Mushoku Tensei, or The Death of a Protagonist

In the latest episode of Mushoku Tensei, a warrior named Nina shares some gossip regarding the story’s protagonist: Rudeus Greyrat. She begins by dropping a few great feats the man has accomplished, but shortly after, she gets into the slanderous stuff; he’s the kind of guy who sleeps with a woman once, then moves on. It’s not accurate, but that is Rudy’s reputation, and I want you to keep in mind. Some arguments persist for far too long. One could say that, rather than persistent, they’re insistent. Do you like Rei, or do you like Asuka? Is Emiya Shirou the best protagonist or the worst? In different points in time, attempting to talk about anime would lead to your conversation being co-opted by one such argument. In the present day, in some areas of the English-speaking internet, the argument is all about Rudeus. Is he a good person, or is he a bad person? I’ve written a lot about Mushoku Tensei in the past, but I’ve never given my opinion on Rudy. So here’s my answer to the…