Well, it would seem that my predictions for the next season of Mushoku Tensei were right on the money. Season three of one of the OG members of the Seven Summits will be coming in 2026, and we have the trailer to prove it, compliments of Anime Expo.
Full disclosure: I was on vacation as Anime Expo was taking place, so keeping up with it wasn’t a high priority. However, even I paid attention when I saw the trailer for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’s third season came out. And this season could be what ultimately makes or break the anime, as its entering one of the most important phases of the story. And thats not just because of the return of a certain red-head.
What’s to Come in 2026
As was the case with every Turning Point, Rudeus’ life has been drastically altered in a short amount of time. On the one hand, his quest to save his mother ended with his losing an arm, his father Paul, and his mother Zenith’s stuck in a catatonic state. On the other hand, he reunited with Roxy, she joined the Greyrat family as his second wife, and now he’s a father himself. And he intends to keep living his second life to the fullest.
The majority of the trailer is meant to show off the various things that will end up taking place in Rudy’s life going forward. There’s a mixture of faces and locations both familiar and new that come and go throughout the trailer. Besides them, though, the things that fans really need to focus on are the book that we see Rudeus writing in, as well as the images that fly on the screen about fifty-nine seconds in. They only appear for a second, but if you slow down and take a look at them, you’ll notice how dark they seem to be as a group. And you would be right. I can’t say anything about what they’re about, but they’re connected to the book that Rudy’s writing in, and…lets just say that many people are going to end up crying when the anime gets to them. In fact, the anime may dedicate an entire episode to these moments just to show how bad things could get for Rudy.
One of two things that I can discuss at length, though, is the return of Rudeus’ ex, Eris Greyrat. AKA the heartbreaker.
Eris is Gonna Have to do a Lot to Make Up for What She Did
Outside of a quick shot of her in the montage for the end of season two, we haven’t seen Eris Greyrat since she ran out on Rudy. Even if you haven’t read the light novels, though, we all knew she was going to come back. Her going on her anime-training arc to get stronger to protect Rudy was the whole point of why she left. However, if you’ve read my reviews, then you’ll know that I have issues with how she went about things. As bad as Rudy can be sometimes, he didn’t deserve to be emotionally manipulated, stricken with ED, and then left in a state of depression for three years. Needless to say, when Eris does come back, she’s going to have A LOT to answer for, and have to do A LOT to make up for what she did.
The second thing we can discuss, though, is how this season will mark the return of the series equivalent of Sephiroth, Orsted. The trailer has images of him engaged in battle, most likely against Rudy or someone else. Given how their last encounter ended with him barely getting a scratch and Rudy and Eris with PTSD, his return is a big deal.
The bottom line is that when I say that this next season of Mushoku Tensei will be covering the most important arc in the series, I mean it. Novel readers have waited for this for years, and its going to change a lot of what we think we know about the series. And you can bet I’m going to be covering it!
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 17 Review
Remember what I said at the end of my last review for Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation? I wasn’t joking-this episode left me on the verge of tears. Even though I knew from reading the light novels and manga that Norn would shut herself in her room, and why, I still wasn’t prepared for the feels. This might be one of the best episodes in the entire series, and as you’ll see for yourself, there’s a good reason why.
Rudy is scary when He’s Mad. No, really!
Just to show you how angry Rudeus was in the classroom interrogation scene
In the light novels he was actually tempted to MURDER AN INNOCENT GIRL, just because she was about to speak up about Norn
After hearing how Norn has shut herself in her dorm room, saying Rudy is mad is an understatement. The look of pure wrath on his face is enough to scare the teachers as he marches for her classroom. Linia and Pursena are afraid of him. The anger he’s feeling here is leagues above what the Beast Duo experienced when he found out they smashed his Roxy figurine. And while that incident was played with humorous intent in mind, the show takes this moment dead serious. Having shut himself off from everyone in his first life, the idea that something happened to make Norn do the same is enough to drive him berserk.
I will be blunt: as much as I love seeing Rudeus better himself, in this moment, I was afraid of him. If he ever went off the deep end, Few people in the world could be capable of stopping him.
The anger does not last long, though. After “asking” her class and teacher, the horrible realty sets in for him. Norn was never bullied by anyone; it’s worse. They wouldn’t stop comparing her to her brother.
If it were as simple as someone threatening her, Rudeus could handle things with little effort. But once he hears that he’s the reason Norn has shut down, Rudeus doesn’t know what to do. In his first life, his older brother tried to get through to him, but he was too stubborn to listen. Now, circumstances have put him in his brothers position, and beyond going to her room to visit her, he doesn’t know what to do. You can practically feel the frustration pouring out of him as he tries to get her to do…something. Anything.
And this is where the story does the best thing it could hope to do: it gives us Norn’s perspective.
