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EP. REVIEW: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II


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MFrontier



Joined: 13 Apr 2014
Posts: 13581
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:37 am Reply with quote
I wonder if there's even a point to Rudy sexually harassing Linia when he knows it doesn't effect his ED. I guess just for the lulz? I guess making Rudy head off all their suitors was karma in a certain way.

This really was the romance episode. Cliff turns from the standoffish, serious, guy to a boy head over heels in love while Elinalise turns from a extremely promiscuous and lustful woman resigned to the effects of her curse into a lovey-dovey girlfriend. They're surprisingly cute together. I am kind of curious exactly how Elinalise's curse works and how much sex she and Cliff are having. And can she be a one-woman man or will she relapse? How will Cliff react?

Poor Sylphie...first she got to breathe a sigh of relief that Rudy isn't crushing on another girl (while her feelings for him are as overt as ever) but then she gets to see later he's still as much of a skirt-chaser. Though is it just me or is her visor covering her eyes less and less?

Blue-haired girl had way too distinct a character design and look to not appear again or have something going on. Though of course she was the female challenger and gotten beaten down by everybody else.

Badigadi's personality and exuberance definitely pairs well with Kishirika. I kind of want to see the two together now.
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Velorien



Joined: 28 Oct 2021
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:43 am Reply with quote
AQuin1904 wrote:
In retrospect, I think maybe everything that ever happens with Linia and Pursena is a comedy beat that's at least kind of messed up when you stop to think about it?

I would agree with this 99% (especially the entire arc surrounding Linia spoiler[becoming Rudeus's slave]), the 1% being when spoiler[Rudeus does his crime investigation with Pursena at the beastfolk village], which is not messed up by virtue of not really being anything but bland filler.

AQuin1904 wrote:
All other problems aside, I feel significantly more concerned for anime Julie than her LN counterpart because I have no faith that either Rudeus or Zanoba has any idea how to take care of a child at this point, and Ginger doesn't seem to be around in this version.

I'm not sure the story cares about Julie enough to portray any consequences from this. Julie's really more like a cute pet than a traumatised orphan being cared for by two themselves-questionably-socialised teenagers in an environment with no other children where her primary activity is child labour. The only time I remember the writer considering the issue is when spoiler[Julie has her first period], and I found the execution there deeply cringeworthy.
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Velorien



Joined: 28 Oct 2021
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 12:47 pm Reply with quote
Blanchimont wrote:
AQuin1904 wrote:
All other problems aside, I feel significantly more concerned for anime Julie than her LN counterpart because I have no faith that either Rudeus or Zanoba has any idea how to take care of a child at this point, and Ginger doesn't seem to be around in this version.

Quite sure they won't cut Ginger, she's his bodyguard. Zanoba is royalty and what royalty wouldn't have a bodyguard, especially in a world as violent and full of political intrigues as Rudy's? And bodyguards usually try to stay unnoticed.

While obviously Ginger is part of the story, it's not because it makes logical sense for her to be his bodyguard. Zanoba is a Blessed Child whose blessing happens to be strength and borderline invulnerability. The kind of threats he still has to worry about are ones Ginger isn't particularly equipped to handle, being as far as we know an ordinary palace guard with no special skills.

Also, Shirone has this weird system where you can trade away your personal guards, and we know Zanoba did that very thing with Ginger (it's why she was serving Pax), so technically he's not even entitled to her by virtue of being royalty. If he were, presumably she’d have come with him to Ranoa in the first place.
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jmckenna15



Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Posts: 146
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 1:38 pm Reply with quote
AQuin1904 wrote:

In retrospect, I think maybe everything that ever happens with Linia and Pursena is a comedy beat that's at least kind of messed up when you stop to think about it? Admittedly, the anime skipped the relevant narration about their problem in this case.


They are meant to be the comic relief it seems. For what it's worth, they are pretty funny particularly with Pursena constantly pimping out Linia to Rudeus and how they see him as a "boss" based on him at least theoretically establishing dominance over him given how they sit on either side of him in class.

As far as the sexy bits, it is funny how Rudeus went in for another fondle probably thinking it was okay because Pursena said it was, only to get his face scratched off by Linia -- and this is just headcanon but he probably didn't peak up Linia's skirt, she just sat like that and he got a glimpse lol.

This episode was okay for the most part but I was a bit jarred by how many still frames we got for background characters and cuts to what else is going on in the town. I'd rather this than skipping a week obviously, but outside the fight it just didn't seem to live up to MT's typical high standards.
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Key
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Location: Indianapolis, IN (formerly Mimiho Valley)
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 4:44 pm Reply with quote
jmckenna15 wrote:
This episode was okay for the most part but I was a bit jarred by how many still frames we got for background characters and cuts to what else is going on in the town. I'd rather this than skipping a week obviously, but outside the fight it just didn't seem to live up to MT's typical high standards.

This isn't new. I rewatched most of the second half of s1 over the weekend, and it had plenty of instances of still shots like that, mostly in travel montages.

