Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu

I am NOT a novel reader, so i'll just talk about the manga qualities.

Mushoku Tensei is incredible, there's no other word to describe it. From worldbuilding, to characters and their conflicts, the Art and Creativity: Everything is well placed and executed.

The story is totally what a good Isekai needs to be. Making full use of its name. The characters within it are all amazing, everyone is well-thought and escape clichè themes. It has its comedy moments, as well as its Dramatic moments, and they made me laugh and cry respectively, for being so powerful and innovative.

The art is top notch, nothing OUTSTANDING, but still very good and really clean.

Overall, Mushoku Tensei is pretty much my favorite Isekai for its Drama, Creative story and realistic Characters. Rudeus is one of the best Protagonist I know, and all the support characters are good and entertaing. 10/10.

After seeing the top reviews i originally planned to read all of the available chapters and give the manga a critic of my own but god...
I'll cut straight to the point. The premise is good and i would love that someone who wasnt a complete degenerate to pick and build upon it.
If a 34 y/o were to be reborn as a little kid he wouldnt be able to be horny because thats some biological hormone stuff and other shit (but he is anyways because Japan!).
Yet even when he is a motherfucking newborn he does nothing but be a horny sack of potatoes.
I can accept that the MC can have such a disgusting trait and the fact that he thinks as women as nothing but objects.
But he is also a demigod genius who is almost at king level of magic at his 5 years? Come on!
This is nothing but a self insert power fantasy. The MC is doing nothing but being surrounded by girl archetipes ranging from big breasted mature women, catgirls of many kinds, lolis, underage lolis, tsundere underage lolis and so on.
It feels that the isekai genre has deranged into the "my MC is way more powerful than yours" shit so much and taking into account the isekaish nature of the manga this MC is definitely going to be launching fucking meteors and/or planets when he reaches the age of other normal isekai protagonists.
But wait a second! If he is an almighty mage then if there is powerful swordman or ninja who can counter his magic he will surely be in trouble right?
Well yeah if it werent for the fact that he is also a master with the sword.
So yeah the story is basically a horny ugly pathetic 34 y/o neet who does nothing but think about boobs and ass. He is also kind of a god with both sword and magic and his mere presence atracts bombasticly well drawn females oh i mean boobs (because Japan thats why!).
"I haven't progressed much since Roxy left" is something he says when he as a freaking 7 y/o is already able to freaking create hurricanes.
Imagine if freaking Goku at the end of Z were to complain that he hasnt got much stronger when the last time he fought he created a giant glowing ball with the energy of the damn universe to destroy a being who was able to explode galaxies and wipe out species in mere seconds.

The only time this manga had any semblance of dignity and actually portrayed his shitty message of "I wasted my previous life so im going to do things right this time taking advantage of my past life experiences" was some scene with his father (who of course this horny manchild don't treat him as father and only calls him Paul because Japan!) when he is being scolded and he takes advantage of both his appearance and his knowledge to win an argument.

It's extremely sad, pedophiliac and repulsive.
Well to harem, ecchi or trashekai fans this must be a dream come true but i'm not here to follow an OProtagonist on his quest to bang everything he crosses his path with so i cant do nothing else but drop this travesty.

The entire thing is blatant and creepy paedophile wish fulfillment. The main character is repellent. In his "original" incarnation he's a loser who refuses to take any responsibility for how his life has turned out or the misery he inflicted on his family. In his re-incarnated form he is a 34 year old man in full possession of his previous memories in the body of a five year old child who gets sexually excited by and sexually preys upon his "peers" i.e. children. In addition to this he facilitates the various moral failings of the adults around him while manipulating a growing number of children into his proto-harem. All the time excusing his behaviour with self serving juvenile nonsense. Isekai as a genre is generally plagued by being unrepentant power fantasies, the better entries in the genre rise above this but there is nothing interesting about this to make it anything other than mediocre and the problematic elements are impossible to ignore.

I totally understand people enjoying different things. But considering this offers nothing interesting and is preoccupied with paedophilic titillation I genuinely don't understand why anyone would praise it. But then again people like Re:Monster so what do I know.

Never did I expect this to be so bad. From how well scored it is , it shows that as long as your work is "pretty" and every page has a forced "feel good" moment then you can get away with absolutely everything. This is low effort chinese mahua tier bad where things just "happen".

The plot is all over the place. It starts off good but then its just literally random events happening with no explanations. Characters repeatedly coincidentally meeting each other even though its a big world. It's bad. How bad? The main villain just walking by the protagonist on the side of the road even though he's nobility and them just meeting each other and starting to fight.

The protagonist has no character apart from being a pervert. For real. In all of his character development apart from him turning from OP to even more OP the protagonist hasn't changed a bit. Even the side characters are better.

The protagonist despite being good at magic , never really learns more than 1-2 spells and there's no reason for him to not learn more. He just... doesn't so we're repeatedly shown the same spells.

I'm trying to think about something positive about this manga but there really isn't. The world being a fantasy world was nice at first and so was the starting few chapters of the manga where things were progressing smoothly until the story just decided to jump off a cliff and from there on kept going downhill.

Everything is FORCED. Feel good moments are shoved into every chapter's end and as every conversation's punchline which gives this feeling of "oh wholesome" until you realize its being done this way to hide the glaring flaws of the manga having a terrible plot , terrible male version of mary sue protagonist and events that just "happen" with 0 build up. The girls also just throw themselves on the protagonist whose only personality is being a pervert. The years also just fly by like they are months and the bonding between the characters that have supposedly spent years together is no more than have spending a few days or months together.

The writing is terrible. It is alarmingly the clear that the writer DOES NOT have a story planned. He is writing this on the fly and is introducing things as he sees fit with many plot elements seemingly "borrowed" from popular mainstream mangas. This is peak isekai trash. Do not read this. The fact that this rating of this manga and its LN is so high disgusts me.


