Mushoku Tensei II – 16 – A New Battle

It’s been three years since Rudy has seen Ruijerd, the Superd is naturally taciturn, and his mere presence reminds him of Eris, so their reunion is a bit awkward at first. Still, Rudy is glad to see his old friend, who he trusts more than anyone. I especially appreciate how Rudy takes’ Ruijerd’s advice vis-a-vis Eris to heart. Ruijerd doesn’t want to intrude, and seems to have some bad blood with Badigadi, but Rudy at least has him eat breakfast with them before departing.

Once Ruijerd is gone, Aisha and Norn are now officially under Rudy and Sylphy’s care. Norn expressed interest in going with Ruijerd since one of her strongest memories of Rudy is hitting their dad, and the fact he’s with “a different woman” now. But while Norn is aloof and distrustful, Aisha couldn’t be happier to be reunited, and is eager to work as Rudy and Aisha’s maid. Rudy asks them both to at least take the academy entrance exam.

The tension below the surface of Aisha and Norn’s sisterhood is exposed like a raw wound when Aisha aces her exam and is thus allowed to skip school and serve as Rudy and Sylphy’s maid. Norn scores slightly below average for her age, but when she asks if she can live in the on-campus dorms and Rudy agrees, Aisha is outraged. She wonders if Rudy is letting Norn have her way because Aisha’s mom is a “concubine”, something Rudy never thought about Lidia.

Balancing his duty to protect his sisters in Paul’s stead while ensuring they’re as happy as they can be is no small task, and represents a new and unexplored challenge to Rudy. But he’s not alone; he has his wife Sylphy by his side to provide a girl’s perspective and as a sounding board for strategy and tactics. As I suspected, they have become his sisters’ adoptive parents.

A month passes, and every time Rudy sees Norn in the halls, she’s alone. He fears she’s made no friends despite living in the dorms, and that’s precisely the case. Rinia and Pursena don’t make things any easier by “gifting” him a bag of underwear from first years with certain figure. Rudy ends up in how water with Ariel, but he is forthright and honest and manages to get out of it unscathed.

The beastgirls’ prank seems a little out of place here, meant strictly to provide some comic relief in an otherwise bittersweet reunion of Rudy with his sisters. Aisha is happy as a clam and the house has never been cleaner, but Norn is clearly having a hard time, hiding under her sheets in her dorm rather than socializing.

Norn is clearly less extroverted and than Aisha, and if she’s just as talented, she struggles to apply herself, perhaps due to the pressures of her more overachieving siblings. Hopefully Rudy, no stranger to antisocial tendencies, can help lift her out of her funk, teach her ways to make friends, and help her find a place she feels she belongs. It may be his toughest battle yet, and his staff and eye can’t help him.

Mushoku Tensei II – 14 – Keeping the Tribe Strong

A triumphant new OP is leans into the show’s new normal: Rudeus and Sylphiette are no longer alone, but an adorable matched pair who will never ever be separated again. Having proposed and bought a house, the next step is to hold a feast for their friends to share in their happiness and offer their blessings.

The happy couple stroll into town to buy provisions, but first Sylphy buys Rudeus a new mage’s robe to replace his tattered one. After a day of errands they slip into the hot bath together, and when Sylphy cuddles up next to Rudy and gets him in the mood, he scoops her up and takes her to the bedroom.

To Rudy’s relief, everyone invited shows up except the vice principal and Soldat, who had scheduling conflicts. Rudy’s toast thanking everyone else is interrupted by a fashionably late Badigadi, but he manages to get it out without flubbing.

The other attendees are Cliff, Lise, Zanoba, Julie, Rinia, Pursena, Ariel, her two attendants, and Luke. Heck, even Shizuka showed up, unaware that she’d be rewarded with real potato chips like the ones back home (though she . A good time is had by all, and one by one everyone gets to offer their congratulations.

When it’s Elinalise’s turn to congratulate the couple, she finds herself suddenly overcome by emotion. Sylphy then comes out and asks if Lise is really her biological grandmother. Lise cannot deny it; she’s known who Sylphy was the moment they first met, after all.