2-2Distracted wrote:
Episode: So lemme get this straight, Rudeus really won the respect and admiration of the two beast girls with... kidnapping and sexual assault? Laughing do I have that right? This has to be some of the most idiotic ways of characterization I've ever seen. . . . But there are less nonsensical ways to establish that an entire race believes in the idea of "might makes right" than doing dumb stuff like this. He's basically a glorified pimp at this point.

They got soundly defeated and dominated and come from a culture where displays of power are ingrained even into mating. (Besides, there's also the possibility that they were deliberately treating Rudy that way so they could use him as a shield against marriage challenges, but that may be giving them too much credit.) Not saying you have to like it, but I see nothing even slightly illogical about this.

Overall, I did like the thematic unity of the episode.
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jr240483



Joined: 24 Dec 2005
Posts: 4446
Location: New York City,New York,USA
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 5:41 pm Reply with quote
considering that he figured out last ep that one of those beast girls was related to his former sword king master, he should have been more scared and beg them to not tell her what he did!


also the demon king is just what rudy needs to avoid getting a big head

all thats left is for orsted himself to return!

also i feel bad for cliff.

considering on how much of a sex freak she is, i fear that in a POSSIBLE future storyline, he will end up becoming NTR bait whether its in this anime as an OVA original, OR as part of their mobile gacha game which COULD HAPPEN now that these LN authors for jobless reincarnation, eminence in shadow, the heroic king reborn as the strongest squire (did i get the title name right?) & spirit chronichles are more or less allowing the stories of their mobile gacha game adaptations to have those stories become canon to the original matetial ala the danmachi memoria phrase game so yea..... i can definitely seeing that "BAD END" scenario happening to cliff in a future story which would be unfortunate for his character!
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Velorien



Joined: 28 Oct 2021
Posts: 109
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 5:45 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:
They got soundly defeated and dominated and come from a culture where displays of power are ingrained even into mating. (Besides, there's also the possibility that they were deliberately treating Rudy that way so they could use him as a shield against marriage challenges, but that may be giving them too much credit.) Not saying you have to like it, but I see nothing even slightly illogical about this.
They previously got soundly defeated and dominated by Ariel/Fitz, and this did not make them an iota more loyal or submissive the way they are to Rudeus.
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NeverConvex
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Joined: 08 Jun 2013
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 6:47 pm Reply with quote
Velorien wrote:
They previously got soundly defeated and dominated by Ariel/Fitz, and this did not make them an iota more loyal or submissive the way they are to Rudeus.


It didn't even occur to me to ask why they didn't submit to Ariel/Fitz as their 'boss', after this was pointed out as an element in the source material. (Another) excellent example of the story bending over backwards to serve as wish fulfillment for Rudeus. Embarassed
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Shay Guy



Joined: 03 Jul 2009
Posts: 2288
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 7:08 pm Reply with quote
Telu wrote:
Nina


Oh hey, I recognized that name! A tweet of mine from Aug 30, 2015:

I wrote:
Okay, WHY is Nina's story in Mushoku Tensei volume 8? Her only function is spoiler["object of contempt and humiliation"].


I think that might've been a big part of why I stopped shortly afterward.
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Key
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 9:53 pm Reply with quote
Velorien wrote:
Key wrote:
They got soundly defeated and dominated and come from a culture where displays of power are ingrained even into mating. (Besides, there's also the possibility that they were deliberately treating Rudy that way so they could use him as a shield against marriage challenges, but that may be giving them too much credit.) Not saying you have to like it, but I see nothing even slightly illogical about this.
They previously got soundly defeated and dominated by Ariel/Fitz, and this did not make them an iota more loyal or submissive the way they are to Rudeus.

Two very easy explanations there:

1) Their Ariel/Fitz encounter isn't anime-canon. The two Doldia girls imply that something encouraged them to try to behave, but no mention of an encounter with Ftiz and Ariel specifically is mentioned, and they don't react to Fitz like they've been beaten by him previously.

If you insist that non-anime content is still anime-canon then there's another simple explanation:

2) Ariel/Fitz only beat them. They didn't go the extra mile to make an impression that Rudy did.

Again, you don't have to like the logic and what it implies, or the choices the author made in going in this direction, but it's still internally consistent even without adding meta aspects into it.

I've said this before: the writing in this series has its flaws but is nowhere near as bad overall as some have vehemently asserted.
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jmckenna15



Joined: 23 Sep 2020
Posts: 146
PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 10:31 pm Reply with quote
Key wrote:

I've said this before: the writing in this series has its flaws but is nowhere near as bad overall as some have vehemently asserted.


A lot of the criticisms on the writing are stemming from LN and manga readers who are upset over cuts to background characters and why they do what they do in the anime. Honestly, as an anime-only, I haven't found too much wrong with the writing as I'm still able to follow the story though I respect the challenge of trying to keep it as Rudeus' POV for the most part while still giving other characters dimensions and a sense of place in the overall story but I can understand the annoyance.
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Key
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PostPosted: Mon Aug 28, 2023 11:28 pm Reply with quote
jmckenna15 wrote:
Key wrote:

I've said this before: the writing in this series has its flaws but is nowhere near as bad overall as some have vehemently asserted.


