Quick Summary • Best Moment • Setup • Delivery • Other Posts
Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20 Review – Quick Summary
In Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20, “The Birth of My Little Sister, the Maid,” Rudy finds himself caught in Pax’s trap. All he can do is reflect on his free accommodations, lacking though they are in some minor features like a bathroom. It is, however, very secure. Will Ruijerd and Eris come to rescue him? Or is the question more of when? And when they do, will the castle survive?
Note: This post may include spoilers, so be cautious.
Favorite Quote from Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20
No cake? And no storming the castle, either? What a rip off! Capture from the Hulu stream.
Do you remember, in the previous episode, how disappointed Ruijerd looked when Rudy said not to immediately assault the castle? It’s part of my favorite quote. I laughed in the previous episode, and I got to laugh at it again in this episode!
The guards and Ginger actually recruited Ruijerd and Eris to help them free Rudy. Eris and Ruijerd were all set. They wanted to attack! You know how Eris gets when she’s excited! Even Ruijerd looked less serious than usual.
But then one of the guards said there was a catch.
“I thought we’d be assaulting a castle,” Ruijerd said (09:24) in the same tone someone would say “I was told there would be cake.” He went on to say, “Explain.”
We not only great humor episode to episode. We get great ongoing humor!
Best in Show Moment for Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20
Lilia interpreted Rudy’s awareness of her breasts not as a sign of perversion, but a sign that the young man she loved as a son had returned to her, alive and in one piece. Capture from the Hulu stream.
Setup: Humor as an Emotional Tenderizer
I’m not sure what I expected this week. Maybe a big fight as Eris and Ruijerd cut their way to Rudy? Maybe strife within Pax’s forces, with Ginger potentially leading a revolt? Those and a dozen other permutations would have fit the conditions that the previous episodes setup.
The show decided to deliver something far in excess of what I expected. I laughed through almost the first ⅔ of the show! Rudy’s commentary on his free accommodations, Zanoba Shirone’s exceptional taste in art, even Zanoba’s retrieval of his brother Pax seemed like one long inside joke. And, unusually, I got it!
Plus, seeing Pax hauled through the dungeon by his head was just so satisfying!
That wasn’t my favorite scene, though. As funny as it was, it softened me up for my favorite scene. The television series M*A*S*H taught me the lesson that the best way to deliver a powerful, gut-punch emotional moment, or a tender quiet moment, is to surround it with humor. Humor gets us to lower our shields. That’s exactly what Jobless Reincarnation did to me in this episode.
It probably says something unsavory about my personality, but the humor in this show is right in my strike zone. Capture from the Hulu stream.
Remember how Rudy’s reunion with Paul went in episode 16? How Rudy wanted his dad to feel proud of him, so he embellished his story? That backfired in spectacular fashion. But it said something about Rudy. It said he wanted his dad to accept him and to be proud of him. He didn’t get that from his dad at first. It got better in episode 17. But there’s one person, at least, who was simply glad to see him. Someone who accepted him for who he was.
That was my favorite moment.
Delivery: Lilia Gets It
You might have noticed that I’ve defended Rudy on multiple occasions. The reason is really simple, and it relates to lessons I’ve learned while examining my life through the lens of my theological education.
No, I don’t call myself religious. That’s because every time I’ve examined what humans do with religious authority, I’ve seen that they use it to hurt each other. Or get money. Or get money hurting each other. There are a few exceptions, but they’re rare. But that’s a different topic. My point is that it’s easy to judge Rudy.
And I hate those judgements. I don’t like how those judgements single Rudy out. Each and every one of us has the same moral culpability. Each and every one of us has kinks or deep dark thoughts or even just moments of being callus. Ain’t none of us got the right to judge others. Lilia gets that.
Lilia could have given him a hard time over the Holy Relic. She didn’t. She knew it was important to him, and that was enough. Capture from the Hulu stream.
Towards the end, she handed Rudy a little treasure box with the Holy Relic. Most people in Alia’s position would have thrown it away in disgust. But Lilia didn’t judge. She knew it meant a lot to Rudy, so she kept it safe.
