REVIEW: ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ Season 2 Episode 21 — “Magic Circle to the Sixth Stratum”

With a last-minute save, Rudeus (Yumi Uchiyama) and Roxy (Konomi Kohara) were reunited. But a lot has changed since Roxy trained her young protegee. As the pair get reacquainted, the search for Zenith continues as the Teleporter Labrinyth proves challenging in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 2 Episode 21, “Magic Portal to the Sixth Stratum.”

This week’s episode opens with a brief look at what Roxy went through during her months of being lost in the labyrinth. The hardships we see Roxy endure make the labyrinth seem like an endurance trail more than anything. Roxy’s struggles are born from countless spiders plaguing her search for an elusive escape.

This sequence does a great job of illustrating what she has been going through while also passively raising questions about Zenith. If enduring this maze for a couple of months has been this hard on Roxy, what has it been like for Zenith, who has been trapped for years?

After this introduction, Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 21 jumps back to where we left off. However, the long-awaited reunion doesn’t go as planned when Roxy doesn’t recognize Rudeus. Rudeus is at first distraught, believing she doesn’t remember him. That he jumps to this rather than her not recognizing him is a clever reminder of Rudeus’ past. His self-esteem, despite everything he has accomplished in this world, still lingers with his former life and the self-image issues he carried through it.

Once the group gets back to town, the middle stretch of the episode sees Roxy recover from her recent struggles as the party prepares to return to the dungeon. Throughout the strategy sessions and quiet moments, we see an overly enthusiastic Rudeus following Roxy around like a puppy. His joy at being reunited with his teacher radiates off him. While Roxy is taken aback by the intensity of Rudeus’ attention initially, she quickly warms up to it. Even to an unfortunate degree.

It very quickly becomes clear that Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 21 is setting up Roxy to become sweet on Rudeus. This is awkward for several reasons. The fact that Roxy first knew Rudeus when he was only a small child is certainly the first to spring to mind. The tremendous age gap and the fact that Rudeus is still in his teens make the prospect uncomfortable.

The other odd thing about the whole situation is the fact that, despite some time passing after her rescue, Roxy doesn’t seem to know that Rudeus is married with a child on the way. If I met a childhood mentor after years apart that seems like something that would come up pretty fast. Unless I was hiding it. If that’s the case isn’t a great look for Rudeus. Though I suppose it wouldn’t be shocking either.

Beyond the budding situation between Roxy and Rudeus, Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 21 features some solid dungeon-exploring combat. The animation uses the tight confines of the labyrinth well, keeping the viewer in the action. We also see some strong coordination between the front liners and the magical support. It always adds depth and weight to combat when the importance of thought and strategy are emphasized. It allows the characters to shine even brighter when the triumphs are born from more than simply sheer strength.

As the party reaches new depths in the labyrinth, new dangers and puzzles present themselves. This allows the episode to breathe during the spelunking as the group must discern the secrets of the dungeon. It gives moments for some more dialogue, like a brief chat between Rudeus and Paul (Toshiyuki Morikawa, Buddy Daddies).

This moment delivers an interesting sense of weirdness to it. On one hand, Paul is shown trying to be a good father. On the other hand, Paul himself is not a great person, so the heartfelt advice he gives is questionable at best. It is an interesting moment that lingers after its completion.

As Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 21 comes to a close, Rudeus manages to discover a new, hidden portal that will take the group to uncharted territory. The sense of the unknown proliferates the episode’s ending, as both mysterious adventure and interpersonal potential await the characters and audience in the coming episodes. How the series manages both remains to be seen.

Mushoku Tensei Season 2 Episode 21 is streaming now on  Crunchyroll.