Isekai

THIS was Maribel’s Master Plan? Are you Serious!

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

That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 9 Review

It’s storytime with Mr. Jay, no relation to the Joker. Once upon a time, there was a very happy girl with pink hair and godlike power. She spent her days playing with her adorable and easily marketable-as-a-plushie pet dragon. But then this Elven king wanted the girl’s power for himself, so he tried to assert his control by using magic to kill the dragon. But instead, the girl crashed out, became one of the first Demon Lords, killed the King, and leveled his kingdom. The survivors would build a new city that eventually became the ruins that Rimuru and the others are about to explore. Unfortunately for everyone, Maribel has gotten so desperate that she’s willing to do something just as stupid as the stupid king.

Let’s get one thing straight about this episode: it is just the setup to the climax of this first part of Slime Tensura’s fourth season. As such, anyone who came into this expecting some epic, Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, Uncharted adventure is going to be sorely disappointed. In all honesty, though, those kinds of stories paint a pretty unrealistic picture of archaeology. There are moments when people make epic discoveries and fantastic treasures, but most of the time, archaeology is pretty uneventful. I should know; I took a class on archaeology 101 in college!

What I’m trying to say is that there is not a lot of action for most of this episode. Mostly, it involves exposition about how this city became the way it is as Kagali guides Rimuru’s group and the other explorers through the ruins. Though ruins would be a stretch, as the Dark Elves still live in the topmost sections. The rest is sealed behind magic barriers that only Clayman had been able to unlock. The plan was for the explorers they brought along to unlock it, but Rimuru does it in two seconds. Because of course he does. He’s lucky that those archaeologists are humble enough not to be offended by him making their jobs so easy.

The coolest part about this episode, though, is the mural that the group finds depicting the story I mentioned above. More importantly, though, is seeing how Millim reacts to it. It’s ancient history to everyone else, but to her, it’s looking back on a part of her life that she may not want to remember that well. And unfortunately for her, history is about to repeat itself thanks to Maribel, who’s so desperate to get rid of Rimuru that she’s willing to do something incredibly stupid. Something that not even Luffy would do!

Going back to the story about how Millim became a Demon Lord, much like how Rimuru used his evolution to revive Shion and the other citizens Falmuth killed, Millim used it to revive her pet dragon. The problem was that it was so hate-filled by its death that it went on its own rampage. Millim had no choice but to seal it away in a pocket dimension for all eternity. But now, Maribel has set it free to lure Millim away from Rimuru so she can control or kill him.

There are so many flaws to this plan that I dont even know where to start. Firstly, Maribel unleashed an angry dragon capable of leveling the world, endangering the lives of billions. Secondly, when Millim finds out who did this, she’s not going to be happy and want to know who did it. Lastly, does she really think that just luring Millim away will be enough to make Rimuru vulnerable? He’s still got Gobta and Shion.

To her credit, Maribel did think ahead by using the ruins for her trap. The security’s activation is enough to be a hassle for the group. But, again, this is Rimuru. So Maribel has no choice but to reveal herself.

I know I’ve heard speeches about how no one is created equal before, and they do have a point. There are always going to be people that are just better at some things than others and thus see the world differently. Though when the Founding Fathers of America wrote that, they meant that everyone has the same rights regardless of background. If everyone was truly the same and equal, the world would be pretty boring. That’s what Maribel doesn’t get, and that’s why she and Rimuru were always going to be at odds.

Next episode, the fight between Rimuru and Maribel finally begins! But let’s be real: we know Rimuru is gonna win. We just want to see how he wins.

I give “Investigating the Ruins” a 3/5

Maribel Still Wants the Smoke from Rimuru

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That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 8 Review

When will people learn to stop messing with Rimuru and his people? Every single time that someone tries to mess with him, they either get humiliated, die, or end up joining him. I think that it’s honestly just embarrassing at this point! Although we wouldn’t have much of a plot for Slime Tensura if that happened, would we? In any case, though, it seems that Maribel Rozzo doesn’t seem to understand that, because she is going to try to get rid of Rimuru yet again. And this time, they’re going to try and do it in a setting that feels ripped straight out of Indiana Jones, Tomb Raider, or the Uncharted games.

