Mushoku Tensei is NOT About Redemption
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- čas přidán 29. 06. 2024
- When I hear anything about Mushoku Tensei, it's swiftly followed by "it's a show about redemption. So I decided to look into that.
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Chapters:
0:00 - What does Rudeus need to be redeemed of?
9:26 - First TW skip
11:35 - Second TW skip (An Author's role)
14:10 - Re:Zero comparison
16:52 - Rudeus vs Paul
22:53 - What is Mushoku Tensei about? - Krátké a kreslené filmy
About the not going outside until he was 5 thing. It's explained in the books that children are usually kept inside until age 5 and no one except family and close family friends are allowed to see the children until then. Just a cultural thing of that world. It's also why you never seen any very young children around. The reasoning is to keep children completely clear of the massive dangers that world has compared to our own.
Interesting, thank you.
@@phoenyckI never cared about the series to watch it.. Because I See it as a detroierative and Perverse Series.. I cannot even call it a reincarnation.. If anything They should Make it more accurate by making Redues a reincarnation of The 30 Year old..Not Have 30 Old man in Kid Body.. For example think of dragon ball of piccolo junior being the reincarnation of King Piccolo.
To Make it Convincing..Main Chracter Redues and His previous incarnation Share the Same Body..Think of Byleth and Sothis from Fire emblemThree Houses..A Running Gag Is That Current Young Redues Is Understandably annoyed At His Perverted Previous incarnation, But Is Greatful For helping him in his Studies...Maybe You Make a Fix Fic of the Series.. Through this fix fic The Previous Incarnation of mc Goes through care to development as Helps h
The Main chracter before he is Slowly absorbed into Main Chracter..After being absorbed by MC, He Can still communicate/Chat With through Dreams or if Redues Meditates.
its also period accurate too. in those days letting young children run around outside could lead to illness or infection which were a death sentence.
@@remrem-gx3ml Problem with that is detoxification magic exists, and being a healer is Zenith's whole job in the village.
that doesnt work on illness. just wounds and poison/toxins. if they could heal sickness with it too then no one would die in that world.@@uihirasawa843
"Redemption" was what people used when everyone was attacking the show in season one. At the time, it was good enough, but this is not Mushoku Tensei.
From volume 1 alone, the purpose has always been stated in the novels in one of the most reoccurring lines in the series (this will be out of context, so no spoilers here),
___
"If I lived in this world, I could do all those things, too. After all, this was a place of high fantasy, one that didn’t obey the same rules of common sense as my past life. I could live as a typical person, doing the typical things for this world. Where I stumbled, I would get back up, dust myself off, and forge onward... I could finally live life right."
"I know I have to grow up right away. And in order to do that, I’ll have to make a bunch of mistakes, grieve over them, and change-slowly, gradually. I’m sure that’s how you had to do it too, so I’ll do the best I can.”
"Many things had fallen into place, with a great deal of pain and a great deal of joy along the way. I’d repeated horrible mistakes along the way, but it wasn’t over. No matter how much I screwed up or got things wrong, it wasn’t the end. I still had a lot of life to live in this world. And that’s what I was going to do: live to the fullest, so that no matter when I died, I’d have no regrets."
“You will…lead a life that’s…different from mine… You’ll succeed…and fail…just like you always have. You’ll reflect…on your mistakes…and regret them too…”
___
Rudeus' arc is a REHABILITATION arc in the first 12 volumes, not a redemption arc that the famous CZcamsrs used to defend this series, which is fine but not accurate. An external plot device isn't going to make him artificially change, the one responsible for that is him and him alone. Rudeus changes because he wants to, not because the plot requires him to. After that, his arc is all about other flaws he has, about responsibility, love, family. He still has remnants of his old self with him, but no longer in a toxic manner, just confined to his thoughts, especially since he really likes making jokes to himself for himself. Season 3 and season 4 Rudeus is such a chad it's not even funny, so different from season 1 or season 2 Rudeus. But does that mean he redeemed himself? Hell, no. He doesn't even think he can be redeemed. He changes because he needed and wanted to. He didn't change because the plot wanted to redeem him. And I honestly prefer that. Mushoku Tensei is an honest series, and it likes to keep itself natural, and that kind of storytelling is GREAT. We need this to exist. The natural and gradual development of characters is what makes this series so damn good.
When people say that Ruijerd is the daddiest of MT. They wont be ready for the Daddiest Rudeus.
Rudeus' changes are because he was influenced by the world, like his interactions and relationships. However, in the end, the choice was his. Sure, he was affected by lots of things, but the truth of the matter is that he wasn't forced to choose a card, but he was dealt a deck of cards to choose from. The deck could be smaller. It could be larger. But he was never given a choice that only had one option.
I believe that as long as one makes a choice on their own volition, it is their choice and their decision alone.
He becomes a reliable kid for Eris because he wanted to protect her, not because she wanted him to protect her. He teaches the boy named "Sylph" because he wanted to. He helps Zanoba because he wanted to. Sure, there are choices that was influenced by others, but he could have ignored those, like he once did in his past life. But he doesn't. Because he's grown. He's still growing. But he has grown a great deal since then.
You could say it's a redemption to himself.
@@nguyendi92 Jobless Oblige Rudy is as Daddy as he could be
I can't spoil it but if you have finished the webnovel it's a story about the possibility of someone changing And when you start from as low as the starting character, who is never named, you are not far from redemption.. Rudeus is haunted by his old self, he doesn't want to become that looser again. He must therefore constantly fight not to “fall” into his old faults. He is like a former alcoholic how remains a former alcoholic all his life.
"Rudeus' changes are because he was influenced by the world, like his interactions and relationships. However, in the end, the choice was his." He makes choices based on his mistakes from his former life. To avoid repeating these mistakes. He defended Sylphy because he was bullied. He forgave his father because he saw his old self in him. He didn't leave Norn alone when she told him "it's nothing" because there too he already saw that, in his old self.
Once again I don't want to spoil it but his choices don't really belong to him. His reincarnation and the "Cataclysm" occurred in part to influence his choices, his life and the world. Orsted said Paul Greyrat should have only had 2 daughters.
I've said this before but the fact that Rudy doesn't get punished for his shortcomings most of the time onky makes the fact he changes regardless all the more real.
Instead of conforming to ideals placed upon him by the world or it's inhabitants Rudy changes to be who he himself wants to be. Of course the world and his interactions with people still shape his worldview, but it happens naturally instead of forcefully.
Of course haters won't be satisfied by that. They'd rather see him get punished than actually grow as a person.
Exactly even in real life I'd consider that real growth say over someone being called out on doing a bad thing and changing in order to not be viewed in a negative light whether or not they do genuinely change as a person for the better someone checking their own ego and making themselves accountable for their own change is much more genuine and real I think a lot of us can agree
@@tombprospectorvulcan6440 Both things are almost equally genuine. You ever feel shame? It's a great tool.
@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz
Shame is a pile of crap - it’s toxic and doesn’t help one bit in real life, only makes you suffer pointlessly.
I’ve actually met people that couldn’t function properly in a society because of the amount of shame they felt for things they shouldn’t be ashamed of in the first place because either they had no control over those things or those weren’t actually bad things but their parents/friends convinced them they should be ashamed of them!
@@Boris99999 It helped me a few times.
I've met people who have no shame - it's often hard to watch. What regulates their bad behavior? Other people? The government? God? Shame helps me regulate my behavior - I would be even worse if I never felt shame.
What are we really talking about here? What makes a person good? It reminds me of Paarthurnax.
@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz
So you have no empathy, no love for your “loved ones”, and no ability to understand consequences of your actions?
Well I agree, if you are a psychopath the only way to guide your behavior would be through indoctrination of shame. But that’s a really odd case…
Redemption is not entirely accurate. But this story does have an element of that. However the redemption will not happen like some might think or even it might not be a redemption in the eyes of many.
This story is about family, growth and bettering yourself. If someone sees Rudeus as hes redeemed himself then good. But redemption is not the main point.
I just don't see how any of that is different from redemption. Redemption comes in many forms, but I prefer the red and dead kind usually.
Redemption is the entire theme of the series. He was a vile person in the first world. He wanted to change, he wanted to become good.
He does, but it takes effort, he uses his past a reason to change and do the right thing.
He is not perfect and makes bad choices, but he is taking a path to become a better person. He is redeeming himself.
That is the literal definition. He was a bad person and is now taking actions to become a good one, redemption.
@@AzureRadio Even if he fails partially, it's still true.
@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz Honestly his entire story with Nanahoshi is purely based on redemption.
His single final act in the old world was an act of redemption, even if he didn't do it for recognition and praise.
The kids would die without his intervention, so he didn't think he just did the right thing.
Little did he know that his actions would change thousands of years of history in another world and the fact that he died (and was therefore reborn) allow the savior of prophecy to be born.
His story with Paul and teaching him to strive for redemption, both through Aisha's pregnancy and when they reunited and Paul thought that Rudy wasn't taking things seriously.
We see it with Eris, he nearly rapes her on multiple occasions and sees her as no more than someone to have sex with, but grows to love her for who she is, and even tries to avoid having sex with her because that isn't she is to him anymore, he genuinely loves her.
Then the entire ED arc being his path to redemption from "not being enough for her" even if it is all in his head.
He wants to die and is actively trying to do so but finds reasons to live and redeem himself.
He then goes on a path to redemption because feels guilty for not being able to find Zenith, that was the point of the entire year before the school arc.
Everything with Sarah and him losing her because he wasn't enough of a man and the fact that he COULDNT redeem himself because of the things he said while he was in pain and trying to shift the blame from himself when talking with Soldat.
Literally everything in this story is about redemption.
