Mushoku Tensei (AKA Jobless Reincarnation) is back with the first cour of its second season, and put simply, it's fantastic. However, while there's a non-zero possibility if you didn't love last season that this one might speak a little more to your tastes, chances are it won't convince you if you haven't been already.
I'm also not going to talk much about Mushoku Tensei's continued edginess. There are a few instances of groping, a slave purchase, and a brief kidnapping during this cour, and none of it is framed as particularly noteworthy or serious, nor is it treated as such by any of the characters. If that grinds your gears, you can skip a couple of minutes of footage, but overall, this cour is a bit less edgy than the first season.
For what I think about the edginess, check out my season one review.
The biggest change with season two comes down to focusing on a single location, the northlands of the Central Continent that are home to Ranoa University, but that's not the only big change: the cast of characters we came to know throughout the first season are mostly gone this time around.
There are some returning faces, like Rudeous' childhood friend Sylphie, Cliff (the guy from the OVA), and Prince Zanoba, but we're working with a lot of fresh blood. Not to worry, though, because the new characters are largely great, like a fierce-yet-tenderhearted princess, a douchebag adventurer that eventually shows his soft side, and a studious girl who comes from the real world, among others.
Season two starts with a depressed Rudeous, and while this might sound boring, it's actually a godsend for Rudeous' character development. He's been heartbroken since Eris left him the morning after the pair lost their virginities together, and not only does his heart not seem to work anymore, his dick doesn't, either.
An erectile dysfunction arc is a little silly, but for a lusty pervert who's been preoccupied with dirty thoughts for about an entire season, it's seriously humanizing that he cared so much about Eris he physically can't bring himself to be with anybody else. It really makes you feel like Rudeous may present like a typical horndog but that's only a front for a guy who just wants somebody to stick around.
This plotline stretches across most of the cour, alongside some side adventures and studying up on the disaster, culminating in a hugely satisfying moment where Rudeous' heart finally starts to heal itself. A lot of that character development comes courtesy of Sylphie, who's charming in of herself, but for most of the cour Rudeous thinks she's Fitz, the silent male bodyguard of an Asuran noblewoman, so it's not like him getting over Eris is just him trying to get in another girl's pants.
With a bunch of interesting new characters, important character development for Rudeous, solid pacing that manages to offer up action and interpersonal drama alike, and some key revelations about the larger world, the first cour of the second season is engaging, heartwarming, and unspeakably watchable.
Some might be a little bummed there are so many new characters or that we aren't changing locations as much, but I'd recommend sticking around for the ride instead, because what a wonderful ride it is.
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