Maribel is Doubling Down on her Behavior

Picking up where the previous episode left off, Maribel, Yuuki, and her lackey Johann are discussing how their plan to frame Rimuru at the Council meeting failed with their assassin being caught. This is also where we see one of the many flaws in their logic regarding Rimuru, as since Maribel has lost her connection to Glenda, she concludes Rimuru killed her. She never considers that Rimuru not only did not kill Glenda, but he freed her from her curse. I chalk this up to her being so selfish that she would never even consider doing something like that, and thus never considers anyone else doing it. In other words, she’s psychologically projecting.

In any event, rather than accept defeat and back off, Maribel decides to double-down on her attempts to bring down Rimuru, this time with the help of Yuuki. A while back, Rimuru and Milim had learned about the ruins of this old city, Amrita, in the former territory of Clayman, and they decided they wanted to explore it. Rimuru approached Yuuki’s guild for help, and his assistant, Kagali, is going to guide them through the ruins. Maribel decides that this would be the perfect place to set a trap for the demon slime to put him under her control or just kill him. As for Milim, Yuuki says he has something that used to belong to her that he thinks will keep her busy long enough to keep from being a nuisance.

Maybe it’s because we can see the full picture as the audience, so I may have no right to say this, but…does she even hear herself right now? Does Maribel really think that she can take down not just Rimuru, but also Milim? Milim is one of the first Demon Lords and one of the strongest, as well as being an overall agent of chaotic good. She was able to fake being under Clayman’s control! And Maribel thinks that she can bring her down? How could she possibly think that this could happen? If you want my personal opinion, I think Maribel is someone just as blinded by greed as those she controls. And when people are blinded by things like greed, they tend to make stupid decisions.

Glenda added to the party

While all of this is happening, Rimuru is busy getting all sorts of new information out of his newest follower, Glenda. She was very insistent on joining Tempest to thank him for sparing her. Thanks to her, they know all about Maribel’s schemes and how she intended to get Rimuru under her thumb, regardless of what happened at the Council meeting. And as much as I hate to admit it, she did have a well-thought-out plan. By having Gaban and Johann against each other like they were, she positioned them so that one would gain influence with our favorite slime demon. If it weren’t for the fact that Rimuru has Raphael, it might have worked in the end. But it didn’t.

As a quick aside, I like the fact that the story makes Rimuru feel so broken yet doesn’t make it feel like he can bulldoze through everything. That’s good writing.

In any case, Rimuru’s going ahead with his plans to explore the ruins of Amrita, knowing that Maribel and Yuuki will have a trap set for them. But since he knows about it, he can plan around it. Also, he’s not going to miss out on the chance to be an adventurous archaeologist.

Which brings me to my favorite part of the episode: their prep to explore the ruins.

Just Like Tomb Raider

Rimuru must have been a fan of stories like Indiana Jones in his first life, because the gear he has made for their trip to Amrita feels like something pulled out of the adventure genre. The pith helmet and clothes fit the concept to a tee, and for bonus points, they’ve got guns now! Yes, they actually managed to make guns that fire magical bullets, and it’s awesome! Are they necessary? No, but they made them for the cool factor, and that’s what matters! Live out that explorer fantasy, Rimuru!

Eventually, the day arrives for their trip to Amrita, with Rimuru and Milim taking Gobta, Ranga, and Shion along with them. Between the five of them, I think that they can handle anything Maribel pulls. And with Rimuru using a teleportation gate to take them directly to the ruins, we bring the episode to an end.

I give two, maybe three episodes before Maribel’s regretting all her life choices.

I Give “Foundation of Greed” a 3.5/5

Rimuru now knows about Maribel

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That Time I got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 7 Review

You know what’s awesome? Ninjas! Part spy, assassin, and warrior, ninjas have become a staple of pop culture in the East and the West, with everyone having their own intepretations of them. As someone who played a lot of Assassin’s Creed in its heyday, am a big fan of Naruto, and even trained in martial arts for a while, seeing ninja’s fight is awesome. Why am I mentioning this? Because that’s basically what we got in this episode of Slime Tensura as, thanks to Souei, Rimuru learns about the existence of Mariabel Rozzo.

The entire meeting between Tempest and the Council of the West was a twofold trap. Maribel’s ultimate goal was to either force Tempest to bend the knee and do what her puppets wanted, or off the Prince of Engrassia and frame Rimuru for it. Being Rimuru, though, he and his friends foiled it without breaking a sweat. Even better, the would-be assassin was dumb enough to stick around after she failed to get her target. And that mistake was all that Tempest’s best ninja, Souei, needed to move in for the kill.