Also , the protagonist when talking to himself in his mind is also drawn as an "ugly bastard" right out of a hentai. :Vomit:

“Failure is not the end, its more like a part for being successful”

Mushoku Tensei Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu is probably one of the manga that you shouldn’t miss and this manga have a big chance to be popular. I am not saying this just because i like this manga, heck i don’t even read the LN (some people said the LN is much more better) which this manga based on, but this manga is seriously shows a lot of potentials.

The story is began when a 34 years old NEET get reincarnated after get killed in traffic accidents. Surprisingly, he gets reincarnated as a newborn baby with name as Rudeus Greyrat and lives in magical world where magic do exist. Since he still has the memory when he was adult, he resolves to not making mistakes (being NEET) again and live a life with no regrets. Because he already have knowledge of adults, by the age of two he already can read and speak like how adult supposed to be. Moreover, within that age he already can do magic which makes him as a prodigy and thus his story began.

What makes me interest with this manga is the story. Even from chapter 1, the story would easily grasp the reader to keep reading it since the plot is moving smoothly, scenes each scenes are connected beautifully, and the plot twist in the end always keep the readers to be curious on what happen next.

One of the main interests of this manga is the development. As you know, the protagonist Rudeus Greyrat or should we call Rudi is start as 2-year-old boy but with middle-aged NEET mind. He is constantly growing in each chapter not just physically but also mentally. As a boy who being called as prodigy surely its interesting to see the development that happen within him like what's gonna he learn next and etc. The development is also happen in the relationship within each characters, from hate to friends and even have a slight of romance which is nice.

Art in this manga is pretty well made too. Yuka Fujikawa who responsible for the art is really did his job, even he is not famous his art is pretty good. The background is really detailed and beautiful which really fits with the story and also the character design is great. He really make the characters being as eyecandy for the viewer so we didn’t get bored with it. No complaint from the art.

Another things what make this manga interesting is the characters, each characters have their own uniqueness but at the same time it feels real like the real life person. Each actions that they made have their own reasons not like any manga which sometimes some characters do annoying things without any particular reasons. Rudi, our protagonist is pretty much have a “hero” in his personality due his dark past, like to protect the weak, helping another person, etc. Despite his appearance, he is pretty genius due his age, it thanks for his middle-aged knowledge from his past life. Another characters that should be mention is Eris, she is Rudi’s older cousin. She is not your typical tsundere since she is extremely violent, tomboy and rude especially to Rudi but in the end she got her soft side which is pretty cute.

This manga is extremely good for those who’re looking for an enjoyable manga. The story is flowing naturally like a river, the characters is likeable, the comedy is funny enough to make you laugh, overall you wouldn’t want to miss this manga. In the end, If there is anyone asking me what manga that they should read the first list that i would recommend is this manga called Mushoku Tensei : Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu.

well, I powered through what was out so far and I have to say I'm not impressed. There will be vague spoilers in this review if you care about that sort of thing.


The most basic premise is good, and the whole reason I picked this up to begin with. Art is all right as well, and the theme of 'new beginnings' and 'giving life your all' is something I can get behind.

The execution was pretty disgusting though.
The thing reads like a basic male power fantasy with really gross pedophilic undertones (both in that the mc is literally 3-7 and lusting after women and the fact that he's sexualizing other very young characters. super gross. Also slightly incestuous considering the beginning where he's really into his mom's boobs and then later his cousin).
The main character has some traits that could be sympathetic, e.g. being quick to get discouraged in his past life, bullied harshly, and seeming to be a good person deep down (a la saving the guy from a truck).
But he's saturated in the most toxic elements of otaku culture and honestly pretty disgusting because of it.
he's literally a terribly written Mary Sue in this new life. Nothing really goes wrong for him, he's OP af (which I'm not totally against on it's own) , anyone who's mean to him is shown to be in the wrong, casually and easily manipulates all the flat characters around him, tone/attitude of superiority carried throughout.

also the very blase and flippant treatment of rape (the maid and his father??? in the past if not the present), the whole fuckery with Paul and how there were no repercussions from his cheating at all? w/e, the random torture-porn (in that she was violently beat up in a weird tonal shift, not that there was literal porn) scene with Eris when they were kidnapped, his occasional super gross pedo asides, NIPPLE LACE AND SUSPENDERS? (literally had to stop and take a moment to contemplate the absolute stupidity), and it's harem so u know it's gonna be shit.

I was pleasantly surprised at the treatment of the tutor when she left though. Even the stolen panty moment wasn't totally awful.

basically a really bad fanfiction. the only reason I even gave it a 3 is because the art was decent, it wasn't as visually/cliche Ecchi as it could have been, and I did actually manage to read through all the currently translated chapters.

I'm currently on my second reread.
I saw another review going "this is total wish fulfilment". That's what most, if not all, isekai's are. But Mushoku Tensei does not have that flaw. He isn't just "godly overpowered". Yeah, he is very powerful, but like it states at one point "I'm like a car with an airplane fuel tank. Yeah, I can keep going, but I also can't attach plane engine's to the car, as the frame would fall apart". At the end, he is barely in the top 7 strongest. And that is with multiple sets of Magical mechs, that took
A. a guy who specializes in magical tools
B. a guy who's one obsession in life is dolls, who studied a magical guard doll thing made by a (I think) former member of the 7 strongest people
C. a girl who's sole purpose is trying to get back to our world, so she has been studying summoning magic (and in the process, magical circles and circuits)
D. multiple years of research.