While Lise kept it a secret out of shame, Sylphy welcomes her with open arms and zero judgment. And even though Rudy thinks this news will “disillusion” Cliff and break his crush, the opposite happens. It only makes him love Lise more, and he resolves to break her curse.

With that matter resolved, another one suddenly comes up. Before taking her leave, Ariel asks if Rudy will have a duel with Luke. She doesn’t say why, only that it would be unfortunate if he refuses. Rudy indulges them, and beats Luke in less than ten seconds.

Ariel then explains that the duel was requested from a position of pride. They love Sylphy too and have been in many deadly scraps with her by their side. They wanted to make sure they could entrust Rudy to her, because if he doesn’t treat her right, they’ll simply take her back. Ariel still plans to retake the throne or die trying, whether Sylphy is with her or not.

Rudy can’t rule out helping Ariel alongside Sylphy, as he still owes her a debt. But that’s a matter for another day. The reception was a big success, everyone they care about is happy they’ll be sharing their lives together. Of course, no one can be happier than the two of them.

Sylphy is the ideal bride for Rudy, and Rudy the ideal husband for Sylphy. She intends to grow her hair out to ensure he won’t stop loving her, but Rudy believes he has to work just as hard to keep her in love with him. The reality is neither of them have anything to worry about … at least for the time being.

Mushoku Tensei II – 12 (Fin) – A Pair from Buena

No More Fancy Talk

Now that Rudy knows Silent Fitz is Sylphiette, he feels like a fool for not realizing it so much sooner. Quite right, so he should! But in his defense, the Sylphie he knew was a crybaby who clung to him, and is now more levelheaded and looks out for others—including him. That said, “Fitz” could also be an airhead, and had just the cutest, prettiest shy smile.

Rudy could see Sylphiette shining through the anachronistic shades. He didn’t fall in love with Fitz, but the fine person Sylphie had become. He wastes no time replying to her confession with one of his own: he loves her too. Just like that, Sylphie the crybaby emerges anew…but they’re tears not of frustration, but unbridled joy.

As we know from her enthusiastic presentation to Ariel and Luke, Sylphie is ready, willing, and eager to become a woman, and for Rudy to make her one. Unfortunately, while his tent briefly pitches, it just as quickly falls again.

On the Mend

Rudy prostrates himself and formally apologizes to Sylphie, but unlike Sara she takes it well. He may not be able to get it up tonight, but obviously she still loves him. Rudy needed to hear from her that both these things were true. Instead of get it on, they get cozy under a blanket by the fire, and talk, like they should have done a year ago.

Sylphie recounts how she attacked Paul after Rudy left with Ghislaine, then vowed to become strong enough to protect him, as he had protected her. They walk home, holding hands, on an absolutely gorgeous winter dawn, the sprawling wilderness matching their mutual love in its majestic vastness.

She was shocked when he said “Nice to meet you,” he apologizes, but said she should have said something sooner. She admits she probably should have, but couldn’t work up the courage. He then apologizes for taking a year to realize it.

After a year of hiding who she is, Sylphie is now so open and honest, thanking Rudy for being alive. Recall, there was a time after Eris left that he didn’t want to be. But now not only is there life below Rudy’s belt, but a great weight has been lifted: Sylphie is not only alive and alright, but she’s a total badass who loves him dearly.

A Greyrat After All

When Sylphie makes her report to Princess Ariel and Luke, we get a shot of her from outside looking into the window of the room, and she’s clearly giddily describing what went down. But because it doesn’t have the happy ending she expected, and learns Rudy came to Ranoa to cure his impotence, Ariel almost treats it as a failure.

But Luke, now showing he’s every bit a Greyrat, corrects the princess: “There are times when a man can’t help it”. He readily empathizes with Rudy’s plight, as it finally explains why the guy has been so docile and “diffident”, something that pissed Luke off to no end. It all makes sense to him now! I loved this sudden emergence of True Luke the Wingman, as well as Ariel’s reaction to it!

Rudy didn’t fail to make love to Sylphie out of choice, they just need a little help. Luke offers to provide that help, and in what must’ve been an intentionally double entendre-laced exchange, he warns Sylphie if she’s truly ready to accept the cure “even if it may prove hard on” her. She replies that she “can take it.”