The fight between ninja and assassin is pretty subdued compared to other fights we’ve seen in the anime. However, I think that’s in line with what they both do. Assassin’s are supposed to keep a low profile and not get caught. By that logic, they’re not going to attract attention with flashy techniques. That being said, I was impressed by how that assassin was able to use her magically-created bullets and spatial magic to push Souei into a corner. Too bad for her, he was using the shadow clone jutsu. Still, not bad, lady!

Here’s the fun part, though. I didn’t recognize her at first, but it turns out that we’ve seen this woman before, from back in season three. And it gets better. Not only is she an Otherworlder like Rimuru and Hinata, but she was one of her old subordinates in the Ten Great Saints before Tempest humiliated them: Glenda Abbey. She had run off after getting beaten by Diablo during the Falmuth Civil War, but it seems that she was working for Maribel the entire time.

And when she sees that Rimuru is accompanied by Hinata, she is (rightfully) freaked out and convinced that she’s going to die. But not necessarily at their hands.

This was all Maribel’s Fault

As Glenda confirms, the fiasco at the Council meeting was the handiwork of Mariabel of Greed. Her whole plan was to either make Rimuru her puppet, or make him look bad to everyone with that assassination plot. And she used her Skill, Greed, to make sure everyone would act the way she wanted. She never expected that Rimuru’s own Skills would allow him to cancel hers out. But neither was Rimuru expecting to learn that the former hero, Granville Rozzo, is still alive and the one pulling Mariabel’s strings, either.

Rimuru and the others also learn that when the Rozzo family summons Otherworlders, they put a curse on them that makes it impossible to disobey under the threat of death. They’re basically being used as slaves.

Obviously, Rimuru isn’t cool with either of these things, so he decides to do something about them. First things first, he cancels out the curse that Glenda is under, setting her free. She then proceeds to ask him for a job, much to his surprise. The man just can’t seem to stop making people want to be loyal to him!

Elsewhere, Maribel is left stewing over how she failed yet again. And even though we already know why she and her grandpa are doing all this, she gives this monologue about how a Demon Lord like Rimuru can’t be trusted. That with the way things are going, the Western Nations will bend the knee to him without even realizing it, and they can’t let a Demon Lord do that to them. Granted, those are valid points, but they overlook the fact that Rimuru isn’t like that. He just wants to chill and enjoy himself; he wouldn’t abuse that kind of power even if everyone offered to let him. But now that she’s picked a fight with him, Rimuru is going to be coming for Mariabel.

If I were her, I would do one of three things right now: get down on my knees and apologize, run for it, or get my affairs in order. There’s no scenario in which she’s getting out of this without some form of punishment.

This was one of the slower episodes of Slime Tensura, but as always, it’s the intrigue and the characters that make it interesting to watch. I can’t wait to see what Rimuru is going to do to Mariabel.

I Give “The Mastermind’s Identity” a 3/5

What did they Do to Piss off Rimuru?

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 5 Review

When you’re the cool new kid on the block, everyone in school is going to want to befriend you; it’s what they do. When you’re the leader of a nation that’s been waking waves in the world in recent memory like Tempest, you get people trying to suck up to you. That’s just how the politics of the powerful tend to work. And given how the main reason Tempest has been invited to join the Council of the West is so Mariabel can try and manipulate him under the table, that idea is in full play here. Since Rimuru is HIM, he obviously isn’t going to play ball. At the same time, though, he’s not looking to antagonize the West, right? Right?

They have Guns now?

So, as Rimuru and his entourage of Shuna, Benimaru, and Souei arrive in Engrassia for the conference with the Council, one of the first things the group does is buy some new clothes for the occasion. Benimaru and Souei both look like they could be runway models while Shuna’s warm and inviting attire reflects how sweet she is as a person. Unfortunately, Rimuru’s child stature makes the shopkeeper give him kids clothes by mistake. It’s not often that his androgynous appearance has this happen to him, but when it does, it’s funny. Demeaning, but funny.

The more important thing, though, is that Hinata meets up with the group to let them know they everything they suspected is true. The only reason the Council is inviting Rimuru is because they either want to take advantage of him and his nation, or outright put him under their collective thumbs. Worst-case scenario, they’re hoping to make Rimuru crash out, make him look untrustworthy, and use that as an excuse to deny Tempest’s entry.

