Mushoku Tensei II: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

Imagine this scenario. You get home after a long day of work and doordash some orange chicken from your local Chinese restaurant. When you receive your food, you realize that your little to-go container doesn’t have orange chicken in it; hell, it doesn’t even have Chinese food in it. You stare down 3 tacos, chips and queso, and a fucking canned horchata from a Mexican restaurant you’ve never heard of. You have more questions than answers, especially since both restaurants can’t do anything about it and Doordash is offering you an insulting 6.90 in credit off of your 25-dollar meal as a pittance. With no ... other options, you eat that meal, and it’s damn good, about as good as that orange chicken you were supposed to have. You’re able to go to sleep that night in a fairly positive mood, although you still kind of yearn for that orange chicken. Just like in Mushoku Tensei season 2, sometimes, you don’t get what you want, but somehow, you wind up more than satisfied with the result.

For those walking into Mushoku Tensei season 2 expecting a continuation of the adventure story from season 1, you're about to open up your damn tacos because this season almost completely hinges on character development. You see, Rudy is depressed now; I would be too if my girlfriend of 5 years ghosted me right after we had sex for the first time. But this isn’t your typical anime depression where the main character talks to a guy that helps him get over whatever is afflicting him in one episode, no, no, no, this shit lasts for most of the season. The extent of his depression fluctuates; he bottoms out with his suicide attempt in episode 3 and he “peaks” in episode 12, but between those periods, there is seldom a moment where he just constantly improves. The essential theme behind it is that two good things can not happen in a row. Every high this man gets is immediately contrasted with a low: he’ll be depressed, then he’ll get some good news that is immediately followed by disappointment to shut down any feelings of joy that he might’ve had.

The decision to give Rudy erectile dysfunction is so symbolic that it would make your high school english teacher fucking swoon. Giving a perpetually horny character the inability to be horny while contrasting his erectile dysfunction with his mental dysfunction is just *chef's kiss* absolutely genius storytelling. His erectile dysfunction also serves as the last bastion of his depression in the latter parts of the story, and when it is cured via a 7 episode “will they, won't they” romance with perennial childhood friend Sylphy, it winds up hitting way harder than it has any business doing. Actually, referring to the romance as “will they, won’t they” misrepresents it a tad; the ball was always in Sylphy’s court as she could’ve revealed herself to Rudeus at any time, so it’s really a “will she, won’t she” romance if you will. The constant edging that comes with this part of the story can come off as drawn out to some audiences, but for me, Sylphy’s character development and intrapersonal conflicts throughout the season made that never happen.

This season helps maintain the continuity of Mushoku Tensei using odd amounts of realism or attention to detail to excel in ways other anime do not. The beginning segments with Sara and Counter Arrow were oddly realistic in the way they showed the cautious social improvements a depressed person attempts to make; this realism got turned up to 11 when they showed a sudden downward spiral with plenty of self-destruction. Most anime don’t use depression as a catalyst for character development; if they do, the depression is short-lived and resolved linearly. As stated above, neither of these happen in Mushoku Tensei season 2. The conversation with Nanahoshi is a glorified 20-minute info dump: an info dump that I was on the edge of my seat to consume. I generally dislike info dumps of this magnitude, but the sheer impact of the information being dumped and the extracurriculars with Sylphy during the conversation kept it interesting. Or hell, even the way they characterize side characters. There are 12 characters either introduced or re-established and expanded on this season, and none of them feel like a waste of time that won’t be utilized as the series goes on; characters like Sara have fulfilled their duty to the plot and won’t appear for much later feel like their arcs are completed: they don’t need extra development to make them feel like quality. Side characters that received incomplete characterization, such as Zanoba and Cliff, were set up to be reused in the latter parts of the story. On paper, this seems like a fairly simple decision to make that clears a pretty low bar of establishing your side characters to a great extent before you make them do important things in the plot, but you’d be surprised. Many anime skip this simple step that honestly gives out pure brownie points to viewers who consume the entire series.
Time to address the elephants in the room.

The second season of the Mushoku Tensei is arguably more polarizing than the first season. No, no, no, I’m not referring to polarization between the people that think Mushoku Tensei is fucking disgusting and the people who ignore those possibility disgusting elements to enjoy a nuanced narrative, I’m referring to polarization between people that liked the first season of Mushoku Tensei but can’t decide if the second season is amazing or dogshit. From the recommended tag, the 10/10 rating, or just the content of this review, you probably can ascertain my position on the matter, so I’m going to make an effort to defend it.

“The animation is worse and they clearly didn’t put in enough effort/ the production quality sucks!!”

Congratulations. You have officially downgraded from a Ferrari to a Ferrari that has driven 4 miles outside of the dealership. The animation is slightly worse in some spots and slightly less detailed than before in others. It’s not that noticeable, and I could only see it being jarring to viewers watching side by side with content from the first season. This is simply a consequence of Mushoku Tensei season 2’s existence. Season 1 was in production for 3 years; season 2 only had a year and a half. For a season that is mostly conversation, it makes sense that in half the time, the animation would be worse. The combat scenes of this season, although few and far between, are still detailed to the same extent as the first season, so I have a reasonable level of trust that the second cour will be better in this regard. Still, this isn't that big of a deal and it shouldn’t heavily impact your enjoyment of the series, if at all.

“ The adaptation sucks because this quote from volume 7, page 46, paragraph 4, sentence 3 wasn’t said by Rudeus in episode 3!!”

