Manga

Title-Kun Nailed this Episode Perfectly

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, S4 Ep 16 Review

You know what scares me most about getting older? Well, besides the approach of death and the diminishing of my mental faculties. It’s the cynicism. The idea that I could become one of those bitter old men that the heroes in a shonen manga have to fight, like Danzo, the Five Elders, or the leaders of Jujutsu Society. But cynicism isn’t something that you’re born feeling; it’s caused by something. And in this episode of Slime Tensura, we get to see first-hand what made Granville Rozzo the cold, unfeeling jerk that he is.

The Conference is Here

So, the moment that  Luminous has been waiting for is almost upon her: the musical conference brought to her by Rimuru and the citizens of Tempest. Rimuru, his students, Shion, and the musicians arrive in Lubelious a few days ahead of time to enjoy themselves before the conference. They’re all treated to this amazing feast, stuff themselves with food, and then it’s off to bed for the kids. The adults need to have a chat.

So, it goes without saying, but  Luminous decides to say it anyway: she knows Granville and Yuuki are working together. She knows that they’re going to try and crash the conference, but she doesn’t know what their ultimate goal is. What she does know, though, is that Granville is not someone that Rimuru should take lightly; she’s known him for a very, very long time.

A Hero’s fall to Darkness

Hundreds of years ago, Granville was basically the protagonist of his own fantasy story. He was a young, idealistic, and powerful Hero who wanted to protect mankind from the threat of the Demon Lords, with his wife Maria, and this…person called Razul by his side. To that end, they fought Luminous for a while, but then Luminous told them “chill guys! I ain’t interested in killing humans! We can sustain ourselves on just a small amount of blood!” So Granville decided to work for her and help get the West under control. It was going fine, too…until they were betrayed. This one human got bribed by a demon to let them into a wedding they were attending, and during the fighting, Maria was killed.

Maria’s death was Granville’s cynicism catalyst. He had wanted nothing more than for humanity to be safe from beings that could destroy them, only for a human to kill his wife. He saw the best in humanity, but never considered that we can be just as evil as any monster or demon. So that twisted his goal from protecting humanity to “controlling it from the shadows and terminating any threats with prejudice.” Threats like Rimuru.

Honestly, though, the reason why Granville is so against Rimuru isn’t because his granddaughter is dead. It’s because Rimuru’s way of doing things is proof that his way isn’t working. Even worse, it proves that his way of thinking is obsolete. So, rather than bow out, Granville is determined to bring as many down with him, even if he knows he’ll likely lose.

And his plan is nothing if not audacious.

He’s Gonna do What?

So, we already know that Yuuki and Granville plan to do something during the conference so they can steal Luminous’ most prized possession. Besides having Yuuki and the Harlequin’s fight alongside Granville against Luminious and Rimuru, they’ve lured in another party: Demon Lord Leon Cromwell. He’s still looking for Chloe, and he’s starting to piece together that she’s with Rimuru. And one of Yuuki’s agents just told him that Rimuru is planning to sell off the Otherworlder kids to Luminious.

You can see where this is going. They plan on using Leon to help distract Rimuru and Luminous so they can get away with their heist. It’s a crazy plan, and not in the “crazy brilliant” way, but the “crazy stupid” way. Stupid because all Rimuru has to do is speak to Leon with his Nat 20 speech check and explain everything. And stupid because if Leon hurts an ounce of Rimuru’s slimy self, Chloe will hate him for it. And I’m guessing that he’s the kind of big brother who will die from shock if his little sister hates him.

I know that Granville hasn’t had the easiest life, and you can understand why he would turn into such a cynical jerk. But being cynical and not having faith in others is how the world gets worse, not better. And we have enough of that in our world as it is, so I would rather not see it in fiction. Do what you have to do, Rimuru!

I Give “Granville, the Hero of Dawn” a 4/5

Happy Birthday, Norn and Aisha

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 5 Review

Fun fact about Mushoku Tensei: did you know that in the world of the series, they don’t celebrate birthdays every year? In that world, birthdays are generally celebrated three times: when someone turns five, when they turn ten, and again at fifteen, where they’re considered legal adults. I don’t think Rudeus ever got a chance to celebrate becoming an adult (biologically), and due to the chaos in their lives, Norn and Aisha actually missed their tenth birthdays. As the new man of the house, it is up to Rudy to fix this!

He loves his sisters so much.

Weddings are so beautiful!

So, it all starts with Cliff and Elinalise’s wedding. I had forgotten about it, but right before Rudy and Elinalise left for Begaritt, Cliff proposed. I guess he does have some CHAD in him. So, we get this nice scene where we see the two of them tie the knot together.

I don’t remember much of it from the light novel, but I think that the whole thing took a lot longer than what we got. Not that I’m complaining, because it was still sweet to see. It even makes Rudeus question if he should have had a ceremony for Roxy and Sylphie but they’re happy with what they got.

