Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II

Episode 12

As we wrap up this first part of Mushoku Tensei II, now seems like the perfect time to talk about the driving conflict of this portion of the story. While you could say it's about curing Rudeus' erectile dysfunction, that is more than a bit reductive. The erectile dysfunction is the result, not the cause, of what is going on with Rudeus.

As we've looked into in past reviews, Redeus is a deeply flawed person. Both the trauma of his past life and the way he lived it continue to affect his worldview in the fantasy world—even with a decade-and-a-half under his belt in his second life. He still sees himself as the overweight slob of a man he was—which is why his mental voice still matches that body instead of his current one. No matter how powerful or popular he gets, he is still deeply insecure and struggles to believe that anyone other than his direct family could love him.

Then came his years with Eris. They grew up together—put their lives in each other's hands on a daily basis as they crossed the world. In Rudeus' eyes, if there was anyone that could love him and accept him warts and all, it would be Eris. But in the moment when they were the most intimate—when he was the most vulnerable he had ever been in both of his lives—she left him with nothing but her hair and a note.

This was the most brutal betrayal possible for Rudeus. Not only did the person he gave his heart and soul to run away from him, she did so after their first night together. It reinforced all the trauma from his past life—and linked it to the act of sex within his own pessimistic subconscious.

This is why he had erectile dysfunction: it was a defense mechanism. If the woman he loved and devoted years of his life to abandoned him after sex, what would stop any other woman from doing the same? Better his body just close off that path from the start. After all, if he doesn't have sex again, then he'll never be able to experience that level of hurt again.

What Rudeus failed to understand was that the problem was mental not physical—that no matter how many women he groped, he wouldn't just be magically healed. The only way to overcome his erectile dysfunction was to have an emotional connection of similar strength to the one he shared with Eris—which brings us to Sylphie.

Other than Eris, only Sylphie and Roxy were even close to having that kind of relationship with Rudeus—and even then, he knew them as children, not as the young adults they had become. The whole Fitz situation allowed Rudeus the time he needed to build something similar with Sylphie to what he had with Eris—to get to know Sylphie as the strong reliable young woman she had become rather than the codependent child she once was.

Finding out her true identity only added more security to how he felt about her. After all, she was so insecure about their relationship that she hid her identity for a year—all out of fear of rejection. This is something Rudeus can understand on a core level. It is the same fear he has been grappling with since Eris left him after all.

All that gives him the push he needs this episode to get into the mental headspace where his erectile dysfunction can be healed—where he is ready to go out on a limb once again and risk it all for love. Now, sure, the aphrodisiac helps, but make no mistake, that is not the cure. While it gets him through that one night, it's Sylphie being there in the morning that fixes the problem. Unlike Eris, she didn't run off—she didn't abandon him. This is why he breaks down at the end. All the years of bottled-up fear and pain are released at once. He finally has proof—proof that he is worthy of being loved.

That is the arc of this part—and, frankly, it is a story told well. His romantic failure in the north and his time at the school building a relationship with Fitz, these moments and the journey in between are a vital part of his healing process. Getting past your trauma is never easy but it can be done by never giving up and putting yourself out there: That is the message of this season.

...It's just too bad that that message was all too often derailed by little things like child slavery, sexual harassment, and torture.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• It makes sense that Rudeus rushes straight into marriage after his night with Sylphie. I'm sure on a subconscious level he's still incredibly insecure and eager to do anything that keeps her with him.

• I wouldn't be surprised if we learn in the future that the aphrodisiac was just a placebo—that Luke used the real thing a long time ago and just kept the bottle.

• I kind of feel sorry for Ariel in all this. She sees Sylphie as one of her few true friends but there's no doubt she ends up profiting greatly from Sylphie and Rudeus hooking up. Outsiders will think she used her friend to seduce a powerful mage—and I suspect that part of her fears she subconsciously did exactly that.

• This was a season of ups and downs—but never let it be said that it was boring. I hope you all enjoyed these reviews and/or found them helpful in some way. Perhaps we'll meet again next year when Mushoku Tensei continues.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.

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