This goes beyond Mushoku Tensei. In general, people need to realize that completely faithful adaptations are so rare because most series just don’t have time for that shit. If everything from volumes 7-9 was fully adapted, this season would’ve been 15-16 episodes long. Cuts have to be made and as long as they don’t comprise the story or pacing of the series, I have no problem with them.

“Why is Rudeus regressing/why did he relapse back into depression? He needs to get over it!!”

Aw yes, how dare the anime character you're trying to self-project upon have characteristics of a real person. You see, real people often don’t improve linearly. They regress, they fail, they self-destruct. This happens to a greater extent if that person has mental health issues, which, surprise surprise, Rudeus does. I honestly don’t understand how the realism of a character can be a negative point for a viewer.

“Where is my op with the cool backgrounds behind it? *Sigh* Another issue courtesy of lazy production!!”

First of all, the op works like that for the first 5 episodes, fuck you. Second of all, Ranoa is one place, and the content that played in the background for these ops mainly showcased the new environment in which the characters found themselves. With no new environments, upwards of 11 minutes of background content for the same city would’ve been repetitive, so the decision to make a traditional op is logical. It probably will be back for the second cour anyway.

“The Ranoa arc is boring sol garbage that had me disinterested from the jump!!”

Honestly, I can’t really argue with that one, and this is where I’m going to conclude. Although the beginning of the season is standard, if not a little dampened Mushoku Tensei, Ranoa is a glorified sol arc. There’s little action, a whole lot of conversation, and the majority of the arc hinges on Rudy and Sylphy’s relationship. If you don’t have the patience to sit through “will they, won’t they” romances, if you hate slice of life, or if the only reason you enjoyed the first season was the action, you’ll probably dislike this season. Coming in blind to this season, I expected something similar to the first season, the end result wasn’t that, but I still enjoyed it to a great extent. Historically speaking, the first cour of Mushoku Tensei seasons serves as a setup for the season cour to excel. Let’s hope that’s the same with this season.


Thank You for Reading

Mushoku Tensei is one of those rare modern Anime that can truly stand on it's own in every possible department. It's a shame how such a thing as an all round good Anime is almost a relic of the past.

Plot: It'd be a good idea to first watch the OVA before diving into the season.

The season proper starts exactly where it last left off, in a hovel, on a ruined landscape, in the midst of a calamity. It picks up from there and transports gradually to a new part of the world in Mushoku Tensei. The theme, if at the beginning was one of ... exploration and wonder, is now one of self-exploration and doubt, leaning finally towards some sort of clarity, one little step at a time.

Of course it will still have it's moments of sharp and quick action, but the general mood seems to be one of reflection and contemplation. As such this season is a sort of character study, as well as a study of nature(nature in the sense of a person's nature, not environment). Also, instead of rampant humour, pathos and brooding seems to be the way this season is shaped.

Characters: Apart from the main character, almost none of the characters are familiar. As such, this season deals with an entirely new set of people. The interplay between these characters is a little stiff at times, probably due to the tone shift, but it really shines through whenever heavy topics come at hand.

Especially, one scene that caught will catch the attention is when a Drunk adventurer complains about the look on Rudeus' face. It is not difficult to understand where it comes from, and the ramifications are extremely clear. It sort of sets up the emotional tug of war going on inside his mind.

Animation: In terms of animation, Mushoku Tensei has not lost a single step. It is still the show that wowed it's audience last time around, and is still capable of producing such moments that make people take notice of it. A very strong performance again in this department.

Music: Music was one of the strong points of Mushoku Tensei, and again it is proving to be just as good. The background music gives a much needed tone to the visuals, and both compliment each other really well.

The highlight of this segment was very clearly the use of the Opening theme. So much so that the openings are something of a genre by themselves.

Enjoyment: If it has not been said already a million times, Mushoku Tensei is exactly what the true potential of an Isekai looks like. There is something for almost everybody to enjoy, and it is very rare to find something of this quality.

Everything this anime was praised for in the first season--high production values, cinematic direction, extensive worldbuilding and engaging turning points--is now nonexistent as it hones in on all the things that made this a nauseatingly unpalatable work from the very beginning. The only thing that remains this season is what Mushoku Tensei has always been at its core: An unsophisticated and unprofessional generic power fantasy isekai with fetishistic eroticism as its defining characteristic.

Mushoku Tensei wants to have its cake and eat it by being a pensive fantasy epic about redemption with immersive worldbuilding whilst incorporating trashy seasonal ecchi power fantasy elements operating on hentai ... logic into its narrative. Instead, the former narrative style gets engulfed by the latter because the author can’t help himself and the end result is a sum lesser than the parts that reads like a degenerate fanfiction masquerading as a coming-of-age story. This disconnect plagued the first season and jeopardized any prospect of Mushoku Tensei being a serious story, but the second season thoroughly exposes this tonal and thematic mess as the failed assimilation of the two antithetical storytelling approaches that it is; this season only serving to expand the MC’s forced harem. To some, the insufferably grating MC is part of what makes this isekai special. In actuality, the series shows no signs of meta-commentary about this character chasing underage girls as a 21st-century first-world Japanese male inside a medieval fantasy world. The show instead fully embraces it and I suppose its only half-hearted attempt at self-awareness is always playing it off as laughs with the overreliance on vulgar humour. As with any joke, it stops being funny the nth time it's used. Rudeus is continuously shown to still have the mental age and awareness of a 34-year-old contemporary otaku through various forms of dialogue and his interactions with Man-God even depict him in his past-life state to reinforce that fact, yet the story does nothing meaningful about it in order to justify the very concept in which it's founded upon and lets him fully pursue his perversion. Moreover, it’s awfully convenient how the worldbuilding of this extremely derivative medieval fantasy setting is fine-tuned to the MC’s tastes (whilst pretending it’s vice-versa), such as the low age of consent, society’s liberal attitudes towards it, physically ageless lolis for him to obsess over (e.g. Roxy), etc. Getting killed by a truck was the best thing to happen to him because not only can he and does he finally act on his pent-up perversions with no repercussions, but he also immediately jumps from the rock-bottom of the social hierarchy to high-value with no effort and self-improvement whilst being a natural prodigy for everyone to revolve around. Rudeus is such a skilled badass that even while depressed, the leader of an S-ranked Adventurer party mistakes his low energy as him hiding his power level due to looking down on his peers and thus develops an inferiority-complex towards him. This is totally not a wish-fulfilment series. It's a shame Soldat's character among many others has to be brought down like this in order to inauthentically raise the MC up. Redemption story this is not, and in line with the insipid conventions of modern isekai, au contraire is the normalization of escapism and the promotion of docility.

