Mushoku Tensei II – 17 – Being There

At first, it looks like Rudy is going to go scorched earth, flanked by Rinia and Pursena as he marches into Norn’s class where she’s currently absent with a head full of steam. Everyone in that room knows who he is and that pissing him off is not a good idea. But he tries to stay calm and ask anyone who was mean to Norn would come forward.

Those who come forward instead say that their interactions with Norn all involved them bringing him up in some way, comparing her to him, and urging her to follow in his footsteps. It dawns on him that no one in her class sent her to her dorm where she is currently shut in. It was all because of him.

Rudy knows what it’s like to be a shut-in. He was one in his previous life. But now that he’s a changed person he knows that it’s a brother’s duty to protect his sisters, even if its from himself. Only, he simply doesn’t know what to do. Rinia and Pursena laud him for his loyalty to his pack, but obviously aren’t going to help him on the psychological side of things.

What they can do is smuggle him into the dorm to at least meet with Norn, which is the first step towards getting her out of her room. The three are given cover thanks to Sylphy, who asks Princess Ariel to give an address in the common room that empties out the girls’ dorm. Even getting to Norn wouldn’t have been possible without his friends.

When he knocks on the door, the voice he hears is his own, from his past life. He imagines that his own brother must have felt this way as he visited him in his room again and again, giving arguments for why he should come out, telling him he needn’t come back to school, but only take one small step at a time to returning to his life.

Back then, Rudy ignored his brother, until he eventually stopped visiting him. And while he certainly doesn’t blame his brother for giving up, Rudy doesn’t want to give up on Norn. He knows if he leaves, like his brother did, there’s no going back. She’ll stay shut in. Her life will remain on hold. His experience with being in her situation drives him to want to save her.

Even there in the room, he has no idea how he’s going to do it. He just kneels there silently. We switch to the perspective and inner voice of Norn, isn’t sure what to make of him being there, and realizes she never knew what to make of Rudy. When they first met, she beat their dad up, the person she loved more than anyone and who had kept her safe.

The second time they met, it was outside his mansion when he was arriving home drunk with a woman on his back. She feared him because of the violence she’d witnessed, but when he let her go to the dorms without argument, she felt like he didn’t care about her one way or another, which is obviously worse than outright hatred.

At the academy and the dorms, Rudy was a universally respected and feared celebrity, and everyone who interacted with Norn spoke to her in the context of her relation to him. No one saw her for simply who she was. They even struggled to remember her name, because all that mattered was that she was his sister.

As she sits in bed, Norn realizes that all those opinions about Rudy from those at the academy reflected what two people she does trust told her about him: that he’s actually a good guy who has gone through some rough times. They said he’s not the person she thinks she is based on her limited time with him, and now she’s old enough to understand that they’re probably right.

But there’s still the matter of exorcising her mistaken idea of who and what Rudeus Greyrat is, and that can only happen by interacting with him. It just so happens that she calls out his name at the exact same time he calls out hers, and that leads her to pulling back the curtain and getting a good look at him.

Rudy might feel helpless as he stands there, but the words he chooses end up being the ones Norn most needs to hear: I’m sorry. I don’t know what to do either. I’m here for you. I won’t go away. I’ll see you for who you are.

Hearing these words opens the floodgates for Norn. Hearing those words convinces her that her fear was in her head: his clenched fist isn’t one of impending violence, but the same frustration she felt, and that their dad felt. Because her dad and her brother didn’t run, she won’t run either.

When Rudy sits beside her on the bed, Norn falls into him and lets it all out, finally able to see her brother for who he is, and who those others knew him to be. He’s someone who cares about his little sister, is there for her now, and won’t abandon her. He’s someone whose chest she can cry into as long as she needs to.

The next morning, she greets both Rudy and Sylphy with a smile on her face before stepping into the morning light and walking away, flanked by new friends. She and Rudy never exchanged any other words—neither of them heard the words we heard in their respective heads—but it doesn’t matter. You can tell that after that night, they’re both going to be all right.