A lot of the criticisms on the writing are stemming from LN and manga readers who are upset over cuts to background characters and why they do what they do in the anime. Honestly, as an anime-only, I haven't found too much wrong with the writing as I'm still able to follow the story though I respect the challenge of trying to keep it as Rudeus' POV for the most part while still giving other characters dimensions and a sense of place in the overall story but I can understand the annoyance.

Um, this isn't in the slightest what I was referring to.
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Iron Maw



Joined: 29 May 2008
Posts: 504
PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 3:29 am Reply with quote
Episode 8 was fine, I guess, but I'm finding myself missing the adventurous vibe the second half of S1 had at this point. MT isn't doing anything interesting with its school setting to spend so long in it, so just end ups feeling like any of less interesting nondescript locations Rudy's gone to in practice. Which is a shame because the set design is really nice. That said Badi joining as student was pretty funny! No idea why he want to but I suppose it will be explained next week.
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2-2Distracted



Joined: 03 Feb 2021
Posts: 150
PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 3:49 am Reply with quote
Key wrote:
Velorien wrote:
Key wrote:
They got soundly defeated and dominated and come from a culture where displays of power are ingrained even into mating. (Besides, there's also the possibility that they were deliberately treating Rudy that way so they could use him as a shield against marriage challenges, but that may be giving them too much credit.) Not saying you have to like it, but I see nothing even slightly illogical about this.
They previously got soundly defeated and dominated by Ariel/Fitz, and this did not make them an iota more loyal or submissive the way they are to Rudeus.

Two very easy explanations there:

1) Their Ariel/Fitz encounter isn't anime-canon. The two Doldia girls imply that something encouraged them to try to behave, but no mention of an encounter with Ftiz and Ariel specifically is mentioned, and they don't react to Fitz like they've been beaten by him previously.

If you insist that non-anime content is still anime-canon then there's another simple explanation:

2) Ariel/Fitz only beat them. They didn't go the extra mile to make an impression that Rudy did.

Again, you don't have to like the logic and what it implies, or the choices the author made in going in this direction, but it's still internally consistent even without adding meta aspects into it.

I've said this before: the writing in this series has its flaws but is nowhere near as bad overall as some have vehemently asserted.
.

Not to rag on you specifically but this is the exact same line of thinking that has thus far tried to excuse slavery and older characters being in relationship with younger characters, and so far one of the biggest reasons the writing is as bad as some have asserted. I literally pointed the other reasons for the Beastfolk would be okay with this, but that doesn't make it any less stupid in how it's used in the narrative.
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Velorien



Joined: 28 Oct 2021
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PostPosted: Tue Aug 29, 2023 6:40 am Reply with quote
Key wrote:
Velorien wrote:
Key wrote:
They got soundly defeated and dominated and come from a culture where displays of power are ingrained even into mating. (Besides, there's also the possibility that they were deliberately treating Rudy that way so they could use him as a shield against marriage challenges, but that may be giving them too much credit.) Not saying you have to like it, but I see nothing even slightly illogical about this.
They previously got soundly defeated and dominated by Ariel/Fitz, and this did not make them an iota more loyal or submissive the way they are to Rudeus.

Two very easy explanations there:

1) Their Ariel/Fitz encounter isn't anime-canon. The two Doldia girls imply that something encouraged them to try to behave, but no mention of an encounter with Ftiz and Ariel specifically is mentioned, and they don't react to Fitz like they've been beaten by him previously.

If you insist that non-anime content is still anime-canon then there's another simple explanation:

2) Ariel/Fitz only beat them. They didn't go the extra mile to make an impression that Rudy did.

Again, you don't have to like the logic and what it implies, or the choices the author made in going in this direction, but it's still internally consistent even without adding meta aspects into it.

I've said this before: the writing in this series has its flaws but is nowhere near as bad overall as some have vehemently asserted.

Explanation 1 doesn’t really make sense. It's the same story in both cases. In the original LN, the author believed it made sense for the girls to become Rudeus's minions despite having been beaten by Fitz first. There is no reason to assume that underlying logic has been changed unless you're specifically proposing that the anime removed the Fitz backstory as a fix, and in that case you're a) admitting that it needed fixing and b) implying that all the other associated past events didn't happen either. Specifically, Linia and Pursena no longer had a load of beastfolk followers whom they lost following their defeat, they no longer terrorised the student population, including Zanoba, because their status had gone to their heads, and they no longer got taken down a peg by Ariel as part of her plot to win enough popularity to become student council president despite being a first-year. Now, even in the anime, we know that Linia and Pursena don't have followers. We know they used to bully Zanoba. We know Ariel is student council president. So are you proposing that the anime just deleted Linia and Pursena's backstory and left us the effects without the causes?

Explanation 2 doesn't work either. Ariel/Fitz defeated them and their followers publicly, with shock and awe, because that was their objective. Rudeus just hit them in the face with a tiny rock once. Ariel also has massive charisma and is a leader in multiple ways, while Fitz has an established reputation for power, while Rudeus is... a crazy, panties-worshipping, figurine-obsessed guy who previously acted submissive towards them.

Incidentally, they don't act like they were defeated by Fitz in the original either. Again, it's not an adaptation issue. It's that the author's logic failure is equally present in both versions.
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