DESCRIPTION

CAST

NOVEL AdventureMushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu
MANGA AdventureMushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu
ANIME AdventureMushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2

REVIEWS

• 

  AoiPlatinum

  90/100
  Great story progression, clean & beautiful animation, lively characters, realistic isekai--worth watching! 9/10

  Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu, also called "Mushoku Tensei" for short, or "Jobless Reincarnation", seems like your typical isekai at first, but as you progress through the protagonist's story the world continues to open up and the world building continues becoming more and more phenomenal--not to mention the dynamic personalities of the main cast, who are far from boring characters who are simply consistently agreeable. Mushoku Tensei takes the best isekai elements, and a bit of the typical ecchi elements in many anime and blends it into an anime with stunning visuals, amazing music, and a deeply enjoyable story progression. If you enjoy amazing magic, gorgeous isekai, or good stories, I would encourage you to try a few episodes at the very least. If the occasional dirty joke and some darker elements of being in another world are repellent to you, then perhaps this isn't the show for you.

  Based on the episodes that are out at present, I wish to rate Mushoku Tensei 9/10 at this moment. Without spoiling things, I shall briefly describe how I came to that score with the following 5 factors (No spoilers, just general comments).

  Visuals: An anime's animation is the bread and butter of its existence and Mushoku's animation is superb. 10/10 There were a few parts that were a bit uncharacteristic for the anime, but it's very consistent and detailed to a degree that I would say it's gorgeous and inspiring.

  Music: You may notice that YouTube has 1-hour loops of the music. Why would anyone want to listen to the music (OPs and EDs) for an hour you may ask? Some people. And I'm one of them--the music is simply brilliant. 10/10

  Story: The progression of the story is well-paced and the gradual world building that occurs throughout the anime is delightful because it feeds you the information about the world in manageable bits at a nice, slow pace. The story might be too realistic and not as happy-go-lucky as most people are used to, but I can appreciate the darker elements that are depicted in this story. 9/10 I just wish they had more episodes, but if spreading out the anime over more time will keep the anime visuals at the pace and quality it is at currently, then it's fine if the animators take more time.

  Characters: Most people would agree that the protagonist might be 'a bit much', but I think his personality makes the anime possible. Otherwise, with a more tame character, this anime would be less humourous, hilarious, and logical (perhaps). 9/10 Did I mention that characters are great? Not to mention hilarious, at times?

  Voice Acting: Some anime watchers really focus on the VAs, but I think most don't. As one of the latter, even I can appreciate the amount of time the VAs needed to spend on voicing this animation. I think a lot can be said about good voice acting, as it really adds depth to the characters based on the way that their voices fit their appearance and how the characters hold themselves in regards to their confidence and how they see or interact with others. Splendid. 10/10

  These were the only 5 things that I looked into, but I think these factors are indicative enough that this anime is splendid. I would rather not make the score too complicated, which is why I would give it 9/10, but if anyone else deviates by about a score of 1, i.e., 8/10 to 10/10, I would have to agree with them. This show is not an average 7/10 isekai anime, in fact, most isekais would be a 6/10 due to their mediocre quality, but this isekai is the isekai of isekai (if that makes any sense to you). In other words, this anime is the creme a la creme. The cream of the crop. It's so good that I cannot wait for the second season to come out. I understand that if they spread it out the quality of the anime might be more maintainable at its current condition, but even so every episode leaves me wanting more more more episodes. I cannot contain my enjoyment of this anime and its lovely shenanigans.

  If you just want to watch something that will draw you in and take your breath away, and maybe even laugh (if you have any sense of humour), then this anime is definitely worth watching.

  As for me, I'm very much looking forward to season 2!

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• 

  YARiK14

  98/100
  Mushoku Tensei: the next big thing. Exceeded any expectation.

  Mushoku Tensei - the greatest fantasy anime ever

  BACKGROUND

  I'm sure that if you have been into anime for quite sometime now, you've probably heard of Mushoku Tensei. Mushoku Tensei is currently the #1 most popular show on Netflix Japan for winter 2021 (including non-anime shows). Mushoku is a light novel that started back in 2012 and reached the title the #1 Japanese light novel of all time. it has even got the title "The Grandfather of Isekai" over the years among the community and I bet that even your favorite isekai has probably taken inspiration from Mushoku Tensei and might even has some references to it included.