If anything, Rudy admires how strong Norn is for sorting through her feelings mostly on her own, though he can’t know just how crucial his presence and words were to her finally coming to grips with who he is versus what she thought of him. It’s another heartfelt, happy ending. I could get used to these vibes, though the fact the next episode is titled “Turning Point 3” gives me pause.

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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 – 15 – Message in a Plastic Bottle

In a way, Rudy’s story is over. He’s struggled and wallowed in pain and anguish and failure, but now he’s happier than he’s ever been. He has a wife and a beautiful home. He has friends and allies beyond count. The only thing missing from an otherwise ideal life is for him to be reunited with his family.

To that end, Paul sends him a letter reporting they have a solid lead on Zenith, so he’s sending Norn and Aisha to live with him. Both Rudy and Sylphy are excited for the chance to not only have a more lively home, but “practice” having kids before having their own. In turn, Paul can rest assured his daughters will be safe as he seeks his wife.

All the way on the other end of the Isekai Life Enjoyment Spectrum is Nonohashi Shizuka. She is seeking a way back to her and Rudy’s world. She is seeking it, all her thought and time is dedicated to it. After two years of research and a month of careful drawing, she believes she has created a magic circle capable of summoning.

But shortly after Rudy adds his mana to the circle, it suddenly shorts out, creating a tear through her years’ work. Shizuka quietly retreats to her desk, puts her head in her hand, and sighs with resignation. Rudy leaves her be, assuming she wants to be alone, but confident she’s strong enough to power through this failure and keep trying.

He doesn’t get halfway down the stairs when he hears her scream bloody murder, and returns to find her going all Charles Foster Kane on her room. He restrains her before she can hurt herself thrashing against the stone wall, but she then passes out, succumbing to the exhaustion borne from her labors, as well as utterly broken by the futility of said labors.

With Zanoba’s help, Rudy takes Shizuka to his house where Sylphy examines and heals her. Even after a good long rest, Shizuka stares out the window as she explains to Rudy how she’s concluded that she can never go home, because she wasn’t able to ever find a way to close the circuit on her magic circle. She is utterly lost and devoid of hope.

When Zanoba tells Rudy he looks just as pale as Shizuka, Rudy explains it’s because he just relived some bad memories: i.e. the time he too lost heart and closed himself off. The difference is, Rudy had embraced this world; Shizuka has always kept herself at a distance from this world, not wanting to get so attached she’d give up on going home.

It’s here where we see the true growth that Rudy has experienced since reuniting with and marrying Sylphy. Forget restoring his sexual vigor; those events also made him a more empathetic person. Shizuka is in deep, deep pain and despair. Rudy has experienced similar pain and despair in his past.

Rudy doesn’t want Shizuka to suffer, so he does everything in his power to help her. Fortunately, he has plenty of power, like the power of friends. He shows Cliff and Zanoba the failed magical circle, and despite neither of them having any experience with summoning, Cliff’s fresh magical perspective and Zanoba’s time with the magical doll pave a potential new road for Shizuka to travel.

They’re helping out their friend and master, yes, but they’re also mages, and there’s nothing mages love more than a puzzle to solve. It all boils down to the doll using multilayered magical circles in its operation. Cliff, Zanoba, and Rudy work to adapt this concept to a summoning circle.

When they present to her three magical circles lined up in three-dimensional space intended to work in concert, the virtually catatonic Shizuka suddenly perks up. The sparkle returns to her eyes, and the sides of her mouth turn up in a smile. This could work! she exclaims, jumping out of her chair and dancing about excitedly.

She works with Cliff, Zanoba, and Rudy to rework her summoning circle from scratch, this time exploiting the third dimension. The montage depicts Shizuka operating as one of the gang, as they work, laugh, and yell at each other. And when the 3D circle is finally complete and ready to try out, Rudy pours his mana into it, and it does not short circuit.

Instead, it summons a PET bottle from earth, a soft glass of which neither Cliff nor Zanoba know what to make, but both Rudy and Shizuka immediately identify as a resounding success. The bottle is solid and stable, and a triumphant Shizuka is ready to advance to the next phase: summoning more and more complex objects.

