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It's not coincidence that I pick one of this season's most controversial anime for Easter. I think it's also one of the most misunderstood anime of the season.
The story line seems simple enough. In fact, the start couldn't be more conventional for an isekai tensei anime — an unnamed, thirty-something otaku shutin gets run over by a truck in an attempt to save some bystanders in his first, forced foray out of the house in many years. He ends up being reincarnated in a medieval style fantasy world as Rudeus Greyrat, the newborn son of a minor noble who's acting as the village's swordsman.
Already at the age of three or four Rudeus teaches himself how to read, starts to study grimoires, and shows promise as a wizard. His parents hire Roxy as his magic teacher. At the age of five he's ready to pass his exam to become a wizard. Shortly afterwards he's apprenticed to the main branch of his family and becomes the tutor of magic and reading for Eris, the daughter of his father's cousin. Eris is two years his senior.
This first season splits into three major arcs — Rudeus' childhood, his time as Eris' tutor at the family's main branch, and their transportation to the Demon continent, where Rudeus and Eris team up with Ruijerd, a member of one of the demon races.
What differentiates this series from many others are the characters, many of whom are deeply flawed. To start out, Rudeus in previous incarnation is not only a NEET who lived out his existence on his parents' paycheck, he spent his life in drag games. Rudeus consciously sets himself the goal to use his second chance for a better, more useful life. However, much of his outright perversion. Right in the first episode he ogles his own mother's breasts. At the age of not even five he steals his teacher Roxy's pants as a fetish. Not long afterwards he attempts to forcibly undress his first real friend, Sylphiette. A few years later he molests his barely ten-year-old student, Eris, in her sleep. He's also calculating, and on at least one occasion his scheming costs the life of another adventurer.
Not that the other characters are necessarily much better — Eris is, at least initially, a violent, brutal, abrasive brat, to the point that some of her own servants plot to kill her. Her grandfather, the current head of the Greyrat family, is, if anything, even worse. Rudeus' own father had a chequered past. Ruijerd is a much feared, infamous murderer, who had in his madness killed even his own son.
Overall, Mushoku Tensei paints a brutally honest picture of human weaknesses — perversions, violence, betrayal, prejudices. It's in my eyes definitively not “parental guidance” — to me, this anime seems unsuited for children and adolescents.
However, in my reading Mushoku Tensei is also a story of redemption. Even human scum such as Rudeus can work towards salvation. He grows into a teacher and friend who truly values his companions and protects his student, Eris. Ruijerd wants to atone for his past crimes by leading Rudeus and Eris to safety at considerable risk to himself and becomes an esteemed mentor to both of them. Eris understands the need for friendship and the value of other people. On Easter the story of Jesus and the criminals on the cross comes to mind. It is a criminal, who by his own admission fully deserves his brutal punishment, to whom Jesus promises that “Today shalt thou be with me in paradise” (Luke 23, 43). Crimes — and redemption.
I don't know if this challenging anime will continue to live up to these expectations, and I haven't yet read the light novels on which the story is based. But I can already say that I'm looking forward to the second season.
P. S.: One day I hope to add a comment system to the log. Until then, please feel free to share your comments on Mastodon, where you can reach me under @temperedTea@mk.absturztau.be