That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Series Review

Posted on by Karandi
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 9 Rimuru in the cave

Ready for the slime of your life?

Here we are with another isekai anime. Another normal, ordinary, totally average guy who is killed by a totally normal knife wielding running man before being reincarnated as an over-powered blue slime in a world resembling a standard generic fantasy setting where he will begin building an empire and have plenty of adoring subjects because he is awesome.

So, if you don’t like isekai or over-powered protagonists it is probably time to duck out of this one. Because, this anime is utterly unashamed of what it is and while we have the gimmick of the protagonist being a slime, there isn’t a lot that really distinguishes it in terms of plot or setting.

Where That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime does manage to distinguish itself from similar isekai adventures is that the protagonist seems utterly without a goal for the majority of the story. Sorry, I’ll correct that. He has goals but mostly they revolve around making his life easier, and usually making life easier for those who follow him. There’s no grand plan of fighting some powerful evil, trying to return home, or really anything else. Just short term goals that get accomplished in bite sized arcs as this essentially slice of life, empire building story kind of rolls itself out.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 11 Rimuru

As such there is never any real sense of urgency or that there are any real stakes in anything that happens. I kind of found this very off putting and frequently found it hard to invest a great deal emotionally in this show. While I never overly disliked it, I think if Slime had suddenly had production issues and been delayed a month, I may not have even noticed. It just kind of existed and while I was watching it I usually had a casual good time with an occasional smile, the occasional enjoyment of a particularly good dialogue exchange, and very rarely an interesting fight, but mostly it just kind of passed by.

For people who prefer their stories low-key and don’t mind watching characters just kind of drift and do what they do (so people who don’t really mind slice of life in general), Slime probably offers a rare fantasy opportunity that isn’t all about slaying a demon lord or achieving some grand goal. In a sense it reminds me, vaguely, of something like Restaurant to Another Universe in that you have what appears to be a standard fantasy setting without any of the epic plot trappings that usually accompany it.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 16

In a sense, if Slime had chosen to simply occupy the space of a slice of life in a fantasy setting, I probably wouldn’t have watched it at all because I already know such a premise doesn’t really interest me. However, Slime does at times have hints of a larger narrative and certain arcs seemed to push that forward. In those moments I found a genuine enjoyment rather than a casual like of the show. Shizue’s arc in the first cour was the true highlight, hitting some fairly decent emotional notes, filling in our knowledge of the world, and progressing the idea of a villain Rimuru may have to face at some point. All and all, it was pretty solid. There are other arcs, or bits of information within some of the other arcs that also build on an overall narrative idea, but they are scattered and hardly a focal point.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 6

With that it entirely comes down to your viewing preferences and whether you need a driving narrative as to whether this anime will grab your interest.

However, if the basic premise and set up is what you are looking for, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime offers a fairly beautifully presented quality viewing experience. In almost all episodes the visual and animation quality is maintained with none of the mid-season or late season mistakes, glitches, and just rushed efforts that other anime sometimes face. Rimuru is as charmingly depicted in episode 23 as episode 1 (though early in the series there’s a weird CG visual used occasionally for Rimuru that just seems out of place with the rest of the visuals of the series – quite possibly deliberate but I felt it was weird).

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 1

One thing I did find bizarre was that the anime would introduce monster characters who would have quite strikingly non-human appearances and then after Rimuru gave them a name they would ‘evolve’ and have a more human appearance. I mentioned this in one of my episode reviews, but it felt like an utter waste to take such distinct looking characters and morph them into generic fantasy boy/girl with vague monster appendages. It felt like a loss for what could have made this anime visually far more memorable than it ends up being, even if it is a pretty anime that is easy on the eyes.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 16

From a sound point of view everything works. Character voices serve their purpose and Rimuru’s voice acting is perhaps the character’s most charming point. He’s easy to listen to, fairly emotive, and the contrast between his inner and outer tone at times is spot on and nails the humour of a situation. Other characters are either good enough or quite interesting, and the background music and sounds do their job but don’t stand out as overly memorable.

