English Dub Review: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation: “The Value of a Life and the First Job, Children and Warriors”

Overview: Rudeus (Madeleine Morris, Ben Phillips), Ruijerd (Christopher Wehkamp) and Eris (Lindsay Seidel) make their way to their first city in hopes of making money and getting a way home with Ruijerd sworn to aid them.

Our Take: Episode 10 sees Rudeus, Eris and Ruijerd enter the city of Rikarisu wherein the Superd warrior has made it his mission to protect them while Rudy similarly strives for the same in trying to get Eris back home. Rudeus being the brains of the group, it’s always a pleasure to see what kind of plan he’ll come up with to counter an issue. One of which was tactfully disguising Ruijerd’s hair because of him and his tribe’s notoriety as a bloodthirsty tribe of demons with something as simple as blue rock residue. But then there’s his clever way of trying to get the adventurer’s guild to see more than just the Superd appearance in Ruijerd by getting them to focus on the good deeds he does instead. Unfortunately, those didn’t await him as the member of the demon race murders without any remorse whatsoever. The framing of ignorance surrounding Ruijerd  makes for a compelling clash of ideologies as Rudeus tries to make Ruijerd understand his severe wrongdoing in what he did, but to no avail as he sees no transgression because of how Rudeus got hurt. Also Eris’s continued desensitization to death continues to fascinate as it continues to further show the brutality of the world she’s grown accustomed to. And little did we know Eris is truly one of the smartest people in the room because she was able to understand what our warrior couldn’t and begin to make him. Seeing yet another and more empathic side of Eris continues to foster my love for the character, especially as she was one who I was especially fond of initially due to her rough nature. But it’s nice to see more of the positive influence that Rudeus continues to have on her. 

“Children and Warriors” reveals the state of the continent in a smart and efficient way in that of Paul’s letter to Rudeus, detailing the condition of the Greyrat family. While I appreciate it’s ingenuity, I do wish we would’ve gotten a quick glimpse at the whereabouts of Rudeus’s family. There’s still the 2nd cour on the way and those details will no doubt unravel then but even just quick shots would have been nice. Although, at the end of the day, that’s just a case of me greedily wanting more. One development that was made more apparent previously is how Rudeus is continuously looking out for his party, especially that of Eris. But this episode expertly demonstrates how that thought process backfires as he puts his mind over his heart and gets a fellow adventurer killed in the process. Rudeus wrestling with the weight of his consequences is not only powerful and visceral but a sobering hallmark of developing as a person. Also extraordinary is the forest fight with the Red Cobra with standout moments from the entire team, like striking swordplay from Eris and Ruijerd. Not to mention gorgeous magic from Rudy. But their victory and good vibes are cut short when Rudeus and the gang are blackmailed and Rujierd makes the decision to reveal who he truly is. That is before Rudeus prepared to do what he tried his damndest not to. But not after he’s given another rude reminder and in this case that he can’t control everything and will make mistakes despite his best intentions. The few adventurers that he and the team saved ended up still being afraid of Ruijerd after the veil was lifted. The final culminating scene is a beautiful reconciliation as Ruijerd and Rudeus finally come to a mutual understanding and rekindling of friendship. This all being spurred on by genius storytelling showing Rudeus’ determination to protect Eris even at the cost of his fundamental beliefs earning the respect of a warrior such as Ruijerd showing their kindred dispositions. This is all momentously capped with smart visual imagery with three wolves in the distance representing them as a pack now moving forward. Not to mention Roxy setting sail with Paul’s old crew to seemingly look for Rudeus and/or any survivors igniting another exciting new adventure/subplot next cour. 

Mushoku Tensei ends its incredible first run as strong as can be whilst also giving the feeling that a new awe-inspiring adventure is just on the horizon. With character building that is meaningful and brilliantly written along with Studio Bind’s sensational animation, excitement is high as Jobless Reincarnation enters it’s next arc coming off of a phenomenal end that sets up a great new beginning.