MUSHOKU TENSEI: JOBLESS REINCARNATION SEASON 3

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ANIME AdventureMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Part 2
NOVEL AdventureMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation
MANGA ActionMushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation ~Eris Sharpens Her Fangs~
ANIME AdventureMushoku Tensei III: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu Part 2

REVIEWS

• 

  rrakku

  68/100
  A lukewarm defence of Mushoku Tensei

  It is naive to think that one can write compelling fantasy without at least a basic understanding of history and politics. A fictional world isn't just exciting because of its intricate magic systems, grandiose conflicts between kingdoms, or a hero's triumphant journey; more pertinent to making a world feel lived-in lies in its dialectics: its systems of oppression and how the masses navigate them, its racial dynamics and how it affects every person's class, wealth, and status, and how those social hierarchies then in turn shapes the characters' every action.

  Mushoku Tensei has shown from the outset that it does not care in the slightest about any of the latter, in huge part because of the 34-year-old reincarnated NEET lying in the centre of the story, Rudeus Greyrat. "Blessed" by the Hitogami's divine interventions, he proceeds to gain immense powers as a mage in his upper-middle class family living in the wealthiest nation in the realm, diddling kids and buying slaves. But as bad as it sounds, as the turning points came and went, I found myself engrossed in the series despite the myriad character flaws of Rudeus, recognising the effort put into building an actually expansive setting not earthbound, but rather informed by its own fictional history and geography own society and the people in it.

  I hate to pose as the enlightened centrist, but I'd like to offer a third way between much of the internet chatter between the relentless fans and haters, who've either praised it to high heavens or dragged it to the depths hell. A lukewarm defence of Mushoku Tensei, if you will. Unfortunately, though, this is also where I'll have to put up a spoiler warning for this season, so beware beyond here.

  

  Lovely family you got there Rudeus, would be a shame if a grey rat came and messed everything up

  The one thing that Mushoku Tensei continues to deliver on, in spectacular fashion no less, is its wondrous, expansive world. Season 1 was a world building masterclass, an absorbing showcase of the geography, knowledge, and inner-workings of its world; season 2 provided a continued sense of simultaneity through reuniting the various friends an foes Rudeus has met all over to the Magic University, even as the world in view has shrank; and just as it felt like the pacing had grind to a halt after back to back slice of life arcs in season 3, it hits us with, without exaggeration, one of the most memorable and well-planned twists of all time. Alternative universe Oldeus' brief cameo leaves behind a lasting sense of gravity that not only recontextualises all previous encounters with Hitogami, but carries consequences that ripples through the rest of the series, and one that will no doubt be remembered well through shock factor alone.

  It's a one trick pony, sure, but it is one hell of a trick. No matter what you think of Mushoku Tensei's questionable morals, indistinctive female leads, or overall rancid vibes of its protagonist (and they are huge caveats, but we'll get to this later), there's no denying that it captures the imagination and satiates the thirst for exploration and the fantastical like no other. A lot of this is thanks to how profoundly relevant each detail and every story beat is, turning points or not: Ruijerd's backstory seemed like throwaway material until it isn't, Perugius's castle in the sky was but a fairytale told to children until we get to visit 50 episodes later, and Nanahoshi's understated by decidedly weighty appearance doesn't make sense until her role in the story becomes clear.

  The pinnacle of it all culminated in this season's turning point. Think back to the times when Hitogami actually appeared in front of Rudeus. First when convincing him to bring Ruijerd Superdia together on his journey, then desperate interferences (naming their team Dead End to scare Roxy away, advising him to find the demon eye to make sure they don't cross paths, and bring along Ruijerd just as insurance) at Wind Port in the Demon Continent so they would brush pass each other, and his recommendation to stay in university to marry pet duo Lineana and Pursena in lieu of reuniting with family and friends in the Begaritt Continent to save Roxy and his mother. With Turning Point 4, everything snaps into focus. These moments of anagnorisis are what makes Mushoku Tensei, but whether it is makes up for all sins is another conversation all together.

  

  Know that although I'm about to take huge digs at the show, Oldeus is a brilliant addition that I haven't been able to stop talking about ever since I first read it three years ago

  When the show does retreat back to the daily lives of its characters, especially Rudeus', it can't help itself but let the rampant misogyny and general conservative bigotry seep in. The warning signs were early and plenty—from grooming to paedophilia, to slavery to adultery—Mushoku Tensei really wore their politics up their sleeves, intentionally or not. What makes season 3 the tipping point, however, is how so much of these (with the benefit of the doubt) "subconscious" leanings have come home to roost and affected the quality of it's world itself.

