You can buy the Mushoku Tensei Light Novels on Amazon in physical or digital formats - this is an affiliate link so I make a small commission if you shop for them using this link to volume 1 of the series - amzn.to/3m0WjuL And here's a link to get the Roxy Gets Serious spin-off manga: amzn.to/3IFZ7ap
A bittersweet ending for Paul and Zenith story. Paul lost so much and tried to claw it all back just to fall at the finish line. The capriciousness of games the gods play with mortal lives is astounding.
I think it would have been even harder for Paul had he survived. Imagine having to live with the fact that his wife was permanently stuck in a shell like that.. that would have probably broken him completely. At least he got to die thinking that his wife was going to be saved right after.
@@simonphoenix3789 nah, if he lived, that won’t break Paul. Paul would recover at some point and come into terms with Zenith’s situation. Then Paul would be back to banging women if not… he’ll most likely Bang Lilia every night like what he use to do with Zenith. Rudeus will probably have 1-3 more sibling.
I always liked how Zenith was so high on life and positive about everything. But she always seemed like an outsider even in her families. Left her mom and dad to go adventuring to live her own life. Got cheated on by Paul a few years in. Even Rudeus didn't get to be that close to her either. Half the day with Roxy and the other half with Paul. Then they show him getting on better terms with Lilia but hardly ever with Zenith. Zenith really is a great character.
@@dc1397 the shows going to do there relationship true justice, once he get’s older and meet his grandmother, and people for get he took after his mother from the start with her being a magic user and not really a fighter like him. It’s going to be later in the series but you will see how unset he will get
Rudeus was going to kill anyone who had a hand in his mother's kidnapping. He was ready to take on royal knights. Rudeus was the one person who never disappointed zenith
The price of Spartan kicking your religious beliefs and your husband's infidelity is becoming a vegetable. I was Preparing To Cry but I just ended up laughing.
IMO One of the Saddest, and simultaneously most interesting aspect of mushoku tensei is the authors focus on the relationships between characters and their families. Their struggles, hardships, & tragedies, and the emphasis on the importance of family, the responsibility & uncertainty they face, and the difficulty in maintaining those bonds through difficult times. This narrative element in the story is largely what gives Mushoku Tensei a realistic feel to the readers. The story itself doesn’t explicitly spell this out, but the author explores the philosophical questions like what is a family, and what does it mean to build and maintain those relationships through vast expanses of time? How do you react in the face of tragedy and crisis, and how do you recover when death takes a parent or loved one unexpectedly. There are many archetypal themes which undergird the narrative elements of the story: like the heroes journey; the cycle of life, death, and rebirth; the archetypal story of saving your father from the depths of chaos and hell, and seeking redemption; and the eternal struggle of mankind to overcome the tyranny, and evil which manifest in the world, and in the hearts of man. Overall, it’s a very well written story and the anime has been adapted very well so far.
Yeah i like how much effeord author put in those relationships the Rudeus and Paul fight hit me hard because i got in to a fight with my father and as a result of that we didn't talk for almost 10 years.
I love that Rudy got a special needs parent like a lot of families do, even if it was mystical. It was a nice touch that showed his life isn’t power fantasy escapism.
this was the first web novel i read from start to finish and it has probably poisoned my perception of the isekai genre. few series ive read really have characters LIVE their second lives. the mc is usually the chosen one, hero whos destined to slay the demon king, super charismatic and quickly assembles a team as is well on his way to being op by vol 1. then there's Rudy. hes gotta deal with anxiety ,depression, withdrawal from society and family issues. Actually work towards making a connection with others. Actual growth as a human being and not just ' mc has now gained x power '.
@@bonjovi1354 Yes, but Rudeus literally cannot do anything to fight Hitogami directly. His entire life's work is actually to make it easier for the actual main character (Orsted) to beat the villain.
As a son who lost his Father to Dementia over a period of 20 YEARS. Zeniths Story is simply horrifying to me. So happy and full of life only to be reduced to a potted plant, set in the corner for the rest of her life watching the world go by around her unable to interact with it
NGL if mushoku tensei receives a proper adaptation(a guarantee at this point) it will likely be the best anime of all time(or maybe joint first). Edit: to clarify, I have read the novel.
imo zenith is the only "true" ,thru n thru ,nice person in this story.even tho paul kinda redeems himself i still think zenith was "wasted" on him.she s by far best girl(imo always)and even tho shes (kinda) happy by the end of mushoku it still makes me really sad when i think the life she lived!