Norn Has a Lot of Complicated Feelings about Her Older Brother
#mushokutensei Big bro Rudeus raced to be by his sisters side, eager to save her from being a shut-in. it was insightful seeing the events from Norms perspective, Im glad she cleared up misunderstandings of her brother, Too wholesome.#無職転生pic.twitter.com/hRYPguDLwP
For so long, Norn has had no idea what to think of Rudeus. When she first met him, she saw him hitting their father, not understanding why. It didn’t matter if Paul told her afterwards that he started things. When you’re a little kid and you see someone hurting your parents, you tend to think of them as a bad person. No amount of explaining from the adults can change that.
Then, when Norn came to live with him, she saw him drunk and carrying a woman she didn’t remember, looking so happy. Meanwhile, their dad was running himself ragged trying to find their Mom. That only made her opinion of him even worse.
Then, when she asked to live in the dorms, Norn expected Rudeus to get angry at her. But when he agreed, she thought he saw her as in his way.
And then came her start at Ranoa U, when everyone learned she was Rudeus’ sister. No one, be they students or teachers, saw her as Norn Greyrat. All they saw when they looked at her was the sister of the strongest person at school. Everywhere she went, all she could hear was her brother’s name, and it started to make her physically ill.
This Episode Almost Left Me in Tears
Sweet mercy, Norn deserves all the hugs in the world.
I knew going into this that Norn had a serious inferiority complex, but even after reading the light novels and manga, I still wasn’t prepared for the tearjerker we got. Norn has no clue what to think of her brother. At first, she was afraid of him, and then she thought he didn’t care about her. Then people wouldn’t stop comparing her to them. She wants to reach out to him, but, like Rudeus, she doesn’t know what to do.
I don’t remember who made the first move in the novels. But, even so, I’m glad that it was Rudeus that did so. Even though he doesn’t know what to do or how to help his sister, he still tries to reach out to her. He may never tell anyone why, but he knows what it’s like to shut yourself off from the world. And he never wants his family to go through the same experience.
I don’t really know how to transcribe the thoughts and feelings in my head as I saw the sibling’s reconciliation. Some things are just too…complex to form into words. But, seeing Rudy sit down and hold his sister as she cried her eyes out…I could feel myself starting to cry.
— Andrew (OtakuSpirit) (@OtakuSpirited) May 5, 2024
After that day, Rudeus and Norn are finally able to be brother and sister. Norn managed to work her feelings out all on her own, something that her brother can’t help but be amazed at. He even admits that if he had been half as strong as her in his first life, maybe things wouldn’t have turned out the way they did.
I will never understand why people don’t like the time Mushoku Tensei spends at Ranoa University. It’s not as exciting as Rudy’s trip around the world, but the drama and emotional moments are incredible. And it’s moments like this that are some of the best in the entire series. In fact, I think this might be the best episode of the season to date.
And for those who want to see more of the action we got in season one…be careful what you wish for, everyone.
After going on hiatus for the fall and winter seasons, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is back with the second half of its sophomore season. And the above song can accurately describe the current emotional state of Rudeus Greyrat. He’s reunited with his best friend/love, Sylphie, and thanks to her, he’s cured of the last two years of depression and impotence! Not wanting to lose her like he thinks he lost Eris, he straight-up asks her to marry him. Regardless of his faults, there’s little denying that Rudy has earned this chance to be happy.
One problem, though. He has no idea how marriage works in his new world and no home to live in. What he does have is friends who have his back.
Now Rudy has his confidence as a man back, it shows. All his friends at Ranoa University notice it. He’s smiling more, carries himself with greater confidence, and even gives Lilna and Pursena that trademark, lecherous grin of his, though nothing comes of it. His heart belongs to Sylphie. And while he still doesn’t explain what he was suffering from in the anime, it makes up a little for this. The comments from people like Cliff and the Beast Girl duo imply that they put two and two together.
There’s one problem, though: now that Rudeus has asked Sylphie to marry him, he’s realized he has no clue what to do next. He’s not lacking money, but he’s been homeless since he was ten. Thus, the first thing he does is find a home. Though, given its size in the anime, it’s less a house, and more like a small mansion!
Who You Gonna Call?
No, seriously. It’s bigger than the home he grew up in. Big enough for at least a dozen or more people to live comfortably in. It’s the perfect place to spend the rest of his life with Sylphie. There’s one problem, though: it’s haunted by something that kills anyone who sets foot after sunset.
The majority of the episode centers around the trio of Rudy, Cliff, and Zanoba trying to clear the house a la Ghostbusters. Sadly, while it does its best to build up tension due to their unseen foe, it doesn’t stick due to who the group is. One is a guy who can cast spells without incantations, another is an elite healer in his own right and the final member has super strength and can tank anything thrown at him. Zanoba pretty much manages to handle the monster all on his own. However, the big surprise is saved for when they catch it. As Rudeus and Zanoba discover for themselves, it’s not a monster. It’s a magically-powered doll capable of moving on its own. In other words, it’s the magical equivalent of an automaton, robot, droid, etc.
It’s never explained in any version of Mushoku Tensei who made the doll, so the anime didn’t skimp on that. In the end, it doesn’t matter. After finding it, Zanoba and Rudy realize if they can reverse-engineer it, they can make their own line of doll bots to do anything (including robot maids.) And since he can’t really help with anything else, Zanoba begs Rudy to let him handle the research himself. It’s touching to see how dedicated the man is to dolls as an art, even if others find it weird. It makes you want to root for him.
