Sometimes, a good friend will give you the kick in the butt you need.
©RifuJinnamagonote/MFBOOKS/Mushoku Tensei II Production Commission
Throughout this season, a question has emerged in the story: Why doesn’t Sylphy just come out and tell Rudeus who she is? On the surface, it seems to be a matter of shyness. The jittery, restless nerves of adolescence are built to ask your first love out on a date. While that’s certainly part of the equation, it’s just the tip of the iceberg.
From the beginning, Sylphy had been completely dependent on her only friend—which was part of the reason Rudeus was sent to tutor Eris in the first place—and the idea of being with him again kept her going. walk in his absence. In a very real way, he is and always has been the center of her world — even as her relationship with Princess Ariel has become a big part of it, too.
While Sylphy’s argument that she can’t handle it if he doesn’t remember her for not revealing her true identity, even after many months, is a bit off. Rudy had alluded to Sylphy before in his conversation with Fitz—he clearly remembered his childhood friend. But what she wants is not simply to be remembered; what she wants is to show importance.
Even though it had been many years since their last meeting when they were children, Sylphy still recognized Rudeus immediately. As she knew with her current masculine appearance, masked face, and white hair, she looked quite different physically, which didn’t change her emotions. Simply put, she already knows who he is so she wants him to do the same for her—by doing so, he shows that he still holds a place for her in his heart. my heart.
Luckily, Ariel was able to see the true meaning behind Sylphy’s words as they discussed the situation. She decides the best way to force Rudeus to begin recreating core memories from when the couple were children. But more than that, she does everything she can to force Sylphy to go through with the plan—saying that if Sylphy cannot make the most of this opportunity and tell Rudeus her feelings, she will ban Sylphy from interacting with him again. Now, Ariel is almost certainly not serious. However, after months of worry, Sylphy still took every opportunity to avoid the moment of truth. She needs a kick in the ass and doesn’t have the ability to escape to make the final jump and do what has to be done.
In the end the plan worked, thanks more to Rudeus’s negligence than any intelligence in the plan itself. Sylphy gets the moment she’s been waiting for and Rudeus gets one of his first friends back. Honestly, it was the best moment of the season so far. The two went through a lot after their breakup—with emotional conflicts keeping them apart even after their physical reunion. Now, they have a chance to get what they both need to heal and start moving forward again.
Rating:
Random thoughts:
I loved Ariel and Luke’s reaction to Sylphy’s precious memory of being taken away by Rudeus: They saw the romance from the outside looking in as a strange event but did nothing to disregard that memory because it’s important to her.
→ The scene in the lunch room was strange—where no one moved except Sylphy. I can’t figure out if that was an artistic choice (i.e., a piece of visual storytelling that suggests that other people aren’t so important to Sylphy at the moment that they could become statues) or was it a production issue (i.e. they didn’t). don’t have the time/money to animate all the other students as planned).
→ I think we have one of those moments where the script and animation don’t match in this episode. The dialogue in the climactic scene is written as if Sylphy is naked except for her mask (when she is clearly still wearing her underwear). While this is understandable (you know, since they’re still minors and this is airing on TV), the creators should probably adjust the dialogue accordingly.
→ I have no doubt about it, when we switch fully back to Rudeus’s POV in the next episode, we will learn that his ED, if not cured, is going well as they hug each other in The cave.
Mushoku Tensei: Unemployment Reincarnated II is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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