Then there is also how Duke Muese was assassinated. As Souei saw, he was fine one moment, and then he was slumped over, dead. The only sign of injury was a hole in his head. Being Otherworlders, Rimuru and Hinata are quick to recognize that someone had to have used some kind of long-range sniper rifle to kill Muese; a gun.

This is not good. Guns are considered one of the greatest equalizers in combat. You could pit the strongest person in the world against the weakest, and if the weakest has a gun, they could kill that person. Now imagine what it would be like if someone found a way to channel magic into them? You could have a bunch of people with less than noble intentions running around killing people. That’s a recipe for disaster.

Okay, What did they do?

But then comes the actual conference. And this is when we get to see firsthand what Rimuru is facing.

As soon as Rimuru and the others enter the HQ of the Council, they are immediately beset by representatives from other nations. Some of them, mostly the weaker and those who were actually impressed with the Grand Opening Festival, seem genuine in wanting to be friends. Then are the bigger nations. The ones with more power, wealth, and influence. First, they rudely shoo off the other reps under the guise of decorum. Then, they try and pressure Rimuru into adding lines for his upcoming Magitrain to their countries. Thankfully, Rimuru was a bussinessman in his first life, so he knows how to give them the runaround. After that, the meeting begins.

The Council’s requests for Tempest’s admission are simple, and can basically summed up as them wanting to use Tempest for its military might and promising market. This is another example of how Rimuru being a businessman in his former life comes in real handy, as it helps him make deals that work out in his favor. But then…this happens.

I was so curious about what comes next that I read the manga ahead of time, but for the life of me, I can’t remember what it was that set Rimuru off. Then again, this is probably Mariabel trying to manipulate him through her pawns, so it’s understandable. I know something big happens next, but I don’t remember the full details to it. All I know is that next episode is going to be interesting. Can’t wait!

I Give “The First Step” a 3.5/5

Rimuru Got Invited to Join the Isekai UN

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 4 Review

You know what’s one of my favorite things about Slime Tensura? It’s not the fighting, or the power-scaling, or the fanservice. It’s the politics. As the series has progressed and Rimuru becomes more important, the story shifts away from fighting to dealing with nation-building as the human-turned-slime works to build a world for humans and monsters to live in peace. And that means that there’s going to be people taking advantage of him and trying to take him down, and he’s got to put them in their place. Case in point, the Rozzo family has just used their influence on the nations to the west to invite Rimuru to join their international club as part of a plan to get him under their control. But they don’t know who they’re messing with.

So after they managed to send Team Green Fury packing, the avatar quartet, humorously, didn’t stop there. They liked hunting adventurers so much that they got carried away and went on an absolute tear, to the point that people are calling them the “Dungeon Dominators.” Unfortunately for them, that lands them in hot water for neglecting their other roles, with Millim being the first to suffer. It turns out she snuck off to Tempest to get out of her Demon Lord duties, leading to Frey to have to drag her back home to do her homework.

Poor Millim! I know how you feel about hating homework! And shame on her friends for selling her out like that. At least Rimuru gets some karma when Shuna realizes he’s been goofing off in the Dungeon.

But with that out of the way, Rimuru has to face the more important task at hand: the Rozzo family and the Western Council.

Made up of the human nations located to the west of the Jura Forest, the Council of the West is sort of like a fusion of the real-life United Nations and groups such as NATO. They’re an economic and political alliance meant to help the whole of humanity prosper, and the rise of the Monster nation of Tempest has been of great concern to them. Unfortunately, much like the UN, their effectiveness and competency vary a lot.

The latter half of the episode is all about the Council members arguing about whether to invite Tempest to join. Can they be trusted? What’s to stop Rimuru from wiping them all out? How can we use them for our own benefit? Some of them even question if Rimuru is as strong as they say he is. Hinata was invited to serve as a witness on Rimuru’s behalf, but her thoughts are exactly what the viewers are meant to feel about this: not impressed. It’s clear that they’re only thinking about their own interests and looking down on Rimuru. It becomes even more apparent when they suggest inviting Tempesr to join so its military power can serve as a check on the Eastern Empire, a name that keeps popping up in conversations lately.