As for Rudy, he gets a small mansion for himself and Sylphie. And, having read the light novels and manga ahead of time, I can say that it’s not too big for the two of them. When the time comes, it’s going to be home to a large family and pets. And despite Sylphie worrying that she’s being selfish by continuing to protect Ariel, Rudy reassures her that she’s anything but. If she wanted it, Rudy would give her the moon and the stars for what she did for him.
This was another slow episode, but I can’t complain. Not every Isekai is all about the action. It’s the slower moments that people tend to remember, and it’s in this area that Mushoku Tensei has always excelled. It goes out of its way to build its cast in a believable manner, hence why it’s one of the best Isekai out there. The sole complaint I would have is that, unlike in the source material, their new home is set up in a more remote area outside Ranoa. That’s just a nitpick, though.
Next episode, we’re going to have a wedding reception!
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2, Ep 12 Review
It has been a long and winding road for poor Rudeus to get where he is now. His first girlfriend left him without explaining things first and made him impotent. He had no luck finding a cure for his problem at Ranoa University, which only made things worse. However, all that changed when he realized two things: one, that “Fitz” was a girl, and that she was his childhood friend, Sylphiette. These two have been through hell and back, but it was worth it. As the first half of season two to Mushoku Tensei comes to a close, Rudeus finally sees an end to his suffering. In other words, he gets his rizz back.
Rudeus Still Can’t Get it Going!
The good news is that now that knows that Fitz is Sylphie and that she loves him, Rudeus doesn’t hesitate; he tells him he loves her back. Which isn’t a lie. On the one hand, he does feel a little guilty that he tried to “mold” her into his ideal woman when they were kids. On the other hand, though, he has fallen in love with her over the last year. So, they finally kiss, and it looks like they’re about to take that next step.
Rudeus’ thoughts aren’t shown directly in the anime, but in the manga and light novels, it’s at this point that he starts thinking how he can’t screw things up again. Then, his thoughts drift back to Eris, and, like a curse, he can’t go through with it. He’s so worried he’ll mess things up that he can’t get it up.
To his credit, though, Rudy learns from his disaster with Sara and is upfront with Sylphie. While it’s not shown in the anime due to time constraints, he tells her everything that happened with Eris. And to her credit, Sylphie understands and is sympathetic to him. She knows how much he must have suffered in silence, and wants to do everything in her power to help her.
Ariel, on the other hand, isn’t as understanding at first, not getting why this is a problem. While it does make her seem a little less likable, she does realize how rude she was being to her best friend and quickly apologizes.
luke is today mvp, the princess was laughing at rudy impotence while luke being the chad that he is stepped up for a brother🫡 #MushokuTenseipic.twitter.com/WSUhSPrEDV
The biggest surprise, though, is that it’s not Ariel who comes up with a solution, but the guy in their group that’s had little involvement thus far: Luke. He not only defends his cousin’s problem, but he’s the one who comes up with their ultimate plan for Sylphie to get her man.
If anyone asked whether or not the Bro Code transcends the Multiverse, then this moment supports that idea.
Breaking Out the Nuclear Missile
Luke’s plan is the romantic equivalent of a nuclear missile: an aphrodisiac. Eagle-eyed fans might remember it as being the same one that Rudy bought for himself when he was tutoring Eris in Roa. Since Fittoa’s destruction, though, it’s become incredibly rare and valuable. He did plan on selling it for funds, but he decides Sylphie needs it more than they do.
Luke hasn’t been that involved in the plot of the series thus far. However, it’s his moments in this episode that show why he’s so trusted by Ariel and Sylphie. Fingers crossed, he and Rudeus don’t ever come to blows over anything.
At any rate, Sylphie wastes no time securing her man for good. She makes a beeline for Rudeus’ bedroom with some food, drinks, and her pocket nuke. Like earlier, the episode has to cut down on the moment due to time constraints, but it makes up for it in the end. Once they both take the love potion, it’s not long before they feel this…release. Something turns on in their minds, and they can’t keep their hands off each other. Then Sylphy takes a note from Ariel’s book and seals the deal with a smooth line: “Take me as you wish.”
Viewers who hoped to see at least the start of what happens next but didn’t shouldn’t feel too bad. The light novels and the manga both left their night up to people’s imaginations.
RUDEUS GOT HIS W RIZZ BACK!!
An interesting change to the story unfolds once Rudeus wakes up. In the original source, he finds Sylphy sleeping next to him. However, in the anime, he wakes up and finds himself alone. It’s a fake-out meant to make viewers worry if history repeated itself to increase the tension, and while it works, it seems a little cruel. In its defense, though, it only makes Sylphie coming back after going to thank Ariel and Luke, only for Rudy to embrace her, feel all the more heartwarming. The man is cured at last, thanks to his Goddess of Love!
