Mushoku Tensei 2x22: "Parents" // Reaction and Discussion

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[This Video]
Anna and Ben react and discuss season 2, episode 22 of Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation! #mushokutensei #mushokutenseijoblessreincarnation #joblessreincarnation
[TimeStamps]
00:00 Intro
00:31 Reaction to Show
15:37 Discussion
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[@HessianX]

That smile at the end, he knew he saved his son and freed his wife...... This one hurt.....

[@MinscS2]

Yeah, despite knowing it was coming, it still hurt like hell. I literally watched the latest episode of Chillin' in another world right after to cheer myself up...

[@Oakland510]

He was 1 of 1. Entered the history books for me. MVP of 2024

[@Vertutame]

In light novel, he died and didn't have that moment It's more brutal in the LN

[@Tounushi]

You should listen to the drama CD. It has the fight from his perspective, including his final thoughts.

[@EnDy_S]

@@Vertutame He did have that moment

[@thesnuggler5941]

Paul's last thoughts. --- "Am I dying?" "I want to confirm if Zenith was alive or not, at least." "Not only that, but Norn and Aisha..." "I wanted to see them again." "Are they going to school?" "Have they grown up?" "Lillia - what kind of reaction will she have to this? Even if it's a pain..." "Will she cry?" "Dammit, I'm filled with regrets." "I don't want to die..." "Still... there are.. still... so many things I wanted to do." Rudy: "Father!" "But..... Oh well..." "It’s better than seeing Rudy die." "Chin up, my son. Stay positive..." He smiles one final time.

[@junzaragoza608]

Is this from the novel? Is this canon? Damn, I hate it here.

[@matiasaraos7655]

@@junzaragoza608 its not from the novel, but is a bonus from the cd drama of that volumen

[@thesnuggler5941]

@@junzaragoza608 it’s from the drama cd which is written by the author so yes it’s canon. There’s a video of it alongside his death in the anime it made me cry even more

[@sergihr]

@@thesnuggler5941 could you share the link or the yt channel you wacthed it from?

[@priestofthighs3013]

Damn that made me cry, never thought I would cry at some text xd

[@Bell_Arclide]

Small fun fact. In the beginning of Season 2 when Rudy was working out he named his muscles and the name he chose for the left hand was Hercules and that's the same hand that was torn off. The show has a lot of subtle blink and you miss it foreshadowing like that.

[@dunzek943]

😂 Nah what

[@mathrick9442]

​@dunzek943 Hercules was killed by Hydra venom. Rudy lost his arm because Hydra's blood was like acid and it's scales sharper than blades

[@Midnight-wh2bs]

@@mathrick9442 Oh wait, that's why he lost his arm? I just thought it was cause his hand was stuck inside and the force of being swung around just tore his hand off.

[@Sylveighty]

​@@Midnight-wh2bsHe didnt feel it completely due to adrenaline, but yeah the blood basically cooked the flesh off his hand and then the hydra's eyes closing in acted like a guillotine due to how sharp the scales are and severed his hand clean off

[@ousmaailayoub5727]

In the novel Rudeus speculated the reason the man god told him he will regret going to the Begaritt continent might be something like losing one of his arms or one of his parents, it was some nasty foreshadowing from the author.

[@kurimiaisukurimu]

Paul's by no means a praiseworthy human being prior to the teleporation incident, but he reunited countless families, and loved his family and would give everything for them. Rest in Peace to one of my favorite characters in fiction. Edit: That might've been the most I've ever seen them struggle to put their thoughts together during discussion time, understandably so. I love how they spent like 20 minutes just talking about the last 3 or so minutes of the episode then realizing they're just not in the right headspace to discuss the rest of it.

[@kyoww]

That is the reason that I love Paul´s character, he was a flawed man trying his best. He felt like a real person

[@kurimiaisukurimu]

@@Oakland510 We met her and her sister back in Milis in Season 1, they were working with Paul's group that was rescuing people that had been teleported. You may remember her sister as the one that was dressed in very skimpy armor and the sister as the one that shot a Water Ball at Rudeus before he reunited with Paul. Unfortunately, the anime doesn't really go into their history, but they're not really relevant past this arc.

[@Im_Jaeger]

Funny enough last time they were struggling this bad was episode 22 of season 1 when ruijerd and eris left.

[@animagamer2]

If you knew the dark secrets so many of us carry deep in our hearts, and if one monumental mistake is all it takes to condemn a person, you'd quickly realize that there are very few "praiseworthy" humans on this planet. I've seen the depths. I've lived there, for a time. Everyone has their own damage. Everyone is just struggling to live. Live this life none of us choose.

[@Ian501st]

​@@animagamer2 Couldnt have said it better myself

[@SwiddyDiddy]

Paul has been saying for years he's a failure of a dad for Rudy. I think his smile was him thinking he finally, in his mind, did something fatherly and saved his son.

[@Tounushi]

Have a listen to the drama CD. "Oh well, at least it's better than Rudy dying. Keep your chin up..."

[@kyle7514]

The man who helped reunite so many families didn't live to see his own family reunited, I'm crying

[@ElyonDominus]

Maybe not, but he died with the knowledge that all of his efforts were worth it. His family was rescued and will shortly be reunited.

[@Khiean]

and then Rudeus will live on with a purpose now, to protect the family that his father sacrificed himself to save.

[@Jackie_Tikki_Tavi]

@@ElyonDominus somehow I feel like it's better that he even seen Rudy having lost an arm because it shows Rudy will not be broken by something like that. He will find his way and Paul can entrust Rudy's life to Rudy.