Overall though it is the characters that I find to be the weakest element of this anime. Not because they are not good characters. Individually, each character is perfectly fine and they even play well off one another. The problem is that other than Rimuru, no character really sticks around long enough to have much impact. Even characters who stay in the story, after their introduction and brief moment in the spot-light, get shunted to the background where they occasionally fill screen space or make a comment, but kind of cease to develop as actual characters.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 10 Lizardmen

For me, in the absence of a driving plot, I really needed more from the characters and their personal journeys. I needed something to make me want to invest emotionally in this anime, and tragically the characters just couldn’t fill the void.

Admittedly, the characters are largely quirky and cute but when the vast majority of names are forgotten before the series has even been a week completed, and you genuinely don’t know what even half of them are trying to do or accomplish and you generally have no sense that any of the characters are motivated to do anything beyond serve Rimuru, it really makes it hard to care about what happens to any of them and Rimuru is so over-powered (and if he wasn’t, Milim sure is), that it is hard to visualise harm coming to any of them.

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Again, it comes down to whether or not you care about any kind of tension or emotional stakes in your story or whether you just want to chill. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime would be a very good anime to just chill to.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Gobta

Before I wrap up, I do want to discuss the episode count. At 25 episodes, this anime took six months to air. That’s a long time investment for episodic watching and I will admit, I was weary of it by the end. It didn’t help that the final arc, despite tying in fairly beautifully with Shizue’s arc from the first half of the season, was undeniably one of the weaker stories delivered. However, what makes it worse is the anime actually finishes at episode 23 and then we have two extra episodes. Episode 24 actually is better than anything the second half of Slime gave us and just made me wonder why we hadn’t seen more like that. That probably isn’t what you want your bonus material to do. 24.5 is just padding. Poorly executed recap. A poor excuse of filler to pad out a 25 episode count that was unneeded.

Getting onto recommendations, it isn’t as though this was a bad anime. There are huge numbers of fans, massive amounts of merchandise available, and realistically there’s nothing inherently broken about the story. While it doesn’t suit my viewing preferences, it functionally works and at times even I found it very entertaining and at its worst I just found it kind of empty but watchable. So for some this will be highly entertaining.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 18 fanservice

My honest opinion with this one is that there are better isekai anime out there with better journeys and characters. Then again, I prefer something that has clear direction and characters that grow and learn so perhaps Slime and I were never meant to be. Still, I wouldn’t actually tell you to avoid this one. It can be good fun and is nicely made. Give it a try, by the end of episode 3 you should have a rough idea of whether this works for you, and maybe you’ll find a show to fall in love with.

However, I’d love to know your thoughts on That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (the anime) so please share in the comments below.

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Karandi James
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2019 Winter Anime End Of The Season

Posted on by Karandi

Winter 2019 has had its ups and downs throughout but regardless of my final thoughts, I had a lot of fun this season. There was always something to look forward to and as some shows faltered, others rallied. While I know some shows are ongoing and some have not yet aired final episodes (and in the case of Boogiepop wa Warawanai I’m just hopelessly behind), this is my final standings for the Winter season.

In the listing I’ve commented on where the series was at the mid-season point in the list and whether it has moved or not but if you want to see my mid-season thoughts they are here.

Hopefully you enjoy and remember the results of the reader’s poll will come out later today.

Number 15: Boogiepop wa Warawanai

Previously placed at position 13. It didn’t even deliver the little that was expected.

I was vaguely hopeful that this one would improve, but realistically I’m struggling just to convince myself to finish watching it. It has continued to be a meandering mess and while some have enjoyed the mystery I’ve mostly just found it frustrating.

Boogiepop wa Warawanai Episode 10 Nagi

Not aided by ugly visuals and characters that are pretty bland, there’s very little compelling me to keep going with this but I will finish it at this point. I kind of feel I past the point of no return a while a go. Still, if I wanted to pick the series on my watch list that I most regret watching, Boogiepop would be it.

Number 14: Grimms Notes

Previously placed at position 15, Grimms Notes continued to underwhelm.

While it would be nice to say that it managed to pull its narrative and characters together, mostly I just felt this one oozed wasted potential until the very end. Not that there weren’t some fun moments along the way, but it just never felt satisfying to watch.