  This is where I risk a controversial opinion: despite the many hardships the story puts Rudeus through, its world ultimately accommodates all of his worst traits. Yes, it's true that the challenges he faces are of epic proportions and the consequences for failure harsh. First teleported from his sheltered family home in lush fields into the barren land of demons, then brutalised and murdered by the embodiment of terror in their trek back home, followed by losing his father in a strenuous dungeon crawl to save his amnesiac mother, and to top it all off antagonised by the literal god of the universe and has his entire family killed in an alternate timeline. These are great narrative tools, not least because of their scale and stake that helps invoke a sense of otherworldliness, but it's also a moot rebuttal to the actual point I'm trying to make.

  Namely, everything is infinitely malleable so long as Rudeus gets to be seen as a sympathetic, popular figure. Slave trading is fine, having sex with under-aged children you groomed is fine, cheating on your pregnant wife is fine. When considered individually and with an unreasonable amount of good faith, they could be treated as part of the quirks of world building, since there are sufficient Thermian justifications for all of the above. But once you notice the pattern—that the world bends to his will and enables everything that's wrong with his character—you can't unsee it.

  

  "I guess you stop seeing them over rank C people look for skill over gender", Sara added. Just some casual misogyny thrown in for no reason whatsoever

  Calling Mushoku Tensei a story of Rudeus' redemption is beyond disingenuous because, in this six-faced world, he does not need to learn. Sara's saga comes to a close this season by feigning the "growth" Rudeus, but the show somehow tries to put part of blame onto her too. Which is ironic given the constant commentary from Mr Gin-san. Other than the side affect of treating the audience like complete idiots who can't read the room by spelling out every single little emotional detail, the mere sound of his voice is a constant reminder that Rudeus is a 34-year-old man reborn who should know better, whereas at the opposite end is a girl deep in the teenage angst, hurt by her horrible first experience.

  But the worst victims are no doubt his wives/love interests, who are now caricatures of their past selves devoid of any character. Sylphy is monogamous until her darling says no, and henceforth turns into the polygyny advocacy demon; Roxy is an authoritative figure only in name, but is otherwise reduced to a petite woman who exists solely to praise and elevate Rudeus' abilities by comparison; and even when miles away from Rudeus, Eris' entire schtick is idolising a predator, even improving on her sword skills involved thinking about him, truly one of the lamest fails of the Bachdel test in recent memory. While thankfully Eris isn't doomed as a character (yet), Sylphy and Roxy has already permanently brain broken post-marriage that conforms to Rudeus' desires, of cute, subservient, and loyal wives.

  To portray these tropes so uncritically are already inherently harmful, but even if you're the kinds of nutters that doesn't care about the real life implications of fiction, they diminish the very magic that its world holds. The allure of great fantasies is that its imaginative setting allows for thematic explorations from different perspectives, but when the characters and narrative constantly endorses the oppression in real life, with its form and function unaltered, its effectiveness inevitably fades. Mushoku Tensei world is, again, admittedly impressive. But dare I say, it does less than nothing with it, and that's all because the author's (lack of) beliefs.

  

  Like, how can you not wince at this scene of Sylphy asking Roxy how sex was with Rudeus last night?

  I don't claim to know for sure Rifujin no Magonote's politics, but if I were to make a profile of him, it'd be this. This is a man who is shaped by his narrow media palette (i.e., male-oriented otaku subculture) and has never stopped for one second to consider that perhaps his biggest influences are not an all-encompassing and neutral force, but rather informed by very real material and ideological contexts. The result is an anime that feels increasingly flat, even as our heroes are meeting new and reuniting with old friends and foes alike; because by adopting so many of the medium's tropes unfiltered, every second in its world is becoming a reminder of reality: it is becoming ordinary.

  Yet, despite everything, I can't help but find Mushoku Tensei somewhat endearing for what it is: a snapshot in time of a landscape now lost. Nowadays, the sludge that comes from deriving from Narou-kei no longer even pretends to say or do something profound and elaborate.

  Even if only for all its fantastical twists and turns, this six-faced world is still worth witnessing till the very end.

