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The story
A thread appeared on 5ch’s Nandemo Jikkyo G board after a Vtuber criticized the polygamy (one husband, multiple wives) setup in the light novel/anime series “Mushoku Tensei.” The debate centers on a protagonist who keeps his modern-day memories and values but goes along with the isekai world’s values to build a harem. Supporters countered that “it’s beside the point to judge a male-oriented narou series by general ethical standards in the first place,” while critics argued that “it’s creepier for a protagonist to keep his modern knowledge while conveniently adopting the isekai world’s values whenever it’s convenient.” The discussion expanded into a broader debate over the legitimacy of the series’ premise itself.
What people said
It's like complaining that a porn actress's performance doesn't match reality.
Not "young men" — you mean "weak men," right?
I'm actually middle-aged…
Everyone would absolutely flip out.
That really puts it in perspective. That'd get like 10x the backlash compared to Roxy's polygamy.
It'd definitely get bashed even harder than Paul.
Some who quit had better academic credentials than Todai or Kyoto University grads.
Even among the active ones, there are girls whose academic rankings beat Todai.
Getting mad when an outsider points that out is just insane.
It's well-reviewed, so I'd say it's actually good.
If Princess Ueda took multiple husbands, people would bash her as 'worse trash than Rudeus!'
Ueda had feelings for Rudeus, so it's actually plausible, which makes it worse.
People would nag on and on about her being 'creepier than Rudeus.'
Princess Ueda's setup isn't just multiple husbands — she takes on a bunch of lovers and keeps having kids without even knowing who the father is.
Ariel has 5 kids, and every one has a different father 😁
You can at least accept Rudeus as just a guy who's loyal to his dick.
Sylphiette isn't a Milis follower, so that's why she accepted Roxy.
But Mushoku Tensei is creepy regardless of that.
As always, even Rudeus himself isn't likable to begin with.
Do women maybe not actually understand what a "harem" means?
Isn't the love interest often not even the emperor himself?
They like authority and status, so if the "jobless" protagonist had been set up from the start as chosen royal bloodline destined to be emperor, they'd probably have accepted it.
At least do something like Paul and Lilia — "couldn't hold back and crossed the line" ❤ — that kind of thing.
Well, I guess they wanted to show off the Man-God's scheme.
If they'd done it that way without the polygamy, the creepiness would've been toned down a lot.
The protagonist was reincarnated from the modern world with modern knowledge and values, yet he conveniently adopts the isekai world's values instead of sticking to his own — that's what's so creepy.
If the protagonist were a pure native of that world, this wouldn't be an issue.
The creepy part is a Japanese guy with modern knowledge running a harem in another world.
It's not even a complicated argument — the content itself is just plain creepy.
It's written with that 20th-century creepy-otaku vibe.
Old Japan had different values from today.
Mushoku Tensei's protagonist still has modern values and STILL runs a harem — that's why it's so creepy.
Can't help it — narou (web-novel genre) devotees see themselves as isekai natives anyway.
It only resonates with creepy otaku who want harem impregnation fantasies.
But this is actually the #2 best-seller of all time in Kadokawa's publishing division 😅
But if Ariel hypothetically joined Rudeus's harem while still sleeping around with other men, she probably wouldn't get bashed nearly as much.
No way that's true. If that actually happened, you'd for sure end up on the bashing side too.
She's unconditionally devoted to the reincarnated protagonist — no cheating involved lol
Go read the new series about a virgin hero orc's journey to lose his virginity 😡
Background and Key Points of This Discussion
Mushoku Tensei is known as a so-called “harem-style narou (web novel) series,” in which a protagonist reincarnated into another world while keeping his modern-day memories ends up in relationships with multiple women. Supporters frame it as: “Judging a work packed with male-targeted wish fulfillment by general ethical standards misses the point to begin with.” Critics counter: “The real problem is a protagonist who keeps his modern values intact, yet conveniently adopts the isekai world’s values only when it suits him.” That split in critical framing — rather than simple like or dislike of the work itself — was at the core of the thread. The sales-ranking image posted in the thread illustrates how the series remains one of Kadokawa’s flagship titles despite the mixed reception. Note: posts amounting to personal attacks on the Vtuber who raised the criticism have been excluded from this article.
※This article is compiled from excerpts and a summary of the 5ch (Nandemo Jikkyo G) thread “[Sad News] Mushoku Tensei Gets Criticized by Yet Another Vtuber lol lol lol lol lol lol.”
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