Grimms Notes Episode 8

It isn’t all bad news with some of the character moments being cute enough and having a simple ‘save the story zone’ plot each week. Even if the main story line felt hopelessly underdeveloped and the themes unexplored, it wasn’t as if this ever became unwatchable.

  • Grimms Notes Episode 5 Silver
  • Grimms Notes Episode 7
  • Grimms Notes Episode 9 Aladdin

Number 13: Sword Art Online Alicization

Previously at position 10, how this has fallen.

I was disappointed when Sword Art Online Alicization was only managing position 10, and yet honestly I can’t say this has gotten any better. If anything, the faults with the pacing, character motives, exposition, and just idiocy have gotten worse to the point where I’m honestly wondering whether to keep going with episode reviews when it continues or whether to just let this one go and review it once they finally finish it.

Eugeo - Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 23

An increasingly frustrating and underwhelming watch full of babble about things that barely make sense even in the context of the story, and characters who essentially break the rules of the world at will, it all just became fairly tiresome to watch this season.

  • Sword Art Online Alicization Episode 20
  • Alicization Episode 21 Eugeo, Alice and Kirito
  • Cardinal - Sword Art Online Aliciztaion Episode 23

Number 12: Kaguya-Sama Love is War

Previously and still position 12.

For a comedy anime it wasn’t bad. It isn’t really my style and to be honest outside of the occasional moment where the characters really clicked there were a lot of times where watching this was just kind of empty. Still, the visuals, animation and sound design of this one were pretty fantastic so I can’t fault the production in the slightest.

Kaguya-Sama Episode 6 Shinomiya

However, ultimately, if I’d stopped watching this one it wouldn’t have mattered. There was no compelling reason to keep going and while I can see why it appeals to some, it really isn’t speaking much to me.

  • Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 5 Fujiwara Best Girl
  • Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 8 Shirogane
  • Kaguya-Sama Love is War Episode 10 Ishigami

Number 11: Endro

Previously placed at position 14, this one actually was kind of charming fun.

Despite the pastel colour scheme and cute girl antics, I actually did find this one entertaining from week to week. There were some moments that really just shone for both the story and the characters proving you really can take something fairly standard and make it shine if you put enough love and effort into it.

Honestly, this isn’t going to be something I watch again but if you like cute girl stories or just want a fun slice of life/comedy that has an adventurers setting thrown in, this is actually really cute and entertaining. The only reason it didn’t get higher up my list is because I’m just not that into cute girls and some of the friendship sequences made me roll my eyes hard.

  • Endro Episode 5 Princess and Mao
  • Endro Episode 7
  • Mei is the Cartado King - Endro Episode 9

Number 10: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Previously position 7 there’s just no denying the second cour was ordinary.

After slowly warming up to the show in the first cour, the second cour that aired during Winter 2019 of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime was overwhelmingly average. Now source readers will pull out the ‘it gets better’ cards as well as explain that some bits were skipped over, but none of that changes the fact that the anime is most definitely average.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Rimuru and Milim

There were some cute moments and character encounters and a few fairly awesome moments in the occasional fight, but a lot of this second cour was sitting around talking, or introducing characters we were never given a reason to care about who effectively had their problems solved with minimum effort. It remained light and fun to watch but had absolutely nothing to hook the audience or to convince me this would ever be worth watching a second time.

  • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 21 Rimuru reacts
  • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Rimuru
  • That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Number 9: The Price of Smiles

Formally position 5. Okay, I was being optimistic.

It is almost scary how on the nose my prediction for this series was at the half-way point. I suspected we had a show that would simply kill off its characters towards the end and in the lead up to the final episode we had one prominent character death an episode all to serve the ‘war is bad’ slogan this anime seemed to want to plaster onto almost every episode. That doesn’t mean it was terrible. There was actually a lot of promise along the way. It just never quite delivered.

The Price of Smiles Episode 10

Still, there have certainly been worse mecha anime over the years and while the ending was foolishly optimistic and naive, much like the main character, I can’t say I’m upset with it. While The Price of Smiles never managed to break into being something truly good, it certainly skated along the edges of it and kept me hopeful throughout.