Even if Mariabel’s monologues didn’t confirm it, it’s pretty obvious that the Council is being puppeted by the Rozzo family with the way they talk. The manipulation becomes even more apparent when Hinata is approached by the Prince of Englassia and asked to serve as his bodyguard and fight Rimuru if the time comes.

Those fools know not what they are doing. They’re lucky that Rimuru is so chill, or else he would torch them all. Hinata was right to bail out of this.

So, Rimuru and the others are getting invited by the Council to see if they will let him join. Given how useless they were, though, I wouldn’t be surprised if he takes one look at them and says “Nah, we’re good!” Good thing that they’re leaving Shion behind! If she went and someone insulted Rimuru, she would level the city.

I Give “Invitation” a 4/5

This Little Girl is a Problem

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 3 Review

I’m pretty sure I’ve talked everyone’s ears off about how much I hate Witch, AKA Bitch, Whore, and formerly known as Malty S. Melromarc. She’s everything wrong with elitist mindsets rolled into an ugly package that’s so easy to despise. The good news is that she also matches Cersei Lannister in terms of idiocy, so if you know her game, it’s easy to beat her. Can you imagine if Witch was as smart as she thinks she is and how screwed the world would be? Well, Rimuru may not know it yet, but he might have just made an enemy out of someone with the same mindset and the competency to back it up: Mariabel Rozzo.

Mariabel of Greed

So, the OP and ED for this season of Slime Tensura have put a lot of emphasis on the girl known as Mariabel. In anime, that typically means that they’re important to the plot. Plus there’s also the fact that we’ve seen Mariabel always hanging around her grandfather, AKA the one who orchestrated that stunt with the merchants in the last season. Their plan was to con Rimuru into a situation where he’d owe them a favor, but he was too smart for that. It’s not the old man that’s the problem, though; it’s Mariabel. She’s a reincarnator like Rimuru.

Whereas our lovable slime was a working man on Earth, Mariabel was the opposite. She was born into the upper crust of European aristocracy, and she did not let her gender get in the way of her Littlefinger arc. She spent her entire life amassing wealth and power from the shadows until she ruled Europe from behind the scenes! The anime even implies that she profited off World War I, AKA the most pointless war in human history. That’s how you know that she’s evil. And she managed to die of old age, before getting reborn in the Tensura world as a baby princess. And she got a terrifying unique skill to boot: Greed.

Remember how Rimuru has that unique skill, Gluttony, lets him eat and gain the abilities of anyone he wants? Mariabel’s Greed lets her use other people’s desires to brainwash them. And the more the target wants, the easier it is to control them! By the time she was out of diapers, she had already brainwashed most of her house, until finally she became the right-hand of her grandfather, Granbell Rozzo, the thousand-year-old founder of the Kingdom of the Siltrosso and, like I said, the puppet master behind that merchant stunt!

Rozzo’s ultimate goal is, at first glance, actually pretty noble. He doesn’t want normal humans to live in a world ruled by monsters and Demon Lords, so he’s been pulling strings in the west to create a place where humans can live in peace. And Rimuru’s idea of a world where all races can live in peace is getting in the way of that. Hence the whole scheme with the merchants. And while I don’t entirely get it, I’m pretty sure the Rozzo’s and Yuuki are the ones funding Team Green Fury, AKA the guys cheesing their way through the Tempest Dungeon. So, they have to be dealt with.

There’s just one problem: Rimuru, Veldora, Ramiris, and Millim’s avatar bodies suck!

Avatar Team PWNS CHUMPS

We saw how the newly formed Avatar Team got their butts whooped at the end of the last episode, but this episode gives us an even better look at why. Not only are the Demon Lords and Veldora weak in their artificial bodies, but their teamwork stinks! They’re so used to being so OP that they can solo everything that they don’t know how to fight in a team. So while Kurobe makes them some sweet armor, Rimuru has them go through some intense training. Since they’re basically operating like the typical RPG team, they also have to learn teamwork. Which is good, since they could stand to learn that.

Rimuru’s plan ultimately works, and the timing couldn’t have been better. Green Fury was about to beat the 49th floor. So it was time for the admins to assert their authority.

I have to admit, it was nice seeing the Avatar Team put a stop to Green Fury before they could ruin everything. Hopefully, they can patch things so that no one else can use that exploit any further. As a gamer, I understand how much that sucks, but it’s better to win without resorting to cheap tricks like that. Good riddance, Green Fury!

