Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 episode 4 aired on Sunday bringing back a ton of aspects to the story that made many fans enjoy the first season of the series, which is probably why it became so popular in the first place. While the start of this season can be seen as sub-par for a lot of reasons, this episode got Mushoku Tensei back on track to being the great series it’s known to be.
Besides some noticeable artwork flaws and lack of emotional attachment to temporary characters (again), this episode did basically everything else correctly. In short, it brought back that feeling of Mushoku Tensei. Whether it was the humor, the urge for adventure, learning new things, character development, or beautiful fighting animation, there was something from this episode that everyone could love.
If I had to pick for myself, I’d say it’s the urge for adventure. The start of a new chapter and moving on to the next part of the story is the core of any adventure story. Whether it’s Made in Abyss, Hunter x Hunter, or Pokemon, any good adventure story executes a transition into its “next phase” properly and that’s what this episode did in tremendous fashion.
At the very end of the episode, I felt extremely excited for the very first time this season. Teasing new characters during the end credits and having Elinalise by Rudeus’ side with Sylphy and Ariel together — it just felt like the story was finally moving on to something more exciting. And that tease of Rudeus finally meeting Sylphy is something I can’t wait to see.
Elinalise is proving to be a lot more of an interesting character than for the “popular” reasons. She’s the first person in this season so far who Rudues has really opened up to and become comfortable with, especially knowing her connection to Roxy. She knows the whereabouts of Zenith and she decided to stick with Rudeus on his journey to the University of Magic.
While the obvious is there, it was actually kind of nice to get to know her character a little more. Her disdain for Paul intrigues me and wants me to know more about that situation. But even more so, her willingness to “keep her distance” from Rudeus out of respect for Roxy was definitely something I didn’t expect.
While it was kind of glossed over how Elinalise found Rudeus, though we kind of know how she obtained information from the end of the last episode, it was also something that didn’t need much more detail than we already got. I think bringing Elinalise into the mix in this episode was perfect timing from a story perspective for many reasons, including humor.
It’s clear Rudeus is still depressed. He even admitted to the Man-God that he feels like he wasted two years of his life and while Elinalise was getting to know the men of the town, he says to himself curled up in his bed “I don’t love anyone,” which is then played off with the humor of his “problem.” The facial expressions in this episode were great and I never once found myself discouraged from anything I was watching, unlike last week.
I’d much rather see Rudeus taking his depression out on workouts and doing anything necessary to find his mother and reunite his loved ones rather than getting drunk with the guy who once bullied him and trying god knows what with anyone he sees fit with no regard for the people who actually cared for him (*cough* Sara *cough*). “But it’s part of his character development.” True, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. Rudeus actually making the decision to go to the University of Magic to become stronger rather than wanting to stick a knife through his throat because he said some hurtful things is way more intriguing.
Alas, peaks and valleys. The stages of grief are apparent with the obvious one being depression this season. I’m just glad the series turned Rudeus’ erectile dysfunction into something a little more humorous rather than a means for him wanting to not be alive anymore. I guess this episode can be seen as his “acceptance” stage. If so, I couldn’t be happier because now it’s time for a new arc in the story and I can’t wait to see what unfolds! That smile from Rudeus at the end was the perfect shot to end the episode.
Now that we know more information regarding every one, most importantly Zenith and her whereabouts, it feels like the story is picking back up again. The adventures in Mushoku Tensei are part of its great charm. The characters are an even better bonus. And now that we’ll get to know Elinalise some more and Rudeus is that much closer to possibly reuniting with Sylphy, this episode left a lot to be excited for with this next arc.
Episode rating: 8.5/10
If you enjoyed this week’s episode of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 then make sure to vote for the series in our weekly poll! The next episode will air on Sunday, August 6. The series is streaming on Crunchyroll with English subtitles.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
©Rifujin na Magonote/MF Books/”Mushoku Tensei” Production Committee