Forum - View topicEP. REVIEW: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II
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Snowcat
Posts: 190 |
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In term of character development, she had a lot less screen time than Eris so it's not a surprise that her character evolution seems more limited and less nuanced. She is just in love with Rudeus and doesn't follow the "independent, realized person" trope of modern writing that has a tendency to oppose love and independence. I found her character less entertaining than Eris who is looking for adventures. But Sylphie isn't a warrior: she doesn't seem to like violence and being a bodyguard is not what she wanted. |
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tintor2
 Posts: 1864 |
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I guess the reviewer and I thought the same cos yesterday in the best of the season I wrote a similar commentary about Rudeus' feelings after his relationship with Sylphie and how having her company fixed him like the meme but for real. The marriage proposal kinda reminds me to Yukimura's Planetes considering the couple might be distant due to Rudeus' journey but the marriage will keep bond intact just like its protagonist.
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Snowcat
Posts: 190 |
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I'm not sure trading Sylphie for some kind of support from Rudeus is a good deal (but she doesn't know that Rudeus is not very reliable) . In my opinion, Ariel was genuinely trying to push Sylphie to say what she wanted because she was her friend.
I don't think it was placebo because Sylphie seems to have been impacted too. But placebo effect is one of the most powerful medecine in cases where autosuggestion can apply, and his effect is increased with the price so Sylphie should have told Rudeus the price while giving it to him. It would have been more efficient. Great final review, btw. Last edited by Snowcat on Tue Sep 26, 2023 2:12 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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NeverConvex
 Subscriber Posts: 2328 |
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Writing a character as an independent, fully realized person isn't a trope. It literally just means writing that character in such a way that they feel like an individual, with meaningful thought given to what they want, why they want, who they are, how they came to be that person, etc, and not just a shallow narrative tool custom-built for the specific purpose of satisfying the audience in some narrow way, or serving specific narrowly defined needs of some other character. Sylphie is somewhere in the middle of this spectrum, but definitely much closer to narrative tool than Eris. |
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Snowcat
Posts: 190 |
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Sylphie was forced to leave home and be independent from her family with the teleportation incident and if her dream is being with the one she loves, it's part of her travel to realize herself. I understand the exegetic arguments but i was doing a diegetic argument about Sylphie realization and you didn't address that. I think she can look a bit hollow because there was only one episode (and some short scene during the season) where she didn't have to hide her identity and we lack information about her, but the problem is not independence or self-realization. On the contrary, the arc with Ariel consisted in Ariel pushing Sylphie to be more assertive of what she wanted and to become more independent from her. So, I agree, Eris looks far more independent but the way she handled Rudeus was quite radical. I'm not sure she is the best reference point for your spectrum. 
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NeverConvex
Subscriber Posts: 2328 |
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I didn't address it because I don't really think there's much in it to address. It's a writing choice to hide her identity and give little screen-time to her development. I'm commenting on that writing choice. This is fundamentally commentary at the level of narrative, from outside the world; there's nothing diegetic worth saying about it. |
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freebird1994
Posts: 73 |
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Well this was certainly a fun season. I feel sorry for the fool who decides to read the comments on this forum from the beginning, it would be like reading an epic only not nearly as epic.
I look forward to seeing all of you again when the next cour begins and something else morally questionable happens and that episode discussion forum turns into a mess. |
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GoatBoss9
Posts: 13 |
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Loved this season from start to finish. Objectionable stuff aside, this is a great story and knows what is doing even if you disagree with the way it goes about it. If anything, the messiness of it makes it more compelling as an overall narrative because real life is messy too and full of objectionable / contradictory elements.
Looking forward to the next arc. 
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2-2Distracted
Posts: 148 |
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Likewise, I also feel pretty sorry for the fool who decides to jump into Mushoku Tensei in another medium under the impression that the main character will actually achieve their goal in any realistic fashion, it would be similar to what you said about this forum - like consuming an epic only not nearly as epic. In fact I'm pretty sure they'll be thinking & saying similar comments and remarks that have been said in this very forum as they try to understand how such a good story can be undermined. Next cour is sure to "fun" I'm sure. With any luck, most people will just grow to view Mushoku Tensei as learning experience on how to avoid shooting yourself in the foot when you have a goldmine of a story at the palm of your hands. |
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Velorien
Posts: 106 |
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@2-2Distracted
What would you say makes it a goldmine of a story? |
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MFrontier
Posts: 11608 |
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I never quite expected a season of this show to transition into a major arc focused mostly on romance and character development along with curing the protagonists' ED, but it was enjoyable and investing all the same, especially watching Rudy and Sylphie confess and Sylphe be the girl Rudy needed all along.
I also feel like the relationship build up between the two and the slow-burn into their eventually getting together (coupled with their childhood history) made the romance feel more believable to me than Rudy's relationship with Eris. I liked Rudy and Eris together but with their contrasting maturity levels, personalities, and focus on adventuring they never quite felt like a couple outside when they consummated whatever attraction they had with each other. In contrast I can totally see Rudy and Sylphie working as a couple. I think the one thing that sets Sylphie apart from Rudy's other love interests like Eris and Sara is she's much more mature and patient and that helped her be understanding and accepting of Rudy's condition to the point of wanting to help him. And that carried over into her being someone who wouldn't leave him, which is what he really needed to cure his ED. It's kind of funny how this Isekai Fantasy show had more romance progression than most romance anime's. Luke pulling a complete 180 on Rudy and working to help him and Sylphie bang was hilarious, as was Ariel's reaction. Can't help but think that fade to black was because they plan to show more of the sex scene on the blu-rays....although I think they did the same thing for Rudy and Eris, so maybe not. Ariel is the best gal pal princess. Helps her friend get laid and get married and gets a loyal and powerful mage as a bonus. Sylphie will probably keep the nice underwear too. So when's the wedding? |
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Blanchimont
 Posts: 3459 Location: Finland |
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Perhaps a mid-season OVA, like last time. Overall, it's been an enjoyable journey with Rudy and friends, and I recommend anyone interested to check out the novels too! Forward to the Spring! |
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Velorien
Posts: 106 |
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If you did enjoy the anime, the novels give a ton of background on the worldbuilding, which alone is worth the price of admission. Whether you'll enjoy the more detailed look into Rudeus's thought process... that's another matter.
As for the wedding, I don't remember it actually being shown in the LNs. |
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AQuin1904
Posts: 266 |
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Even though it's definitely not my favorite thing to come out of Narou, Mushoku Tensei feels like the "most Narou" series to me (at least with prose that I can actually stomach). By that I mean that it has a rambling, kitchen-sink approach that eventually comes together at least some of the time, and it winds up being a roughly even split between developments that I had genuine fun with and ones that I pointed and laughed at. That said, I also feel that every Narou-kei series is at least one draft short of the version that should have been published.
Looking forward to seeing what the animators do with next cours, since I recall the next three books having much better-considered comedy set pieces and some decent sword-and-sorcery bits. Plus, you can never have too many armadillos.
Pretty sure it's in book 10. Edit: Forgot to add that this season has reminded me of some characters and plotlines I felt ended up getting way under-utilized. I think that's probably what annoyed me the most in the later books. Last edited by AQuin1904 on Tue Sep 26, 2023 9:38 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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TarsTarkas
 Posts: 5861 Location: Virginia, United States |
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Not saying you are wrong, but I think it has more to do with those two knowing each other for awhile. It's not like they are a bunch of strangers playing the dating game. Like that Beyonce song says, "you better put a ring on it". |
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