  So, what's all the hype about? what's so great about MT?

  STORY AND CHARACTERS

  

  The protagonist, Rudeus Greyrat was a 34 year old shut in guy who got expelled from his home because he had a debt to pay, wandered in the streets, starving in the rain and finally, saved people from a traffic accident by sacrificing his own life. A guy who had nothing but died as a hero and then got reincarnated into another world.
  I know what you're thinking to yourself right now: "so not original", "so generic and boring." Well then... actually this time its different and there is a lot more to it, just stick with me.
  Remember truck-kun? Mushoku were the ones to start it. The thing is that unlike other shows, there is actual depth to it and it makes the show more emotional and deep, a beautiful example of how to write characters and backstories in a touching way. Also the plot is just so well written and well thought of. They took to mind every little detail and this exact thing is unique just for Mushoku. It's a beautiful mix of both Slice of Life and Fantasy/Action which gives more flavor to the show and to us to enjoy. While it does have quite a few fan service to offer, it is consistent and funny, the jokes are on point and hit every time and it makes the show HILARIOUS, at least 2 or 3 laughs per episode. No matter what's my mood, after an episode of Mushoku I have a smile on my face. The ecchi part actually has a connection to the plot rather than just being there for the fun, although sometimes it is the case.

  In addition to that, there is actually focus on his growth and family life rather than just having a time skip and seeing him departing away. Rudy doesn't forget his previous life which were a disaster. He was bullied and began to isolate, thus he ran away from communicating with people. In his second life, unlike other shows, Rudy isn't an overpowered guy instructed by a divine being. Rudy understands that he has been reincarnated and that he's not on Earth, He learns a new language and gets used to new people and all of that he does by himself. Those simple things improve him so much as a character, he learns how to live a honest life and becomes quite the hard worker. Every minor thing he does pays out for him and moves the plot forward, just at the right time and pace. That's how a real reincarnation should look, we get to see him reborn properly. Rudy realizes that it's his second chance and he doesn't want his life to be a failure again and this time he is born as a noble, which pays perfectly to his goal. He may be talented and a noble but he lives humbly and tries his best in every term. He doesn't really have a goal to start with, he just lives his life and that's exactly what this show knows how to convey. The plot knows how to explain itself very clearly, if it's the world building, monarchy of nobility, magic system, occupations, different species and languages and so much more, this is how a true isekai needs to be done. It feels like they don't rush anything at all, the pacing is perfect and it matches the story's theme. The world building is insane, it's so detailed and well explained. There are continents, species and tribes among them. The History of this world and what Rudeus was taught by his parents, books and Roxy who trained him at a young age also play a big role later. Things becomes more complicated once Rudy crosses paths with someone from the demon tribe "Superd" whom Roxy warned him about. The side characters are also great. Each one of them has their own personality and highlights, they also get enough screen time for them to shine. Even the history of the world of RE:ZERO resembles MT. An example for that would be the war and the tragic events that have prevailed terror on both worlds and took place 400 years ago in both shows.

  Rudy is such an amazing protagonist, he has a trauma that scars him even in his new life and yet, he wishes to change. He doesn't judge people by their appearance but rather tries to understand them because that he comes from the same place of being bullied and ashamed. He is awkward and funny, but most importantly - a human being. He sometimes is put in a very unexpected situations and still finds his way around each time, wisely and realistically and it's very interesting to see his social and mental development and in all other senses. It's just fun seeing him bringing others to his side, slowly but smartly, splendidly done for someone who has learnt how to act and be so charismatic. Even the side characters are well written, you can tell them apart, each one has a different personality and design. You could even tell the difference between a 2 year time skip which is really rare to see among childhood or extreme ages in anime. This anime may seem like it misses some plot twist or action at first look, but when it gets to that part, it becomes action-packed high quality show. The plot turned so dramatically, it was so shocking and it caught me off guard. There is so much character introduction that it feels like most of the season is just a prologue for Rudy and it's so good. Such a great buildup with a surprising plot hook.

