Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2

Mushoku Tensei is one of the most divisive anime I’ve seen on MAL. Certain online communities have fallen apart and friendships between anime viewers have also ended because of this show. I’m not even joking. Take a look at the MAL forum posts for MT. It’s almost impossible to have a cordial discussion between a fan and a critic because of all the back-and-forth and toxicity. It’s also why almost any criticism or praise has been met with immediate backlash. That’s why I will admit that this review will not be completely impartial. However, I still want to try and capture both sides of the ... debate, because reviews are opinions meant to help potential viewers. So this review will not be just one, but TWO reviews. One shall only criticize MT as a wholly bad show and explain what people don’t like about it and the other review shall only praise MT as a flawless masterpiece and explain what fans like about it. I have put full effort into both. Here is what I have to say.

Why MT is one of the worst anime in modern media:

Mushoku Tensei is conceptually appalling. It is one of the worst incel redemption stories ever created and has spawned so many more. It combines all of the worst parts of anime and media in general into an ‘enjoyable’ experience for a specific group of viewers. It uses male dominance and toxicly masculine beliefs to justify its system as ‘real’. No one would be complaining if that was not present in the show. MT is a male power fantasy about a 34 year old man who got hit by a truck and reincarnated in another world with all memory intact, a cliche premise at best. Rudeus is also an unlikeable MC, but not for a well-written reason. His primary flaw, making him the most dislikeable amongst most if not all critics is that he is proudly pedophilic, even in his second life, and has extreme issues with self-control; if he was a person in real life, he would be in jail because of all the sexual harassment he’s committed. A good way to redeem Rudeus would be both acknowledgement of his horrid actions, never repeating them again, and actively making up for what he’s done, but as of now, it only gets worse and worse.

One of the contributing factors to Rudeus’s failure to change is the comedy, the subjectively worst part of MT. Let me just say my bar for comedy is fairly low. My favorite genre is comedy. If something is funny, I cannot hide a smile from my face. However, if Rudeus was a comedian, he’d be compared to Bill Cosby and Louis C.K.. Yes, that’s the type of person he is, unapologetically so. Pedophilia and rape jokes were never funny and still are not. Comedians who think otherwise are delusional, attempting to normalize such sensitive issues as ‘comedic’. When a character-driven story is focused upon an incel and there is comedy, degenerate comedy is always sure to follow. Some of these stories are successful like Onanie Master Kurosawa, arguably Re:Zero, and even Jaku-Chara Tomozaki-kun. But why do these media succeed while Mushoku Tensei doesn’t? It’s because the incel comedy either evolves or outright disappears along with the incel characters they relate to. Mushoku Tensei’s comedy has and always has remained the same in both cours. Whether it be peeping on young girls naked or treasuring their underwear, Rudeus keeps repeating his actions. It is evident that Rudeus’s fundamental flaws are not actually acknowledged, staying true to MT’s dark incel comedy rather than criticizing him for what he is. For instance, take the infamous figurine scene, a whole minute exhibit of a Roxy statue Rudeus had crafted. One of the characters narrates every last detail about the figurine from Roxy’s clothes coming off to the little features of her nude body, practically breaking the fourth wall. Rudeus feels no shame nor regret towards his nasty creation and actually provides even more information about it. This scene is considered a funny marketing gag to fans, but at the end of the day, fans are still going to buy it. The audience is never shown why this statue is morally bankrupt nor offensive. If there were any actual self-criticism of MT’s ‘waifu marketing’, rather than just self-awareness, all efforts have fallen flat. Mushoku Tensei is unabashed in its comedy, but it never actually reflects upon itself and shows the audience why it’s wrong. Instead, it capitalizes on ‘waifu marketing’ and perpetuates it even further.

Even if Rudeus stays a pervert, he can still grow in other ways right? If Rudeus actually demonstrated character development, it would be obvious. The evidence for character development is clear from a comparison of Rudeus at present and the past. What are his flaws at the beginning of the show? He is a NEET lolicon who has made many poor life decisions. Rudeus never addresses his mistakes with a direct apology nor actually tries to make up for his bad habits from the past, only occasionally ‘reflects’. Has he changed from any of these obvious flaws? Not really. Even though he stopped being a NEET, he is still a pervert with the same bad habits. He also doesn’t actually apologize for his bad behavior towards friends and family. Instead, he selflessly saves a bunch of helpless people from whenever he hops towns and becomes a hero on multiple occasions, but he never addresses his fundamental problems as a human being. That’s why Rudeus is a failure of a redemption story. He uses his heroic acts of kindness saving generic villages as a bad excuse for actual character development. It would be nice if the writer actually acknowledged this.

In fact, Rudeus is one of the most idealized heroes since Shield Hero. He’s a Gary Stu that’s never considered flawed by other characters except his adversaries. Even when he gets placed in prison, he will still help his captors when they are in trouble. He is a hero who doesn’t bear grudges. Anything questionable or nonconsensual he does, whether it be peeping, or touching someone uncomfortably, is immediately forgiven by his harem and everyone else since they love him or will eventually bow down to him. No one in real life would be able to do this because the stuff Rudeus does can be scarring and even traumatizing. But since Rudeus is a Gary Stu, he will always be unconditionally forgiven. Rudeus is unconditionally loved and Rudeus unconditionally loves the young girls in his harem but in an extremely uncomfortable and morally disgusting way. In fact, he’s usually rewarded for his bad behavior that’s portrayed as good or funny even. In the world of MT, Rudeus is normal. If he makes a ‘mistake’, he takes responsibility and is forgiven for that. And then he does the same thing again, and again, and again…it’s a cycle. He is inherently a hero in the frame of the story. When people look at Rudeus in fear or look down on him, the audience is always supposed to empathize with him. He’s not actually flawed enough to not be considered perfect because of the way Eris, Ruijerd, or any ally will always love and support in all he does even if he’s in the wrong. It’s not normal. Just because he doesn’t see himself as a hero doesn’t mean the audience is being told not to. It’s all about the framing of the narrative.

Even ignoring everything said before, Rudeus is handed all his power-ups whether it be reading a foreign language or incantation-less spellcasting while still in a diaper, a tremendous advantage along with his mind as a 34-year old, meaning he is overpowered. From a writing perspective, he is unrealistic even in the confines of his own fictional world, making him objectively flawless. He still gets handed super-powers in the second cour like his future sight eye, giving him an obvious advantage over everyone. This is not only boring to watch but it also means Rudeus will always end up on top, just like any other male power fantasy. Even when he loses a battle, there are never any substantial consequences.

