Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Episode 4 Discussion

mtgowns said:


You kinda answered your own question. The anime focuses on Rudeus getting another shot at life, not just accomplishing things in a fantasy world. That includes having loving parents, hanging with a best friend, going outside and whatnot.

For pure plot progression, this episode was still important at introducing Rudeus' new siblings. Given the show skips time often, no doubt they will play a major role down the road. It will also be the first time Rudeus is in the "wild" and will have to navigate whatever gets thrown his way.

More importantly though, Rudeus had been learning a lot about being a better person from Paul and vice-versa. But this episode exposed Paul's goofy simpleton facade, as he acts on his worst impulses out of pure lust, and Rudeus had to salvage the fucked up situation so that the Greyrats didn't fall apart.

I do agree though that the immediate outcome seems unclear, given the Greyrats seem to have changed little since the incident. I'd be disappointed if down the road the one purpose was to give Rudeus a half-sister to serve as a foil to his blood sister.

AniJan said:

As much as the synopsis would seem to suggest, the focus of show is not about Rudeus's growth because it doesn't do anything with Rudeus's character. Besides episode 2 where Rudeus learned to overcome his social anxiety, we don't see any development. It doesn't even attempt to explore his character after episode 2. You can't tell me an anime's focus is about character development when the events around Rudeus does not explore his character in any way.

The anime establishes Rudeus as a social inept, depraved NEET who was shown to not even attend the funeral of his parents. The anime sets him up as a deeply flawed, sociopathic character, who's lived life devoid of care and conviction for the majority of his life. Yet despite all his issues, they gloss over his issues and lazily attempts to address his past life issues. Rudeus in his new life doesn't seem to reflect his old self. Instead of maintaining the same antisocial, awkward demeanor he had in his previous life, he somehow becomes a confident boy able to maintain healthy relationships with parents and form friendships.

FreezePeach said:
People act as if the story is a contemporary drama. There is context, it is important in isekai. That's the whole point of isekai, it is different from our world.

Anime is an adaptation, lots of this context is lost. I would recommend the books, as good this adaptation is it is impossible to cram the same level of details into anime.

For example, Lilia dying never really was an option. Paul married Zenith after they slept once because she got pregnant. Paul is a womanizer but this is, like, his only flaw. He accepted responsibility immediately. He wouldn't allow to kill off his kid and Lilia.

A small quote:

"If he hadn’t intervened as a pious member of the Millis Church reduced to one wife of two, I would probably have stormed out of this house with Norn, cursing my misfortune. Or stayed behind, perhaps to take out my resentment on Lilia and Aisha."

Zenith is a fallen noble from other (far away) country, her beliefs are very different from those of Asura kingdom where the story happens. Returning home is not really an option for her. She could either forgive them or stay infinitely antagonistic to people around her.


So, both Paul and Lilia did the same thing but Paul is the worst and you can't blame Lilia? Even though she admitted she intentionally seduced him? Double standards. It is amusing how universally they applied. Even in anime Lilia feels comfortable kicking Paul, apparently she is completely forgiven while Paul is still very much guilty.

23feanor said:
This show is amazing and the writing has really gripped me. Yes there are some uncomfortable moments, but that's reality and I guess that a getting born into another world you would experience all the same bad habits in people we get irl here.

Because this show is quite different, i never know where we're going next. I didn't see a new baby with the maid, or that it was the maid's fault for seducing Paul, although it sounds like they have a past together.

I wonder what's up with Sylphie, does Paul not want him growing closer with her because she's an elf, or have tensions with elves suddenly become an issue, as his parents never discouraged him from playing with Sylphie before.

Altter said:


Paul actually be a good father for once and noticed that the couple are too dependent on each other (especially Sylphiette) and decided to split them up.

You could notice this from the table talk (Sylphiette's dependence on Rudy) and the line he gave before the battle (splitting them up by force since he knows Rudy will talk his way out otherwise).

23feanor said:


Thanks, i missed that. I kinda makes sense, there's Rudy a young kid (8?) saying he'll earn money to pay for Sylphie to go to the same Uni as him. Maybe she needs to grow up a little without him and learn to be independent. I just hope Sylphie's ok without him there and not to lonely. Maybe they're destined to be together and nothing will keep them apart, I hope so as I like Sylphie and Rudy when they're together. He's tries to act more mature and look after her, being with Sylphie brings out his better nature.

Sonson7 said:
I heard this show is planned to have multiplenseasons like SAO and Danmachi or so I heard

PoisonHero said:


That's his duty. You don't get a medal for doing your duty.

In this episode, we've learned that Paul is a rapist. Honestly, fuck Paul. Rudeus is the only perv in this show who was able to redeem himself by the end.

hoopla123 said:


I don't get it have we been watching the same show?

And your statement regarding about how the series isn't about Rudy's growth is stupid because you don't even know what this series is. You watched 4 episodes out of a series that is 30+ volumes long and you claim to know what this is all about? Better yet, you don't even seen to be able to analyze the simple things that the anime has shown you in these past 4 episodes.

You wanna bash on the SoL aspect? Sure, but this is a series with a ton of SoL elements even later in the series, so if you don't like it, you're best off leaving. But Rudy's growth is definitely a significant portion of the entire thing.

Rudy had 3-5 years in a new world before Roxy finally helped him leave his house for the first time in decades. This is a world where he was born into, and forced to interact with strangers (his parents and Lilia), which is something he never did in his previous life.

