Let me start off by saying that this season was different in some ways from the first, primarily in tone and amount of action. Viewers who watched Mushoku Tensei primarily for the action, adventuring and magic may feel somewhat betrayed by this season's content. Instead, there is a focus on the characters and their relationships with one another.
I enjoyed both arcs this part had to offer - they were filled with emotions, personal problems, mental health issues and tense dialogue. We witnessed reflection, soul-searching and self-growth for a main character who suffers from deep-seated issues from his previous life. I mentioned in my review of the first season that I felt some of the main character's mental health issues were resolved way too easily. This time around, I feel like the pacing and journey were much more on point in that regard. It was much more realistic and had its ups and downs.
I was not expecting to feel so many emotions while watching this part of Mushoku Tensei. The emotional beats were satisfying and in my experience it is very rare for an anime to get the atmosphere and sense of realism so right. I was quite touched by this season.
Aside from the character development, most of the other elements were done as well as one might imagine. The visuals were all good and the sound effects and music were fine, too. In fact, one particular element of the usage of background music really stood out to me. I remember are two tense dialogue scenes where the music was gone completely. And I found that this enhanced the viewer's tension during those conversations immensely. I already felt quite invested in what was happening, but that was the icing on the cake.
But not everything is roses and sunshine. Even though I haven't read the source material, some parts of the anime felt rushed and certain transitions were quite sudden. And of course there are a few stupid misunderstandings in dialogue and/or behavior that felt forced and frustrating.
In any case, I had a really good time with this part of season 2 of Mushoku Tensei. I am even considering starting the light novel as a result.