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• 

  ameer

  100/100
  A Reminder of Why I Love Mushoku Tensei

  First review so bear with me, I was peer pressured into doing this. Spoilers ahead obviously. I was a little concerned about this season after some of my frustrations with S2, but after watching the double episode premiere, I felt like the anime came back to life. Everything felt right again and it had that charm that made me fall in love with the series in the first place. I was sitting there with a smile on my face, and at one point I teared up just because I was just so happy MT was back. Seeing the Eris POV that had been omitted previously was especially important to me as a reader, because those little pieces of perspective are exactly the kind of thing that makes these characters feel like actual people rather than characters who only exist when the protagonist is around. And that care continued throughout the cour. One of my favorite things about MT has always been its willingness to slow down. It doesn't constantly feel the need to move the plot forward or manufacture some huge event every episode. Sometimes it just lets us watch people live. We get to see the characters interacting with each other and going about their daily lives, the world continues to exist outside of whatever major conflict is happening. A lot of these moments might seem insignificant, but they're a huge part of why the series is so impactful to many. They give the characters room to breathe, make the world feel lived in, and makes everything that happens much more impactful. When you've spent so much time with these characters, watching them suffer doesn't feel like just watching a plot point happen. It actually feels like something happening to people you've come to know and care about. The world itself was also stunning. The world feels enormous, but it also feels tangible. Chaos Breaker in particular blew me away. I never expected it to look the way it did, and the amount of detail packed into the environment and those murals was so awesome to see. It wasn't just visually impressive either; there was so much lore in the environment that it made the world feel like it existed independently of the characters. That's exactly the kind of thing I mean when I talk about the little details in MT. It's not always about some revelation or big speech. Sometimes it's a mural in the background, a character's expression, the way someone moves, or getting to spend a few extra seconds in a place. All of those things add up and make this world feel so alive. Then you have the characters, which are the biggest reason this series means as much to me as it does. This cour managed to make me laugh, smile, feel nostalgic, feel uncomfortable, and destroy me emotionally. Aisha is awesome, Kishirika is somehow even more entertaining every time she appears, and Atofe might be one of the funniest dumbasses in the entire series. Roxy & Sylphie both continue to be great of course. I loved seeing the Demon Continent again too. There's something really touching about revisiting places from earlier in the story after you've spent so much time away from them. Seeing Nokopara again was such a small thing, but it was really nice. Kishirika coming back with exactly the same ridiculous energy she had the first time was another reminder of how much depth this world has. There is also something special about how the series is able to tie things back around. Episode 6 and meeting with Sara again, having that very mature discussion is honestly something that I am yet to see in another anime, at least not in this context or manner of presentation. Even the small interactions feel meaningful because these characters have so much history behind them. It's a huge part of what makes the quieter moments work so well, because I genuinely care about the people I'm watching. Episode 9 is one of the best examples of how good MT can be at taking something fantastical and making it feel real. Nanahoshi's breakdown really hurt to watch. Shion Wakayama's performance was fucking incredible, genuinely a gutting scene. But what made the scene so painful was that fact that she fundamentally doesn't belong here. Her body doesn't change and years pass with everyone continuing to live and age, and yet she remains physically frozen as if the world itself is rejecting her existence. She's surrounded by people and yet completely separated from them by the simple fact that this isn't her world and it will never be. The opening dream sequence in episode 11 was incredible. The Man God scene with the visual glitch, that smile, and then the appearance of Oldeus created an atmosphere that I don't think many anime can replicate. There was an overwhelming sense that something was wrong before the episode even explained what was happening. And then episode 12 was almost entirely a conversation while still being one of the most gripping episodes I've ever watched. Sugita's performance was unreal, and the voice acting, storyboarding, pacing, and direction all came together perfectly. Two people talking was enough to make me sit there completely captivated because every word carried so much weight. And then episode 13 came around. I honestly think that calling it episode of the year undersells it. It is one of the greatest episodes I've ever watched. What makes it so incredible isn't that the events are tragic but rather the fact that it's the culmination of everything that came before it. The quiet character moments, relationships, and history that this story has spent years building up suddenly become emotionally relevant. The OST, voice acting, direction, and atmosphere were all working toward the same emotional destination, and the result was just devastating. I was completely immersed in it. It was painful in a way that very few anime manage to achieve. And as a reader, that episode hit me really hard. Seeing it animated gave the diary an entirely different kind of power. The novel gave me the internal thoughts and details that made those scenes meaningful. The anime gave me the performances, music, visual language, silence, expressions, and the ability to actually see these characters experience everything. The two mediums can do things the other can't, and when an adaptation understands that, you get something genuinely incredible. This cour reminded me that adaptation is about interpretation. Something will always be lost when you try to adapt a novel. What matters is whether the anime understands what needs to survive the transition, and this cour had a strong grasp on that. It understood the emotions and found ways to express them visually. For the first time in a while, I came away from a cour feeling like the adaptation was genuinely capturing the soul of the series again. I don't think the adaptation is perfect. As a reader, I'll probably always notice the things that were cut or changed. There are still moments where I wish the anime had more time to breathe, and there are details that I wish had received the same level of attention as the major scenes. But for the first time in a while, I came away from a cour feeling like the adaptation was capturing the soul of the series again. This is why I love MT. It's not just because of the fights, lore, or huge twists. It's because it makes its world feel alive and its characters feel like people who existed before you started watching them and will continue existing after the episode ends. It can spend 20 minutes showing you people living their lives, then turn around and emotionally obliterate you. There really isn't anything else quite like it. This wasn't just a great cour of anime. It was a reminder of why this became one of my favorite stories in the first place.
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• 