Paul and Zenith might be his parents but to Rudy, they are younger than him and are total strangers. But he can't hide himself from them since he is their baby and is forced to interact, giving him the much needed experience for social matters.

But even then, it takes his master dragging him outside to finally slowly recover his anxiety. But this social anxiety aspect of interacting with other people does not go away after the 2 episodes, it is covered more in the later parts of the series as the story goes.

Episode 3 we saw Rudy making his first friend only to be scolded by his father (albeit not the best role model) for being an insensitive jerk (though not on purpose as he is surprised himself by the result). This comes from his lack of experience with friends and people his age. He eventually even ends up apologizing and explaining his thoughts in detail instead of running away which he has a hard time doing. In this aspect, he is learning like a little kid would on how to interact with friends.

Episode 4 you see Rudy, a fucking NEET and hikki, actively trying to find a job so he can earn Sylphy's tuition for school. Instead of shutting up when Paul tells him that he won't pay for her tuition, he decides to take responsibility into his own hands and tries to work for his own pay (which was a significant flaw in his past life).

Even if the anime left some details out from the source, you can see Rudy trying to better himself whether he realizes it himself or not. The anime with his interactions with family and friends (Roxy, Sylphy) so far shows how he managed to do it.

You know I've had more people complain about how the series is slow but never about how there is no detail to Rudy's growth (infact people bitch that the series takes too much time in this aspect).

Also, him reflecting on his past self like literally doing so, will come later on. In fact, it will come up so much people will start bitching about it like they did for the source lmao.

Muhmutti said:
I think Lilia just should have asked permission to be third wheel. I´m sure that Zenith would have allowed that and no family drama would have taken place.

AniJan said:


First off, you cannot dismiss criticism of a show by justifying it will come later in on the manga. As soon as you're taking material outside what anime presents, you're evaluating something completely different.

With that being said, I'm expecting the show will flesh out his character better. However, with what's been established in the show, you can't say that it's a character driven arc with development and growth. It has only barely proved itself as one once in a horse scene with Roxy. If the show is about character arcs, then SHOW me how he changed and his process of reaching that point. The problem with all your examples of "character growth" is that they show what has changed about Rudy, but not the steps to get to that point. In other words, what you've said so far are simply SIGNS of growth, or the products of character development. The anime, however, skips the steps. For example, you say Rudy trying to find a job is character development because he was NEET in his previous life. However, the anime never presented getting a job as an obstacle or step towards improving himself. You're ASSUMING it was a struggle because he lived a jobless and antisocial life rather than letting the show speak for itself. You’re perpetuating the show’s self-worth, applauding the show for things beyond what the show intended.

BigNut666 said:


Yeah, I read the source material and it starts out pretty slow. The first episodes just served the purpose of introducing characters that will have an important role later on in the show. I wouldn't say it was solely focused on Rudy's character development. I think the adultery scene is there to show how much of a scumbag womanizer Paul is. I'm just gonna say that all your answers about how the adultery affects the show are answered later on (Especially the relationship between Rudy and Paul). I think Hoopla basically answered you question on what has been accomplished in the first four episodes.
Also, you say that you can't criticize the show by justifying it with what comes later. Didn't you ask the question, "what was the purpose?". You're criticizing the story as a whole and not just what was shown in the anime when you ask that question.

Glordit said:


I've stopped using Reddit and Twitter because of idiots like that.

The LN/WN basically goes like this (For anyone wondering):

The reason why Paul slept with Lilia is because Zenith wanted her pregnancy to stabilize.

Both of them where "in the mood" and Lilia has had a thing for Paul for a very very long time. Long before he got married. She gave into his advances.

Zenith also knew Paul was a skirt chaser and expected this to eventually happen too.

He still deserved what he got though.

Glordit said:
I won't take sides in the Paul x Lilia debate but, both of them wanted something from each other.



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Mod Note: Reorganized and added spoiler tags

merope28 said:


didnt he rape the maid when he was at the academy?
how is being a rapist and cheater redeemable?

merope28 said:


didnt he rape the maid when he was at the academy?
how is being a rapist and cheater redeemable?

Yohanlie said:

Well, he will
-shitty spoiler-

jTiKey said:

How is that a redemption wow. People just want to spoil things without any reason don't they.

Ashhk said:
So Paul is a cheater... I'm not even surprising to be honest, it was to expect with this medieval era and the maid being alone with the couple in the house.
That girl at the end seems pretty interesting, and Sylph already loves Rudy, so cute xD

ShishiKami said:
soo not only is Paul a cheater he's also a rapist lmao.....allllrighty then

Altter said:


For the rape thing, well, he did not. Just a cultural misunderstanding due to the ambiguity to the speech, or at least I think so:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yobai

1202 said:
Cool. So Paul's a cheating rapist and we're expected to just... move forward from that? LOL? I understand Lilia's baby is probably an important future character for serving Rudeus or whatever but couldn't they have brought about Lilia's and Rudy's "in-debt" relationship dynamic in ANY other way besides having a (physically) 7-year-old child cover for a homewrecker?

Also fuck the way this implied that grown men and women literally cannot control themselves. Lilia sucks but honestly Paul is more to blame, dude gets some from Zenith EVERY SINGLE NIGHT yet still had the nerve to be unfaithful lol. Sees one other naked body and decides shiiiii shordy let me risk my entire family's happiness and stability for this. Motherfucker not only did you know what you were doing, you have a wife, a kid, and you're EXPECTING ANOTHER.

This was so dumb and unnecessary hhh like why.