Hinata

What…what just happened?

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, S4 Ep 19 Review

It is such a good time to be a fan of the isekai genre right now. The Big Three of isekai, Slime Tensura, Mushoku Tensei, and Re:Zero are all airing side-by-side and are headed into some of the best arcs in the story. I can’t tell you about Mushoku Tensei because I swore not to until the anime makes it to it, but with Slime? We’re about to get a story that’s going to completely reframe how the story could’ve gone. And it all has to do with three women who look surprisingly similar: Chloe, Hinata, and Chronoa.

Granville’s Plan

To remind everyone, Granville’s attack on Luminous and Rimuru isn’t just to get revenge for the death of his granddaughter. He’s smart enough to know that even rigging the game in his favor won’t be enough to kill Demon Lords. So while he and the Moderate Harlequin Alliance keep everyone busy, Yuuki has stolen Luminous’ most prized possession: the sleeping body of Chronoa, AKA the legendary hero who sealed away Veldora centuries ago. TL:DR, she and Luminous were best friends, and when she couldn’t control her power for much longer, Chronoa had her seal her away until the moment when she needed to wake up. Given how she was strong enough to seal Veldora, a True Dragon who’s stronger than even a Demon Lord, this was a warranted precaution. But since Granbell had been undercover in his alter-ego as one of the Seven-Days Luminaries working for Luminous, he knew everything about her. More importantly, he knew how to wake her up.

Stealing Chronoa’s body was phase one. Phase two is what is currently underway: organizing this attack on the Demon Lords to keep them distracted. And to help with this, after Luminous manages to best Granbell’s reanimated wife, Maria, the man absorbs her (no joke) to restore his youth and gain an advantage over Hinata, forcing her on the backfoot.

Uh-oh

And then comes the moment where Granville commences phase three. Chloe, out of concern for Rimuru and Hinata, ends up running into the fight, distracting all of them in the process. And keep in mind, this is a big moment for Leon. This is the first time since he was summoned to this world that he’s seen Chloe, his beloved adoptive sister. And she immediately is in danger as Granville sends his next attack straight at Chloe. Neither Rimuru or Leon can make it in time, but Hinata can. Unfortunately, the only way Hinata can save Chloe’s life…is by sacrificing her own.

It feels like Fuse must have taken a page out of Dragon Ball, because this is just like when Piccolo sacrificed himself to save Gohan. Granbell basically committed a canon event.

Where did Chloe go?

What happens next is a little confusing and doesn’t quite make sense. As Hinata is dying, despite Luminous’ best efforts to heal her, Chloe starts saying how things are happening “too soon.” Then reality starts glitching out, and before Rimuru understands what’s happening, she disappears right in front of him! And so does Hinata’s soul.

I’m not entirely sure how death and the afterlife works in Slime Tensura, but apparently, when someone dies, they either move onto the afterlife or re-enter the cycle of reincarnation. What’s happened to Hinata is different. When Shion and the victims of Falmuth died, their souls remained behind for a while, something that Rimuru extended until he could bring them back. But Hinata’s soul has completely vanished!

Then things get even crazier. The exact moment that Hinata dies and Chloe vanishes, Chronoa wakes up. As in, the exact same moment.

This is about to get crazy

This next part, I don’t know how to explain without spoiling things, but it comes down to this: Chronoa and Chloe are connected thanks to time travel. And neither of them could remain active at the same time due to how time travel works, as it would create a paradox. With that paradox now resolved, Chronoa has been awoken. And she is now an instrument of destruction and death that will kill everything in sight. Which was Granbell and Yuuki’s plan all along: wake up Chronoa, sic her on all their enemies, and watch what happens.

As for the how and why for this, that still needs to be explained. After the ED rolls, we see Chloe standing in an open field somewhere else, saying how things weren’t going the way she wanted yet. She’s talking about things that you wouldn’t expect a kid her age to normally know, which is probably confusing some anime-only fans. Thankfully, it looks like the next few episodes are going to finally explain everything. Based on what I’ve read in the light novels and heard through the fandom, this is going to be one of the best storylines in the series.

Man, it feels good to enjoy peak right now!

I Give “Death and Disappearance” a 4/5

Chloe and Hinata 2: Electric Boogaloo

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , ,

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 21 Review

This. This is peak you guys. Chloe might have just become the best girl of Slime Tensura. Well, sort of. She’s at least one of the best characters in the story as of now as we watch her experience one of the hardest examples of time travel I have ever seen. At least she’s not alone in it, though; she has Hinata with her! Which is good, because, as it turns out, she’s destined not to last those 2,000 years of continued existence.

The adventures of Chloe and Hinata

After establishing herself in the past as Chronoa, the hero of time (not sorry, Link,) it is now up to Chloe and Hinata see that history turns out the way that they want it to. Which means that they’ve got to spend the next 2,000 years fighting and helping people. Just how Chloe is able to live that long, I honestly don’t know. All I know is that living for that long could make someone change who they are as a person or go crazy. But Chloe? She has some incredible willpower to her! She’s able to keep going all that time thanks to her love for Rimuru! It’s impressive how much she is able to achieve! Plus, she’s not alone.