And we have the other problematic characters...Eris is a tsundere and also Rudeus’s cousin. Because of Rudeus’s tendencies, particularly in episode 11, in which Rudeus disgustingly grooms her, that means there is incest. She’s literally 14/15 but still fanservice for Rudeus and the audience. I hate to call a minor this, but she is one of the waifus of MT; just cause ‘adulthood’ in MT is 15 doesn’t mean she is actually an adult. She’s the perfect young girl to comfort our ‘miserable’ protagonist and his struggles as a ‘flawed male’ when he’s practically perfect. Her own arcs can be broken down into training and friendship. Training arcs have never been praised and still are not in MT; it’s a weak substitute for character development, especially if there is no thematic value to it. Even when Eris actually becomes strong enough to overpower Rudeus, Rudeus will immediately be given superpowers such as foresight to continue his male domination over her, so it’s meaningless. Even when Eris gets a full arc with the Doldia tribe, a group of beast-people that Rudeus’s party encounters, she remains the same person. People like Eris’s character for her progression from a cold personality to a warm one. She remains 2-dimensional the entire time. The only thing that makes someone feel emotion towards her is the cheesy piano music in the background during her ‘development’. It is literally impossible to find someone like her in the real world because she is a tsundere.

Roxy is a loli. Her development is apparently from an ‘immature’ loli to a ‘mature’/kuudere loli so she got even worse from a writing standpoint. Her purpose is to get sexualized for merch and help Rudeus out. Her backstory is provided as development but it doesn’t explain anything about how she became a kuudere. An inability to communicate in what is essentially the writer’s cringeworthy attempt at a segregated setting leads to Roxy running away from her village without explanation and somehow surviving in the middle of a desert. Tears fell down from Roxy during a painful reunion but none fell from the audience since there is never enough build up or reason to care for such a shallow character nor story of alienation. Even if her backstory was more impactful, the more lasting impression on the audience is the aforementioned ‘comedic’ nude statue of her in a following episode.

Rudy’s father, Paul, is one of the worst characters of MT. Not only is he complacent in forcing the idealism of toxic masculinity on Rudy, he’s very misogynistic in the process. When he is no longer the confident alpha male he once was, we’re supposed to empathize with him for his failure. The recurring media trope is that once a strong male loses something of importance, then we’re supposed to admire their development from that. But this development never addresses his problem as a character. He is a domineering alpha male that takes control of everything and doesn’t see people, not even his loved ones as equal. Paul is so toxic. His development is the laziest possible way to develop a toxicly masculine male. Rather than using a resolution that involves Paul acknowledging and working towards his flaws, every horrible thing Paul has done will be forgiven since he is now a hero who rescued all the villagers from the tragic mana accident. Paul doesn’t address what’s wrong with him as a person, Paul uses a workaround as an easy way out and we as the audience are supposed to forget all the horrible things he’s done. The writer thinks that just having Paul suffer and just apologize is enough to make up for all of that. But that’s not how mending family and relationships work. Apologizing is the BARE MINIMUM. Then, you have to put the work into changing as a person, actually treat other people with human dignity, and learn to put others before yourself. Paul’s core development is “forget[ting] everything [that] happened” rather than accepting his mistakes and growing as a person. Like father like son, he is a failed redemption story.

Even the antagonists are one-dimensional. They all have barbaric motives at best. They’re comparable to old Disney villains. Once bad, always bad. Interior motives don’t matter since we know they will either betray Rudy or are just overtly horrible people. A pathetic antagonist is not the same as a good antagonist. They should have as good of a motivation and character as the protagonist, instead of being as cliche as possible. One of the antagonists use threats of rape too. We don’t need that. Rape threats are not good dialogue and it doesn’t characterize them in a complex way. It only adds on to their simple personality of being sexist and horrible like everyone else in the show. Just because Rudeus knows the antagonists are creepy or pathetic doesn’t make it better. It’s the same as SAO antagonists. Their only purpose is to be defeated so the protagonist is rewarded and heroized.

People always praise the audiovisuals but there are sometimes numerous still frames and off-model faces in scenes where there is no sakuga. Sometimes Rudeus and Eris will look blurry if they are in the background or if the angle is pointing at the side of their faces. There are even a few times that they are barely recognizable because the budget wasn’t allocated consistently. The music is also annoying. It actively tries to pull your heartstrings and force you to feel certain emotions but it always fails. The overall OST is just boring and lacks any feeling to them since they are for the most part reused and just generic background music. It has no identity of its own. Even the world-building, MT’s ‘strongest point’ might as well not even exist. They just go from one generic village to the next after Rudeus’s party saves the day. If explaining how magical powers work is considered good world-building, then any sci-fi show or movie has inevitably failed because they don’t explain magic. World-building doesn’t make a story good. I cannot even name a single MT arc nor town because the location and setting doesn’t really matter.

Why did I watch MT? Because it’s become the new SAO, the new Re:Zero, the new best isekai…except that it’s supposedly the FIRST best isekai. MT is popular for all of the wrong reasons. Mushoku Tensei at its core had potential as a legitimate redemption story, but it failed miserably and did not even attempt to fulfill its primary theme of character growth beyond a surface level because Rudeus at his core never changed. It’s a relatable tale for people like Rudeus in his first life, except it’s actually an escapist tale of fake struggles and undeserved rewards for doing less than the bare minimum. If you’re not sure whether or not MT is for you, just give the first few episodes a shot. If you’re disgusted, drop it like a piece of shit in the toilet. If you’ve managed to watch all of Mushoku Tensei and find yourself still not on the hype-train, know you’re not alone and that you should be rightfully appalled by this utter catastrophe of an otaku fantasy.

――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――――-

Why MT is a dark masterpiece

Mushoku Tensei is the best isekai in existence and will forever be remembered that way. It is a redemption fantasy about a 34-year old man hit by a truck, reincarnated in another world as a newborn known as Rudeus Greyrat. Premise sounds familiar? It’s because MT was the first isekai with this premise and inspired every other one that we know of today. In his former life, Rudeus was bullied into becoming a HS dropout, becoming a shut-in, refusing to even attend his parents’ funeral many years later. However, his reincarnation is a second chance at living life to the fullest and where his story really begins.