  Champi

  100/100
  The facets of maturity come to each in life differently

  Greetings, before you read this and wonder about the structure, lack of depth as I require you to have seen the season and barely concised, yet general language: This is nothing more than written-out thoughts about what the season tried to do with its character, maybe not the review you were looking for. Don't expect this to be proofread

  We can always make up, can't we
  As the years have gone by, characters you would define as pure delinquents, lunatics and freaks developed in a way I myself could not have ever expected for some of them, their journey towards maturity simply flashed right past me before I was even able to comprehend what has happened as I followed the episodes one by one. It has been a journey after all, from the first steps towards a mass disaster, an adventure through unknown dangers and the moment we find a moment to rest in our life, the next event of a life shattering experience waits right across the corner to not simply make us suffer even more, but rather to be considered a challenge we have to stand tall against. As life wants it, it's not just about us oneself, but additionally about the people we have met and our bonds with them. Why am I telling you all this shenanigans at the end of this final episode? Because Mushoku Tensei Season 3 Part 1 has tackled the experience of life once more in a way that made me think about my relationships and that I, despite my struggling attempts to do so, have yet to become a better person.
  There are a lot of things you can mention about the writing in this season, the way you see a variously fleshed out cast grow beyond their shells, singular characters overcoming the struggle of dealing with a prior problem or even if it's nothing more than a peaceful day to day life in the own four walks, the experience of Season 3 could not be better described than what it means to be human, further what it means to firmly stand on the ground with your own two legs no matter the odds.
  The Beast Girls reached their graduation and despite being the same delinquents we have known for a while now, they've always been aware of their responsibilities for once the time comes. They may quarrel a lot and deny any feelings of care they harbor for each other, but right in their final moment they were facing each other with two thoughts that grounded their path up to this point: May the stronger one become the chief, may the loser live a life in freedom. Frankly, you would never expect any of the two to carry feelings as such with them, then again it has been the biggest symbol of maturity they ever could have let us witness. They have grown up, chosen their paths for the future, hoping for each to have a fulfilling life.
  Obviously it is not just these two that are proof to a display of maturity, the MVP to that for the side characters most definitely being Zanoba Shirone, the boy blessed with a gift of strength that lacked any signs of empathy and social capabilities, treating humans as mere dolls of flesh while solely focusing on his personal craft. As fate had it for him, Zanoba took on the paternal responsibility by raising a slave girl like it's his own sister or even daughter. The deep bond he forged with Julie in assistance of his "Master" to socialize with those around him, Zanoba began to learn what it means to care, care for others, to appreciate humans more than ever before. It has been like looking at a completely different person, knowing he too must love the change the experienced alongside improving his work.
  Same naturally goes for Cliff Grimoire as we are at it, the annoying ass kid that has been way too full of himself and all that just because he felt better than everyone else. As we stand here, he deserved every beating he ever received and should have received. Stuck-up, annoying, deep in his beliefs. YET HERE WE ARE, this boy has not just become socially more approachable, but he considers those around him equals instead of rivals, to a degree that has him overlook his own deeply rooted beliefs if it means to be of help for those he cares about. Growing up he became a display of loyalty I never could have possibly forecast.
  Nanahoshi is a character I struggle to grasp in an overall view, her wish to return to her world is as valid as it can get, the hardship she experiences mentally aside from the physical restraints is more than enough to drive one crazy, yet I am happy that she is still able to enjoy herself. It's the small achievements in life we have to celebrate, even if the achievement comes in the form of a watermelon.
  Eris... I honestly do not want to say too much as I first want to see her full return, but the way she went is fantastic. Stubborn, strong-willed, focused, striving higher and higher with but only one goal in mind and that is to consider herself equal to the guy she loves… Wow. It's a bless to see her happy even if only thinking about Rudy. While communication has never been her strongest forte, she put the differences aside and became stronger by coming together with others as she is aware of her own weakness. It's fantastic
  Whether it's the beast girls, Zanoba, Cliff, Eris or anyone else, all of them have grown into respectable individuals that shine bright in their own aspects, making me feel sentimental just thinking about how far they have come from their rough beginnings. Fairly saidy you can write a paragraph about every character, but let's not breach the line and slowly come to an end.

