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With how many isekai series are released every year, it shouldn’t come as a surprise that, eventually, a few of these franchises would end up having similar sounding plots. For a novel-turned-blockbuster anime like Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnationthe likelihood of this happening is far higher – but, surprisingly, is also a very good thing. The Beginning After the Enda brand-new anime adaptation of the original web comic by TurtleMe and Fuyuki23 shares many narrative and structural similarities to the “grandfather of isekai”, but in a way that plays into everything that makes Mushoku Tensei so good while cutting out some of the unnecessary plot beats that holds the series back.
The Beginning After the End follows Arthur Leywin, and like many isekai protagonists before him, is a young boy growing up in a fantastical continent filled with magic and monsters. He intends to use his second chance at life to right his wrongs from his previous life and to be everything he couldn’t in his first life. Unlike other isekai protagonists, though, Arthur wasn’t some random otaku from the real world; he was a king who was renowned for his tactical prowess before being assassinated. With his memories intact, Arthur aims to live a life surrounded by friends and family – something he was never able to do in his past.
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The Beginning After the End Has a Similar Structure To Mushoku Tensei, But Is Wholly Unique
Having protagonists who vow to do and be better with their second chance at life isn’t where the similarities between The Beginning After the End and Mushoku Tensei end. Mushoku Tensei‘s structure follows Rudeus from early childhood to adulthood, step-by-step, with each major character arc showcasing the character re-living pivotal, developmental moments and having the opportunity to properly process each moment to be better than he was in his first life. The Beginning After the End is extremely similar, introducing Arthur to audiences in early childhood and developing his character into adulthood, fostering each of the new joys he experiences now that he finally has the opportunity to grow up without the crushing weight of noble responsibility shaping his life for him.
The Beginning After the End isn’t a carbon copy of Mushoku Tensei though, because even though Rudeus does eventually take on the mantle of being an adventurer and hero in his own story, Arthur grows comfortable as he reaches adulthood and is suddenly thrust into an almost unsettling sense of déjà vu when war breaks out between Dicathen – Arthur’s home continent – and the Vritra, a clan of banished deities that have begun ruling over a far away continent, which emboldens him to pick up his blade and help his fellow countrymen despite his fears of once again becoming a jaded, war-torn leader like he was in his first life. Interestingly, as Arthur begins to set out on this journey and aiding in the ongoing war efforts, he learns that he isn’t the only figure from his original world to be reborn onto Dicathen.
With the first episode of The Beginning of the End officially dropping on April 2nd as part of the Spring lineup, anime fans will likely be jumping to compare the adorable child version of Arthur to Rudeus from Mushoku Tenseiand for good reason. Both series introduce audiences to their vast, politically complex worlds through the eyes of children with the memories of grown men with deep-seated regrets over how they lived their “first” lives. However, The Beginning After the End dives deep into the emotional impact of war on its protagonist and the people around them, and explores a deeper mystery regarding the “why” behind their reincarnation.
