Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Season One) – Part 1
A middle-aged shut-in is killed in an accident and is reborn in another world. What opportunities will this new life offer and will he be able to escape the baggage of his previous life? It’s going to be a challenge!
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Season One) – Part 1
What did you watch?
I think it’s fairly well known that I’m a fan of Isekai and fantasy stories in general, so it should come as no surprise that I would make a note to watch Mushoku Tensei when it aired. There was quite a bit of back and forth about the series as it went, but I kept it on my to-watch list. I’m not easily swayed once I make my mind up. Also, I really don’t care for outrage. If anything, it makes me want to see something even more. So, here we are – season one of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – part one. Beware, there will be spoilers.
What happened?
He died in a car accident saving some students. It was probably the only noble thing he’d done in his entire life and it cost him everything. Surprisingly, as he watched his pitiful existence fade away, he found himself being born into a new world. The most amazing thing was that he retained his memories and knowledge, giving him quite the headstart on things.
Rudeus was a peculiar child. He never cried and seemed to spend all his time putting panties on his head. Things took a turn when he discovered that this new world he’d been born into was one of sword and sorcery. He quickly learnt to read the local texts and taught himself magic, challenging the preconceptions of the world. The future was suddenly looking bright, although he still had his demons from the past life to contend with. Will Rudeus make the most of his second chance?
What did you think?
So, this series is not without its problems. That is Rudeus. By that I mean that he is not your standard likeable character, to begin with. His past life was horrible and the flashbacks showed us just how badly he was bullied. Honestly, it’s not surprising that he shut himself away. The regression that followed is pretty much to be expected.
This is a story about redemption and second chances so it wouldn’t make much sense if he didn’t start from a low point. I also liked that it’s an ongoing process. If he suddenly changed his entire personality after a couple of episodes it would have seemed unrealistic. I like that he is moving in the right direction, but every now and then, he takes a step in the wrong direction.
What was your favourite moment?
So, Rudeus was hired by relatives to educate their daughter. He was tasked with teaching her how to read and write, and use magic. However, she had no interest in being taught and wasn’t afraid to show it. Assuming he would quit, his uncle was surprised to see that Rudeus had a plan. He arranged for Eris and himself to be kidnapped so that he could show her practical uses of what he hoped to teach her.
Things went wrong when the kidnappers turned out to be real. One even stomped on Eris until she lost some teeth. Realising it was real, Rudeus helped Eris escape and tried to bring her home. The kidnappers caught up with them and made Rudeus an offer. It was a good one, but he couldn’t abandon Eris, even after how she had treated him. He tried to defend himself, but it looked like it was all over. That was when Ghislaine appeared and quickly sliced the kidnapper ups. Ghislaine is incredible!
What was your least favourite moment?
There were a number of things that are obviously pretty bad, such as Rudeus trying to remove Eris’ panties while she slept and thinking that he would make Slyph into the perfect wife. Rudeus certainly didn’t do himself any favours early on.
However, I remember being hit hardest by the flashbacks in the second episode where Rudeus watched himself being relentlessly bullied. It was horrible and while it doesn’t excuse what he does later, it was definitely a factor in his descent. I hate bullies. People don’t just get over it. What one person thinks is pretty harmless will impact someone else for the rest of their life.
Who was your favourite character?
This probably comes as no surprise, but I have recently become a devout follower of Ghislaine. She is a goddess. Bow down and worship the Sword King!
Who was your least favourite character?
So, this one is a lot harder. I think when you really look at it, all of the characters have a flaw in one way or another. Maybe not Roxy and Zenith. I think I’ve got to go with Rudeus’ father, Paul. He was clearly a bit of a fool. That said I did quite enjoy the father-son moments where he gave Rudeus terrible advice, especially for someone so young. It was funny though. Forget that, Paul is pretty entertaining.
Would you like some more?
I can’t wait for the second part to come out, which is later today. The series took a crazy turn in episode nine and thrust us into a real fantasy adventure. I want to see if Rudeus learns anything and how he rebuilds his life. Plus, hopefully, we’ll see some more of Ghislaine. The show really missed her personality in the last three episodes.
What have you learnt?
Here’s the thing about characters. You don’t have to like them. You can even like them and not like everything they do. Rudeus is one of those characters. He does things that make me shake my head and sigh. But, then he does things that make me smile. At the end of the day, he’s just a character and it’s fine to feel however you want.
Honestly, I would much rather watch a flawed character like Rudeus trying to redeem himself than a character like Taichi from Isekai Cheat Magician. This series is interesting because of Rudeus’ flaws. You don’t have to condone them to enjoy the series. If anything, that’s the point.
It’s going to be interesting to see if they can fully redeem Rudeus. I am going to be here to watch the journey and not just because it is an incredible fantasy story on top of the redemption arc. I want to see him succeed, but I realise it’s going to be hard and there are going to be mistakes. Bring on part two!
