”Mushokutensei 2” Episode 1 Summary and Review【Spoiler Alert】Rudeus exudes a strong sense of masculinity from his past life. In a scene where he burns something unexpected, he exudes a sense of seriousness.

Shobokure Rudius has a resemblance to his past life!

Continuing from the end of the first season, “Mushoku Tensei II” episode 1. Although it’s technically the second episode of the second season, it’s actually the first episode of Rudeus’ story. It’s exciting to see Rudeus return after a long absence!

The opening scene, with its dark snowy landscape, sets a gloomy tone that matches Rudeus’ mental state. Even inside the carriage, Rudeus seems pretty downbeat. But that’s to be expected, since it’s a direct continuation from the end of the first season.

When Suzanne speaks to Rudeus, he comes across as painfully shy, like an introverted character in a high school anime. It’s a stark contrast to his past life (voiced by Tomokazu Sugita), and it creates an interesting dynamic between his old extroverted self and his current introverted self. I was worried that his memories of his past life might trigger when he saw the girls getting angry, but it seems he’s projecting Ellis onto Sylphiette.

Things get awkward when Rudeus mentions his missing mother, and it’s possible that he could have lightened the mood if he’d been more honest about why he was feeling so down. However, given that he finally found someone he could trust deeply and was then betrayed, it’s understandable that he’s sensitive about it.

Formed a new party with some friends! The atmosphere of this party is great…

In the carriage, Suzanne kindly explains the world view of this work. She is reliable and feels like a big sister who can be counted on. This is also helpful for viewers who haven’t watched in a while!

The contrast between the adventurers who gather together and the lonely Rudius is painful… However, Rudius plans to stay at the inn for about a month. It may seem like a good thing, but he has not yet healed from his emotional damage and it may also be troublesome to camp outside.

When Rudius takes off his hood, he looks a bit more grown up. He is no longer a child, although his expression may also contribute to this. The scene where the party “Dead End” disbands at the adventurer’s guild is sad, even though it was inevitable since two members had already left. However, at least they didn’t die, which is better for adventurers.

Suzanne, who talks to Rudius in the carriage, reaches out to him when he tries to take on a request alone in desperation. She is like a “big sister who is kind to introverts,” just like in anime… It’s common for support roles to be in high demand in online games, just like Suzanne and Sarah who join Rudius.

Leader Timothy also seems like a good person, with a middle management-like appearance! He may be the lubricant that keeps the party in a good mood. On the other hand, Sarah seems quite aloof. Compared to the other members, she seems emotionally immature, and the circumstances of why she joined the party are also something to wonder about.

Finally, Rudius has awakened! His flashy attack magic is super cool!

Rudeus joins the counter arrow party to take on a subjugation request. The request itself isn’t anything major, and Rudeus doesn’t seem to have much of a role beyond being a hindrance… until a scary-looking mud grizzly attacks! Rudeus freezes up in the midst of the party’s crisis. Among the party members fighting in their own styles, Sara’s fighting style is super cool! There’s just something romantic about shooting arrows directly into enemies (laughs).

In the midst of this crisis, Rudeus finally awakens… and scenes like this are just great! He uses flashy attack magic to wipe out the enemies. I thought the expression here was really good – especially the part where Timothy’s magic attack just precedes Rudeus’s. By showing the size of the flames, and including a description of Timothy’s incantation-based magic, the anime clearly and effectively demonstrates just how advantageous it is to use magic without incantations.

Once the request is completed, Suzanne shakes hands with Rudeus in a refreshing scene. The contrast with the scene before the request, where she refused to shake his hand, is wonderful. Even Sarah, who was so standoffish before, shows a softer side. She’s a quick tsundere to thaw!

Long-awaited appearance of the divine object! But to burn Eris’s hair…

The Counter Arrow group returns to the adventurer’s guild. Although they weren’t welcomed at first, they were treated to food and drink, which quickly changed the mood to a welcoming one. As expected, money talks! Timothy seems to be used to this kind of spending.

It’s still unclear whether Counter Arrow will be Rudeus’ new home… However, Rudeus still seems to be affected by his separation from Eris, clutching the divine object that appeared for the first time in a while. It may seem like a waste, but this is the unique kind of seriousness that only Rudeus can bring. It’s a way for him to remember his childhood… What? That’s not serious enough? Well, it’s pretty close.

And… Rudeus actually burns Eris’ hair! It’s such a surprising action that you might think, “Did he really do that!?” But for Rudeus, it was a necessary ritual for moving forward. While viewers may know that he didn’t abandon or break up with Eris, it’s understandable that Rudeus himself would feel abandoned by her. It seems like Eris was the one who didn’t communicate well enough.

With all that said, it seems like Rudeus is already getting serious again. It’ll be exciting to see him contribute even more to the party in the next episode!

I am a Japanese anime geek. I watch more than 20 anime titles that air each season. Including past productions, I watch nearly 100 titles per year.I will go on to introduce some of the anime that I have found interesting. Please forgive me if my English is still poor.