Eris leaves because she feels guilty that she cannot protect Rudy the way he did for her and tries to gain more power as a form of redemption for her weakness.
Paul creates the group to recapture his people because he felt guilt for not staying as a noble and not being able to protect his people from the Displacement Incident, again as a form of redemption.
Roxy is hunting for Zenith because she wasn't there to help Rudy, redemption.
Ruijerd's ENTIRE character is redemption. His people were tricked by Laplace and he murdered his own son because of his thirst for power and is trying to redeem himself by helping people (specifically children) and repairing the name of the Superd because he specifically was the one who (he feels) did the most damage and is the most guilty.
The only main character who isn't trying to find redemption is Sylphy and that's because she was an innocent child. Then through the school arc she was been with Ariel and protecting her the entire time.
She's too busy being a love stricken school girl to feel guilty about anything that has happened.
She believed in Rudy to be able to help their people and was correct, plus the fact that Rudy never stopped looking for her (even though he knew she was alive because of the board of the living in the ruins of the kingdom).
Redemption
The thing that I've heard about the "redemption aspect" of Mushoku Tensei is that it's still a "redemption story" but not a redemption story in a "Christian" sense that we understand it.
It is instead a "redemption story" in the "Karmic" sense where Rudeus had built a lot of bad Karma in his previous life and now in the new life he builds good Karma.
Yet he still eventually gets to pay for his bad Karma debt in the Aisha chapter that shall not be named from Redundancy.
In Christianity the redemption usually involves penance and atonement for one's sins neither of which Rudeus really does, that's why a lot of people think this is not a redemption story.
I think the fact is that despite physically being in his 40's in his previous life the moment he became a shut in he stopped maturing mentally which is obviously why he doesn't come into the new world a changed man.
I agree with this and have read the whole series. He was 34 but mentally stunted around 15 yrs old.
Also it's not the grandfather of isekai tons came before it.
@@Angelous187 It's the grandfather of Tensei Isekai.
Even if there were some done before it (I don't recall any specifically) it would still be the grandfather, because it's the one that did it RIGHT, and the one that nearly every author in the genre tries to replicate.
Not a good excuse
@@Th1sUsernameIsNotTaken No Knight and Magic predates Mushoku Tensei by 2 or 3 years and already codified the tropes used in modern isekai tensei (car accident, reincarnation as a baby, OP MC etc.).
If one work deserves the title of grand-father of modern isekai tensei (for the shit it's worth tbh) then it would likely be Knight and Magic.
I really appreciate how many are starting to recognize that Rudy was completely stunted emotionally and mentally from his PTSD in his previous life. This is something that happens in real life to so many people that suffer from depression, they can easily isolate themselves and cause even more mental/emotional scars because of it. Physically Rudy may have been in his 30's but mentally and emotionally he stopped maturing in his teenage years. This is why when I read the books I don't think of him as a 50 year old person by adding his new age to his old age, I see him as just picking up from his old emotional age and growing from there.
Rudy does not want to end up like he did in the previous world, it terrifies him that the possibility exists, which is one reason why he hates his encounters with Hitogami since he appears in his old body. This is why he pushes himself to take his new life seriously. That is literally the name of the full title in Japanese. We see his new attitude in many ways, for example, from this cour you see how he has a physical routine that he keeps consistently every morning.
Rudy continues to grow throughout the light novels and although he still has a strong libido, he wants to protect his family and will do anything to do just that. At the second cour of this season, you will see something that forces him to grow and changes his new life forever. This next "turning point", so to speak, cements Rudy's view of the people in this new world and he realizes he loves them; they are his real family.
Overall, I really liked your video. I enthusiastically encourage everyone to read the light novels. They are some of the best fiction I have ever read. For anime only people, even these slice of life arcs become so important as the story goes on. Mushoku Tensei's turning points are both dreaded and engrossing, and I am happy to see them being adapted so well.
Oh and by the way... Sylphie is best girl! (I've waited all season to see the events of the last two episodes!)
Thank you for the comment! I am constantly floored by how well the story takes into account the motivations of each character and will let those elements interact, and from I've heard, a lot of my complaints/nitpicks are actually addressed in the future so it seems I'm picking up on intentionally negative things, which I think is a positive thing because it's intentional setup!
I think Sylphie stocks have shot through the roof this season so I'm glad your girl is getting the love she deserves 😅
@@phoenyck Thank you for your reply! Once again, great video and I can't wait for you to see the exciting things that happen as the story progresses. My next favorite thing about watching Mushoku Tensei is watching other people react to it.
Oh and about Sylphie lol... I think my wife is getting a bit jealous regarding how much I like her. In all seriousness though, I started reading the light novels to her and I love how she is becoming interested in the story, to see her reactions is priceless. She is my own Sylphiette lol. Additionally, though, it allows me to re-read some of my favorite books ever so it's all good times.
Oh, and you earned my sub!
That's actually really sweet, it sounds like you have a great marriage!
@@phoenyckthank you, almost 10 years now.
@@dbuy3 Ahh a fellow Sylphiette lover. Are you looking forward to the second cour as much as I am?
He acts like Rudius knew the actual reason why Eris left. Of course his conclusion after he left was “I’m not good enough.” He didn’t know her actual reasoning. He was already somewhat self aware of his flaws. Her leaving was the push he needed to go over the line of actually believing his flaws are what cause his problems. Yeah, that’s not the real reason Eris left, but it would be an equally tangible reason (if not more) than Eris realizing she needs to be away from him to grow.
Well, that isn't quite why she left either. Yes it was to grow, but it was more "I cannot protect you as I am now, not in the way you protect me. I will leave to become as powerful as you so I can be your sword" It just so happens that she is dumb and didn't tell him that. She didn't want to burden him with her weakness or hold back his greatness whilst she took time to become stronger.
I saw a comment once and I believe it perfectly describes Mushoku Tensei. I agree this isn't really a story about redemption. Instead, I see it as "the coming-of-age story of 34 year-old man."
I believe that Rudy had wanted to write a letter home, but he made the decision to wait until they were off of the demon continent to do so as it would be more likely to actually reach home. I could be wrong, but I don't think that part was included in the anime.
I thought it was
The way I understood was that there was never a good time. The first priority was getting Eris home. I think they even say that that comes before looking for survivors.
@@ethanblank8911 That could've been correct, I didn't read it, I just watched someone's breakdown of it and they'd said he had been waiting until they were off of the demon continent.
Rudy in that episode or around that episode was going to send a letter to his family, but met Paul before hand
The key issue I have is assuming Rudy has the mental maturity of a 30-40 year old. This assumes a person shut off from the world keeps mentally maturing when what really happens this they mentally digress becoming less mature. There is also the thought of if you were thrown into an infants body at what point do you identify and behave more like the child you are. You see this with Rudy throughout season one. He has memories, but what are the memories and morality of modern day Japan to Feudal Europe. As the show progresses you get less and less old world Rudy and more and more new world Rudy. You can't even say he picked up maturity from where he was at reincarnation as expectations of him wouldn't have caught up until end of season 1 perhaps even a ways into season 2 when he has spent over a decade as this new person, with new experiences. That is to say they would have matched at all given the mana disaster. Mushoku tensei isn't about redemption as he would not be able to be redeemed in the new world, it is about growth.
Man, the gymnastics you people engage in to defend this pedofile
I do agree with you because in the end of the day This story is about growth growth as a character growth and as a person
When you have a deeply traumatic experience, you literally stop mentally developing. Not saying his actions are right, just that they make sense
Not everyone stops mentally developing.@@ethanblank8911
In the LN Eris is pushed by her mother to Rudy's room, because he was the only man who had patience to stay with Eris, without him she would have always been alone
(minor LN spoilers)Not true. Orsted confirmed that in every other time loop where rudeus wasn't born, Eris got into a relationship with Luke.
@@zealyn12 What does this have to do with the comment?
@@Lipe326 I'm saying that Rudeus wasn't the only man who had the patience to stay with Eris. The original comment says "without him she would have always been alone" which is proven to not be true because Luke would have married Eris if Rudeus didn't.
@@zealyn12wait who is Luke
@@giygas9305 Princess Ariels bodyguard, he's the one who protects Ariel along with Fitz/slyphie
8:54 Whilst this scene could have been presented in a more positive light for Rudy from a third person's perspective, it is presented to the audience from Rudy's perspective.
Given how much he has suffered from being mocked, tormented and ostracized in his previous life, Rudy has very low self-esteem. His deepest desire is for others to accept him.
It's why at times you him speak super-politely to others. Deep down, he has a fear of being ostracized.
This scene isn't about how Rudy has developed into a considerate lover and helping her find relief, it's about how apprehensive he is about making this milestone in that journey of finding acceptance. Should he do it or will he be hated for it? Which is also why he becomes depressed with ED with what happened afterwards where he mistakenly believes that, through his self-serving thoughts and actions, he has now pushed her away and that she now hates him for it.
Agreed, I would also add how the note she left was a miscommunicated message were she did try to tell him why she left.
