Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation

Happy Birthday, Norn and Aisha

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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

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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

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. Secondly…its 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 Rudeus’ 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, but…he’s never seen them as his parents.

It’s not entirely Rudeus’ fault. He had lived a whole other life before being reincarnated, and from the way he talks about them, he wasn’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 “Dad” and “Mom,” 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. Roxy…is 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

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

Is Rudy Making a Mistake Leaving Like This?

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 19 Review

Rudeus has made up his mind: he’s going to the Begaritt Continent to help rescue his Mother. It’s going to be a long and hard trip (and I know how it ends), but this soemthing he has to do. The good news is that he’s not going alone. The bad news? It’s an eight-month trek to his destination and back. Factoring in the time he’ll be in the Labyrinth, he’ll be gone for two years. In other words, he won’t be there when his kid is born; a hard pill to swallow. But, Nanahoshi has a solution that might work.

I haven’t been able to bring myself to read the volume the anime’s adapting yet, but I still know the major details of what’s about to happen. As a result, I can say a few things with confidence: Rudeus is making a mistake rushing into this.

Maybe He Should’ve Asked More People to Go With Him

After making his decision, the first two people Rudeus tells about his decision are Elinalise and Nanahoshi. The former tries to talk him out of going, but since she’s unable to persuade him otherwise, they’ll travel together. And thanks to Cliff upgrading the suppressor device, Elinalise can go longer stretches before her curse hits her! Which is good, because that would make things super awkward.

Nanahoshi, meanwhile, gives Rudy something that could help them get there and back faster. Orsted showed her these teleportation circles around the world that they used to fast-travel. Since Rudy helped save her life, she shows him one that will take them within a month or so from their destination of Rapan. And it’s not far from Sharia.

After that, the episode segues into Rudy and Elinalise saying goodbye to everyone, with Cliff even asking Lise to marry him when she returns. Good on you, Cliff! You do have rizz after all!

As heartfelt as this moment was, I have to criticize the story at this point. There’s no easy way to say this, but Rudeus shouldn’t have left with just him and Elinalise. I understand the need to keep the circles a secret, but he could’ve asked any one of his super-strong friends to go with him as backup. Zanoba has super-strength; Luke is a pretty good swordsman; the Beast Girls have excellent hearing and smell. Badigadi is an immortal Demon God! Any one of them could be a big help in the rescue! Then again, they might not.

A Super Abridged Desert Journey

As for the journey across the Begaritt Continent, the anime leaves out much of the journey from the light novels. The one thing that they do end up focusing on is also the most unsettling. The pair get attacked by a succubus, a monster whose pheromones will drive men berserk with lust. And the only ways to cure it is by detoxification magic or…that.

Suddenly, I’m glad Eris isn’t around. I can only imagine the kind of beatdown she would have given Rudeus had that happened.

Joking aside, the anime leaves out some finer, world-building details about the Begaritt Continent. They don’t intend to stay for long, but since Mushoku Tensei is the kind of story that likes to build the world, it seems to be somewhat of a letdown. But that’s just my opinion.

In any case, the anime must not want to waste time on that, highlighting how urgent this mission is for Rudeus. By the time the ED roles, the two have already made it to their destination of Rapan. And this is where it leaves things off.

Rudeus Biggest Battle Yet is Just Beginning

Full disclosure: we are now at the end of volume 11 of Mushoku Tensei. The entire labyrinth arc will be the sole focus of volume 12 and the remainder of the season. And while I haven’t finished reading it myself, I can still attest to how big things are going to get. We need to prepare for action, drama, and probably a lot of pain and hardship. We have one week from the time I’m writing this, and for all I know, it could already be out by the time this goes out. Be prepared!

Quick plug, though: there’s a new Mushoku Tensei light novel out, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation: Recollections. It’s an anthology collecting a bunch of different short stories of events that take place during the first ten volumes of the series. Or, in other words, the start of the series up to not long after Rudy and Sylphie tie the knot. See how Rudeus secured his “Holy Relic” of Roxy. Or some of the misadventures Dead End got up to on their great odyssey. It’s the kind of slice of life stories that I think really flesh out a good story, in my opinion! You can find it in book form or buy it as an Ebook!

I Give “Desert Journey” a 3/5