  Rudeus, Rudy, if he has done anything this time then to be once again a phenomenal, more than outstanding example of what it means to be a human, in many ways. Whether it is at his greatest or at his worst, the author does not fear away from showing us the beauty and-or dirty, ugly reality that comes along when you are either blessed or cursed. If you were not able to enjoy this season, to see it for any minor things it may try to make you feel, learn or acknowledge, then I do not know why you are even consuming media if not just for explosions.
  Rudy has always been a character that was not meant to be your typical hero. He is perverted, does not try to save the world, realistically speaking always against fights for his own goals. How could anyone ever like a guy like that, nothing less as the main character, right? Yet it's the various flaws that make his story as charming as it is, in addition to every depressing and painful experience- underlining the beauty in his heartfelt, genuine actions better than anything ever could. Rudy is no hero, no chosen one, he is an ordinary guy that struggles his way through the painful reality with the wish to settle down and to be at his happiest. For once we reached the place he wants to be at. Half the season we have witnessed the life he aches for, the life he deserves and loves along with his beautiful family and trusting friends. It was peaceful, it was lovely, exciting, happy, the most fitting term a dream. Rudeus is not just some kid anymore that adventures and has his mind filled with any sexual idea he can come up with, this is an upstanding father that tries to care for his family while trying to become a better version of himself. It's his gestures and interactions that make the development of his shine bright, being able to confront prior occurrences such as Sara with an understanding demeanor as both try to resolve the past for a better future. Any hardships, phases of depression and real loss as he acknowledges that there are people that care for him and he has to care for forged him into the man he is now, facing the next crisis that may hurt his family with a resolve that could leave him behind dead. It was nothing but beautiful to see Rudeus this happy, together with his wives, friends and family as he tackles the next stone in the grand scheme we all enjoy to call LIFE.
  Oldeus has been yet another depicture of depression and misery, one we should appreciate to be even thrown at us as we usual try to deny what pain can do to a person. This man was HURTING, grieving, suffering suffering in a state it seems impossible to recover from. This has been one of the deepest lows depression can push one into, a depth of pure sadness, anger and denial. Feelings of guilt impossible to overcome. As Mushoku Tensei tries to portray realism in its own way, it's writing of the dirtiest misery like this that reinforces the strength of a story. It's ROUGH to be as depressed as seen here, you WILL suffer beneath it and eventually spiral down further as you ultimately become the biggest problem of yourself. Can you prevent it? Maybe, most definitely, but not alone. It's difficult to take a hold of life once more after feeling it has been torn apart, for some it happens too late and for others never, but try to believe in those that believe in you nonetheless.

  It honestly feels surreal to see Rudeus here, with a family and his own child, while it feels like the journey has only began. Yet they all have grown up, into individuals that thrive in their interests and beliefs while being considerate and emphatic towards those around them. Even if one occasion results in differences, they were always able to make up in the afterward. This season reinforced, for me, once its thematics about growing up, maturity and realism the author has been trying to push for since the beginning of the story, turning this into one of my most favorite depictions of human and living life out there. Everyone has something they wish to protect and would give their all for, even if it is yet to be found.
  This story, these characters have been growing alongside me as the seasons release, and yet I still wish I would be able to portray the same display of maturity in my day to day life as some of them did. But hey, this also is just part of life, eventually the years will pass and I will find myself either in hell or blessed by what I yearn for, being a better version of myself that is truly able to bless the lives around me in even just the most minor ways I can think of. To enjoy myself, make life more enjoyable for others. Maybe I should see this journey to an end before ultimately putting down the pen and calling it quits, become the catalysator for my own joy.

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