In those two millennia, Chloe and Hinata form a symbiotic partnership with each other. Hinata will take over for Chloe at times at the girl’s behest, and this will allow her to see what a true Hero can be like. And she is impressed by it. It shows you just how much Hinata’s guilt and doubt was holding her back.

Plus the fact that they can switch now helps Hinata to become even better friends with Luminous than in the present day. Which explains why Luminous has always been so sweet to Hinata. The Vampire Demon Lord had to keep her mouth shut about all of this for years in the name of their friendship. It’s heartwarming.

You know what’s awesome, though? Seeing Hinata be the one who seals away Veldora.

Hinata got her get back with Veldora

In a surprising twist, it’s not Chloe herself who seals Veldora away. It was actually Hinata using Chloe’s body that did it! I don’t get why Chloe couldn’t do it herself, but I guess she just wanted to let Hinata settle her grudge match with him. Either way, it works out. And with that, the future is all but secured. Well, as secured as it will be for Chloe.

Due to Chloe’s past self about to be summoned to this world along with Leon (she gets flung into the future), Chloe’s consciousness will soon disappear as she can’t exist in two places at once. So, the rest is to be left up to Hinata. But there’s a caveat: Chronoa. It’s not just an alias anymore. It’s actually this alternate personality that could eventually take over Chloe’s body one day. And when that happens, no one will be safe. So now, Hinata has to spend the next two hundred years holding Chronoa back until she is summoned to the other world. So, Chloe says goodbye to Luminous and then lets Hinata take the reins, and right away, Hinata is nearly overwhelmed by the power of Chronoa. The fact that Chloe kept her at bay all that time is a true testament to her willpower for the sake of her beloved!

This also means that it is ultimately Hinata who rescues Shizu, the woman who will become the basis for Rimuru’s body and her own future mentor. So, in a supreme twist of irony, Hinata gets to teach her own teacher. How crazy is that?

Ultimately, though, it comes time for Hinata to lose her own consciousness to her past self. And that is why Luminous leaves her in suspended animation, awaiting the day when she can finally awaken after her and Chloe disappear. She doesn’t know what might happen next, but she is confident that Rimuru will be able to handle things. And so ends the story of Chronoa…until now. The episode then ends in the present day as we see the results of what has happened: Chronoa is now out, and she is ready to go on a rampage. So, once again, it’s up to our GOAT Rimuru to save the day.

Man, this was a good mini-arc, you guys. Honestly, I wouldn’t mind an entire spinoff as we see Chloe and Hinata’s adventures! But I guess it’s time to return to our regularly scheduled chaos next week.

I Give “Chronoa the Hero, Pt 2

Great Rimuru has Returned to us!!!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , ,

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 1 Review

RIMURU-SAMA, WE MISSED YOU!!! 😭😭😭

If you remember all my reviews of Mushoku Tensei, then you remember my concept of the Seven Summits of Isekai. They’re the series that I consider to be the pinnacle of the genre that has become so prevalent over the last decade. And while I still have a soft spot for Shield Hero and Mushoku Tensei, we here at the D&A Anime Blog are huge fans of one isekai above all others: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. It’s got an amazing world, great and lovable characters, and Rimuru might be one of the most OP, broken protagonists in all of fiction. So it is with great fanfare that we welcome back Lord Rimuru as we begin the first cours for the monumental fourth season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime!

It’s been a while since the Great Festival where the nation of Tempest made its grand debut on the world stage. And for Rimuru and his friends and allies, life couldn’t be better! His plans to build a magic-powered train system are progressing nicely. More and more humans are visiting or living in Tempest, making the idea of human- monster coexistence more of a reality. Rimuru’s beloved students are now attending class in Tempest and away from Yuuki, with Hinata serving as a guest teacher. And, as crazy as it sounds, Shion managed to make a tea he can actually drink!

All of it adds up to Rimuru being able to enjoy a happy and fulfilling life. Except for one problem: their new Dungeon isn’t working.

The Tempest Dungeon is Like Dark Souls

Despite all the advertising and work they put into it, too many newbie adventurers keep trying to take on the Dungeon. They’re getting lost, starving, or owned by even the most basic of monsters. At this rate, the Tempest Dungeon will be a financial flop! All of this is leading adventurers to lash out at the citizens of Tempest and say their Dungeon is unfair. Something has to be done, and it’s the kind of thing that a gamer can fix. A gamer like Masayuki.

Gamers Rule

I already enjoy the fact that the world of Slime Tensura has a lot of gaming mechanics, as that serves as the basis for a lot of isekai. However, it made me so happy to see the mild-mannered hero Masayuki come up with the solutions they need. Quick-save points, loot drops from monsters, tutorial lessons and rest stops! It’s everything that goes into making a good video game, and the best games are the ones that show you how to play without holding your hand.

Rimuru and Mjöllmile take it one step further. They put out ads saying that anyone who makes it halfway through the Dungeon or beats the whole thing will win a hefty cash prize.