  In my opinion the concept of isekai has kinda run its course. Personally, I'm tired of seeing the same things each time: an OP and bland character gets transported into a different world in order to defeat the Demon King or something similar and by his journey falls in love with a heroine and all of that is done in the stupidest way possible. But Mushoku, a franchise that came out a decade ago, renews in perfectly.

  ANIMATION AND SOUNDTRACK

  

  Even if you don't like it's genres, MT is worth watching just for the animation alone.
  I know about 700 anime and I've never once in my life seen an anime so aesthetically pleasing. It's gorgeous.
  Even after watching animes like Fate and Violet Evergarden I could certainly say that I find MT to have the greatest animation ever. While the art style might not be for anyone, there's no doubt the animation is on a whole other level. So much detail and in the same time so sharp and clean. The water looks so realistic that words can't even describe it. I could seriously talk about how stunning it looks all day long. The world building is awesome and it matches the art style so well, same goes for those beautiful of character designs. The choice of the shades is on point and matches a medieval-rural kinda set just right, not to mention that the coloration is extraordinary. It is so rich that each frame almost looks like an entire oil painting, but animated which is extremely hard to pull off and you couldn't even come to understand that. It is so dense and overdrawn but yet so detailed and appealing. The action also looks insane, every scene is just so well drawn that honestly every single shot is a wallpaper worthy. Even from first appearance or the trailers alone it was so eye luring that most people thought it won't meet the expectations but it far exceeded them in any way possible. MT tends to keep the animation consistent all along the show and that, makes the action more intense and even more fun to watch.

  As I already mentioned previously, MT has a mix of both action and SoL and that has been incredible, like sometimes you'd see things that one wouldn't bat an eye if they were not animated, but they are and enhance the experience a lot more, background work, consistency, movements, MT is the best looking show so far in the history of anime and I'd be surprised if animation could get any better than that in the next 5 years.
  As a proof to that, I bet you couldn't even be able to tell there is use of CGI in a lot of scenes.
  Considering that this is the first anime that studio Bind animates this is crazy. The budget is huge and it made me shocked when I saw the numbers on Wikipedia.

  Personally, I think the art style is amazing, it looks more hand drawn and less vibrant, it reminds me of the animation I grew up on just with much better quality and frame rate and this is another thing this show does - being nostalgic. In my eyes it's beautiful, not too colorful but also not pale at all. The character designs are cool and match their personality very well. The outlines look like they're drawn with chalk which is very unique and for some reason it is really satisfying to see, reminds me a little of 91 Days or Scum's Wish in that sense, but on a whole different level. After watching MT every other anime seems like a kids' drawing and I'm not exaggerating.

  

  As for the music for the show, it was created especially for it and it gives me amazing feels, it is so relaxing and works fantastically with a fantasy show. There are 2 opening themes but no actual opening, in each episode there is a kind of a MV with credits that plays through the episode while the music plays. This way we get more screen time and let me tell you this, it works surprisingly well. When they first showed the opening on episode 3 I shed some tears because of how glad it made me. Now, for the ending, it's just your typical ending but due to how good it looks it makes it the best ending of the season for me, it feels somewhat nostalgic I may even say and with every visual my heart skips a beat. The song is also a banger and it's from the same artist that does both of the openings.
  The lyrics beautiful. The whole song is from Rudy's perspective and he sings to Roxy, the meaning is so deep and the music and vocals make you feel like you're a part of the show. Honestly one of the best anime endings I've ever come across.

  The voice acting also is worth praising, they thought about every detail possible to produce the best, Rudy's thinking is voiced by a voice actor with more of a deep and manly voice in order to remind us that Rudy is actually a grown up at heart and has the mindset of an adult. The different languages are also voiced in different languages, I'm not sure if it's an actual language and if it is then I couldn't figure out which one it is so I guess it's just Gibberish, and if it is it's done so good and consistently that they literally came out with a new language just for this show which is insane. This may sound very simple but the amount of effort they put into that is huge and it isn't obvious at all. In Vinland Saga for example the voice acting was bad in this term, at some scenes they were supposed to talk in different languages but the entire voice acting was in Japanese and it was so weird, so the creators sure had taken here a lot to mind.