No offense to Eris, but I don’t think that she would want that kind of ceremony, either. Her parents would’ve insisted on it, but she would just want to drag Rudy off somewhere and get to the intimacy.

Speaking of which, Elinalise asks Rudy to get her some of that aphrodisiac that Sylphie used to help his impotency as a gift for Cliff.

She bribes him with the promise of talking Sylphie and Roxy into…a threesome. And it works, on every account.

Again, don’t remember much from the light novels, but it still turns out like this. He’s lucky his wives are so open-minded.

Birthday Surprise!

With that out of the way, though, Rudy realizes something important: they missed Norn and Aisha’s 10th birthdays! Thus, the Greyrat family decides to make up for lost time by throwing them a surprise party. This is especially important, since due to their lives have turned out, the girls never got a chance to celebrate their fifth birthday properly. And more importantly for Rudy, hes never had the chance to celebrate their birthdays at all. As such, he wants to go all out. But how to distract them long enough to get everything set up?

He and Roxy take them out fishing while the others set everything up.

The plan is actually two-fold: Norn and Aisha are still not used to having Roxy around. If you’ll recall, Norn made a fuss about her brother marrying another woman. Rudy was hoping that this would help to break the ice. And it actually works. Roxy teaches Norn how to fish, as she’s had plenty of experience from her days as an adventurer. It’s sweet to see the two bond so well.

What was even more entertaining, though, was seeing Rudeus suck at fishing! He was watching Aisha catch them like a pro, and all he got was an old boot. So he resorts to using what is basically Sith Lightning to electrocute the water to catch all the fish. I was shaking my head at the tv and saying how that was just cheating, and Aisha actually said that! Way to be petty, Rudy!

This…this is nice.

After that’s done, it’s time for the party, and it…is just so sweet. Seeing the Greyrat family together, celebrating the girl’s birthdays and how they’ve finally found a new home for themselves is so touching. Yeah, it’s not as cool as the adventures that Rudy has had over the years, but it’s moments like this that make life worth living. And that scene with Zenith…damn. I don’t know if Zenith will ever be back to the way she was before, but just seeing her be able to dote on her daughter and step-daughter like this is just so heartwarming. I think I almost cried watching it.

I need to be taking notes about these moments you guys. I’m hoping to write my own series in the future once I have more time (we need more hands), and I need to keep these slice-of-life moments in mind!

Oh, and I loved the new hat that Rudy got Roxy. She really is the one responsible for the whole family being together again. If she hadn’t trained Rudy, then he, Sylphie, and everyone else might not have survived.

I Give “Celebrations” a 4/5

Money, Piranha Plants, and New Spells

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Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation S3 Ep 4 Review

Welcome back to a day in the life of the Greyrat family, and that is where we will be staying for a good while. I know that some people are going to be eager to see the story move forward some more, but part of Mushoku Tensei’s charm is that it doesn’t limit itself to the big moments. It focuses on the little ones in Rudeus’ life in equal value, something that we should already be used to. And I for one am enjoying getting to see these smaller moments in his life as he continues to better himself. And in this episode, he makes his next big leap forward as a mage. Also, the family gets a new pet.

Is Rudy Loaded?

It’s been a few months now since Rudy made it back from Begarit, and all the members of the Black Wolf Fangs (minus Ghislaine) gather at Paul’s grave to bid farewell. Geese and Talhand are headed off on their own with their share of the loot they got, but not before leaving Rudy his and his dad’s cut. And it’s a lot of money, I should note. Enough to last his family for a good, long while.

Come to think of it, I don’t think that Rudy has ever really had to worry about money that much in his second life. He was pretty well-off thanks to his days in Dead End on his globe-trotting odyssey, and even if he wasn’t, he could make do using his magic. Remember those figurines he likes making? If he made that a full-time job, he would be rich in no time! But I digress. Life is going well for Rudy. His mom is more active, even if she still isn’t acting like how she used to, and it was funny to see him try to make his daughter laugh. He looks just like his dad when he was doing that to Norn and Aisha.

Speaking of which, the Light Novels go a little further into it, as Rudeus has this internal monologue about how he sees the ideal dad. And despite all of his faults, Paul is the person he sees as an example. And, if Paul were alive, he would be just as doting towards his granddaughter.

Oh, and that’s not even getting into the surprise that Rudeus discovers for himself in the first half of the episode: Aisha got a new pet.

Piranha Plant

So, you might have noticed that the Greyrat family brought a pet with them back from the Begarit Continent; that giant armadillo? Well, it turns out that Aisha has also gotten herself a pet that she’s been keeping a secret from her brother. Or rather, she had planned to tell him about it, but he found it before she could. It’s not a cat, dog, or any other animal that you would expect a little girl to bring home, either. It’s a…Piranha Plant.

Okay, the actual name of it is a Treant, a type of plant monster that’s this world’s equivalent to slimes. But it more or less looks like a cross between a Piranha Plant and Audrey II from Little Shop of Horrors. And Rudeus must be familiar with one of the two, because his first instinct is to want to burn it! But Aisha begs him not to, saying that it’s her pet that came out of this seed around the time Rudy got back from Begarit. And she’s doing a good job of training it to not hurt anyone. But when that doesn’t work, she plays dirty and resorts to blackmail.

