Note: I have read all Light Novel volumes currently released and the Web Novel to Volume 22
This review contains spoilers for the first anime cour and for some plot moments in the novels
Mushoku Tensei, a story I'm sure most people have at least heard of. With the anime about to begin its second cour I'm sure interest and hype in the story has never been higher. But how good is it really? Well, TL:DR in my opinion it's almost perfect.
Mushoku Tensei is the classic Isekai story of a man transported to another world after heroically expending his life to save another, but is it really that simple?
The answer is no, no it's not.
I'm sure everyone who has heard of MT is aware of how divisive it's main character is. Rudeus Greyrat, a man from modern Japan whose past name we are never told, was an extremely toxic and unredeemable man in his previous life.
Was Rudeus a scumbag? Absolutely. Does he change for the better? Absolutely. Does he deserve to be forgiven? That's for you to decide.
A major message I believe is at the core of Mushoku Tensei is that people can change. No matter how irredeemable someone may seem there is a chance for them to turn things around and better themselves.
Something that works greatly to the favor of this is how long a period of time Mushoku Tensei takes place over, to this day MT is the only Isekai that I've seen that begins at the protagonist's rebirth and carries through his life from the beginning.
Every major character that is introduced within the first few volumes will have decades of their lives shown to the reader and it works incredibly well. Rudeus's new father Paul? We see his struggles with raising Rudeus who already has lived longer than he had, and how hard it is to be a parent when your child already knows everything you could teach them. We see his attempts to be a good father backfire several times and his relationship with Rudeus sour to the point of almost being irredeemable. Until major events cause the rift to close and the two to bond as family.
Paul's evolution from young warrior not ready for a family to a man willing to risk everything to reunite his family after the events of the Teleport Incident at the end of cour 1 show how well this method of storytelling can work at making these characters feel realistic and likeable.
This is true for almost every character, due to the nature of the story taking place over several decades the reader becomes extremely attached to the characters and their growth. When an old character is reintroduced it feels like catching up with an old friend, as the reader is told what they've been doing and how they've changed both in character and aesthetic.
Even a character like Orsted, who briefly appeared in cour 1 looking menacing and evil, is much more complex than one may think at first glance.
Mushoku Tensei's world building is impeccable, with the novel providing a map of the world with information on where Rudeus several times. Everything in the world makes sense, the magic systems, the politics and the history of the world all feel fleshed out and realistic. Again, due to the passage of time in the story we see as the world around Rudeus changes dramatically. Factions fight one another, new leaders take power, locations appear and disappear, etc.
Now, for a story taking place over several decades we need to have a solid foundation to drive the story, right?
Right. Mushoku Tensei's story is an epic one, that involves a battle against the most challenging enemy of all. Time.
Rudeus & co's time on this world isn't infinite, but the threat that looms against them is. Figuring out how to stop this threat is a major driving point of the series, but the threat isn't all that imminent until the curtain begins to draw on the story.
This allows for several volumes that deal with personal issues. For example, one of the major supporting characters is called back to the Kingdom that exiled him to defend it from invaders, with Rudeus being roped in to help in this ordeal. Balancing these sub plots with a looming evil isn't an easy thing to manage, but Mushoku Tensei does manage indeed, without things feeling contrived or forced.
Enough about the plot. How are the novels themselves?
Well, they're well written, with detailed explanations and strong localization by Seven Seas Entertainment. Fight scenes feel varied and descriptive, with the reader able to imagine exactly what happens throughout and the thought processes of the combatant on clear display. Conversations between characters are realistic and not melodramatic. Conflict is resolved through mature discussions and understandings, without pointless contrivances forcing a disagreement to outstay its welcome. The only time I felt this wasn't the case was the LN exclusive (as in, the story wasn't in the WN) Volume 7, which has a character take a misunderstanding way too far with no satisfying conclusion. Hopefully the later LN volumes can see a return of this character with a clear in the air or some kind of resolution to this conflict.
Mushoku Tensei does something I don't see very often in Isekai. It actually deals with the problems and issues that were present in its lead character's previous life. Rudeus was, as said earlier, a deeply broken man who lived a life of misery and solitude. The story addresses this. Rudeus comes to terms with what happened in the past and learns to accept that he wasn't a good person, and that things could've turned out differently.
Spoilers for a later event in the Novels
In conclusion, should you read Mushoku Tensei? Absolutely. The story is gripping and the characters interesting and unique. Rudeus is a main character that you'll more than likely dislike at first, but end up having a positive opinion of even if you don't want to by the time you're finished. When people say Mushoku Tensei is the top of the cream of Isekai they aren't kidding, and the best part is the story isn't even concluded yet after a 24 volume long Web Novel. So, here's to Mushoku Tensei and it's future. Because personally I am extremely excited how this story will end.
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