REVIEW: ‘Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’ Season 3 Episode 13 — “The Diary”

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13, “The Diary,” follows the path Rudeus (Yumi Uchiyama, Oshi No Ko) would’ve taken without the intervention of his future self. It dives down a path that is nothing but pain and trauma as Rudeus makes every mistake he possibly can. 

It is a commonly known rule in visual storytelling that it is better to show than tell. Letting an audience witness an experience instead of being told about it helps emotional events land with far greater force. While this is true, Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13 reveals it’s far worse to tell and then show it again.

Every step prophesied by future Rudeus is laid out in Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13, consuming its entirety. From Roxy’s (Konomi Kohara, Witch Watch) failing struggle with Petrification Sickness to his return to the present to warn himself, every painful step is rapidly touched on here. It is a barrage of sorrow that leaves no time to ponder anything as Rudeus lurches from tragedy to tragedy. 

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13 only tells us what happens rather than showing.

Even without the fact that every moment here was already spelled out, creating a repetitive element to the telling that saps all impact from the events, this montage of misery still wouldn’t be good. Sure, if we didn’t know what was about to happen, there would be a measure of shock at first, but even that seems to quickly wear off as the bad choices pile up and Rudeus sinks ever deeper into despair. 

This unrelenting example of trauma porn is excessive in every way. It is as if the narrative is convinced that Rudeus must be stripped of everything and reduced to ashes for us to actually care about him. It speaks poorly of its perception of its audience that it believes it must dismantle the lead’s happiness this thoroughly to engage them. 

While Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13 tries to paint a cautionary tale of what might’ve been, it does more to hurt Rudeus’ reputation than anything else. The speed with which Rudeus disregards his family and friends, slipping into a bottle and lashing out at everyone, speaks to the deeply rooted selfishness he’s always had.

He can’t hold it together through even one tragedy. He doesn’t stumble, get up, and only completely come apart once the barrage of misfortune hits him fully. He falls at the first chance and never even tries to get up until it is far too late. 

Despite the recap of an episode, the visuals don’t disappoint.

If this possible future Rudeus is close in personality to our own, it leaves deep-seated questions about just how capable Rudeus will be if he ever takes a loss close to home. One could assume that even if such a fate befalls him, he’ll handle it better this time, but it feels like a convenient outcome to swallow, given what we have learned about Rudeus. Though perhaps we could see some growth in the protagonist between now and then, making it stick more should it come to pass. 

Even though Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13‘s rapid-fire onslaught of pain and woe fails to leave the mark it seeks, no fault can be laid at the visual presentation. Rudeus’ path into solitude and loss is presented with excellent detail and fluid animation. The pain borne by both him and those unfortunate enough to care about him is brought to vivid life, for the short amount of time each beat is given. 

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13 delivers what can only be called a recap episode of what we learned in the previous entry. Perhaps concerned that viewers got bored during all the talking, we are shown Rudeus’ rapid fall from grace and long, anguished trudge through a future that won’t come to pass and that we all already know about, making it incapable of any real impact. 

Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Season 3 Episode 13 is streaming now on Crunchyroll.

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