the god of the Millis religion) wouldn’t forgive Rudy for doing this. Good intentions or not, she’s projecting her beliefs onto the situation without thinking about the context or how others feel. Thank heavens that Sylphie stops her before Roxy leaves.

Sylphie Truly is the Goddess of Love

I knew this moment had been coming for a long time, but this marks the first time that Sylphie and Roxy have ever met, and it was worth the wait. And not only is Sylphie not mad at Rudy or Roxy, but she says she’s cool with it! And the anime doesn’t skimp on some of the reasons why she is, too!

Firstly, Sylphie knows that her husband is super horny. She openly admits that she expected Rudy to bring another girl back home. At the same time, she also recognizes that he’s loyal, so if he brought home any other woman, it would be because they’re special to him. It’s a paradox, but that’s just how Rudeus is, and she’s fine with it.

Sylphie’s tolerance for it also stems from her memories of Rudy’s family in Buena Village. She remembers how Paul married Zenith and Lilia and kept them both happy. It may not have been his intention, but Paul’s actions influenced Sylphie to be open-minded about polygamy. If Paul can do that with Zenith and Lillia, so can Rudy.

Secondly, Sylphie already knows all about Roxy. From the day she met Rudeus, he’s gone on and on about how much he respects Roxy. And that did make Sylphie a little jealous at times. But seeing her in person and how much she loved Rudy greatly humanized her in Sylphie’s eyes. She was just as capable of making mistakes as the rest, and seeing how upset Norn’s yelling made Roxy caused Sylphie’s empathy to go into overdrive. Plus, Sylphie has Roxy to thank for meeting Rudy. If she hadn’t taught Rudy, Rudy never would’ve left home and met Sylphie. And if that never happened, Sylphie wouldn’t have survived the Mana Incident! Sylphie and Rudy are both alive, thanks to Roxy’s teachings!

Lastly, as Sylphie points out, Rudy isn’t a follower of Millis, so Norn doesn’t have the right to judge him by her own religious beliefs. Also, what she says is very insensitive towards Aisha and her situation. So Norn backs down.

And with this, Sylphie truly cements herself as Rudeus’ Goddess of Love. She already became that when she healed his impotence with her kindness, but her empathy towards Roxy kept their family from falling apart. Best girl for Mushoku Tensei!

And with that, Roxy joins the Greyrat family. Oh, and that part from the light novels about Elinalise telling Rudy he got her pregnant? That was a big, fat lie Lise told him.

I Don’t Have a Problem With the Two Wives Thing

So, I’m well aware of how controversial it is for Rudy to take more than one wife, even among the fans. Some object on moral grounds. Others object because they only want their girl to be with Rudy. My opinion, though: I don’t mind it.

Maybe it’s because I’ve seen a lot of harem anime over the years, but I doubt that’s the case since most of them have me preferring one waifu over everyone else. The reason why I don’t object to Rudy having more than one wife is simpler. Rudy loves them both equally and will do everything he can to make them happy. So long as he does that and does sleep with some random women he meets at a bar, then I think any god wouldn’t hold it against him or consider him unfaithful. Although that’s just how I see things.

Also, let’s face it: when Eris returns, and we know she will, she will join him as wife #3 once they work things out. So, we should start preparing ourselves.

Rudy Joins the Anime Dad Club

There’s one last part to the season: the birth of Sylphie and Rudeus’ child. And it was one of the sweetest moments in the entire series. It does cut out most of the birth itself, but thankfully, we do end up seeing the birth of their child, a beautiful baby girl. And you know that people will tear up at this alongside Rudy.

Of all the moments a person can experience in their lives, one of the most surreal might be holding your child for the first time. That goes double for Rudeus. Never, in either of his lives, did he ever think he would become a father, but here he is! He’s joined the club of anime protagonists that get to say they’re parents! He’s father to a little girl named Lucie Greryat.

Rudeus Continues to Grow and Be a Better Person

The final shots of the season are of Rudeus celebrating at Paul’s gravesite in Sharia. He pours drinks for both of them and starts pouring his heart out about how sorry he is for not being a better son. He never truly considered himself Paul and Zenith’s son until now, and it’s something he’ll always regret. That being said, he’s being too hard on himself. If you got reincarnated into another world and still had all your old memories, wouldn’t you have a hard time considering your new birth parents your parents?

Regardless, though, Rudy isn’t going to let this stop him. As we get a few scenes showing what everyone else has been up to (including Eris), Rudeus reaffirms his resolve to keep living his new life to the fullest. And with that, the second season of Mushoku Tensei ends…or is it?

This entire season, one character has been missing the entire time. Someone very important to Rudeus, whether he likes it or not. Someone that we just got a quick look at in the final moments of the episode: Eris. While Rudeus has been off trying to live his life, Eris has been having her adventures. A few key parts of them get covered in some interludes at the end of a few light novels, and there’s even a spin-off manga focused on her training. Oddly, the anime will adapt at least part of them into another OVA. Which will help to tide us over until Season Three.

And yes, Mushoku Tensei is going to get a third season. And I won’t spoil anything! All you need to know is that there will be plenty of slice-of-life, but once it gets going, things will start hitting the fan.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I’m going to indulge in all the fanfics and extra material.

I Give “Succession” a 5/5