  • The Price of Smiles Episode 9
  • The Price of Smiles Episode 11

Number 8: Domestic Girlfriend

Previously in 6th position.

Right, so you get what you expect when you keep watching a melodrama and as the story progresses they have to push to increasingly forced and silly methods to up the ante. That said, there is a certain delight in watching this train wreck unfold and while I wouldn’t say I actually like any of the characters, I kind of am curious about where they will ultimately end up.

Natsuo and Hina - Domestic Girlfriend - Episode 11

This one somehow manages to be trashy without actually being trash and while it isn’t great it is also something that is hard to stop watching. While the occasional scene pushes the sexual content a little further than I’d like and the basic premise and the idea of teachers and students dating isn’t something I’m thrilled about, I can’t say that this is actually a bad watch. Not really one I’d jump to recommend but one that I’d honestly have to admit I’ve been enjoying despite the many complaints I might muster about it.

  • Domestic Girlfriend Episode 7 Hina
  • Domestic Girlfriend Episode 10 Rui

Number 7: The Rising of the Shield Hero

Previously in position 4.

I’m honestly pleasantly surprised that this one has remained as entertaining as it has. With Sword Art and Slime both plummeting in the ranks during the Winter season it seemed isekai fantasy was taking a serious downward turn. While there are plenty of points against Shield Hero in terms of pacing and at times characterisation, I’ve mostly had fun watching it and continue to look forward to how it rolls out this story.

While this one might also take a downward turn as it moves into a second cour, I’m kind of hopeful of this one just keeping things moving. And while the fights remain fresh, the story doesn’t linger for too long on any one part, and Naofumi continues to be an interesting character to watch, I’ll probably keep enjoying this even though I would hardly call it great.

Number 6: Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka

Down from position 3.

I kind of knew this one probably wouldn’t hold in the top 5 for the season but I was hopeful. A dark magical girl story that actually seemed willing to deal with the trauma a teenage girl would face if forced to fight to save the world and watch companions die? It is a good idea and at least provides some kind of grounding for the violence rather than just being opening gratuitous in killing off young characters grotesquely.

Asuka - Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka - Episode 11

However, the execution both from thematically and in the delivery of the narrative have been somewhat lacking and once again we’re left with a show that is more concept than delivery. The over the top torture segments also don’t help to ground this as anything more than something trying to be sensationalist when actually there’s a reasonable attempt at exploring trauma and PTSD buried here but alas the show can’t give it the time or weight it needs between the other ideas it wants to cram in an a desire to imperil Asuka’s classmates. I didn’t mind this but I kept wanting more from it and by the final few episodes it was clear that it wasn’t going to deliver.

  • Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka Episode 7 Asuka
  • Magical Girl Spec Ops Asuka Episode 9
  • Kurumi - Magical Girl Spec-Ops Asuka - Episode 11

Number 5: Meiji Tokyo Renka

Formally in position 10 – nice climb.

While this one reeks of mediocrity in visuals and almost everything else, this is the anime I’ve gone back to again and again just to feel good and kick back and relax. There’s something incredibly fun and infectious about Mei as a character and the cast of guys surrounding her aren’t too shabby. The supernatural elements work well but it is Mei’s ongoing relationship with Ougai that really grabs your attention.

While I won’t say this improved as it went, it maintained its standard throughout and the characters are naturally charming enough to slowly make you warm to them and each episode feels just that little bit more fun than the last. Not one to be proclaimed a master-piece but for those who don’t mind the occasional reverse harem romp this one is certainly a fun time waster to fit into your viewing schedule.

  • Meiji Tokyo Renka Episode 8
  • Meiji Tokyo Renka Episode 9

Number 4: The Morose Mononokean

Previously number 8 on the list – this one exceeded expectations.

Season two of The Morose Mononokean continued to far outstrip season one and advanced the plot and character development in a way I’d been wishing the first season to but it just never got to. There is very little to complain about with this second season with almost everything being better than season one and the balance between yokai of the week episode and episodes developing the world and characters being pretty well thought out.

