Mushoku Tensei the greatest fantasy anime ever 235https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/759007698212618240/812340262423494716/20210126003001.gif BACKGROUND Im sure that if you have been into anime for quite sometime now youve probably heard of Mushoku Tensei. Mushoku Tensei is currently the 1 most popular show on Netflix Japan for winter 2021 including nonanime shows. Mushoku is a light novel that started back in 2012 and reached the title the 1 Japanese light novel of all time. it has even got the title The Grandfather of Isekai over the years among the community and I bet that even your favorite isekai has probably taken inspiration from Mushoku Tensei and might even has some references to it included. So whats all the hype about? whats so great about MT? STORY AND CHARACTERS 400https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/759007698212618240/817071528759394414/tumblrpzlbekf3l51uzwbyjo9r25402.gif The protagonist Rudeus Greyrat was a 34 year old shut in guy who got expelled from his home because he had a debt to pay wandered in the streets starving in the rain and finally saved people from a traffic accident by sacrificing his own life. A guy who had nothing but died as a hero and then got reincarnated into another world. I know what youre thinking to yourself right now: so not original so generic and boring. Well then... actually this time its different and there is a lot more to it just stick with me. Remember truckkun? Mushoku were the ones to start it. The thing is that unlike other shows there is actual depth to it and it makes the show more emotional and deep a beautiful example of how to write characters and backstories in a touching way. Also the plot is just so well written and well thought of. They took to mind every little detail and this exact thing is unique just for Mushoku. Its a beautiful mix of both Slice of Life and Fantasy/Action which gives more flavor to the show and to us to enjoy. While it does have quite a few fan service to offer it is consistent and funny the jokes are on point and hit every time and it makes the show HILARIOUS at least 2 or 3 laughs per episode. No matter whats my mood after an episode of Mushoku I have a smile on my face. The ecchi part actually has a connection to the plot rather than just being there for the fun although sometimes it is the case. In addition to that there is actually focus on his growth and family life rather than just having a time skip and seeing him departing away. Rudy doesnt forget his previous life which were a disaster. He was bullied and began to isolate thus he ran away from communicating with people. In his second life unlike other shows Rudy isnt an overpowered guy instructed by a divine being. Rudy understands that he has been reincarnated and that hes not on Earth He learns a new language and gets used to new people and all of that he does by himself. Those simple things improve him so much as a character he learns how to live a honest life and becomes quite the hard worker. Every minor thing he does pays out for him and moves the plot forward just at the right time and pace. Thats how a real reincarnation should look we get to see him reborn properly. Rudy realizes that its his second chance and he doesnt want his life to be a failure again and this time he is born as a noble which pays perfectly to his goal. He may be talented and a noble but he lives humbly and tries his best in every term. He doesnt really have a goal to start with he just lives his life and thats exactly what this show knows how to convey. The plot knows how to explain itself very clearly if its the world building monarchy of nobility magic system occupations different species and languages and so much more this is how a true isekai needs to be done. It feels like they dont rush anything at all the pacing is perfect and it matches the storys theme. The world building is insane its so detailed and well explained. There are continents species and tribes among them. The History of this world and what Rudeus was taught by his parents books and Roxy who trained him at a young age also play a big role later. Things becomes more complicated once Rudy crosses paths with someone from the demon tribe Superd whom Roxy warned him about. The side characters are also great. Each one of them has their own personality and highlights they also get enough screen time for them to shine. Even the history of the world of RE:ZERO resembles MT. An example for that would be the war and the tragic events that have prevailed terror on both worlds and took place 400 years ago in both shows. Rudy is such an amazing protagonist he has a trauma that scars him even in his new life and yet he wishes to change. He doesnt judge people by their appearance but rather tries to understand them because that he comes from the same place of being bullied and ashamed. He is awkward and funny but most importantly a human being. He sometimes is put in a very unexpected situations and still finds his way around each time wisely and realistically and its very interesting to see his social and mental development and in all other senses. Its just fun seeing him bringing others to his side slowly but smartly splendidly done for someone who has learnt how to act and be so charismatic. Even the side characters are well written you can tell them apart each one has a different personality and design. You could even tell the difference between a 2 year time skip which is really rare to see among childhood or extreme ages in anime. This anime may seem like it misses some plot twist or action at first look but when it gets to that part it becomes actionpacked high quality show. The plot turned so dramatically it was so shocking and it caught me off guard. There is so much character introduction that it feels like most of the season is just a prologue for Rudy and its