  In conclusion, Mushoku Tensei is definitely the show of the season if not of the year and you should watch it RIGHT NOW, you don't even know what you're missing.

  

  HOPE YOU ENJOY!

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• 

  RiPHopscotch

  92/100
  Taking a Holistic View of Problematic Art

  The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain is almost universally regarded as one of the most influential American novels of all time. Since its publication in the late 19th century, however, it has been the subject of constant criticism, controversy, and even bans due to problematic language and crass themes, but still the book’s relevance has persevered; most readers are able to compartmentalize the problematic aspects of Huckleberry Finn and take a holistic view of the novel. Yes, individual aspects may be problematic, but those individual aspects don’t ruin the entire novel. Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation can be viewed in a similar light, as to call certain aspects of its characters “problematic” would honestly be an understatement – however that doesn’t erase how fantastic everything outside of the problematic bits is.

  Basically every isekai has a “twist” that sets it apart from others in the genre. In the case of Jobless Reincarnation, that twist is that our protagonist, Rudeus (Rudy) Greyrat, is reincarnated into his new world as… an infant. This is a story about a 34 year old shut-in (who dies essentially the minute he is kicked out of the house) and his very literal second chance at life. In this new world, which is heavily influenced by medieval Europe and where magic and monsters are commonplace, Rudy’s parents are two former adventurers who now live in a quiet rural farming village. Over the roughly 10 years covered in the first season, Rudy will discover his aptitude for magic with his tutor Roxy, learn to have a happy childhood and make friends with another village resident Sylphiette, and finally get a job tutoring his cousin, Eris (and develop crushes on all three). In short, Rudy goes from a talentless, friendless, jobless reject to the opposite.

  

  This is also where Jobless Reincarnation’s problematic element begins to show. While it is true that Rudy, in his adolescent body, does develop crushes on basically every girl he interacts with in any capacity, it’s also true that mentally Rudy is a guy in his thirties. It’s incredibly easy to construe some of what Rudy does as grooming (especially when he basically straight up says that’s kind of his plan with Sylphiette), and there are other moments where his actions are just sexual harassment that’s bordering on sexual assault. For many, these moments are incredibly uncomfortable and detract significantly from the show, especially because on the surface it does appear as though many of these moments are played as comedic. It’s impossible to say people who can’t tolerate that in any degree are wrong for dropping, disliking or outright hating the show. I will say this though – as inexcusable as those moments are, it’s fairly apparent that those moments aren’t being played for laughs. Jobless Reincarnation is about Rudy’s second chance, and he’s written as an incredibly flawed character so that his redemption will be all the more pronounced.

  _Even as a toddler Rudy comes across as a creep_

  Rudy is also more than a one-dimensional walking pile of sexual misconduct. While it’s not a justification for his behavior, Rudy is dealing with immense trauma from the formative years of his past life, trauma which halted his emotional development then and held him back initially in his new life. In the later episodes of the show, Rudy (in a dream sequence) appears in the form of his old body; even though he had been living in the new world for over ten years, he is still being shackled by his past life. Rudy also has to work through fairly interesting dilemmas that anyone in his situation would need to confront, like his feelings towards his new parents (who he weirdly feels older than) and a moral code that is totally different than what he has experienced previously. In later episodes it's even clear how unadjusted to this world he is in general; he understands the people are real and their life has value, he just doesn't understand the consequences certain actions have or how to weigh risk. It’s difficult to like Rudy, as providing context to his misdeeds doesn’t absolve him whatsoever, but it’s really easy to be interested in Rudy and to want to see how he grows.