When I was reading the Begaritt and Labyrinth chapters, I was surprised, how tense the atmosphere was. I don't think any other chapters are that tense. I was on edge, expecting something horribly wrong to happen on every turn. When the final set of tragedies happened, it hit really hard. It was truly exceptional writing.
Zenith is top tier and her being cheated on really rubbed me the wrong way. Might be because I've been single for a few years wanting a devoted and kind woman. Not sure. Just really sucks.
Nah, Paul just really sucks honestly. If polygamy is a thing then why not just discuss it with Zenith when whats-her-face (maid) starts showing romantic affection/urges towards him? Seems like a simple solution to me but I guess some people just have too much pride to communicate some things. I get that standards are different but just deep down he's a self-centered narcissist and he really has just annoyed me with every second of screen time in the anime.
@@samplingmastersxlr8660 All 3? Zenith never did anything wrong. She even made Paul promise he would be faithful before starting a relationship with him. Paul is the scumbag
I always thought it odd that Rudy never asked Cliff to make a magic item to stop or at least weaken his mom's curse. If he can make something for Ordstead of all people much less his wife who was in a very similar situation. He could have done something.
He does try to find cures for her, even asking Perugius about it, but since she doesn't seem to be cursed, it wouldn't really overlap with Cliff's research, where Orsted's issue did seem to overlap with what Cliff was researching anyway for Elinalise.
Cliff doesn't specialized in medical field (Which is what Zenith thing is about) but why didn't they let the demon eye that cliff had to do it, to find a cure for her or even ask Kishirika with the problem
Well, they already asked Perugius and he wasn't able to help, plus Elinalise who knows the most about the condition. It wasn't that they didn't try to help. Kishirika is kinda dumb, as well, they only sought her out to ask about Nanahoshi's condition because it was a disease that had once been common and she was a person Rudy knew and thought he had a chance of finding who was old enough to remember about it - she's not someone you'd usually go to for medical advice. Once they find out from the Miko what has actually happened to her they know there won't be a medical cure because she isn't actually sick or cursed.
I cannot imagine having your Mom right there but being unable to converse with her. He cant even help her Morn the lose of Paul or share in the joy of his Children. He cant ask her for advice or ask her what she needs/wants. All he can do most of the time is hope she is doing well and is happy. God that must be so painful at times. She is right there and yet so far away.
@@wanaiman499 Sorry I took so long to reply. Basically she is stuck inside her own mind and is unable to communicate with anyone besides through Telepathy with Rudi and Roxies Kid, though that is limited, once she is rescued from the Labyrinth. She goes on to live with Rudius and his Family, but she cannot engage with any of them. I find her story to be the most tragic of anyone, basically the definition of 'so close, yet so far away'.
I honestly find zenith story and development as a character intriguing. But what I don't understand about characters who possess telepathy in mushoku tensei why can they not communicate with others who don't possess like physic are regular presented?.
After the dungeon incident where Paul died and Rudeus managed to save his mother, Zenith joined a travelling circus and grew a beard where she later became known as 'The Bearded Lady.'
What makes Paul's death sadder is the fact that he died saving Rudeus's life. The only reason he didn't survive is because by this point in the story Rudeus is an adult, and Paul had to use all of his strength to shove him out of the way of the hydra. Paul may have been a shitty husband, but he was always doing his best as a father. And even though Rudeus tries to argue that Paul was more like a friend, he ultimately is broken over the loss of his father. He didn't even cry over the death of his first parents, but is completely devastated by Paul's passing. Mushoku Tensei's best theme has always been the recurring theme of friends and family. Rudeus only ever makes it as far as he does by going in the complete opposite direction of his past self and interacting with people, building meaningful connections.
