Mushoku Tensei : The Depressed Magician Arc Introverts Review

Mushoku Tensei is a well known Novel, Light Novel, Manga and Anime among the anime and manga enjoyers across the world. Mushoku Tensei is a fantasy fiction, which tells us the story of a 34 year old NEET(Not in education or Employment) who got reincarnated in a fantasy world, where there are all kinds creatures coexists from Humans to Beasts (like elf, beasts, Dragons, etc.) & from Gods to Devils and how he uses his newly given chance to become someone who he couldn’t become in his previous life.

Written by Rifujin na Magonote, which is actually the pen name of the author and that too is the mixture of five different pen names that he used in his prior writings.

Well to be honest “The Depressed Magician Arc” is one of the best Arc’s of Mushoku Tensei but even though most of the adapted Manga and web Novel decided to skip this Volume of the original Novel i.e, Volume 7.

However the latest season of Mushoku Tensei Anime adapted this Arc and the Studio Bind assured that they will stick to the original source and adapt all of it.

So, how many volumes the original Light Novel does have, do you ask?

The original source that is the Light Novel of Mushoku Tensei Jobless Reincarnation contains a total of 26 Volumes and yes the show is already concluded within those Volumes. The final Japanese Volume was published back in 25th November 2022, while the English translation is still ongoing and on its 23rd Volume release. (More detail on Mushoku Tensei)

What contains in Depressed Magician Arc?

I’m 100% sure that this is one of the best Arc and let me explain you why so.

This Arc covers a lot of depth of humans behavior when he/she goes through an emotional turmoil. In our case the emotional trauma is being faced by Rudeus, our protagonist of the show.

There will be spoilers ahead to explain the complete scenario, so if you don’t want that then I will recommend to skip to my final though part of this article.

New journey begins alone and some new character to be friends with.

So, in accordance with the anime, in the end of the season 1 part II final episode, we saw how Rudeus was deep into depression after Eris left him out of the blue even after spending the night together and wanting Rudeus to be her new family.

After that incident Rudeus collected some courage and strength to push himself up and go look out for his mother Zenith. He headed towards the Northern part of the Central Continent. While travelling from Asura to the city of Rosenberg he met Counter Arrow.

The initial interaction of Rudeus and counter Arrow members were quite not pleasant as everyone can read his gloomy face and fake smiles with blunt shot down answers to any conversations along the journey.

But his gloomy nature was a similar face for Counter Arrow as soon they got to know he is from Fittoa region and looking out for his mother. There was one Counter Arrow member though how was not showing a single percent of empathy or rather was looking at Rudeus with furious eyes and that will be Sara.

After reaching to the city of Rosenberg, Rudeus starts to work on his plan to find Zenith by popularizing himself in the town and let Zenith find him instead.

He then tried many different jobs like helping the locals on some daily tasks and also adventuring with Counter Arrows in between.

Few months already been passed and he has made his name quite popular in the town but there was no sign of Zenith. We can also see how his depression is still not cured during these few months and he constantly struggles in the situations where he act completely numb because of his depression.

Rudeus was extremely confused about his situation and everything that he is trying to achieve. Thus he was never truly happy about anything and always put up a fake face for which he was heavily confronted by one of the top Adventurer of the town namely Soldat.

Rudeus started getting along with everything after he rescued Sara from the brink of death and after that incident he can feel the closeness between him and Sara. But he was still not fully himself and constant thought of Eris leaving him makes him not rushing into things with Sara.

This particular behavior tells a lot about the human behavior, depressed or not, any human being will try the calculate and map every situation that resembles them their past experiences.

In the anime it was not well told, why Sara initially hated Rudeus but in the Light Novel it was mentioned that she hated him because of his Greyrat bloodline. She lost her parents, who were attacked by the monster creatures appearing in the village and the Greyrat family who were the head of the regions, didn’t send any soldiers to their village, thus the cause of all the hate. But after learning that he is not associated with the Nobles now and then the incident of saving her all alone, created a special place in her heart for Rudeus.

Sara, ultimately pushes her limit for Rudeus and offer him herself.

This was the moment when Rudeus got to know his new problem that he has to deal with, the impotency.

Of course like any other girl , Sara took it on herself and cleared out Rudeus that this act was not at all about love interest or anything but mere exchange of favors for saving her life giving a pitiful facial expression before living the room.

Soon after that night Rudeus founds himself completely drunk, confronting to Soldat and by the advice of Soldat visiting a Prostitute in order to find the cure of his ED problem.

Rudeus found himself completely devastated when he was founded badmouthing Sara by Suzanne and Sara herself.

His instant reaction was to finish his life but Soldat saves him and convince him to join his party in the next mission.

Rudeus agreed and accompanied him on his mission leaving the town.

So, why did Rudeus went to kill himself instantly without a second thought?

Remember how he started this journey all alone and constantly being depressed but Counter Arrow helped him a lot, so much that he admitted that he was indebt to them and saving Sara alone was just an equal respect towards them to pay that debt. Saving Sara and Adventuring with Counter Arrow made his depression almost go away. He was also progressing with his popularity plan to find Zenith.

But in just one day & few seconds, he lost everything that he build up in the past few month, he has an ED, he lost his character of being humble and trust worthy to Suzanne & Counter Arrow and more importantly he again has lost someone whom he could have loved, Sara.

Our Rudeus was again back to square one, all alone and no one else to blame but himself. Thus inspired his reaction to take his life instantly.

Some Light Novel facts that were missed in the Anime

My Final Thoughts for this Arc

This Arc was a very important part of Rudeus’s journey, if we have to understand how much emotional turmoil he had to go through after Eris left him.

The everyday suffering and over thinking each situation that might put him into the similar situation is very humanly and most of the viewer of the show who had gone through somewhat similar experiences will relate to this Arc of Rudeus journey very easily.

According to me, Rudeus did truly hit the rock bottom in his life at the end of this Arc. Trying to collect self and starting new life all alone with a broken heart and again falling into the trap of fate to lost everything that he worked upon was really pitiful.

The 4th episode of the anime has already been released as on 30th July 2023 and we know that “Magic University Arc” is in place.

I guess I have justified my point of view on this arc of Mushoku Tensei and if you also would like to add some points about his arc then you are so much welcome to.

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Check out the complete season 1 recap of Mushoku Tensei Season 1