I have to admit: I did laugh when Aisha threatened to tell Roxy and Sylphie about Rudeus’ secret shrine to them, complete with Roxy’s “holy relic.” That girl is going to be a menace when she’s all grown up! Thankfully, Roxy shows up and tells Rudy that the Treant is safe. Her people even use them to ward off pests from their farms. So, the plant monster stays. And Aisha has named it Byt. I would’ve name it Seymour or Audrey III.

But then something even funnier happens. Well, it’s funny in hindsight.

Rudy Wants to Level Up

So, the student council got reports that someone was harassing a student at school, so Luke and Sylphie went to see what the problem was. Except when they get there, it’s just Rudy bothering Roxy. Apparently, not everyone is aware yet that Roxy’s a teacher now, much to her dismay. And to Sylphie’s chagrin, the lack of context makes it sound like Rudy is trying to ask Roxy for something dirty, and he thought he was being his usual pervy self. In truth, though, he was just begging Roxy to teach him how to be come a King-Class Water Mage like her, and she didn’t want to. One of the few things that she can say she tops her husband in is her rank as a mage. But she eventually backs down.

Frankly, I don’t blame Sylphie for thinking Rudy was up to something pervy. Most of the people in their world are pretty horny, if you ask me!

That Was Awesome

So, we then get to see this awesome moment where Roxy teaches Rudy and Sylphie this King-Class water spell, and it’s basically like calling down lightning from on high onto a target. And, like most of the anime, it’s superbly animated. Absolutely breathtaking to look at! And Roxy manages to pull it off rather well.

But then Rudy tries it, and…well, it’s basically like him dropping a tactical nuke. I swear, that guy could end up destroying an entire city if he’s not careful!

Well, with that done, Rudy is now a King-Class Water Mage, and he and his wives head home to continue their lives. But, honestly, I think that Rudy could take it even further. If he applied himself as much as Eris is in her training, he could become the strongest mage in the world in a few years. Maybe he’ll need to do that, depending on the motivation he has. Questions for later, though.

By the way, it’s not mentioned in the anime, but in the light novels, we start to get these little anecdotes about legends of Ranoa University revolving around Rudy. Well, it’s basically stuff that Linia and Pursena spread about their “Boss.” Like, how he has trained monsters at his house, how he can summon lightning from his fingertips, or (this is my favorite) can fire his arm like a rocket. It’s funny.

I Give “A King-Class Water Mage” a 3/5

MISS NADDY IS BEST GIRL! NO ARGUMENTS ALLOWED!

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The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 3 Review

Guys, there are a lot of waifus and husbandos out there, and I’m pretty sure that there are at least one or two who we would marry in a heartbeat if they were real. And I think I just found the one from 100 Girlfriends who would qualify for me. She is not only beautiful, but also loves and appreciates the best aspects of the land of the Stars and Stripes. Introducing our newest member of the Rentaro Family!

Miss Naddy is Perfect

It all starts on a typical day in school for the Rentaro Family. The language teacher for Rentaro’s class just hit the lottery and retired, so the position is now conveniently open for a new character. And as the gang’s wondering who they could be, we get this amazing punchline when they walk in and show what an actual character they are.

Say howdy to Miss Naddy, everyone! She is just so funny to me, mostly because of how AMERICAN she acts. As an American myself, I’ve grown up seeing the oddities of our country as something perfectly normal. So, getting to see how other countries view America can be pretty interesting. In this case, Naddy is an over-the-top parody of what some people probably think we’re like, constantly spouting the joys of freedom and of living life the way you want. Some people might see it as offensive, but I can tell that she was not made with any malice in mind.

Also, between her pretty face and cowgirl attire, I’m pretty much sold on her. And so is Rentaro, once they zing.

So, Naddy keeps Rentaro late so she can get closer to him, and if this weren’t a romcom, I would call child protective services. But any chance of that happening went out the window the second Hahari joined! But then comes the big twist that makes Naddy even better: Rentaro figures out that she’s not really American.

Miss Naddy is actually Japanese-born and bred. And her actual name is Nadeshiko Yamato. She just has everyone think her name’s Nadia.

Miss Naddy’s Parents Must DIE!!!

The irony is that her name is the reverse of the Japanese term for traditional beauties: demure, submissive, and devoted to their family. And Naddy is actively trying to be none of those, and for good reason, because she might have the saddest backstory out of everyone in the Rentaro family. She came from a super strict and traditional household and was forced by her abusive parents to be this personification of her name. And she HATED every minute of it. I don’t blame her, either! Seeing her mom lock her in the shed for not playing an instrument right is enough to make me go Super Saiyan. It was only thanks to her being exposed to American culture that she realized that she didn’t have to live like that. And as soon as she was old enough, she gave her mom the middle finger and left on her own. Good riddance.