I honestly feel that even with rudeus being in his 30s in his previous life the fact that he is reborn even with him having his memories he could have somewhat be considered a manchild back in Japan and having to re live through the first 15 years of his life again he somewhat went through infintile regression with the fact that he thought he fell in love with eris when in fact his adult side actually fell for Roxy very early on she’s the one that began his healing from his own fears I feel like if you are reincarnated with your memories you shouldn’t see it as a grown person in the body of a child it’s more of a child with the mental capacity of an adult while still having the emotional capacity of a child exactly like how I mentioned calling him a man child but when you look at everything that happened in rudeus’s life you realize he truly is thinking like a teenager by the time season 2 part 1 came to an end and I think the reunion scene between Paul and rudy showed two sides of the same coin he did and didn’t see his time on the demon continent as a “game” he was taken away from his known life and forced to take care of not only himself but because he has spent a couple years with the boreas household and it is his duty to take care of eris and still teach her about the ways of the world it amazes me that he actually survived everything he nearly died multiple times and yet he was the rock that helped eris get through things even with ruigerd being their protector viewing them as children instead of warriors for a majority of their time spent together just think about the interaction between the team and or stead while eris had no clue who he was she was terrified ruigerd knows who this is and is terrified but Rudy is completely oblivious and ignorant so he has questions he doesn’t understand that he should be frozen with fear and nearly dies because he accidentally reveals that he knows too much (even if he still knows practically nothing about any of it) when orstead nearly kills Rudy he starts talking to man god who refused to tell him why orstead tried to kill him the moment he mention that he knew man god. Rudy was happy to finally find someone he could get info from only for that person to have a grudge against man god and tried to kill him thinking he was an apostle the pure joy you see in Rudy’s face that quickly turns to confusion then absolute fear and anguish. Rudy had a hard time in the three years it took for them to get back home and Paul was too hard on him rudy didn’t want to worry his father even more than he was so he told him about his time in a happy go lucky tone he was trying to keep his father from breaking down even more and because he did this Paul misread it and got angry when they started fighting rudy was saying “why can’t you be happy that your son is alive?” And this proves my point it’s not that he wasn’t worried about everything but if you drop two children in the middle of a wasteland filled with ferocious monsters in a country that has a different language and cultures that is a recipe for disaster but because Rudy took the time to learn multiple languages while tutoring eris it truly saved them Rudy knew not to teach eris too much of the demongod tongue because of how volatile her personality
Hey, I liked it too.
This, also people often ignore the fact that by physically being a child your brain still would work in ways a child's might, just with more knowledge. Like with how he got distracted by all the wild shit that happened in the demon continent, especially that first city and how it ended.
Blud wrote 3 paragraphs and forgot to separate them.
Even in his previous he stopped maturing mentally at like 12 years old. He became emotionally and intellectually stunted and was never able to mature beyond it.
@@mistake1197 It’s actually just one “paragraph” when commenting I tend to write everything in one go but I see where you’re coming from🤷🏻♂️
It's actually about learning how to get out of your own toxic headspace, to be more empathic to people you view as assholes. The ED arc demonstrated this with how the elf reacted to Rudy's dysfunction. The gut reaction for most people is to hate her for not understanding - but think from her perspective. She opened up to what was probably her first guy ever or in a long time.. and now she believes that he thinks she's so ugly that he can't get it up for her.
Also, remember: she wasn't meeting Rudy on the road with her friend by coincidence. I would wager she was on her way to apologize for not understanding.. and then hearing Rudy say the things he did, drunkenly, to his friend? It confirmed all her own fears.
Did... Did you just refer to Sylphy as just "the elf" how dare you disrespect best girl like that
@@tomykong2915creep
The world of Mushuko tensei feels so real. One of the main reasons i love mushukot tensei. They potrayed each character with fine details. In the LN not only does rudeus grow as a person but the people around him, the whole world is growing with him. The world building is insane! Possibly one of the best thought out animes in a while. And for the people saying that the ecchi in this show is completely fan service, you do not understand this anime and shouldnt have a opinion.
The one thing I absolutely despise about the haters of this show is that they critique and shit on this show for things that they excuse in literally every other anime ever.
Fan service? It's ok if Tales of Wedding Rings does it. Shitty character you hate? It's ok if Re:Zero does it. Slaves? It's ok if Shield Hero does it. Or Death March.
Rudeus says to Paul he didn't think of contacting family or if anyone else was teleported. He was in the epicentre of the event so he can't know the scale, he's thrown to extremally dangerous place with a person he needs to take care of. He gets a quest from Man-god and focuses on that and survival. Rudeus is shown to have tunnel vision in this and previous life. I buy that "he didn't think of it".
As to his first time with Eris, do not take away her agency. She was vunerable yes, but if Rudy rejected her there it would mess her up completly. Her low self esteem would get even lower and she would believe Rudy hates her. If anything she took advantage of him not otherway around. Only after she slept with him she realized how young and small Rudy actually is and how she relied on 2 years younger child for past 3 years.
6:48 This is not accurate. Eris went there to sleep with Rudeus. This is why she's there in nothing but a negligee, and no underwear. Girls don't show up without any bottoms on when they're there just to talk. This can actually be seen in the anime if you pay attention (when Eris spin kicks Rudeus). In the book you get an Eris chapter which explains the situation, and the reality is that Eris's mother had talked to Eris, and told her to give Rudeus everything, to lock him in, as if she lost him, she would end up alone. Eris was completely on board with this, until Rudeus's behavior left her questioning whether he loved her back, or if he just saw her as a reward her father was giving him. This caused her to pull back, in a rather violent manner, as is her way. She returned to his room, because she was afraid that by spurning him she may have done something she couldn't take back, and even then she was willing to follow through, but before she could do anything Rudeus started apologizing.
7:18 This isn't accurate either. Eris doesn't go to Rudeus for "emotional support." She goes there to finish executing the plan she started back on Rudeus's tenth birthday. Eris talks about how she wants Rudeus to be her family, as she had lost all of hers. Eris was afraid that now that Rudeus had completed his mission to bring her back home, that she would lose him. So she decided to claim him for herself. Again, this is more clear in the book. Eris ends up leaving, as while she is with him, she can't help but notice how slight his build is compared to her, and she feels ashamed for relying so heavily on someone who is younger than she is, who is still growing into his maturity. So she decides she has to leave, both to not hold Rudeus back, as she feels she would if she was dependent on him, but also to grow enough to be his equal, to stand by his side.
Thank you for both comments, both super detailed and giving a good perspective on the novels as well! On the first point, I did include Rudues' interpretation of events that was in the novel so it's interesting to know we will get Eris' side later on. On the second, it's why I clarified she sought "emotional support in the form of physical intimacy". From my perspective, Eris wanted to make Rudeus family officially in her mind because she was grieving, she wanted to execute their promise early because she was grieving. I don't think that contradicts anything you are saying here.
@@phoenyck You need to read the Eris POV in Book 6, which happens right after she beds him (second half of Chapter 16). She basically lays EVERYTHING out (including the night of Rudeus's 10th birthday). Eris's decision to bed Rudeus is FAR more Machiavellian than you are giving her credit for. The whole "because she was grieving" thing really didn't enter into it, sure she was sad, but this wasn't an impulse, but rather a calculated move.
“Finally, we made it home and I discovered nothing was left. My father, my grandfather, and my mother were dead. I was heartbroken. After everything I’d suffered to make it back here, my house and my family were gone. Ghislaine and Alphonse were there, but they felt distant and formal, like they were different people.
All I had left was Rudeus, and I wanted us to become a family. I was impatient. His contract to tutor me had been five years long, and we’d already passed that point long ago. He’d finished his duty by escorting me home. Not everyone in his family had been found yet. I was sure he’d immediately be off again, and he would leave me behind. I just knew it.
I used my body in order to keep him here.”
(That's just an excerpt, if you read the entire POV you'll have a better context of her frame of mind, but that should serve to show you how calculated her actions were.)
Rudeus does not have the one true perspective. This is a reoccurring theme in MT, that doesn't show up as well in the anime. Everyone sees each situation wildly different from anyone else in the scene. Unfortunately, the anime doesn't provide very many outside Rudeus POV moments.
@@bujin5455 Spec Ops: The Line needs to be played.
@@bujin5455 As great as the anime was, I will never forgive it for cutting this part out, such an important detail of her character. Maybe they have a plan for doing this and it will payoff in the future, but damn did it give ppl the wrong impression of her
@@bujin5455 Wait
Then why did she leave?
The explanation given was that she wanted to improve herself for Rudeus, but that contradicts with what you've just said.
Mushoku Tensei is NOT a redemption story. This is a false assumption and its used to make the series look bad by haters. "When will Rudeus get better?" "When will Rudy stop being perverted?" Fans are defending a losing argument they dont even realize is lost.
(and before you judge, if you find out Rudy does [redacted/spoilers] in the future, you would NOT call it a redemption story either).
Gigguk popularized the series by calling it a "redemption story" which sounds all well and good, but its surprisingly not actually accurate. No one was calling it a redemption story before Gigguk (because its not one). He misunderstood and I dont blame him because its very easy to believe its a redemption story from the first few episodes.
This is coming from someone who loves Mushoku Tensei. Saying its "not a redemption story" is not a bad thing!
Yup I definitely heard the "redemption story" line from Gigguk and it is what has stuck with me, but as the series has gone on hearing that in the back of my mind definitely felt more and more inaccurate. I also love the series but it just took me some conscious effort to reframe how I view the story.
@@phoenyck damn just realized its been a year since i watched your vid on Kaguya. Hope you're doing well.
gonna just say rn that this thumbnail is unappealing. Obviously its meant to show Rudeus as a creep but its a bit clickbaity and hard to look at, maybe the color palette also has something to do with it. MT fans would probably look past it as just another clickbait hater or something. I personally think a different thumbnail would work better and I hope it gets the views it deserves cuz I agree with your take on Mushoku.
Ah thank you for still watching! I'll keep that in mind and play around a bit with the thumbnail, I'm actually moving today so not entirely sure when I can get a new thumbnail out though 😅
Hope you are doing well as well!
@@phoenyckthe series was bad enough when a 39 year old man was crushing on kids
@@norwa3518 I clicked on this video because of the hater vibe. There's definitely some type of line to balance on. It's tough to tell if it's good or bad.