Unlike most isekai, Mushoku Tensei is unapologetically a cynical view of how the real world functions and will use morally ambiguous, but believable themes to express its intentions. It has a realistic main character that can be related to because he is flawed and honest about it. His internal conflicts are a part of how flawed real people are and how they must learn to become better and have self-control. Rudeus’ constant battle against his lust and his past self is derived from his subtly hinted shame. If he truly was horrible, he would be Makoto from School Days. He simply is not. He struggles with self-restraint. Yes, he is a pedophile, but Rudy always gets called out for it and apologizes. Just because I am a fan does NOT mean I support everything Rudy does. In fact, I think it’s funny when he gets punished for his pervy-ness. Rudeus has anxieties and fears that he confronts all the time. He has very low self-esteem and tries to improve but struggles. Even when he started out with an advantage and is given help by Hitogami, he is still plagued by his past traumas and failure to protect others. He is an extremely in-depth character for that reason. Even if Rudeus has mostly developed away from being a shut-in, the appeal is that he still has much more to grow. The fact is, Rudeus is selfish and makes mistakes. He isn’t able to save everyone all the time. There are occasions where he almost let Ruijerd and Eris almost die, and actual people get killed due to a simple mistake. Rudeus has blood on his hands and still feels that way every time he fails at protecting friends and family. However, when presented with a choice between letting a stranger live or die, Rudeus will actually think about it. A perfect hero would not even think. Rudeus is not like that. He just has basic morals. He’s not heartless but he values his own life. Rudeus is the perfect example of how people can realistically change, little by little, regardless of how slowly that is.

By Rudeus’s side we have Eris, a strong female lead. She works hard and is like a rival to Rudeus, strengthening their relationship as well as herself, whether it be her physical training to become a warrior and an adult, or her tender, subtle care for Rudeus and vice versa. Her individuality as a tomboy subverts gender roles and is well portrayed. Eris is a perfect example of a character that shows instead of tells. The way she expresses herself through her actions makes her a human person. It’s hard not to like her as a person. The way she shows genuine emotion and weakness through uncharacteristic tears is so heartwarming, because of how much she values her relations with others. She's just so innocent and pure. Despite suppressing these emotions, she tries her hardest just to be equal to Rudeus, particularly in ep11, making her another admirable character. She brings life to Mushoku Tensei with her exciting personality and has inspired other girls like herself in other isekais, but none will be as good as the original.

Roxy is another well-written, in-depth character. Even when she’s not on screen, Roxy’s personality shines. For example, her very inferiority complex is revealed through details put into a figurine of Roxy, crafted by Rudeus himself, also showing self-awareness of what’s wrong with the anime industry. That’s a product that someone could consider buying because of the thought that went into its creation and on the screen. Funnily enough, it’s nuanced art. On a more serious note, Roxy’s backstory is probably the one that hit the hardest. Her childhood is one in which many can relate to, not being able to fit in with everyone else. Using barely any dialogue at all, the writer shows how alone Roxy was, being unable to make a single friend or even talk to a single person, due to a disability. Amongst her village, she is deaf. She can’t understand others and others cannot understand Roxy. It’s a simple metaphor for being unable to talk with others in real life, but it is even more emotionally resonant because of how believable it is. It explains why Roxy rushes to become an adult and desires to hide her weakness so she can’t be pitied any longer. She seeks to be more than she is, which is something we should praise. Despite her size, she ends up being one of the bigger people of the series, by returning to her village and reconnecting with those she had abandoned, making for one of the most heartfelt moments of the series.

Another one of the underrated characters is Paul. In the first cour, we see how imperfect he was as a father but how he still addressed his mistakes and tried to raise Rudy right. However, this cour, Rudy’s father becomes a shell of his former self. He’s someone who tries to right his wrongs after losing everything, which leads to one of the most climactic moments of the series, the reunion between Paul and Rudeus after the mana explosion. Due to how physically and seemingly mentally healthy Rudeus appeared, Paul shuns Rudeus for having a carefree life, guilt-tripping Rudeus for not suffering enough and putting his efforts into saving others from the village, despite the fact that Rudeus had indeed undergone such experiences. However, Paul’s conflict with Rudeus is one of genuine meaning as it came from Paul’s own failure to protect his family and village. The value of life is significantly emphasized and development is shown through Rudeus’s own empathy toward Paul and reflection as a person. Through communication between father and son, both Paul and Rudeus are able to accept not just each other’s mistakes as human beings, but also their own. For some reason, Paul’s development is heavily underrated in his arc despite the fact Paul had to endure nightmares for months about family members dying and Rudeus losing body parts. By acknowledging his own mistakes as well as Rudeus’s own struggles in the Demon Continent, the audience was able to witness one of the most clean resolutions to a family squabble in anime! Paul’s own redemption arc really showcases how the writer does not leave even supporting characters untouched.

Rujierd is my personal favorite character in Mushoku Tensei. Just like Scar from FMA, he has one of the most conflicted moral compasses and some of the best characterization in the series. In the beginning, we learn he’s from the Superd tribe, a clan shunned for their former rampage in the Demon Continent, and is portrayed as an antagonist. However, Ruijerd is simply someone who wants to clear his clan’s name of wrongdoing and improve relations with other races. His initial inability to see individuals beyond just ‘good’ and ‘bad’ was horrifying as he brutally murdered anyone who he deemed as ‘bad’, particularly those who harmed children. Ruijerd’s development beyond such a shallow form of judgment is quite refreshing compared to the typical do-good hero one would see in other isekai, as Ruijerd learns how to compromise his own values with others in order to protect those who are important to him, Rudy and Eris. He is the supporting character that is needed to train and protect Rudy’s party as they try to find their way home, until they’ve grown into fine adults.

The antagonists of MT add to the dark atmosphere of the show as a whole. They’re also comedically written to the point where it’s obvious they are meant to be laughed at. The way Rudeus sees them as people who can be taken seriously or as a threat makes sense because that’s what a real person would do in real life. Characters like Pax quite literally act like a child and that’s how they should be viewed. They have very believable motivations. Just because some of their dialogue lines are offensive, doesn’t mean the whole show should be treated like this as a whole. Context matters. They serve to showcase how messed up the world of MT is, it’s not rainbows and sunshine. They’re not there to heroize Rudeus either. In the Doldia Village arc, Rudeus actually debates whether or not to just flee to safety rather than fighting the antagonist. When Rudeus struggles against Pax, he uses the perverted Roxy figurine to set himself free. Rudeus isn’t perfect, even in combat scenes which is why he’s written well. The antagonists only serve to showcase Rudeus’ complexity and creativity as a person.

The art and animation are just as brilliant as the story itself. It has some of the best sakuga since Demon Slayer. Compound that with the sound and you have the best possible audiovisual experience to accompany the best possible characters. Even though there is no opening song, the expansiveness of the world-building can be seen throughout the journey of Rudeus and his party. From bristling yellow fields to snowy lands to the intricate treehouses in the Doldia Village, Studio Bind illustrates their passion through animation. There’s a reason Studio Bind has not animated any other shows/movies, and it’s because they knew Mushoku Tensei was one of the best, so they pulled out all the stops, rightly so. Heck, they even invented their own fictional language, just like Lord of the Rings and Futurama! And don’t forget how the magic system, power system, and power-ups are explained down to the most minute detail, almost as well as Hunter x Hunter. On a technical level, Mushoku Tensei is a masterpiece. I think even critics will begrudgingly have to agree with that.