With cute yokai characters, conspiracies, blossoming powers and generally more supernatural fun, The Morose Mononokean ended up being one show I began to look forward to each weekend. The chats with Irina around the episodes were also a factor as watching a show is always better with friends, but honestly this one was a delight this Winter season.

  • The Morose Mononokean Episode 6 Ashiya and Yahiko
  • The Morose Mononokean Season 2 Episode 10

Number 3: My Roommate is a Cat

Previously number 9 on the list (that’s quite the rise).

If I was asked whether this got better as the season went on and whether that accounts for its rise, the answer would be a clear no. This isn’t a story that gets better. There’s a solid character journey for Subaru and one that I greatly appreciated which certainly accounts for a lot of its rise through the ranks, but what My Roommate is a Cat does brilliantly is deliver a fairly consistent performance. Tie in consistently meeting expectations week after week with concluding a character arc in a fairly coherent manner and My Roommate is a Cat might be decidedly average in a lot of ways but it was one that I found a very satisfying watch in the end.

My Roommate is a Cat Episode 8

This anime definitely demonstrates the power of simplicity in that it has a very simple gimmick with the cat narrating part of the episode from its perspective but otherwise the character count is low, the scenarios very low key, and things tie in together way too neatly for real life but in a way that makes for a fairly entertaining weekly watch. Not to mention, there’s a cat in it and apparently having a cat in it is something that makes a story recommendable.

  • My Roommate is a Cat Episode 8 Subaru and Haru
  • My Roommate is a Cat Episode 8 Subaru
  • My Roommate is a Cat Episode 11 Subaru

Number 2: The Promised Neverland

Remaining in second place.

I feel a bit bad for The Promised Neverland. Given the genre and style of story in almost any other season this one would have been a sure number one for me. Yet, opposite Run With the Wind that mostly didn’t rely on cliff-hangers to maintain viewer interest or suspense, I just can’t say that the gimmick filled Neverland is better even if I’m certainly enjoying it a lot.

The mark of a great story where I want to know what happens, where it keeps me guessing and theorising, and when the reveal is made it may not be what I thought but everything kind of clicks into place as all the anomalies and hints suddenly make sense even while a new mystery rises to be solved. The cast are charming, the setting thrilling, and all and all this one has been a delight to watch this season.

  • The Promised Neverland Episode 8 Krone's Death

Number 1: Run With The Wind

Maintaining first position.

While I never expected to like Run With The Wind that much, even with a fairly strong showing from The Promised Neverland, there just isn’t any reason to not make this my number one of the season. I’ve fallen in love with the team and through the final episodes I cried, I cheered, I cried some more and then I smiled through those tears in absolute delight. It really helps that every character had a moment to shine in those final episodes and each character journey felt like it was given time to draw to a conclusion. It was a lovely viewing experience and one I’m really glad I picked up.

Run With The Wind Episode 22 King hands the sash to Kakeru

Whether it was Shindo’s absolutely heroic actions during his leg of the race, the general camaraderie and support each member showed for the others, or the feat they accomplished together, there were just so many moments to celebrate. This anime is gorgeous, well put together and has just the perfect number of episodes to tell its story. For all that I do have some minor complaints, they are just that, minor. This is definitely my pick for must watch of the season.

  • Run With The Wind Episode 18 Haiji
  • Run With The Wind Episode 19 - Prince
  • Run With The Wind Episode 20

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Karandi James
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Not Worth The Slime

Posted on by Karandi
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode Review Title Image

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24.5

I’m going to keep this short and sweet. Episode 24 offered a really interesting extra story that was just fun to watch. This episode was boring me five minutes in and then got worse. The disconnected reused imagery over a monologue about playing shogi was tedious and even after the two characters started discussing other things it wasn’t going to save what is a completely dry and pointless affair.

If ever there was a sad attempt to pad run time, this episode was it.

On that note, I’m going to move on but I’ll be reviewing the full series next week so be sure to check out my thoughts on it.