THE Subtle Art of Seduction

When Luke returns from his errand, Ariel is trying to teach Sylphie how to exert her feminine wiles, but Luke splashes cold water on that notion, as he says Sylphie “lacks the figure for feminine wiles.” He explains that Greyrat men throughout history have been drawn to buxom women, and as an example, he feels no attraction at all for Sylphie.

Both comments are rude as hell, and Sylphie’s reactions are pure gold. I’m almost ready to throw Luke back to the wolves, but he comes bearing a gift, and not just any gift, the single most valuable thing he possesses. It’s something you’d expect a Greyrat man to treasure, as well: a powerful aphrodisiac potion from Fittoa.

What had been his retirement/emergency fund, he offers to Sylphie without hesitation, out of thanks for saving his life so many times. He warns her that any man who drinks it will “lose control”, and she may be wise to drink some herself if she fears she “can’t keep up.” I love how stern and serious Luke is talking about doing the nasty; he’s in top Greyrat form.

Just as Rudy didn’t hesitate to return his feelings for Sylphie, she doesn’t hesitate to give making love another try, as she comes to his door with strong wine and snacks and the aphrodisiac in her pocket. Once she enters she locks his door and makes clear she intends to spend the night with him. She then sees that she’s already inspired him to craft a new statuette of her.

A Rudy Awakening

Sylphie toasts to the two of them, a pair from Buena in Fittoa reunited. Rudy toasts to the future, which makes Sylphie blush, but she then proceeds to reminisce about the past. When he sees her drink is too strong for her taste, he adds hot water to dilute the booze. She recalls that when they first met she had just been pelted with mud, and he cleaned her off with hot water. Then, as now, he was there to comfort her.

With the past discussed with warmth, the time then comes to deal with the present state of things. Sylphie produces the vial and explains what it’s for, and again Rudy doesn’t hesitate. He gulps some down, and its effect is almost immediate.

As such, Sylphie quickly begins disrobing, telling him once it kicks in, he doesn’t have to hold back. She then drinks some, lets him draw her close. She can feel him, and whispers in his ear that he’s free to “dig in.” So he does. All in all, it’s very tastefully done.

I’m Right hEre.

As Sylphie lies expectantly on the bed, the scene ends with her in mid-sound, followed by Rudy waking up the next morning. Sylphie isn’t lying next to him, and the only sign she was there is a small bloodstain on the sheets. It’s the second time a woman he slept with left him something red behind, and for a few rough moments, Rudy seems primed to fall back into despair.

This series and this season has kicked Rudy in the balls many times, but this thankfully is not one of them. Instead, it cuts him a break. Sylphie returns, explaining she only dressed and left so she could thank Ariel and Luke for all their help as soon as she could. Rudy, suffused with emotion and tears falling from his eyes, embraces Sylphie and repeats her name over and over.

She comforts him with the words that again, he needed to hear and only she could say: There, there. I’m right here. She is there, and she’s not going anywhere. What’s more, when Rudy’s hand travels to her chest, he realizes it wasn’t just the aphrodisiac, which he’d seen once before in Roa. That was just for last night. Sylphie herself has cured him, by being there.

Farewell to Fitz

Later that day, Rudeus comes before Princess Ariel and Luke, properly bows in the manner befitting his noble upbringing, and formally introduces himself. He declares that because Arial and Luke aided Sylphie in curing his illness, he stands ready to assist them in any way. He is at their disposal.

When Luke asks why the change of heart, Rudy makes clear he’d rather stay clear of power struggles in Asura, if his beloved is caught in one that changes things. And this, my friends, is the genius of Princess Ariel. An elite mage in Sylphie fell into her lap, but it wasn’t merely good fortune that kept her there. She befriended Sylphie and supported her every step of the way, which led to her to bringing another elite mage in Rudy to her cause.

That said, Ariel makes clear her affairs can wait until Rudy has resolved his own. To her, that doesn’t simply mean him finding all his family members lost in the teleportation. So she asks him plainly what he intends to do. Will he continue his search and leave Sylphie behind? Of course not! With clear eyes and unprecedented resolve, Rudeus Greyrat declares that he’ll marry Slyphie. Luke’s reaction is priceless; Sylphie’s is for the ages.

