But.
This doesn't mean the story is shitty. the characters aren't perfect issekai characters. the MC is a shitty pedophile, but there's more to him than that. I'm not excusing him for being a pedo, but there's more to him as a character, and it pairs up wonderfully with the rest of the story. Having a character be 100% goody-two-shoes isn't horrible, but speaking frankly, it isn't real.
Mushoku tensei is real.
The characters have real emotions and respond to real circumstances in their life, and it makes for a dynamic story with a lot to give to the viewer. Some characters are "shit". Horrible people with zero redemption. That doesn't mean the characters are bad. Believe it or not, dynamic characters are good for a story. The more dynamic, the more the show can present to you. Seeing these characters interact with each other with all of their experiences is what makes this show great. I could make an entire other review on the world-building, but I'll focus on the characters right now.
The Most i'll say regarding an inherent dislike for characters ruining the show for some viewers is that you should be open-minded about the complexity of characters. I'm not saying you should think that raping someone "isn't the worst thing in the world." anyone trying to shove that down your throat is simply sick. What I do want to shove down your throat is the fact that this show doesn't excuse it, contrary to some beliefs. even the main character himself refers to how shitty of a person he is. You're not supposed to "forget" about the kind of uber-virgin loser pedo he is. You're supposed to watch the path he takes as a character. if you can't stand to follow someone with a past like that, then this show isn't a good fit for someone like you.
Saying the show is a pedo sex fantasy is also something I've heard about the show. it's not. simply put, if it was, it would look like something like 'how not to summon a demon lord.' the character isn't constantly surrounded by women who want to fuck him, he's living through life. Believe it or not, the main character feels quite shitty at the person he was before, and the show does present it. I'm trying not to recap the entire series in this review, but it's not just the main character unapologetically sexually harassing women. it's not a power fantasy at all. you can say you dislike the show, but "Power fantasy" is something that I'll always wince at when I see it referring to this show.
I don't want this review to be insanely long, but god, are the characters good. I've yet to see a character who was badly written in this show. everything and everyone in this show has a place, and the show presents that place very efficiently. I love these characters with all my heart. not because they're self-inserts who love the mc, but because they all have their reasons for how they feel about the world. Once again, I'm not saying that the main character's previous bullying is a good excuse for him to be a pedo. I'm saying that his avoiding human contact for 20 years has clearly deteriorated his mind into someone who believes that sick shit is acceptable. Another point is when we see how the mc's father be just that. A father. No matter what he's done in the past (once again, not excusing him, you're not supposed to) he's a father now. he acts like a father and cares about his kids. that's a matter of fact, and I think that's good. why? because that proves that he's a dynamic character. he's not always going to be "just" the rapist, as well as he'll never be "Just" a father. An anime that makes you think and feel is a good anime, to me at least. since this review was mostly about the characters, ill just put what I rated the rest of the aspects of the show.
story:10
art:10
sound:9
Character:10
enjoyment:10
I beg of you, please at least give the show a chance. if the show is too much, or you don't like how the story goes, then that I can understand, but if you simply don't understand the show, I don't feel like that should give you an excuse to call it bad.
