Imagine, for a moment, a situation like this: You are a shut-in bum between the ages of 20 and 35, addicted to video games, anime, or something along those lines. You’ve never had many friends or done anything particularly noteworthy, and you don’t see that changing anytime soon. But then, in a twist of fate, you inexplicably die performing a heroic act of selflessness, saving the life of a stranger in exchange for your own miserable existence. In your final moments, you lament the life you didn’t live, wishing you had another chance to do all the things you couldn’t over the years, and by some act of divine intervention, you find that you aren’t actually dead. In fact, instead of the gruesome death you’d expected, you instead have been reincarnated into a different world entirely, filled with fantastical magic and creatures you’d only ever seen in the video games you once loved. You have a new body, a new land, and a new lease on life, and with your old regrets still fresh in your mind, you set out to make the most of your second chance.
For most anime fans, this is a tale as old as time. “Isekai,” as it has been dubbed by its community, is without a doubt the most popular genre in anime today, with at least six or seven new titles coming out each season. But before its rise to stardom, the style found its roots in a humble light novel known as Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation, commonly considered the grandfather of the modern isekai format. And now, with its first adaptation to the realm of animation, its easy to see how this stellar work of fantasy could spawn such a legacy. With its excellent animation, sound design, and lore-driven storytelling, Mushoku Tensei stands at the forefront of not only isekai, but anime as a whole.
On the surface, its story is exactly as described above: A high school dropout who hasn’t left his home in fifteen years is suddenly hit by a truck while saving the life of two children, and awakens as Rudeus Greyrat, a young boy recently born into a world he knows nothing about. The story follows his journey towards becoming an adult (both physically and mentally), growing out of the self-destructive life he once lived to become someone that he can be proud of.
However, it is in its execution where Mushoku Tensei really sets itself apart. The world and characters are depicted in bright and detailed, yet fluid animation style, especially impressive given that this is the first project made by the newly formed Studio Bind. It’s no exaggeration to say the amount of high-level animation present here is some of the highest in the anime space, period. Fight scenes and dramatic moments are especially enhanced by this, but there were occasional scenes where I would laugh out loud because the art team decided to give something simple (such as tearing a piece of bread apart) far more frames of animation than it had any right to have. It was surprisingly, mind-bogglingly fun to experience.
And the music on offer doesn’t disappoint either. In a unique twist, there isn’t a traditional opening sequence to be found here. Instead, a variety of tracks are played over shots of the environment present for each episode, and the arrangement will change to reflect what is happening in the narrative. Each of the many lands that the characters travel to, from the desert Demon Continent to the medieval region of Fittoa, has a theme to call its own. Even high-quality anime productions are usually limited to two opening songs and an animation for each, so to see that Mushoku Tensei has a whopping six opening tracks and a unique animation for each individual episode is remarkably ambitious and very much appreciated.
While the story present here may have been the inspiration for many shows that came after it, that does not mean that it lacks polish or originality; far from it. Unlike most in its genre, this presents itself as a very grounded tale with morally grey characters that give proceedings a feeling of gravitas. Rudeus’s father Paul may be doing his best to set a good example for his son, but it not surprising at all when it is revealed that he has secretly had an affair. Eris may be a hard-working girl doing her best to live up to her family’s expectations, but she is also prone to spontaneous bouts of violence at the slightest provocation. Rudeus himself is easily the best example of this, balancing his childlike appearance and aspirations of a better life with his old habits as an outspoken pervert. No one is purely good or purely evil, and the way in which they interact with each other within their world is intensely interesting as a result.
That brings me to perhaps this show’s greatest achievement: its world. Obviously, the animation and soundtrack do wonders for creating a sense of adventure in the viewer, but even beyond that, there are many small touches that enhance the overall feel of the environments. For example, the first arc of the story is very restrained in its approach, being mostly confined to the home where Rudeus grows up. This allows the writers to drop many hints as to the vast lore of the world without needing to show them explicitly. Gods, demons, magic and many faraway lands are hinted at during these episodes, but because they aren’t shown, they allow us to imagine the infinite possibilities that could appear down the line.
And when they are eventually revealed, they certainly don’t disappoint. The systems used for magic and combat are thoroughly explored, and multiple entire languages have been created (and fully voice acted) for use in lands foreign to the characters. The variety of locales and races is vast and creative, and its clear that many integral parts of the narrative have only been hinted at in this first season. In terms of comparison, this aspect of the show brings even The Lord of the Rings to mind in the quality of its execution.
With all the things there are to praise, you might assume that Mushoku Tensei is a perfect ten out of ten, but sadly, that isn’t quite true. As mentioned, these characters are very much ‘human’ in their portrayal, and even the protagonists will commit acts that some view as irredeemable. Most notably, Rudeus’s perverse antics sometimes border on harassment, and because of his status as both an adult and a child, his interactions with other female children don’t always bode well ethically. Though his actions are usually played for comedy and his female counterparts are never submissive to them, he may not be a character that all viewers feel comfortable rooting for. It is for this reason that I cannot recommend this as a beginner-friendly anime even though it would otherwise have that potential.
The first few episodes also have a much slower pace than the rest of the series, and put extra emphasis on the ‘less flattering’ sides of these characters to really push what makes the show different. This isn’t a deal breaker by any means, but to those who are thinking of giving it a watch, know that the plot starts on a bit of a slow burn for the first chunk of episodes.
Verdict
At the end of the day, whatever small issues exist are far from ruining the excellence of Mushoku Tensei. From beginning to end, it represents the very best of the genre it helped create. It’s art direction and soundtrack are fantastic, its characters nuanced and poignant, and the execution of its world is some of the finest I’ve ever seen. The level of ambition and innovation is unprecedented within the current anime industry, and as a creator, Studio Bind has completely gained my trust on their very first attempt. Anime like Mushoku Tensei don’t come around very often, and while it may not be 100% perfect, you’ll be hard-pressed to find a fantasy much better than this.
