Mushoku Tensei Review (Patreon)

The point of the show: Shounens are about the power of friendship. This show is about the power of family. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IQuc7wfO16Q

You would never guess that an anime about raising a family, polygamy antics, and "Men's Health" (Brandon's and my favorite euphemism for erectile dysfunction) is a fantasy isekai show. These topics usually describe some dumb harem or romcom slice-of-life anime. And for many of those shows, moral degeneracy is simply the name of the game. Want a harem (aka pseudo-polygamy)? Have at it. Want a girl who looks underage? Don't worry, she's actually 1,000 years old: it's just a race thing. Game is game.

Obviously I am being sarcastic here since Mushoku Tensei (MT) includes these tropes. They're typical of romcoms that aren't meant to be taken seriously. But despite MT including these elements, I will defend that this show is a masterpiece. The author (his alias is Rifujin na Magonote) has a specific purpose in mind with this narrative. Understanding that intent will reveal why people criticize this show.

Imagine yourself in the shoes of the protagonist. When the day of your parents' funeral arrives, you would rather jerk off to porn instead of attending the funeral. Okay, pause. What? Who wants to imagine that? How many people relate to that (or would even admit it)? Consider then why Rifujin puts this kind of a guy front and center to his story. He wants you to relate to Rudeus. Those who are willing to relate to Rudeus are Rifujin's target audience. Therefore, this show is absolutely not for everyone.

Rifujin clearly has a story he wants to tell and has no interest in preaching morality at all. Rather, the focus is on the well-being of Rudeus's soul. Let me sketch a summary of the show in terms of the state of Rudeus's soul. In the beginning, he gets publicly shamed by bullies and develops deep psychological and sexual trauma. He isolates himself. He dies in a pitiful state. Somehow, he is given another chance at life. Thanks to Roxy, he breaks free of his isolation from the world. Despite his dad's affair, his family stays together and works out their issues. At the first turning point, he gains a valuable companion with Eris and they grow together, searching for their families. They reunite with Paul but Rudeus and Paul hurt each other and cannot forgive each other. At the second turning point, Eris leaves because she is not strong enough to protect him. Rudeus, after having sex for the first time with someone he feels close to, gets abandoned and heartbroken. He gets erectile dysfunction. (Yes, that deserves its own sentence.) He cannot have sex with Sara. She is hurt by this and hurts him back. In return, he hurts Sara. They cannot forgive each other. Rudeus almost kills himself. He reunites with Sylphie who is willing to bear his burdens. They start a family. He reconnects with his sisters. At the third turning point, he sets out to find his mom, leaving behind his pregnant wife. He and his dad forgive each other. They find his mom. His dad dies. Roxy comforts him in another one of his lowest moments. Roxy gets added to the family.

From this sketch I hope you understand that sex and family are the core themes. Being shamed naked in public warped Rudeus's soul. Sexual perversion is a natural consequence of that. Intimacy is the way that Rudeus connects with other girls who can heal him. It's also the way that he gets deeply hurt. The same intimacy is also the beginning of family. Sex can also be the way to damage a family. Rifujin is seriously ambitious for writing about these things. He could force his own agenda, but many times Rifujin simply presents multiple characters' reactions to the drama and leaves us to decide on what conclusions to draw. Other authors will never touch these themes, and I don't blame them.

But, check any comments for MT on Youtube, Reddit, X, or other social media and you'll see that the discourse on this show revolves around morality issues. Rudeus is such and such years old so that makes him a groomer. Polygamy and cheating is wrong. Such and such behavior is misogynistic or shows toxic masculinity. What a tremendous waste of time! These debates show how divided the audience is: those who don't try relating to Rudeus cannot believe that a person like him can be redeemed, get better, or be forgiven. There are also claims that Rudeus doesn't deserve to be rewarded for the way that he behaves. Notice that "redeemed," "deserves," and "forgiven" are all spiritual words. That's what's at stake here in the story. That's also why the debates in this show are so fierce. Rifujin is exposing your very souls. Can you genuinely say that you could do better than the characters in their circumstances? And I've only elaborated on Rudeus's point of view; every other side character is treated with the same depth. I could go on about their stories too, but then I'd just be singing the same praises.

There are some complaints from the critics that I can grant. Rudeus's perverted expressions are weird. The panties gags don't really land for me. Roxy could just be a regular girl instead of being the old-but-looks-like-loli trope. Watching 10 year olds trying to get it on is also whack.

At this point it feels tedious to mention the show's other merits. The production is fantastic. The setting and world are so well-realized. The voice acting and character designs are top notch. I can't find any knocks here.

There's one last point I want to explain; I can't help but do some preaching and social commentary. Most stories feature heroes and villains. Both are relatable because they are men of action. They are figures who are noticeable; others pay attention to them; heroes are loved, villains are hated. But who writes stories about losers? Unlike heroes and villains, losers do not even get enough attention to warrant love or hate. Losers are unworthy of being associated with. If they died, it's almost as if no one would even notice. Yet in spite of all this, here is the story's central agenda. Pay attention to the losers. Care for them and help them. Rifujin presents a central means to accomplish that care: family.

Here's one QnA from ANN:

Some of the most controversial aspects of Mushoku Tensei are at the very start because it begins with Rudeus at his lowest. Looking back, are there ever times when you think “Maybe that was a little over-the-top” or “Maybe I should have held back a little”? Or do you think the balance was right for the story you wanted to tell?

Rifujin na Magonote: "I think the balance was right. Because he's a controversial character, his mountain of regrets makes the act of redoing life more meaningful.

Of course, I have no issue with criticizing Rudeus at the beginning stage, and it's up to you to decide whether you don't want to see the story because of that. With that said, if there's someone like Rudeus close to you and that person were to have even a slight change of heart and try to start over, I sincerely hope that you won't abandon them on the spot."

The Verdict: Forgiveness is possible for those who are truly sorry and repent for their sins. Checkmate atheists! 10/10