so good. Such a great buildup with a surprising plot hook. In my opinion the concept of isekai has kinda run its course. Personally Im tired of seeing the same things each time: an OP and bland character gets transported into a different world in order to defeat the Demon King or something similar and by his journey falls in love with a heroine and all of that is done in the stupidest way possible. But Mushoku a franchise that came out a decade ago renews in perfectly. ANIMATION AND SOUNDTRACK 380https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/759007698212618240/812340241292722246/20210210004456.gif Even if you dont like its genres MT is worth watching just for the animation alone. I know about 700 anime and Ive never once in my life seen an anime so aesthetically pleasing. Its gorgeous. Even after watching animes like Fate and Violet Evergarden I could certainly say that I find MT to have the greatest animation ever. While the art style might not be for anyone theres no doubt the animation is on a whole other level. So much detail and in the same time so sharp and clean. The water looks so realistic that words cant even describe it. I could seriously talk about how stunning it looks all day long. The world building is awesome and it matches the art style so well same goes for those beautiful of character designs. The choice of the shades is on point and matches a medievalrural kinda set just right not to mention that the coloration is extraordinary. It is so rich that each frame almost looks like an entire oil painting but animated which is extremely hard to pull off and you couldnt even come to understand that. It is so dense and overdrawn but yet so detailed and appealing. The action also looks insane every scene is just so well drawn that honestly every single shot is a wallpaper worthy. Even from first appearance or the trailers alone it was so eye luring that most people thought it wont meet the expectations but it far exceeded them in any way possible. MT tends to keep the animation consistent all along the show and that makes the action more intense and even more fun to watch. As I already mentioned previously MT has a mix of both action and SoL and that has been incredible like sometimes youd see things that one wouldnt bat an eye if they were not animated but they are and enhance the experience a lot more background work consistency movements MT is the best looking show so far in the history of anime and Id be surprised if animation could get any better than that in the next 5 years. As a proof to that I bet you couldnt even be able to tell there is use of CGI in a lot of scenes. Considering that this is the first anime that studio Bind animates this is crazy. The budget is huge and it made me shocked when I saw the numbers on Wikipedia. Personally I think the art style is amazing it looks more hand drawn and less vibrant it reminds me of the animation I grew up on just with much better quality and frame rate and this is another thing this show does being nostalgic. In my eyes its beautiful not too colorful but also not pale at all. The character designs are cool and match their personality very well. The outlines look like theyre drawn with chalk which is very unique and for some reason it is really satisfying to see reminds me a little of 91 Days or Scums Wish in that sense but on a whole different level. After watching MT every other anime seems like a kids drawing and Im not exaggerating. 340https://64.media.tumblr.com/18c2210cca88a96e428136be9a3f08c6/b4216ab938903c4c50/s400x600/41654b4682f1f5a3928e36547474134473a6fbb0.gifv As for the music for the show it was created especially for it and it gives me amazing feels it is so relaxing and works fantastically with a fantasy show. There are 2 opening themes but no actual opening in each episode there is a kind of a MV with credits that plays through the episode while the music plays. This way we get more screen time and let me tell you this it works surprisingly well. When they first showed the opening on episode 3 I shed some tears because of how glad it made me. Now for the ending its just your typical ending but due to how good it looks it makes it the best ending of the season for me it feels somewhat nostalgic I may even say and with every visual my heart skips a beat. The song is also a banger and its from the same artist that does both of the openings. The lyrics beautiful. The whole song is from Rudys perspective and he sings to Roxy the meaning is so deep and the music and vocals make you feel like youre a part of the show. Honestly one of the best anime endings Ive ever come across. The voice acting also is worth praising they thought about every detail possible to produce the best Rudys thinking is voiced by a voice actor with more of a deep and manly voice in order to remind us that Rudy is actually a grown up at heart and has the mindset of an adult. The different languages are also voiced in different languages Im not sure if its an actual language and if it is then I couldnt figure out which one it is so I guess its just Gibberish and if it is its done so good and consistently that they literally came out with a new language just for this show which is insane. This may sound very simple but the amount of effort they put into that is huge and it isnt obvious at all. In Vinland Saga for example the voice acting was bad in this term at some scenes they were supposed to talk in different languages but the entire voice acting was in Japanese and it was so weird so the creators sure had taken here a lot to mind. In conclusion Mushoku Tensei is definitely the show of the season if not of the year and you should watch it RIGHT NOW you dont even know what youre missing. 340https://64.media.tumblr.com/b11ca772eb334a33356d04fa8bbab5c5/93ac941b1848ec5564/s500x750/6ffbac4cee310ecd0f1fc747316b08676d802870.gifv HOPE YOU ENJOY