Nanahoshi Shizuka skidded off the road and into the ditch, but Rudy’s been in that ditch before, and wasn’t about to let her remain in there long. With his friends’ help he picked her up, dusted her off, and showed her a new road. When Shizuka tells Rudy he caused her a lot of trouble, he simply tells her to help him out someday when he needs it.

With the 3D circle a success, all that’s left is to celebrate. In his world, Rudy hated social get-togethers like the one that unfolds, with Rinia, Pursena, and Badigadi joining him, Sylphy, Elinalise, Cliff, Zanoba, and Julie in celebrating Shizuka’s big win. Shizuka even does some celebratory karaoke with a wooden spoon.

No longer content to live his perfect life, Rudy is determined to help those around him achieve happiness and fulfillment as well. He’s paying forward the kindness shown to him when he hit rock bottom. In other words, while he’s had his issues in the past, and still has a few, it’s hard to deny that Rudeus Greyrat has become a good and decent man.

As he walks home carrying Sylphy (who celebrated too much and passed out in his lap), he hears the familiar voices of two girls knocking on their door: Norn and Aisha have arrived, along with their escort whom Paul told Rudy he’d be happy to see: our boy Ruijerd Superdia. Aisha loves her big brother, but Norn is still hesitant. We’ll see if that changes once she sees how Rudy has matured since they last saw each other.

But that’s just a teaser for the next episode. I cannot overstate how powerful this episode was. Thanks in no small part due to Wakayama Shion’s powerhouse vocal performance (she also sings the ED song unique to this episode), I deeply felt Shizuka’s pain, and wanted someone to take her hand and lead her out of the darkness. Rudy did that, but he didn’t do it alone.

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 – 13 (Part 2 E01) – Feels Like Home

Rudy’s students all notice an extra pep in his step in his first class back since being cured by Sylphy. He confides in his two male buds Zanoba and Cliff that he intends to marry the person who cured him of a certain undisclosed illness, but he’s never given thought to what that process entails in this world.

Cliff tells him that the first step to marriage is procuring a house in which to live. Cliff is old-fashioned, so even if Rudy’s wife-to-be is wealthy, he believes it’s the man’s job to provide the house. Rudy chooses a huge run-down mansion whose previous residents were killed by a mysterious evil spirit. He, Cliff, and Zanoba inspect the house, but find nothing.

While spending the night, Cliff hears sounds and wakes the others. They search the house up and down once more, and finally encounter the “spirit”, which attacks them but turns out to be an automaton: a moving doll both Rudy and Zanoba have yet to encounter in this world.

Needless to say, they’re both super pumped about the prospect of learning how it works and building one based on its design, or even improving upon it (Rudy’s thoughts include the words ‘robot maid’). Wanting to prove his worth, Zanoba exuberantly volunteers to do the research needed, and Rudy leaves it to him.

With the job of rooting evil out of his new house complete, Rudy has it fixed up and the day finally arrives when he gets to show it to an excited Sylphy. The fact he painted the roof the former green color of her hair is a lovely touch and a tribute to his love. After the tour, Slyphie laments that with her royal duties she may not be able to spend much time in the house, and as such may not be worthy to marry him.

Rudy quickly disabuses her of that notion, taking her hand and declaring that she is his and formally proposing marriage, and she promptly says yes. The night in the haunted mansion provided some dread, and Rudy’s promise not to disappear on Sylphy feels like foreshadowing, but for now spirits high and vibes have rarely been better. Next up: a hopefully drama-free wedding ceremony. Both these kids deserve a break or two.

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.

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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 – 08 – Love Is in the Air

Rudy finds himself on better terms with Rinia and Pursena now that they consider him their alpha, but he has to apologize for the three of them when Cliff Grimoire complains about the noise they make goofing off in class. Later, Rudy catches Cliff being beaten up by six fellow students, who immediately flee when Quagmire shows up.

Cliff’s deal is that he’s got the hots for Elinalise, and he got into the fight by protecting her honor. Rudy happens to know that Elinalise is indeed guilty of all of the rumors about her sleeping around—at least as guilty as someone suffering from a curse can be, at least. Even so, Cliff has it bad, and wants an introduction.