Without his allies and the help they gave him, I don't think he is even top 10. He literally does a whole ass training/suit up arc to beat a guy who had defeated him in the past, and he still eats shit. He is far from the Strongest. Also, I'm pretty sure he is only in the top 7 by process of elimination.

It also doesn't do the common thing of "I use the memories of my past life to advance technology". He's a high school dropout. Yeah, he has some skills, but that's because in the 20 years he has been shut in his room, he has tried out a bunch of different hobbies, but kept dropping them, so he's not a master in any of those hobbies.


Rudeus is a shitty character at the start. He skips his parents funeral to jack off. But the thing that is good about this series is how this terrible, shitty, unlovable character, grows into a semi-decent human being. Yeah, by the end he is still perverted, but that's a character trait he possesses.

By the later half of the story, he becomes a guy who would literally fight a god to keep his family safe. He is a man who cries with joy when he learns his wife is pregnant.

Speaking of story, this isn't one of those stories where it's set in a few months, and there is a time skip, and that's that. No, this takes place over like 24 years of this dudes life.

It's art is also wonderful. The only reason why it's 9/10 and not 10/10 is because I wish there was more.

I just fucking love this series.

Ive read up to volume 19, and here's a very honest review. Trust me, you must read mine. There's no major spoilers.
Im not writing about the summary of the volumes, so dont worry, im reviewing how bad and good the volumes are.

Volume 1 -
very good. It made me want to read more, character development was good. Makes you think of all the possibilities Rudi could become.

volume 2 until maybe volume 10 and 11 -
panties, perverted stuff, sexual desires more perverted stuff. Pretty much no character development. Did I mention panties? its like reading 50 shades of gray but worst. seems like the author just went through puberty, or he's just a pedo. I was looking forward to awesome and epic fight scenes where Rudi becomes badass using different types of magic that no one else knows. but all i got was rock bullet, and more rock bullet. oh yeah, theres a modified version of rock bullet. hey look, the hero is a guy with insane magic powers, and can create any type of magic based on scientific understanding of things, but nope. lets use rockbullet. Did i mention he's also a pervert? I mean come on, at least get creative and create a barrier type magic that surrounds your body to block physical damage.

The side characters? Eris, annoying. really annoying. did I mention annoying? Even sakura from naruto isnt as annoying. Sylphy started of as a good character, now she's turning into one where I wont mind if she dies. Everyone else is fine.

After volume 11 or 10 -
it started to get interesting again. But still, the only thing Rudi can think about it boobs, sex, how he's horny. Story is getting interesting, but I find myself skipping way too many pages due to the amount of sexual thoughts he has. Up until volume 18, Rudi still uses rock bullet, and this other skill. No creativity or character development at all. The plot is good, but the main characters in this LN is terrible, (besides Orsted, and a few others). I reckon it would be better to listen to their thoughts instead.

So advice for people that wants to start reading this LN.
Unless you're going through puberty, a lolicon, a pedo. Avoid this like the plague. I cant stop, because i'm the type that once I start reading a book, I have to finish it (its a curse and hence 50 shades of gray. God that was a dark moment of my life).

I'm warning you, stay away from this LN. Let this 'hidden gem' or whatever people say remain hidden. Its not a gem.

Summary of MT
- Rock bullet
- Panties
- Perverted thoughts
- Boobs
- Rock bullet

I've never read an isekai until it's ending. While it is mostly due to the fact that I mainly read mangas, which usually lags behind the source material, it's also because I've never felt compelled to go and read the light novel. Even with the ones I enjoy, such as Shield Hero and Moonled isekai, I never felt like I cared enough. So, why did I do it for this light novel?

This story is very much a wish fulfilment fantasy, just like almost every other isekai. There's a lot of tropes (or should I say, birthed a lot of tropes) that I've read time and time again, and the premise itself is so weak, that if I didn't know that it was the story that basically shaped the entire isekai/fantasy genre, I wouldn't even bother checking the MAL page of this LN.

So, why?

Just like isekai stories where the wish is being able to live a peaceful life, or going on a big adventure, this is also about the MC, a 34 y/o NEET's wishes. Except, his wish was not about being successful, being at peace, or even being happy.

The wish was to experience life.

This is a story about finally losing your virginity, it's about being a pervert, it's about reconnecting with your estranged family members, it's about helping your friends out, it's about almost missing your child's birth, it's about doing everything to protect your family, it's about losing and winning, it's about regret, and it's about self reflection.

Do I like everything that happens in this LN? no, of course not. If you can't sympathize with MC's character, there is a lot deplorable, cowardly, and just generally bad stuff that he did which wouldn't feel good if you're used to the typical hero/villain archetype in isekais, the writing (at least in the translation I read) is very dry and uninteresting to read, and the fights and worldbuilding, while generally pretty fun and is better than most isekai I've read, still very much follow the generic anime tropes, which would be a good or bad thing depending on what you're looking for.

That being said, if you are a fan of isekais, this LN is a must read. Not only because this story being the grandfather of the genre, but also for being a straight forward fantasy isekai that does the wish fulfilment fantasy correctly.

8/10, would try my best.