The real problem, though, remains Mariabel. With her family’s plan with the merchants having backfired and Rimuru suspicious of Yuuki of the Free Guild, Mariabel’s going to change tactics. She plans to invite Rimuru to the West to the Council so she can get him alone and try to use Greed on him to turn him into her puppet. Little does she know that she’s grasping at straws, because a.) Rimuru is our protagonist, and has that protagonist plot armor; b.) he’s Rimuru. He’s got GOAT status. He’ll be fine! In fact, I say he should accept the invitation just so we can see him embarrass her! But that doesn’t make her less of a threat. She managed to kill the merchant who organized that fuss under Souei’s nose!

I Give “The Avatar Team is Formed” a 3.5/5

Some Lowlife Power Gamers are Ruining the Dungeon

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 2 Review

You know what the hardest thing is when it comes to developing video games that are getting constantly updated? Having to one-up players who find exploits and ways to cheat. It’s like a never-ending battle between players and game developers, because every time one problem gets solved, another gets exploited. The reason why I’m bringing this up is that Rimuru has just found a new problem to deal with regarding his nation’s Dungeon. Two problems, more accurately.

Hinata almost Ruins the Dungeon

So the good news is that ever since installing Masayuki’s suggestions to help adventurers, the Tempest Dungeon is starting to turn a profit. The save points, rest stops, and the inn are raking in the dough. Masayuki even managed to clear the 30th floor, albeit he did it in a way that reminds of something that Buggy the Clown or Mr. Satan would do.

I know that his special skill, Chosen Hero, makes everyone think he’s that guy, but this level of hype is ridiculous. But that’s not the problem. Rimuru wants Masayuki to do well so it makes the Dungeon look good and brings in customers. The main problems are Hinata almost wrecked everything, and that there’s a team that’s using an exploit to clear the bosses.

Firstly, we have Hinata. After the Crusaders started using the lower levels as a training ground and got their butts handed to them, one of them mouthed off that Hinata couldn’t handle it. So she took that as a challenge and just went on a massive tear like she’s Sung Jinwoo. She wasted the bosses on the lower floors, killed all the dragons Millim caught, and then just chilled at an inn on the 95th floor just to troll them. Veldora beat her, but Rimuru refuses to give her the prize money.

This is what I meant when I said how games like this need to be constantly updated. A dungeon like Rimuru’s needs to be balanced and ensure that the participants have a fair chance of winning, while also making sure that it’s not too easy. First things first, Rimuru decides to give Adalmann some cool new magic.

Freaking Power Gamers!

The real issue, though, is this new party, Team Green Fury. They managed to catch up to the progress of Masayuki’s team, not by being that good, but through an exploit. Apparently, by using a combination of them and the return whistles (escape ropes) to exit and re-enter the Dungeon, they can gather party members far past what should be the limit. In other words, they’ve made a party of dozens capable of clearing the Dungeon bosses…by save scumming and zerg rushing.

Look, I’m a gamer. I have used tactics like this before. I know other people do this. But there has to be a limit to how much players should be allowed to exploit without ruining the challenge. And then they managed to beat the 40th floor! If that keeps up, they’ll reach the lower floors, find the bosses are wrecked, and the Dungeon will be ruined. This calls for admin intervention!

Rimuru’s ultimate solution is a pretty cool one, albeit it copies the concept behind the Avatar films and Pixar’s Hoppers. He, Veldora, Ramiris, and Millim, who just got back from tort-training Gobta and Ranga will put their souls into monster avatars, and crush them on the 49th floor before they wreck everything. It’s a good plan…if they didn’t get their butts handed to them. In a surprising twist, it seems the three Demon Lords and one True Dragon are way weaker in their avatar bodies. Which means now they have to train!

So these last two episodes have been pretty lowkey as far as stakes go, but that’s not why people like Slime Tensura, I think. They like it because of the humor and world-building. I’m looking forward to seeing how Rimuru deals with these borderline cheaters, and I hope we get some more action soon.

I Give “The Dungeon Evolves” a 3/5

Great Rimuru has Returned to us!!!