All of this has left Naddy feeling very insecure about herself, as she’s worried she will be scorned for being a fraud. Thankfully, Rentaro is the ultimate CHAD, and he doesn’t hesitate to accept Naddy for who she wants to be. And neither do I. Like I said before, I think Naddy genuinely appreciates the best of America and tries to embody it, maybe even moreso than some Americans these days. As far as I’m concerned, she’s alright. Also, I love her cowgirl outfit!

Rentaro Family Fashion Show!

Speaking of outfits, Naddy’s introduction to the Family might as well be a fashion show, because after they get over the shock of having a teacher join (mostly Karane), Naddy encourages them all to embrace freedom. By which we mean she has them dress up  tbe way they would if they were free to be what they wanted. The result is something that reflects the girl’s personalities in all their glory.

RENTARO IS KING OF THE BOYFRIENDS!

Is it wrong that I’m surprised Hakari’s outfit doesn’t show more? And I’m happy to see that Hahari can still pull off the high schooler look, but I’m also concerned about how that will look to outsiders. Or DeviantArt.

This entire episode is just so much fun. If I had the power, I would give Miss Naddy full American citizenship for how much she appreciates this country. Also, my personal headcanon always had me imagining Miss Naddy’s dub voice as something like Applejack from My Little Pony. That’s right, I’m a Brony.

I Give “The Japanese Teacher Has Blonde Hair” a 5/5

Well, that went as well as I thought, Rentaro

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The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 2 Review

Gather round, folks, gather round! It is time for more 100 Girlfriends! And to say that this next girlfriend is controversial is probably underselling it. I still question how whatever Japan uses for standards and practices let this pass. And I will not lie, I do think the concept of Chiyo is cringe. But I’m just along for the ride, and I know better than to question Rentaro. It was still funny to see Chiyo meeting everyone, though.

Oh, boy.

So, Chiyo’s introduction to the Rentaro Family goes about as well as you’d expect: Karane’s straight man compels her to question how this was allowed, and Hahari says “thanks for the meal.” Good lord, thank god this is a comedy, or Hahari would be on some list of predators. But things go south when Chiyo’s OCD kicks in and she starts “tidying up” everything “wrong” with the Family. I’m just going to show it instead of describing it.

I think I almost lost it when Chiyo said Hahari and Iku’s existence was a problem.

Fortunately for everyone, Chiyo is quick to realize the chaos she has wrought and starts feeling bad about it. I’m gonna be honest: it was funny, but she was also trying to force her ideals on people that didn’t need nor want them. And when she starts crying, everyone is quick to comfort her, showing just how welcoming they all are. It’s honestly heartwarming to see how close they’ve become as a makeshift family. And yes, they are a bunch of weirdos.

Now, the second half of the episode is actually what surprised me, as it completely skips over what happens in the manga. In the manga, Chiyo’s introduction is followed (after an ad for keychains) by a chapter where, upon learning how kiss-happy the Rentaro family is, she bans them from kissing during school hours. And their plan to get her to loosen up almost turns her into a kissing zombie.

I will be blunt: I didn’t like that chapter. I thought it was repetitive considering how Chiyo had just learned to accept the Family’s oddities. I didnt like how they had the youngest member do that to them. It was just a forgettable chapter. Though, that makes the second half of the episode even stranger since it changes gears to Mimimi and Meme.

This Was Way Better

So, there’s this noisy photographer from the school paper who’s obsessed with getting a photo of Meme, and she mastered this Demon Slayer breathing technique to do it. Rentaro, naturally, is prepared to burn the newspaper club to the ground, saying this constitutes terrorism. And Hahari can’t stop her because she’s being blackmailed with proof of how much of a freak she is.

The entire second half is more or less the Family trying to help Meme protect her privacy, with predictable results. They have her dressed in a bunny girl outfit to train her evasiveness up, but really, it’s just so Hahari can enjoy the view. But in the end, they come up with an even stronger version of Meme’s substitution jutsu: they swap out Meme for Mimimi! And Mimimi is just so good at posing!

I like this. I like this very much. And if I’m correct with my math, then the next episode is going to introduce one of my personal favorites in the entire series! I can’t wait for more laughs next week!

I Give “Chiyo’s Family Coaching” a 3/5

Really, 100 Girlfriends? How did the Producers Approve this?

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The 100 Girlfriends Who Really, Really, Really, Really, REALLY Love You S3 Ep 1 Review

That’s right, I’m back with more 100 Girlfriends as we move to season three! I have to admit, I was almost tempted to skip reviewing the new season of the ultimate harem anime because of my busy writing schedule (I write for more than just this blog), but then I remembered that this is one of my comfort anime. I’m way too invested in the laughs to stop now! And the first episode made it clear that we were going to get plenty of laughs from the start. Why? Because the Love God is trying to do this serious exposition dump to catch people up on the story…and the show ends up spoiling some of the girlfriends joining this season! The eye pop the foolish God does is hilarious!

