Note: I have read all Light Novel volumes currently released and the Web Novel to Volume 22 This review contains spoilers for the first anime cour and for some plot moments in the novels Mushoku Tensei a story Im sure most people have at least heard of. With the anime about to begin its second cour Im sure interest and hype in the story has never been higher. But how good is it really? Well TL:DR in my opinion its almost perfect. Mushoku Tensei is the classic Isekai story of a man transported to another world after heroically expending his life to save another but is it really that simple? The answer is no no its not. Im sure everyone who has heard of MT is aware of how divisive its main character is. Rudeus Greyrat a man from modern Japan whose past name we are never told was an extremely toxic and unredeemable man in his previous life. Was Rudeus a scumbag? Absolutely. Does he change for the better? Absolutely. Does he deserve to be forgiven? Thats for you to decide. A major message I believe is at the core of Mushoku Tensei is that people can change. No matter how irredeemable someone may seem there is a chance for them to turn things around and better themselves. Something that works greatly to the favor of this is how long a period of time Mushoku Tensei takes place over to this day MT is the only Isekai that Ive seen that begins at the protagonists rebirth and carries through his life from the beginning. Every major character that is introduced within the first few volumes will have decades of their lives shown to the reader and it works incredibly well. Rudeuss new father Paul? We see his struggles with raising Rudeus who already has lived longer than he had and how hard it is to be a parent when your child already knows everything you could teach them. We see his attempts to be a good father backfire several times and his relationship with Rudeus sour to the point of almost being irredeemable. Until major events cause the rift to close and the two to bond as family. Pauls evolution from young warrior not ready for a family to a man willing to risk everything to reunite his family after the events of the Teleport Incident at the end of cour 1 show how well this method of storytelling can work at making these characters feel realistic and likeable. This is true for almost every character due to the nature of the story taking place over several decades the reader becomes extremely attached to the characters and their growth. When an old character is reintroduced it feels like catching up with an old friend as the reader is told what theyve been doing and how theyve changed both in character and aesthetic. Even a character like Orsted who briefly appeared in cour 1 looking menacing and evil is much more complex than one may think at first glance. Mushoku Tenseis world building is impeccable with the novel providing a map of the world with information on where Rudeus several times. Everything in the world makes sense the magic systems the politics and the history of the world all feel fleshed out and realistic. Again due to the passage of time in the story we see as the world around Rudeus changes dramatically. Factions fight one another new leaders take power locations appear and disappear etc. Now for a story taking place over several decades we need to have a solid foundation to drive the story right? Right. Mushoku Tenseis story is an epic one that involves a battle against the most challenging enemy of all. Time. Rudeus cos time on this world isnt infinite but the threat that looms against them is. Figuring out how to stop this threat is a major driving point of the series but the threat isnt all that imminent until the curtain begins to draw on the story. This allows for several volumes that deal with personal issues. For example one of the major supporting characters is called back to the Kingdom that exiled him to defend it from invaders with Rudeus being roped in to help in this ordeal. Balancing these sub plots with a looming evil isnt an easy thing to manage but Mushoku Tensei does manage indeed without things feeling contrived or forced. Enough about the plot. How are the novels themselves? Well theyre well written with detailed explanations and strong localization by Seven Seas Entertainment. Fight scenes feel varied and descriptive with the reader able to imagine exactly what happens throughout and the thought processes of the combatant on clear display. Conversations between characters are realistic and not melodramatic. Conflict is resolved through mature discussions and understandings without pointless contrivances forcing a disagreement to outstay its welcome. The only time I felt this wasnt the case was the LN exclusive as in the story wasnt in the WN Volume 7 which has a character take a misunderstanding way too far with no satisfying conclusion. Hopefully the later LN volumes can see a return of this character with a clear in the air or some kind of resolution to this conflict. Mushoku Tensei does something I dont see very often in Isekai. It actually deals with the problems and issues that were present in its lead characters previous life. Rudeus was as said earlier a deeply broken man who lived a life of misery and solitude. The story addresses this. Rudeus comes to terms with what happened in the past and learns to accept that he wasnt a good person and that things couldve turned out differently. Spoilers for a later event in the Novels This is seriously impressive to me to how unique it is. The only other isekai Ive seen that has the protagonist reconcile with their previous lifes issues is Re:Zero which also handles it extremely well and maturely. In conclusion should you read Mushoku Tensei? Absolutely. The story is gripping and the characters interesting and unique. Rudeus is a main character that youll more than likely dislike at first but end up having a positive opinion of even if you dont want to by the time youre finished. When people say Mushoku Tensei is the top of the cream of Isekai they arent kidding and the best part is the story isnt even concluded yet after a 24 volume long Web Novel. So heres to Mushoku Tensei and its future. Because personally I am extremely excited how this story will end.