A Second Chance Does Wonders
- Episodes : 11
- Genre : Drama, Magic, Fantasy
- Airing Date : January 2021 – March 2021
- Producers : Studio Bind
Contains Spoilers
Introduction and Story
Death should have been what awaited the 34-year old who died trying to save another’s life. However, when the young man opened his eyes, he wasn’t in the afterlife but in a new body in a new world. Now known as Rudeus Greyrat, this young boy must adjust to a world filled with magic, adventure, danger, and opportunity. Rudeus’ old life was nothing special but in this new land and with his new magical abilities, Rudy can live a better life than the one he left behind. The only question now is what to do first in this strange new fantastical land?
Brilliant Art, Animation, and Story
Despite being yet another isekai story, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation—or Jobless Reincarnation for short—is a truly beautiful anime. Not only is Jobless Reincarnation gorgeous in terms of art but the animation—especially the few battles of the series—are some of the best we’ve ever seen! Yet, no anime would be perfect with just stellar animation. What holds Jobless Reincarnation together as a series is the incredible story that had us from episode 1 to episode 11.
Rudy could be compared to other perverted isekai protagonists but his story in Jobless Reincarnation feels sincere and realistic. Watching this young man relive his childhood to his early teen years never felt overly silly as he deals with many real-world issues such as loneliness, failure, and bullying. Rudy is a character that can be a bit scummy at times—he is a bit too perverted—but overall, he is a character you root for as this world has given him a second chance he clearly wants to make the best of.
Magical Cast
Every character in Jobless Reincarnation feels necessary which is rare for an isekai anime. From the mixed elf girl Sylphy to the lustful maid who ends up in a precarious situation due to her desires—Lillia—each character has a purpose fleshing out the world of Jobless Reincarnation. Finding one character to love over another is quite hard—though we do hate one character more than the rest—and this shows the incredible writing that went into Jobless Reincarnation.
Adventure from Shore to Shore
Isekai anime tend to hold firm to using similar tropes and themes when telling a story. Jobless Reincarnation does use some clichéd themes here and there—such as the perverse nature of the show as a whole—but equally relies on telling a story that feels like a true adventure. Rudy’s story could have been focused on just finding the next girl to fall in love with but instead, he quickly finds a goal and sets out to make that goal a reality. In the process, Rudy ends up on an adventure that never bored us and constantly shattered our preconceptions of the isekai genre as a whole.
Another Short Series
Akin to Dr. Stone: Stone Wars, Jobless Reincarnation suffers from only being 11-episodes. This means that just as fast as you’re getting used to Rudy and his world, the story ends and you see a "second cour coming soon" announcement. We understand why many shows had shorter episode counts this year but it does make us sad that Jobless Reincarnation ends with a major cliffhanger that we need to wait to see resolved.
Controversial Themes
Alright, let’s talk about what Jobless Reincarnation was also quite popular for this winter 2021 season. Due to the nature of Rudy and his father—Paul—Jobless Reincarnation was considered a bit much for Chinese viewers and we can understand why. Jobless Reincarnation has Rudy fondling a young girl—they are around the same age—and even has Paul commit adultery by having a child with another woman. Jobless Reincarnation isn’t afraid of dealing with some mature topics and real-world issues but we have seen some in the anime community argue that this series lacks moral codes. Comment below with your thoughts on this matter as we’d love to know if you agree Jobless Reincarnation does have some controversial themes.
Final Thoughts
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, from beginning to end, was an amazing 11-episode run and we are excited to see the next cour of the series! Filled to the brim with great storytelling and epic animation, Jobless Reincarnation felt nearly perfect and could have been if the series had just spared a few more episodes before needing that second cour. Nevertheless, we loved Jobless Reincarnation and can’t wait for part 2! Let us know via the comments below what you loved—or disliked—about Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation! Be sure to also keep out for more anime reviews done by our magical hive here at Honey’s Anime!
Author: Aaron
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