Which is good, because the next soulmate joining is going to be…controversial.

Wait, are we Jumping Ahead?

Wait, did the anime just skip a few chapters? And are they adding some of the spoiled girlfriends to the gathering?

Yes, it seems that for the first episode of the season, the show director decided to mess with us. So they skipped to a future incident in which some of the new girlfriends have already joined the family, and they’re being interviewed by this show about dating, and they’re telling stories about Rentaro’s CHAD powers. And it’s freaking the host and crew out. It’s nothing but the show leaning into its gag status, and it’s pretty hilarious. And then Rentaro gets interviewed and they make the mistake of insulting his girlfriends.

It is very likely that this will become a lost episode creepypasta. But I do like how the show staff doesn’t give two cents at this point and is just doing what they think is funny. And now we have the new OP.

Welcome to the church of Rentaro.

Now, here’s the controversial part.

Really? Are we Really Going Here?

It all starts when Rentaro is asked to look his cousin that he’s never met before while his uncle is out. He thinks it’s going to a romance-free day. But then…

Yes. This is real. This is actually happening. And yes, Rentaro in the manga asked the same question to Shueshia about whether they were really doing this. How the mangaka managed to talk his publishers into letting this slide is beyond me, as this is going to attract controversy. But if Shueshia was willing to approve Hahari, they must have been willing to approve…dating your cousin.

Maybe Shueshia approved this because they thought it would be funny to see people freak out about it. Also, it should be noted that in Mushoku Tensei, Rudeus and Eris are distant cousins. We’ve got no right to judge 100 Girlfriends.

Chiyo Iin, the Loli-Cousin With OCD

Anyway, meet Chiyo Iin, Rentaro’s 12-year-old cousin. She just started middle school recently, and is a class rep who is considered super responsible and dependable by everyone around her. So, besides the very specific niche she fills, what quirks does she have that set her apart?

OCD. She has OCD, and whenever she sees something disorderly, she gets upset and tries to fix it while growling like a puppy, as she does after various mishaps befall Rentaro. Oh, and whenever she loses her glasses, she starts crying like a baby.

I’ll be honest: Chiyo was always going to be a landmine for me, but I think that was the joke. Nakamura wanted to do this to mess with us and remind us that he is willing to go there. What I thought was even funnier, though, was the reveal that her father set all of this up to make the two fall for each other. Why? Because he’s an overprotective father who only considers Rentaro worthy of dating Chiyo because he saved him from Truck-Kun as a kid.

Is this entire family looney?

Look, it’s best not to take anything that happens seriously. The anime and manga have already established that they are not taking the story seriously. If you don’t like it, don’t watch. Otherwise, enjoy.

I Give “Cousin and Girlfriend” a 3/5

Chloe is Super Important to the Story!

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 15 Review

You know how in anime, when a person shows up in an OP or ED, that means that they’re going to be important to the story? It’s just something that I’ve noticed from years of watching anime, as the OPs and EDs for a show can reveal potential spoilers. Well, there is a pretty big one for the new OP and ED for Slime Tensura that has to do with two people: Chloe Aubert, Rimuru’s student, and this mysterious, black-haired woman who keeps appearing throughout the show who Chloe seems connected with. If you’ve read the light novels, then you already know what’s going on, but if you haven’t, then you’re about to understand just how important Chloe actually is.

The Black Numbers Get their Jobs

Thanks to Diablo’s recruitment drive, Rimuru now has three powerful Demon women working for Tempest: Ultima, Carrera, and Testarossa. Thanks to them, he’s finally able to fill some positions that he’s been needing filled for a while to help with their diplomacy and legal system. Testarossa is now Tempest’s representative with the Western Council to help keep them on the level. Which is good, because she is great at making sure people fall in line! Ultima and Carrera are now the Chief Public Prosecutor and Chief Justice, respectively, meaning that they will be in charge of enforcing the law. Though it’s a little bit concerning that Carrera’s immediate reaction to potential crimes is the death penalty. Hopefully, they’ll learn to let the punishment fit the crime!

All of this means that for the first time in a while, Rimuru can take it easy and have some more free time. And the first thing that he decides to do is visit Tempest’s school.

Chloe’s Progress

If you want to make sure change sticks into the future, you have to educate the next generation. That’s where school comes in, and the one that Rimuru has set up in Tempest seems to be doing a good job. In the episode, we see how the students come from the many different races that inhabit the world, both human and monster. By having them grow up alongside each other, it can eliminate the prejudices that may otherwise develop. More importantly, this school means that Shizu and Rimuru’s old class now has plenty of new friends to play with. We even get a scene where Ryota and Alice are arguing like regular classmates! However, it’s not all the students that we should be focused on, but one student: Chloe Aubert.

Since her introduction, the anime has been dropping several hints that there’s something special about Chloe that sets her apart from the rest of Rimuru’s students. She’s got the potential to be the strongest of all of them, a fact that gets hammered home when she and Rimuru have a brief sparring match, and he gets reminded of Shizu and Hinata due to how strong she is.