[@tkim2320]

@@ElyonDominusWhen I watched it, I felt all he saw was that he was able to save Rudeus's life. He didn't know at the point he died that they were successful. All he saw in front of him was his son who he managed to shove out of harm's way. Then he died, then Zenith's crystal broke. He died happy he saved his son and hoping his son will be able to finish the job to rescue his wife.

[@user-pl2sy5dx3s]

めちゃくちゃ良いコメント。確かにその通りですね。

[@MinscS2]

Pauls journey as a dad is impressive. Beginning of show: cheats on wife and hits son. End of life: Dies saving his son while trying to rescue his wife. That little smile right before the end as well... horrible and peak at the same time. Rest in peace Paul. You where a bit of a scumbag, but I sure will miss you.

[@fc3sturbogtr]

Rudy: You’re gonna be a grandad Paul Paul: You’re gonna be a father Rudy!? The Hydra: Happy MFing Father’s Day 🗣️

[@doriejames7650]

Hydra: I have a father once, i was a father once... Do you love your father? *then proceeds to target Rudy with the last head it got*

[@Bukkoroihyoizaburo]

There's more to the part where Paul tells his son, "Save your mother even if it kills you." In the "Paul Gaiden: Runaway Arc," we learn that when Paul was young, his mother died, and his family, including his dad, blamed him for her death. Overwhelmed by guilt and believing he was responsible, Paul ran away. He lived with the regret of not being able to save his mother, and this haunted him for years. This backstory, missing from the main novel, gives depth to Paul's character and explains why he tells his son to save his mother no matter what. He's trying to prevent his son from experiencing the same crushing regret he did. Oh, and also in his final moments. he felt relief when seeing rudeus, knowing he got to save his son and wasn't such a useless father after all.

[@munkhgalamarmend8809]

Oh I just wish studio bibd adapts just a little bit of this next episode, it just gives so much context reason and character to an already amazingly written individual

[@bennisus]

​@@munkhgalamarmend8809 well theyre focus on the main novel, Paul Gaiden smth is from the mobile game iirc

[@itzoniichacha5963]

the raw genuine emotion from you 2 and the ending discussion is by far the best reaction i seen by far from everyone reacting to it please watch cute cat videos later to recover ❤

[@LeN752]

My favorite part of them is taking notes which makes it enjoyable to reference past episodes when there's a callback. Whereas others sometimes forget certain details and ask a question that's been answered episodes ago. It's fine, but it personally makes it less enjoyable for me. :)

[@itzoniichacha5963]

@@LeN752 so true they are never clueless or lost because of the notes

[@UncensoredScion]

I will never get tired of saying this is the single biggest Chad moment in all of anime. Paul jumping in and saving his son at the cost of his life is the best move ever - hurts that he had to die but that he saved his son in doing so is freaking amazing,

[@dohalimilqarasdeldemenanci8483]

I have watched too many animes to say it's the chaddest, but it definitely hit me harder than most of them....24h later and I am still sad and angry it happened despite knowing it was coming with all the deathflags they gave him since season 1(his haircut was literally the dead mom hair)

[@UncensoredScion]

@@dohalimilqarasdeldemenanci8483 Good god that just sent chills through me! I didn't realise until you pointed it out but you're right.

[@Savldj]

Paul is the definition of an excellently written and concluded character

[@israel.s.garcia]

​@@dohalimilqarasdeldemenanci8483 It's called rattail, it's the symbol of the Greyrats. Currently, it's known that it's used by Paul and Rudeus.

[@dohalimilqarasdeldemenanci8483]

@@israel.s.garcia you don't watch lots of anime do you? It doesn't matter what it's called in Mushoku Tensei, it's a VERY famous haircut in the anime community for over 20 years and people who know it know.

[@Kensai_]

Life is not daijobu

[@raec5426]

Been waiting for their reactions for this episode. 👌

[@Austintatious1096]

Favorite reactors by far.

[@Howsmyaim]

Same

[@ATom-jm2jw]

When Ben lacks words you know shit hit THE fan

[@joby-wankenobinolan3428]

Rudeus telling himself he didn't think of them as parents was just him deceiving himself. Otherwise, he wouldn't be in as much despair as you see in the end. That was Eris leaving level heart wrenching. 😢💔

[@bbxavier2137]

That is misleading actually, Rudy isn't a reliable narrator in this case, his feelings are much more complex and they will be explained better next episode.

[@KuroVergil]

​@@bbxavier2137, hopefully! I don't have hope for MT doing a good job with the more nuanced inner dialogue

[@theflamingeagle572]

I hope that his father that he relates with and has been through so much with and connected with and ended up dying while protecting him, and his mother that's now out of it making his fathers sacrifice less meaningful, hurts him way more than Eris ditching him

[@jjpasay]

Yeah, I noticed that a lot during re-read and while watching the anime. Rudeus tends to cope A LOT. Every time he gets shaken emotionally, even if a little, he always tries to rationalize it in some way or try to see things in a positive light. Here when Paul got mad at him, he immediately went "oh, we fought before. this isn't the first time. it's fine." as if he's trying to convince himself. Even Roxy noticed his distress which is why she asked him if he's okay. When he lost his hand to the Hydra, he immediately went "oh, well I can't get it back now but at least I took out the Hydra in exchange for it." When Paul lashed out at him for being calm, he immediately went "oh well, it's because i don't really care for her that much. yep" ignoring the fact that it was Zenith's loving memory that urged him to get up from his depressive state after Eris left him.