I've decided to read Mushoku Tensei after I've watched few episodes of anime. 24 volumes in 5-6 days. And this is the hardest thing that I had to evaluate. Some things are just bad. Some are just good or more. Some you just enjoy for what it is. However, that can't be said about Mushoku Tensei.
The First big arc is the pure isekai adventure. And it's done well. One of the best, to be honest. Characters getting stronger, smarter, they develope bonds, suffer losses. There's a mystery present that feeds your curiousity. You want to explore the world with MC. But most importantly, there is conflict. MC is trying to achieve a certain goal. However, after his goal is achieved, he stagnates for like 10 volumes or something.
Let me tell you about the second big arc. Should I call it HAREM arc? Because that's what MC is doing in about 10+ volumes. He's gathering harem. It takes about half of the series, just plain boring unimaginative ecchi slice of life in the ISEKAI setting. There's no conflict, no development, the single worst wish fullfilment that I've ever seen. As the 1st arc was one of the best, the 2nd is the polar opposite. Sure, someone might argue, that there was a purpose in him having a family, but this should have been cut down.
The 3rd and conlcuding big arc is again pretty intresting and enjoyable, but it's short and you have to suffer through previous one.
Overall, first 6 volumes are the best, the quality drops significantly after, and honestly, you can skip half of it, and you wouldn't lose anything.
TL;DR Just read up to volume 6 (including). It's pretty good and worth your time. Then just drop Mushoku Tensei, because it ends there at the start of volume 7.

"Roxy's Extra Virgin Olive Oil has disappeared, and it has lost its divinity" - Rudeus

Hey everyone, in my review I will be write about the best things of Mushoku Tensei and why I enjoyed it so much. Starting off we'll introduce the plot briefly.
So Mushoku Tensei is about a story of a 33 year old NEET who dies in a Truck accident and is sent to another world. Seems like your ordinary Reincarnation story right? Well its true, the concept seems pretty ordinary compared to most isekai stories out there but I would say this isekai stands out the most as it boasts a great long journey that you embark upon with Rudeus from start to end.

There were many reasons as to why this series felt so good to read.
One of the main reasons on why I enjoyed reading this series was it was mostly on the perspective of the Rudeus. Remember how he was a 33 Year old NEET, well he is quite relatable and you'll enjoy his silly monologues and thoughts of a true otaku which made it easy and enjoyable to follow throughout the story.

Rudeus is quite perverse, a massive NEET, but truly is a man of culture. A lot of different references used in the series also added a great touch to it which kind of reminds us that Rudeus was someone that lived in our world as an otaku.

I also enjoyed how they made every character they introduced in the series relevant to the story itself. No character was forgotten and each had their importance in the story.

The story itself ended on a satisfying note, had a remarkable journey and even though it was little bit cliche and predictable at times, I still greatly enjoyed reading this series and would recommend to have a go and read the series if you have the spare time.

One of the best isekai series I've read so far.

First time writing a review on first time finishing a light novel + web novel. It had a very good start, read the manga, enjoyed it very much, so decided to read the light novel. But through out the story, the whole mood, or type of story changed. First it was OP guy type of thing, but then it turned into some sort of romance??? i think...... the pace was very weird and got boring a few times. But then after going back to the op thing it changed to mystery sort of story. The pace was like me running. Going fast for a sec, but then stopping...... then going again then stopping. I first read the manga for the OP factor. To remove myself from this boring world, and kind of dream about what would happen if i was op in an another. But the op thing was kind of ignored for a few chapters, (can't specify how many because i binged this) that kind of brought me down.
The ending was very satisfying so it was fine.

I love the Mushoku Tensei Series, I Watched the 2 episodes of the anime 5days Ago. then motivated to read the manga but it was on Chapter 68.5 at the moment so I decided to read the Light Novel. It has really good plot. The Character Development was Good. Although the time skip of the Final Dream was bit of a shock and it really made a void in my heart. It was a bitter sweet endig. it was kind of depressing because I started to see rudeus reborn as a child grew up with eris and the others and ended to see him in his Death bed. Eris died earlier than him too. It was Kind of depressing to part ways and the soul to mana thing too. but it's really good. I'm a Eris Follower so it's kinda painful. Well anyways, Thank you for the hard work until now Mr. Author. Hopeful to make a 2nd Series Connected to the Master Piece "Mushoku Tensei". Lots of Love -Karito Raito.

Tl;dr: Mushoku Tensei, behind the apparent otaku-pandering, is a satisfyingly concluded magical fantasy coming of age story full of action, laughs, and thought-provoking feels.
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WARNING: INCOMING WALL OF TEXT, AND SOME SPOILERS. This review may be bit hefty, but I feel compelled to explain why this series deserves to be read.
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At first glance, Mushoku Tensei: Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu looks like another one of those "modern person gets a 2nd chance at life in a magical fantasy setting" stories that has seen countless incarnations in past years. Having read the web novels to the main story's conclusion as of 2016, I can say that it is one of the most refreshing and satisfying representations of this genre and a definite must read.

Story: 8/10

One of the story's biggest draws is that it unfolds over the course of the main character’s lifetime. You don't see that very often in anime and manga, or most of the modern stories for that matter. Nowadays, an entire series can end just following the story of a character or a party for a few months, with maybe a year-long time skip or two. Meanwhile, Mushoku has multiple time-skips spanning decades. With this scope, you get to see the world and characters change and grow as they are affected by the various consequences from actions built up over the years.

This span of time also allows for a variety of stories to be told. Each of the arcs can be different genre series by themselves. There’s a travel and adventure segment, a school comedy, a family/home-based slice of life, and even a mystery/suspense /political manoeuvring arc. Now this may make it seem like the author just was randomly jumping through genres and stories, trying to appeal to a broader audience. Reading through them one by one, some parts seem more inconsequential or mundane. But it’s all put together in a satisfying way at the end, and certain turns and twists reveal that each point of the character’s life was needed to show the big picture.

Mind you, the setting and world building in MT is no Lord of the Rings or GoT with their thousands of described locales, languages, systems, artefacts and characters. Still, MT manages to portray a believable magical-fantasy world that feels alive and is full of as many complexities as our own. It starts off with the perspectives of only a couple of characters, and scenes from everyday life, but over time, it’s able to touch on broader issues like politics, religion, war--- even race-relations and gender roles and how they play out in a world where magic is a fact of life.