Straight off the bat, this arc is about the MC’s erectile dysfunction. The 34-year-old psyche inside a healthy teenage body is now impotent from the shame and trauma of his underage cousin leaving him after bedding her last season. There is no shame in the act of bedding his underage cousin itself and using that instead as an opportunity for the MC to grow, of course; which was instead celebrated due to everything I have already established about the type of series this is. The new ED premise is farcical on multiple layers. It’s the start of a new story despite the one thus far being left unfinished, and the plot immediately degenerates into aimless, feeble meandering with lethargic pacing that reads more like the author’s escapist hentai fanfiction than ever before. It takes an inoperative veer from Rudeus having to escape an alien continent and reuniting his family into him breezing through a magic academy in laxity (as if one extremely derivative setting for this series wasn’t enough) and hoping he’ll somehow cure his impotence there. There is no defined act structure nor genuine narrative drive and momentum, and it feels like a tedious detour from the initial story. More importantly, however, is that this entire premise is made all the more laughable by the fact that it’s based on the dopey contrivance of Eris’ unrealistically stupidly written letter and irrational decision to abandon Rudeus. The author struggles to write believable character flaws. Thus, the story here is not only nonsensical, unengaging, moves at glacial speed and is tonally dissonant from pre-established plot-points, but its very foundation is contrived and it should never exist. In fact, the erectile dysfunction arc is so bad and borders on filler that the manga skipped it entirely and reduced it to supplemental content. And the worst part about all this is the resolution through familiarity - operating on the aforementioned hentai logic that in any other story would read as a cop-out if this entire arc wasn’t just an excuse to add a collectable to the expansive harem.

As I said, this season only serves to expand Rudeus' forced harem because that is the type of series Mushoku Tensei ultimately is - a generic power fantasy harem of which the fantastical elements merely orbit. Otherwise, the narrative wouldn’t be so unfocused and riddled with inconsequential subplots. The author should’ve simply played to his strengths of writing a fantasy epic (as flawed as it already was) instead of trying to write character-driven introspectives, since he can’t write believable characters and character dynamics. Dialogues are extremely corny and all the characters seem to have IQs on the left end of the bell curve in order for the plot to progress based on unintelligent character decisions, accidental happenings, poor character drama as well as plot conveniences as if the causality of this world flows to the tune of Rudeus. A good example of this is the embarrassing feud between Rudeus and Sara, but there isn’t a more egregious one than the entire “will-they-won’t-they” plotline between Rudeus and Sylphiette which is excruciatingly self-aggrandized into seven episodes of non-happenings between an apparently dunce MC who (still) lacks any social cues and a love interest who apparently only now is discovering the basics of life; dragged on so the finale can serve as a “reward” for the viewer because this anime knows exactly the people it caters to. The main cast is just exaggerated isomorphs of trite and vapid anime archetypes whilst most of the rest of the cast are one-notes who will typically be used for comedy relief that stops being funny the second or third time the joke is made--such as Elinalise, who's entire character revolves around sex and represents everything vulgar about the series. One might've thought Eris was the most annoying female in the series for her muscle-brained tsundere demeanour, but turns out Sylphiette and Elinalise are even worse. Seems as though every season there’s only one respectable, dynamic character in the narrative. Last season this was Ruijierd and this time it seems to be Ariel, though it's too bad she's unable to carry like the former.

TL;DR: Inconsistent and mediocre production values, bad compositing, no directional finesse, dreadful and bloated storyboards, lethargic pacing, repulsive thematics, drenched in plot contrivances, good character designs with annoyingly awful character-writing and even worse character drama, extremely derivative world, infantile humour, and atrocious dialogue.

Mushoku Tensei takes a subgenre of anime culture that’s always been tawdry, packages it in a fantasy epic, and the package starts leaking and creasing to the inside contents. Any sophistication that the show suggested it might have in the first season is thrown out the window, and production values can't save it this time. If you want an immersive and cinematic fantasy epic, watch Wit's Attack on Titan or Ufotable's Fate/Zero. If you seek an introspective coming-of-age anime with themes of the importance of bonds/family/kinship, there are a plethora of titles in this medium across genres that do that better. Unfortunately, Mushoku Tensei fails to fulfil the niche of being a hybrid competently; which is a shame because Rifujin is not unable to write a good narrative and Mushoku Tensei had potential to be something good.