Other Posts in the Series
- Season One
- Part 1
- Episode 1 – Jobless Reincarnation
- Episode 2 – Master
- Episode 3 – A Friend
- Episode 4 – Emergency Family Meeting
- Episode 5 – A Young Lady and Violence
- Episode 6 – A Day Off in Roa
- Episode 7 – What Lies Beyond Effort
- Episode 8 – Turning Point 1
- Episode 9 – A Chance Encounter
- Episode 10 – The Value of a Life and the First Job
- Episode 11 – Children and Warriors
- Part 2
- Episode 12 – The Woman with the Demon Eyes
- Episode 13 – Missed Connections
- Episode 14 – No Such Thing As a Free Lunch
- Episode 15 – Slow Life in the Doldia Village
- Episode 16 – Family Squabble
- Episode 17 – Reunion
- Episode 18 – Separate Journeys
- Episode 19 – Route Selection
- Episode 20 – The Birth of My Little Sister, the Maid
- Episode 21 – Turning Point 2
- Episode 22 – Dreams and Reality
- Episode 23 – Wake Up and Take a Step
- OVA
- Part 1
- Season Two
- Part 1
- Episode 0 – Guardian Fitz
- Episode 1 – The Brokenhearted Mage
- Episode 2 – The Forest in the Dead of Night
- Episode 3 – Abrupt Approach
- Episode 4 – Letter of Invitation
- Episode 5 – Ranoa University of Magic
- Episode 6 – I Don’t Want to Die
- Episode 7 – The Kidnapping and Confinement of Beast Girls
- Episode 8 – The Fiancé of Despair
- Episode 9 – The White Mask
- Episode 10 – These Feelings
- Episode 11 – To You
- Episode 12 – I Want to Tell You
- Part 2
- Part 1
Series Information
| English Title | Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation |
| Japanese Title | Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu |
| Medium | Anime |
| Released | Season 1 Part 1: Winter 2021 Part 2: Fall 2021 Season 2 Part 1: Summer 2023 Part 2: Spring 2024 |
| Episodes | Season 1 Part 1: 11 Part 2: 12 + OVA Season 2 Part 1: OVA + 12 Part 2: 12 |
| Animation Studios | Studio Bind |
| Genres | Action, Comedy, Ecchi, Fantasy, Isekai, Magic |
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I believe I begin to appreciate the appeal of Jobless Reincarnation is that it portrays characters really flawed to the bone with the exception of Roxy & Ghislaine because what they’ve done so far is normal & acceptable routine (if you know what I’m saying); can’t really find any flaws within them.
Also if you’ve become a Ghislaine follower, maybe I might for Ruijerd in next cour; despite him appearing in only the final three episodes, he really makes a lasting impression in my mind as a determined, stern man(?) regardless of the 450+ year difference between us and that he has chopped a beastman’s head like it was nothing…?
Definitely it’s the Pioneer of Reincarnated Isekai (yes, I’m gonna call that instead of Grandpa for it sounds cringy tbh). I would’ve rate this a bit higher if there are emotional impact-intended flashback scenes of Ruijerd realising what scary thing he has done & Paul writing the letter with his face almost tearing up instead of the exposition dump of these said events.
Just a few more months and this isekai will continue where it left off with Rudeus, Eris & Ruijerd whom I still have to get used to his new look, but still a husbando candidate (at least for me ?).
P. S. This summer, unfortunately, doesn’t have an isekai that’s exceptional. I tried Realist Hero series, but its premiere episode gives me mixed feelings of how heavy-handed the elements have been written out in its scriptwriting. The dialogue between the seen-before-too-many-times MC and the king who trusts him too early(?) gives subtle/indirect distasteful reference to unpleasant familiarity of my country’s history…?
I’m giving 3 more eps of this series (in a binge-watch preferably) but considering where my whole life growing up in a country that has been “occupied” by foreign empires back then, I’m gonna need more time to forget how the first episode had turned out to be…
I only recommend this isekai if you’re able to ignore the subtle/indirect references of “occupation” & run-of-the-mill worldbuilding in the first (few) episode.
I don’t think even Roxy and Ghislaine are perfect either. For me the biggest pull for this series has been the fantasy elements and how we’ve been able to learn thing along with Rudeus. Too often these sorts of shows are so heavy handed with their exposition.
As for the new season, thanks, I’ll make a note of it, but I’ve still got several shows from the last two seasons to catch up on.
[…] week, my bonus review was for the first season of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation. I had a lot of fun with this show, even if there were some troubling elements. It’s one […]
“This probably comes as no surprise, but I have recently become a devout follower of Ghislaine. ”
I’m intrigued. Do you have a brochure?
I loved how realistic the characters felt to me. I thought in terms of redemption arc, but the show eventually made me think simply of character arcs. What I mean to say is that the show was so relentlessly effective in its character portrayals that switched to full immersion and just enjoyed the ride.
In retrospect, I saw the same things you noted in your “What Have I Learnt” section. But in the moment, watching scenes like Eris looking up in wonder at Rudy’s magical flare, I just enjoyed what I watched.
I wish there were more fiction that portrayed such authentic characters.
I’ll send you the pamphlet!
Yeah, that was a big part of the show. Lots of fantasy shows have your heroes and your villains and both are fairly distinctive. In this series we see that everyone has their flaws. No one is perfect.
I got completely sucked in and when they went to the demon lands it just became that much more fantastical. It’s one of the best shows I’ve seen this year and I can’t wait for the second part.