One of the things keeping this from getting a higher mark is the uneven pacing and parts of the narration by the main character. Later on however, this remedied by the occasional change in narrators, showing main plot points from other characters’ POV.

Still, some of the readers encountering may find their immersion in the world broken by the MC Rudeus’s… quirky actions and extensive remarks, often pertaining to his love of females. Don’t get me wrong--- at times this provides a welcome break for some heavy moments and is part of the unique charm of the character. But it can get grating and repetitive at times, especially during his hormonal teenage years. Go figure that one out. (MC is a big perv, and dare I say it, but sometimes you want more plot rather than an half an entire chapter of him just raving about his waifu)

Tl;dr: MT is able to present a complex-enough magical world, explore some deeper moral and philosophical themes, and plays out a satisfying coming of age story. Still, if I were to compare it to some of the most popular highly rated anime and manga on this site, it may feel a little boxed in by the narrator.

Art: 8/10

*Since a light novel has few pictures, I’m basing most of this rating on how the text helps the reader visualize the story in a creative and appealing way.
The writing is fairly adequate, with some moments of brilliance. Although it sometimes feels like things are lost in the english web-translation. Still, the author gives you a general idea of what characters what characters and location look like, and how action scenes play out. There is enough creative use of language like allusions or word play and some are surprisingly clever. One thing that might be limiting, and affect your appreciation is the author’s use of pop-culture (often otaku) references. Some descriptions seem to be simplified by saying a character looks like or acted like [insert anime character here]. While these may appeal to the series’ main demographic, (I found myself laughing out loud more than a few times) it can be a bit confusing to viewers unfamiliar with the culture or genre, without additional commentary.

Characters: 9/10

While I say the story seems boxed in by the MC’s narration, Mushoku Tensei wouldn’t be what it is without him as a character. In summary, Rudeus Greyrat is a former man-child reborn as a child who grows up into the best man he can be. With just this simple idea, MT makes one of the most compelling character developments I’ve seen in an anime, manga or any piece of literature.

At first glance, the character of Rudeus seems like your typical pandering power fantasy. It would seem like Rudeus is hand-fed every opportunity to become a big hero in this new world. He is reborn with ridiculously strong magic potential, along with decades of past-life modern world intel, and has early lucky encounters with the right teachers and brilliant peers which eventually makes him one of the most formidable beings (OP!) in the world. It’s pretty entertaining to see him train his skills as a simple magic-using country boy to become one of the major world powers, crushing most everyone along the way is entertaining enough, and it makes for some pretty badass fight scenes.

But the longer you stick with, watching Rudeus’s growth into becoming a better, more rounded person actually becomes the most memorable part of this series. This becomes clearer when Rudeus encounters situations where all his powers and skills prove futile (yes this happens more than a few times), and he is left with nothing but his wits and character. For the first, Rudeus has just the right balance of calculating smarts and common sense reasoning, without coming across as an arrogant cliché genius character. He acts like a sensible real-life person would, able to get a read of his situation, plan well enough, and prepare for a few unexpected things. He is pretty genre-savvy since he has read and watched a lot of stories about magical fantasy worlds, and actually uses this knowledge to prepare for what this new world throws at him. Now, having strength and smarts like this would be cool enough, but what makes Rudeus stand out is his personality and character. And the more you read MT, the more you realize that the bulk of Rudeus’s growth comes from a foundation of self-reflection and a can-do attitude born from his resolve to redeem himself from his past life’s failure.

Mushoku Tensei makes no effort to hide how pitiable and miserable the main character was in his past life. It’s so blatant that that some parts of Rudeus’s inner-dialogue (especially in the earlier chapters) can get pretty disgusting or appalling for some readers. Early on you may also find it unsettling how detached he is, as if his new life is some kind of entertaining game (he is actually a bit of a creep at the beginning). At first you have doubts whether he is really sincere, like if he’s just someone who’s keeps making promises to change, but never follows through.

Being able to read his thoughts, we see him come up with simple flowchart mindset to self-improvement: “Don’t make excuses, keep productive habits, and treat people with respect”. It sounds as simple as just doing the opposite of what he did in his past life. But every year that passes by in this new life, he encounters more and more situations that test how far he is willing to change. Many times, he has to muster the courage to make the hard, but morally right decisions. This actually becomes one of the major themes of the series. ***SPOILER [In an alternate timeline, we see how badly he could have ended if he lost his resolve to be a better person. He abuses his powers to fulfill his selfish desires, but despite all his capabilities, dies as miserable and unfulfilled as his past life.]

In the end, what starts out as a simple rule to do the reverse of what he did as a failure, becomes the tested principles of a decent human being, and later on, an admirable hero. What’s striking is that he genuinely matures and begins to care about other people in this new world, whether they be friend or foe. In part, it’s helped by his past experience as a deplorable person himself. He is able to empathize with most people, and understand them past their flaws. And this leads me to another theme of the series, which is how characters grow from interacting with each other, and with Rudeus’s unique personality.

Like Rudeus, MT ‘s portrayal of characters is pretty balanced. It might be a bit on the optimistic side of viewing human nature, but the series really tries to have nuanced characters that seem believable in real life. There are no absolutely detestable villains in the series, which some may find disappointing. All chars have their own backgrounds and motivations which influence how they act. Some characters start out seemingly following a few tropes, like a “tsundere” or an idiotic comic relief character. But they eventually start evolving based on a real world understanding of human nature.