Ariel then proclaims that “Sylphiette Greyrat” no longer needs to dress and present as a man; she is free to embrace her femininity. The princess holds out a hand, and Sylphie removes her shades and returns them. Ariel makes clear she’ll be making use of Rudy’s reputation, but that he’s free to use her name as well. It’s 100% win-win, and a finally shades-less Slyphie stands proudly beside her husband-to-be and thanks the princess for everything.

I feel I have to thank Mushoku Tensei as well. This season wasn’t without its cruelties and cul-de-sacs, it’s false starts and follies. But it stuck the motherfucking landing. There were no more rugs to pull out from under us, Rudy, or Sylphie.

Instead, it checked off some vital boxes with grand flourish and a proverbial golden quill filled with the finest ink. Rudy and Sylphie are reunited. Rudy is cured. Every moment they shared the screen, my heart melted. Ten out of ten finale, no notes, and I can’t freakin’ wait for Part Two.

RABUJOI WORLD HERITAGE LIST

Mushoku Tensei II – 11 – According to Plan

The cat was out of the bag last week: Rudy knows Fitz is a woman. Now all that needed to happen was for Fitz to acknowledge that, and get Rudy to finally remember her as Sylphiette. When Ariel and Luke learn that Rudy has no intention of revealing her true identity to anyone else, they take it upon themselves to facilitate this much-needed development.

When Ariel asks if there are any strong memories she has with Rudy, Sylphie mentions when they bathed together and Rudy undressed her. When asked what kind of relationship she seeks with Rudy, Sylphie doesn’t hold back, telling her she’s perfectly fine having lots and lots of kids with him. She’s positively giddy at the mere prospect of finally getting Rudy to realize who she is.

Ariel discusses the plan Sylphie is to carry out. First she gets Rudy to agree to go on a one-on-one side-quest together. Then she borrows his staff and quietly makes it rain enough that Rudy can’t part the clouds, at least not without his staff. Rudy suggests they take shelter in a nearby cave. Everything is going off without a hitch for Sylphie.

When she sits shivering in the cave by the fire, Rudy offers to avert his gaze so she can change out of her cold, wet clothes. But Sylphie tells him she needs him to undress her. He tells her that he knows she’s a woman. She says she knows, but she wants him to undress her anyway. He removes her coat, her shirt, her pants, her gloves…and finally, her shades.

Once Rudy gets his best look yet at “Fitz’s” face, combined with the state of undress they’re in, he realizes that he’s looking at Sylphiette. She confirms that she is indeed Sylphie, and that she’s been waiting a long, long time to tell him that. Now that she has, she doesn’t hold back in declaring her undying love for Rudy, and demands that he never leave her side again.

Needless to say, this is a long time coming, and Sylphie’s unbridled joy at finally being remembered by Rudy is matched only by my own. Sylphie is such a good person that you can’t help but root for her to get everything she desires, even if someone like Rudy isn’t quite deserving of someone like her. A huge weight has been lifted on this season and the series at large: Rudy and Sylphie are reunited at last, and I couldn’t be happier.

Mushoku Tensei II – 10 – Putting Two and Two Together

A year has passed since Rudy enrolled at Ranoa. As Sylphie wallows in her cowardice for being unable to tell him who she really is, he continues to carry out his daily routine and interact with Zanoba and Julie, Rinia and Pursena, and the gregarious Badigadi. He even has a meal with his old buddy Soldat, who is briefly in town.

Despite being there a year, Rudy is no closer to finding a cure for his ED, though Nanahoshi Shizuka does at least lend him some literature on teleporting. With all the time he’s spending helping Shizuka with her experiments, he realizes he’s seen less of Fitz lately.

When he spots him seemingly alone with Luke he says Hi, but Fitz avoids him, which wounds Rudy deeply. But when he spots Fitz in the library he’s back to his friendly self. When Rudy says he was worried Fitz hated him, Fitz giggles and tells him there’s no way he’d ever hate him.

