That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime

Chloe Gets her Happy Ending

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 24 Review

Chloe, when I do my list of best girls of the year like I always do, you’re going on it. I know she’s technically ineligible due to her physically being a kid, but I don’t care. You’ve earned it after what you did for Rimuru and the rest of Tempest. And now, you get to enjoy the reward you’ve waited eons to experience: a happy life with Rimuru.

SAVE CHLOE, RIMURU!!

So, Rimuru managed to make it inside of Chloe’s mind and has made contact with Chronoa, showing her that he’s fine and that she can chill out. The whole reason she even crashed out is that she has the vague memories of seeing him die in the future, and frankly, I don’t blame her. The bad news is that Chronoa wasn’t joking about Chloe or Hinata’s status. Chloe is someplace that Rimuru might not be able to reach. And Hinata? She did die when Granville impaled her. The reason why we saw her with Chloe is that she pulled in the last remnants of her soul in the form of her Unique Skill. Which, according to the very detailed rules of Magic in the series, is ingrained in a person’s soul. It just goes to show you how well thought out the author was with the story.

So, Hinata’s Unique Skill, and the remnants of her soul along with it, are still inside of Chloe and Chronoa. So, after getting admin permission from Chronoa, Rimuru (or rather, Raphael) gets to work. She take Chloe’s Unique Skill out, evolves into an Ultimate Skill, Yog-Sogoth, and then reconstitutes Hinata’s soul and separates it from Chloe’s. And she also evolves Chronoa into what’s called a Manas. Basically, it’s like a magical, sentient AI that can be born from an Ultimate Skill. Not only does this mean that Chronoa will no longer crash out, but it has the extra benefit of letting her and Chloe swap places whenever they want. Think of it like what happens with Yugi and Atem, or Naruto and Kurama once they became friends. And the two are immediately overjoyed to see their beloved Rimuru after all this time.

Oh, and I liked seeing Hinata act like a tsundere towards him. And even if Shizu wasn’t actually there, I did like getting to see her thank Hinata for saving her, and vice-versa.

After that is done comes the hard part. After returning to the physical world, Rimuru needs help to put Hinata’s soul back in her body. He needs the help of Chloe and Hinata’s best friend. He needs the help of Luminous.

Luminous and Rimuru Save Chloe and Hinata

It’s not just the fact that Luminous’ new Ultimate Skill, which she got when Hinata died, gives her control over life and death. From a narrative standpoint, it makes sense she’s the one who ultimately saves Hinata. She’s always been the one who’s closest to Hinata, with their relationship going far beyond simply master and servant. That’s probably why I liked seeing them interact over the course of 2,000 years as they worked to create the future that we know. That’s not just friendship; that’s love. And seeing everything that Luminous did to help Chloe and Hinata in all that time really made me respect her a lot more. I’ve done this before outside of 100 Girlfriends, but I’m probably going to put Luminous and Chloe on the best girls list for this year.

As for Granville, it turns out he wasn’t dead yet. He lives long enough to tell Luminous that even if his plan to kill them all hadn’t worked out, he would’ve still gotten what he wanted. By forcing everyone into this situation, he made it so that even if he lost, Chloe would rise as the strongest Hero. So, even when he lost, he still won.

Honestly, I don’t really care. After all the trouble Granville caused, I’m just glad that he’s dead. At least he and his wife got to reunite in the afterlife before moving on.

And so, the crisis in Lubelious finally draws to a close. The recital (which was the whole reason Rimuru went to Lubelious) goes off without a hitch, and everyone is happy. Luminous and Hinata reunite, with Hinata even evolving into a Hero herself. But most importantly, Chloe did it. After who knows how many attempts, Chloe finally broke the time loop. She saved Rimuru and Hinata.

Chloe might be one of the strongest girls I’ve ever seen!

I think it goes without saying, but I’m going to say it anyway: Chloe Aubert might be the strongest person in the entire series. Not in terms of raw power or skill, as there are people out there who remain stronger than her. But when it comes to willpower, I think Chloe might have everyone else beat. She endured countless timelines where she had to watch Rimuru, Hinata, and the entire world die. She’s experienced more pain and suffering than almost anyone can ever hope to endure. And despite it all, despite everything she’s gone through, she not only endured, but she remained the same happy, optimistic, and sweet little cinammon roll that we know and love. Granted, she doesn’t remember most of the loops due to her powers, but that doesn’t diminish what she’s done. She likely saved the entire world, and asked for nothing in return. Her only reward was getting to reunite with her friends, her beloved Rimuru, and getting to enjoy her childhood again.