One of the things I love about this anime is it relates to actual life so well. In IRL, people come and go with some influencing your life in ways that you may never fully comprehend. Family are always a
I know this is not the center point of this video, but I want to thank you for mentioning Jirou, the pet armadillo. For those who don't know - Jirou is a very BIG armadillo, they are used as beasts of burden on Begaritto continent. Cool thing about how attentive the novel to details is the fact that it took some time for Jirou to adjust to new climate of the country that Rudy lives in. Also, Roxy would usually ride Jirou to her work. Imagine your college professor arriving on campus riding a giant armadillo :)
Hearing this actually brought tears to my eyes. I guess one of the things why I love manga/anime is the fact that story's being told always feel more real. Characters that are very important and even serve as strong supportive cast, are sometimes killed or otherwise snatched from our lives. Even though entertainment is supposed to be a respit from real life, I much prefer when a story mirrors life insted. Given this story takes place over a lifetime, it would make sense there are highs and lows, just like real life. And seeing characters go through the same good and bad things in life, makes things much more compelling, at least for me. Seeing characters you care about feel the pain of a loved one's death, makes the character much more relatable on easier to sympathies with and such. Rather then having them have a huge git in life, then being okay a few pages after, I much more enjoy it when their actions mirror said sorrow or happiness or what ever it is. Makes the characters feel more real and the story more engaging. Muchoku Tensei is defiantly the kind of story where people act and react like most normal human beings would.
Paul died? thats a bummer tho, he was a cool character and a father to rudy. as for zenith tho, her ending and her state after her rescue is too tragic, she cant speak with her mouth and only be able to talk about what she has to think through telepathy. but she is happy with how things are in the family. RIP paul tho!
So does this mean Zenith is long living now? I tried googling her and it say she dies like 50 or something years after she's found but it sounds like she's alive, even after Rudy dies.
I don't think it changed her lifespan. She could just live to be older than Rudeus - he lives to be 74 and she was pretty young when he was born, so if she lived to 100 she could still outlive Rudy with a normal human lifespan. she does look younger than she is, apparently though, so maybe the years she was in the crystal don't count, though that wouldn't be long enough to add a significant amount to her lifespan.
@@NatalieXHunter yea, I think her being trapped for so long in the crystal mightve kept her at the age of either when she was teleport and/or trapped in the crystal. I forget if that part was mentioned. (How she got in the crystal) it wouldn't the first time that a blank age person is trapped in a crystal and comes out the same age, only to live out their friends/family again.
Not to mention Roxy would have died... that is the whole reason Hitogami didn't want Rudy to go since SPOILER Roxy gives birth to Lara later on who ultimatively seals Hitogami's fate.
Yeah, for sure. But Roxy probably wouldn't be in the story if she spoke telepathically as she wouldn't have ended up leaving her village for the same reason, and having the same life. The fact Lara can speak telepathically means that they can in some way hear from Zenith, but only once Lara is old enough to communicate verbally as well...
No, but if Zenith said she wanted a translator I guess they could go and hire someone from the Migurd tribe or something - they have plenty of money and Roxy obviously is connected to a lot of people with telepathy who might fancy living somewhere different. Seems like Zenith doesn't ask for anything like that and due to her dreamlike state is fairly happy as she is.
I would make a joke about the "best wife" comment at the beginning but it's not exactly a high bar to set for zenith lol I do wish we got to see more of her earlier on though. We saw plenty of paul and I was kinda hoping for some wholesome moments with zenith too. That labyrinth part went 0 - 100 real quick though. I appreciate the concept, though. It's awesome to see real danger and risk in anime stories where people do lose loved ones and can't bring them back, even in some magical world where crazy things are possible. The aftereffects of the crystallizing remind me of people who were in a coma but still aware of their surroundings. Now we just need to figure out why the sketchy figure didn't want rudy to go and why he's still bothering him lol
Hmmm well why that sketchy figure keeps bothering Rudy is rather important for a very dangerous reason. Spoilers if you wanna read: The Human God Hitogami can make ALL humans in Mushoku Tensei obey him with unwavering faith, EXCEPT Rudeus and his descendants. There is a secret war happening in the background, no battles are fought, yet, but conflict is there. Hitogami is not a good god. And Rudeus and his kin are considered to be new pieces on the board that can change who wins that conflict. As such, Hitogami does his best to keep Rudy and family on his side to so as to stay in power.
@@thomasallen9974 sounds interesting. I think it's building up a strong series and can't wait to see how it plays out. Between what you put here and what I've heard from Natalie's videos, I've been putting quite a bit together without diving in myself. I don't personally mind spoilers but I do understand that others can have their experience negatively impacted by them and I do like to keep some things in the dark just for fun lol. Ty for the explanation!