I just want the truth. Truthfully, this story still seems like one of redemption. The guy literally gets strung up like Jesus Christ, dies, and then is reborn.
What is redemption?
And what's good?
Nword.
With that, I am a new person.
A fascinating look at a defining series! Some thoughts:
- I agree that it isn't about redemption. I would say, rather that it is a tale of recovery; a dark, difficult journey about learning to better deal with unhealed hurts, bad habits, and persistent hangups. Those in AA/NA will recognize the terms and should be able to see just how well this viewpoint fits.
- At one point, the 34-year-old MC mentions that the trauma occurred almost 20 years before, which means that, by the end of the second season, Rudeus was about at the same age the MC had been at the time of the trauma.
- One vital point that none have mentioned so far is that trauma often causes someone to get 'stuck' and stop developing. In the MC's case, Eris accepting him as her mate--or so he thought--happened at a point in Rudeus's life when the MC had had nobody, making his first romantic/sexual experience a new path from what the MC had had before. It wasn't just about finally having sex for the first time in _two_ lifetimes, but Eris fully accepting him as her mate. (Oof.)
- Unfortuantely, her terse note at the same point in Rudeus's young life as the trauma in the MC's, reflected the rejection the MC had received by those who had cared about him, greatly amplifying his pain.
- A common issue with chronic prawn addiction is that the object of your fantasies *ALWAYS* completely accepts whatever the you can think up; boundaries simply don't exist when you don't want your imaginary 'lover' to have any. Almost twenty _years_ of such activity can lead to very, very, *_VERY_* dark places and mentally destructive habits that, when acted on in reality, lead to... well... the outrageous acts you see the MC/Rudeus doing without hesitation whenever he thinks he can get away with them. (The 'lollipop' fixation can be explained by him getting 'stuck' in his early teens and fantasizing about young women that were his age in school. Oof.)
- Another point about prawn: when someone has been as deeply wounded as the MC has been and hides in such isolation, it can often be a desperate attempt to feel *ANYTHING* positive, to pretend to be loved and accepted by someone, etc. In other words, a misguided, unhealthy, ultimately corrosive attempt at mental self-care. Oof.
Cheers!
Great take
Very nice analysis on a very relevant topic. Thanks for making! I hope your channel grows.
That was beautiful, such a well made analysis.
Thank you for saying that, it means a lot to know the work I put in gets appreciated.😊
@@phoenyck Enjoy these moments. A little bigger, and we'll all be lost to you. It's an interesting phenomenon to see how growth and knowledge can limit a person. How can we prevent becoming woke to the point of blindness?
Where is the balance? In words? People?
Bro your analysis style is funny and really well articulated. Subbed
Last episode of season 1, if you look closely during the Eris departing scene you’ll see her eyes red. Meaning she cried equally or more.
On sadist authors part 11:39 . Overlords author is a Sadist. He had a fan poll if this character dies in a very detailed gruesome way, the fans said no, author was sad.
Great video. Few issues I have.
7:30 Obviously. Thats the case. Eris is there for emotional support. Not Rudeus. Rudeus doesnt have that emotional attachment to Boreas family, so he is in no need for emotional support. On top of that, you could view it as that Rudeus thinking of Eris by thinking it would be taking advantage of her.
17:40 - And arent you expecting too much from an adult? Without information you can do nothing. There was no way for Rudeus to know there were other teleportees. They were teleportedin Demon Continent of all places, anyone who teleported to Demon Continent likely met their death, so he couldnt meet anyone there, in Wind port thanks to Kishirika detour, he didnt meet with Search and Rescue squad (Roxy and team) in Demon continent. In Zant port, thanks to smugglers he didnt get time to visit adventurer's guild to get Paul's message. Without meeting anyone affected by disaster, without seeing any indication of the disaster, why are you assuming Rudeus shouldve known that the teleportation disaster was that massive that it even Buerna village, which was faraway from Eris' hometown? And why would he care about finding random strangers who might be caught in the disaster?
Now why does Eris think about it and not Rudeus? Because unlike Rudeus, Eris wasnt captured in Zant port and thus had time to check adventurer's guild to get Paul's message. Eris even decided to go goblin slaying in Millis, where she went to adventurer's guild and got Paul's message there.
Now its been a while since Ive seen the anime, so might be mixing LN stuff in next points, but their journey wasnt exactly smooth. They had to worry about earning money (thats why Rudeus didnt send any letters as letters to another side of planet would cost a lot of money). They werent exactly rich, they had to use smugglers to bypass toll fees and such.
Rudeus wasnt living like he was in an adventure life, but in a survival life. Yes they didnt have threat from monsters, thanks to Ruijerd, but theres more to surviving than killing monsters. Planning, travelling, buying supplies, ensuring you have enough resources to cover to next city, earning enough money to have a buffer and such was all Rudeus' responsibility.
In novel, Eris even complains in her thoughts that she dreamed of going on adventures with Rudeus, with her taking frontline and Rudeus backline, teleportation disaster gave the oppurtunity to fulfil that dream, but Rudeus ended up treating it more like a business for earning money and survival, than fun adventuring lifestyle Eris dreamt of.
I disagree with the latter half but thats because I'm not an anime only. The LN and WN makes it very clear towards the end.
*sort of spoilers*
Rudeus is not a grown man inside of a child. Rudeus is a child with the memories of a man from another world. It takes a lot for him to realize this but the fact that we never learn his original name is a reflection of this. We see him as a typical isekai protag, a grown man living out his fantasies and thats because we're supposed to as this is what he thinks of himself at first as well. He however doesn't learn or see this until he is a proper adult in the LN and its reflected in his final meeting with Hitogami.
You just blew my mind.
Sir, there has been a second interpretation.
I mean sure but his inner thoughts and monologues are that of a grown man. I dont think he's a grown man inside of a child, but I DO think that Rudeus is the same person as the Japanese fat guy. Its just that he grows to become Rudeus.
Dont you think that sorta retcons the whole "Rudeus gets better" and the "neet getting a second chance at life" thing? You know, the whole point of the series. If it were just a child with memories all this time, then thats just kinda lame.
@@norwa3518 Its much less literal than simply plopping a soul into a new container and going on as if nothing happened. Yes thats how Rudeus acts but as the series progresses he starts referring to his earth self as his previous self, as his 'him'. He very much starts seeing Rudeus as a separate being and its only after MAJOR losses that he realises he was always a child born with memories of another world. Its never strictly defined but its never left as him simply continuing on as Eartheus and just growing from there.
@@aqua.enjoyer Ok I can kinda see it as a child born with memories, but I dont know why it matters. How does that make it better? Isn't it just worse seeing that the child with memories grew up happy, but isn't actually the NEET whos given a second chance. So not only does he not get a second chance, but he also "doesn't get better as a person" since thats not him, thats Rudeus.
Like I'm cool with that plot point but doesn't that just sound worse than what it was supposed to be? its not doing the series any favors.
Some say this is a redemption novel, some think it's a harem novel. It's a romance novel. The main character may have been physically in his 30s but mentally he peaked in 9th grade. Because in his 1st year of high school he began to be bullied to a point he was chained naked to the school fence. Maybe he's a pervert or maybe him being I'm Rudeus body and actually getting to have a normal childhood including finally losing his virginity. Is a good thing for him. Some of us suffer from so much trauma from our youth that our mental growth gets stunted.
sad that mushoku haters dont get this point which is important for his character
It just hard to like Rudy because there are real world parallels to someone like him who was sexual abuses as a child, get mentally stunted and goes to tries SA someone else to continue the cycle.
@@TheNicMMc rudy abused no one he was lolicon in his old life , which lead to it cause he got bullied and isolted himself , he got stripped naked and bound on the school , this trauma he takes into the new world too.
He was basically a 15 year old cause he never aged passed that he died with shame and regrets , sure small rudi was creepy but he changes and realizes his mistakes , its fiction i dont defend pedos but you can understand this character when you analyse him. Its about growth trauma and redemtion maturing.
There are many monologues which got sadly not animated aswell.You cant treat him like a healthy person in mind he was still broken when he reincarnated.
@@Antonfinger1
He abused no one because he got caught red-handed like the time when he tried to take off Eris's clothes and it was only because he was in a medieval morality setting that he didn't really have to suffer other than a beat-down in a comedic fashion by Eris.
If I can't treat him like a healthy person then I can't trust him like a healthy person. I know people like him, I didn't want to be in the same room as him because they were in lolicon stuff.
@@TheNicMMc I also want to point out if you die but keep your memory when a god or gods reincarnate you. You're still a different person. I think that's what people won't understand until they themselves pass on. The light novel never explains who summons Rudeus and the other 2 Japanese teens to that world. However most Isekai (other world) anime revolve around a god or gods summoning someone to another world. If a god took pity on Rudeus for what happened to him in school that made him be a shut in, and chose to give him a second chance because he tried to save those kids. Honestly I think Rudeus deserved a second chance just for trying to save those kids. If he hadn't tried to save those 3 kids then maybe he wouldn't have got summoned and maybe Nanahoshi and the other 2 would have got smeared by the truck. To be honest there are not many people including a majority of the people who hate this anime/LN who would save someone. Why wouldn't they? Because as humans we have become extremely selfish, most people would save themselves before saving another. I've unfortunately had to witness first hand how evil and selfish humanity is. I tried to get to a little kid who was about to be run over, all because his parents and neighbors were too busy barbecuing to keep an eye on him. But I was up the block and didn't make it in time. Just another thing that will forever weigh on my mind. Even if it wasn't my fault, I wish I could have had super speed or had seen the child and vehicle sooner.