[@Mezoflation]

​@@jjpasayexactly, this mental defensive mechanism is meant to protect his heart by accessing the situation with brutal rationality so he could distance himself from reality. Should the mental trauma exceed the threshold and the damp break, he will shut down.

[@tophu3838]

What the hell?? You guys are incredibly fucking sharp, I don't usually stay and watch reactors' discussions after the react part is over, but I loved how you both analyzed and digested everything in the story. Being able to think about how this affects not only Rudy but Norn too, how heartbroken she would be when realizing her brother came back without an arm, with news of her beloved father being dead, and a mother in a difficult mental condition that may not recover ever. Mushoku Tensei is cruel, but also beautiful at times. I can't wait to see your reactions to the future of this series. Was also surprised you remembered Gisu's comment and how it doesn't make sense, thinking it looks more like Zenith was teleported into the crystal.

[@CosmicBeing10]

Gisu is actually a secret apostle of hitogami . So this all was planned by Hitogami itself so yeah the story is freaking good😅

[@tophu3838]

@@CosmicBeing10 No need to spoil everyone buddy

[@danielwu4991]

this episode is the epitome of a masterpiece, they planned it to be released on a special day that is father's day, they had Paul being emotional and unreasonably mean to Rudy, and make him say ''Save your mom even if it cost your life'', announcing that his own life is gonna end because it was his determination from the start of the fight, his last words were shouting '' RUDYY '', his death scene was shockingly silent like you know some anime would put the character's inner voice saying his last words before dying, but it wasn't the case for Paul. not only that, right before they show us the scene where we see paul's body cut in half, they show us Rudy trying to regenerate his arm but fails and explains that it is not possible to regenerate lost body parts, announcing that Paul has 0 chance to survive because there is no magic to heal him. the last thing we hear from him was his last breath, smiling to his son. and as it was not enough for Rudy's father's day, all their effort to save Zenith, were only to find out Zenith is in a vegetable state, Rudy's mental state has never been so low, probably the lowest point of his life.

[@timmythebirthdayboy8635]

Rudy said the healing spell he used wasn't powerful enough to regrow body parts not that it's impossible to do, this leads me to believe there are spells that could, just he or Roxy aren't advanced enough in healing magic to perform them.

[@danielwu4991]

@@timmythebirthdayboy8635 yeah, that makes it even sadder, as Rudy was powerless, it only makes us think that he will grow even stronger.

[@valenten89]

@@timmythebirthdayboy8635 Exactly this. We know there are more powerful healing spells out there because of Orsted. He regenerated rudys heart and lungs when he healed him after putting a hole through his chest. Normal healing magic wouldnt be able to do that.

[@VladimirMizich]

@@valenten89 Exactly what I thought. Orsted...then the ManGod...they have regenerative spells for sure. Also Badigadi the Immortal (the fat bulky demon, husband of Kishirika who Rudy got the future-seeing-eye from), he can regenerate his entire body for sure - so he may be able to cast spells on others too. My point is, the magic to regenerate limps, and even to repair the entire body does exist. Rudy just doesn't know it, nor does anyone in his circle. Rudy was truly helpless. There was no way to save/heal/repair Paul at that moment.

[@Tounushi]

@@timmythebirthdayboy8635 Orsted healed Rudeus with at least King-tier Healing magic. Maybe Emperor. Paul would've needed God-tier, and the incantation likely would've taken many minutes to recite.

[@Savldj]

Paul is the definition of an excellently written and concluded character

[@pedrocks1312]

His presence and memory will live on with us for the rest of time.. Fight on Pual.. Fight on...

[@jjpasay]

One thing I noticed a lot during re-read and while watching the anime: Rudeus tends to cope A LOT. Every time he gets shaken emotionally, even if a little, he always tries to rationalize it in some way or try to see things in a positive light. Here when Paul got mad at him, he immediately went "oh, we fought before. this isn't the first time. it's fine." as if he's trying to convince himself. Even Roxy noticed his distress which is why she asked him if he's okay. When he lost his hand to the Hydra, he immediately went "oh, well I can't get it back now but at least I took out the Hydra in exchange for it." When Paul lashed out at him for being calm, he immediately went "oh well, it's because i don't really care for her that much. yep" ignoring the fact that it was Zenith's loving memory that urged him to get up from his depressive state after Eris left him. He goes full cope mode whenever there's a potential breakdown for him and when he goes past the breaking point, it's all negative and self-deprecation from there. Next episode's gonna be rough.

[@luciomainbtw7064]

Wow, thank you for reminding me that Zenith was the sole reason Rudy took his first step out of his depressed state at the end of last season. It really puts into perspective how much Rudy is suppressing his emotions in order to keep a level head.

[@hirokiakiyama124]

日本語で失礼します。当時なろうにて掲載と同時に読んで身としては、10年以上前に経過した悲劇であり、アニメ化に際して『見たくて見たくて見たくない』話だったのです。二期はもうすぐ終わりを迎えます。恐らくは三期もあるでしょう。原作勢に恐怖を与えたターニングポイントは無事アニメ勢にも同じ衝撃を与え、三期にもきっと登場するでしょう。それでも本気で生きるルーデウスに何かをお二人に感じて頂けたら幸いです。

[@thealchemist1789]

それな。この一瞬がどんなに目をそらしたくても、そうにできなかった。このアニメがマジで好き

[@korehaha]

저도 이애니메이션을 너무좋아합니다.. 사람들이 나쁜걸로 보지말아주셧으면 좋겟네요..