Rudeus himself, when he sees a character that seems to fit an anime stereotype from his past life, tries his best not to end up treating them as “anime character”, but an actual person he has to respect and influence in a positive way. Rudeus himself knows that people acting like anime stereotypes don’t function well in a real world, no matter how entertaining their quirks may be. He patiently takes it upon himself to become a good influence on these bunch of people who seem like anime stereotypes, and through the course of his life, they actually end up being well-rounded individuals, and his closest friends. That’s just one example, but I really enjoyed how this series found a new way to use a protagonist’s genre-saviness and modern day insights to be a source of wisdom in this somewhat medieval and barbaric world. It was really interesting seeing him consider modern day ideas like management skills, marketing strategies, psychology and respect for human rights to improve lives--- rather than simply being a min-maxing combat god.

You can’t discuss characters without talking about MT’s apparent treatment of its female characters. Some people may see MT, read a few summaries, or see some of the art, and think it is just like all these other harem male-pandering fantasy series. “Heck, the male lead even gets himself 3 wives! Talk about blatant wish-fulfillment fantasy and unrealistic portrayal of women!”.

But the main character having actual multiple wives is one other thing that distinguishes MT from most other harem series. Just like some of the cultures in our world, this world tolerates polygamy, and this is one of the few series that actually explores the implications. MT answers every harem MC’s question “What if you couldn’t just pick one” pretty reasonably. And surprisingly, it does not devolve into harem group sexy time… at least most of the time. Each wife actually has a unique and meaningful relationship with him, with their own pros and cons in how they support each other, which is actually important to the plot. To prevent typical harem misunderstandings and conflicts, Rudeus regularly holds family meetings, and makes sure each family member is able voice their concerns, and cooperate towards their family’s goals. It’s actually surprisingy mundane at times, but it adds a level of realism that is strangely satisfying.

And yes, a lot of series design female characters to meet particular fetish or appeal. And MT is no exception. There is no denying that a lot of Mushoku Tensei’s female character designs seem to fit the mold of a lot of the common modern attractions (tsundere redheads, lolis, onee-chans, nekos, etc.). But consistent with the character development in this series, they are fleshed out and feel like believable people. In this world, it is actually pointed out by Rudeus that women are just as powerful as men, through the mechanics of magic and swordsmanship. Women are not exactly damsels in distress in this world, and there are many that play vital roles in the battles that take place. One of the enjoyable things about this series even if it’s a harem is that you actually see the female leads grow from mere children into really likeable and appealing women. And we’re not just talking about measurements here. Each of the female leads actually becomes a strong, respectable woman each with her own unique traits and strengths. (To sum it up, it’s not every series that shows your “waifus” actually being wives who have to balance the responsibility of being heads of the household, good mothers, and mages/swordswomen warriors in a fight to save the world.)

Tl;dr: MT has great characters and develops them interestingly. Point in case: Former hikkikomori recluse becomes a respectable leader of a quirky band of heroes, and becomes responsible for a family of his own, while making time to save the world.

Enjoyment 10/10
Mushoku Tensei works because it does a little bit of everything and puts it all together. While it holds special enjoyment for fans of modern pop-culture, anime, movies and games, it certainly has a broad appeal simply for the roller coaster ride of emotions it can induce, and how it can make an impact on you in a variety of ways.

MT will make you laugh. From harem hi-jinks, to absurd plot twists, to funny references and clever wordplay. MT will make you cry. It has moments when simply reading how much some chars grow and develop new realizations after all this time can bring on the feels. Be prepared though, while overall a pretty happy series, MT will sometimes sucker punch you in the gut with more than a few tragic twists. Also, it can’t be taken for granted that MT brings a special satisfaction in how plots are resolved through characters acting like real world people, with believable reactions and more than one way of thinking. (My face and palms actually remained underused for this series. It actually does not have a lot of plot holes or frustrating moments caused by people acting out of character. People actually acted like thinking and planning human beings!)

Overall : 10/10

Yeah I know the math doesn’t add up. But I think for this series, the whole is definitely greater than the sum of its parts. It may be a bit uneven. The world and some characters could have been explored a bit more, and the pacing could definitely have been improved. It also has some limitations being a light novel, like appealing through visuals, sound ambience or music. But IMO, being a novel in text was probably the best way to introduce this series, since it adds that unique depth through the characters’ thoughts. I’m looking forward to adaptations as a manga or anime, and really hope they do it justice by keeping the core of what makes this a great series. Great characters, themes and emotional impact. If they actually manage to do so and give this series more exposure and accessibility, this may well be one of the great mainstream masterpieces of our time.

To end this lengthy review, I dare say Mushoku Tensei is one of those must-read stories that will make you a better person if you stick around to finish it. It’s not just satisfying in its cool fights and harems and feel-good moments. And I’m not even preaching or analyzing any of its deeper moral themes or implications here.

At its simplest, it’s a story about realistic change, growth and hope. After all, the title is literally translated as " Jobless Reincarnation: I Will Seriously Try If I Go To Another World" and it shows you exactly how one can "seriously try" at life. But it really makes a point about how even small steps and good habits matter and how they can add up to make you a better person. Things like being self-aware, not making too many excuses or assumptions, treating people like people, doing your research and being patient and not expecting instant results. These lessons aren’t exactly anything new, but the series does a good job of showing how they can make a difference over time. It makes you really believe that even if you’re not a super powerful magic fantasy protagonist, having these habits start a chain reaction of changes in the course of your life.

Phew, that got a little preachy. Anyway, if still for some reason you’re not yet ready to try those out in your real life, at least start making an improvement in your life by reading through this awesome series. Have Fun!

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Now what are you waiting for? If you’ve to read through this long, rambling, sappy review, you’re more than ready to read Mushoku Tensei!

Everyone who reads this will be like:

"I would be completely satisfied if my life's biography was like this".

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I am a speed reader. I Read all the 261 chapters within 7 days.
Story flow is great, timeline is great; A real piece of art.

Notes:
1) When characters are brought in, enough history is mentioned for a smooth transaction (unlike bleach).

