English Dub Review: Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation OVA: “Eris the Goblin Slayer”

Overview: Eris (Lindsay Sheppard) meets and ventures with the boastful young mage, Cliff (Ry McKeand), to hunt down some goblins. 

Our Take: While Rudeus was having an unpleasant reunion with dear old dad, Eris’s standalone side adventure proves to be a great return to the series. Eris’s innocent and wide-eyed nature makes her awe-inspired reaction to Millishion a heartwarming return. It also serves as a reminder how Studio Bind leaves no frame unutilized, including the intro in fleshing out the beautiful aquatic blues and pastel white architecture of the city that seamlessly coexist with rivers and lakes flowing in and out.  

Eris meets cocky little mage Cliff, whose story is nicely illustrated through stained glass with him being a royal of some kind and having suffered through his parents being murdered. His cheekiness gets under Eris’s skin, and with her temper and quick trigger, it makes for great chemistry between them with him trying to prove himself to her. Making it a very raw yet rightfully humbling deal is how Eris is constantly comparing him to Rudeus with Cliff’s naivety being a constant through line with his lack of control, in burning goblin ears to a crisp that were necessary for their quest, or mediocre magical prowess compared to a certain saint class water mage. 

Witnessing an attempted assassination, Eris saves a knight and little girl with special eyes. Even more special is how the animation staff continues to deliver the jaw-dropping fight scene they are known for. Eris’s unyielding assault is a turbo charged slaughter that is brought to life in beautifully brutal fashion. The swift and varied nature of Eris’ sword skills and fast paced body maneuvers make it frenetic and exhilarating. After being thankful for Eris saving them, they lead them out of the forest they were lost in when an interesting development occurs surrounding Cliff as they leave. A surviving assassin recognizes Cliff and is puzzled as to why he is leaving with a Temple Knight, who follows the archbishop and does not support coexistence between demons and humans, while Ruijerd learns the assassins are allies of the Pope and are trying to preserve good will between the two species. With the temple knights and allies of the pope allegiances established, it sets interspecies civil conflict that will no doubt unfold in the future. Also, the knight and the little girl with magic peepers creates a lot of anticipation in making one ponder how they come into picture with the Temple Knights and what their role is.

With how amazing and radiant Eris is, who wouldn’t fall in love with her? But, of course, Cliff never had a chance and would get rejected because he is no Rudeus. The episode brilliantly and subtly shows how he understands how Rudy makes her feel and that he will never live up to how much Eris loves him. Thus, the boy sulks in shame away in an anti-climactic departure that is classically Eris in her blunt and unphased exit, quickly reconnecting with Ruijerd. Ruijerd, who unbeknownst to her, was on her tail throughout her entire ordeal, showing how much of a great big brother figure he is. When Cliff learns that the assassins were his tutors, it sets up an inevitable war between the factions. Cliff pondering over Rudeus serves to show how this moment will have ripples later with Rudy more than likely playing a pivotal role in the conflict. This OVA served as a nice way of revisiting the series’ beloved characters, especially Eris, while also establishing and teasing new ones, along with exciting storylines to come, fanning the flames of my excitement as I wait with bated breath for the much anticipated second season coming in 2023.