There are a lot of great anime series to check out this summer 2023 season, but the show I’m most excited about is Mushoku Tensei 2nd season, which has made its mark as one of the freshest and most enjoyable isekai shows in years. Here are 7 reasons why this anime is at the top of my must-watch list!
7 Reasons Why Mushoku Tensei is the Best Isekai Anime
Let’s explore some of the reasons why I consider this show to be the best “trapped in another world” anime, with the richest story and characters.
It Surpasses Our Isekai Expectations
A quick Google tells me there are around 800 works in the isekai genre, which covers anime, manga and light novels from Japan. Classic isekai stories, including such classics as Mark Twain’s A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur’s Court and The Narnia Chronicles, include such core elements as:
- A relatable main character we can self-insert into, who gets teleported or reincarnated in another world through supernatural means.
- In this new world, their knowledge of things we take for granted, whether it’s video games or modern technology, allows them to quickly get the upper hand.
- Often the story will focus on the details of the world, obsessively following the progress that a lowly spider trapped in a magical world makes as she increases in level. This can be quite pleasant to watch unfold.
While many stories in this genre focus on the harem the main character builds with his new powers, or delves into mundane subjects like the benefits modern urban planning can bring to a fantasy world, Mushoku Tensei is different. It focuses on the unique story each character is experiencing, taking the time to explore their development in a dramatic way few other shows even attempt.
Mushoku Tensei Features Flawed Characters Who Grow
Quick, who’s the more interesting superhero, Superman or Batman? Personally, I’ve always preferred Batman, because his inherent weakness (having no actual superpowers) means he’s a lot more relatable than a being who can survive a nuke or fly through space. In Mushoku Tensei, there are a lot of amazing characters who possess normal human flaws, just like you or me.
Maybe it’s the perverted Rudeus, whose actions aren’t always 100% Tumblr/Twitter approved, or his father Paul, who has problems keeping his sword in its sheath. All the characters grow and change as the story moves forward.
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It’s An Original Fantasy World
On some level, I love that every fantasy story of the 20th century lives in the great shadow of J.R.R. Tolkien’s Lord of the Rings, populated with elves and dwarves and orcs and dragons. But Mushoku Tensei goes out of its way to create new races with new abilities, such as the Superds, creating new lore for them.
It’s Not Afraid to be Ecchi
I love all the shimoneta references because anime is a medium that’s free to make sexual jokes, even ones that are more off-color than average. I feel anime fans are fighting for their future rights when they support shows that have a sexual edge to them, and if we stop supporting studios that include ecchi content, we’ll all regret it later.
Let’s Become an (Actually Good) Novelist!
I’m somewhat vocal in my disdain for narou-kei anime, which started as online fanfiction web novels on the Syousetsu ni Narou (Let’s Become a Novelist!) website, where so many of the anime we’ve watched over the past 15 years has come from. Some of these (That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime, Gate, Konosuba) have been outstanding, while some others (*cough* Shinka no Mi *cough*) are…not very good. Happily, Japanese writer Rifujin na Magonote, the author of Mushoku Tensei, proved himself extremely capable of keeping fans excited about his characters.
Thanks for reading this blog post exploring why Mushoku Tensei is my top anime of the current season. What do you think of the show? Tell us in the comments below!
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