Those words and that smile are living rent-free in Rudy’s head. Considering how much Fitz is on his mind, Rudy can’t deny that he’s fallen in love with him. This in turn makes Rudy ponder if he really swings both ways, or…perhaps Fitz might not be a guy after all?

After asking the vice principal proves futile (Rudy suspects he’s under pressure from higher-ups), Rudy returns to the library, more confused and frustrated than ever. Then Fitz suddenly touches him on the shoulder, startling him and causing him to fall backwards.

Fitz instinctively reaches out to arrest his fall, but ends up on the floor, on top of Rudy with his arms around her. Feeling Fitz’s feminine hips (and lack of male anatomy down below) seals it for Rudy: Fitz might run away insisting otherwise, but now Rudy is convinced she’s a woman.

Not only that, she’s the first one to make his little guy move. But Rudy isn’t going to rush matters. He owes it to Fitz, who’s helped him innumerable times, to honor her wishes if Fitz cannot reveal her true gender in public. But he’s now closer to ever to the revelation that Fitz isn’t just a woman, but his beloved childhood friend from back home.

Mushoku Tensei II – 09 – Another Stranger in a Strange Land

Fitz is walking down the hall with Princess Ariel and Luke when she spots Rudy flirting with Pursena. Fitz stops in her tracks, stares, sighs, and then walks straight into the wall. It’s clear to both Ariel and Luke that Sylphie likes Rudy, but are surprised to learn she hasn’t told him her true identity.

Her worst fear is that she tells him and he doesn’t remember her, but Ariel gives her leave to deal with the situation as she sees fit, so there’s nothing stopping Sylphie from telling Rudy…except herself.

Just when I thought this was the direction the episode was going—with Slyphie telling Rudy who she is—it takes a hard left to something else entirely. When Rudy asks Fitz about someone who knows summoning magic, she says a special student called Silent Sevenstar is a specialist.

Rudy knows her as the person who improved the school’s menus and invented uniforms and blackboards, and thus suspected she might be someone from his world. But when he meets her, she’s wearing the same white mask worn by the woman who was with Orstead when Rudy was nearly killed.

Rudy quite naturally wigs the fuck out and even loses consciousness, coming to in Fitz’s lap. Sevenstar removes the mask and speaks Japanese as she reveals her true name: Nanahoshi Shizuka. She was the last person Rudy saw before he was killed and reincarnated in this world.

Shizuka is excited to meet someone else from her world, and has a lot of questions for Rudy, but more importantly, now she believes that since she’s met another person who was sent here, he’ll help her find a way to send them back. But while she doesn’t like this world and has people she wants to get back to, Rudy obviously doesn’t, and has no regrets.

There’s something else different about Shizuka: she wasn’t reincarnated here: she teleported into the middle of the Asura Kingdom with her body and identity intact. Furthermore, in the five years she’s been here, she hasn’t aged a day, and unlike Rudy has absolutely zero mana. While Orstead took her in, she doesn’t believe he summoned her.

Despite having different goals, they both have something the other wants: She’s willing to provide Rudy with information about the mass teleportation, if he’s willing to lend her his mana for her experiments in getting back home.

Throughout all of this, Fitz is listening but unable to understand, as they’re both speaking Japanese. But Rudy agrees in principle to their deal. Shizuka proceeds to tell him more about the mass teleportation incident, this time in the local tongue. But when she says that when she arrived five years ago, the disaster might’ve been the “backlash”, which is to say, her arrival caused it.

When Fitz hears this, he loses it and attacks Shizuka, who defends herself with the rings she’s wearing. Rudy holds her back and tells her she misunderstood: Shizuka was a victim, like them; she wasn’t trying to be teleported, nor did she want to be. Fitz apologizes, and cleans up the mess she made.

Having heard enough for now, Rudy takes his leave with Fitz, saying he’ll think about what Shizuka has said and offered. Shizuka presumes and looks forward to working with him. On their way home, Fitz walks a bit behind Rudy, catching up to his larger gait and asking if he trusts this person. Rudy says he mostly does, even though “parts” of what she said rubbed him the wrong way.

This probably isn’t the best time for Sylphie to reveal who she is, so she doesn’t, but is clearly frustrated about having the opportunity—and indeed this episode—snatched from her by a newcomer who is yet another young lady. Perhaps next week, an episode called “These Feelings,” some progress will be made.