2) TIME DOES PASS, sections can be spans of time from hours to years. This really makes these novels stand out. Maturing and growing takes time.
(the reader is kept in the loop with things like, "It's been 3 months since ____")

3) Everyone has skills in their own fields of talent. This is not about becoming "stronger" than everyone else at fighting, but growing and progressing in what the person is good at through effort (balanced against intelligent-training and talent).

4) Definitely a recommended read. Warning: Has some mature parts during juvenile years.

Spoiler-free review.

First I'll do my review without spoilers, and below I'll put one with spoilers. At first, this light novel/manga was all right, but the more you read the worse it gets. A lot of people really like this story and praise it as "the only isekai with actual character development" and things like that, and while that's true for the first few volumes, but after volume 7 or so, the author throws out any more character development in favor of other things. The story is mediocre, and the characters, which were good at first, turn really flat and 1 dimensional later. I was incredibly disappointed and dropped it after forcing myself to read up until Volume 17.

It's also very uncomfortable sexual at times, and the MC is very perverted. Rather than getting less perverted as time goes on (character development), his perversion only increases.

MEGA SPOILERS AHEAD

READ AT YOUR OWN RISK
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The thing that pisses me off the most about this novel wasn't the fact that the author stopped developing the characters. It's what he did with the characters after he stopped developing them. It would have been fine if he stopped with the character development so that the story could progress more quickly, but instead he just gives Rudeus a harem.

When he rescued Roxy, there could have been a great moment where Rudeus is tempted by her and then rejects her, remaining faithful to Sylphy, and letting Roxy struggle with her feelings before moving on.

Eris could have had a great arc later, where she realizes that her poor communication skills lead her to lose Rudeus, and she could have either turned into a villain, or reflected on her actions, improved herself, and found another man, but instead, there are no consequences. She still gets to become his wife, and she never learns her lesson about communication.

Rudeus could have gotten in trouble for some of his perverted actions, but instead, everyone else is fine with it, and many of them actually encourage it, so he only gets worse. Rudeus literally worships Roxy's panties, and somehow everyone thinks that's ok.

The women in these novels are all weak-willed, and for some reason Eris, who is supposed to be super stubborn and strong-willed, is okay with being Rudeus' third wife.

This story was pretty good at first, but by the time I dropped it, it made me angrier more than anything else.

Jobless Reincarnation is guilty pleasure at its core.

The premise is just bad, senseless, and edgy just for the sake of it. The story as a whole shows an incredibly boring and dull fantasy setting that doesn't really add anything to it, the characters are okay for the most part, the pacing is on the slow side, but that's to be expected when we're dealing with a quite literal coming-of-age story, even with its fair share of time skips. Descriptions are usually bland or outright bad because our protagonist can only reference dating sims, light novels, and the like.
The worst offender is the amount of perverted and sexual references scattered throughout the volume. It still doesn't reach a critical mass of disgustingness, but even one stupid panty reference is on too many. From what I gathered, it'll get worse from now on.

Even then, it's still a somewhat-pleasurable read. It's isn't good by any means, but it isn't particularly bad per se. It's just... mediocre. If I wasn't already overall this isekai bullshit I'd probably enjoy it quite a bit more.

After all, this is apparently one of the first of its kind, not the creator of the genre (or rather, the trope), but one of the most popular isekai LNs in Japan nevertheless. Goes to show how mediocrity is usually aptly enjoyed by the masses.

Truth be told, I started reading it because a friend of mine highly suggested me to check out the anime. And the anime adaptation blows this thing out of the water.

Jobless Reincarnation Vol. 1 is akin to a deconsecrated host. It's okay, it doesn't excel in any direction, it doesn't have a distinctive flavor, and doesn't even stand its own as a meal. You might eat it, but in the end, you could even forget you ate anything at all.
It's pleasurable in its simplicity, and because of that, entirely forgettable.

2 stars is a bit on the low side, but I can't give half stars, which means I'd rather round it down that up. 5/10, as balanced as it'd be.

First time writing a review.
I wouldn't say that this is the first light novel I've read, for I had read Re:Zero (up till arc 6). I am a Re:Zero fan (as my name suggests), and Isekai fantasy is my favorite genre. I read it on the WB on syousetsu (untranslated) So, on to the actual summary

One of the strong points about this novel is its loveable/likable characters. Although many people would think of Rudy as a shit protagonist, I say otherwise. He is extremely perverted, but as a character, It's more interesting and realistic compared to half the fkin shows/series in which the main protagonist is an overpowered saint here to save the day (or whatnot). The whole novel centers around Rudy and his redemption from his past shitty life. And in the end, he really does change. There are three main heroines, Roxy, Eris, and Sylphiette. Do note that this show is a (a bit) Harem. Unlike most of the shows where the Harem becomes annoying, with most of the girls in the harem becoming irrelevant to the plot and is "just there for fan service", all of the Heroines of Mushoku Tensei is relevant to the plot. Mushoku Tensei also have a plethora of great supporting characters. It is interesting to see the relationships between rudy and others as they change throught the novel. However, what this series really lack is an antagonist. I dislike Hitogami as a villain (he could've been improved upon).