Imagine you read lord of the rings, and you really loved it. Then you heard there was a movie adaptation and you got really excited about it. The first movie gets released and its pretty good. Of course the books will always be better, thats just how it is, but you really had a good time watching the movie adaptation.

Then the second movie gets released, and you are ready for another 3 hours of amazing world building, fights, good dialogue... instead what you get is 2 hours of Frodo telling Sam about his erectile dysfunction while hes smelling Galadriel's used panties.

This very well might be the most controversial anime of the last few years. I want to make one thing clear though. Mushoku Tensei is an anime and Light Novel, NOT a political statement. Are the controversial aspects of MT cause for concern and gaping holes in the consistency of the show? Depends on how you look at it. But it isn't fair to the series if it is judged based on today's standards as it is clearly in some medieval/fantasy world.

Mushoku Tensei season two can be separated into two arcs essentially, the post-Eris adventuring arc and then the Ronoa school of magic arc. ... The first arc is standard Mushoku Tensei, business as usual. Rudy, being the stud that he is, goes adventuring solo, finds a group of people, and does his thing. Obviously, I don't want to spoil things but then he finds himself at a school. Here, the style changes, there is less action and an increased emphasis on humor, more than what was typically present in episodes past. There is also a large romance element at play as well. Towards the end of the season, there are some major plot developments that keep viewers guessing. Sound, animation, and voice acting are all TOP NOTCH, I need not say anything further, the production team absolutely killed it yet again.

Now on to my criticisms, first off is the story. I know that Mushoku Tensei is an adventuring story but there is no real tension in the series, there really isn't any end goal. This is a major issue because it just saps a lot of the tension and excitement from the series. I guess it is fun to watch Rudy and his friends/lovers run about and have fun but there is no goal for Rudy, which is made evidently clear at one point later in this season. We get almost nothing about Hitogami and Orsted in this season which is yet another bummer. Rudy is also stupid overpowered so we know he's probably not going to die as he is eons more powerful than anybody and everybody on campus.

The main purpose and moral that Mushoku Tensei is trying to push is that Rudeus, having been reincarnated into this world, has turned over a new leaf and actually wants to work to improve himself unlike in his previous life as a shut-in. Here's where the controversies of MT finally become a cause for concern. Rudy is SUPPOSEDLY trying to fix himself but almost everything he does is contradictory to that very goal whether that is worshipping literal panties or groping random girl's breasts, it just hurts to see no sign of improvement in a character that I try to support and defend. In the first cour or two, yeah, I can understand some lapses in judgment but in season two we don't get any of those inner character shifts where he strives to become better. Moments like Paul's reunion and Rudy's bond with Eris were very beautiful parts of the first and second cour but it seems like most of these moments are just gone in season two. Remember how I said that Rudy has no end goal? Let me tie that back here because, in season two, the world just feels like Rudy's playground. The inspiring story of the shut-in on his way to start fresh in another world is paused so that he can let his degenerate fantasies of old run free with his newfound power in his new world. That sentence alone encapsulates what goes wrong with Mushoku Tensei season two. If you love Mushoku Tensei, you'll most likely love this. If you were skeptical about the first and/or second cour. You might want to steer clear of season two. Final Score: 7/10

Drumroll for the return of one of the best isekai anime ever made and objectively the best isekai anime in this season.

Continuing the story of our currently depressed magician and what depression of being left (again) do to him.We can see how much Rudeus has changed here,he far less optimistic,joke less and talk less.

In the first season we see how he explored the new world,figuring out how it works,enjoying his new life while here it's more about him exploring his self,figuring out what to do with his new life,taking a step by step in a journey to become "adult" again.


Compared to the last season you ... can actually feel how brood and bleaker this season is,the tone is darker and there far less humor and more serious scene.

The animation quality is still the same,no downgrade at all,the fighting scene is still a chef kiss,the studio deserves an applause for maintaining the quality.The opening is also still the same, instead of making a full blown opening animation,they prefer to play the opening song as a bg instead and safe to say, it's a good choice.


This is the anime you guys definitely have to watch this season,this is the main course,this one is the MUST WATCH in this season, especially if you love the first season

Simply put, this season sucks. The magic academy arc is incredibly boring. Rudeus' motivation went from "I need to return home from a demon continent and reunite my family" in season 1 to "I'm going to chill at school and maybe fix my erectile dysfunction at some point." The magic academy arc is a total slog, nothing adventurous is happening like the first season. Everything feels both rushed and slow at the same time, minor plot points just seem to happen for the sake of happening before they are swiftly moved past to get to the next minor plot point (none of which really has ... any impact on Rudeus as a character or on our understanding of the world).

There is nothing fancy about the animation, it's very stilted and "passable," and they stopped doing the cool thing of playing the opening (and ending) music while scenes are happening. This season feels completely by the numbers, I could be watching any number of a thousand different isekais and get the same experience. There isn't any need to explain further, I liked season 1 and season 2 is simply not worth continuing to watch.

At its core, Mushoku Tensei is two very different styles of storytelling that the author forced and failed to fit together; at times it is a fantasy epic with decently rich worldbuilding; at other times it plays like a trashy seasonal ecchi isekai or horny fanfiction. This disconnect was largely true for S1, and is unfortunately much worse in S2.

If you're watching S2 because of the hints of greatness in S1 - the epic set pieces, world-building of cultures and cities across continents, sweeping vistas and gorgeous animation - you mostly get more of that in S2. But, its marred by an increasingly prominent focus ... on the hentai wish-fulfillment aspect that's always been present in Rudy's character.

