REVIEW: ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ Season 3 Episodes 1-2

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2, produced by Studio Bind, follows Eris (Ai Kakuma, Arknights: Rise from Embers) and Ghislaine (Megumi Toyoguchi, Marriagetoxin) as they travel to Sword God Farion’s (Tetsu Inada, Guilty Gear Strive: Dual Rulers) training school so Eris can hone her swordsmanship. Her single goal is to become capable of besting the Dragon God and prove herself worthy of Rudeus. 

With Eris absent from the story since her disappearance at the end of season one, it was a reasonable choice to get caught up on her story before plunging deeper into the main narrative. The young woman’s years at the training facility are shown in great depth over both episodes. Choosing to drop them together to start the season makes a lot of sense with this knowledge in hand. 

The path that Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2 takes Eris down as she masters the sword is an interesting one. Her focus and anger serve to elevate her combat prowess to new heights, though often to the terror of her fellow students. She spends much of her time in varitable rags, as her gi becomes stained and weathered, but Eris seems to have no time for trivial matters like cleanliness. After all, she has a god to kill. 

Eris goes down an interesting path in the first episodes of Season 3.

In classic martial arts storytelling fashion, Eris soon finds herself at the pinnacle of where her anger and dogged determination can take her. At the behest of Farion, masters of various schools of sword fighting come to train her, seeking to broaden her combat experience and mindset.

The emphasis on calm, measured action over rage-fueled aggression is not new to such a story. However, the way Eris is eventually guided to overcome her limitation is different from the simple internal epiphany one might expect. Her passage through this classic step in her development is greatly aided by the pair of episodes with the other main star, Nina (Haruka Tomatsu, Darling in the Franxx).

Perhaps Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2‘s greatest achievement is how smoothly it has Nina encompass the entire rival’s journey in just two episodes. Despite such character arcs generally taking an entire series to play out, this pair of episodes skillfully lays out Nina’s journey from judgmental hater to staunch ally and training partner in a completely believable way. 

Nina’s journey is just as important as Eris’s, and she gets the attention she deserves.

Nina’s journey is best delivered when she makes a pilgrimage to see the great Rudeus that Eris always speaks of in hushed tones and stars in her eyes. Unable to believe that what she hears about him is true, she seeks out the mage to see for herself. Upon witnessing him in action, she comes to fully appreciate the metaphorical giant Eris strives to equal, helping her understand her rivals’ previously unfathomable drive to greatness.

Helping elevate all this is fantastic animation, highlighted by its portrayal of the brutal effort and powerful results as swords are drawn and fighters clash. The speed, power, and skill of every match emanate through each frame of animation. As Eris’s strength grows, we see it clearly represented through artistically done animation. 

The camerawork in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2 heightens the intensity of the fight.

Furthering the impact of the combat is a strong display of cinematography. The camera does a great job of capturing the most important elements of the fights clearly, while still making the viewer feel like they are being thrust into the middle of the action. 

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2 delivers a start to Season three that is both surprising and excellently crafted. It delivers many of the series’s best elements without straying into any of its worst sins. Here’s hoping it can keep it up once its lead fully rejoins the story.

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episodes 1-2 are streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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