The story is not bad, but it could've been much better. The series up till volume 7 has a story of 9.5. It's great, there are certain scenes that made me cry. However, soon after volume 7 (Ronoa university arc), the whole story slows down and becomes dull compared to the earlier volumes. To add to the salt, Ronoa university arc introduces (some) characters that are completely irrelevent to the plot. This arc introduces random events, such as: torturing random ass girls for revenge, buying a slave, buying a house, etc. The University arc becomes a romance(ish) slice of life/magic genre. Of coarse there are a lot of developements between characters, but it took 20-30 chapters (could be shortened to 5 or so). It slows down too much (I really hope they change this in the anime). However, the series redeems itself in volume 12. When I thought "finally some action" the action/thrilling/adventure scene volume ended, I wish they put more time into it. The story went back to its slowpace "let's get strong" kinda thing and dulled out. What follows is a set of random events (although some are interesting). The last volume (23/24) is great with all of the characters coming togeather to fight this one last enemy(s). I wish the author put an extra 4-5 volumes to this fight. However, the ending (although rushed) is one of the best (happy) endings I've seen. I generally dislike weak happy endings, but this series is an exception.

Art: the cover art is amazing (but I don't like the manga art style personally)

Enjoyment: This show was enjoyable to me. I just wish the author put more effort into the actual story instead of filling it up with fillers.

Overall summary: The story is perfect until volume 7. There are some great writing here and there afterwards but not much compared to the earlier volumes (exclude volume 12 and 24). I found this series quite easy to read. I wouldn't recommend this to anyone who hates ecchi/perverted.

I love this novel.I haven't read anything so well planned and descriptive in a long time.What I've observed is this novel is a hit-or-miss. I've only met people who either think that it's awesome or those that think it utterly sucks.I've never met anyone who thinks it's just average.

The story and setting are great.
The style it's written in is fantastic.

Be warned, this novel is written in first-person with a lot of fleeting thoughts, so you need to keep in mind that a lot of things in the novel are just random thoughts of the protagonist, and nothing serious.

The novel is a roller coaster, encompassing various different concepts and so many cool ideas.The novel falls into many genres from battle, comedy, slice of life, and adventure, following the life of the protagonist from his birth.

I personally dislike the character designs and the art is this novel.

The protagonist is a pervert, who was an utter piece of shit in his previous life, has been reborn into a new world with his memories intact, and resolves to turn over a new leaf.The journey of the MC from a piece of shit to a honorable man is something amazing.

The characters in the story are deep, mature, and go through amazing development.There a variety of characters shown, all of them unique.

I know a few people disliked this novel, and I can kinda see where they're coming from. Mushoku Tensei is by no means perfect or inspirational, It's just a masterpiece and something fun to read.

Just remember that a lot of the things written in the novel are fleeting thoughts, and nothing serious.Many people misunderstand this writing style and develop negative opinions.

It is every fantasy reader’s dream to be able to go to another world. However, in this Japanese light novel series, readers can actually learn what it could be like to be born in one. Mushoku Tensei—Isekai Ittara Honki Dasu, or just Mushoku Tensei, is written by Rifujin na Magonote. I loosely translate the full title to mean Jobless Reincarnation—Living Seriously If Going to Another World. This tale of swords and magic features a man from the modern world that is reincarnated into a baby of the Asura Kingdom, a nation within a fantasy world. The good points of this story is not only the fact that Magonote does a splendid job on world-building, but also that he depicts a man from our modern world into a world with knights and adventurers. But he is not just any guy. He is not a genius billionaire playboy philanthropist or even a normal college student stressing about getting a job. The protagonist of Mushoku Tensei is a NEET.
Magonote wrote his fantasy story in the point of view of a 34-year-old NEET, a person who is "Not in Education, Employment, or Training," who was kicked out of his home in modern-day Japan for not attending his parents’ funeral. This NEET ends up being reincarnated into another world after dying in regret of his meaningless life. Being reborn as the son of former adventurers, Rudeus Greyrat starts to realize that he has a second chance and he declares, “This time, I'll really live my life to the fullest with no regret!” Although Rudeus was once a good-for-nothing in Japan, it is moving to see how he makes the most of his new life in Buina Village. Learning from his failures and shortcomings as a NEET, Rudeus applies those lessons into socializing with his new family and friends and setting the goal to actually accomplish something in his new environment. He was not ambitious enough to want to become the hero that would defeat the demon lord, but he still wanted to give his new life meaning by making at least one “small” achievement. Readers are sure to be inspired by a man that once wasted life try his best to become someone to be proud of. I am sure it would make them try their best too.
Mushoku Tensei chronicles basically every important aspect of Rudeus’s new life as he grows up from an infant into a man. It is entertaining to read about how a person from our world reacts to the fantasy world, especially a former NEET that once did nothing but play games and surf the net all day. Rudeus sometimes regrets that there are some things from our world that do not exist in the other world (like soy sauce), but he always marvels at the new things like magic. As Rudeus makes great progress in his magic training due to his natural talent and basic science knowledge, readers can gain insight into the inner workings of this fantasy world that depends on magic. The systems of magic that Magonote creates is very comprehensive and easy to understand, which makes for a very intricate world with powerful nations that have individuals that could act as one-man armies. Rudeus encounters a wide variety of unique cultures and races on his future travels which makes for fascinating interactions and great adventures. But only Rudeus could boast a demon race magic teacher and a half-elf-part-animal-race childhood friend.
The level of enjoyment that an individual can get from reading this series is on par with the fun people get from reading J.K. Rowling’s Harry Potter series or Christopher Paolini’s Inheritance Cycle. The Japanese light novel series, Mushoku Tensei, is a story that features a character that everyone can sympathize with in a situation that everyone would envy. Magonote has done a great job to depict the actions and thoughts of a NEET being reincarnated into a fantasy world. He also does well in describing this new fantasy world with all of its nations, cultures, politics, continents, geography, and magic. It is almost unbelievable that the story first started out as a web novel that eventually got its own publication. Although the printed version of Volume 1 will not be released in the United States until November this year, Baka-Tsuki.org has been a wonderful source of the translated version of this unusual tale. I hope you can also enjoy reading Mushoku Tensei. Speaking from experience, please be wary of sleepless nights.