One of my biggest gripes about animemanga has always been the lack of relationship development in stories that make romance a major plot. That's also why I love moments like this. I love seeing characters grow and relationships develop. I love progress.#MushokuTensei#無職転生pic.twitter.com/s5kbNxBrTc
The biggest shocker comes in the episode’s final moments, though. People who read the manga and light novels know this was coming, but it was a surprise that the anime chose to include it at the tail end. Rudy goes to meet Ariel at last, and he shows how he’s truly gotten his rizz back. He straight up asks Ariel to let him MARRY SYLPHIE!!!!
On the one hand, it’s sad to know that this is the last time we’ll see Rudeus until the second half of the season in Spring, 2024. On the other hand, though, HE WENT STRAIGHT FOR THE KILL! RUDY’S GETTING MARRIED!!!
This first cour was a mixed bag in some aspects, lacking much of the action of the first season. However, it’s moments like this that made the journey worth it in the end. Rudy’s not only overcome the pain of Eris leaving, he’s getting married! W RIZZ, RUDY!!!
That wraps up the first cour of Mushoku Tensei II. Not gonna comment much since it's just the first half. I enjoyed it despite the show having some glaring issues at times.
Rudeus Greyrat might be considered intelligent by everyone he meets, and they’re right. Even barring the fact that he has all his memories of his past life to work with, he’s a brainiac. However, when it comes to love, he’s got the IQ of Naruto Uzumaki. It took him years to realize Hinata loved him, and it didn’t help how shy she was about her feelings. However, Sylphie doesn’t have the luxury of waiting that long for Rudeus to wise up and figure out who she is. Thus, it falls to her, Ariel, and Luke to come up with a plan to get him to realize the truth. Sylphie steps up to get her man!
【Opening Theme】 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
Sylphie, Ariel, and Luke Decide to Go for the Jugular
Ever since the library incident, things have been tense between Rudy and “Fitz.” Despite knowing that “Fitz” is a girl and the key to curing his ED, his respect for “him” is too great. Combined with his low self-esteem and self-deprecation, he refuses to act on his feelings. He even denies knowing anything about “Fitz” to Luke when he confronts him about it.
However, this is the last thing that Ariel, Luke, and Sylphie want.
While the series makes it no secret that Sylphie has loved Rudy since they were kids, the depths of her feelings become obvious in this episode. When asked about her intentions, Sylphie can’t help but describe her fantasy of sleeping with Rudeus and having kids, knowing how great his sex drive is. It makes up for the lack of focus on her inner concerns regarding all the women in Rudy’s life by being hilarious. And the look on Ariel’s face says it all: “Sylphie, you got it bad!”
Ariel’s own interest in this matter is two-fold. While she doesn’t hide the fact that she wishes to recruit Rudeus to her faction, she also wants her best friend to be happy. For all her political savviness, Ariel truly is a kind person. So, the three devise a plan to help Sylphie confess that is, frankly, insane.
Sylphie Plans to Do What?!?
The plan remains the same across every version of Mushoku Tensei. Sylphie asks Rudeus with a fake plan to get a flower in the nearby woods, then a sudden storm forces them to take shelter in a cave. There, Sylphie hopes to recreate the moment when Rudeus found out that she was a girl, hoping that it will jog his memories of her.
Much of the episode’s humor stems from the series of misunderstandings that have plagued them since coming to Ranoa, though. Sylphie and her cohorts are operating under the impression that Rudy’s forgotten about her. Thus, they’re resorting to recreating one of the most embarassing moments in both their lives. The humor stems from the fact that viewers know that, in truth, Rudeus never forgot about Sylphie. Next to finding his Mom, finding Sylphie has been his biggest priority for years. The only reason he didn’t recognize her is due to her now-white hair and the fact that she never told him. Had she done that, it would’ve saved them both a lot of time.
Making the situation even funnier is that Rudeus’s dependability leads him to get in his own way. First by almost clearing up the rain, then by refusing to look at “Fitz” as she undresses. Plenty of viewers will no doubt be ready to pull their hair out at how dense he’s being.
It’s all worth it in the end, though.
In the manga, this scene is interspersed with Rudeus memories of Sylphie as he proceeds to undress her, a sign that he’s finally catching on to her true identity. While the anime doesn’t do the same, it makes up for it with the lack of music, highlighting the importance of what’s going on. When he finally figures out who she is, though, everyone can breathe a sigh of relief. It’s been a long and difficult road to get to this moment, but seeing Sylphie break in tears of joy as she confesses her love in Rudy’s arms makes everything worthwhile.
Then, the episode ends on a cliffhanger. We don’t see or hear Rudy’s response to this confession. It’s meant to give people something to look forward to in the mid-season finale, but it unintentionally undercuts the importance of what happened. The light novels and manga ended this moment by having Rudeus return her feelings and the two proceeding to have their first kiss. Not including that here makes the moment feel anti-climactic in nature.
Regardless, it’s genuinely satisfying to see Sylphie finally step up to get the man she loves. While some may take issue with how she could’ve saved a lot of time by telling him from the getgo, it’s important to keep in mind two things. First, she was under the impression that Rudeus had forgotten about her after all that time. Secondly, had she done so right away, then Rudeus might not have fallen in love with her the way he did.