In conclusion, Mushoku Tensei is a must-watch for fans of subversive isekai. It’s a gift of 2021 with the best possible quality. It’s hard to imagine this won’t age well considering how it’s still well-received by fans even 7 years since the light novel was first published. To those out there unsure what to feel about the series, don’t let anyone decide your opinion. Your opinion is rightly your own. Even if I don’t view MT as flawed, I can acknowledge those who do and I hope they do the same for me as well. It is a controversial series, but it’s one full of love and passion, which is why it is a masterpiece.

An adventure that does not lead anywhere. An adventure with a main character that does not evolve.

Mushoku Tensei is a fantasy world that wants you to believe that there is a lot going on, but actually there is not. There is indeed a huge amount of scenarios , characters, skills and magic displayed on the screen. A whole lot of tools, for a whole lot of nothing.

Imagine creating a world full of villages, deserts, forests and every other place that would fit in this kind of world, where animals, humans, beast humans, devil humans, God and a package of creatures live just to ... waste it with a tremendous useless main character journey?

Rudeus Greyrat is probably some of the most stupid main characters in animes that i ever seen. This idiot here, is a reincarnation of another 30 YEARS OLD idiot, that used to be bullied in our world and because of that he lived the rest of his life doing nothing, just to reincarnate here as a talented young mage for no reason at all, just to be the exactly same loser that he was before.

Does not matter if you have the power or not, you’ll be a loser anyways, because it is not your outside that defines you but your inside.

So a plot that was supposed to be about this USELESS piece of garbage evolving as a person, becoming at least better, just gets stuck in the same repetitive loop of “im loser i can not do that”. It's a mister sad boy anthem that never stops.

The only time that plot shines, is where this peverted man - i don’t even want to start how atrocious is to a 30 year man having relationship with twelve years old kids just because he has now a body of 12 years old is - is where the other characters around him FLAME THE SOUL OF HIM, when they notice how STUPID he is.

But unfortunately, the plot tried to sell to you that he learned his lesson, just a few episodes later he proves that he is still a FAILURE as a human being in all aspects.

DOn’t get me wrong here, i’m not saying that he is a trash character because he cries, or he got bullied, or even because he gave up at some point, i’m stating that regardless of all that, this plot was supposed to get this man a comeback, or at least make him notice how stupid he is, but that does not happenes, and we get the vibes of “how poor he is, he deserved better” going on.

Also there is a lack of substantial problems in this plot, because they waste so much energy with the MC. Like there are no villains, there is no sense of problems getting solved, its a huge pile of themes that never finds the climax.

The art and the sound are amazing, I love the whole world and character customization. Pretty much you could tell a way more interesting story in this world, but they decided to follow the most unnecessary character possible.

What made this more tolerable to watch how the world flows around his crap trama, like his family, his father, his girlfriend, his teacher, his mom, i like most of them, i just feel very bad that they have a person like him in their life.

This anime is a strong disappointment, it is like having a whole lotta of money, just to waste it buying water from some streamer that took a shower with it instead of using the money to help people, or at least do something interesting.

**SPOILER FREE**

Everyone right now is talking about mushoku tensei. With a rating of 8.7 its literally becoming one of the best rated anime ever. Does it deserve it though?

Story: Mushoku tensei follows a pretty linear but good overall story which even though similar to other isekai is decent enough to get a 8/10

Art: Pretty good artstyle and animation

Sound: Normal seasonal anime sound effects not too good not too bad just avarage

Characters: One word to describe them. Appaling. Mushoku tensei possibly has few of the worst characters ever and most of them are main characters. For starters the MC is unbelievably horrible both before and after ... his reincarnation, his development is disgusting he literally stays the same and he is way too vanilla to even bring any hype.
Then we have deuteragonists like Paul (MC's father) and Eris which are literally unwatchable .
Overall the anime doesn't live up to the hype purely by the characters
5/10

It started off good and then fell off a cliff. Great art and animation most of the time, but the pacing of show was awful. It's clear that the plot was dragged on in order to make this season 12 episodes when it really should have been 10. The ending was quite simply, one of the worst I've seen in a long time.

There was no reason to split up Rudeus's backstory into multiple episodes and then have to repeat the same information again and again. Furthermore, the last episode is only a setup for the next season, giving this season an unsatisfying ending and terrible ... aftertaste.

Story: 7
Good story, but bad pacing

Art: 9
Great most of the time but some parts were a bit iffy

Sound: 8
OP and ED were meh but the sound was fine

Character: 8

Enjoyment: 5

Overall: 5

At first I dropped Mushoku Tensei in season 1 because I can't bear with the lewd anymore and I was very judgy with the behaviours of Rudeus. But then... I decided to give it another go because I heard the plot is good later on and there are decent character development. Hey, that was a wrong decision. The lewd continues consistently (2-3 times every episode) and the plot development sometimes also revolves around lewd (wth??). For example, Rudeus was captured in the dungeon and then the second prince come to save him because he appreciates the 'masterpiece' lewd sculpture of the magic sensei which Rudeus ... created. That's some horrible plot development which a primary school boy would think of on the pot. Aside from this, the plot in Mushoku Tensei is nothing but boring and dull. The travelling around villages and beating up trafficker part could have been more thrilling, however, it was created in a very boring way and the plot development was very much within audience's expectation (e.g. the part where he got captured and saved the village). The only interesting plot which I can at least sympathise with was the part which he met his father again. It is interesting that a small detail, the fact that Rudeus speaks about his experience after the disaster as if its a 'fun school trip' triggered the father demonstrates how fragile the family can be, as well as the strength of family bond when they resolved their grunt through simply understanding and hugging each other. That was a small part that was good (even though I still got bored from time to time due to the slow story pacing). As a summary, it's not the lewd that made me drop the anime, it is the boring plot and meaningless plot development which ruined it. I do hope Mushoku tensei have better story later on and if it does, I would consider picking it up again

I liked this season better than the first one. Rudeus is still revolting, but seemingly is showing signs of getting better.
The story starts to get really interesting, but i could not get myself to watch further than episode 11, despite there only being one more episode of the season.

Across both of these season, I have constantly been wavering between dropping the show and keep watching in hopes that the things I didn't like about it would decrease.

Spoilers for episode 11,
fhreugahr[[hefuckshisunderagecousin]]nuigtrneigl

At this point, old connections in the story are starting to appear and amp up the intrigue of the story, but this event was the ... straw that broke the camel's back for me. This show no doubt has a lot of talent, skill and effort put into it on all aspects, but that just makes me feel what a shame it is that it just couldn't do without the depravity. Similar feelings I feel about Made in Abyss.