[@ahmet51197]

sry for my english response , not good writing in japanese the next turning point in season 3 will be even more heartbreaking

[@thealchemist1789]

@@ahmet51197Don’t worry chief, I’ve read the light novels to volume 17

[@hirokiakiyama124]

​@@ahmet51197知ってる。書籍になる前からの原作勢だから。この作品は、前年、東日本大震災で疲弊した日本人を海外の親愛なる支援と共に力付けてくれたんですよ。

[@jmhaces]

Someone told me that in the light novel Rudeus reflects upon his belief that Paul's priorities are Zenith, Lilia, Norn, Aisha and him, Rudy, last. I don't know if Rudy's perception of how much Paul cared for each of his family members is accurate or not, but it seems Rudy neglected to realize that even if he was right, Rudy was still a priority for Paul over his own life.

[@shiori2182]

Yes but he did not notice where paul lies. Its actually , Zenith>Lilia>Norn>Aisha>Rudy>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>Paul (himself)

[@CrimsonRayne]

maybe with time rudy will realize its because rudy can handle himself, as a guy its respectful in a way equaling love

[@simaogomes3119]

​@@CrimsonRayne oh he did, the moment paul tells him "save your mother even if it kills you" was the moment rudy understood that Paul saw him as an equal, capable of standing up for himself and his family

[@TheFrancesc18]

@@shiori2182 It really depends a lot on how you define priorities. If it's based around how much he thinks they need his help, than he probably puts his daughter above his wives. It might seem he gives priority to Zenith, but that's because she's the only one that was still missing, while all the others are in safe places. Rudy is last because Paul knows he can take care of himself. But if we're talking about how much he cares for them, it is actually Zenith = Lilia = Norn = Aisha = Rudy > > > > > > > himself.

[@benferris3252]

This is easily one of the most powerful anime episodes I have ever seen. The level of writing in this show is on a different level. The fact that they released this episode on fathers day is wild

[@Braiam]

Happy Father's day!

[@mugendono23]

😭

[@query_official]

For the fans of the original work, this is the moment and the turning point that they did not want to see happen.The same is true for the animation production team that realizes the images.We, the fans, should rather be grateful to the production team for the wonderful visualization of such an important moment.

[@604Oaks]

Ok, I think I can finally say this and have the anime onlys almost fully understand why Paul is one of if not the greatest father in all of anime. The man is just a perfect representation of why MT is my absolute favorite story, full stop. At the start of the story Paul was this lovable goof who was pretty immature and completely unfit to be a father. He has no self esteem and realizes that when comparing himself to his literal baby, he is the one who is less fit to be a father. As with all characters in MT, we see his faults as the story progresses. He is someone who is a slave to his urges, he cheats on his wife and we learn that in the past that he r*ped Lilia and was generally just an awful person. Once rudeus is shipped off to be Eris’s tutor, we learn how Paul had run away from his responsibilities as the heir to the Notos family to become an adventurer. We learn that he essentially ended his friendship on bad terms with his closest friends after zenith got pregnant and was generally just a disappointment to everyone who cared for him. Then the displacement incident happened and Paul stepped it up. The man who once ran from his problems finally faced them. He called in his old friends and faced Zenith’s family. Rallied an entire organization behind him with the express purpose of finding his family, all while protecting the only family member who he knew was alive. Knowing how brutal politics can be and despite the fact that he was backed by Zenith’s family and the Boreas house, it’s still pretty impressive that Paul essentially threw himself into the politics of both Asura and the Milis church. Sadly though, as with every character in Mushoku Tensei, Paul’s flaws are still a part of him. This time, after all of his setbacks and the lack of good news, Paul began to run from his problems again. His organization began to leave him, he still hadn’t found either of his wives, his other daughter, or even the son who was so mature and reliable that nothing seemed to stand in his way. He retreated into a bottle, stricken with grief and regrets, fully immersed in his own depression. He was a man who was in so much pain that unless he was drunk, he would lose all hope. It was in this moment that he finally met rudeus. Now I’m not going to go through the entire reunion between Paul and rudeus but essentially both were wrong in that situation. But while rudeus was dismissive and generally shocked by the whole encounter, Paul once again (with some help from geese) stepped it up, moving past his faults he faced his problem and moved to rebuild what was lost with rudeus. After reuniting with rudeus, he regained his drive to continue the search for his missing family. After reuniting with Lilia and Aisha, Paul is willing to accept rudeus as a complete equal and someone who is so dependable that he is not only willing to trust one of rudeus’s allies without having much interaction with them himself but is also willing to separate from the children that he spent so long trying to protect and find. Finally Paul travels across unfamiliar and very dangerous lands with a very small band of people. When he meets up with rudeus, despite everything that has happened, he still tries to be a good father, talking with his son, making jokes and just having a good time. He also finally bridges the gap with Lise, the final friend who he still needs to reconcile with and who he hurt the most. He goes into one of if not the most dangerous labyrinth and battles his way all the way to the bottom. When he finally gets there and sees his wife, his final family member he immediately falls back on to his fault of being a slave to his urges, running in blindly trying to save his wife. After retreating, he apologizes, bows his head, and asks for forgiveness and help from the ones he trusts one final time. He then turns to rudeus, and in an attempt to be a father, he tries to ask for his son’s help one more time. He says “save your mother even if it costs you your life”. In this one sentence, he confirms with rudeus that he is going to give this fight his all, and if his all is not enough, then he is willing to die trying. He wants to make sure that rudeus understands his conviction and his utter trust in rudeus and he also wants to make sure that rudeus is going to do the same. Although it is something that a father shouldn’t say to his child, it is the best example of Paul’s trust in rudeus as an equal. During the battle, while everyone else was supporting rudeus, retreating, healing, and returning to the fight, Paul is constantly fighting. Always in danger, he lets his urges to save Zenith become his strength. He trusts the people in his party completely and knows that they will do their job, letting him commit fully to his role in the fight. The only time that Paul focuses on something other than fighting the hydra is to save his companions and then to save his son. At the end of his life, Paul looks up at his son, and smiles. While Paul is imperfect and extremely flawed, he is the perfect embodiment of both the meaning behind Mushoku Tensei as a whole as well as how someone who isn’t necessarily a good person can be a great father. Although this video came out after day later, happy Father’s Day. (Sorry for the paragraph, MT is just such a good story that even someone who in any other anime would be considered a side character has such a deep and meaningful story)