To be honest what you said is true but thats before volume 12 cuz after volume 12 with the turning point he does realise that he just looked at his second life as a fantasy not reality its hard to explain without spoilers
Well that's nice to know that I may have picked up on what was the intention of the story, it helps give me faith in what's coming 😄
@@phoenyckif you really enjoy the show you should consider reading. And if you don’t want to read ahead maybe give them a try after the show has concluded. I seriously recommend it. There’s a lot more characterization, reflection, perspectives, and world building. It’s seriously fun to read.
@@bokuwatobi_ You can't get spoiled if you spoil yourself.
*points to own temple
I agree though - it's interesting and worth reading. Probably. Things are usually like that. Good things are like that at least.
@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz good point lol
@bokuwatobi_are we talking about "THAT" Incident?
The only time ride is really ever goes back to his old self is when he is in the white space with Man God. All the other times he tends to be Rudeus with the memories and trauma of his earlier life. Think about it like this; you are reincarnated and although your soul have knowledge of your past life you don’t. But, due to your past life your identity is still the same. You have the same fears, same reactions, etc. this only changes over time as you develop in this new life. Now instead of forgetting your past life you still have the memories. That’s what Rudeus is. He is still the boy from the fantasy world; he just has memories and a more defined ego from his past life. And since it was confirmed everyone reincarnates we can assume that he just has a more solid connection to his past life. One thing I want to show is how Rudeus Views himself. He states, “Okay, okay. No getting ahead of myself. I needed to calm down and keep my cool. My past self had gotten all caught up in this feeling, too, and we know how he turned out: someone who puffed himself up because he was better with computers than the average person, then got way too cocky and failed hard at life.”. Rudeus in this instance tends to talk about himself in the third person while also recognizing that he has the traits and memories of that different version of himself.
22:56 I got jumpscared by the oneshot ost, because this specific one is my ringtone. great choice of background music btw!
Could I ask what the name of this soundtrack is?
I postulate a Third option. One that exist as a grey point. Going through this would probably rough. Like potential having a breakdown of ones ego or sense of self. Also while his memories may intact from his previous life, the body he is likely still under going physiological and hormonal changes. Not only with a new self, but a new self that is constantly changing. Hell I wouldn't want to relive puberty again. My guess is people that reincarnate probably struggle with even knowing who they are. How should I behave when people expect to behave differently? How well do I even remember how I acted as a five year old?
This might genuinely be the best dialogue surrounding mushoku tensei I've seen. I don't know how to put into words what I mean by that right now without spending an hour on a comment noone would read, but it really puts into perspective everything about mushoku tensei that's good, bad, questionable, etc and provides the necessary complexity in argument that such a controversial story requires. Genuinely great video
Mushoku Tensei is about people's ability to change if they choose to, but also about how love and support from others is an immense help in this process. Rudeus decided to change, he saw the flaws in himself and actually went through a lot of work to become a better version of himself, and a better person overall. Its not so much redemption, as it is rehabilitation. Rehabilitation of his depression, his perversion, his insecurities, etc. He tries, and you see that. No one is meant to like him at first, we arent even meant to like him, he isnt written to be liked, he represents people's ability to change. That's why the show is so well written, all the characters feel like real people with genuine flaws and the way they grow is slow, methodical and well in line with their personalities.
People need to realise that just because you hate an MC it doesnt mean the show is bad.
"And then there comes Eris... I can't defend the man anymore"
Relatable
Calling him a shut in is such a half assed wording, he wasn't just a shut in to be a shut in. He had severe trauma his classmates tied him to his schools fence naked and left him, after proceeded to make fun of him because of his size basically socially outcasting him from society
Oool video essay. I like your perspective on the fixing your mistakes. It’s basically an adult wishing they were a child or teen again.
Amazing video man
Mushoko tensei is top 5 for me because it presents risky ideas and a really refreshing break from shonen, we grew up but anime is still a big part of our lives and this anime and re zero fits our ideas more in these dark times
Dude... I haven't heard this music from furi for about 3 years now... You opened my nostalgia from this music at the start to 0:15 I need to go to Furi again
Nanahoshi explicitly mentions in the anime that she and Orsted went to meet this world's specialist in Summoning Magic. Orsted was also shown looking at the mana disaster from a very very long distance way, showing that he was nowhere even close.
You don't need to read ahead to disprove that Orsted wasn't the one who did it.
On the matter of redemption. Maybe redemption isn't quite the right word, but self-improvement and changing yourself is very much a core part of the series and it's the common thread of most themes and storylines in the series.
Very well done. I can tell you put a lot of effort into that video; from thinking through your argument, to the pacing, the editing, and so on. I'm not sure I agree with your conclusion, but nevertheless, I enjoyed hearing a well thought out argument! I think the Redemption story is best seen though Rudeus's lack of understanding of family and relationship (and not about maintaining contemporary Western Judeo-Christian mores). In the collectivistic Asian mind, both of these these are HUGE no-nos. Most of Rudeus's undesirable behaviors stem from these aspects as well. In fact, it was Rudeus's shameless individualism which opened the door for all sorts of evil to come to both himself and his family, and culminated in the ultimate act of shameless-selfish-indifference to his family, which lead to his expulsion (the catalyzing impetus for the entire story). If you look at the story, it's always pressing Rudeus to think less of himself and more about others, and Rudeus's over all character arc is about understanding the value of family, and relationships in general, and what his role is within them. I could write a strong defense of this, but I don't want to spoil things for the anime only crowd. But basically, until Rudeus sees himself within his proper place to all of those around him, his redemption is incomplete.
Really enjoyed the video (and I'm aware i'm a couple months late, but started reading the light novels finally out of anticipation for the coming Turning Point 3 popping up on screen being so hype I needed more content in the week's wait lol)
Only thing I wanted to disagree with was the argument between Rudeus and Paul. From the light novel's depiction it's actually seemed quite a lot more like Rudy was struggling in the demon continent (not sure that the anime portrayed this as well, but it's been awhile since I've watched this section). It's the first time in either of his lives that he's having to deal with financial struggles of any kind, and he's not only having to deal with taking care of himself but also Eris. Repeatedly in the light novel right after their teleportation it's citing that despite getting enough sleep (more than Eris, who is doing fine health wise) that Rudy is too exhausted to take part in activities, and he's constantly overanalyzing and thinking about what they should do in every situation in regards to the best financial outcome (which I would argue is what lead to him letting the child die, and wasn't him "Not understanding how quickly people can die" though that is a part of it, but more being pressured into perfectly handling every situation so that his group can benefit and cracking under that pressure some).
Now, of course Rudy had plenty of opportunities to contact his family and didn't, and he definitely started having fun on his 'adventure' and you can argue those are bad things but personally I think it leans more just bad writing to assume that he would believe that anyone else was affected. In the mass teleportation event Rudy/Eris and Ghislaine were literally right under it and though there was a large explosion he wouldn't have been able to see how far that extended because he was caught by it before it affected anyone else. He maybe should have assumed that Eris' family was caught in it because they were relatively close to that town but they were a full day's carriage ride from his hometown, so for that to have affected his family it would've been a like country/state sized issue, which we know it was but while in the demon continent it never remotely came up? News travels slower because of no technology of course but no letters from anyone talking about a catastrophe of that size made it to the demon continent in that year+ since?
Then comes Paul, I'm definitely biased but this man infuriates me. He's an accomplished adventurer, experienced and has a decently long list of contacts he can call on for help and he gets teleported to the same continent (literally a pretty looking field with no monsters or danger in sight) with one child to take care of and hits his fucking breaking point struggling to handle that? I understand it's mostly emotional stress from losing nearly all of his family and not being able to handle that but at no point does he remotely allow that to weigh into what Rudy went through? As the audience we saw that it didn't bother him (whether because he didn't think about it or because he doesn't consider them 'family' because he's not Rudy he's a 34 year old man reborn into Rudy is a different question) but Paul obviously has zero context of that and just sees his child, who has at every available opportunity since being born, taken it upon himself to be the adult of the situation, talk about things not being that bad on him since the teleportation and just immediately throws out any knowledge of the world that he has or any common sense and immediately decides that Rudy must have been able to easily handle things and every person who he's ever met who talked about the Demon Continent being bad was just lying or stupid or wrong and gets pissed at his son for not doing more after clearly doing fuck all himself (He didn't successfully find a single person, he formed a group and put out a bunch of requests for help and then fell into drinking and gave up). He couldn't have been handed an easier version of the situation than he was and he still didn't accomplish anything (which would be fine, kind of pathetic but acceptable) but then has the fucking gall to get mad at his 12 year old son for not being able to do more than he was capable of after being handed a much much harder situation.
Where I land in the argument is that Rudy is definitely in the wrong from our perspective as an audience member because we were able to see that he wasn't struggling as hard as he probably should have, and there were things he could have done better and considered more, but Paul lost all of my respect for this forever (whatever shred was left to begin with) and honestly I feel like the situation resolved too favorably to Paul. He's been a father struggling to do his best (and definitely had a very unique situation with Rudy) but at least where we're at in the anime and where I've gotten to so far in the light novel the only thing he's done positively as a father has been separating Rudy & Sylphie, and trying not to be like the father he grew up hating, which are admirable but also kind of the bare fucking minimum and surrounded by constant mistakes (hitting Rudy for the bullying incident, cheating on his wife, telling/teaching his 7 year old how to seduce girls, accomplishing nothing after the teleportation, giving up and falling into alcoholism, hitting Rudy again after he saved himself, and now in the anime pawning his children off on Rudy to raise so he can (presumably) continue to accomplish nothing)
Nah, do you know what Mushoku Tensei is all about? It's about: GO TOUCH SOME GRASS!
