Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation is the official English title of Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu.
Need a refresher before going in to Part 2? Let’s do an episode-by-episode breakdown of Part 1 of Season 1! A shut-in perverted man gets hit by a car, and is reborn in a magical world…!
If you need a more in-depth breakdown, check out our episode-by-episode analysis here. Otherwise, we’ll just be going over the main plot points of the series!
As should be obvious, Spoilers ahead for Part 1 of Season 1.
Episode 1
In episode 1, we see the death of our protagonist. After he’s reborn, he’s given the name Rudeus, or “Rudy” for short. He’s born to a loving family of Paul and Zenith with their maid Lilia. As Rudy sneaks out to look at magical books and learn on his own, he shocks his parents with his Magical Skills, to which his mother Zenith eagerly hires a magic tutor for him, named Roxy.
Roxy is not eager to teach Rudy until she learns that Rudy can cast spells without citing the incantation at all. From there, she begins to get more and more serious about teaching him, telling him that he has great potential. Roxy is a bit of a tsundere, and a little cheeky.
We learn that Rudy’s past life was not fun for him, he was a shut-in and his life didn’t amount to much. In our ending sequences, we hear him hope that in this new world, he can grow. He’s hopeful that “Even someone like me” can make it.
Episode 2
Episode 2 serves two purposes: To show us Rudy’s growth in magic, and his mental growth, both via Roxy. We see his magic grow quickly, to the point that he’s able to match Roxy’s skill level at around five years old.
We also see that he’s been having flashbacks and hallucinations about his past life, where he suffered extreme trauma due to intense bullying. This trauma led him to never want to leave his house. However, when he rides a horse with Roxy outside the village, he is able to relax when he realizes that the villagers are kind and are not going to hurt him.
He graduates as Roxy’s pupil, and she leaves his family home.
Episode 3
This episode, Rudy meets Sylph(iette), his childhood friend after she is bullied by some village kids for having elf ears. Rudy protects her and gets into a fight with Paul about it, to which Paul grows a bit as a father and learns how to discipline his son without being unfair.
Rudy and Sylphiette become closer, allowing Rudy to enjoy his childhood a bit more and foster that relationship and his happy life with his family. He also begins to teach Sylph some magic.
Episode 4
This episode, we learn the shocking truth that Paul was unfaithful to Zenith with Lilia. In addition, both Zenith and Lilia are pregnant. Lilia is open to leaving the house after her child is born, but Rudy knows that means sudden death for a newborn baby and fragile mother. He convinces Zenith to let Lilia stay by lying about Paul, saying that he forced her to do it.
Meanwhile, Rudy decides that he wants to enroll into a Magic University with Sylphiette, but lacks the funds to do so. He insists Paul find him a job so that he can earn the money himself, to which Paul forces him to go with Ghislaine, a beastwoman character from Paul’s past.
Episode 5
Episode 5 shows us what this “Job” entails. He’s been set up as a person magic, writing, and arithmetic tutor for Paul’s niece. Her father is Paul’s brother, Phillip, who is a nobleman. One issue, though: Eris is extremely unruly and absolutely does not want to learn whatsoever. She is also incredibly violent.
A scheme Rudy hatches goes wrong. He initially plans to pretend to be kidnapped alongside Eris, but instead gets actually kidnapped by a traitor among Phillip’s ranks. He nearly dies if not for Ghislaine, but wins Eris’ favor in the process, allowing him to stay and be her tutor.
Episode 6
In this episode, Rudy is instructed by Phillip to keep it a secret that he saved Eris in the previous episode and to credit Ghislaine instead. Rudy, who has a habit of staring inappropriately at women, meets Phillip’s wife Hilda and his father. Meanwhile, Eris shows no interest in studying, prompting Rudy to ask Ghislaine to talk to her about the importance of education. Ghislaine shares a humorous yet disgusting anecdote about her struggle with finances, which briefly motivates Eris. However, Eris is overwhelmed by her schedule, so Rudy negotiates a day off for her each week. They spend one of these days at a marketplace where Rudy almost purchases an aphrodisiac potion.
Eris offers to buy Rudy a book, but he declines, suggesting that she should have her own allowance instead of using her grandfather’s money. He plans to speak with Phillip about it. Upon returning to the mansion, Rudy finds that Eris unknowingly bought him the aphrodisiac. When he accidentally drops it, Eris and Ghislaine try to get him to explain what it was by tickling him.
Episode 7
The episode starts with Eris and Ghislaine engaged in swordfighting practice, with Ghislaine being impressed by Eris’ progress. Meanwhile, Rudy still has room for improvement in his skills. Rudy also wonders why Hilda scowls at him, seemingly oblivious to his inappropriate behavior from the previous episode. Later, Rudy expresses his interest in learning new languages, specifically Beast and Demon languages, to Phillip, who allows him access to his library. Rudy struggles with Demon tongue, and Eris struggles with dancing. Preparations are underway for Eris’ 10th birthday party, where she is expected to dance. Rudy opts to help Eris dance and receives a handwritten book in the mail from Roxy to help him study Demon tongue.
On the day of Eris’ birthday party, Rudy presents magic wands to Eris and Ghislaine, akin to what Roxy did for him. Ghislaine also gifts Eris a ring from her tribe. During the party, Eris stumbles while dancing and makes a fool of herself, but Rudy assists her in finding her rhythm, earning them thunderous applause. Later the next morning, a strange moment occurs when Rudy overhears Eris’ grandfather with a maid and then sees a mysterious red object in the sky, to which the grandfather nonchalantly comments, “Probably nothing, because it’s easier that way.” This episode mainly foreshadows the event we’ll see next episode.