In the quiet moment after Rudy realized that the box also contained a pendant from Sylphiette, Lilia reached out and hugged Rudy. Just hugged him. Rudy, of course, become self-conscious because her breasts pressed into his back.
“I knew it,” she said (18:!5). “You haven’t changed a bit. I’m so glad that you’re safe.”
She didn’t judge. In fact, she took his traits as further proof he had come back to her safe and in one piece. That gave him the emotional space to tell her he was happy she was safe, too.
Isn’t that the point? And doesn’t judgement get in the way of that? Isn’t what Lilia showed Rudy the kind of intimacy and support we should show one another? Because if it’s not the point, I don’t know what the point is.
What did you think of Zanoba’s profound dedication to the art of figure making? What were your favorite moments? Feel free to let me know in the comments!
Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20: Other Posts
Other Anime Sites
- Reddit: [Discussion] Mushoku Tensei Episode 20
- 100 Word Anime: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Part 2 Episode 20 – Does a Good Ending Make Incomplete Advice Better?
- RABUJOI: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation – 20 – Odd Man Out
This Site (Crow’s World of Anime!)
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 12: The Woman with Demon Eyes
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 13: Missed Connections
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 14: No Such Thing as a Free Lunch
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 15: Slow Life in Doldia Village
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 16: Family Squabble
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 17: Reunion
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 18: Separate Journeys
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 19: Route Selection
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 20: The Birth of My Little Sister, The Maid
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 21: Turning Point 2
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 22: Dreams and Reality
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 23: Wake Up and Take a Step
- Jobless Reincarnation Episode 24: Eris the Goblin Slayer
I’m not sure I see Lillia the way you do. She’s plenty judgemental, it seems, when it comes to her daughter. I think there’s a class thing going, too, and maybe that she still sees him as her saviour. I don’t feel like she’s not judging so much, as that she doesn’t feel entitled to judge, so the topic’s just sort of off the table? I mean, if I remember the start of season 1 correctly, she was totally freaked out, and decided she devote her life for her “saviour”, when Rudy deverted mom’s anger onto dad, so she could stay and not starve with a kid. She doesn’t strike me as non-judgemental so much as devoted, if you get what I mean.
I honestly didn’t like the episode as much as others. I still enjoyed it well enough, but the otaku elements in this show and I don’t go well together. Not fond of the figurine fanatic, either. I’m sort of glad that mini arc’s done with.
I see where you’re coming from, I think. Fore example, I’m certain that him saving her life endeared him to her. That played a huge role in her not judging him now. And you’re right, she used to.
My focus in this post was on that single moment. Pulling back to get a perspective of the series so far, I would say that Rudy acting on her behalf helped her see beyond the aspects of him that invited judgement. In other words, since in this case that act aligned with who Rudy is as much as his devotion to the Holy Relic, his act helped her more clearly see who he is.
And that’s my point. Getting hung up on one aspect of a personality is unhelpful. It makes us miss opportunities to work together, or to make friends, or to support one another. Worse, it gives manipulative folk wedges to drive between us, to make us easily to manipulate.
I can totally see how if otaku humor isn’t appealing, then this episode would not have been as appealing as others. I’m not saying I’m an otaku; I generally avoid claiming membership to any human group. But I will say I found that humor hilarious!
I completely agree about Lilia. That was a surprisingly sweet moment and it showed us more about who Rudeus and Lilia are than any of the other reunions.
The humour is on point for me too. It’s nice to know that I’m not laughing alone, but that wouldn’t stop me either. I’m going to be sad when this season is over.
I still think we’re in for a shock in the very near future though…
The preview still shots I’ve seen for the next episode look hair-raising. I wonder if all of this positive emotion just got us softened up!
I’ve not seen any promo images for the next episode, but that’s been my theory. We’ve had a few happy reunions, all be it sometimes hard to get to, so I think we’re due something bad!