When the first episode of the much-awaited anime, The Beginning After The End, dropped early on YouTube ahead of its April 2 release on Crunchyroll, I couldn’t help but notice how similar it felt to Mushoku Tensei. Watching King Gray get reincarnated into a world full of magic as Arthur Leywin gave me some serious déjà vu.
For anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, The Beginning After The End opens with King Gray, a strong and accomplished man, dying and being reborn into a completely new world as a young boy named Arthur Leywin. The twist is that he keeps all his memories from his past life.
That’s the main setup, and it’s exactly the kind of story that made people instantly compare it to Mushoku Tensei.
TBATE Author Acknowledges Getting Inspiration From Mushoku Tensei
TurtleMe, the creator of TBATE, has openly talked about the influence Mushoku Tensei had on him. During an IGN FanFest interview, he said, “Mushoku Tensei is a title that really made me think about what reincarnation would be like.” That’s a clear sign that the series helped shape his own story, he’s not denying it.
And yeah, the similarities in the beginning are hard to ignore. Both shows have main characters who die and get reborn in a fantasy world. Both Rudeus (from Mushoku Tensei) and Arthur are incredibly talented at magic from a young age, and both are raised by families who support their training.
Arthur’s dad, Reynolds, and mom, Alice (a healer), are just as involved in his development as Rudeus’s parents Paul and Zenith were in his.
But after those first elements, the stories go in different directions. Rudeus is trying to fix his old life, where he felt like he wasted his potential. His story is personal and often emotional.
TBATE’s Arthur, though, was already successful as King Gray. What he missed were real relationships. So this time, Arthur wants to build connections and figure out why he was given another chance.
The settings they’re placed in also help set them apart. Mushoku Tensei uses a more traditional medieval fantasy world, full of politics, social rules, and deep lore. It’s often serious, and shows how complicated life can be.
TBATE, in contrast, builds its society around magical strength. Status comes from power, and Arthur’s story is more about bringing people together and facing large-scale magical problems than dealing with political drama.
Even the tone of the shows feels different. Mushoku Tensei focuses more on serious issues like regret, personal change, and facing consequences. TBATE feels more adventurous and character-driven. It’s about using a second life to do things better, with Arthur growing into someone others can count on.
Studio A-CAT is working on the TBATE anime. You might know their other work like Frame Arms Girl and Getter Robo Arc. The team includes director Kitaro Motonaga (Date A Live), writer Takamitsu Kouno, and composer Keiji Inai (known for Shield Hero and DanMachi). So they’ve got the experience to make TBATE something that stands out.
It’s easy to see where TBATE and Mushoku Tensei overlap: reincarnated main characters, gifted with magic, supportive families, but once the plot moves forward, their paths clearly split. The characters have different goals, the storylines focus on separate themes, and even the settings feel different.
The Beginning After The End has a full 24-episode first season, so there’s plenty of time to show what it’s really about. It may open with familiar ideas, but there’s a real chance for it to build its own identity.