Hehe... Nice video though, I honestly don't think it is a redemption story either. Like I have finished reading the web novel, light novel (up to vol 22), manga (up to chp 92), jobless oblige and etc... I think that it's more about Rudy growing up, changing and all that stuffs.
As much as I wanted to like the writing of this series, a lot of the key moments broke the immersion and had me question the author's rationale. That Paul moment you brought up was one of them, where Rudeus basically belittles his father while instructing him how he should be properly happy to see his son. It just reeked of self-righteousness despite being played out as a touching moment.
And season 2 did the same thing that ruined Shield Hero for me: the MC buying a child slave while the story handwaves away all ethical implications. Instead of something like rescuing the slave and returning them to their people, these isekai stories instead presents this weird premise of how the MC is a good slave owner.
Out of the all characters that need a second chance Rudeus is not one of them 😭🙏
I, as a viewer, didn't myself considered the possibility that there were other victims of teleportation incident. Even though they literally showed Paul's letter in one of the episodes - I still didn't catch it. So I, as well as Rudy, was utterly shocked with how Paul and Rudy reunion went out, because I would most probably do the same mistake
wtf who’s rem?
;-;
I think it the pink hair one wait no that ram never mind
SuperRemdom
I'm clicking the bell icon for your view on Frieren. I haven't watched it, but from what I've heard, it's similar in premise to Mushoku Tensei.
If I recall, Man God didn't say that Orsted did bring him to this world. Just that Orsted is someone who's better at that sort of thing.
"Mushoku Tensei is absolutely an escape. But it's one about fixing your mistakes..."
That last sentence counters your point. That's literally what redemption is. "Redemption: the action of saving or being saved from sin, error, or evil". Rudy saves himself from making the same mistakes in this new world. And there are those that save him from making the same mistakes. Rudeus doesn't want to be like he was before, so he does things differently so that he doesn't end up like he was.
I like the video, and you make some interesting points; however, I might disagree with the title claim. The redemption arc is there, despite Rudeus's shortcoming. Your point is one I somewhat share, but I have faith that things will be good. Even if the ending is too good for Rudeus, then you can always do a spinoff.
Who can say for sure?
Nope. Rudy gains power allowing him to indulge his carnal desires and no one can stop him. Once he gets tired of his normal relationships, he can plunge down a path where he can go take what he wants.
As someone who has read the LN, all I can say is, Nuh uh!
One thing I always find strange in reincarnation stories is the fact they portray them as adults in children's bodies, completely ignoring the effects that biology and undeveloped brain would have on their mind. You would be a child with adult memories, not an adult in a child's body.
As for Rudeus he pretty much stopped maturing as a teenager when he became a shut-in and left him an emotionally stunted teenager trapped in an adult body when he died. Then he started over in a child's body with 30+ years of memories from another life.
Dude if you shut yourself from the world for 20 years you wouldn't act like rudeus heck you wouldn't even act as a teenager you'll just be a recluse weirdo.
Btw if his current brain does affect him he wouldn't be a creep.
let me tell you all something, what rudeus also got from being reborn is to re-live as a child, and to actually grow from his teenage era, because when he shut himself he never got to live as a teen and as a young adult, he being at 40, just shows that he is still a teenager in his mind, we tend to judge a lot of people by their age, but remenber there is a lot of mentally ill people in wich their mental illness comes from a past were they never grew pass their teenage age, this is why this shows is actually really relatable to a lot of people, in wich most people are like rudeus, not 40 in their mind but still a teen at 25 or 30.
I think this changes A LOT since the second half of season 2.
0:41 Orsted Spoilers:
The reason why Orsted attacks Rudeus when they first meet despite summoning him through reincarnation is because Rudeus took the place of a stillborn who was suppose to inhabit Laplace and Orsted recognized it instantly. Orsted wanted to rid of any major disturbances of peace even if it means killing an innocent person in the process.
It's also explained that he wanted to send a letter in millishion because it was human territory and chances of arriving said letter went way up from almost zero when letter would be sent from demon continent
Roxie supremacy!
Sylphie supremacy. Alliteration says I’m right.
He was watching his niece naked in the manga version on that monitor
aw heeeeeell nah
That was a scrapped portion of the web novel. Its just loli stuff in the manga and light novel.
ah
It makes more sense that his family smashed the monitor and called him a filthy degenerate.
@@angelj3928 It's good that it got scrapped. Rudeus is already pretty unlikable at the start but can you imagine how hard it would be to sell his eventually character change if he was that fucked up?
@@Foogi9000 I agree wholeheartedly. Part of the reason that I can stomach Rudeus is that while he was scum, nothing he did in my eyes made him wholly unredeemable. To me, he was just a damaged individual with unhealthy coping mechanisms that he allowed to overtake his life. For him to then cross over the line to doing something so depraved would not only call into question him in all future interactions he has, and it would make me not care that he has gotten his second chance at life.
Before watching the video, I see the story at least thus far(anime only) as one of growth rather than redemption. Growth because Rudeus isn't perfect nor does he seek to be. He is not trying to redeem all his faults, but rather he is trying to live a fulfilling life. Now time to see if I'm a dumb dumb.
Great video 👌🏽
Thank you very much!
About the sex scene with Eris. I think the reason Rudeus wasnt characterized well, and the reason he saw it as "just sex", is because that moment was supposed to focus on Eris. I wont go into too much details, because many have already analyzed that scene over and over again, but in short, it was the lowest she had ever been in her life emotionally. The scene, and what comes after it, is meant to focus on WHY Eris felt the need to have sex with him and what the resulting feelings of that were. If Rifujin (the author) gave Rudeus a really good character moment alongside that, it would have taken away from what is arguably the most important scene for Eris in the show.
About the Eris stuff, I think they way you worded as how u felt is what the shows was trying to do because that's why rudues isn't growing like how he should and it's him slowly getting there not because he wants to but because that's what this world is crafting him as 9:30
it's not about redemption of the character morally but as his own person. it's the forgiveness of one's self
First off… I generally despise anime critics. I find that they tend to look at surface level analysis and looking for humor. I get it but I generally don’t like it. Therefore, I appreciate your deeper take on this… and definitely subscribed.
Secondly, I would like you to consider why when Rudy visits you he astral plain, his form is of his previous life. I tend to think of this as the Man-Child/Man-God scenes. You keep mentioning Rudy’s former age but you don’t consider how much lack of experience is reflected on his former life. I tend to think that, while he might have grown to the age of 30, his isolation kept him at the age of 15… and turned him into a cowardly trauma-inflicted degenerate. You will notice the even the new Rudy doesn’t leave his house (which is indicated by his moms relief when he does). I am of the opinion that it is not age that grows a character but experiences… and I think that is reflected in his persistent reflection of his man-child persona in the astral world.
If yall ain’t read the novels read them these were the first novels ive read and i definitely don’t regret Mushoku tensei is truly beautiful
This hits deep
Gotta keep in mind that by the time Rudeus died in his old life, even tho physically he was in his 30's, he had the mental maturity of a high schooler at the very most.
Not rlly how I see it. Redemption in this case is more abt how he himself, hated his past, and tried to move away from it. His wrong doing wasnt abt others, it was abt himself, how he viewed his past and vow to never become that again, thats his redemption. He didnt redeem himself to his family on Earth, he redeemed himself, to himself, he made up for what he did to his past life w this new life. But ofc, alot of ppl thought the redemption was abt him being a pervert n a creep, while in fact, no, that s his character trait, as he grew up, he became more mature abt it, but it was never a point for redemption. His redemption has always been abt living seriously when he got another chance at life, to live a fulfilling life without regret, to become a person he can be proud of, a redemption to himself, to make up for the life he wasted.
Yeah, redemption is about changing yourself because you yourself believe you should, not because others tell you to.
For instance, a serial killer turning himself in to the police only helps society, not the serial killer himself, yet most people might say that the serial killer is seeking redemption for doing that solely because society is better for it without even considering the serial killers thoughts.
If Rudeus doesn't think something about himself is wrong, then obviously he wouldn't work to change it because he isn't even cognitive about the fact that he might want to change it. If he is to change those parts about himself, then he needs to think about it being a problem in the first place.
@@marchmelloowthing is he can currently think something is fine and redeem himself later on
Bro, I'm not watching the video (since I pretty much already agree with the title alone). But massive compliments on that sick ass thumbail.
The point you didn't mentioned is the forgiveness theme. I think it's one of the main themes of the show. Most of the characters have done bad but more importantly is not the past grievances but the ability to understand sinful nature of common people and forgive them for that to move forward. When watching Mushoku Tensei I unironically think it's very christian in it's ethics. Like it's basically saying "sure you have sinned but it's OK because we all are sinners". Paul is a bad father at times but he is forgiven by Rudeus, Rudeus does batshit to Eris but she forgives him. They all are humans with flaws and to move further they must be forgiven.
I don't believe this to be just a cheep trick by the author to forgive the MC for his crimes for the wish fulfillment purposes. I think it's like that for reason and it plays into the choice theme you said at the end. Because after all to be a better person Rudeus must choose to do so and only after knowing love from his family/mentor/friends and what unconditional forgiveness is he is able to choose that. In his previous life he had very little of that and that's why he was stuck as NEET. He still had some good in him as evident in his sacrifice but to truly be a good person the good in him must be nurtured by the good shown by others.
At least that's the ethical framework I think MT is going for, and I don't think it's necessary to subscribe to it to enjoy the show. I personally don't, I'm moral nihilist/non-cognitivist/fedora tipper but I still find it interesting.
Well said I've been telling people this is not a show about redemption for the longest time. It has elements of redemption in it but as you have pointed out it's not really about that. And that's not a bad thing.