Their little advertising campaign works perfectly. More adventurers start pouring into Tempest, eager to get the chance to win money and fame, solving the financial problems of the Dungeon. Though I can’t but feel like they’re overlooking one crucial: what if someone actually does beat the entire Dungeon? Getting past Veldora seems too absurd to consider, but if reading shonen manga has taught me anything, there’s always going to be someone who will wind up doing the impossible. They’re gonna have to eat their words when that happens!

That issue aside, as a gamer, I applaud what they are doing with the Dungeon. As a gamer, I can tell you that having a tutorial and training courses can mean the difference between winning a game or getting owned like a scrub. That, and I like the concept altogether.

Haters Gonna Hate

It’s not all sunshine and flowers, though. Whenever someone is riding high, there’s always a pack of haters ready to take them down. And Rimuru has been dealing with plenty of haters. Falmuth, Clayman, the Seven Luminaries, and now, the Rozzo family. Introduced during the last season, they’re a secret cabal thats trying to dominate the human world from the shadows loek they’re the Templars or Illuminati. And the Jura-Tempest Federation is getting in the way of that, so they’ve been trying to take them down. So far, their plans haven’t worked, but that doesn’t make them any less of a problem. Fortunately, this is Rimuru we’re talking about; he’ll be fine.

This was a good, solid start to the long-awaited fourth season of Slime Tensura. I know not everyone is interested in the more mundane aspects of world-building and just wants to see more fights, but it’s those aspects that make the series so entertaining. A lot of isekai only do the bare bones when it comes to developing their worlds, but Slime Tensura is one of the ones that is a cut above the rest. That, and its sense of humor and fanservice are pretty good!

I give “New Days” a 3.5/5

Rentaro’s Newest Girlfriend Has Ninja Powers!

Aside Roderick J "Jay" Friz Anime, Anime Reviews, Crunchyroll , , , , , , , , , , , , , ,

The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, Really Love You Season 2, Episode 10 Review

Shy girls; there’s just something about them in anime that makes them endearing. Their lack of confidence in themselves and what they can do makes many anime fans naturally want to root for them. We want to see them break out of their shells and achieve whatever goal they have in life, whether it’s to make a hundred friends like Komi or get the boy they like, like Hinata or Sylphie. The 100 Girlfriends already has a shy girl in the form of Shizuka, but Rentaro’s next girlfriend makes her look like a social butterfly in comparison!

Also, that comparison to Hinata is very accurate.

Girlfriend #11-Meme Kakure

As the Family is having a class on maintaining beauty, Rentaro is headed home when he runs into a girl in his class. A girl who normally keeps her face hidden underneath her bangs, until the wind (and a runaway sign) give Rentaro a look at what’s underneath and…ZING!

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Everyone, meet our 11th soulmate, Meme Kakure, AKA the super, super, super shy girl. She wants nothing more than to spend her life acting like she’s a background character, never standing out or attracting attention. Unfortunately for her, her appearance deliberately invokes the kind of attractive, faceless girl you would find in a trashy doujinshi. Complete with a figure that would make readers drool and girls envious. She actually has to bind her chest to keep it under control, and even then, it matches Hakari’s in size. In reality, she’s big enough to make even Hakari jealous!!

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Meme takes the shy girl archetype to new levels, making Komi and Hinata look like the most social people ever. The Hinata comparison isn’t arbitrary, either. She’s mastered the substitution jutsu to the point where she’ll vanish even when someone is looking at her! All that you’ll find is a cute toy she knitted in her place!

Meme proves to be a challenge for Rentaro to win over, as she keeps vanishing whenever he talks to her. It gets to the point where the story has a fake-out ending, acting like he’s the one girl that Rentaro couldn’t save. In true CHADtaro fashion, though, he flips the script and manages to beat her in a battle of attrition. One quick talk using his max level charisma, and Meme is convinced to give their love a chance.

Who Doesn’t Love Hide and Seek

The second half of the episode sees the Rentaro Family’s traditional welcoming of their newest member. And it might be the sweetest one yet, as all the girls are quickly enamored by Meme’s shyness and talent at knitting. So, to help her become more comfortable, everyone decides to play the most hardcore game of hide-and-seek. Rentaro has to find everyone, and the winner will get a kiss from him (that was Hahari’s idea.)

For me, the parts where the newest girlfriend integrates into the group are some of the best parts to the series. As more and more of them join, we get to see the entertaining interactions between them as they have fun. In this case, getting to see them try and hide from Rentaro, only to get caught in weird positions is hilarious.

Of course Hakari and Karane would end up in this kind of situation. I’m fully convinced that if it weren’t for Rentaro, the two of them would be soulmates.

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The beauty queen and mini Kusuri sleeping like a master and pet is cute!

So was Shizuka and Nano’s hiding spot.

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Poor Kurumi. She shouldn’t have chosen to hide with the biggest pervert in the Family.

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Iku and Mei have impressive endurance.

As for Meme…she’s great at hide-and-seek.

And with that, we now have every girlfriend meant to be introduced this season. However, the season still has 2-3 episodes left, meaning that it’s got something big planned. I don’t know what it could be, but I’m looking forward to seeing it play out!!

I Give “Peekaboy-Meets-Girl” a 4.5/5