REVIEW: ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ Season 2 Episode 13 – “My Dream Home”

Picking up shortly after the last cour’s finale, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13 sees a renewed Rudeus (Yumi Uchiyama) brimming with confidence. The ailment plaguing him has passed, letting him look more clearly towards the future. That the future he sees involves Syphettie (Ai Kayano) only makes things brighter. But before he can reach that future, things have to be done. The first step is buying a house for this future to live in. But there may be more to it than you’d expect in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13 from Studio Bind.

This cour’s opening picks up with Rudeus arriving at class after his climactic night with Sylphettie. He is in good spirits, as everyone in class is quick to note. All of them can tell something is different. Showing a surprising amount of discretion, Rudeus announces he has been cured of an ailment. He did not mention what ailment or how he was healed. It’s nice that Rudeus doesn’t choose to divulge the details of his night. While it isn’t completely surprising for him to be the gentleman here, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation (Mushoku-Tensei ~Isekai ittara honki dasu~) Season 2 Episode 13 easily could’ve gone either way with the character.

After his initial meeting with his classmates, the narrative jumps to later in the day when they are at lunch. Here he inquires about the customs around marriage. Cliff (Ryôta Ôsaka, A Sign of Affection) informs him that the first thing he needs to do is purchase a home. After all, how can you get married if you don’t have a place to live?

Rudeus is soon overwhelmed with the prospect of what kind of house to buy. Many considerations float through his mind. Space for future kids? Should it be impressive enough for Princess Ariel to be able to visit? Of course, some of these questions might be easier to deal with if he asked Sylphettie. However, he wishes to surprise his new girlfriend and commits to finding something on his own.

He finds something spacious enough for his wants and cheap enough for his budget. Just one small problem. It’s cursed. The sight of numerous mysterious deaths, the property has gone unattended for some years. Rudeus, Cliff, and Zanoba (Satoshi Tsuruoka) set out to confront whatever haunts the manor.

The trio’s night in the manor forms the central element of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13. As the party searches for their query, we see a mixture of bravery and cowardice as they eventually confront what stalks the house. The scene’s take on horror is a fun twist that keeps things light. While it dabbles with a bit of the tense atmosphere of a horror movie, it never fully commits. The storyline lets the panic of its heroes keep the weight of the moment from ever becoming too much for the series’ general tone.

While the audience expects a specter to run loose in the house, it is much different. The surprising nature of the “monster” has potential for future story beats. This is a great choice as it makes the events of this story more than a throwaway moment. How the series integrates this new element has a wide range of potential.

Once the house is safe, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13 jumps ahead a bit as Rudeus shows their future home to Sylphettie for the first time. While it originally feels like a gimmick to have the house haunted, this moment makes it something much more. When we first see the house, it is a dangerous place. Dark and foreboding, with no warmth to it. As Rudeus and Sylphettie explore their new home, warm light shines through every window as their smiles fill each shot. The contrast of before and after for the home enhances the joy the new couple feels.

The animation also builds up this final sequence for the story wonderfully. During their exploration of the house, we see lots of casual moments of intimacy between the two. A head resting on a shoulder, Rudeus coming up to hug Sylpthettie from behind, and many others. These little gestures reinforce how comfortable the pair are together. It is a beautiful depiction of love.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13 gets the new cour off to a strong start. Mixing comedy and romance, the episode brings some of the show’s best elements together while avoiding any of its pitfalls.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 13 is streaming now on  Crunchyroll.