If you read the Novel you'd know about the many internal dialog in many characters and many other cut content I recommend it Rudy shows alot of restraint in the novel
it is not a redemption story, it is a healing story
Great video and analysis. With Paul vs. Rudy, they both have their faults, but I think Rudy is less at fault than you think he did. I might sound like a typical Rudy defender, but there are a few points that even an grown man Rudeus wouldnt be responsible for.
Rudy and Eris ws at the epicenter of the blast, he didnt know how big its effect was, he just assume they were fine.
Paul forbid Rudy to write home while tutor Eris, so even the family connection is very thin and there is no habit of sending letter.
Also , the act of sending message when something happened is a learned behaviors. I learned that when my parent yell at me when I got home unexpectedly late. I know many people that dont do that shit well into adulthood. The man that was a shutin for 20 years and got told to not contact with anyone even in second life. There is no way he even known that we are supposed to do that.
Also he never think about the letter is because sending letter is both expensive and slow. Roxy is literally the first group to bring Displacement news to the Demon Continent. And Rudeus can possibly only see Paul letter at Zant port, but got abducted by the beast folks.
So I dont think Rudy is objectively wrong in that situation. Oblivious? Sure, but it's forgivable to not be 100% Einstein play every single day.
Which part of the LN are you on? Are you reading the LN? Its wholesome that his Master, Roxy, travel through the demon continent , fixing his mistake and rescue people in the demon continent. Elinalise is funding most thing though, the woman is filthy rich.😂
Thank you for the compliment! Rudeus definitely doesn't need to infallible, but having them travel for a year and half with Rudeus working off an assumption pushes my suspension of disbelief for how smart he is meant to be. Like I said in the video, he does start to make the legwork and they could have just finished that off as it wouldn't end up making a difference in the story, which is why it annoys me so much because it's effectively irrelevant but makes Rudeus a lot more competent.
I didn't actually know Roxy was the one to bring the news about the disaster to the demon continent, that's interesting.
I've only read the first two light novels, but it's actually helped with one of my other nitpicks, there was an extra scene following Zenith after it was revealed Paul was cheating which I thought was very good and essentially fixed a gripe I had on the scene in the anime. Maybe the later issues will fix the other ones :) ...interesting to know Elinalise is filthy rich, she really has it all😩
@@phoenyck I see. Hoped you continue to read all remaining light novel volumes as well. One things the anime didnt touch on bur LN did is that Rudeus wasnt that exceptionally smart. Above average intellect, sure, but he made a lot of mistakes and have shortcoming that others have to fill in the void. Like in Vol1, he didnt fool Zenith about the cheating bit, Paul separate Rudy and Sylphy because he want Sylphy to be independent.
Or in Vol 2, Rudy almost die because of hubris and got saved by Ghislaine, Philip know that Rudy is lying and fake crying in his Birthday so he want Rudy to be involved in his politic.
Rudy actually really bad at a lot of stuffs, he is like a min-maxer for a video game. He failed and killed an adventurer kid, got played by Nokopara and almost went full Openheimer in the Kishirika city(funny name for a city, huh?). He considered selling his staff to pay for Rujierd's ship ride. Etc.... all those things was prevented by Ruijerd, he covered Rudy's ass alot.
Also the light novel, show how "down bad " the women in MT actually are. Rudeus feel not as pervert as the anime portrayed him to be.
@@nguyendi92 He is, but they are too.
@@nguyendi92 yeaaahh, basically everyone is horny af.
Before watching this anime, I was told that the main character's perversion was a deliberate flaw to be resolved later. But after watching the first season, I don't think that's the case.
First, we don't have any extensive flashbacks about how he became like that, or about his relationship with sex and women before. We have to assume he would have act the same perverted way if he has the occasion to interact with a woman before his resurrection, because when he was reborn he attempted to grope Zenith before even knowing he was in another body. We know he watched a lot of porn but that doesn't make you a sexual aggressor as far as I know.
Also, one moment where I thought we were about to challenge his perverted vision of sex and women was in the Shirone arc when saving Lilia and Aisha. First his behaviour made him a bad reputation with Aisha, and then the prince that groped Roxy and that she compared to Rudeus was the bad guy. I thought it would lead to a introspection for Rudeus, with him thinking "I'm not as bad as this guy, am I ?" and starting to actively correct his behaviour. Instead we have his perversion rewarded, because the sexy figurine he made of Roxy was the reason he was able to be saved. Truly a disappointing arc.
With that and the fact that apparently it's about erectile dysfunction, I don't think I'm going to watch season 2. Feel free to try and change my mind.
Good. As a fan of the series, I don't want someone like you in the fandom. 😄👍
@@dl2839 That's so mean. What did I do to you? Me disliking some things in a piece of media you like doesn't mean we have to be enemies you know
@@sachapiat4296because if youre so averse to any character that isnt perfect and apparently have a weird fear of sexual stuff, you might aswell just drop the show
Assuming you’ve watched the first half of the second season:
I love how the ending of “what kind of story is mushoku tensei” ‘s exact plot is exemplified in Julie. He doesn’t sugar coat anything and asks if she is willing to give the world a second chance. She might not want to live but the response of not wanting to die, not completely giving up yet is the perfect exemplification of Rudy’s story.
(As an LN reader I hope you enjoy the rest of the story. I loved it all the way though)
Very well made video well done
"No, no, not that bit" 2:19 🤣
Great video
Still haven’t seen anyone mention the fact that Rudy could also be suffering memory regression the longer he’s alive in the other world, or at least that’s how I interpreted it
I don't see this as a redemption story either. He's not a villain turning hero. However, similar (but different) to a redemption arc, this is a story of Rudy becoming the real Rudy, from what I've seen in seasons 1 & 2. Basically, he has to go on this journey to shed himself of the baggage of his past life to become fully part of his new life, all while his past is affecting his actions. From the beginning of his new life, it has been about changing himself from being a victim of the world and external circumstance to being fully in control of his destiny. When he ran into Paul and was scolded for his apparent indifference, this was a hard lesson for him to not take things for granted and only think of himself. If you have family, call them. Rudy not writing to them was a bad habit from his old life.
EXACTLY. How people dont see this is so stupid. His past self is a LITERAL GHOST HAUNTING HIM ON EVERY MISTAKE HE MAKES and Hitogami literally makes him his own past self while dreaming.
I think people just say it's a "redemption story" because it's the easiest and simplest way to describe the story. Really, Mushoku Tensei is a personal journey of Rudeus and how his start shapes his journey. Will Rudeus improve, and if so by how much? Will Rudeus even _realize_ that he needs improvement and if so in what areas? That's really what Mushoku Tensei is about.
And it's also about how Rudeus needs to figure that all out internally because society won't show him.
I think this is the biggest difference between Mushoku Tensei and Re:Zero's journeys: Subaru is shown in every area of his life how bad he was acting and thus is directly shown that and thinks that he needs to improve in order to improve his relations with these characters, whereas Rudeus needs to think he needs to improve himself without outside evidence because he isn't punished for his thoughts/actions anywhere close to how much as he should be.
Edit: Damn, wrote this as I was watching and as soon as I post this you say exactly this, lol.
The furi song goes hard
Mushoku Tensei is about overcoming trauma and personal growth.
The story does take into account how he still views himself as his old self and he HATES HIMSELF.
That's the point though, the theme of redemption goes for him as a person as well. Him taking this second chance and becoming the best person he can with it.
Slight spoiler, but every single time Rudy sees Hito-gami he does so as his old self. The very last time he does he appears as Rudeus Greyrat, his TRUE self. With the experiences and relationships that he has fostered over his second life. Rudy redeemed himself by finally shedding his other self, there is a reason we are never told his previous name, because it is irrelevant. That isn't who Rudy is anymore and he truly becomes Rudy, fully taking his shot at redemption.
Redemption is not entirely accurate but it is the best approximation. Rudeus was not a good person, while the bullying started his downward spiral continuing it until he was 34 is certainly his baby. By the time he was kicked out he was for the first time forced to confront what a terrible person he had allowed himself to become, however he was 34, far too old to start over, his direction in life was set and there was no changing things. However, a miracle happened, he was taken to another world and given the opportunity to begin life anew, taking the knowledge of the mistakes he made in his previous life it allowed him to avoid it and become a better person.
The great sin Rudeus committed was becoming a bad person, he had a terrible personality and lacked the maturity to control his baser desires. After starting life over he begins to put more focus on trying to become more responsible and trying to put those he cares about before himself.
The sad part about the Eris thing: the author actually threw people a bone and tried to be tactful by waiting until she was firmly of legal age - it just happens that the legal age in Japan is 14...
Edit: Apparantly, the national minimum was recently raised to 16, and prefectures usually set their own standards which may be higher.
Modern Japan's effective age of consent has always been at least 16 years old. Most prefectures have it set at 18. The only places where the AOC was actually 13 were defunct prefectures, one a deserted island, the other a military base. There are laws in place protecting kids under 18 from being coerced into doing the deed, some of which date back to 1947. Recently the MINIMUM age of consent was raised to 16. These are facts you can find by googling for a minute or so. Please use these facts, instead of spreading misinformation / misleading info lacking ANY context at all.
@@mthalter Added the updated context - I knew about the regional variations, but in things like these I think it's fair to assume the national minimum is ok to use as a standard in fictional stories. Since Mushoku Tensei was written before 2023, what I said still applies, except I remembered it wrong and the minimum AOC was... 13??? Woah that's... a bit extreme? Revising upwards was a good move IMO
As someone who has read the LN.. You're VERY accurate with your description of the story. Redemption is still present, but it's a redemption of his mindset (I'll only speak to the end of season 2) redemption of his mentality like you say in the show. His mindset towards the opposite sex and relationships change as the story goes. Eris and Rudy scene is meant to be like that. The sub-focus on redemption isn't from earth alone. It's correct that redemption isn't THE main point, but it is a major aspect, especially now that many of the main players are getting introduced in season 2 and more will come in season 3. His choices and maturity become a huge factor.
