The Start of a new Era - Mushoku Tensei

_Obligatory I've read the Webnovel and spoilers warning_

Mushoku Tensei is an anime that aired in Winter 2021 and is most notably known as the "Godfather of Isekai". At first glance, it is easy to dismiss this anime as the unfortunate root of the common, "trashy" genres that are seen in Isekai in the modern age of anime and simply a personification of extreme perverse. However, Mushoku Tensei is more than just this simple classification.

Summary:
Mushoku Tensei begins similarly to other Isekai anime as our Otaku NEET protagonist falls to his demise through the courtesy of everyone's favourite truck-kun. Soon enough, he realises that he has been granted another chance at life (for reasons unknown) and is transported to a fantasy world where magic prevalent. Given this opportunity, Rudeus decides that he will live life to the fullest this time around.

Story: 85/100
Though starting off in a rather unfashionable way, Mushoku Tensei isn't an anime with some ridiculously overpowered MC that tries to save the world from an evil demon lord. Mushoku Tensei is a journey, a journey to the unknown: it is a story about the coming of age and development of this lowlife leech in an unknown world. Many anime seem to be devoid of a sense of reality as a cloak of purity is placed over their bland, over-saturated stories; contrasting, Mushoku Tensei ensures that it has a firm grip on these problems that one simply cannot run from. In these short 11 episodes, Mushoku Tensei tackles several issues that certainly affect people without discrimination. One such issue is bullying, something that traumatized and tormented Rudeus in his previous life driving him to become a hikikomori and shutting himself inside his parents' household. Another such issue is the perverted sub-genre throughout the show but I will tackle this when talking about Rudeus shortly. Mushoku Tensei differs from many other shows: it decides to focus on these problems head-on instead of cowering in fear of being unalike to other forms of Otaku media. Although the story may not be jaw-droppingly incredible with heavily packed lore such as a show like Attack on Titan, it certainly one to remember.

Characters: 90/100
First off, our MC Rudeus. Rudeus is by no stretch of the imagination a good person - a useless bum that had the nerve to masturbate instead of going to his parents' funeral. Across the internet, Rudeus was often disgustingly talked of as a vile, ecchi pervert without any redeeming qualities. This is a rather harsh judgment of him, but one hard to argue against. Indeed, he may have done many unforgivable things and still continues to do such unforgivable things (this scene in particular), however, this is the sole way of behaving that our MC knows. Instead of disgust, I found myself pitying and sympathizing with Rudeus when I first met his character. The past events that took place in his past life certainly drove him to a dark corner where he was influenced largely by many horrendous, immoral tropes in anime that shaped his very being. However, Rudeus decides to rid himself of the shackles from his previous world, seen as he finally leaves his house and interacts with strangers (something he could not have done in his previous life). Through Rudy, Mushoku Tensei is successful in creating a character that is not just smart (shown as he uses his prior knowledge and experiences to his benefit) but also novel; truly a breath of fresh air.

The rest of Mushoku Tensei is a wide cast - with some characters more important than others. Roxy, Slphyiette, Eris, and Ruijerd are the secondary main characters that are each given (exception of Eris) a couple of episodes to shine in. The characters all have vastly different natures and certainly are significant throughout the entirety of the Mushoku Tensei story (ie the entire Webnovel) but due to the limitation of 11 episodes for the first cour, it is hard to do fully develop every one of them. However, it is worth mentioning that this does not mean they are boring in the slightest - it just means that they have a lot more to bring to the table in the upcoming season(s).

Animation: 90/100
In short, breath-taking. This new studio was founded as a "joint venture" by White Fox (Re:Zero) and Egg Firm in 2018 and Mushoku Tensei is the first anime that it has produced, and not disappointed in the slightest. With an all-round crispness, the quality of the show is certainly enhanced by this. The fights are often short but still exceptional in terms of visuals; I would compare this style of animation to a show like Ufotable's FSN UBW, a series and studio well-known for eye-candy.

Audio (OST): 90/100
The Orginal Soundtrack (OST) of Mushoku Tensei is a perfect fit for the anime. Music composer Yoshiaki Fujisawa (Land of the Lustrous and A Place Further than the Universe) is responsible for the immersive, pleasing melodies and tunes that are incorporated in the show. Appropriate is the right term, though it is rather difficult to explain how exactly the music successfully captures the nature of the world that Rudeus lives in. The opening is nothing special but does the trick as it is used more as a transition than anything else. Additionally, the show's ending song is wonderful with its tranquil and slightly melancholic beat.

Enjoyment: 95/100
I thoroughly enjoyed the beginning of the adventures of Rudeus even with some cut content from the original source material. Moreover, with the complements of stunning visuals and suitable audio, I found myself in awe of this anime.

Final word:
Mushoku Tensei is certainly in a league of its own when comparing it to other generic Isekai and this first season has proven so. I will say, however, that Mushoku Tensei is not necessarily an anime suitable for all: with its ever-so controversial tropes. Nonetheless, this Anime has absolutely impressed me with its unique characters, clean animation, fitting audio and steadily developing story.

I hope you have enjoyed reading this review on Mushoku Tensei!