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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

The Mad Dog is Returning to Mushoku Tensei

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A Look at the New Trailer for Season 3 of Mushoku Tensei

Mushoku Tensei is coming back for its third season this July, and that means we’re getting into one of, if not the most important arcs, in the entire story. No spoilers from me, though! That would ruin the fun! However, our latest look at what comes next has confirmed that we are getting one arc that some people were worried we’d miss. And it has to do with the most divisive and controversial girl in the series: Eris Greyrat.

I could go on another tangent about how Eris messed up big time by sleeping with Rudy and then leaving him to go on her training arc, but I think I made my opinion on the matter clear. She screwed up, and when she reunites with Rudy, she is going to have to spend a long time making amends for breaking his heart and leaving him depressed for three years. Instead, let’s just focus on what this trailer revealed: we’re going to see Eris’ training arc.

In the anime, the last time we actually saw Eris, she and Ghislaine had left to train and get stronger. Eris had realized that she was too dependent on Rudeus for her own good, and that she wanted to be strong enough to protect him like he had been doing the same for her. With that goal in mind, and wanting to beat the snot out of Orsted, the two women head to the best place for a swordsman to train: the Sword Sanctum, home of the Sword God Style of swordsmanship. And, save for that quick cameo at the end of season two, that was the last time we saw Eris…in the anime.

What did Eris do on her Training Arc

Since the anime focuses on the story of Rudeus, it never really shows us what has happened to Eris while Rudy has been living his life. In the light novels and manga adaptation, though, readers periodically get glimpses into what Eris’ life of training at the Sword Santcum is like. She even gets a brief spin-off manga chronicling part of her time there and the adventures she went on. As is the case with a lot of Mushoku Tensei, though, there are going to be gaps during which we know nothing about the lives of the characters, but that’s not a bad thing. And while we don’t know how much of her time at the Sanctum that the anime will cover, the trailer shows that it’s including the most important parts. That includes the people that she meets, several of whom become important or recurring characters in the story from this point forward. In fact, we’ve already seen one of them back in season two.

Remember that time Linia and Pursena holed up in their room during the mating season of the Beast People and made Rudy fight off all their suitors? And then Badigadi showed up looking for a fight with Rudy? Right before Rudy got his first challenge, we saw a young, blue-haired woman looking at him. That same woman appears in this trailer for the Sword Sanctum arc as someone who knows Eris.

This is Nina Farion, another student training at the Sword Sanctum, and she and Eris come to have an interesting history. I can’t spoil too much about what happens, but let’s just say that Eris’s showing up has a major impact on Nina’s life, for both better and for worse.

While I can’t speak about how the rest of the fandom views Eris, I think a good chunk of us were probably hoping that the anime would cover her time at the Sword Sanctum. Given how she left Rudy to train there, it’s too important part of the story to simply gloss over! As for whether this will be a special episode like what we got for Sylphie or take place over multiple episodes, that is left up in the air. Regardless, I’m looking forward to seeing this gets adapted by the anime. And I’m looking forward to the return of Mushoku Tensei.

SO MUCH PEAK FOR SPRINGTIME

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Everything RJ Writing Ink Wants to watch Spring 2026

Time to put away the snow shovels and cold-weather jackets, people. It’s finally spring. That means going outside to touch grass, watching the flowers and cherry blossoms bloom, and most importantly, enjoying a new season of anime. And there is a lot of anime for us to enjoy this year. From a new season of a few of the Seven Summits of Isekai to the return of some legendary Shonen anime, we have a lot to look forward to over the next few months. I don’t know how much I will actually be able to watch, but here are a few of the ones that I know are on my list. And who knows? I might end up reviewing them for the D&A Anime Blog!

Rooster Fighter, March 15th-

When it comes to fearsome animals, chickens aren’t exactly high on people’s tier lists. But then you remember that they’re related to dinosaurs like the T. rex and that some people pay to watch them fight each other and think, “dang. These birds are tough!” And someone in Japan to take that premise and run with it with a web manga that’s now getting welcomed onto Toonami’s block. Set in a world where demons have appeared in Japan, Rooster Fighter follows Keiji, a rooster who wanders the land like a ronin of old, beating the snot out of demons in search of the one that killed his sister. If it sounds incredibly silly and over-the-top, that’s because it is. But the fact that Keiji acts so serious despite being a rooster somehow makes it both funny and awesome. Plus, he’s dubbed by Patrick Seitz, the voice of Franky, Endeavor, and DIO. The idea of man who voices DIO playing a fighting rooster is too good to pass up!

Speaking of DIO….