The story continues to show you that Rudy still has the mental age and awareness of a 34 year old man from modern day Japan (in quips, internal monologues, conversations with the Man God, etc), but either doesn't care or is happy to throw out "modern sensibilities and morals" in the way of letting Rudy fully pursue his perversion. When it comes to horny scenes, the anime largely plays by hentai / ecchi logic and any sophistication or intelligence that the show suggests it might have had is thrown out the window. There's no hint of self-awareness or meta commentary that this is depicting how a real-life otaku obsessed with waifus and underage girls would act in a fantasy world. No, rather, the show celebrates and fully embraces it.

For many die-hard Mushoku Tensei fans, that's exactly what makes the show great and subversive. For me, it takes a subgenre of anime culture that I've always felt is trashy and cringe, and packages it in an (actually quite good) fantasy epic. For me, the two pieces combined is jarring and makes the sum lesser than the parts.

If you're the type of person who thinks a masterpiece is Lord of the Rings mixed with Ugly Bastard hentai (let's be honest that's who the MC is), this is the show for you. If you're comfortable with the idea of a boy with the memory and mental age of a 34 year old man acting out his pent up perversions, this is the show for you. For everyone else, this is not the fantasy epic you were hoping for.

Mushoku Tensei II: Welcome to Incel Hogwarts

Just watch Ep4, Ep9, Ep11 and Ep12 and you'll miss absolutely nothing of consequence. This season has all the trappings of a filler arc, but I'm told it is actually a quite condensed version of what happens in the manga. God knows what dreck they must have cut if THIS is what we're left with.

Story: This season the plot alternates between Rudy crying and Rudy assaulting a series of teenage girls in an attempt to reclaim his manhood. His erectile dysfunction is a physical manifestation of his depression and anxiety, but the episodes spend an inordinate amount of time ... focusing on the symptom and not on the cause.

Artwork: Basically fine. The cracks show during fast-paced action sequences involving magic as it seems like there are frames missing from character movement - but don't worry, there are only a handful of those across 12 episodes. There's clearly some talent, particularly in the character design, but much of the season takes place in one environment so there isn't much variety.

Characters: This season introduces a string of forgettable side characters and resurrects a couple that should have stayed forgotten. Per tradition, the female cast barely have a single complete personality between them, but the men don't fare much better. There really isn't anything for anyone do other than react to Rudy.

What can I say that's positive? The opening credits music is solid.

If you want nothing but action then this anime is not for you.
Its a story of redemption, self worth, and introspection. This season especially so. This season is mainly about rudeus at his lowest since he reincarnated, and about his mental state, how he feels about himself and others around him. Even some of the greatest moments of the first season were about his mental state.(him leaving town with Roxy, saying bye to aisha, his fight and makeup with paul)these are all flawed characters and this anime studies mainly rudeus as he tries to figure himself out and not be such a POS ever ... again
There won't be much action for a while either so if that's all you want/care about don't watch this season.

After the controversial ending of it’s first season, I was expecting the second season would somehow address the issues I and many others had with this series. The second season not only fails to improve any of the shortcomings of Mushoku Tensei, it doubles down on them. Almost every aspect I praised about the earlier parts of this series, has either been watered down or been removed completely. Except for one or two, none of the new characters are at all interesting, worldbuilding has been put to the wayside, production values has had a noticeable downgrade, and this season was just an unbearable booooring slog ... to sit through. Like an entire span of episodes where almost nothing happens, even the most cliche high school anime would have had me more engaged during it’s runtime.

Characters that I thought were midly interesting like Rudjerd or Roxy only appear briefly in this season, as the focus is given to Rudeus’ pursuit of finding his mother. This seemed to be the initial goal at first, but that slowly fades into the background, as the actual storyline reveals itself. I was more or less indifferent with this early portion of the show as although the new characters Rudeus encounters like Sarah and her group of cardboard cutouts weren’t that interesting, at least this set of episodes actually felt like it had some sort of momentum going on. However all of that is thrown out the window as after the failed attempt of doing the deed with Sarah (who's another young girl), Rudeus discovers that the actual plot device of this season was hiding in his pants all along.

The whole E.D plotline is a fucking joke. I am aware that this series includes sexual content in it’s story and themes, and I have no problem with what’s included in a piece of media, but execution is what matters. Any attempt at thoughtful introspection felt disingenuous because just like Mushoku Tensei’s flimsy handling of redemption and relationships, I just couldn’t take Rudeus’s struggles with impotence seriously, especially of how they couple it with Rudeus’ supposed struggles with mental health after Eris left him (which was also weird for her character btw). All you need to do is compare Rudeus with other characters in the medium of animanga to see how paper thin and embarrassing the exploration of mental health is. Shinji Ikari, Punpun Onodera, Guts, and etc. all have been way better examples of portraying sexual frustrations in their respective stories. Also, another thing that’s not gonna help me take the impotence plot seriously is unfunny and cringe sex jokes that you would expect from another generic harem anime set in high school, Mushoku Tensei just couldn't resist itself.

Speaking of high school, one of the most baffling story decisions for me is how this season decides to entrap all the characters at this unimaginative school setting, when the saving grace of this show is in its lore and worldbuilding. Other shows have benefited from smaller settings before, but what frustrates me about Mushoku Tensei (in addition to the worldbuilding thing) is that the school is used as such an obvious stage for the characters to exist in rather than a concrete situation that they would have to figure out how to deal with. What’s bad about this is that rather than making the situation or setting itself interesting, the writer would rather insert bullshit drama into it because he doesn't know how to write real people, and this lasts for a large chunk of this season.

