Directed By: Yasuhito Kikuchi, Atsushi Nakayama
Studio: Eight Bit
Original Creator: Fuse
Audio: English, Japanese
Subtitles: English
Licensed By: Manga Entertainment UK, Funimation, Crunchyroll
Format: DVD, Blu-Ray, Streaming
Release Date: Part One is out now, Part Two is out on the 6th April 2020
After losing his life in a violent attack, 37 year old Satoru Mikami is given a second chance. After waking up in a whole new world, he begins to realise how much has changed – including his appearance! Now his second life begins as a lowly slime monster, whose attitude on life earns him some powerful friends and allies along his way. As well as using his skills and abilities to his advantage, he is given the new name of Rimuru Tempest! A slime monster who will one day build towns, gain recognition from the King and perhaps establish his own nation. Just how does he do it? Well you’re going to have to watch this series to find out!
Truth be told, this anime took me about three episodes to fully get into it. It is a bit of a rough start to the series and was easy to drop after the first two episodes. However I am glad I stuck with it, as it certainly improved once I accepted the show for what it was. Pure goofy, knows how to make fun of itself, but also has a serious plot and is well thought out! I can actually compare this show to the likes of GATE, as the lead character goes out of their way to level up and make a working civilisation around him (although it wasn’t his original intention). Even though Rimuru was originally a human back in his World, he soon grows accustomed and is quickly accepting of the fact he is now, what is usually perceived as, being a lowly slime monster. With his Predator ability, Rimuru can absorb the strongest of dragons, take on any opponent and gain the trust of other species. This is truly an interesting show, and has progressed so much in the space of a single season.
Rimuru’s first life as the salaryman Satoru Mikami was a bland one, with little to no human interaction outside work, his interests were the same as a closested otaku. His parting words from his human life reveal quite a bit about him. Ultimately it wasn’t until he was reincarnated, did he really start to live life to the fullest! From being a socially awkward person, he almost instantly befriends a dragon. With Rimuru’s past knowledge of video games and manga, he is quick to adapt to this new world and the creatures he encounters in it. He never wishes to truly fight and kill, but instead uses his quick thinking to come up with other solutions that would benefit both parties. As the show progresses, more and more races are introduced as well as some of their top leaders/fighters. It’s interesting learning how this world is structured, how other races interact and how Rimuru has turned it all upside down in a matter of months! The biggest impact on the show and on Rimuru, has been a girl called Shizu. Her story alone is reason enough to watch this show!
This is not just one of those mediocre isekai anime. This series truly deserves the recognition its fanbase has given it. The characters and story are always developing, as is the landscape around them. As Rimuru’s little goblin village begins to expand into a nation, their presence is noticed by other kingdoms. It isn’t long before Rimuru and his village are targeted, so expect some really impressive battles ahead. With not only Rimuru’s story, but several members of his village get their own battle time. We also discover the dark secret of some demon lords, who summon people from other worlds – like Mikami’s, to act as slaved weapons. It will be interesting to see what Season Two will have in store for this series, as it’s scheduled to come out in October 2020.
This anime originated back in 2013 as a light novel series by Fuse, which was later picked up in 2014 by Micro Magazine. It is still being published today with 5 volumes at present and being published in English by Yen Press. Each year the fan base grew, so in 2015 it began once again and was adapted into a manga series. With 13 volumes out at present and still going, you can pick it up in English from Kodansha USA. A side manga spin off was also published, but as far as I am aware was never published in English. If you wish to look it up, it went by the name ‘The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: How Monsters Walk’. So while you wait for more of the anime, you have plenty to look up and enjoy until then.
After a short two year break from each new publication, the series was inevitably picked up for an anime adaptation. At present we have Season One at 24 episodes and a few OVA’s, we can expect Season Two later this year. Both seasons have been animated by Japanese animation studio: Eight Bit. A studio that has been around now for just over a decade, they have produced Infinite Staros, Aquarion Evol, Busou Shinki, How to Keep a Mummy and more.
You can buy Season One Part One of ‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime’ right now and pre-order Part Two as well. Once again, it is well worth watching. And if physical media isn’t your thing at the moment, you can also stream the anime over on the FunimationNOW app.
Overall: 9/10