Steel Ball Run: JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure, March 19th

Let the race begin! After four long years of waiting, JoJo’s Bizarre Adventure returns with the long-awaited adaptation of Part Seven, Steel Ball Run. Serving as Hirohiko Araki’s love letter to spaghetti westerns, the premise behind Part Seven is the titular Steel Ball Run, a race that stretches from one end of the United States to the other with a massive cash prize awaiting the winner. Since this is JoJo, though, that means that there’s a bizarre conspiracy at work and supernatural powers at play. Regarded by many as Araki’s magnum opus, Steel Ball Run also has the distinction of being the first part to take place in an entirely new timeline, featuring reimaginations of many characters fans have come to know and love. Jonathan Joestar is now Johnny Joestar, Zeppeli is a mysterious vagabond, and best of all, Dio is now a cocky horse jockey. And that’s just the start, from what I hear! The best part is that it seems Netflix will be releasing new episodes weekly rather than dumping an entire cours at once!

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, Season 4, Pt. 1-April 2nd

We here at the D&A Anime Blog are massive fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, and if you’ve seen the show, it’s not hard to understand why we’re excited for his return. Having solidified his status as a Demon Lord and debuted his country on the world stage, Rimuru and his friends continue their efforts to build a world where humans and monsters can live in harmony. Much like before, though, there are people working in the shadows trying to knock him down, and he will have to show them why that is a terrible idea. It should also be noted that this is just part one of the fourth season, with the entire thing being broken up into a staggering 5 cours’ spanning 50 episodes! That’s either madness or sheer brilliance, but either way, we’re not complaining.

Daemons of the Shadow Realm, April 4th-

Fullmetal Alchemist is considered by many to be one of the greatest anime of all time and a must-watch for anime fans. But did you know that we’re about to get an anime adaptation of another one of its creators’ works, Daemons of the Shadow Realm? Set in a world where people can control supernatural creatures called Daemons, Daemons of the Shadow Realm, much like Fullmetal, is a story about two siblings, Yuru and Asa. Separated while young, the two embark on a journey to reunite as they discover that they are meant to control all Daemons in order to save the world. So, pretty standard shonen stuff. But the fact that it was created the woman behind FMA and is getting animated by Studio Bones should be all the reason why fans should check this out.

Dr. Stone-Science Future Part 3-April 2nd

Full disclosure: I actually skipped over watching the second part of Dr. Stone’s fourth season. I know that everything works out in the end, but given how close Senku and the others came to biting it in part two, I didn’t feel like dealing with that kind of stress. However, given how close the series is to the end, and Senku and the Kingdom of Science are to making it to the moon, I think I’m going to hop back on.

Now before we get to the last anime I’m looking forward to seeing, let’s talk about the one that I won’t be watching.

The Beginning After the End, Season 2, April

Last year, one of the founders of D&A Anime Blog had told me about this webcomic that was getting an anime adaptation, and I wound up binge-reading most of it in a few days and loved it. It combined the best aspects of Mushoku Tensei with powers systems and abilities that reminded me of Avatar: The Last Airbender, one of, if not, my favorite show of all time. Unfortunately, the anime has gone down in infamy as the biggest disappointment of 2025. The animation was complete trash. I knew it, the fans knew it, and I think even the creator of the series himself knew he got screwed over. I stuck with it out of principle, but I’m not going through that again!

One Piece, Elbaph Arc Cours 1-April 5th

I don’t think that everyone was happy when Toei announced they were moving One Piece to a seasonal release schedule, but let’s be honest: it was inevitable. Anime that release every week year-round have been phased out for years, with One Piece being the last big holdout. Having read and covered the manga on my own blog, though (which I welcome you to read), I understand why they’re doing this. Next to the island where the One Piece is located, Elbaph, home of the Giants, was the most anticipated location that fans wanted to see the Straw Hats visit. And Oda has made the decades-long wait worth it, as Elbaph is one of the most fantastic places in the entire series. If you’re not caught up on the manga, then you are going to be in for a wild and crazy ride as the Straw Hats make it to the land they’ve dreamt of for years. In addition to the usual Straw Hat shenanigans, we’re poised to get one of the most important flashbacks in the entire series, while Luffy has his first encounter with one of the two characters I consider to be in the running for the ultimate antagonist of the series. Honestly, Toei needed this extra time to cook!