I strongly recommend that you read the light novel from the point eris leaves him onward. I'd say do the whole thing, but if you want to save time do so after eris leaves. There is many points in both the world system, power system, and many subtle aspects of his development are missed in the anime due to simple lack of time... School ark pre saving his mother could easily cover 24 episodes and still miss things... the depth only grows are the story continues, so I'd recommend grabbing the LN because the anime doesn't get lowered by knowing what happens. But the LN can sometimes get boring if you know the future from the anime.
This is a personal top 3 series so please enjoy :)
Also, side note. This video definitely got me to subscribe. Love the open-minded view of the series and some of your theories about the future of mushoko tensei are interesting.
Thanks, I try to make it a point to be open-minded about the stuff I talk about. And regarding reading the light novels, it's more of a deal of finding time to reading them as opposed to wanting to reading them.
Yes. Nothing will EVER redeem him of his past life actions, and he acknowledges that. Idk why people legit want him to become the generic good guy protagonist instead of witnessing how an actual degenerate being reborn would ACTUALLY BE LIKE if they werent a villain.
I think you contradicted yourself at the end there. Rudeus' story IS about redemption, from Rudeus' own perspective at least. Trying to fix the failures he saw in himself, that is his redemption. Not necessarily redemption from the viewer, beyond acknowledging the personal growth which is obvious. He clearly retains traits that others would condemn (this is true to real life), but he also clearly makes an effort to change himself academically, athletically, and socially. Is he a perfect saintly individual? Certainly not, but he's definitely an improvement over his old self. Which is the point. He did take the chance to make better life choices, even if his morality didn't quite keep up with the progress. Even so he DID grow as a person from where he had been.
Man really went on a tangent on age of consent laws in the 1200s
As far as im aware, Rudeus was summoned by a blessed child from the future to save the live of the boy nanahoshi is in love with.
There is a point that from the trailers is another turning point and due to the events it shifts his view from a dude who got reincarnated to a new human being
Fyi, Rudy was reincarnated.
He was just lucky. Fortunately, he didn't take his chance for granted.
One thing thats been on my mind... Its a fictional situation. There hasnt been cases of old people being put into children's bodies that we know of. So who is to say what age Rudeus actually is? Can a child's brain actually comprehend those experiences and past events the way an adult could? Does him being and adult previously change how a he would comprehend things entirely as a kid? Its a weird ass situation that makes no sense in our world.
Oh it "makes sense" in our world. In that people love to ridicule the anime for being pedophilic ignoring the details (when they are now celebrating the actual softcore porn of the season involving middle school girls stripping other middle school girls).
Rudeus is clairly depicted as having both memory and persona, that why every he is with Laplace he is shown with is old body (can't be anymore explicit). I have seen many mental gymnastic to explain why it Rudeus pedophilic behaviour can be explain like "even if he technically lived for about 50 years he is still a child because of he was a bullied shut-in" or "it's because he has the body of a child, the libido of the Greyvat family", "he never lusted on (physically) younger girls than him, so where is the problem?", "It's the girl that was chasing him!"...
But having an explanation doesn't mean it's ethically acceptable, regardless his traumatic past, Rudeus is an adult: he has the intellect of an adult (capable of outwitting his father in a debate), the persona of an adult and the memory of an adult. As such he should be taken accountable as an adult. Traumatic experience cannot be used to wash away any sins and not every bullied ikkikomori are pedophile. Or are we supposed expect any court to relax a 40yo shut-in pedophile just because he was bullied/humiliated when he was younger?
@@nobrainnogame4320 You created an argument I wasnt making. I never said it was fine or right. I asked can he actually be considered not a kid. This is something that doesnt translate to the real world because as far as I know its not possible to transfer consciences. What makes a child a child, is the the experiences or brain development. Its a fair philosophical question. Ive always thought it had to do with brain development which if that is the case than I think the legal age should be 25 lol Also an important note just because its between 2 kids doesnt make it not pedophilia. Legally speaking if 2 minors the same age, below the consent age (as thats a thing some places) they could both be tried for it. At least here in US, TX.
@@ryorai5804 Real life sciences dooesn't mean shit for Mushoku Tensei, it's a fantasy fictional world. The anime clearly tell you that Rudeus is still his former adult self period. I don't know why you try to find a scientific explanation to a fictional work.
Rudeus behaviour maybe legal or not but it is for sure unethical, he is reincarnated in medieval world, that probably don't even have a legal code. And there is no morally acceptable excuse for Rudeus pedophilic behaviour and above all lack of growth in that aspect especially in a work about redemption, self improvement, atonement or whatever positive change it's supposed to be.
@@nobrainnogame4320 rEaLlY??? i HaD nO iDeA.
Im not arguing with you on something I wasnt fucking talking about even if I did disagree with you lol
Please get the fuck out of my notifications and go back to eating glue.
Redemption may be the wrong word, but certainly it's a story about growth and self improvement, as well as learning to get over his previous creepy side. At the point of reincarnation, all he knows for ways to enjoy himself are being horny and creepy, this isn't challenged until he pushes it too far with Eris, and from there he gets it constantly challenged, the prince who had captured Aisha and Lilia serves as a dark reflection of what he would have been like had this notion not been challenged. Additionally, redemption may be the wrong word, but there is an element of redeeming himself in his own eyes, of his self loathing. Additionally, as someone who has finished the web novel, without spoilers, it's about maturing and learning the lessons he never got to learn during his life as a shut-in. It's about making connections and how that brings you far in life, about loyalty and love, about leaning on others, and sanding down Rudeus' flaws without erasing them. Redemption is the wrong word, but rehabilitation is a pretty accurate one, he needs to unlearn many harmful views before being able to make the connections that are so important as the story progresses
About paul, morally, he's correct, if we take rudeus as a 40 whatever year old man and that maturity that comes with it, paul is telling the truth. Rudeus spent his years messing around.
But in the show, paul isn't speaking to a 40 year old man, he is speaking to his 11 year old son, in that way he's too harsh.
The thing about rudeus though is he is intellectually like a 40 year old man but still, has excuses and is wrongly given consequences as if he were an 11 year old so stuff like "he's the son of paul of course he's pervy" and "don't be hard on him he's only an 11 year old" just seems like rudeus is fucking around. He basically just will not own up to his standing as a 40 year old.
I’m happy to hear someone else share the “Paul was right” argument. I thinks it’s actually kinda crazy how many people try to give Rudeus an escape goat when even he at the end of the fight with his dad agreed that he should have done more.
The only reason that narrative changes is bc Paul treats Rudeus like a kid again instead of the 40 year old he actually is.
your right. its not about redemption, its about CHANGING. thorough the whole story we see Rudy taking steps forward and back, the world around him is changing and he is failing to keep up, he is in a world of swords and magic, and he works hardest in the one that changes him the least, magic, his family and body was changed, the languages changed, the people around him change. and as we see with sylphie and eris, rudy just isnt quite keeping up, he wasnt ready for eris to change after hearing about her parent's and leave him, so he shuts down, and he didnt notice that sylphie had changed till the end of s2.
I would argue that his fairly constant effort to change himself into a better version of himself is what redemption looks like.
The two ideas aren't mutually exclusive
As for ending of season 1, I always thought that major factor in why Rudy didn't push back is "family" part of the equation. It was not about sex exclusively, it was about replacing vulnerable lonely state Eris found herself in. And I don't mean "just to feel better this time". We can only speculate but I think Rudy would have more resolve to oppose the idea if he had more solid reason to stick to original agreement. Eris needed family, needed confirmation of belonging to something and moving toward it when previous goal to return home was fulfilled. Needed it then and there, not after three more years when Rudy is finally 15. So in my opinion it was more of a marriage type of event for both of them (since there's no marriage tradition in this world rather than just verbal agreement), confirmation of their union rather than just sex.
I wish more people would talk about the girls. C'mon feminists! Make something good!
Ah, alas.
S2 P2 and S3 will help address some of these issues
There's much I think you miss about this story. For starters, you're analyzing this as a "Hero's Journey" story. However, Mushoku Tensei isn't that kind of story. You also ignore the biological mental limitations of an 11 year old.
You ignore the fact that, even though the world backs down after his argument with Paul, Rudy admits being wrong. That was such a powerful moment, did you actually miss that entire thing?
Also, considering what we know about Rudy, isn't it obvious why he would follow that world's moral compass instead of ours? I really like how, in The Ascendance of a Bookworm, no one other than our main character actually pays attention to any of the awful things that happen in that world, unless they're directly affected. That's how humans work, that's just the world they grew up in.
Also, I agree that Mushoku Tensei isn't a story about redemption. I don't understand why you think it has to be. Like yes, Rudy becomes a much better person as time goes on, but that's clearly not the intention of the story.
The intention of the story is to tell the story of the life of Rudy, a flawed human being from start to finish. In that story, he's surrounded by a rich world and amazingly crafted characters. He is given a head start and utilizes it well, albeit in a very grounded way.
Most characters in Mushoku Tensei who have close experiences with Rudy see him as an amazing person. I think that's very believable. Some don't. That's also very believable.
Btw, while I think the writing in your video is lacking, I think the way you crafted it is great.
I don’t remember if it happens in the anime or not but in the light novel Rudy agrees with Paul’s criticisms after the argument when they are reunited, that’s part of the reason he became so depressed over it. Not because he criticized him, but because Rudy failed so spectacularly for the past year or so.