Wait. There's a demon in Zenith's OG party. And the party was reformed to rescue her yeah? Why wouldn't said demon try telepathy on Zenith? It's been a decade since I read the book, so I'm only going of what was said in the vid.
Said demon is Gisu. Though I suspect that his tribe is one of those Beast races that migrated to the Demon Continent, assimilated, and were eventually considered as part of the Demon race. Also, we only know of the Migurd tribe, of the Demon race, to be able to use telepathy.
@@userk2comment To follow up Gisu has never been shown to directly use magic (Unless you read his one self-insert fanfiction that was a short but hilarious chapter named "Gisu Wars." In which he fabricated a story about himself being a noble hero and fought alongside Rudy, although even then I don't think he necessarily used any spells, just unique magical armor and weapons.), only basic magic tools which even non-magic users can use. Being considered the fangs of the black wolf's weakest member (he can't fight) he is useless in both combat and in magic acquainted matters. Gisu's tribe (Nuka) does have a special kind of magic known as "hypnosis magic" however Gisu has never once used this type of magic in the novel, in fact it's presumed he can't use this magic at all but, that's still up in the air like alot of things surrounding his sexy ass. The character we do see use this magic however isn't even part of his tribe, it's his enemy who is of a different race altogether Orsted. This magic in question isn't telepathy and much is not known about this sect of magic, other than it can put people to sleep. I don't think it's known how exactly Orsted came to acquire the magic of the Nuka tribe but, it's most likely he had friendly relations with them at one point causing them to be a target by Hitogami, this of course is just speculation. Edit: here's a fan translation of "Geese Wars" done by @LoremIpsumVerb it's a quick but funny read. twitter.com/LoremIpsumVerb/status/1390514857678671881?t=OkXHddY6UuuV_Wpwzz-XhQ&s=19
all i can say that she is stuck in a hard place haha.... but honestly i was sad when reading that chapter/volume and paul's suffering to get her was the deal breaker for my heart
Well, until Lara leaves home... I didn't mention it because it would mean explaining a whole extra bunch of spoilers but Zenith also seems to be able to communicate with the sacred beast, who also uses telepathy to talk to Lara.
What do you think about the audience response when they watch season 2? I love the school arc to death but anime-onlies might have a different opinion on it, especially the first few episodes. It's important as it establishes the new status quo and it establishes what will become Mushoku's highs. I'm curious about your prediction regarding its reception.
What i didnt like about it is the story returned a standard high school setting as oppose to the a continent crossing journey like an epic tale like LOTR.
It depends whether volume 7 ends up being a movie or not (there's speculation that there will be a movie and that could be what it is, or alternatively I thought it might be Sylphy's story as set up for S2). But either way if it reaches vol 12 then it will still have some of the traveling and adventures, plus the school stuff is still not your typical school storylines, like Rudy getting married and finding out about Nanahoshi and whatnot, plus the stuff with Fitts is pretty nice. I think people will like it... well, I hope they do.
@@NatalieXHunter I hope they do too. There's a lot of things there, especially in retrospect. Lots of substance and character. I will do as I had always done and put my faith that Studio Bind will pull it off brilliantly and that people will like it just as they liked the slice-of-life moments of the first season.
(Spoilers!!!) Does Zenith have a extension on her lifespan after becoming a Miko? Like does she have the life span of Sylphy or Roxy? Was she present on Rudy's death day? Is kinda sad seeing your son die from old age and still can't communicate with him in his last hours
I cried when I read about Zenith’s memory of her life. It’s heart warming. She always loves Rudeus and happy for him having 3 happy wives. She is an amazing mother/grandmother.
What I didnt quite like what the author did with Zenith is she was a loose end in the story that didnt quite end in a satisfied way. I may be speaking prematurely on this but Zenith may have more to do in the equal novels. What I did like is she was the disabled elderly person some families come to have mostly through dementia but her case is rather positive and doesnt steer into how burdensome it can be.
Yeah it's almost as if the writer made sure she didn't die just to realize they had no idea what to actually do with her huh? All of this post-dungeon is silly, like why couldn't lillia just tell them ages ago she can talk to her? I love the show so far but man that sure seems like a bunch of contrivances, especially if you stop and realize that practically any of the hardships of this whole situation (and with claire) could be resolved in 10 minutes of communication... Anime tropes strike again but at least Mushoku was one of the earlier LN's to do all of this stuff.
