© 理不尽な孫の手/MFブックス/「無職転生Ⅱ」製作委員会
This episode is all about Rudeus and Roxy's reunion. On the surface, it seems like a cute little love story. They are two reunited friends—roxy begins to fall in love with the handsome young man that Rudeus has become. Of course, in typical Musoku Tensei style, it's much more complicated than that.
Initially, the couple is facing the same basic problem: they idolize each other to the point of not really seeing each other. Over the years, each has built an image of the other that neither could hope to live up to. Remember, Rudeus is a man who actually prays for Roxy's panties. She is his guiding star. It was devastating that the idea that the person at the center of his world didn't even care enough to remember him made him throw up on the spot. (Fortunately, he was able to understand that even if Roxy looked the same as before, he was not the same—and he was even able to clearly reflect on himself that he had done the basic thing same with Sylphy when they reunited).
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As for Roxy, her time with Rudeus broke her down and gave her the push she needed to succeed in life. Knowing that she wasn't as special as she thought she was, she got the mental state she needed to go out and learn more—reaching career heights she might not have achieved otherwise. . She may not see him as a god incarnate but she certainly appreciates him.
The problem they were currently facing was that, while Roxy's emotions were changing, Rudeus was static. She can see him as both the boy with natural talent who changed her life and the dashing young man who came to her rescue. The fact that he treated her like an adult despite her size only made her more attracted to him. However, he continues to worship her more than anything.
That said, this episode makes me wonder if Rudeus is as oblivious to Roxy's growing feelings as he seems. On one hand, the idea that his goddess could be attracted to him as a man would be beyond anything he had ever hoped for. But on the other hand, in the days they spent together—in and out of the dungeon—he never spoke out loud about Sylphy or their soon-to-be-born child. It felt like part of him was enjoying the attention—part of him knew that mentioning that he was married would put an end to it. In the end, he only caused Roxy emotional pain by not following her about the reality of the situation because of his ego.
Luckily, thanks to the hindered plot, he's able to delay any awkward conversations a little longer. And perhaps we will finally know exactly how Rudeus's mother was able to survive in this dungeon for so many years as the group steps through the mysterious teleporter ahead of them.
Rating:
Random thoughts:
© When you think about it, the rest of the group were also assholes for not telling Roxy about Rudeus's marriage status.
→ I wonder how Zenith and Lilia will react when compared to the swords that Paul uses.
→ Rudeus doesn't treat Roxy like a child just because he was (and still is) an adult in a child's body. He can completely sympathize with her.
→ I wonder what it is about Nanahoshi that disgusts Rudeus so much that he can't even imagine her as a romantic partner? Maybe it was the simple fact that he knew she would never be happy in this world with him.
Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation II is now streaming on Crunchyroll.
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