Just like with Eris, I wasn’t particularly rooting for Sylphie’s relationship with Rudeus. Largely because it felt one sided and weird how Sylphie would do whatever it took to drive Rudeus’ broken stick shift, while Rudeus suddenly became an even more bone headed doofus who can’t recognize Sylphie for most of the season. Just so this long drawn out game of “will they? won’t they?” reminiscent again from harem anime or your standard isekai show, be played out as the main drama of the school setting. Because beyond that, literally nothing else happens in the school. It genuinely felt like filler. New and recurring side characters get introduced but they contribute absolutely nothing to the plot, as characters like the elf chick who likes to get railed a lot and Rudeus’ otaku minion just further test my patience. There were literally only TWO new characters that I sort of liked. Nanohoshi and Ariel were alright, but even then I question what this series intends for them in the future. Also, there was this little bit about slavery, but isekai shows have always had appalling portrayals of that, so don’t really need to mention that part.

BUT the main thing that broke the camel’s back for me about Mushoku Tensei is that the season more or less confirmed for me that it seems to belong to this subset of anime that I personally despise. There have been worse shows in the past no doubt, but much like my vitriol hatred for Code Geass, this series wants to have it’s cake and eat it too. Mushoku Tensei is about Rudeus’ redemption as much as it’s about being a pensive fantasy epic, which is to say its’ not about either. It drops us into it’s immersive world, chock full of characters and stories, but just like Rudeus, the writer just couldn’t help himself out from including trashy ecchi and seasonal power fantasy self insert elements that belong to this garbage subgenre of anime culture that failed to mesh well. Shocking I know that Lord of the Rings doesn't go well with ugly bastard hentai. But anyway, what you get is a product no different from a lot of those terrible light novel adaptations that try to be something or try to convince people that they were something.

This season was such a disappointment. My expectations were already not that high after how season one ended, but now I don't know if I'll even bother to continue watching this series. If I would, it would probably be more out of morbid curiosity and my love for the fantasy genre. But even then that still ain't gonna be enough to change my overall opinion of Mushoku Tensei. When you strip away all the pretty visuals, cool action scenes, and catchy music, it goes to show how it's no different from the generic blob of isekai shows that gets released every season. In fact, it may be worse with all its pretense.

Pretty fitting when it's called the “Grandfather of Isekai”

Studio Bind continue to show the world what a masterclass in adaptation looks like. Monologue omissions and minor detail changes aside, Mushoku Tensei Season 2 captures the spirit of the Light Novel in a way that few other anime adaptations have, and shines brightly as a paradigm of fantasy writing.

This season really exemplifies why me and so many others love Mushoku Tensei. The richness of the world, Rudeus’ character development, and how real all the characters feel is on full display. Thanks to Bind’s beautiful direction, you really get a sense that you’re right there in the world with Rudeus. Growing and learning alongside him. ...

The main theme of this season is accepting loss and moving forward. Following last season’s finale, Rudeus is a broken husk of himself. Literally at rock bottom and with no one to turn to. In both of his lives, he’s had a massive fear of abandonment, so when the only family he’s got in this new world is taken away from him, he has two options. Give up and fall into despair like his previous life, or move forward. Rudeus, after getting some external help chooses to move forward and not waste the second chance at life he’s been given.

The audience is able to see a character go from his darkest moment to better than ever. This evolution doesn’t feel forced or cheap. It’s not given. It’s earned. Rudeus puts in the hard work, opens his heart up and makes connections with people, realising that while painful, life is still worth living. I can’t emphasise enough how big this is for a guy who spent the better part of 20 years shut-in in his house. The emotional impact of the biggest moments in this season can’t be overstated. Few shows can illicit goosebumps from episodes filled with pure dialogue. Mushoku is one of them.

Many will criticise Rudeus’ behaviour without consideration for the established reasons he acts the way he does. Without going too deep into a character analysis of Rudeus for the sake of this review, suffice to say he is a broken man. Someone who has had horrific experiences in both his original life and reincarnated life. While physically an adult in his past life, he was still a child mentally. That is, until this season. While he’s not a stand up guy yet, he’s made serious strides in this season to improve as a character and it’s a satisfying journey. By the episode finale, I walked away with a feeling that our MC had become a man.

Yes, he’s still got his cringe moments and he’s constantly down bad. But what draws us to this series is how flawed Rudeus is. I don’t want a perfect archetype of a main character. I want someone that I can empathise and relate to. We all have our character traits we’d like to change and seeing someone overcome obstacles and gradually change theirs allows us to strive to be something greater. That’s what fiction should be and that’s what Mushoku Tensei shows.

As with any Light Novel adaptation, there’s some cut and changed content in the anime. Of course, Studio Bind being created purely to make MT mitigates some of that, but you still have the occasional changed or omitted scene. Regardless, I’m very content with the end result we got as a LN reader. The spirit of the story was preserved and even enhanced in some key moments. The fears about the animation and pacing were totally unfounded as it ended up being just as good if not better than the first season.

There’s not as much action in this season as it serves as an emotional and developmental turning point compared to season 1 part 2s physical and combat development theme. But when it’s needed, Bind bring the sakuga like no one else. Episode 1, 3, 8 and a couple others have some Gorgeous animation that will knock your socks off.

There’s no shortage of praise that can be heaped onto Mushoku Tensei season 2, but the crux of it is that it expertly expands upon the previously introduced lore, world and story. Rudeus grows up in front of our very eyes and the emotional beats are excellent. An emotional and profound tale of grief, acceptance and growth. Mushoku Tensei is the gold standard of Fantasy Anime and a must watch for any fan of the medium.

