This season has its fair share of Isekai anime, which isn’t much of a surprise. What is, however, is when an isekai anime is able to have some degree of individuality and this season’s Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation is… not one of them (which is to be expected, it being one of the forefathers of the isekai genre). Though oddly enough, it’s been one of the few anime this season that’s been able to properly entertain me thus far.
Rudeus the Revolting
The anime starts with a pretty basic introduction as an unknown 34-year-old NEET is killed in a car accident (an introduction that’s been more than done to death at this point). After we see the final moments of his life in the modern world through his eyes, we then see as he’s instantly reborn, or rather reincarnated into an unknown fantasy world as a baby named Rudeus Greyrat. To say the introduction of this anime was strange would be quite an understatement. Rudy’s personality as a former NEET and perverted otaku comes across quite well with his thoughts and actions, such as his sexual stimulation and fondling of his new mother’s breasts or going through the maid’s panties and making her visibly uncomfortable.
Such actions certainly aren’t those you’ll see a child doing, but it does make sense when said child has a mind of a perverted 34-year-old virgin. Though having highly inappropriate thoughts of a very young girl is one that can’t be excused. Seeing these actions makes sense as to how he ended up becoming a shut-in virgin in the first place. However, I did find the scenes involving the other characters and their reactions to Rudy’s actions to be slightly humorous. Scenes such as Rudy’s parent’s incredibly loud night of passion, and those with the weary maid gave me a good laugh or two.
Unapologetically Isekai
Regardless of his crude nature, the anime shows Rudy can in-fact use his brain for non-perverted actions seen with his intrigue to learn the world’s magic. Due to his presumable bountiful amount of already accumulated knowledge, his affinity for magic, and his ability to learn things quickly due to being a child, Rudy is able to pick up magic quite easily and even becomes a prodigy at it. Having acknowledged his newfound skills and knowledge, Rudy then vows to make use of them to make the new life he’s been given much better than the last. We don’t know much about Rudy before his unfortunate demise other than the fact that he was a 34-year-old shut-in perverted virgin. However, judging by what we do know, I’d say it wasn’t much of a life. But now that he’s been given a second chance at it, it’s obvious he’s determined to use it properly.
Story-wise, the anime’s world is as typical as an isekai anime can get. Rudy is reincarnated into a European-inspired world in the medieval era with the same magic elements you’ll see in most other isekai anime. However, what I appreciated the most in the episode is the amount of detail it shows. For example, the episode shows Rudy has to learn the world’s new language right from birth. It also shows how he gradually learns how the world’s magic works bit by bit as opposed to being overpowered from the start. Other than that, it’s also rare to see an isekai anime showing a side of reincarnation that is usually overlooked. By that I mean seeing the protagonist start his new life from a baby and working his way back to adulthood, which is the more believable approach.
Final Thoughts
Aside from these noteworthy details, I’d say the rest of the first episode was rather bland if not predictable. However, an undoubtedly impressive part of the anime is its remarkable production quality. The animation from Studio Bind is already one of the best this season. The visuals are crystal clear, the effects are impressive, and the character designs are quite detailed. Mushoku Tensei is one of the better-looking anime this season so far, with lush animation and stellar direction despite its simple, overused isekai formula, which is at least something.
If you haven’t seen Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation, its available to stream right now on Funimation.
Have you seen Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation? What do you think of our impressions? Let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.