When they were kids and Rudy found out Sylphie was a girl, he wanted to stay with her and mold her into his dream girl, which is all sorts of messed up. By getting to know her as “Fitz” for over a year, Rudeus genuinely fell in love with her.
For now, anime-only fans will have to wait another week to see how things turn out. For those who’ve read the manga and light novel, though, they can be content with knowing that whatever pitfalls this episode had will get overshadowed by what’s to come next week. Good on you, Sylphie. You did it!
【Ending Theme】 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 10 Review
When the year comes to an end and the time comes for anime fans to list their top waifu’s, Sylphiette stands a good chance of being one of them. Not only is she mighty, but she is beautiful and kind, but rivals Rudeus in magical power. However, therein lies her biggest hang-up: she’s hopelessly in love with Rudeus, but too scared to reveal her secret identity as “Silent Fitz.” In contrast, Rudeus is starting to realize that he’s falling for “Fitz”, but that only confuses him about his sexuality. These long-lost best friends need to wise up and take the chance soon, though, or they may never get another chance.
【Opening Theme】 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
Rudy is Living the High School Life he Never Had…With One Exception
Rudeus has been attending Ranoa University close to a year now, and his life couldn’t be better. While some consider this part of the story slow and uninteresting, fans should remember this is something Rudy never got in his first life. The traumatic bullying her endured led him to drop out of high school and become a shut-in until his death. In his new life, though, he’s getting to experience everything he never could. He’s got friends, he’s respected (and feared), and doing well in school. In other words, he’s got almost everything denied to him in his first life.
The one thing holding him back, though, is his impotency. He’s researched it as much as possible, but he can’t find a cure for it. He mentions he can’t even pleasure himself at this point. However, the anime doesn’t do as good a job conveying how serious this is as it could have. In the light novels and manga, there’s a scene at this time where Rudeus accidently tells his classmates about his ED. The sympathetic looks they give him hammer home how painful this is for him. What the episode does do right, though, is show how distant he’s growing from “Fitz” lately.
And neither teenager likes this.
Sylphie Cannot Spit it Out
Mushoku Tensei makes it no secret that Sylphiette’s been in love with Rudeus for a long time now. The light novels take it a step further by showing how she’s loved him practically since the day they met. However, despite her joy at reuniting with him after so long, her own insecurities prevent her from telling him who she is, despite getting Ariel’s blessing. Now, that’s causing much internal grief.
Whereas the anime stumbles a little with Rudy’s ED, it does a good job of subtly showing Sylphie’s growing jealousy of the people Rudeus spends time with. She could handle the conventionally attractive Lilna and Pursena calling him boss since she understood the context. However, it’s seeing him spend time with Nanahoshi for reasons she can’t understand (and Rudeus will likely never explain) that sets her off.
Again, the light novels go into more detail about Sylphie’s thoughts, showing her imagining Rudeus marrying and starting a family with Nanahoshi. To her, this is her greatest fear. Yet she’s doing a Hinata and refusing to take that next step.
The worst part of it is that Rudeus is starting to figure out “Fitz’s” true identity.
Just Make Out Already, You Two!
Despite its shortcomings, the episode makes it clear that Rudeus has fallen for “Fitz.” He initially struggles with this due to the implications regarding his sexuality (not that there’s anything wrong with that,) but a cliche “love interest falls on top of you” scenario makes him finally realize that “Fitz” is a girl.
More importantly, though, is how his body reacts: for a brief moment, his impotency’s gone.
At this point, anime-only shippers must feel frustrated over the lack of progress. However, like with many things in Mushoku Tensei, this romance works best as a slow burn. Rest assured, the day of reckoning is coming, and it’s coming soon. Like, maybe even next week. The payoff, though, will be more than worth the wait.
Trust me, guys. I’ve read the light novels. It will be worth it.
【Ending Theme】 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 2 Review
It’s not every day when you’re fourteen years old and living on your own like Rudeus Greyrat is. Then again, Rudeus is technically close to fifty, and his life’s anything but ordinary, even by the standards of his new world. He’s already lost his home, his Mom’s missing, and his girlfriend left him, breaking his heart. Many people would give up after what he’s gone through, but Rudeus knows better than most what that can lead to. Thus, painful or not, he’s trying to get his life back together, one day at a time. Even if that means going out and dealing with obnoxious people who rail on him without knowing what he’s going through.
Rudeus is Trying to Live His Best Single Life
Now that he’s decided to try and move on from Eris, Rudeus has spent the last few months living his best life. He’s working out every day (and getting ripped), and doing everything job he can get to grow his rep so his Mom might hear about it. However, he’s still going through his lone-wolf phase, and it shows. He’s even taken to naming his muscles and talking to them!
It’s not like he’s fully alone, though. Ever since he met them, he’s been working with Counter Arrow on a part-time basis a la Batman and the Justice League. Sara still gives him a hard time, but he’s growing on her. Case in point, she invites him to join them on a job hunting monsters in some nearby ruins.
