The idea of getting a second chance at life in a different world has been often explored, but rarely executed well. Usually isekai devolves into wish-fulfilment power fantasies with harem scenarios and fan-service. It’s not often that we get a genuinely fantastical tale of magic and wonder, so when Mushoku came along and delivered those it was an instant hit, and for good reason.
Part 1 of Mushoku Tensei gave us a small glimpse into an extremely rich and diverse world full of lore and unique characters. The animation, art and direction were among the best in years. You’ll be elated to learn that things have only got better in the second part of the anime. The advantage of having a studio founded purely to make one anime is that every episode will feel cinematic and have feature length film quality. From episodes 1-12, you would have no problem losing yourself in this rich world, the story flows together in such a way that it keeps you coming back. The stakes and drama were increased from part 1, adding a lot of emotional moments and satisfying pay offs in this second cour. By the end of the season, it feels like we’re still only scratching the surface of Rudeus’ story, because we are. There’s so much more to come from this franchise and I could not be happier that a studio of such talented people is working on it.
Some people will have complaints of certain aspects of Mushoku’s story, particularly the sexual scenes. I think those people are being wilfully obtuse. Sex is a natural part of life, and artists incorporating it into their stories does not make them sickos or “weird” Yes, Rudeus was originally a 30 year old male, but he has been reincarnated as a child and is now going through physical puberty in this world. Him developing an intimate relationship with another person of his age group is anything but pedophilia.
As a Light Novel reader, I believe the studio did an awesome job with pacing and were very faithful to the LNs in the second cour. In fact, Mushoku is one of the rare cases where the studio actually elevates the source material. A testament to the care and love that went into making this anime.
Mushoku Tensei’s second cour shows exactly what isekai can be when all the nonsense is cut out. I don’t say that to bash isekai or isekai authors. I love isekai, it’s my favourite genre in fact. However, I would be lying if I said that many aspects of the genre weren’t overdone to death. MT is a breath of fresh air and encapsulates to the sheer wonder of a fantasy world. From the OST to the rich LOTR-esque lore, this is a magical experience that I am glad I get to be apart of.
Mushoku Tensei second season gets 10 Roxy statues out of 10.