[@jaideepshekhar4621]

Much appreciate the insight.

[@rotmistrzjanm8776]

Happy Father's day everyone! I've cried during Novels. I've cried during episode. And I've cried during that reaction 😭

[@Tounushi]

Check out the Drama CD. You get Paul's POV of the hydra fight. The last minutes will get anyone crying.

[@necto1879]

I know right, i didnt know i could cry reading words 😅

[@Tounushi]

@@necto1879 I read through a chapter of vol 24 with tears streaming down my face.

[@aqrxv]

Powerful episode, and amazingly directed party combat as well as the tragic aftermath (especially the choice to do the arrival home in silence). I appreciated your reactions.

[@DishonoredSkull]

Bought popcorn to watch your reactions. Time to put it to good use, waited all day for this. With season 2 nearing its end, I can't wait for season 3 and hope it gets all the time it needs.

[@smittywerben1849]

Paul cheated on Zenith, but he gave his life to save her. Paul truly did love Zenith with all his heart. Rest in peace Paul.

[@magicflierplays]

People often forget that Paul and his friends are ex-S Rank adventurer party members, since normally fighting a hydra with so few fighters is crazy

[@nguyendi92]

I mean, fighting any dragon is fucking insane to begin with. Without mages that also can fight in close quater, I dont see how anyone could kill it. Save for God ranks who probably just slash all the head all at once. The Breath attack would just wipe any fighting party clean.

[@NfNcTHUMPER]

Felt ben’s pain Fr felt that way in the novels and seeing it animated was more depressing 🥲MT 10/10 anime

[@aqrxv]

Sylphie was also very close to Zenith (and Lilia) -- she mentioned to Rudy that both of Paul's wives taught her (cooking, etiquette, etc.) after Rudy left. So I imagine she will be affected, perhaps as much as Rudy, if Zenith cannot recover. Weird things do seem to happen to people who teleport (arriving in the air directly about a princess, or close to the last chief of the superd tribe).

[@valenten89]

This is the episode that makes me say that Paul is a good father. He wasnt perfect but he did his best and always ALWAYS protected his children when he was able to. it hits hard when you see him smile at the end when he sees that Rudy is safe. Paul is one of the best written characters in this series and seeing how he has grown and what he has become really proves that. As for Zenith... well... time will tell if she is ok or not.

[@dragonballoblivion8273]

he genuinely did do his best considering his background and personality, an excellent father to Norn when they were displaced, he tried his best for Aisha and wanted her to grow up more normally than lilia even if he couldn't always be there for her and considering how weird Rudy was as a reincarnate kid he did alright.

[@anshuman6923]

The reason Rudy looks lost, and has a moment where he he seems unsure of himself during the fight, is because the Hydra was deliberately using its cut off heads as a distraction, and Rudy's eye which sees the immediate future got him totally confused as he couldn't make out what he was seeing with the Hydra's flailing heads working as a distraction. The Light Novel breaks down the fight rather well, as opposed to the anime which makes it seem as if Rudy just stopped mid-fight to remember whether he left the stove on at home or something.

[@dallama2616]

To me, it seems like he got overconfident once he realized there was only one head left

[@leonardo835q]

The anime shows the fight in "real" time, no thoughts, no slowing, no anything.

[@anshuman6923]

@@dallama2616 That's why the anime is a bit iffy at times; it doesn't lend important LN context to many situations. Rudy was basically staring at a Hydra head in front of him seconds in advance; the Hydra's strategy worked in confusing him. Another LN detail was the whole plan itself. The reason Talhand and Geese don't chop heads themselves is that it was decided that Paul would chop, Elinalise would run coverage, Rudy would cauterize, Roxy would support/heal, Geese and Talhand would each run interference on Paul's two sides to prevent other heads from attacking Paul while he was focused one one head at a time. It was a really good strategy actually.

[@reignmans]

the reason he is lost is because he was too focused on watching everything with his demon eye that actually got him stack. he was already having trouble catching up with pauls speed using battle aura. he was literally caught of guard because he was tunnel visioning and super focused on his demon eye and got frustrated

[@sultanprawiro3069]

​@@dallama2616if he overconfident he will not use his demon eye

[@user-pl2sy5dx3s]

どうにもならないことがあるのだと、今あるものを大事にしようと思いました。

[@thadziegler5510]

One of my favorite details in the episode I don't really see anyone talk about is how, after Rudy blocks the hydra's breath, the soundtrack either samples or outright plays Orsted's theme. It's a cool way to build up dread/tension in the viewer by calling back to one of the most traumatic events of Rudy's life

[@maspaijo5987]

That cool detaild, thanks for pointing out

[@wisefelipe]

This is so cool. Nearly no one will actively notice this. But we all feel the dread

[@budthecyborg4575]

Very cool, I had no idea they re-used the Orsted fight OST.

