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Plot Recap
Living In His Shadow – Norn
Note that Norn is Rudy’s little sister, which has meant constant comparisons to someone she barely knew. With her father, Rudy was his first child, and he admittedly wasn’t always the best father. He only knew how to raise a boy the way he was raised, and that wasn’t what Rudy needed – thus, how tumultuous their relationship got. But luckily for Norn, she got her father at his best, minus his affair, while Rudy had to be the test subject for him to learn how to get it right.
However, it isn’t just their relationship with their dad that affects their relationship, but the disconnect between how Norn sees Rudy and how everyone else does. Going to a school where everyone applauds Rudy and holds him in high regard and you’re torn between embarrassing comparisons, people identifying you as the sister vs. your name, and no one sharing your negative perspective is challenging. For now, Norn is forced to recognize maybe she got it wrong and Rudy isn’t a bad person, maybe she is just not worthy of knowing him, and his lack of interest is a sign that, if something ever does happen to Paul, she might be screwed.
I Remember This From Before – Rudy
Getting reports that Norn has locked herself away triggers Rudy. It makes him think about his descent into isolation, his brother trying to talk to him, and that leading nowhere. Which, of course, he doesn’t talk to anyone about because who would believe him? Maybe Nanahoshi, but she has just recovered from a mental breakdown, so why dump this on her? And while Sylphie is caring, revealing Rudy had an entire previous life in another world, who knows how she may take it – never mind if Rudy is allowed to go into such detail without Man-God or someone else punishing him.
So, while he may have to keep his ill feelings about a past life to himself, he plans to do something at least so that, similar to Nanahoshi, Norn knows she isn’t alone, and he is willing to do what it takes to help.
Can There Be A Resolution? – Norn, Rudy, Sylphie, Paul, Ruijerd
Throughout Norn’s life, people have gone to bat for Rudy. Paul did, Ruijerd, Sylphie, and most of the people at Ranoa University. So when Rudy concocts a way to get into the girl’s dorm to see Norn, she contemplates all she doesn’t know about Rudy, her long-held feelings, and decides to move the barrier she has placed between them.
It’s not so much a test, but allowing herself to recognize that if everyone else says there is more to Rudy than meets the eye, including people she has loved and trusted with her life, why not trust him? So, while Norn never explains why she isolated herself or her issues with Rudy, she cries into his chest, and it seems that him being there and letting her do so allows their relationship to restart.
Thus leading to, the following day, Norn being shy but friendly towards her brother and sister-in-law, and Rudy less worried than before as he thinks about his brother from a former life and a means to thank him for trying as long as he did.
Cast Guide
| Character’s Name | Actor’s Name |
| Norn | Saya Aizawa |
| Rudy | Yumi Uchiyama, Tomokazu Sugita |
| Sylphie | Ai Kayano |
| Paul | Toshiyuki Morikawa |
| Ruijerd | Namikawa Daisuke |
Review
Notable Performances or Moments
Reconciliation Doesn’t Always Need Drawn Out Conversations
“Jobless Reincarnation” has long pushed that a conversation can often clear up misunderstandings and create bridges, but that isn’t always necessary. Whether someone doesn’t have the words or knows no words can fix anything, sometimes it is just about changed behavior, and between Norn and Rudy, you can see the promise of that.
Norn didn’t apologize for how she treated Rudy or talked about him, but after seeing him be there for her and live up to the reputation he has gained, she realized he loved her and decided to treat him just the same. This may not give Rudy closure over what has happened, but Rudy is becoming an adult now. Would answers as to why people act the way they do be nice? Yes.
However, you can’t always get that. Sometimes, all you can hope for is that you remaining consistent, as Rudy has done, can hold more sway than any negative thought or feeling someone has. Especially when, like in Norn’s case, the narrative they have is theirs alone, and because they put blinders on, that is the only reason they continue to hold onto their prejudice and, as shown, suffer alone with them.
On The Fence
Hoping We Move On From Rudy’s Past
I’m a bit torn. On the one hand, I will always appreciate when this show gets emotional and taps into Rudy’s feelings, mental health, and even his past. However, at the same time, I want to see Rudy have to navigate through new feelings and experiences as much, if not more, than old ones. He’s married now and has a notable reputation, and while I enjoy him playing the role of a big brother compared to a little brother, which can foreshadow how he might be as a father, I’m starting to need something different.
The push to want Rudy to move on from Ranoa grows since it isn’t clear what he is learning there anymore. Once his erectile dysfunction ended, it seemed him looking into the mass transportation event did as well. And while, again, it is wonderful to see him build so many friendships and have multiple loving relationships, slowly but surely, it does feel like the show is sputtering and doing its version of filler. Something that can still be seen as valuable but, at the same time, not moving the story forward as you may hope.
Background Information
| Episode Title | My Older Brother’s Feelings |
| Release Date | May 5, 2024 |
| Network | Crunchyroll |
| Director(s) | Yui Kobe |
| Writer(s) | Naoto Taniuchi |
| Previous Episode | Season 2/ Episode 16 |
| Series Page | Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation |
| Character Guide | Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation Cast & Character Guide |
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