---------------------

The reason I felt the need to write these reviews is because just a single rating score could not summarize my complicated feelings about this series.

There is a lot to get out of it, particularly if you are looking for story inspiration. But I struggle to enjoy it for what it is, and mostly enjoy it for what it could be. Whether this show insists to cling to these aspects, or merely is very gradually rinsing them out for the purpose of character development, I do not care anymore. I have had enough and don't see why I should put up with more of it.

No spoilers ahead.

What was Mushoku Tensei, season 1? An overall high budget, and GREAT adaptation of what's actually pretty mediocre base material in all regards aside maybe world building.

What is this season 2 then? A slightly lower budget BAD adaptation of said story. 5.4~ or so as opposed to the previous season 7~/10.

What exactly is the reasoning behind me saying all this? Rushing, cutting, replacements, all done in almost the worst ways possible. All the interesting events and world building? Almost entirely removed. Most the WN's events? Gone. The LN stuff? Either gone or rushed like crazy. Which you may say might be necessary if ... they're trying to focus more on the more important and interesting events to rush to the better stuff... But they're NOT! More than that, all the time they free up with speeding up the events that are less interesting and less important side events and characters, and even interesting stuff they squander on drawing up rather boring and far shorter conversations and events meaning they make everything dull without actually creating too much interest or progress in return, and it lasted for pretty much over HALF THE SEASON!

And so i'll ask you, what's the charm of isekai and other fiction? Often the fiction part. What happens if you CUT most of the fiction toward relationships, important and less important events, sidetracking with side characters? You get just a normal story, set in a fiction world, but what's the point if you don't get to see and experience most of it? Admittedly the combination of key events does manage to get things more interesting later on, but when it happens like 2/3rds into the thing, can i really give it any points for that? The answer is no.

Final verdict - i'd recommend you fast forward the last few episode of the last season (demon lands) and at least 7 episodes from this season if you're gonna go and watch it. Otherwise, not recommended at all unless you're a hardcore fan.

There's a lot I think I can say about this series; but it's CRYSTAL clear why some people hate this and some people love it. Mushoku Tensei has one of the most DEGENERATE MCs ever to grace mainstream anime.

I'm not going to sugarcoat this but this show is layered with pedophilia; and it's difficult to accept or brush aside. The existence of Rudeus in itself, from the very first episode, has been repulsive - but in contrast to his degeneracy, there is so much to love about this show. An incredible soundtrack; which captures this alien world with magic and swords and sucks you ... into this 2-dimensional world so effectively. Great animation, worthy of a major shonen fight - pretty to look at and admire, smooth, definitely up there with the very best. The plot takes advantage of the care put into building this, breathing, vibrant world - it takes its characters far and wide. The viewer too, is transported from the safety of Rudeus' village to increasingly hostile and malignant locales, where the stakes increase. NPCs die, choices have consequences. This mostly applies to minor characters, but in a genre where only Re:Zero (somewhat) and Overlord seemed to have any guts (no puns) to torment their characters, MT pulls no punches. People stay dead, and the heroes learn to be better and to accept their mistakes; to embrace that even the best thought out plans can go horribly awry. Each character is driven by their own goals and wants, motivations clash, friction ensues - it's not always roses, and characters don't magically understand each other like other isekai.

But where execution is brilliant, there is nothing too novel about Mushoku Tensei for now. You have Eris, the textbook tsundere who, to her defence, does grow through the arcs. My only complaint is much more could have been done with Eris. She isn't an utterly trashy character, but just having her grow from brat hime to warrior hime wasn't exactly novel - you kinda saw it coming. Though, this is good growth when you think of it as her getting older and wiser and more measured. I just don't like how Sir Rudeus the Depraved is credited for most of these changes.

Which brings us to Rudeus. The Meliodas mould of a protagonist - repulsive, unloveable but exceptionally talented; dangerously dancing between Mary Sue and the forgivable prodigy. But Rudeus experiences his losses, he's forced to learn. And while I'm not sympathetic to him, I do appreciate his backstory and the vividly described reasons as to why he became a shut in. It doesn't justify his incel tendencies; but it explains them - in a way that isn't so in your face and biased as the utterly irredeemable Redo of Healer. I'm going to be clear - I strongly dislike Rudeus; but I hope his personality can be (or has been) fleshed out beyond 40% perversion 40% talent and 20% keikaku dori da.

Among these characters, Ruijerd is potentially the best. He shows the most growth, is measured and has actual motivations and goals to complement his great power. There is clear development in his actions and cognitions, and every arc helps flesh him out a little more and more, while bringing out and polishing the honorable traits he displays upon his introduction. Paul perhaps fits the believable character aspect pretty well too - while his debauchery is regretfully, played off for comedic purposes in the first half. These two characters have a well portrayed duality to them - good and bad, much like a living, breathing human would.

But yes, the pedophilia here; kills the experience. This show arguably, would be better than 80% of the isekai out there if it had cut out these disturbing undertones completely. The worldbuilding is there, the ability to write your characters in such a way that the audience gives a shit - is there. But with such a glaring Achilles heel, it's difficult to appreciate this show's merits and recommend this as anything good.

But how unfair it would be to just label this as irredeemable shit.

Big ups to the MC for not molesting anyone this season, that's a real improvement from the last one. I suppose I can at least give this season a passing grade now.

That said, my review of the previous season mentioned this show is like a strawberry cake with bits of shit sprinkled over it. This time around there's a little bit less shit on the cake, but the guy with the fetish is still there sprinkling it, and he's still ruining the cake for everyone else. The MC is still a perverted scumbag, and it's still all played off for laughs.

It's so annoying, ... the show really doesn't need that part of it. If it were the exact same show, just without the constant perverted shit, it would be a 9.

While this is a step up from season 1, practically all the issues season 1 has comes into play here as well. No these aren't ones you can ignore, but it has (sort of) been toned down somewhat since season 1. Oh, but the issues are still there make no mistake about it.

- The author continues to only resort to perversion/ecchi to create a "dark" world setting when they not only are sometimes irrelevant to the story, but are shoved in at the most random of times giving a sense of monotony. It is a fantasy world but we never see actual elements of such ... apart from the monster looking people, magic, and landscape. Where are the rest of the parties that travel? How come we don't really see any real world aspects be put here such as a group of mercenaries trying to stir up trouble?

- The author also, for some, reason made Rudeus in some portions of this season a complete idiot because he falls for the most obvious of traps, whilst still having the mind of a 40 year old? How does that happen?

- Lack of variety in soundtrack. This wasn't that big of a problem in season 1, but for some reason, it's pretty apparent here.