[@ATom-jm2jw]

I can't stress enough how much I enjoyed your reaction for this episode. It was also very interesting to see how fast Anna was able to recover compared to Ben. Contrast at it's greatest

[@christopherbaldwin2094]

The silence from the moment until the end. Just. Damn

[@Th3WarFish]

happy fathers day mushoku tensei fans

[@luksalter8200]

Rudy didnt get distracted in the novel,hydra is big and fast,rudy didnt understand what it was doing

[@MANG0_0833]

Rest in peace Paul fr 🙏

[@vampocalpyse]

I've seen this 4x the last couple days and it still hits me like a truck each time. o7 Paul, you went out like a true man.

[@hundredhanded1205]

I had to watch this reaction to process some of my own grief.

[@budthecyborg4575]

Bingo. Watching it alone the first time feeling no empathy was so depressing. Seeing Ben and Anna cry fills the void.

[@JayroReaps]

It probably meant a lot to Paul knowing he was able to save his sons life from the Hydra and rescue his family. It's gonna be tough when Rudy goes to see Norm, she might just end up hating him again.

[@reignmans]

If somehow for some weird reason Rudeus listened to the mangod and didn't go... Then a) roxy would be dead b) Paul would still be hellbent to go and save Zenith. c) The whole party(Paul, Elinalise, Geese, Talhand) would get wiped sooner or later and most probly they'd never reach the 6th stratum d) Zenith would still be MIA i'm pretty sure that would be something that Rudeus would never be able to get over it. He would blame himself for not going for eternity. Now about how fast and strong Paul is, Paul and as a rule of thumb warriors that are saint+ in the ranks can use battle aura, Paul is advanced in all 3 sword techniques which is a feat by itself. Battle aura is kind of like manipulating mana to extremely boost your physical stats even extension of your body like your weapons (the reason why paul could cut a boulder like its made out of butter with a wooden sword when training kid rudy). In the novel Rudeus comments on how fast paul was in that fight, he couldnt track how fast he was when Paul was using his battle aura. I believe Rifujin (the author) said that Paul just by being advanced on all 3 styles should be a mid level saint rank fighter. All of that while he was a doofus and left the dojo and never completing his actual training under a master. I'm pretty sure its out in the open that skill wise Paul was considered kind of a generational talent but also a lazy doofus that cared more about having fun than putting in serious work and improving his skills. p.s what paul wanted to say the first time Rudeus interrupted him was "I'll save you even if it kills me" So basically what they didn't let us know is... That he told Rudeus Save your mom even if it kills you and i'll save you even if it kills me.

[@KuroVergil]

Not really. If he didn't go, an adventurer would have met Geese at the guild and would join them. That adventurer had a copy of the book and would have rescued Roxy by luck. And everyone with cold heads would figure the entrance to the 6th circle. Rudy going got Paul killed. He wanted to show off most of the time, making him less collected than would be normal. Not to mention, everyone there had dungeon experience except for Rudy, so he was the weakest link in that dungeon party. The other adventurer was strong enough to also cut heads, and with Paul, the task would've been faster and safer.

[@Panthromise]

@@KuroVergil that information isn't reliable

[@aryasatya2626]

​@@KuroVergilnah, Hitogami lied at that time to keep Rudy trust enough to unleash the mouse plan, IYKWIM. I think if Roxy died in that dungeon the Hitogami will gloat to Rudy just like the alternative timeline that his plan work and Rudy was an idiot to trust him.

[@shiori2182]

@@KuroVergil Nah, Hitogami lied to Rudy, so Rudy will less doubt his advises. Which should have worked for the next TP if Oldeus did not come.

[@hazri999]

@KuroVergil Dude, add a spoiler tag of future revelations. Even worse it is misleading spoiler with the inaccurate comprehension of the context behind it. Don't reveal future things because it might influence autosave analysis of what will happen

[@ferroishere1103]

Dont forget to greet Paul a Happy Father's Day

[@Hehexd944]

Not sure if this was said but that line on episode 20 was a mistranslation. The line was supposed to be something along the lines of "A party of adventurers saw someone who fits Zenith's description trapped in the labyrinth".

[@DSHome.]

It wasn't a mistranslation. There is a reason for that line but it won't be explained for a really long time.

[@sideofpretzels]

It’s amazing how you guys went completely silent from 12:04 till the end of the episode

[@jaideepshekhar4621]

Tbf, so did I.

[@Budda523]

One thing you are forgetting, this is the teleportation labyrinth. Zenith could very well have walked into a trap that teleported her inside the crystal.

[@ABIDOSYUMEMODOKI]

小説ではこの時のルディの心情がわかりやすく書かれています。

[@rukasushi8502]

I relate so much to you two and Rudy on this episode and I can't even get words to say here. Let's keep moving forward!

[@andrewsheppard1940]

I thought the use of music (and silence) in the episode was next level, especially during the scene where they returned to Lillia, Viera and Shiera, with the strings becoming discordant when they broke the news of Pul's death. No words needed.