There’s one problem. This other party ends up taking a similar job and the two run into each other mid-mission. They don’t come to blows, but when everyone gets back, the leader of the other party shows up drunk and starts railing on Rudeus. He keeps saying how he hates arrogant guys like him who act humble but hide how strong they are and think Rudeus’ is making light of their jobs as Adventurers.
Those who know what Rudeus has been through know how uncalled for this is. He’s only doing this to find his Mom, and that requires working with more people. Despite this, Rudeus is still clearly hurt by what gets said to him, something even Sara picks up on. Thankfully, Rudeus knows the importance of staying humble so he doesn’t become lazy like in his last life.
He does get a good chance to flex later, though.
Becoming Sara’s Knight in Shining Armor.
Sometime later, during a blizzard, Rudeus sees Counter Arrow coming back from a job in low spirits. While they were out fighting, monsters ambushed them, killing of their members, Mimir. In addition, Sara’s missing, presumed dead. While the others plan to head out and find her once the storm lets up, Rudeus has no such compunctions. He leaves without another word, and, using his magic, proceeds to clear the storm all by himself.
What follows is essenitally a glimpse at how strong Rudeus’ gotten since his fight with Orsted. He’s killing monsters before they even have the chance to fight back, and all while questioning why he’s even doing this. Sara was pretty harsh with him and it’s not like he’s that close with her. Still, the fact that he rescues her from getting eaten by a plant monster, and then nurses her back to health before giving her his jacket to stay warm, speaks volume to how kind he is. Even at his lowest, Rudeus can’t help but emphasize with others; he’s become a good person.
His selfless actions end up being worth it, too. When he gets back and Suazanne berates him for doing something so dumb, Sara steps in and defends him. A tsundere she may be, but he’s wearing her down without even trying.
One Step at a Time
So, this episode of Mushoku Tensei might not be as exciting or as memorable as some people might like. However, that’s not the kind of story that Mushoku Tensei is. It’s a slow-burn. It trades a lot of little moments doing things like world-building and character development in exchange for isekai action. Once it does get to the real action and drama, though, it pays off in a big way. Not every story has to be filled to the brim with action when the little moments work just as fine.
Bottom line, don’t give up on this anime yet. It’s only getting started, and when it’s done, it’s going to leave people in tears. That, and the opening and ending are absolute fire!
When we last saw Rudeus Greyrat, he was at his absolute lowest since beginning his second life. He finally lost his virginity to his companion, Eris, and he thought they’d be together from then on. However, then Eris realized she relied on him too much, knew she had to get stronger, and left to train. The problem is, Rudeus doesn’t know this since the girl stupidly wrote a letter that didn’t explain anything. So now he thinks he got dumped! Thirteen years of improving himself almost go to waste because of his low self-esteem and Eris’ mistake.
Now all alone, Rudeus’ left his old home behind for good, because his Mom’s still missing from the teleportation incident and he has to find her. Before he does that, though, he needs to do something else first: remind himself what makes his life still worth living.
Northward Bound, Rudeus Travels Alone (Sort of)
Sometime after leaving the ruins of Fittoa behind for good, Rudeus starts traveling north to start looking for his Mom. That brings him to the land of the magical countries; ironically, he wanted to study at this big university there before the teleportation incident. Now that he’s there, though, he’s in no mood to enjoy it. He’s too busy feeling sorry for himself because Eris left him hanging.
While Rudeus has always been somewhat of a serious person, he’s remembered to enjoy his new life as much as possible, no matter what the circumstances. Throughout this episode, though, we see how badly Eris’ insensitivity affected him. He keeps sighing, he’s got this empty look in his eyes, and looks ready to give up on it all. It gets so bad that, during a job, he barely does anything to defend himself from monsters, like he’s ready to die. This is Rudeus at the absolute lowest since getting reincarnated.
The question, then, is what will he do now?
Meeting a New Party in Counter Arrow
Despite officially disbanding his old party of Dead End, Rudeus doesn’t start work alone. While traveling up north, this woman, Suzanne, who’s the co-leader of this party called Counter Arrow, sees how depressed he is. Feeling bad for him, she invites him to join them on a job killing grizzlies, and most of them are nothing but nice to him. Except for this one girl close to his age named Sara. Sara is a total tsundere to him, acting abrasive and getting annoyed with how, from her perspective, he’s ungrateful to Suzanne. And the whole time, it’s just making Rudeus feel worse, because she reminds him way too much of Eris.
From my understanding, Sara and Counter Arrow were created as original characters for the light novels; they weren’t in the web novels. So, Sara was made to be a lot like Eris: outspoken, abrasive to strangers, and has a hard time opening up to others. The problem is that she’s too much like Eris, and after the events of last season, that could rub viewers the wrong way. They could either see her as a replacement for Eris, or think she’s too much like her and find her off-putting. None of this helps Rudeus’ emotional state, though. He still looks like he wants to die.
Thankfully, he remembers how stupid it is to think like that.