- The constant "Rudeus is perverted" message continuously shoved in our faces; even though we clearly already know that. There is no need to constantly remind us of something we already know. Stop. People always say it's to show that he is "not a perfect human being," but that logic is stupid. Like I said in my first season review, this would be like making a war movie and out every 5 minutes or so, the main character will just shoot a civilian for no reason to try to portray the main character as deranged. Does that make it okay to convey the message? No, it gets tiresome.

All in all, this is better than season 1, but if you absolutely despised season 1, don't think this season will change your view that much.

I'm very torn on this anime, but despite enjoying most of it, certain moments just absolutely ruin the show for me (*cough* pedophilia *cough*). For clarity sake, I'll write my points in bullet points.

Pros:
+ Extremely captivating story. Despite being quite generic, the writing manages to capture my attention, leaving me wanting more. It tends to pull off many generic isekai tropes without coming off as overbearing or annoying (most of the time). Watching Dead End's adventure really makes me wish I could go on an adventure myself
+ Besides MC, I enjoy the side characters of the show. Unlike MC, they genuinely seem to grow ... as people. I also really enjoy the cast's chemistry.
+ Like last season, the art and animation are nothing but fantastic.
+ Its commentary on prejudice and PTSD, while simple and basic, is nice to see
+ The show has its fair share of genuinely funny moments.

Cons:
- World itself is rather dull, painfully generic
There are no real stakes as MC practically has everything fall onto his lap with Man-God by his side. The power-up he receives ruins certain aspects of the story when characters like Eris work extremely hard to become stronger.
- Pedophilia and sexual harassment. Although it occurs less often when compared to the first season (which I hated and gave a 3/10), it rips me out of the story when MC sexually harasses younger characters (Yes younger, MC was an adult in the previous life), especially in front of characters like Ruijerd who is supposed to have an absolute no evil policy. Also, for the sex scene, while she does consent, MC is still essentially an adult, so still bad. I wish the author could have just aged everyone by like ten years.

I've never felt so torn over an anime. I wish I could love this anime, but its constant portrayal and lack of consequences for pedophilia leave a horrible taste in my mouth. We wonder why no one takes the anime community seriously, with the community being boiled down to pedos and weirdos, but Mushoku Tensei being as highly appraised without criticism amongst the anime community proves outsiders right. It gets even worse with neckbeards trying to justify the pedophilia prevalent in the show.

I will give it a 6/10 for now, though only because I enjoy the story a lot though it is subject to change depending on how I'm feeling (most likely down). It would be an easy 8-9/10 if it weren't for the cons. Why do pedos have to ruin everything?

tl;dr better than the first season, still distasteful at times 6/10


I return once more to this polarizing anime series from earlier this year and find that my opinion of it has... become more mixed.

I gave the first half a 5 because I thought it was a great story with great art and a good concept, but dove far too hard into ecchi fanservice and NEET wish fulfillment. The main character was unlikable, arrogant, and prone to pout. While MC has changed over the course of both halves, learning important (though brusque and conspicuous) lessons, his core character hasn't changed to become more personable. He just ... gets better at hiding it.

And I think that's characteristic of this whole half. The quality didn't really improve, it's treatment of topics it wants you to take seriously hasn't improved. It is however hidden in the fast-paced serial plot devices thrown at you to make you feel like real change has happened. And while it's certainly gotten some interesting developments as far as the plot is concerned, and some real nice development for the side characters, Rudy hasn't changed.

I find that problematic. Maybe it changes later, but at the moment NEET Rudy may as well not have been reincarnated at all. I see so much development in the show and in its characters but all of it washes over Rudy, as if saying that the MC doesn't need to change in order to effect change in the world around him.

So yeah, overall the rating is similar to part 1, good art and good voicing and fx just like the first part. If you liked part 1 you'll like this, if you're like me and were ambivalent about the first part that likely won't change. I will say that even if you disliked part 1 you may like this season.

I'll watch the next season.

Mushoku Tensei started very well. Their story seemed great to me, the world that surrounds them is very well constructed. Correctly detailed animation. But here's the problem: his characters are terrible.
First of all, Rudeus is one of the worst leads I've ever seen. God gives you the opportunity to reincarnate in a new world. At first he tries to redo his bad deeds, he wants to change his old life, however, his bad desires are stronger than even in the 5 years he could change something. When it seems that he is going to progress and take a step forward, he falls again into the ... misfortune of committing grotesque acts. Okay, if he wants to be that way, let him be, but not happy with it, he delights the companions with whom he shared unforgettable moments. The worst of all is that they are not at all informed about it. He is not aware of his actions. I think about Roxy and Sylphi falling into the clutches of the bastard Rudeus. I do not wish them because someone who is capable of raping a girl cannot be a good person. If Rudeus wants to rot, let him do it alone, but not at the cost of deceiving his companions who have trusted him.
Of the characters who have known how to act according to what history demanded are Ruijerd. This guy has my respects, he's the only one who has put Rudeus in his place. It has been the brain that the group has lacked.
Paul, has sometimes acted nefariously, but after the big problem, he has retracted and has performed very remarkable acts such as saving children from slavery. However, it is his lousy son who has not acted thinking of his own benefit at the expense of the sacrifice of others.
Without more to say, and already knowing the future of this story due to the manga, I can conclude that it was a waste. After a great start it slowly faded until it ended up sinking due to the characters that have not progressed in the least in the spiritual and mental aspect. Which in addition, are great without even having achieved something important.

Giving the first 4 episodes of this series a 6, which is painful, especially as the hole the studio dug for themselves is because of their own meddling with the writing of the original Light Novel.

I will not go into details, but the first "arc" in this season had the animation studio taking numerous liberties with the storylines, story reveal timings, characters and plotlines. Things that didn't happen in the novel happened, things that happened in the novel didn't and were completely messed up. The characters and their relationships were also hurt, weakening the character writing that was present in the 1st season (because the ... 1st season mostly followed the novel)

The episodes may still be seen as "decent" or even "good" for people who haven't read the light novel, maybe you think that the storylines still played out well, but knowing the potential of the story, and seeing a mediocre use of it, just feels bad. They took a perfectly cooked filet mignon, threw that in the trash, and used a frozen slab of meat instead (still has good seasoning, but it's a crazy waste).

The action feels cheaper compared to the first season, there isn't as much detail, sharpness or depth to the character moves. It feels like it uses a lot more blurring of moves/characters, the moves don't translate well into proper sword moves/stances. The action screams "budget restraints", but no clue if that's actually the reality.

I will adjust this rating based on the following episodes, but currently, I'd recommend reading the light novel and just skipping this season based on what I've seen thus far. It's a 6/10 season, you can watch it, like the bones of the source material, but I still think it will hurt your overall experience of the original story.

