The Beginning After the End Is a Far Less Problematic Mushoku Tensei

Episode 1 of Studio A-Cat’s The Beginning After the End has finally been released, and audiences are diving headfirst into the new isekai anime. Based on the webtoon by TurtleMe, TBATE follows King Grey, who mysteriously dies and is reborn as a baby in a fantasy world under the name Arthur Leywin. With the chance to start a new life with loving parents, Arthur vows to right the wrongs of his past in a world filled with wild creatures and magic. Sound familiar? That plot archetype is very common in the modern isekai genre, but fans keep comparing it to arguably the most popular show to use that plot thread… Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation.

Both shows have a lot in common on the surface. They are both isekais, they both focus on bad people being reborn and trying to be better, and they’re both set in a typical isekai fantasy land inspired by medieval Europe. But there’s one glaring difference. As well as being one of the most popular isekai, Mushoku Tensei is notoriously problematic and controversial. For isekai fans who tried Jobless Reincarnation but couldn’t overcome its glaring issues, The Beginning After the End is the show for you.

The Beginning After the End Fixes Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation’s Biggest Problems

When fans, critics, and journalists discuss an anime’s problems, we usually talk about weak plots, underwritten characters, or poor animation. Mushoku Tensei doesn’t have those issues. Its problems are far worse. Rudeus, better known as Rudy, was once a 34-year-old man who felt like he had wasted away his life playing dating sims and watching hentai. After being reincarnated, he vowed to be a better person, but his more adult tendencies remained. In Season 1, Rudy is less than 10 years old and often fawns over girls his own age. The blurred line between Rudy and his former self’s ages is problematic enough, but the show goes out of its way to still sexualize these underage characters. That is just one of the many problems within the show, which also include emotional manipulation, underage sex, and SA.

Due to their similarities, those who hadn’t read The Beginning After the End would be forgiven for expecting it to be a similarly horny isekai. But that couldn’t be further from the truth. TBATE is the more “wholesome” anime that many Mushoku Tensei viewers wish they’d found instead. To call it completely family-friendly would be untrue, as TBATE is very violent. But it doesn’t include anywhere near as ghastly sexualization or mature themes as Mushoku Tensei.

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Mushoku Tensei Haters Need to Watch The Beginning After the End

What’s most frustrating about Mushoku Tensei is, that without the extremely controversial elements, it would be an amazing show. The animation is breathtaking, the comedic writing constantly hits the mark, and the overall plot of someone seeking redemption and a better life will always be engrossing. But while anime fans have had to get used to overlooking some of the medium’s stranger tendencies, Mushoku Tensei takes things way too far.

If you’re one of those people who heard good things about Mushoku Tensei and decided to give it a go, only to be disgusted by what you saw, we have two recommendations. Firstly, whichever friend recommended the series needs to be booked into therapy. And secondly, try The Beginning After the End.

The Beginning After the End’s debut episode was far from perfect. It spent a lot of time using exposition to explain the workings of its isekai world. As a result, it felt like the series desperately needed a two-episode premiere to really get into the meat of its plot. However, TBATE‘s premiere showed a lot of potential for the series to be an emotional and unsexualized series. Like Rudy, Arthur has a goal of being a better person in his new life. But Arthur’s story includes understanding the concept of love, learning to trust, and not relying on violence. In Rudy’s case, it means manipulating women and dealing with a “boner arc.”

Both The Beginning After the End and Muhoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation are available to stream on Crunchyroll. New episodes of The Beginning After the End will be released weekly. Why not check out our handy guide to The Beginning After the End‘s release schedule for the exact release times?