REVIEW: ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ Season 2 Episode 3 – “Abrupt Approach”

Having rescued Sara(Haruka Shiraishi) from certain death in the last episode, Rudeus(Yumi Uchiyama) and her continue to grow closer. But when a night out together ends on a sour note, Rudeus searches for a way to move past an upsetting moment from his past in Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3, “Abrupt Approach.”

This week’s episode opens with the Counter Arrows and Rudeus enjoying a celebratory drink after another successful adventure. During the festivities, Sara asks Rudeus to accompany her to find a new knife, as her current one has been chipped and dulled from use. Happy to, Rudeus agrees to the date, and the pair set out the next day to shop, drink, and enjoy each other’s company. The night eventually leads back to Rudeus’ place where they look to cap their evening out with a night of passion. However, Rudeus fails to “rise” to the occasion, causing Sara to leave with hurt feelings, clearly presuming she is not enough to entice Rudeus. This leaves the young adventurer feeling alone and hurt.

From this cold moment, Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 follows Rudeus as he struggles to come to terms with what has happened and, more importantly, why it happened. From a drunken confrontation with Soldat(Kôsuke Toriumi) that begins him on his journey of self-discovery to the final misstep that sees him charting a new path, this episode manages to handle the serious nature of its topic with a respectful delicacy.

While the core narrative is handled with impressive skill, the best part of Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 for me was how smoothly it transformed Soldat’s character. An antagonistic annoyance up till this episode, his run-in with Rudeus which sees the mage pummeling the bully as he cries about the unfairness of the world, prompts a dramatic change in this supporting character. As we watch the adventurer try to help Rudeus navigate the emotional waters of his past, the show peels back the curtain on who Soldat is and why he has always been a pain to Rudeus. While his reasoning doesn’t excuse his ill manners, they do cast them in a far more human light. One that is made to shine all the brighter with his genuine attempts to aid Rudeus in his struggles. However, his first suggestion feels a bit questionable.

After their meeting at the bar, Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 follows the pair to Soldats Plan A to get Rudeus back into working order. The seasoned adventurer takes our protagonist to a brothel, presumably hoping that more experience will help him overcome his problem. As mentioned previously, Soldat seems well-intentioned here, but on the face of it, this feels like an idea doomed to failure. Rudeus is already hurt, self-conscious, and doubting himself. Putting himself into an intimate situation with a stranger doesn’t seem the way to go. The old sentiment about getting back on the horse isn’t always the surefire solution; many act like it is.

Coming to the acceptance that whatever is necessary to get Rudeus over his problem isn’t going to happen that night, the duo decides to participate in the time-honored tradition of drowning the problem in alcohol. As they walk the streets of town after the brothel has closed, Rudeus begins to vent about the situation rather loudly. A bit too loudly, as his words end up reaching the ears of Sara and Suzanne as they happen to pass by. As is often the case when drunkards vent, Rudeus says some rather cruel things that leave Sara hurt even worse than she already was.

Because Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 has the viewer follow Rudeus through the day leading up to the climatic moment, it is easy to feel bad for both him and Sara. While Sara’s upsetness at what she hears is completely understandable, we also know that Rudeus is speaking with alcohol encouraging his frustration, and not meaning the things he says. We all speak out of turn in moments of stress, saying things that would get us in trouble if the wrong person heard them. This makes the moment complicated, upsetting, and equally tragic for all parties involved.

All of the emotional moments that string Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3‘s plot together are delivered skillfully on a visual level. The discomfort, frustration, hurt, and anger felt throughout the course of the episode are delivered excellently. I also want to give a nod to how well the show keeps its focus on the important emotional elements here. Despite multiple physically intimate scenes being present in the narrative, the series doesn’t go overboard, focusing on boobs and butts—unlike season one. While it allows these visual elements to be present, it never feels like the episode is trying to distract you from the point of the scenes through their overuse.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 delivers a meaningful story of struggle and hurt. It is narratively impactful while also diving deep into who Rudeus is as a person. It feels genuine to explore physical and emotional intimacy, which are always tricky topics to approach.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 3 is streaming on Crunchyroll.