**(I've seen all 12 episodes, don't know why it says 11/12)**

Mushoku Tensei: The show where the writing is so smooth your brain neglects the fact that you just watched two 15 year olds have sex. While I do think this show is very thought-out production wise, I think people are stemming over some of the very obvious issues of the show. The main issue is the one most are complaining about, its kinda pedo-ish and creepy. But, the show throws in a cool soundtrack with stellar animation and hope that people just forget about those parts. Imagine a Pedophile but they're wearing a 3 piece ... suit and have a really nice haircut, that's kinda what Mushoku Tensei is. Of course it's hard to not bring up the really stunning imagery this show presents with its fascinating world building. Unlike most boring basic Isekai, this show actually advances its plot and moves along with each episode. It does play on several basic Isekai troupes but it's done in a way that isn't generic. You want to captivate yourself with the stunning settings and fascinating characters this show presents and then reality hits you and you realize you are watching a 34 year old man trying to fuck a 15 year old. I really want to immerse myself with this show, but I feel like if I do I will end up on the Sex Offender Registry so I'll leave my enjoyment as such. In summary, I feel like people gloss over the very gross aspects of this show and only talk about the good parts of it. Now that's not bad except for the fact that they neglect that the bad stuff even exist at all. I've even heard people try to justify Rudeus's actions and that just makes me sick and I hope Chris Hansen shows up at your door. It's probably one of the best shows of 2021 (Which isn't saying much) but please stop acting like Pedoph- I mean Rudeus is just a "flawed character" We all know the author just has a hard on for that type of shit.

This show would be amazing if it didn't get so freaky all the damn time.

(mild spoilers btw)

Jobless Reincarnations a sick fuckin show that forces you to watch a couple of children bang in order to experience the most interesting fantasy anime in recent memory. It takes full advantage of its R rating by being completely unapologetic about the degeneracy of the story and its MC who is a grown man who’s a little too aware of child grooming tactics. Aside from the over-sexualization of children and child-like characters which I’ve become numb to after last season, Jobless Reincarnation still ... finds ways to raise my eyebrows and make me question whether or not its fans are even worth saving.
Never once have I even thought to consider if I would lay down the pipe onna 15 y/o if I was in the body of a preteen, and yet this show has the audacity to write a compelling enough narrative to make me sympathize with a man-child who has the unfortunate pleasure of being able to say he has. I’m still in shock over that sex scene and how the show was legitimately intent on framing this awkward sexual encounter as an intimate and romantic ending to this arc.

But if you’re able to stomach it like I was, you can ... I guess take consolation in the fact that you got to listen to one of the most incredibly composed OSTs of the year … yay!
Each of the opening songs and sequences are perfectly paired together with these enchanting vocals and folk-fantasy-sounding instrumentals as the main characters explore the continent and the many cultures that exist within the world.
The animation is consistent and doesnt drop off in quality aside from the simplification of insignificant characters, but most of you are already aware that the show can go off at any time. I get especially excited anytime the redhead and/or Saitama are forced to fight since the animators always go crazy and deliver some extremely dynamic and well choreographed fight scenes. The show's art direction is just great overall in how they care about fleshing out small details about the world and really sell the atmosphere and setting of the show.

Overall an interesting show but clearly not for everyone. It's one that hides its utter depravity behind a legitimately interesting narrative and world. The show was still able to squeeze out a 6 from me and held my attention for two seasons so its obviously doing some things right. I just hope the next season brings us more maturity from the MC because I’m really tired of seeing all these chud incel MCs in character-oriented anime or just media in general.

Thanks for reading my short review on Jobless Reincarnation!!

I'll make this quick.

I couldn't agree more with almost everything of all the reviews explaining how good is this anime in all the audiovisual aspects. Also the story is quite good and original.

But there is a great detail that the most popular reviews did not have the balls to mention: Pedophilia is wrong, period.

And i don't care if you come with the fact that it is in a child's body, this is an adult who fell in love with a child, A CHILD.

Personally, i was enjoying this season a LOT, at least more than last, until the 11 episode when Japanese cultural pedophilia was ... exposed and all limits where broken.

In summary: If you place a lot of value on audiovisual aspects, this is a masterpiece and you should definitly watch it, just like last season. Only if you can lower your moral limits.

Japanese NEET tragically dies. Finds himself in another world blah, blah, blah. We have all heard of this premise before. It's not particularly unique. It's an isekai series spawned form other notable isekai series and the fact that this is the only thing that anime consumers have an appetite for.

I don't want to have an overly negative tone because for what it's worth Mushoku Tensei is fine. Like a lot of series that I would give a strong 6 to a light 7. Mushoku Tensei has some great moments, some pretty terrible moments and some ok moments. The premise is here is the protagonist ... is reincarnated in another world as an heir to a noble aristocrat and his wife in a small village. The protagonist retains memories of his previous life and uses this opportunity to start anew and have a "good" life.

In my humble opinion. This is almost the perfect example of an overrated show. Mushoku Tensei is a very smart series. It's entertaining and it throws you curveballs by subverting viewer expectations and by having genuinely shocking plot-twists. It is not the typical campy, gorey, self-serious narrative that tends to catch on here in the west. Which is something that I really like about it. Even though I didn't care for the characters or the plot or anything like that I really did find it entertaining from a episode by episode standpoint.

Now why do I call it overrated? Well, to an extent it's because it can't overcome the trappings of it's genre. I am not only the only one who has become sick of Isekai series. For the past five years at least, Isekai series have become more and more abundant and have taken up more and more attention and dialouge in the general milieu.

Does Isekai as a genre suck? Honestly, I would have to say yes for several reasons. Isekai, outside of the trapped in another world angle, are nothing more than action adventures. The cast travels around a fictional world and fight monsters and meet new friends and enemies. So a great deal of time from a narrative standpoint involves nothing more than worldbuilding, foreshadowing or setup for future seasons or future light novel chapters. On top of that it has an ongoing plot, characters and backstories that it needs to establish. So just by the genre conventions alone, most isekai don't get the benefit of the doubt from me because they are juggling so much in 24 episodes that what chance do they have at being good?

Due to this huge amount of juggling and transitioning between different plot points, genre tropes, all the while trying to execute upon said things. Even when we get good characters. What screen time do they have to be fleshed out and fully realized? With the exception of the main cast the side characters don't get character arcs. What they get is half-baked backstories that are supposed to serve as character arcs. Almost every isekai that I have watched is flawed from this perspective as well.