Then there’s the fact that when Rimuru got her a spirit to help stabilize her magicules so she wouldn’t die, this woman appeared and jumped into her after giving him a phantom kiss. The sight of her was enough to anger Veldora, who seemingly knew her.

Leon Wants to find His Little Sister

The biggest reveal, though, comes from the Moderate Harlequin Alliance’s meeting with Demon Lord Leon Cromwell. He’s been trying to acquire kids summoned to this world for a long time, which is how Shizu wound up there. As this episode reveals, though, he’s doing this because he’s looking for one person in particular: Chloe. He even has a painting of her in a private room!

I can’t tell you why Leon wants Chloe so badly without spoiling the story, but I just want to say this: Leon isn’t simping for Chloe. Let’s just say that he’s more like a protective big brother to her, and it seems that it won’t be long for he and Chloe reunite.

Which brings us to the setup for the next big moment in the story of Rimuru: the visit to Lubelious.

Luminous Wants some Culture

Ever since the opening festival, Lady Luminous has been desperately wanting some cultural exchange with Tempest. And she’s getting tired of waiting, so she has Hinata go and ask Rimuru when they’re going to get on that. Well, with his workload now lighter, Rimuru is free to focus on that. So, he tells Hinata that he plans on traveling to Luminous’ country for a musical conference to satisfy his fellow Demon Lord. Unfortunately, there are people in the shadows looking to cause trouble like always: Yuuki and Granbell.

With Maribel dead thanks to Rimuru (even though Yuuki was the one who killed her), Granbell is out for the slime’s non-existent blood. So despite having worked for Luminious for a thousand years because she promised to keep humanity safe, he’s throwing that idea out of the window. He is ready to go to war with her if it means that he can bring down Rimuru, and he and Yuuki have a plan to do so. While everyone is focused on the conference, they plan to steal Luminous’ most prized possession: the legendary hero that she has in stasis. You know, the one that she keeps talking to and hugging while naked despite the pain it causes? The magic used to keep the seal in place is dangerous to her, but since she can regenerate, the worst it does is cause pain and destroy her clothes. But yeah…she is into her.

https://twitter.com/animefants/status/2078149753741729899?s=20

In case you haven’t noticed, that woman bears a strong resemblance to at least three other women we’ve met so far: Chloe, Shizu, and Hinata. And that’s a good reason for that, but I don’t want to spoil it. All I want to say is that we should expect things to get crazy. I can’t wait.

I Give “An Unsettling Feeling” a 3.5/5

Wait, Diablo got WHO?!?!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 14 Review

There have been several times throughout the series where Rimuru has come close to dying. The most apparent example was his initial fight with Hinata, where he had to resort to using a body double to escape. However, our GOAT has come close to dying without even realizing it, which is why so many people are left dumbfounded when he does something unbelievable. And thanks to Diablo, we just got to see the biggest example of Rimuru cheating death without even realizing it. And he does it by gaining the loyalty of a trio of beautiful Demon women.

Who are the Primordials?

While Rimuru and the others were dealing with things with Maribel, Diablo was largely absent for the first arc of the season. That’s because he decided he wanted some extra hands to help him serve his glorious king. So, he headed back to the Demon Realm, the dimension where all Demons originate. Spawned from chaos, they constantly fight, die, and revive in a struggle to get stronger. It’s basically a place of anarchy, chaos, and survival of the fittest. Being the ultimate glazer of Rimuru, Diablo decided that his master deserves only the best minions, so he decides to recruit the biggest, baddest, toughest Demons in the Netherworld: the Primordials.

In the Demon Realm, power is determined by how old a Demon is and (I think) how long they’ve gone without respawning from death. And at the very top of the food chain are the Primordials, of which Diablo is one. They’re the original seven Demons that appeared near the dawn of creation, making them some of the most powerful characters in the entire series. For reference, remember Guy Crimson, the oldest and strongest of the Demon Lords? He’s the original Primordial! With all of that said, is it any wonder why so many people have freaked out upon learning who Diablo is? He could’ve easily killed Rimuru when they first met if he had wanted!

And he wants to recruit three more of them.

Three Demon baddies who can kill you

First up, we have Jaune, the delinquent. Her main hobby is firing off nuclear magic at the base of Demon Lord Leon Cromwell, simply because she’s bored. And when Diablo comes to her to spread the word of his lord and savior, she tries to kill him…to no effect. He just tells her about the glory of Rimuru the slime while she tries in vain to beat him. But all that ends with her being planted into the ground and told to think about her attitude before he comes back.

Next is Violent, the Princess. She actually has some history with Tempest from the series first movie, where she had made a deal with a royal family that was supposed to end with her getting her a body to incarnate in. Thanks to Rimuru, though, she found out one of her subordinates broke the rules of the deal, forcing her to end things. Needless to say, she’s pretty sadistic. But Diablo wins her over when he says that her counterparts will get to incarnate into the mortal world. Now, it’s important to note that Violet, Jaune, and the final Demon have been competing for eons to see who can incarnate first, so it’s important to them.