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And Then Shizue Stole The Anime Right Out From Under Rimuru

Posted on by Karandi
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode Review Title Image

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24 (Extra) Review

This is probably the most fun I’ve had with That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime since the first cour and it is an episode that takes place prior to Shizue meeting Rimuru. She travels to a kingdom to help deal with a summoned demon but things aren’t what they seem at first.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24

I’m going to be honest, I would love to say that there’s some great characterisation and story telling going on in this episode, and comparatively there actually is, but twenty minutes isn’t exactly a long amount of time and as a stand-alone story there is only so much they can do. While both Kuro/Black and Shizue come across as very interesting characters, without actual follow up this episode doesn’t quite get them there. Fortunately we’ve already seen how Shizue’s story ends so this works nicely to fill in her character and as for the demon, well it is nicely teased that Rimuru is going to meet him sooner or later so we can expect that we’ll meet him again.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24

What really works though is that this story is tightly structured with very little left to waste. The first act has a human desperately summoning a demon. We’re never given the absolute specifics as to why, but given what the demon does and what we learn about the kingdom, we can probably take a fair guess as to who they were and why they wanted to summon a demon. Even without that particular bit of information, it is a reasonably dramatic opening for a story and right from the start the demon is pretty cool and interesting looking. Here’s someone you want to get to know.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24

Shizue entering the story and being met by another adventurer is a little clunkier, but it does solve the problem of having to narrate all the exposition when Shizue has someone else to bounce a lot of conversation off of during the early part of the episode and to fill in the details of why they are all there. But once the action starts, we see Shizue at her finest making decisions and taking action.

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The final act links things back in with the main story and while they do rely on some narration here to explicitly link to potential future events for Rimuru, it feels warranted and this story has been interesting enough that it is a nice tease of something to come.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 24

Of course, the question I’m left with is why weren’t more episodes in the main series as interesting or well paced as this one? Why weren’t the characters given just that little more time and attention, some emotional nuances, anything to just make me want to pay that little bit more attention to them? I really enjoyed this story and I’d happily watch a whole season of this kind of story even without the main plot line. While I wasn’t overly impressed to find out this season was ending with ‘extras’ I will admit that this one definitely went above and beyond my expectations of extra material and really was just fun to watch.

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Top 5 Anime By 8bit Studio

Posted on by Karandi
Tuesday's Top 5

When looking a bit more closely at the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime anime I started wondering if there were any other anime by the same studio I liked. Turns out, not really, but I did manage to find enough for a list. While I will admit 8bit doesn’t have quite the catalogue of some studios, as I scrolled through the titles I couldn’t help but note that even the anime I’d watched from the list weren’t ones I had particularly fond memories of, with one or two exceptions.

Still, I have been wanting to look more at the studios, directors and voice actors in anime for awhile so this seemed like a good place to start and as always I’d love to know what you would have put on your list.

Honourable Mention: Comet Lucifer

Alright, if you ever read my review of this one you know I didn’t much like it so I was kind of scraping the bottom of the barrel to have an honourable mention. On the bright side, it isn’t unwatchable and I did finish and review it so I guess that gives it a win. The set up is actually kind of interesting, its just that the story takes a lot of weird twists and turns.

Comet Lucifer

Number 5: Knight’s And Magic

Here it is, the title that doesn’t quite understand how apostrophes work or really get pacing or plot development. On the other hand, much like Comet Lucifer from the honourable mention, Knight’s and Magic does have a really good core idea it is just the execution of it that doesn’t end up panning out. I think a lot of us watched the whole season just hoping it would pull itself together and it just never did and I’m still not quite over the flying mechanical dragon they pulled out for the climax.

Knight's and Magic - Ernesti

Number 4: Tokyo Ravens

Now this is an interesting title. I haven’t actually reviewed it at this point because I’m never very certain how I feel about it. Again, very cool concept and a fairly decent cast of characters on display. Where it falls down again is on execution with the pacing going from incredibly slow to skipping over things and tripping over itself sometimes within the one episode, but more than that, the main character is one of those ‘chosen’ one style characters who isn’t half as great as he’d like to be and he seems to be angry at the world because of it. For all the things I like about Tokyo Ravens I find him fairly hard to get into.