[@estevaoabel3439]

I have never been depressed like this with any other anime. I knew Paul was going to die (he raised so many flags along the way) but it was so sudden and graphic. Especially seeing how dedicated he was to rescue zenith, you’d think at least he would lay his hand on her after so many years. Like close but no cigar. And to see zenith in that state as well is just heartbreaking. Give Rudy a break man 💔💔

[@Reyhanwss]

u guys feel the emotion as me, subbed!

[@abeo222]

What an extremely emotional episode. and to drop this on Father's day is even more impactful. You two were great as always, Where do we go from here?

[@maxdon2001]

Great reaction! Damn seeing this again hits just as hard, I had read the LN a long time ago and it still hits so hard!

[@AlterXfate]

Amazing discussion about this episode this review was deep and great, hope to see you both finish through mushoku tensei

[@LanyakEquinox]

We had earlier this season a glimps of whats to come in the next episodes , rudy dealing with his trauma related to family specificly his brother by trying to help Norn , now Rudy is someone whos never been to his parents funaral in his previous life and as he said in this he didnt see Zenith or Paul like someone normaly sees his parents all of these things combine with the fact that he disregarded mangod and Pauls last act was to save him , Rudys state of mind after these events is something i dont think anyone can fully grasp its one thing to lose a parent its another to feel guilty for it and its a whole different beast to realize you lost 4 parents 4 people that even if you didnt think much of them they would have given EVERYTHING for you.

[@werdnaxela9553]

The silence in this episode after the camera pans to Paul is deafening. The studio went all out on this episode. Phenomenal and tragic. Also, slick of them to air it on Father’s Day.

[@ericsu0630]

Two or three episodes ago, Rudy had a dream of everyone he cared about sitting around the dinner table. That dream will never come true...

[@astrojudebob]

I've read the novels, knew it was coming and how, and it still hurt. It's one of the best episodes I've seen. Great video, you two. Thanks.

[@itsCalamari]

This episode put me in a sad mood for the rest of the day lmao. Something about Paul's death feels so real, maybe because his character is so well developed he feels like a real person, so his death is extra brutal. The best written tragedies are ones that hit super hard even if you see them coming.

[@Hollowed2wiz]

I've watched a couple of reactions to this episode and this one is by far the best.

[@nightsxgames]

So - My personal Theory on MT adding in opening and closings is so they could take away the opening right here - to make the ending that more impactful. We haven't had the end bleed through the credits like this in so long and having it happen is right here.

[@ocg4481]

LETS GOOOO THIS IS THE REACTION IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THE MOST

[@animrash6604]

just because you know a fall hurts doesn't mean you won't feel pain

[@sankro]

RIP Heracles. Sacrifised himself to take down the Hydra, he will be missed... Paul too i guess.

[@kyrie980]

Heracles (Rudeus's left hand muscle name)

[@CrimsonRayne]

i think higher tier spells grow back limbs, he'll be ok soon enough

[@A_itsar]

​@@CrimsonRaynemilis monopolizes healing magic so no the arm won't regrow anytime soon

[@munkhgalamarmend8809]

​@@A_itsarunless he goes to war against millis wink wink nod nod

[@A_itsar]

@@munkhgalamarmend8809 my statement is still correct

[@CrimsonRayne]

that dragon firebreath charging up sounded a lot like a digimon digivolving sound, little nostalgia trip

[@lebunjenky9780]

The dudes reaction is exactly mine when i first read this chapter from the LN . Speechless for a week

[@serpently9404]

I loved the reaction and the discussion in the end!!!

[@Brianworldwide_7]

The depression have just begun

[@poopyhead5483]

Just wait until turning point 4 is the true depression 🥲

[@TheLuis12198]

You mean continues, the beginning of season 2 was also the depression arc.

[@Brianworldwide_7]

@@TheLuis12198 this is depression x10000

[@estradamonzonelias5045]

I remember that when the first season first aired, after watching the very first episode, I decided to read all the light novels. It took me only 10 days to read 17 volumes, I read it every time, when I was supposed to do my homework, I was reading it; when I was eating, I was reading it; all the time during those 10 days I spent every second reading the light novel. This part was the only moment I had to stop reading, I remember that I was at the middle of the night and I simply decided to stop reading and sleep. And when I woke up it took me a large moment to continue reading. But there is something that I remember, it didn't took me too much time to overcome the sadness and continue reading this awesome story. That is something that only this story has been able to do. I am someone very sensible, there have been too many stories that I would suffer a very short depression after the dead of a character to the point where I couldn't continue reading it (Like Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, this light novel is to this moment torture to remember). However, Mushoku Tensei is a story meant to show the will and struggle to overcome mental, life and situational conflicts. This story is the only one that has been able to put in my mind not only the sadness of the death of a character, but the will and wish to overcome it and see (read) with my eyes what will come next, what hapiness will come next.

[@Th3WarFish]

i just want to thank you for your videos. the amount of thought you put into the post episode half of your videos and taking the time to sit there and talk through your emotions and thoughts makes your videos an absolute treat to watch.

[@ATom-jm2jw]

Ben: "No no no, I hear your thoughts. Nothing bad will happen" Famous last words

[@cpMetis]

I really, really hope this doesn't fuck Norn and Aisha's relationship even more. I would say that getting Lilia back at the same time could temper any feelings of resentment, but, Imma be real, i don't know how much i trust Lilia's parenting outside of Rudy. And i can't say I trust Rudy in this state to be enough to keep Norn from ending up with some sort of jealousy. The only real savior i can imagine there could be Sylphie, but that's kinda just hoping the lesser known variable solves the equation.

