Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 episode 5 aired on Sunday kickstarting the University Arc with solid exposition and an ample amount of dramatic irony. While Elinalise was off doing what she needs to do to keep her curse at bay, Rudeus and Sylphy are reunited. Well, sort of. Despite constantly putting my hands on my head watching Rudeus be oblivious to Sylphy’s presence, this episode was another solid one for Mushoku Tensei Season 2.
Sylphy and Rudeus – The (sort of) Reunion
I’m a sucker for dramatic irony in a story and I’ve been known to tirelessly point it out in a lot of my other series articles I’ve written in the past. With this episode, the fact we knew Fitz was Sylphy and Rudeus didn’t drove me absolutely nuts. I’m not exaggerating when I tell you I had my hands on my head at the end there begging for Sylphy to just tell him it’s her — and that’s how dramatic irony is supposed to be.
Sylphy continues to prove to be a better character as time goes on. She’s developed a reputation among the students and is well respected. Anytime she’s involved in a scene my attention seems to be drawn to what may happen, especially when Rudeus is there. But she deserves her own credit. Being Ariel’s most trusted guard as both a possible future queen and the student body president is one hell of a step up from the Sylphy we once knew back in the first season.
I don’t think I’d go as far as to say Sylphy is an amazing character (yet). The potential is definitely there, especially after the flashes of strength she’s shown despite her timid nature. Her protective nature over the people she cares about makes her impossible to dislike and the fact she’ll take on anyone to do that protecting makes her extremely likable. I can’t wait to see what more is in store with her this arc.
Interesting Characters
I’d say a side of Mushoku Tensei that can’t be argued is that it usually does an overall solid job with its side characters and introducing them — this episode proved no different with Linia, Pursena, and Cliff. They each did a great job of already showing off what their characters are sort of like while simultaneously giving a little bit of wiggle room to the mystery of what they’re capable of.
It’s really hard to choose a favorite character above them all. Cliff definitely seemed like the cold type of person in the group who’s actually a softie the more he opens up to you. Pursena seems like a character who is kind but doesn’t like being bothered, an “I’ll approach you, don’t approach me” attitude. Linia is interesting on multiple fronts. For one, her connection with the Dedoldia family that we met in the first season. Second, her abrasive attitude toward Rudeus is somewhat similar to Eris’. Third, she must be somewhat good with magic if she’s at the university.
I would say that Cliff is poised to be the most interesting character off of the fact he came in contact with Eris and straight up told Rudeus about her. So it makes me wonder if Rudeus is going to try to push the issue on Cliff during this arc at some point. We saw how Rudeus reacted when he heard her name. The fact that the coldest character of the bunch has information Rudeus cares about the most will definitely prove to be a little interesting and something to keep an eye on.
As for “Miss Silent,” I’m going to go out on a limb here and take a measly guess that it’s either the little girl in the new ending of the episode or the girl in the purple room with the insignia during the opening. I’m leaning towards the latter but that’s what I’m already enjoying about this arc — there seems to be so much to look forward to!
That Moment
There was one moment during this episode that caught my attention more than the others. When Rudeus is being bombarded by all of the girls near their dorms, one of them says they wish he’d drop dead. And, for a split second, we see Rudeus’ face completely go into a panic. It was such a quick way to show how delicate Rudeus’ feelings are right now after what he’s been through in the past year or so.
If the scene focused on the girl who said it rather than what was said, it would’ve lost a lot of its weight. What’s worse is not a single person besides Sylphy came to Rudeus’ defense and you could just feel that anxiety start to make its way to the surface. As a character that almost took his own life, for Rudeus to just hear those words due to an instance that was so pointless bears a lot heavier meaning.
Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 5 Wrap Up
While much didn’t necessarily happen in this episode, it was still a good way to kick off the arc. Obviously from the key visuals for this season, we knew Rudeus and Sylphy would cross paths at some point. And I’ve taken a liken to how Elinalise actually somewhat cares about Rudeus as well. So to have familiar faces back between her and Sylphy is a nice feeling. Other than what was discussed, not much more was left on the table other than that Rudeus has a long way to go before he even begins to solve the transportation incident.
Episode 5 rating: 8/10
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 13. The series is streaming on Crunchyroll with English subtitles.
Screenshots via Crunchyroll
©Rifujin na Magonote/MF Books/”Mushoku Tensei” Production Committee