Tokyo Ravens

Number 3: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Another anime I’m very on the fence about. At the story came to a close last week I’m really thinking through where I stand on this anime. I can’t deny it was fun, because I definitely had some fun watching, but even now, when there are still extra episodes to air, I’m struggling to remember any particular detail from the story because nothing other than the main character is a slime, is really sticking out. Still, a well made production and very relaxing with a few laughs and a few decent fight sequences so it would be hard to say that there was anything actually wrong with it.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 19 Rimuru

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Number 2: Shounen Maid

Now this I actually really liked. While not an amazing anime by any means and certainly you could make the scenario a lot creepier than it is with the main character moving into his relative’s house and working as a maid, but the series is actually just kind of cute and charming. The relationship between the two main characters is more heart warming as they both help the other to become more rounded people, and it is all just sweet. The plot doesn’t go anywhere particularly fast but if you just want something that is sweet and a bit of fun, Shounen Maid will definitely work.

Shounen Maid

Number 1: How To Keep A Mummy

Another anime without much of a plot but it makes up for it in sheer adorableness. I actually didn’t realise this was made by 8bit but just seeing the art for it again made me smile. Yes, cute is the rule of the day, but there are some tender moments for any pet owner to enjoy, not to mention some laughs and a few more serious antics with the supernatural creatures. All and all though, this one is just a lot of cute bliss and one that is well worth taking the time to watch.

How To Keep a Mummy

So those are my picks but which is your favourite anime from 8bit?

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Up Close With Rimuru Tempest

Posted on by Karandi
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 12 Rimuru

Since That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime began in the Autumn 2018 season, Rimuru Tempest has been super popular. Just looking at the sheer number of items that have come out from That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime makes it clear that there’s some appeal. And yet, while I enjoy watching Rimuru’s antics, I can’t say that I find him overly memorable as a protagonist. Which is why his winning the Crunchyroll award for best protagonist last year kind of had me a little stumped. So, since the ‘story’ of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime came to a close last week I decided to take the opportunity to have a bit of a closer look at our reincarnated slime.

Keep in mind, I’m only responding to what I’ve seen in the anime as I have not read any of the source material in any form.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 1

Originally a 37 year old office worker from Japan, Satoru died when a random guy came running down the street with a knife and he protected his co-worker and the co-worker’s girlfriend. I’m still not sure why just pulling them out of the way wouldn’t have worked or why the guy was running with the knife, but clearly there wasn’t a lot of thought put into the way they’d off this character and at least they didn’t hit him with a truck which has become beyond cliche. Whichever way, we establish that even as a human, while Satoru isn’t overly ambitious he is a nice guy, and alas that kind of defines all of Rimuru’s relationships from that point forward.

Now, there is nothing wrong with being nice. Bell Cranel is certainly a ‘nice guy’ protagonist, however in his case it is off-set by his drive and ambition to become a hero like the ones in his grandfather’s stories. Rimuru doesn’t have anything to off-set just being nice other than the fact that he is reincarnated as a blue slime monster, which is novel for about an episode and then you wonder if there’s anything more to the gimmick.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime - Ranga

Probably my biggest complaint about Rimuru Tempest and his character is that it isn’t really defined by anything. He bops along in the cave collecting stuff because why not and then runs into Veldora, who also gives him his name and a few handy hints. After Veldora we meet the goblins, then the wolves, then the dwarves, then the ogres, and then… You see, once a relationship is formed, the characters in question end up more or less in the background and Rimuru just kind of moves on to the next thing.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 8 Rimuru and Shizu

About the only relationship that looked to go a bit deeper was Shizue, but even then she was only in the story for a couple of episodes and Rimuru’s only real connection with her was that she was also born in Japan.

However, I’m not just taking a look at Rimuru to dump on him (well, technically he is gender-less as a slime but he started out as a male human so we’re sticking with that). Rimuru is a fun character to spend time with because of his lack of drive and ambition. While he’s building his city, a lot of it he just kind of stumbled across and most of his actions are the result of him trying to make things easier on himself. He’s almost infectiously relaxing which is kind of great if you are looking for some laid back entertainment.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 10 Rimuru

He also gets two great character designs. As the slime, he’s awesome and I really was eyeing off the pillow version of Rimuru as a slime because it just looked too cute. While as a character that gimmick wore thin pretty quick, as a design for a character it is amazing how cute they managed to make a blue blob. As a human, he’s easily recognised, cute, and not over-designed. There’s a simplicity about him and yet he’s still distinct.