Rudy confers with—who else—Fitz on this, and it actually gives Sylphie an opportunity to say that she likes “someone”, even though she still won’t come out and tell him who. She believes it’s fine to introduce them, and everything that happens from then on isn’t Rudy’s problem.

Rudy follows Fitz’s advice, but when he introduces Elinalise to Cliff, she snatches Rudy up for a quick sidebar. If she believes her curse won’t allow her to be monogamous, than Rudy tells her she should reject Cliff. But the next day, he finds that Cliff and Elinalise have become a couple. She’s determined to behave herself, while he’s determined to lift her curse.

Elinalise isn’t the only one with suitors. Rinia and Pursena have many dozens of suitors, but as they have appointed Rudy their “boss”, he stands in for their parents as the arbitor of who is worthy of their hand in marriage. The first such suitor to challenge Rudy is immediately defeated.

The next one…is a little trickier. For one thing, he’s immense, and gray with flowing purple hair, and sports no less than six arms (though two are seemingly always flexing). This is none other than Demon King Badigadi, Kishirisu Kishirika’s fiancé. He’s heard good things about Rudy, and wants to fight him.

Fitz brings Rudy his staff, and Rudy asks if Badigadi will spare his life if he wins. It hasn’t been long since the “Dragon God” almost killed him, after all. Badigadi also seems to know of the Man-God, but doesn’t know anything about him. The Demon King agrees to accept defeat if Rudy can wound him with a single blow.

Rudy conjures the sharpest, fastest-spinning drill bit his mana can create, and it does the trick: when the smoke clears, Badigadi is a fraction of the size he was and missing a couple of arms. He heals himself, but accepts defeat, which means Rinia and Pursena don’t have to worry about any suitors.

Badigadi doesn’t leave without planting his own blow on Rudy, resulting in a comically swollen cheek that Fitz easily heals before leaving Rudy to rest. The next day in class, Rinia and Pursena are grateful. But who should arrive in class as an (apparent) new transfer student but Badigadi and his bawdy laugh. Unfortunately the needle doesn’t move on Rudy learning who Fitz is, but he’s certainly building up a reputation as the strongest student at Ranoa.

Mushoku Tensei II – 07 – Right to Remain Silent Fitz

Mirroring Rudy’s narration last week, this time it’s Sylphie’s turn to describe a typical day as Silent Fitz, Ranoa student and bodyguard to Princess Ariel. She goes on a morning run just like him, because it’s what she thinks he’d do. Indeed, the one constant in her description of her day is how much she’s thinking about Rudy. There’s the sense that something has to give at some point.

Rudy and Zanoba’s training of Juliette—whom Rudy makes clear is no longer a slave, but an apprentice, disciple, and little sister—is going well. She’s already able to conjure clay without an incantation. But “disaster” strikes when Rudy insists on seeing the Roxy figurine he made for Zanoba, and learns it was been smashed to pieces…by the girls from Doldia.

Rudy’s righteous, zealous side emerges, as he wastes no time confronting Rinia and Pursena and challenging them to a fight. When Rinia doesn’t rise to his initial provocations, Rudy makes fun of her saying “meow” to end her sentences, which sets her off like a bomb. While she’s quick and vicious, Rinia is no match for Rudy, and he ends up knocking out and bagging both beast girls.

When Rinia and Pursena come to, they’re tied up and gagged in Rudy’s dorm. They assume he intends to do naughty things, but when his Lil’ Rudy doesn’t respond after he gropes their breasts, so he abandons that tack. He shows them what they did (the shattered figurine) and why it’s a crime against his faith. He also shows them the holy relic of Roxy’s panties, which…is a choice.

After asking Fitz for advice on how to get retribution without continuing a cycle of revenge, Rudy and Fitz return to find the two have wet themselves, complain about being hungry, and have started to call him “Boss” unbidden. Rudy, inexperienced in keeping people captive (probably for the best) unintentionally brought them to heel.

After the girls are cleaned up, Fitz’s solution to properly punish them is to draw on their faces and warn them that a simple incantation will make the marks permanent tattoos.