Episode 8
In Episode 8 titled “Turning Point 1”, two years have passed and Eris is now 12 while Rudy’s tenth birthday is approaching. The Greyrat family plans a surprise party for Rudy, revealing some internal family dynamics and political structures. During the party preparations, Rudy manages to trick Ghislaine into showing him the base of her tail, but his behavior takes an inappropriate turn. At the party, Rudy receives a staff as a gift, and the tensions between him and Hilda, Phillip’s wife, are resolved as she gains sympathy for him. However, there is a peculiar offer made by Phillip to Rudy regarding Eris (and its really gross), which Rudy wisely dismisses. Later, Eris and Rudy share a moment in his room where they make a pact for the future. Meanwhile, the darkening of the sky, which has been growing progressively, becomes ominously prominent even at distant locations.
As the dark sky catches everyone’s attention, several mysterious characters come into play. One man is seen confronting a dragon and commenting on someone possibly trying to “undo the seal” on the Demon King. A peculiar child-like girl seems drawn to the red object in the sky. Perugius, a legendary figure known for defeating the Demon King, sends his servant, Almanfi, to investigate the anomaly in the sky and eliminate any suspicious individuals. Rudy, who is testing his new staff under the red object, is confronted by Almanfi. Ghislaine intervenes by asserting her status as a Sword King, causing Almanfi to back off. However, a massive blue ray engulfs the area, taking Ghislaine, Rudy, and Eris with it.
Episode 9
In this episode, the protagonist Rudy has an encounter with a mysterious entity called Hitogami in a dream-like state, where he looks like his older self from his previous life. Hitogami, who is quite animated and has a cartoonish demeanor, reveals that the explosion from the previous episode was a “Mana Cataclysm” that has transported Rudy. Hitogami advises Rudy to trust and help the man he will wake up beside. When Rudy wakes up, he finds himself next to a Sperd named Ruijerd, with Eris asleep nearby. Despite initial apprehensions, Rudy manages to communicate with Ruijerd using Demon Tongue. Ruijerd is determined to take Eris and Rudy back home, and they set out on a journey through the desert. Along the way, they stumble upon a demon tribe with blue hair and discover that Rudy’s master Roxy is from this tribe.
As they gather around a fire, Rudy learns about the tragic history of the Sperd tribe. The Demon King Laplace had manipulated the Sperds by providing them with cursed spears that led them to go berserk and slaughter indiscriminately, including their own kin. Ruijerd still carries the spear that belonged to his son. The marking on Ruijerd’s forehead is a stigma that prevents him from entering cities, but he is resolved to restore the honor of the Sperd tribe. The next day, they leave Roxy’s village, with Roxy’s parents giving Rudy a sword and a small sack. The episode concludes with Rudy’s determination to assist Ruijerd in reclaiming the Sperd tribe’s reputation.
Episode 10
In this episode, Rudy, Eris, and Ruijerd are on their adventure, hunting monsters for food. They approach a city, but Ruijerd, known and feared as “Dead End” across the Demon Continent, is wary that he won’t be allowed entry. To avoid drawing attention, Rudy disguises Ruijerd’s green hair with blue goo. Inside the city, the trio sign up at the adventurer’s guild with the team name “Dead End”, with the hope that completing quests will help improve Ruijerd’s reputation. However, the adventurers there don’t take Ruijerd seriously and mock him. Afterward, Rudy buys Eris a cloak and they go out to eat. A group of adventurers invites Eris to join their party, but a misunderstanding occurs due to the language barrier, and Eris ends up attacking one of them.
Later that night, Hitogami visits Rudy in a dream again and advises him to take a quest to find a lost kitten. Although confused by the low-paying task, Rudy decides to trust Hitogami. The next day, Ruijerd uses his third eye to locate the kitten, and they discover that it is more like a panther and that a group of adventurers are kidnapping animals to claim rewards for finding them. When the trio confronts the kidnappers, a scuffle ensues, and Ruijerd decapitates one of them named Lohman. Rudy is horrified and tries to make Ruijerd understand the importance of restraint, but Ruijerd does not comprehend. Rudy then intimidates the other two adventurers and strikes a deal with them to swap quests, enabling the “Dead End” team to take on higher-level quests than they would usually be allowed.
Episode 11 (Part 1 Finale)
In this episode, Roxy is seen checking a bulletin board for casualties of the Mana Cataclysm, and she leaves a note for Rudy. Meanwhile, Rudy, Eris, and Ruijerd undertake a quest to investigate a monster in the Petrified Forest, only to find that the quest has been assigned to two other teams as well. When they arrive, tensions rise among the teams over who will claim the reward. Ruijerd is concerned about the safety of a team consisting of younger adventurers, led by Kurt. Rudy suggests they should only intervene if necessary, hoping that a last-minute rescue would enhance their reputation. However, Rudy’s delay results in one of Kurt’s guildmates being killed. Ruijerd and Eris manage to save the rest but Ruijerd is furious at Rudy. Later, they encounter a Horse Demon, Nokopara, who tries to extort them. In a dramatic move, Ruijerd reveals his true identity as the dreaded “Dead End” which causes panic and they are forced to flee.
Outside the city walls, Rudy reflects on his actions and apologizes to Ruijerd for trying to manipulate situations for maximum gain, which led to casualties. Ruijerd also apologizes, acknowledging the difficulty of Rudy’s balancing act. They agree to work as a team where everyone’s input matters. In a gesture to avoid future panic and suspicion, Ruijerd shaves his head and Rudy gives him a bandana to cover his third eye. This episode showcases both the tension in decision-making during quests, and the resolve of the trio to work more cohesively as a team.
Conclusion
So we’ve got a few threads: Hitogami, Rudy’s mental state, and this giant blue ray that transported him and his cousin to an entirely new continent…
That’s about all we’ve got for you! Take a peek at our other recaps below!
じゃね！
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