Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation - Episode 2 - The Sweet Master/Student Bond between Rudeus and Roxy

In the previous episode, we were introduced to this new fantasy world, Rudeus, and Roxy. With the foundation of the series placed, Episode 2 allows us more time to get to know these characters. Warning: Spoilers up to the end of Episode 2 follow.

We get a much longer glimpse of Rudeus in his former life and the trauma he goes through that makes him such a NEET. He was bullied and tormented in high school to the point of even being stripped naked and tied up for crowds to laugh at. And because he feared the outside so much, he didn’t even leave his room to attend his parents’ funeral. That was the last straw to his younger brothers, who beat him up and kicked him out of the house. Which led to him walking aimlessly out in public and jumping in front of a truck to save three kids. So now we know what led to this character being isekai’d.

Rudy carries trauma from his former life, and his magic teacher, Roxy, helps him cope with it. Roxy never learns that Rudy is reincarnated from a parallel world or that he was bullied, but she doesn’t have to know that. What she sees is a little boy who needs guidance and encouragement, and she kindly does the best she can to give him those things. Even though the anime pretty much skips over the two years that Roxy lives with Rudy’s family, the few moments we see are enough to understand that this is a special and important bond for both of them in different ways.

For Rudy, it’s Roxy’s tutelage that helps him get over his trauma of the outside. She is the support he needed to leave his parents’ home and travel across the village by horse. He finally gets over his fear of people, which has lasted for decades. We literally see Rudy move forward finally - he even runs forward - the moment he says goodbye to Roxy. 

For Roxy, it’s the way Rudy looks up to her as a master. She’s reminded of her worth, and she appreciates being completely accepted by Rudy despite being a demon. But she also realizes that Rudy surpasses her as a mage. It puts a dent in the confidence she has in her own skill, but it also pushes her forward to grow. Sadly, she’ll have to do this in her travels, which means leaving Rudeus and his family behind.

I doubt this is the last we’ve seen of Roxy. She’s such a lovable character. I hope Rudy grows up so that the two reunite and have a romantic relationship. It was funny to see Rudy have a little boy crush on her. He even took a peek at her panties and stole them!

(image source: Amazon)