Meanwhile, this was an extremely expository episode, but it dealt with some huge ideas, and Wakamiya Shion’s vocal performance gave Shizuka depth and gravitas. Now we know for certain there’s another Japanese person in this world, and while she’s been with Orsted this whole time, she doesn’t consider Rudy an enemy or a threat, and indeed needs his help. It’s certainly a lot to think about.

Mushoku Tensei II – 05 – It Is Happening Again

While journeying to Ranoa Magic University, Rudy learns that Elinalise has pretty much the opposite curse as him: she must fuck or die; he can’t fuck and must live. But no sooner does he arrive than he’s thrown into a mock trial with one of the school’s other silent-incanting special students: Silent Fitz.

Of course, Fitz is Sylphie, but due to her clothes, shades, and white hair, plus the fact she’s years older than when he last saw her, Rudy doesn’t recognize her, and once again mistakes her for a man. This is…unfortunate, to say the least, and hopefully it’s a misunderstanding that’s cleared up soon.

When Rudy sees Fitz’s attack with his right eye before it happens, he uses Disturb magic to negate it and sends “him” to the floor. When he realizes he may have cause Fitz to lose face, he loudly proclaims he let him win because he’s new. When he promises Fitz he’ll make it up to him later, Sylphie blushes.

Ranoa is full of familiar faces and names. Rudy doesn’t recognize Sylphie yet, but she’s right there. Princess Ariel’s other bodyguard Sir Luke reminds him of Paul. And when he enters his homeroom he encounters Prince Zanoba, whom he met and befriended while in Shirone and who calls Rudy “shisho”.

Other students include Rinia Dedoldia, the eldest daughter of Chief Ryes, whom Rudy met in Dedoldia village. She’s voiced by Ai Fairouz, ably voicing yet another “wild” girl. There’s also Pursena, another demi who may always be munching on a chicken leg, and Cliff Grimoire, who proclaims himself a magical genius.

Rudy wins Rinia over with humbleness and deference, then checks out the rest of the school. He’s a special student, so he can pretty much do what he wants, when he wants. Since his primary goal is to determine the cause and develop a cure for his ED, he heads to the massive library, where he has a very pleasant interaction with “Fitz.”

While eating lunch with Zanoba, Rudy is approached by Luke and his two girlfriends. Rudy is his usual deferent self, but it doesnt’ work on Luke, who is pissed off by the very fact Rudy doesn’t know his name: Luke Notos Greyrat. He looks like Paul (and is an excellent swordsman) because he’s from Paul’s side of the family; Rudy’s cousin.

Things suddenly take a turn for the worse when Rudy happens to pick up a pair of white undergarments, and is immediately called out as a panty thief and surrounded by angry women, many of them brandishing brooms and led by a gargantuan gorilla demi-human girl. The irony is delicious: he’s 1000% guilty of stealing panties…but not these panties!

The gorilla girl is about to bring him in when Fitz stops her, saying he dropped the princess’ laundry out the window while hanging it out to dry. Even after Fitz vouches for Rudy, the gorilla girl still wants to take him in for walking on a girls-only pathway, even though he doesn’t know all the dorm rules yet.

Fitz finally has to raise his wand and insist she unhand him, lest she and all the other girls want to end up in the infirmary. I gotta admit, in this scene, Fitz/Sylphie is as badass as Eris. The gorilla girl, named Goliade, stands down, and she and the other girls leave Rudy alone.

After sundown, Fitz heals Rudy, who apologizes and thanks him for having his back. From Rudy’s perspective, Fitz is just a really great guy who didn’t hold a grudge for being so easily beaten in the mock duel. Fitz can’t help giving off a Sylphie-esque laugh and flashes a warm smile, amused that Rudy is thanking her.

Obviously, Sylphie knows it’s Rudy. Luke even mentioned earlier that Fitz called Rudy “forgetful”. Yet she’s keeping her cards close. While the delay in his realization of who she is more than a little irritating (we’ve already been through this with her!), I have no choice but to hope, as she probably is, that he’ll eventually figure it out on his own.