There’s a party here in Ranoa, there’s excitement in the air! People pouring in from near and far, ’cause Sylphie and Rudy, they’re gonna have a wedding! Well, they’re skipping the wedding and just going straight to the reception. However, that’s beside the point. After reuniting with each other at Ranoa University (and healing him of his depression), Rudy and Sylphie are getting married. Sadly, like the source material, it’s never shown if they had a ceremony or filled out some forms. That doesn’t detract from the fact that Rudy is happy for the first time in years. In addition, this episode also reveals that Sylphie still has blood relatives left in the world.
Before anything, though, lets discuss the new OP for Mushoku Tensei. I have some mixed feelings regarding it. On the one hand, the song is good, as is the animation. On the other hand, though, I dont know how to feel about how action-oriented it is, as well as all the spoilers. Mushoku Tensei didn’t even bother with an OP in its first season, using that time to focus on the story. When we did get an OP in season two, it was slower & more emotional. This feels like the anime is trying to emulate a contemporary like Sword Art Online. It feels a little jarring when you look at it like that. But what do you guys think?
Sylphie Still Has Family Left
Given its title, the majority of the episode revolves around Rudy and Sylphie’s wedding reception. Everyone they know and care about is there ready to celebrate and bless their marriage. However, the two most notable interactions are with Nanahoshi and Elinalise. Nanahoshi covers for Rudy about his past life, but it’s the moment when Elinalise tries to bless the couple that things take a turn. When Elinalise breaks down crying, Sylphie tells everyone what she’s already suspected: Elinalise is her grandmother.
For the record, I knew about this already from reading the light novel and manga. The anime had also dropped a hint when Elinalise recognized the pendant that Sylphie made for Rudy, so the clues were there. In addition, given how long Elves live as well as her curse and lifestyle choices, Elinalise having kids makes sense. Conversely, because of that same life, she’s never gotten the chance to enjoy having a family. It can be hard to imagine.
I’ve seen and heard of a lot of people who have had to cut ties with their family because of their choices and things out of their control. Heck, with the rise of some content creator sites, I’ve seen people who have either had to resort to doing things they might consider embarrassing years from now, especially if they have kids. However, few things are more powerful than the bond between family, and Sylphie doesn’t reject Elinalise regardless of her choices and curse.
As for Cliff, knowing his girlfriend has grandkids or had to sleep with a lot of men doesn’t change his feelings for her at all. If anything, he loves her even more for being so kind despite everything. Respect, Cliff!
The one thing that did surprise me about this episode, though, was how it moved a key moment from the story to the reception: Luke and Rudeus’ duel. In the source, that duel happens shortly after Rudy declares his intentions to marry Sylphie. The outcome remains the same, as is Luke and Ariel’s motivations behind it. For a moment, it felt like they weren’t going to do it at all. But the show surprised me.
This was a quiet episode, no doubt about it. But that’s the beauty of Mushoku Tensei. It’s the kind of isekai that doesn’t rely on non-stop action, comedy or drama. Its not afraid to stop and look at the slow moments that make life worth living in the end. Also, Rudy is happily married now, and after all the hard work he’s put into being a better person, he’s earned this.
【Ending Theme】 Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2
The year 2023 is over, and that means it’s time for us to reflect on everything that’s happened. For anime fans, that also means it’s time to look back the anime we’ve watched, and just as important, which girls and boys we consider to be the best. This year saw tons of amazing waifus; so much so that before the year was out, we had to name them all. I’m RJ Writing Ink for D&A Anime Blog, and in no particular order, here are my top picks for best girls of 2023.
For this list, we won’t just be including girls from shows that premiered in 2023. We will also be including girls who gained prominence on returning shows in 2023. Also, it goes without saying, but no loli’s.
Tomo Aizawa-Tomo-Chan is a Girl!
Ask her best friend, Jun, and he’ll say that Tomo Aizawa is the best friend a guy could have. One problem, though: Tomo wants to be more than just friends with Jun, and he’s clueless about this. Thus, Tomo has to find ways of getting him to stop seeing her as just one of the guys and seeing her as a girl.
If tomboy supremacy is a thing, then Tomo Aizawa embodies it. Confident (mostly), friendly, and unwilling to take anyone’s nonsense, Tomo is every tomboy lover’s dream personified, with even girls being known to fall for her. The main issue that she has is that her tomboy ways have left her deeply insecure about her feminine side and make her think she needs to change that about herself to get Jun to like her. The anime focuses on her trying to do so, only to realize that she never had to do so. Jun already loves her the way she is, and so do plenty of fans.
Of which I am one.
Sylphiette-Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
Introduced as the first friend that Rudeus Greyrat ever made in his second life, Sylphiette has been in love with him since day one. That only made it harder for her when he went away to earn money for them to attend magic school, only for the Teleportation Incident to separate them even further. When they finally reunited at that same magic school, Sylphie despaired when Rudy didn’t recognize her. Once she gathered her courage to reveal her true identity, though, she learned that not only had he never forgotten her, but returned her feelings.
Can we appreciate how much of an angel Sylphiette really is? Despite knowing of Rudeus character flaws (of which there are many), she always saw the best in him even when he didn’t. More importantly, when she learned about the psychological trauma he endured from his first love abruptly leaving him, Sylphie’s first response was understanding and compassion. Her love for Rudeus saved him in one of the lowest points in his life. No wonder why he immediately asked her to marry him.