Rudeus Remembers How Much He Still Has to Live For
It’s during this job with Counter Arrow where they’re surrounded by grizzlies and fighting for their lives that Rudeus starts to snap out of his depression. He’s about to throw away this second chance he got at life, something a lot of people could only dream of having, while everyone around him is fighting for the one life they do have. And he remembers how, when he got reborn, he wasn’t going to waste his life again. So, he snaps out of it, pulls up on the monsters, and wastes them like the badass that he is. Then everyone goes home victorious, and the whole adventuring guild starts cheering his name, and for the first time that entire episode, he starts smiling.
So, having hit rock bottom, Rudeus begins to make his way back up. It won’t be an easy task, and it’s not going to be done over the span of an episode or two, because that’s not how Mushoku Tensei works. It goes out of the way to show the effort Rudeus puts into being a better person. It’s worth it, though. And the first thing he does is burn the locks of hair that Eris left him. He misses her, but he can’t let it ruin his life.
So, the journey of Rudeus Greyrat begins anew. It’s not the most exciting start, especially compared to other isekai filled with a lot of action. However, Mushoku Tensei is a slow burn. Once it gets started, then it becomes interesting to watch. So, while not the most epic of reintroductions, this episode makes up for it with the emotional drama. This is going to be the isekai anime to watch for the summer season.
A Candid Recap of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, Part 1
If you’ve been watching anime for the past decade, then you know about the concept of an isekai. We know the idea: someone living their life when they get sent to another world cooler than ours. It’s a concept that goes back centuries, but the 2010s saw it explode in popularity. Next thing we know, there’s an isekai in every season of anime coming out, all trying to cash in on the hype. It’s gotten to the point where people are starting to get sick of it, and how many of them seem dime-a-dozen. Look at all the hate that Sword Art Online gets! However, a few isekai truly live up to the hype, and after years of wandering, I have found it. After all these years, I have reached one of the Seven Summits of Isekai, and it is glorious. I have discovered Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
Now, I know the controversy surrounding Mushoku Tensei and how some people think it’s overrated. However, it came at the right time when isekai were starting to blow up in Japanese culture. Thanks to that, it helped pave the way for the genre’s explosion in the 2010s. And once I started watching it, I realized that it was good. Like, really good! And with the new season coming out, I thought it’d be fun to recap the first season in my own words. My own candid, hilarious words. This is Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.
In the Beginning…
So, this story starts out with this overweight, lazy, 34-year-old shut-in in modern Japan, and…he sucks. He’s a smart guy, but he started slacking off growing up, so he ended up in a bad high school. Then one day, he finna give this bully a piece of his mind. Their response? They beat him, strip him naked, and leave him chained out in public for the whole school to mock him.
Seriously messed stuff, I know. And then, he decides that he’s done with the outside world. He’s just going to live at home and mooch off his parents, spending his whole time watching anime and ogling waifus 24/7. He doesn’t even try and earn money off of YouTube or get remote work, something he is fully capable of doing!
Eventually, though, his parents die, and since this guy’s wallowing in self-pity, he doesn’t even show up to his parent’s funeral. When his family finds him, they find him ogling loli waifus. And they’ve had it, so they throw him the f out of his house. That’s when he finally realizes that he’s wasted his life and wishes, “man, I wish I had another chance to do things over.”
Truck-Kun Cometh!
That’s when the dreaded Truck-kun shows up, and today’s victims are a trio of high schoolers arguing on a crossway. So the man decides, “Screw it. If I’m gonna do one thing right in my life, it’s this.” Now he saves the teens, but Truck-Kun takes him instead. But since this is an Isekai, he doesn’t die. His life’s getting started.
The next thing this dude knows, he’s opening his eyes someplace else, and he’s surrounded by these smiling, good-looking strangers who are all happy to see him. And it doesn’t take him long to figure out that he’s been reincarnated. And once he sees the grown-ups using magic, he realizes… he’s been isekai’d.
So, sweet. He’s finna put this new life to good use.
Oh, and from this day forward, this man shall be known as Rudeus Greyrat.
Finna Take His First Steps
So this grown man has been reincarnated into a world of magic and swords in the body of a baby but with all his memories intact. And since this is an isekai, that’s basically like a cheat code to help him get a head start. So once he relearns how to walk, talk, and read, he gets down to business. He starts reading these books on how to do magic and begins practicing in secret. And he quickly learns something. Even though those books say he has to use these incantations to do magic, and that everyone has a set amount of magic, or mana, in them… that’s all bunk. He learns how to do wordless magic and trains himself so he never runs out of mana. So, he’s a badass, and he’s only three.
Rudeus’ so badass that his parents, Paul and Zenith, decide to get him his own magic tutor. Enter Roxy Migurdia. Instead of being some Gandalf type, she’s a cute demon loli with blue hair. She only looks young, though; she’s 30-something. Her people, the Migurdians, can live around two-hundred years, and spend 75% of them looking 13. In other words, she’s legal. Stand down, FBI.
