The Spring 2024 Anime Preview Guide

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II Part 2

For the first time in years, Rudeus is set to live a truly peaceful life. The "condition" that plagued him has been cured and he has a new elf bride who is head-over-heels in love with him. Moreover, he's surrounded by friends who truly care for him. There's just one problem: His mother is still missing. And while his father is confident he can find her, he needs Rudeus to do him a favor in the meantime: take care of his two little sisters.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II is based on a light novel series written by Rifujin na Magonote and illustrated by Shirotaka. The anime series is streaming on Crunchyroll on Sundays.

When last we left off, thanks to a mixture of love and drugs, Rudeus managed to overcome his erectile dysfunction—i.e., healed to the point mentally and emotionally that he allowed himself to trust and love again after what happened with Eris at the end of season one. Of course, as that “healing” involved sex, Rudeus publicly vowed to take responsibility and make Sylphy his wife (something she, of course, had no objection to). But that raises the question, what are the marriage customs in the fantasy world? What exactly is Rudeus expected to do?

This episode is all about him taking the first step. In this world (or at least, in this part of it), men are expected to provide a house for their bride to move into (unless she's high class/wealthy and already has her own). Yet, rather than asking Sylphy what kind of house she'd like as his soon-to-be life partner, he sets off to do it alone.

On one hand, this is a show of ego. Rudeus feels that, as the man, it is his responsibility to provide the house—even though he knows logically Sylphy should be making this huge decision with him. On the other, he is truly putting in the work. He isn't just getting a house at random or the house he likes best. He's trying to find the best in his price range that fits Sylphy's unique circumstances—i.e., it won't be uncommon for a literal princess to drop by.

From this, we get a silly little adventure as Rudeus, Cliff, and Zanoba go ghost-hunting in an abandoned mansion. It's got some jump scares, some magic, and even a few good character beats (revolving around how supportive Rudeus' friends are of his impending marriage). And in the end, their hard work pays off as Sylphie loves the new house and she and Rudeus vow to have open communication in the future.

While it's nothing pivotal or groundbreaking, this is a solid little episode for Mushoku Tensei—even if this premiere feels like the first part of an extended epilogue rather than the start of a new adventure.

Sometimes this show, made as it is with such care and attention—with gorgeous backgrounds, beautiful music, and detailed character animation—can be hard to like. The primary reason for this is the protagonist: Rudeus. People who have weathered the ups and downs of this show are perhaps almost numb to his… let's charitably call them “foibles” for now. I have to admit, I was almost ready to drop Mushoku Tensei in disgust last year during the first half of this second season—but let's not re-litigate old grievances and focus on what's before us.

Rudeus is now visibly a lot happier. All of his friends and classmates remark on his improved, confident demeanor—from the sycophantic Zanoba to the almost-normal Cliff. The beast girls comment on how Rudeus essentially stinks of virile manhood now and that he's “a danger to the chastity of every girl in school.” All of this is because Sylphy “cured” his long-standing erectile dysfunction. Oh dear Lord, please let the insufferable “Rudy's sad at his ED” arc be over now…

This premiere is at pains to reiterate that Rudy remains a creepy perv, continuing to venerate his former magic teacher's panties—plus it also appears he's cut a square from his bed sheet where the blood from his breakage of Sylphy's hymen collected… Wow, that's not a sentence I ever wish to repeat writing.

Anyway, the main thrust of the episode is Rudy's desire to “do the right thing” by Sylphy and properly marry her. The thing is, he's got no idea culturally what's required in this world. He's advised that he can't consider marriage without first presenting his bride-to-be with a house, so he, Cliff, and Zanoba check out a ruined mansion that's bargain-priced because it's haunted. Despite the building falling around him—and a murderous magical puppet in the basement—it's got a great location and plenty of room to grow an enormous family.

Rudy and pals stay overnight and, after an effectively tense investigation and semi-horror fight scene, they succeed in overcoming the “haunting.” The MVP this time is the usually extremely annoying Zanoba who appears to be almost physically indestructible. I'm glad Rudy has decent male friends. I'm not so glad they seem to go along with whatever he asks them to. At least Zanoba makes his desires known towards the end of the episode—even if they are ultimately in service to Rudy.

Sylphy's reaction to Rudy's house presentation is very sweet and she tells him that, in return, she'll “give him as many children” as he wants. This is just as well, considering the number of bedrooms in the house. The fact he painted the roof to match her former greenish hair color is a nice touch. I want to be happy for them, and Rudy's benevolent intentions towards her seem genuine, but I still genuinely dislike his character.

Apart from Rudeus, everything else in this show is great. It always looks and sounds amazing. The intricate setting, variety of characters, and solid world-building are second to none. This second season hasn't yet achieved anything as spectacular as the heights Mushoku Tensei reached during its first—and it's certainly not going to win over anyone who noped out of its first few episodes. It's a shame such a high-quality story is hamstrung by an often despicable protagonist.