Ah, Mushoku Tensei, an isekai widely regarded as one of the best of all time, but as things get critical acclaim, it gets a whole lot of clashing discourse. This season was the subject of a lot of argument around the anime community, and while that was a little upsetting to see, I’m glad many people continued to talk about this wonderful isekai series, even though it was clear that the first cour of Season 2 was not nearly as good as Season 1.

Whether it’s positive or negative, Mushoku Tensei makes you care about what you’re watching, it has a morally grey protagonist, who ... attempts to take steps forward to improve himself, and that’s what I enjoy watching. I don’t like Rudeus’ personality, but that’s the point, as while I don’t like a lot of his actions, I do like how he’s written. I don’t want to see another overpowered protagonist with no personality to show for, I also don’t want to see a goody-two-shoes protagonist that’s all for world peace, because let’s face it, the world has its darkness no matter what we do, and a character with a “perfect” personality is just plain boring. Furthermore, the world-building continues to be stellar, as unlike a good chunk of isekai, it’s actually rather interesting seeing the vast world and its different settings, like the university.

This season was a very enjoyable one, but it did have a rough start, as it rushed through the first arc, skipping a lot of context from the light novel. I’m not a reader myself, but it was clear that it wasn’t really up to snuff, at least compared to how well S1 was adapted. The events in the first arc, with Rudeus being depressed after the departure of Eris, while you kind of feel for the guy perhaps, some of the moments with him and other characters just rubbed me the wrong way. There was just too much of a focus on the perverse nature of Rudeus’ character, and while it was present as well in the rest of the cour, it felt more interesting there. The second part of the season in Ranoa University was a much more intriguing and engaging part of the story, as it mixed together big reveals around Rudeus’ past, along with some light hearted moments as well, which I feel the first arc lacked. We also got to see the return of a character I have missed dearly, and if you have watched Episode 0 with The Silent Fitz, then you know exactly who I’m talking about.

From a production standpoint, it was abundantly clear that this was a step down in terms of animation quality, and it could be due to a rushed production, or a lack of resources from Studio Bind. That said, the quality did improve, especially with the background shots still being relatively solid. It just didn’t have that majestic, detailed look that Season 1 had. Maybe you could say that Season 1’s production was something truly miraculous, truly special, compared to what we got here. The soundtrack was still solid, and both the OP and ED were great, though I did miss the openings playing in the background, as those felt more unique, and gave the series its special identity.

This series has a very rich cast of characters as well, and I mentioned Rudeus already, but I’ll elaborate and say that he’s still the weirdo from before, but there is significant character development to be seen, and some of the actions he takes are pretty thought-provoking, whether it’s because of his ED, or because of his PTSD from previous tragedies from Season 1. The series calls back on those past events very effectively, whereas a lot of other series may have just thrown those events of the past to the wayside, never looking back. Fitz was another very great character, and it was interesting how we all knew who Fitz’s identity truly was, but we were just waiting for Rudeus to figure it out. The pay-off from that was very worth it, and the process was honestly awesome, as we got to see thoughts from both of their perspectives, which led to some good recurring jokes. Every character in this anime has a level of depth to them, whether they’re a main character or side character, which is kind of rare to see in media these days, so props to the author for utilizing every character to their fullest potential.

Overall, this cour, while somewhat controversial, was a wonderful ride, and powered through its hiccups in the beginning, to still reaching great heights in the end. Despite a decline in animation quality compared to the previous season, I still enjoyed it a lot, which is a testament to the quality of the story at hand here, and there is surely much more to come, with the second cour in April 2024, and whatever lies beyond that.

I love Mushoku Tensei but ill get into why in a bit, first I have to say.
I keep seeing people mention on how boring this season is how could an action fantasy be so slow, ect
Hate to be the bearer of bad news but that was an assumption on your part, this story is a fantasy slice of life with action in it.
Action was never the main focus of the story, and even less so from here on. Minor spoiler there's probably about 12-15 more fights in the entire story left for Rudeus and only 5 or so have any plot significance. No, I didn't ... count them out but that's all I can remember.

That's my point, you're not gonna remember this story for the fight scenes they are few and far between. If you don't love the characters, aren't captivated by the world itself. Or, you don't care about a coming of age story about a traumatized man-child that never got past the mental age of 16, coming to learn about what it means to be a person. What it means to live a real life.
Then I'm sorry this isn't for you. You're not going to like it at all.
With that all being said, I still love it for everything else it has to offer.
If, you could care less about watching a disgusting, lowlife f*ck up, un-f*ck himself over a period of years. Move on now.

Gay Rudy

Yes Rudy is gay

Go watch it

It's a masterpiece

Joke review aside, this actually is super good. I loved the first season, but this is a step above in literally every way. The animation and storytelling are like an emotional gut punch constantly, and it makes me wanna keep coming back to watch more. Jobless Reincarnation has always been the isekai, but if it was actually real life, and this amazing season absolutely continues that. If you're a fan of isekais, definitely check this out. If you're not, definitely check this out. This isn't any of that "hey i'm in a new world with OP powers ... and a bunch of girls now love me!" bullcrap. This is genuine, emotional and well-written.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 takes a bold step away from the more traditional harem anime format that characterized its first season. The series undergoes a significant transformation, shifting its focus towards an adventure drama that explores elevated and complex storytelling. While the animation quality remains commendable, the change in tone may prove divisive among fans.