Miyo Saimori-My Happy Marriage
Miyo Saimori did not have a happy life. Unwanted by her birth father and treated like a servant by her stepmother and half-sister, Miyo spent her whole life thinking she was worthless. All of that changed, though, when she was engaged to the cold but handsome soldier Kiyoka Kudou. Despite his reputation of scaring off his prospective brides, she soon learns that he’s not the cruel man people make him out to be. And with his support, she begins to come out of her shell and finally learn to stand up for herself.
Miyo Saimori is like the Japanese version of Cinderella, if what Cinderella went through gave her low self-esteem. Spending her whole life being seen as useless by her own family, Miyo starts out the series with little hope for a better life. However, once she gets her fiancé to warm up to her, and gains the supportive environment she never had, she grows out of her timid nature. While she’s still a bit of a wallflower, she shows everyone that she has an unspoken will to her that makes her far stronger than she seems.
Shizuka Mikazuki and Beatrix Amerhauser-Zom 100: Bucket List of the Dead
Since these two are from the same anime, I OK combined their entry into one.
First running into Akira while he was looking to get beer, Shizuka had a demeanor so cold, she could’ve been an ice queen. While this was partially due to her logical nature, a large part of her cold demeanor stems from her control freak father dictating everything about her life. As she comes to spend more time with Akira, though, she starts to lighten up and learn never to let others tell her how to live her life.
In contrast, Beatrix Amerhauser is very much an extrovert. A young German woman with a lifelong passion for Japan, she came to the country right as the zombie apocalypse started. However, not even zombies would stop her from seeing the country she dreamed about for years, becoming the fourth to join Akira’s growing travel party.
Both these girls couldn’t be any more different from each other, yet both have aspects that make them great waifus. They’re both considered very pretty by men and are subjects to varying degrees of fanservice, but it’s their personalities that are the big draw. Underneath Shizuka’s cold demeanor lies someone who cares deeply for the people she considers her friends. And seeing Beatrix get excited by her love of Japan is enough to get anyone around her fired up. In other words, they’re both great women and great waifus.
Mitsuri Kanroji-Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba
Born with an abnormal level of strength, poor Mitsuri managed to scare off any prospective marriage partner. While she did try to hide her strength to attract a husband, she quickly realized how miserable her life would be to live like this. Rather than try and act like what others considered to be “normal,” Mitsuri chose to embrace who she was by becoming a Demon Slayer. Now among the strongest people in Japan, Mitsuri hoped to find a man even tougher than her in the hopes of finally finding love.
Okay, real talk. If Mitsuri turns guys off because of her abnormal hair color or for how strong she is, then the problem isn’t her; it’s all of them. Compassionate, beautiful, and willing to lay down her life for what she thinks is right, Mitsuri Kanroji is everything most guys want in a girlfriend. The fact that she hasn’t found a husband who likes her for her is a travesty.
Ramona Flowers-Scott Pilgrim Takes Off
She is, quite literally, the girl of Scott Pilgrim’s dreams. Those familiar with the story of Scott Pilgrim know the tale of Ramona Flowers. She is a cool skater girl with even cooler hair and has a lot of exes that Scott has to fight to date her in peace. However, all of that goes out the window when Scott disappears in the middle of fighting her first ex. While the others in Scott’s life try to move on with their lives, Ramona takes it upon herself to find out who took him, becoming the main character in this new story.
While the graphic novels and the film adaptation hinted at it, the anime version of Ramona Flowers fully fleshes out her character beyond being a manic pixie dream girl. She’s just as flawed as her prospective boyfriend, Scott, with her actions being just as responsible for how her exes turned out as they are. At the same time, seeing her come to terms with her past mistakes as she tries to find Scott shows how she can change herself for the better. Because of her willingness to make amends for past mistakes while still being an all-around fantastic girl, Ramona deserves a place on this list.
Every One of Rentaro’s Girlfriends-The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You
Sorry, but given the premise of this crazy harem anime, it’s impossible to choose one of Rentaro’s growing list of girlfriends as best. So, much like gigachad Rentaro, I’m going with all of them.
Hakari is sweet and openly affectionate. She may have a bit of a perverted side, but she’s very supportive of her fellow harem members and their happiness.
Karane may be a tsundere, but that personality type is popular with many anime fans. She may have trouble expressing her true feelings, but when push comes to shove, her love for her friends and Rentaro knows no bounds.
Shizuka is adorable-looking and very well-read, but at the same time, very shy. Her shyness was only made worse because everyone, including her mother, saw her as a freak for only using books to communicate with others. Underneath her shyness, though, Shizuka has a lot of courage and is willing to do anything to help her newfound family.
Nano is an archetypical kuudere, cold and efficient to the point that she could be called a Vulcan. But once Rentaro gets into her heart, she starts to learn how to embrace her emotions more. Plus, she can dress up to look like an actual Prince Charming. That is a rare talent, indeed!
Kusuri might look like a loli, but that’s due to her genius backfiring on her with a semi-permanent drug, leaving her with the body of a child. When she does return to her actual age, though, she’s like a red-headed version of Bulma from Dragon Ball: brains and beauty combined.
As Hakari’s mom, the introduction to Hahari made her appear cold and controlling of her daughter. In truth, though, that was because Hakari’s father died before she was born, leaving Hahari to raise her by herself at age 13 (she had herself artificially inseminated, all right!) After Rentaro proved how genuine his feelings for Hakari were, though, Hahari didn’t just give them her blessing. She wound up becoming his sixth soulmate, much to everyone’s exasperation.
And this is just the first six. Rentaro is going to have 94 more before the story comes to an end.
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
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