Speaking of the final Demon, we have Blanc, one of the oldest and strongest. She is the textbook image of an elegant, beautiful lady, and she is already aware of Rimuru. It doesn’t take much to persuade her to meet with our resident Slime. But she also shows just scary she is by casually maiming two of her subordinates for speaking without permission.

Again, these are the ones that Diablo wants serving Rimuru. Three Demon ladies that most Demons fear. And Rimuru has absolutely no idea about any of this.

Thank god that Rimuru has Raphael to back him up. Because if he hadn’t figured it out…the girls would’ve killed him. But the danger was worth it to see him flex his Haki.

Good Lord, Rimuru doesn’t even know what he’s doing.

And so, without even meaning to do so, Rimuru managed to hire three of the most powerful beings in the multiverse as his newest minions. And with them, the 700 Demons that serve under them, giving birth to what will be known as the Black Numbers. And, in keeping with Diablo’s name, he gives the girls car-based names: Carrera for Jaune, Ultima for Violet, and Testarossa for Blanc. And he gives them all artificial bodies so they stay in the physical world for as long as they want.

This is honestly hilarious. Rimuru doesn’t even realize just how much power he’s managed to obtain for his nation. It’s probably going to end up upsetting the balance of power in the world of Tensura before it’s all over! But, again, he’s not entirely at fault. I blame it mostly on Diablo gassing up Rimuru. Either way, things are about to get a lot more fun!

I Give “The Black Numbers” a 4/5

You Won’t Believe Who Rimuru Hires this Episode

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 13 Review

It’s been a good time for Tempest. With Maribel’s defeat and Yuuki laying low, Rimuru and his friends are free to relax and enjoy the fruits of their labor…is what I would like to say. Sadly, Tempest is getting to the point where the work is getting to be too much for who they currently have to handle. Speaking as someone who has experience with more work than one person can handle, I can tell you how disastrous this can be for morale. So, it’s time for some new recruits for Tempest! And as fate would have it, Rimuru gets some perfect hires without having to post a ‘Help wanted’ ad.

Firstly, we need to talk about the OP. With this being the second cours of the season, that means it’s time for the anime to receive a new OP. This way, its remaining up-to-date on what’s happening in the story. And this OP is one of the most enigmatic, with heavy emphasis on subdued colors or outright black and white, chains, and, it should be noted, Hinata and Chloe. Anime logic dictates that what’s going to happen in this second part is going to put a lot of emphasis on the two girls. Just something to think about.

Dino the Freeloader

So after Millim gets dragged back home due to shaking her duties for the umpteenth time, Rimuru decides to get back to work. You can’t exactly blame Millim, though. She’s so happy getting to play with Gaia after these millennia. Sadly, the Dungeon is the only place where it can survive, so it has to stay behind. In the meantime, the work in Tempest is starting to pile up, and Rimuru’s team of Veldora, Ramiris, and more are needing some extra hands to help with their work. As fate would have it, though, one seems to show up right on Rimuru’s doorstep.

This is Dino, and like Rimuru, Ramiris, and Millim, he’s a Demon Lord. However, that title might be stretching it a bit, even by the standards of Demon Lords in this series. Dino is known as the Sleeping Demon Lord and is infamously known as a slacker amongst the other Demon Lords. He doesn’t have his own home or domain to manage. He’s just been freeloading off of Guy Crimson, the oldest and strongest of the Demon Lords, forever. And Crimson finally decided to kick him out, only to dump the responsibility onto Rimuru. And it should be noted that Rimuru cannot refuse. Guy Crimson is far stronger than him, and could easily wipe Tempest out if he wanted.

Rimuru, being a hard worker, doesn’t want to have a freeloader mooching off of him, but thankfully, the problem solves itself. Dino takes one bite of the food in Tempest, and for the first time in forever, he’s motivated to do work. So, he gives him to Vesta the dwarf as his assistant. He’s literally been bribed by food. Honestly, though, it’s a good deal. Food and a roof over your head is a good motivation for working.

As for Veldora, he’s also wants an assistant, but his choice surprises Rimuru: Ifrit, the Fire Elemental.

I don’t Understand how Ifrit is this Way now

If you’ll recall, Ifrit is the Fire spirit that was sealed inside Shizu when she was summoned to this world as a kid. It saved her life, but she had to spend so much of it keeping Ifrit from going on a rampage that it led to her eventual death after Rimuru split them up. Naturally, Rimuru is not keen on Veldora’s request, but there’s a catch to it. After getting sealed inside Rimuru’s stomach, the flame spirit befriended Veldora and they kept each other company. Thanks to that, Veldora was able to help Ifrit chill enough to realize how much pain he caused Shizu and to regret it. Now he wants to make amends by helping Rimuru, and he’s already done so. He provided the salamanders needed for the Magitrain!