One of the most noticeable shifts in Season 2 is the departure from the conventional harem elements that defined the first season. The narrative delves into a more mature and intricate exploration of its characters and the world they inhabit. The storytelling, which was once straightforward, becomes more layered ... and sophisticated, providing a refreshing departure from the typical isekai fare.

However, this departure comes with its challenges. The plot, while more complex, introduces elements that may be considered juvenile and even include instances of kink perversion. This shift could be a potential deterrent for some viewers who enjoyed the more light-hearted approach of Season 1. As a result, the show may not cater to everyone's taste, and those expecting a continuation of the harem dynamics may find Season 2 less appealing.

The challenge in rating Mushoku Tensei Season 2 lies in its unusual thematic choices. The series demands a certain level of open-mindedness from its audience, as it explores territories not commonly found in mainstream anime. While the writing and character development have clearly evolved, this evolution may not resonate with all viewers, especially those attached to the more familiar elements of the first season.

On a positive note, the animation quality remains a standout feature, maintaining the high standards set by its predecessor. The visuals contribute to the immersive experience, ensuring that the audience is engaged throughout the narrative twists and turns.

In conclusion, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 is a daring departure from its initial formula, opting for a more mature and intricate narrative. The quality of animation is consistent, but the unconventional themes introduced may not appeal to everyone. Fans of the first season should approach Season 2 with an open mind, as the series continues to evolve in unexpected ways. Ultimately, whether one enjoys Season 2 depends on their willingness to embrace the significant tonal and thematic changes it brings to the table.

no matter what no one says i will defend this show with everything i have. i seen the tiktok jokes about the show and decided to give it a chance; i literally called out of work just so i can watch the 1st clue + s2 over the weekend and i can confirm that if u can get past the FEW questionable things the mc does then this anime is actually peak fiction. this anime single-handedly changed what i thought an isekai was. i don’t know whether it’s the production, the story telling, the animation, or what but i genuinely love this animanga

Absolutely dog shit! Not recommended at all.

Story starts from were it ended, nothing too extraordinary MC forgets his mother and again started to fuck around, basically he only think from his dick, mopping over Eris left him, he got so delusion about it that he got ED well what would you expect from a pedophile.

animation was pretty mediocre in 2nd season only priority scenes were well animated.

Sound design was pretty medicore as well as the OsT, there's litrally nothing to expect anything from the MC.

Author need to just make a hentai it would be far better for him, everyone in the series is ... horny as fuck wanting to get laid.

Not recommended watching at all.

This show is so.. SO BAD. I just can't believe that it's considered peak fantasy by so many people. This season's starting arc was the worst part, I truly considered to rate the whole season 3/10 because of the sheer physical pain from it's storytelling. I'm not joking, can't imagine that there is even one single person who didn't cringe from Rudy's maniacal obsession over Roxy's panties. In every stressful or just really any emotional moment in the first arc, the panties must play a role - he squeeses them in his pocket or smells them, or just thinks of them. It's ... so pathetic and cringe, I just can't take it. And the story is centered around his pp not getting hard, because his ex-loli girlfriend (she's like 14-15? when they sleeped together and he's >30yo + 15 (in isekai world) - that's like totally acceptable by everyone who liked the show) dumped him. Sorry what? This is the peak storytelling now? Pedo main character in a crappy story about pp not getting hard because of trauma that girl thrice under his age gave him? And he is so dumb too: in the second part he couldn't figure out that it was Silphie all along for like 6-7 episodes.

It's just unbearable to watch alone, watched it with friend for some laughs, I guess it can be amusing to watch trashy anime sometimes. But the problem is that everybody sincerely likes this show for some reason and I just can't wrap my head around it. Author's incel world view just hits hard his storytelling and every aspect of character development becomes tainted by it. I loved the beginning of the first season, when they learned magic and were just exploring the world, it's rules and boundaries + all characters were likeable, now they all are trash plot devices for author's warped sense of "what's more dumb and toxically erotic that my setting and storytelling can endure".

If you want a truly great fresh fantasy series with good characters - go read Witch hat atelier or wait for the anime adaptation. Don't melt your brain watching this piece of crap that pretends to be a good fantasy.

P.S. English is not my native language, so I appologise for any spelling mistakes.

The first season was drastically different to this season, that's not a bad thing though. Many watchers saw that this season was a huge change of pace and different and didn't like it, and that's fine, its not for everybody.

This season as i stated before is a huge change of pace; its not action packed for the most part and it's set in mostly just one place, because of this it is often seen as lazy and generic. As a light novel reader i can say that it has a lot more to it than many realise. The whole point of this season is having ... Rudeus and other characters settle down, and don't forget that the whole university thing was the whole point of Rudeus ever meeting Eris. I can tell you now that very soon the plot changes up and it gets hype. The world isn't necessarily meant to be a huge action packed setting, it's meant to be a mix of action and immersion, also a lot of what happens in this season despite seeming pointless and meaningless actually serves major roles later on.

As for the animation controversy, its really not that bad, in fact it isn't even too noticeable. I think because the past season spoiled us with such amazing animation, when this season showed to have great but not quite as good of animation many seem to think it's worse than it actually is.

Overall I HIGHLY recommend watching it if you were a fan of the first season, it is a much slower paced season but that helps add to the immersion and character development, and as i said before, it gets f#cking hype later on so just wait till April 2024 for the second cour and you'll realise how good it gets, and the plot later on does not go in a direction you'd expect and by that i mean their are a lot of plot twists that are very very well written, plus its only uphill from that point, but i won't spoil anything.