All and all, from a design point of view they kind of hit the jackpot with Rimuru.

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While I’d personally like him more if he had some kind of drive, rather than a vague picking up of Shizue’s legacy and just kind of dealing with stuff as it happens, there’s not a huge amount to actually say is wrong with Rimuru. Though plenty that might have been stronger.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 21 Rimuru reacts

He doesn’t leave a strong impression in terms of his character journey and on thinking about that it seems clear that he isn’t changing very much despite the circumstances he finds himself in. At first that makes no sense and then you remember he was 37 years old when he died. Late thirties, he was going to be pretty set in his personality and attitudes and even applying his thoughts to new situations it is unlikely his character would rapidly change. Certainly over time he might develop slowly in response to the new situation but it isn’t going to happen quickly. This isn’t an impressionable or emotional teenager we’re dealing with.

Also, his lack of ambition is also explained by the same. At 37 he had settled for what life had to offer and then he died in an instant. What would be the point in striving to work toward something when Rimuru knows first hand how quickly it could all just disappear. It makes his go with the flow feeling far more acceptable when you consider that he’s already lived one life where he didn’t really accomplish much and then died without warning.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 9 Rimuru in the cave

While Rimuru isn’t going to rocket up my list of favourite anime characters any time soon, I certainly did have some fun bouncing a long with him on his journey.

What do you think about Rimuru?

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Karandi James
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In Case You Missed It 2019 #11

Posted on by Karandi
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

The season continues to tick along but we are now at the closing end of Winter 2019. As such, the best of the season poll has been opened and I look forward to seeing what my readers pick for the best of the season. However, if you’ve already voted or you aren’t watching seasonal anime, as normal I’ve collected some great posts from the community for the week to share and I hope you find something you’d like to read.

If you come across a post you’d like to give a shout out to, please send me a message here on the blog or DM me on Twitter.

Posts from the Community

David Alessio shares his thoughts about Cells at Work and how it works from a narrative and character point of view. This isn’t so much a review as it is a look at the parts that make up the story and an evaluation about whether they work or not, and it is fun to read. Not to mention, its about Cells at Work. Be sure to check this post out if you missed it.

Cells at Work Episode 12 - Platelet

Pokeninja shares their thoughts on a kickstarter game, Chromatose and encourages people to support the project. If you want to know more about it, and it does look interesting, and are interested in the kickstarter, this post is well worth the read through and contains links to find out more.

Standing on my Neck has their series review of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime out. I’m waiting to see if the ‘extra’ episodes add anything before drafting mine, but to be honest, this review kind of sums up a lot of my feelings about Slime. While I had fun enough watching it, thinking back I am left wondering ‘what was the point’ quite a lot. While huge Slime fans may not appreciate this take, I found it an interesting read.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Episode 20

Shojo Ramblings has a review of the Dramatical Murder anime. If you want a detailed overview of what to expect if you decide to check out the anime this review is definitely for you as it explains the nature of the content without giving away plot spoilers. Well worth the read.

Lita Kino discusses their love of Gundam as part of mecha March and it is a great post full of love for the franchise. I always enjoy reading a post that is so passionate and full of love and this one will be great fun to read for any anime fan even if Gundam isn’t your thing.

For those wanting some cosplay photo-shoot tips, Shania from Quotable Creations shares some tips for when Mother Nature is not your friend and some good ideas for in-house photos. This was a fun post to read and there are some great ideas for those looking to try out some cosplay.

Lesley has a great list of top 5 anime red-heads. I love characters with red hair and there are so many great ones out there to choose from. if you want to read a fun list and enjoy some great red-headed characters, check out this post.

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Pick of the Week

Amelia from A Girl and Her Anime had a great post about Sailor Moon and what she learned as a twenty-two year old watching the Sailor Soldiers in action for the first time. It was a great nostalgia trip for me and just a fun post for any Sailor Moon fan. Definitely one worth checking out. This one definitely got my pick of the week.

Sailor Moon

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Karandi James
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