Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S2 Ep 19 Review
Rudeus has made up his mind: he’s going to the Begaritt Continent to help rescue his Mother. It’s going to be a long and hard trip (and I know how it ends), but this soemthing he has to do. The good news is that he’s not going alone. The bad news? It’s an eight-month trek to his destination and back. Factoring in the time he’ll be in the Labyrinth, he’ll be gone for two years. In other words, he won’t be there when his kid is born; a hard pill to swallow. But, Nanahoshi has a solution that might work.
I haven’t been able to bring myself to read the volume the anime’s adapting yet, but I still know the major details of what’s about to happen. As a result, I can say a few things with confidence: Rudeus is making a mistake rushing into this.
Maybe He Should’ve Asked More People to Go With Him
After making his decision, the first two people Rudeus tells about his decision are Elinalise and Nanahoshi. The former tries to talk him out of going, but since she’s unable to persuade him otherwise, they’ll travel together. And thanks to Cliff upgrading the suppressor device, Elinalise can go longer stretches before her curse hits her! Which is good, because that would make things super awkward.
Nanahoshi, meanwhile, gives Rudy something that could help them get there and back faster. Orsted showed her these teleportation circles around the world that they used to fast-travel. Since Rudy helped save her life, she shows him one that will take them within a month or so from their destination of Rapan. And it’s not far from Sharia.
After that, the episode segues into Rudy and Elinalise saying goodbye to everyone, with Cliff even asking Lise to marry him when she returns. Good on you, Cliff! You do have rizz after all!
As heartfelt as this moment was, I have to criticize the story at this point. There’s no easy way to say this, but Rudeus shouldn’t have left with just him and Elinalise. I understand the need to keep the circles a secret, but he could’ve asked any one of his super-strong friends to go with him as backup. Zanoba has super-strength; Luke is a pretty good swordsman; the Beast Girls have excellent hearing and smell. Badigadi is an immortal Demon God! Any one of them could be a big help in the rescue! Then again, they might not.
A Super Abridged Desert Journey
As for the journey across the Begaritt Continent, the anime leaves out much of the journey from the light novels. The one thing that they do end up focusing on is also the most unsettling. The pair get attacked by a succubus, a monster whose pheromones will drive men berserk with lust. And the only ways to cure it is by detoxification magic or…that.
Suddenly, I’m glad Eris isn’t around. I can only imagine the kind of beatdown she would have given Rudeus had that happened.
Joking aside, the anime leaves out some finer, world-building details about the Begaritt Continent. They don’t intend to stay for long, but since Mushoku Tensei is the kind of story that likes to build the world, it seems to be somewhat of a letdown. But that’s just my opinion.
In any case, the anime must not want to waste time on that, highlighting how urgent this mission is for Rudeus. By the time the ED roles, the two have already made it to their destination of Rapan. And this is where it leaves things off.
Rudeus Biggest Battle Yet is Just Beginning
Full disclosure: we are now at the end of volume 11 of Mushoku Tensei. The entire labyrinth arc will be the sole focus of volume 12 and the remainder of the season. And while I haven’t finished reading it myself, I can still attest to how big things are going to get. We need to prepare for action, drama, and probably a lot of pain and hardship. We have one week from the time I’m writing this, and for all I know, it could already be out by the time this goes out. Be prepared!
Quick plug, though: there’s a new Mushoku Tensei light novel out, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation: Recollections. It’s an anthology collecting a bunch of different short stories of events that take place during the first ten volumes of the series. Or, in other words, the start of the series up to not long after Rudy and Sylphie tie the knot. See how Rudeus secured his “Holy Relic” of Roxy. Or some of the misadventures Dead End got up to on their great odyssey. It’s the kind of slice of life stories that I think really flesh out a good story, in my opinion! You can find it in book form or buy it as an Ebook!