@@matthewcarroll2533 Lillia couldn't talk to Zenith. Lara could communicate and she was a toddler. Roxy doesn't have the telepathic abilities. How is Lara supposed to say it to the rest of the family? Not at all contrived.
I know she didn't technically get "fridged" but the fact that Paul lost her and never found her again makes me sad. She was so wholesome and sweet and reminds me of my own mom. 😫
Yes, but she was only in there for a few years so it's not really a big deal and I forgot to mention it. Just means she looks a few years younger than she is, but not to an abnormal degree.
No she didn't - that's just what her mother was planning to do because she had heard that someone was cured that way. Rudeus stopped it happening and explained to her that that was Elinalise, and sleeping with lots of men was because of her curse (which Zenith doesn't have) and didn't cure her of her memory loss etc.
Omg. Paul dies and his mom turns into a zombie like person.😭😭😭😭 still getting past eris's tragedy. I hope they take the long way home, in the anime. Heartbreak.😢😭
Well, she's in a dreamlike state where she feels more like she's interacting than she is. Plus, she can communicate with Lara and (I didn't mention this in the video because it would have meant explaining and spoiling a whole other thing) the sacred beast.
This story is too well written but it is mega erotic which also makes it unique. I daresay that this story is definitely better than the top 10 most popular animes in MAL except fullmetal alchemist because of the reason that i haven't watched it yet and hunter x hunter because it is still not finished. Every anime that I've watched is full of holes (logically thinking on the situations), or just maybe light novels are just really built different than manga.
i have not got to this yet cues i have only seen the anime and i have only seen that in dub but i really like the show and i really like Zenith finding out this happens to he make me a bit sad but if it ends in a happen way im ok with it
This another example in mushoku Tensei of a good but not perfect end to a story for a good but flawed character I'm not ashamed to admit that mushoku tensei is 1 off the web/light novel that's made cry but as of yet it's the only 1 to do it with tiers of happiness yes i cried like a gaint baby when reading the scene with the miko and Zenith it was the conversation with Lara that broke and the way she though about Orsted and just how much she loved paul I've said before we all should have someone who loves us as much as Zenith and Paul love each other dose Zenith get a perfect ending no but she does get a happy 1 living with her daughter son grandkids Ps a whole before reading the email from youtube telling me you liked and harted my comment thanks for that before I notice the auto complete screwed up and writte Zanoba instead of Zenith
None of rudeus wife’s are good the only good wife was zenith she was so cute and wholesome her smile was gorgeous and she looked so happy that’s why is fucking sad😔
This video is soo much better now that they are animating the second season. I'm looking forward to seeing all of this one day. Keep up the videos I love all of your Mushoku Tensei videos 😊
As someone who hasn't read the WN but doesn't mind any spoiler what kind of thoughts does zenith have/ communicate once she has interpreters for her like Lara and the Miko?
Her personality is the exact same. She still felt sadness when Paul died, but she is very happy to be spending time with her children, grandchildren, and daughters in law. One of the family pets, a little treant, enjoys her company too. She can also read the minds of non humans, so she knows what the treant is thinking too.
My man was screwed in having a second wife. What kind of rule is "that he could only have sex with his second wife only if the first is pregnant.". Hell she could have either stopped having sex with him or just made damn sure not to get pregnant. 😶
Ugh so awesome but MAAAAN am I soo bummed that we won't see this in Anime for soo long. I'm reading the LN but still I want to see it so bad since MT is such an incredible adaptation. The art, the animation, world building, music, characters and just everything is so good it's hard(for me with this story) to go to reading, although I do love the extra details.
My damn your fun to listen to friend! Very informative, sweet, Captivating, addicting and enjoyable to the point I never even notice you were giving out spoiler until it was 8 minute in🤣
Yeah, I think the thing with Zenith's story is, she doesn't have a happy ending but she and everyone else just have to try to make the best of it and find happiness in it where they can, which is a lot more realistic than there being a convenient way to turn her back to normal.
(Sorry. Hit send before done). Family are always main characters in everyone's life. Others will be main characters while some aren't even though you may wish they had been. This anime really provides the IRL rule "life is strange and unpredictable".