  _An appropriate reaction for when your son tells you how to be a father_

  There are plenty of secondary characters Rudy encounters on his journey, and they’re basically all fantastically written. From his parents Paul and Zenith to Eris’ family bodyguard Ghislaine, each character is unique with their own way of thinking and acting that governs everything they do. There isn’t a better example of Jobless Reincarnation’s ability to make a side character feel real than with Philip Greyrat. When Philip, Eris’ father, is introduced, the initial impression he gives off is either “future villain” or “totally irrelevant”, and there isn’t much inbetween. Every time he is on screen, however, you learn a little bit more about Philip and what drives him; everything he does is motivated by his family. He could have been written as a pompous feudal lord who thinks his daughter is perfect, instead he’s written as a troubled father who understands what kind of natural disaster his daughter is. He’s also a dutiful son and understanding husband who makes sacrifices to maintain the family image. As the story progresses, Philip ends up explaining to Rudy that he isn’t the head of the Greyrat house; his sons are being raised by the head and he basically has no role in their life. Although Rudy turns down his invitation to help Philip seize power, this is the first moment where the audience sees the more serious side of Philip – a man who is willing to risk his life to try and win his family back. And here’s the thing: Philip is a minor character without significant screen time or lines. Jobless Reincarnation’s ability to take a character like that and make them not only memorable, but straight up consistent, explainable and interesting, is incredibly impressive.

  _Mayor and family man (with a thing for beast people)_

  As far as production values go, Jobless Reincarnation is really beyond reproach. While its kind of unclear whether or not Studio Bind (which branched off from White Fox) was formed exclusively for this adaptation, it was formed with this show in mind, and it shows. The animation is gorgeous, with a digitally applied grain effect that instantly reminds the audience of older classics. Although its kind of a weird choice to give a recent isekai a unique, pre-2000’s aesthetic, it works wonderfully. And while the action in the show may be relatively sparse, it is so energetic. More “realistic” swordplay is fast paced, hectic and technique heavy, with the “fantastical” sword play literally involving characters breaking rules of physics (pretty standard for anime but is still so awesome to see animated). The magic is animated in the same way – basic spells are small and controlled, but higher tier magic is literally weather changing phenomenon with gale force winds. The fights are short and often brutal with the more powerful fighter giving no quarter, as opposed to long, drawn out affairs between evenly matched opponents; Jobless Reincarnation tries to ground its combat in reality.

  

  Perhaps more interesting, especially because it might actually have implications for future light novel adaptations, is the animation of the opening sequence – or rather the lack of an opening animation entirely. Don’t be fooled – there is an opening song (two in fact). The decision was made, however, to forgo the traditional opening sequence entirely, instead using that 90 second period basically just for panning shots of the world, landscape and climate. It is one of the best decisions this show could have made, passively contributing to the world building, showing the passage of time, and just making the world feel so much more real. It must be incredibly time consuming to essentially make a new opening sequence every episode, but it works so well that I imagine other light novel adaptations will be looking to try something like this in the future.

  _There is no thermostat to turn up, just wear a coat_

  The music and sound design of Jobless Reincarnation are honestly just as good as any aspect of the animation. As far as music goes both openings and the ending are pretty great (though I will say introducing a new opening song for just two episodes was a little unexpected), with really upbeat and adventurous sound, and insert music that again passively contributes to the world building and just feels perfect for any given setting. The show does not shy away from using instruments that aren’t really conventional for anime, drawing influence from medieval Europe as well as South America; really the music is just another element of the show that is unique and perfectly executed. The actual sound design of the show also needs to keep up with the fantastical power levels and abilities, and it does. The crackle of electricity with lighting, the wooden clacking of training swords against one another – these are really great. But also the understated moments, like the sound of dancing or other little noises that you would expect to hear are there, obviously, but they’re mixed properly so that you need to be listening for them; background noise is kept to background noise levels, staying unobtrusive but remaining present.

  

  I’d be lying if I said that I thought Jobless Reincarnation needs the main character to be as deplorable as they are to work. At times, especially in the first few episodes, Rudy makes the show genuinely difficult to enjoy, and again I can’t fault people who felt the need to drop the show because of him. I will say, however, that I feel like dismissing Jobless Reincarnation as nothing more than an average isekai power fantasy (as many have been doing) is more than a tad reductionist. A work of art isn’t awful just because of one thing, and art should be allowed to be controversial and push boundaries. There is being offensive and crass for the sake of being offensive and crass, and then there is being offensive and crass for the sake of exploring complex themes – this show honestly falls into the latter category.

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