[@Brian-fj5gz]

Seen it a few times already. Im still speechless. This show is something else.

[@maoutenshi4642]

There is a mistranslation in episode 20. It is not that Zenith was in a party, but seen by someone in a party.

[@user-um6qe3bb7t]

I am Japanese and have to say it is not mistranslation.

[@DSHome.]

No mistranslation. There is a reason why it's said like that and it's gonna take a looooong time until we truly understand the meaning of this phrase.

[@rohanshende4338]

Wow Zenith out there partying while her family looks for her

[@andrewli6606]

Either way that doesn’t make sense. No one would’ve made it down to the last chamber because the teleportation circle was hidden.

[@Tounushi]

The manga also had it that she was in a party. Seven Seas translation had it that she was spotted in the labyrinth by a party. Now I'm starting to think that is there a retcon.

[@user-bp5jb9nx2w]

He thought it was the last one. But in reality it was one head and seven headless necks. And he could not avoid the attack from the headless neck.

[@Jackie_Tikki_Tavi]

I've never seen a show like this. I knew from episodes 1-maybe 10 way back when that this has the potential to be really special, but just the contrast between episode 22(+20 something) and childhood Rudy's life is astonishing in terms of story telling and...just the show existing. There isn't another Mushoko Tensei out there, and if there is life is richer for it.

[@AntiqueRem]

Everyone is focusing on Paul, I’m just noticing Roxy clinging to Rudy when he was defending hydra’s breath attack.

[@Gogeta166]

You know I was almost expecting as long as a discussion as TP2 caused from this episode, but seeing this episode break you both and leave you too reeling to really talk about some of it is just as fun. Happy Father's Day! Pa/ul died doing what he did best, being separated from his other half.

[@Eumar_A7]

O7 for paul. Best father in anime! We won’t forget you bro. I can’t imagine turning point 4 in season 3. That’s this episodes shock factor times 1000. MT will only get better from here on out

[@gogogadgetrectalpunch7436]

The craziest thing about that battle, is that it shows just how strong Paul is. And according to Paul, he’s gotten weaker. And if you wanna really freak out, he said he was never able to beat Ghislaine. But Ghislaine went blow for blow with one of Perugius’s 12 followers. And Perugius isn’t even one of the 7 Great Powers. And technically Orsted is the strongest among the 7. Mushoku Tensei has SO much left to show us.

[@YellowboyRickLee]

Awesome reaction and discussion!

[@NakornWaipradap]

I wasn't ready for this... not one bit needed to take a while before watching this reaction because I was still breaking down crying

[@TTU_gamerguy789]

The most messed up part is that this episode aired on Father's Day.

[@ElyonDominus]

Slyphie announces her pregnancy on Mother's Day and Pa/ul gets the best Father's Day present he could have, his family is safe and together at long last.

[@maspaijo5987]

Imo, it not messed up, to me,, it to reminding us to a father that sacrifice his time, streight and even his life for his own family

[@amatyst]

For the record, The mass teleportation calamity has been shown to have seemingly no restrictions on teleportation. It was shown with sylphy teleporting in the air and falling off the sky And with Lilia and aisha teleporting in the middle of a lake and underwater And rudeus teleporting to a entire different continent.

[@user-jc7ms3ix4x]

You are indeed the GOAT reactors ❤

[@TheIDcard123]

I like the fact that you guys just didn't talk near the end of the episode after Paul's death. You guys were just soaking in everything in at that point in stunned silence. Really drives home how much the tone shifted in that one scene alone.

[@unnwas]

13:42 Yeah... Lilia's hug and words were a tiny little detail in all of this but it got me hard too

[@Gameflayr]

This episode got me speechless for 3 minutes... 3 minutes facing the replay button.

[@sabbliz]

Nice reaction and discussion!

[@hazelnuts23]

This is the best reaction for episode 22

[@tranhuup]

It's really insane despite knowing what would happen, I was still on my seat the entire time I watched this.

[@sevillaa6532]

When you say that there is a reason Zenith was teleported into a labyrinth, you have to remember other weren't as lucky and landed in the middle of the ocean and died, or into the middle of the air like sylphie. The disaster affected everyone and Rudys family was on the lucky side

[@giveira]

estava esperando pela reação de vocês

[@KisameNarusas]

I'm sure that Paul managed to see how the hydra died, and that's why he smiled at the end, he knew that his death had been worth it and that his family would be safe.

[@miguelrodriguezgonzalez6396]

There's a little bit more to it, he already knew the hydra died, at that moment he was thinking in his regrets, but what made him smile is he indeed managed to save Rudy, there's a CD drama that came with volume 2 that sheds some light on it

[@ATom-jm2jw]

Even though I got spoiled about Paul, it still had hit like a truck

[@SantaClaus-kk8zr]

Yeah same, lot of reactors had titles like ‘OMG NO ON FATHERS DAY? 😢’ and I had a hunch right before watching it for myself. Couldn’t even watch it since I’m on limited wifi for the week but I pop up on the KZbin and happen to see a thumbnail and it’s over

[@ElyonDominus]

You and Rudeus have something in common.

[@BS-id7rq]

Yeah....the episode messes you up for a bit. I cried when reading this in the LNs. Took me a good day or two to process everything.

[@alexanderalexander7599]

😭😭 even I, in the light novel been reading it for many chapters for the internal struggle of Rudy.