The Doldia girls leave in peace, still calling Rudy “Boss” and impressed that his master was Rinia’s aunt, Ghislaine. Perhaps their next interaction won’t be so adversarial (or inappropriate). As for Fitz’s threat, it was a lie; the paint was just ordinary paint, and there’s no permanence spell. But hey, it worked!

Sylphie uses this opportunity to spend a little more time alone with Rudy in his dorm, even lying down on his bed (though he makes sure she doesn’t see the Holy Relic). Rudy thinks about what would happen if he reached over and removed the mask over Fitz’s eyes, and right on queue, Fitz asks if he wants to see his whole face.

Sylphie almost takes the shades off, but stops short, saying she’s under orders from the princess. They bid each other good night, both having walked right up to the point of no return before retreating. It’s perhaps the furthest Rudy’s come to learning Fitz’s true identity, but the ball remains in Sylphie’s court.

She knows this is Rudy. She only needs to take off the shades say the words and he’ll realize who she really is. She’s not quite ready, but I have to think at some point she will be, or her identity will be revealed accidentally. Either way, it’s looking more like the true cure for Rudy’s ED won’t be some spell or potion he’ll learn at Ranoa, but might be Silent Fitz, i.e. Sylphie, herself.

Mushoku Tensei II – 06 – Plucked from Despair

Rudy documents for us the routine he’s settled into at Ranoa Magic Academy. It seems his favorite parts of the otherwise monotonous days are those he spends with Silent Fitz, with whom he has undeniable chemistry and whom he feels “gets” him. That becomes even more evident when Fitz tells him she also lost someone in the teleportation disaster, but like him, “he” now knows that person (i.e. Rudy) is alive.

Whether it’s because she’s protecting her identity to maintain her position with the princess or because she genuinely wants Rudy to find out for himself, or is happy just with things the way they are, Sylphie remains mum on her true identity to Rudy. Meanwhile, Rudy notes his heart starts beating faster whenever Fitz smiles or laughs, even though he’s convinced he “doesn’t swing that way”.

The main thrust of the episode is that Prince Zanoba desperately wants Rudy to teach him how to create figures. In an unfortunate scene where he he’s naked and rubbing up against a statue, it’s petty apparent he wants to create figures so he can have sex with them. Alas, Rudy said he would teach him, and so he tries to do so.

But Zanoba proves hopeless, both at forging figures the magical way and by carving clay with a knife. When he mentions his problem to Fitz, he suggests they find a particularly dexterous slave who can magically carve them for the prince. Fitz also manages to get Rudy to invite him, which makes him very happy.

Going to the market to browse for and buy slaves is as natural in this world as buying a carton of eggs in our world. Mind you, there’s still plenty of slavery in our world going on, even in “developed” or “first world” countries, but there’s no stigma where Rudy is.

One could say they come across the very kind of slave who is perfectly suited for being taught how to make figures with magic: a young dwarf girl. Dwarves are great with their hands, and the earlier you teach someone magic, the more mana they end up with when they’re grown (this happened with both Rudy and Sylphie when he taught her).

The thing is, Rudy isn’t sure this girl wants to be bought. He isn’t even sure she wants to live. He recognizes the eyes of his past self in hers; someone for whom despair seems to have taken over. He quietly asks her if she wants to die, and even considers putting her out of her misery. It’s a dark, complex scene, but at the end of the day Rudy sees this girl as a person, not simply an object of property.

When the girl manages to utter that she doesn’t want to die, that’s enough for Rudy. Wanting to live can come later. They buy her, and immediately set to work feeding and training her. And while the end reason for acquiring her—so Zanoba can have more figures to do weird things with—if that means this girl, whom they name Juliette, gets to live a lest wretched life, then that’s certainly a positive.

I was a little disappointed that we didn’t get any more time with Rudy’s other classmates, and I truly wonder how long Fitz’s true identity will remain unknown to Rudy, I still enjoyed her and Rudy getting along famously like I knew they would in this quieter kind of Mushoku Tensei episode.

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.