So, thanks to Veldora’s recommendation, Rimuru gives Ifrit a chance and gives him a new body to inhabit and renames them to Charys. For some reason, though, Charys can now change from man to woman whenever they want, getting stronger with fire or wind depending on their gender. I don’t know how this is possible, to be honest, but I think we should just roll with it. I’ve already seen a character in One Piece with the power to make people swap genders, so this is nothing to me!

This is a very slow and lowkey episode, in my opinion, as it revolves around Rimuru getting more help around Tempest. Ramiris gets even more helpers in the form of more Dryads thanks to the artificial bodies Rimuru is making, so that’s good. However, the real highlight is the ending as we cut to one servant of Rimuru that has been notably absent: Diablo. Earlier in the season, he said he was going off on a trip to find some worthy assistants for himself, so he’s gone back to the Demon Realm to do so. And he’s apparently bringing up to a thousand subordinates with him when he gets back. Rimruru is cool with it, but he has no idea just who Diablo has in mind. And I’m not spoiling it for you guys!  It’s going to make the surprise all the better! So, see you guys next episode!

Also, I really liked the new ED that’s based on a board game. It’s pretty obvious that, besides Rimuru, the other person playing the game is meant to be Chloe. And she’s on some sort of journey to find Rimuru. I’m not sure if you know this, but besides being her teacher, Chloe has a crush on him, something he’s well aware of (and wishes someone had said that to him when they were 18 or 20). It’s adorable for right now, but it seems like it might be more serious than we realize.

I Give “New Companions” a 3/5

Luffy is Fighting one of the Roger Pirates! So Cool!

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

One Piece Ep 1170 Review

I have been reading and watching One Piece for many years now, and I have come to notice a formula to the way that Oda writes the story. Whenever the Straw Hats make it to some new island, things will start out pretty low-stakes as they explore the place and get a feel for things. Eventually, though, the big bad of the arc will make themselves known, and then everything hits the fan. We are now at that point in the arc where things are about to start hitting the fan, and trust me when I say this, they are going to need Loki. But first, Luffy has to win the key from Scopper Gaban, ex-member of the Roger Pirates.

If you’ve followed One Piece at least as far back as Sabaody, then you know that the hype behind the crew of the Pirate is well-deserved. Rayleigh was able to go toe-to-toe with a Navy Admiral despite being well into his 70s, and he was able to scare off Blackbeard not that long ago. Needless to say, most of the crew can be counted as some of the strongest in the world by default. And that’s why seeing Luffy fight Gaban was so hyped when the manga came out. If Luffy could hold his own against one of Roger’s two hands, then we would know just how strong he has gotten. And the anime knew this.

This was a Good Training Session

I know that there were fights while trying to escape Road’s brick model, but truthfully, this was the first real fight of the Elbaph arc. The anime knew this, because it went all out on showing just how wild this fight was. Luffy was bouncing around the place like crazy, but no matter what he did, he couldn’t play a finger on Gaban. The man held him off using the very key they came to get as a weapon. Regardless, though, the fight was very well animated, and it more than lived up to the hype. And that moment when Zoro decided to jump in, and Luffy went into Gear Five? It was incredible. The strongest of the Straw Hats were getting ready to double-team a legend in what we thought would be a legendary duel, and if it had continued, I do think they would’ve won. But, nope! Gaban drops his axes and surrenders!

To be honest, I already knew that the two won when Gaban tried shoving the key into Luffy’s mouth in a goofy fashion. He did say he wanted them to get their hands on the key, and they did. From the way I saw things, Gaban was only doing this to test them and see if they were on the level that Shanks said. Because if they let Loki out, they would have to be prepared to fight him, and if they lost, they would lose the trust of the Giants. But more importantly, though, Gaban did it because he knew that Elbaph was about to be in danger. The greatest threat it has probably ever faced, if you ask me.

EVIL! EVIL! EVILEVILEVILEVILEVIL!

Meanwhile, as the children at the Walrus School are playing, Gunko and Shamrock are about to make their move. Their goal is to conquer and enslave Elbaph so their master can use the Giants in the coming war for the fate of the world. And so they summon reinforcements to help them in the form of two more God’s Knights, Sommers and Qillingham.

Don’t be fooled by their goofy introductions, you guys. I have had years to get to know these two as individuals, and trust me when I say this: they are monsters. Not just monsters as in they’re monstrously strong, but monsters as in sick, twisted, and sadistic demons! The two of them and Gunko are going to be enough to cause a catastrophe the likes of which Elbaph hasn’t seen in years. They are absolute menaces to society, and at this point in the manga, I am genuinely hoping that the Straw Hats send them home in body bags.

Don’t believe me? Their game plan to conquer Elbaph is to capture the kids and take them back to Mariejois as hostages. It takes a special kind of evil to go after kids!

I hope that you guys got your fill of the low-key stakes, because that is about over. From here on out, things are going to get progressively crazier as the Straw Hats face their biggest battle yet! And I can’t wait to see it animated!

I Give “Get the Key! Luffy vs. Scopper Gaban” a 4/5