Anyway, Roxy spends the next two years teaching him everything she knows. By the time they’re done, he’s already surpassed her. More importantly, though, Roxy manages to heal all that trauma Rudeus’ been holding onto from his past life. So when she dips on out, Rudy is a changed person. From that moment on,
He still keeps a pair of panties he stole from her, though, as like this holy relic. It’s slightly sweeter than it sounds.
Out There Making Moves
So now that he’s not scared of the world anymore, Rudeus starts living his new life to the fullest. He’s making moves and making friends, like his new friend Slyph, this green-haired part-elf he rescues from bullies. Because he can’t stand bullying, thanks to what he went through in his first life. After that, Sylph latches onto Rudeus like glue, following him around everywhere and thinking he’s the coolest person ever. Rudeus thinks they’re pretty awesome, too, not to mention quite the looker. Give it a few years, and he thinks the girls will be trampling over themselves trying to get at them…maybe even the guys.
So Rudeus and Sylph end up becoming best friends, and soon, Rudeus decides to teach them everything he knows about magic. Pretty soon, they’re able to cast magic without incantations, which is a bit of a blow to Rudeus’ ego. Still, now the two of them can go out, make moves, and woo girls as a badass magical duo.
All of that changes, though, when they come back home after getting caught in a rainstorm. So Rudeus decides, “Alright, let’s hop in the bath so we don’t get sick.” But Sylph’s like, “Um, no thanks, I’m good.” But Rudeus thinks he’s just being shy, so he ends up forcing the matter. That’s when he gets the biggest shock of his lives: Sylph…is a girl. Her real name’s Sylphiette. Her hair was just so short that his stupid ass thought she was a boy this whole time.
Morgan Freeman: It was at this point, Rudeus knew…he fucked up.
So, yeah. Rudeus might be a pervert, but he’s got standards. He doesn’t need the FBI coming into his house and arresting him for being a pedo. So, he tells her he thought she was a boy this whole time, like a dummy, which makes her cry. However, after they’ve got time to think things over, Sylphie forgives him for being an ignoramus.
So, bet. Now Rudeus got a potential future waifu for a best friend.
Finna Save the Family
Not long after, Zenith discovered she was pregnant with their next kid. Happy feelings for all. Except… Lilia’s also pregnant. Now I know what you’re thinking: who’s the Dad? Well, the answer might surprise…Paul, it’s Paul. Everyone knew it was Paul!
Morgan Freeman: It was at this point Paul knew…he fucked up.
So, here’s the thing: Lilia plans to stick around to help Zenith give birth, but once that’s done, she’s giving her two weeks’ notice. The problem is that it’s a month-long journey to her hometown. With a baby to care for, that’s a death sentence. So, Rudeus pulls a big-brained move and resolves things. He throws Paul under the bus by lying and saying the whole thing was his fault, and Zenith buys this. Okay, I don’t think she does, but she uses it as an excuse because she doesn’t want to throw out Lilia since she’s her best friend. That, and this is Paul we’re talking about.
Full disclosure: it was Lilia that came onto Paul. She already had a crush on him from way back, and she had to spend years listening to them go at it after dark. There’s only so much a person can take, and no amount of maintenance can help. So, she did the only thing she could and cared for herself.
So, awesome. Rudeus has two baby sisters: Norn and Aisha.
Daddy Gets Rudy a Job
So, by this point, Rudeus is pretty happy with his life. He’s a badass magician, he’s got two adorable sisters, and his best friend Sylphie’s super cute. He’s finna enjoy his life the way it is. Except he gets this letter from Roxy, who says she’s been inspired by him to train to get even stronger and that she hopes to see how amazing he is once he’s grown up. She also got a job tutoring this Prince, but that’s for another day.
So, in his previous life, Rudeus was pretty smart and had all the potential to be successful. However, he let himself start slacking off, and everything went downhill from there. So instead, he’s going to make sure that doesn’t happen this time. So, he decides to enroll at Roxy’s alma mater and become a world-class magician. And when Slyphie begs him not to leave her alone, he decides they both should go. The only problem: how’s he going to pay for all this? His Dad won’t pay for both of them.
So, Rudeus decides there’s only one thing to do: he’s gotta get a job. And Paul pulls some strings and gets something that’s perfect for him. See, Paul’s not just some knight and former adventurer. He’s actually from one of the great houses that rules their country, and his cousin’s the heir to another great house that rules their region. Plus, his and Zenith’s old adventuring teammate, Ghislaine, who is the swolest-looking cat girl you’ve ever seen, is their bodyguard. So, he pulls some strings and gets Rudeus a job working as a tutor for the Boreas Greyrat family.
The catch is that he can’t come home, write home, or write to Sylphie for the next five years. They’re becoming co-dependent on each other, and that’s not good, so they need to be self-sufficient.
That’s All for Now!
And that is where we are going to end things for today. I meant for this recap to be done in one go, but it’s so huge that I had to split things up. Come back for part two as Rudeus starts his new life as a professional tutor and comes face-to-face with, quite possibly, the tsundere to end all tsundere’s.
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