I have heard several reviewers/commenters/anitubers say that this show has good, unique, original characters. After watching both seasons. I have to question were we even watching the same series? Theses characters are cut and paste archetypes from other fantasy/action-adventure isekai to their core. Every. single. one. With the exception of the man-god there is not one original character here in the slightest. Which accentuates with my biggest gripe. The characters aren't interesting. At all. They don't have interesting motivations, interesting emotions, neuroses, situations. Nothing.

If I can be bold here. Another huge problem with the isekai genre is that I feel that most of the authors are vastly confused about what genre they are. The way this series is constructed feels like a shounen action adventure. In a show like YuYu Hakusho, MHA, Black Clover. You don't necessarily need to have mature, interesting characters because that isn't the selling point of the genre. Nobody is watching HunterxHunter because they think Gon is a deep, thoughtful, interesting and relatable character. They are watching because all of the surrounding elements. The crazy, wacky villains, the characters designs, the visuals and action and powerups. That's the huge selling point for something like that and the isekai authors approach is very similar. However, for me that's just not enough to keep me involved or engaged. It's basic and not really enjoyable or thought provoking. Especially when it isn't executed with the same flair as the aforementioned series above.

The last 4 episodes of the second season were some of the best of the series. Which is something that I really appreciated about Mushoku Tensei is that the pacing works here/ The beginning of season 1 and the end of season 2 are good-great episodes of anime. Which is why I didn't want to be too negative and rip this show to shreds. My conclusion is that Mushoku Tensei is not disappointing. I started to watch this series expecting it to be one of the best anime of last year(2021). I was met with something that was entertaining for large swaths of it and is one of the best isekai I have seen a while. Albeit extraordinarily familiar and flawed in several areas that I care about

This is my first review I will be as objective as possible and I hope you do not make anyone angry

The whole series is a complete meh but don't misunderstand me it is a good meh within what fits the series is not a great thing but it is not bad either it is a solid story within what fits

although I think it should be called "convenience the anime" since (without going into spoilers) all important events happen for a convenience to give an example, in one part the protagonist saves a person who conveniently that person has contacts to pass it on to another ... island and so a good part of the series, and to finish this section, looking like an isekai really gives it a good face lift as it is different from others that I have seen

characters: this section will be the shortest since there is not much starting with the main character

protagonist: for some reason I can't emphasize with him, it doesn't make me interested with him I feel that his story before reincarnating is too much (I think it's because he's very Japanese, I mean his problems are very Japanese, I know that the public is Japanese but I think something stupid wow even on the wiki in Spanish it puts being Japanese as a weakness) or it covers more than necessary that I can use something else, the good thing I can say is that this one did not "pow" he was born as a baby and wanted to live his life again this is unique unlike other protagonists such as: subaru, kirito, kazuma and a long etc. actually I would consider him a normal character who does not stand out from others

the redhead: it is a character that although it does not have a huge motivation, it is not a character that his presence is ugly, it is a character and with a good evolution

The green haired Indian: this one would say that he is the best of the 3 I like his motivation and his personality is quite good, he has a good evolution (I feel that he deserves a spin-off)

These three in sets have incredible chemistry I don't hate any of them (like any of the villains) and I expect more from them

One thing that I can say that disappointed me was the total failure of an antagonist since they are only the dynamic trio here and there is no one imposing on the way, but outside of that it is a series to turn off the brain and see one day with nothing what to do and just kill time

(this is my first review and my first time doing it in another language I hope you have no problems reading this)

I made an account just to review this series since I binged it in 2 days and felt the reviews were either unfairly critical or overly positive. My feelings are mixed, but I think the show is still worth watching. My review contains spoilers.

Should you watch this when there are loli fanservice moments? (there are fanservice moments for different body types like busty elves and strong cat women, but the lolis get the most attention)

If it offends you to the point where you think anyone who isn't against it is suspicious or it's just not your thing, then NO. The romance interests are all lolis, ... except for one who just looks the part and is mentally the same age as the MC. The one who gets the most screen time in both seasons is underage though.

If you're mostly indifferent, then I would say YES. It's still worth giving a chance due to the beauty of the art and emotional story beats. There's a lot of focus on the MC's relationship with his new family and redemption arcs. The fight scenes are also really well animated and it's fun seeing the different biomes and life of the people and creatures in each respective biome.

Most reviewers can agree that the production value is very high, so I'm going to skip over the visuals and sound and go straight to the story.

The series started out strong and has many gripping moments sprinkled throughout, but my only gripes are that it drags in between major plot points, some characters seem to get way too much screen time, and the world building could be expanded upon. I wanted more fights against enemies since most of the fight animation was used for sparring moments between the main characters. I also would have liked more lore and exploration of the various continents, but what we got was acceptable. I just wish there was less talking, especially with random side characters (like the horse guy), and things moved faster between story beats.

The first two episodes of season 1 were really tight, and then it drags because the focus shifts to the MC's relationship with a red headed tsundere child who is violent, loud, and not redeemable until halfway through the 2nd season when she levels up and tries to protect the MC. Can we please get a tsundere that isn't abusive, annoying, and takes more than 15 episodes to become less insufferable?

I'm an advocate for freedom of expression when it comes to art and I do like ecchi, but even I think the fanservice gets excessive at some points. Sometimes it feels out of place or forced. Like the episode where the 11-12 year old MC is stripped down naked and imprisoned by the beast people. It's implied that he's doing sexual things with the monkey guy, but it turns out he's just sitting on top of him and giving him a massage. I didn't mind it, but it seemed really random. I'm guessing the creators just wanted to throw in shota fanservice for the hell of it, which I'm not against, but maybe they just needed to be more creative with it.

As for the characters, most of them were likable or at least interesting, but I wasn't that invested in any of them. I was more interested in the world they were living in and what happened after the magic blast. The only character I didn't care much for was the 1st love interest. I found the red haired tsundere to be really insufferable. There's a reason why she comes in 3rd in MAL rankings, after the main character who's a perverted lolicon, despite the amount of screen time she got, so that's saying something. Roxy is the most liked character despite being present in far few episodes. I'm glad it seems the tsundere will be out of the way for the 3rd season, but she could still come back for a bit of romantic rivalry.

The magenta haired demon loli was also grating. It seems like all the loli characters that weren't related to the MC (except for Roxy who isn't technically a loli) are just made to be insufferable. I get it's for a gag, but I wish they just didn't scream or yell as much. Being loud in voice and design doesn't equal funny.

Basically, to sum this all up: watch it for the visuals, beautiful opening soundtracks, fight scenes, and the fantasy world. The family moments are nice too despite how flawed they are. And it's satisfying to see the MC slowly evolve past his traumas from the old world, but he has a lot of work to do. I hope we'll get more Roxy moments in season 3 and a bit of exploration of the fortress in the sky. I'm also interested to see more about the agendas and motivations of the dragon guy and the god character.