Light novel readers will tell you that the plot finally gets going. Well, more like the plot starts going in episode 9 of season 1, but the plot isn't what makes the mushoku tensei anime so good. It's the directing, the pacing, how it uses it's medium to enhance the story rather than just be the plot with some animation. Episodes 1-8 is perfect for that. Nothing really happens, but the way it presents its world and characters is best in class for any anime ever. Then episode 9 starts and it just tells the story... there's some animation I guess... there's some voice acting... there's some... sounds - I'm not sure I can even call that music - going on... Season 2 has a few good episodes, but perhaps because the plot does indeed get going, the episodes are just telling the plot with some sounds in the background.
You may be fooled by the great OP and ED as well as how amazingly they are implemented, particularly in the first 8 episodes, but every other track is the type of thing some middle schooler who just discovered their first music program could make in an hour. It's just a single instrument playing the most basic tune and that's it. There's even an oft repeated "tense atmosphere" background music that's literally 3 drums hit slowly. That's the entire track. Bum. bum boom. Repeat.
I sometimes imagine that the first 8 episodes of season 1 were directed by hiyao miyazaki and they rest were entrusted to his son. I totally back miyazaki walking out of those episodes. Even with the amazing art and pretty solid source material, it's just so bad.
also VA's of some of the new season 2 characters are annoying. Some of the biggest moments in the series are ruined by bad VA performances.