That’s the sweetest part, I think. Despite having long since grown into an adult both physically and mentally, Chloe can revert to being a child thanks to her mastery over time. She can switch to her adult form any time she wants, so she’s got the best of both. Which is good for her, because she might actually have a serious chance of winning over Rimuru, much to Leon’s dismay. She’s happy to see her adoptive brother again, but I found it funny how she told him not to be mean to Rimuru. He really shouldn’t; for all Leon knows, Rimuru could be his brother-in-law one day!

A WAR IS COMING

I wish I could say that the season ended on a high note, but we know that that’s not true. The second half of the series is set to release next summer, and this is where things start to get really exciting. A good chunk of the series has been slowly building up the threat of the Eastern Empire, the strongest nation in the Cardinal World. They’ve been working behind the scenes to cause trouble in the west, laying the foundations for their conquest. In every other timeline, Chloe says that they will win, destroy Tempest, and kill Rimuru and everyone else. Now, Tempest has a fighting chance, but even that might not be enough. That’s just how powerful the Empire is supposed to be. And now, we are about to get a war arc!

If you don’t want to wait to find out what happens and don’t mind spoilers, I reccomend you go on YouTube and look up AnimeBallsDeep. They’ve got this extensive, excellently done video covering the entirety of the Eastern Empire War in the Light Novels. And when you hear what’s going to happen, you are going to have a lot to get excited for.

Too bad we have to wait until next summer to get more Slime conten…wait a second. What do you mean we won’t have to wait that long? We’re getting a spin-off? And it’s about Clayman?

Yes, in a surprise turn of events, it turns out that next spring, we will be getting an anime adaptation of Clayman’s Revenge. It’s a spin-off manga in which, after his death at the hands of Rimuru, Clayman acquired a Unique Skill that sent him back into the past, decades before Rimuru ever arrived. Not wanting to repeat the events that led to his demise, the manga follows Clayman as he tries to prevent his death at Rimuru’s hands, either by keeping him from becoming a Demon Lord, or just avoiding making an enemy out of him altogether. It’s not canon and takes place in an alternate timeline, but it’s still an interesting premise. I’ll definitely consider covering it when the time comes.

Now, if you’ll excuse me, I am either going to go look up fanfics of Rimuru and an ADULT CHLOE getting married. Because after everything she went through for the sake of that slime, she has my full support.

I Give “The Awakening of the Hero” a 4.5/5

You Better Save Chloe and Hinata, Rimuru!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 23 Review

Okay, I know that this is going to sound rich from me since I’ve had no problems seeing it happen, but the power of friendship is BS! Well, at least when it’s done due to lazy writing. But at least in this case, it didn’t lead to a deus ex machina, because the person on the receiving end didn’t win. And that’s a good thing, because the person in question was Granville Rosso. So, as Rimuru puts his insane plan to save Chloe and Hinata in motion, Shion steps up and locks the heck in. You can say a lot of things about Shion (she’s not that smart, her cooking is bad, no shirts can fit her), but when she steps up, she gets things done.

Shion Gets it Done

So, I don’t know if I had said it in my review of the last episode, but I was really hoping that we dive right into, well, Rimuru’s dive into Chronoa. This entire arc has been building up to finishing the story of Chloe; the fact that she is prominently shown in the OP and ED is proof! But instead, we are expected to sit through the last of the fights going on between Granville’s, frankly, suicidal plan. It’s a fight between Shion and Ranga against Razul. He’s an Insectoid, a species of bug-people from another dimension that are extremely powerful. Granville and his wife befriended and named him after a failed invasion centuries ago, and he’s served as his right-hand bug and ultimate weapon. And if you have seen the Chimera Ants from Hunter x Hunter or Cell (who we call a bug man), then you know how strong bug-people get in anime.

Now, we all know that Shion is no pushover. She’s one of Rimuru’s top subordinates. Sure, she may not be that smart, but we’ve seen how strong she is. She was able to go toe-to-toe with Clayman back at Walpurgis! However, the fight between her and Razul is the classic case of the unstoppable spear vs the unbreakable shield. In her case, Razul’s exoskeleton is as hard as steel, making it impossible for her to strike a killing blow. Well, at least at first. She knows just how much is riding on this fight, and she has no intention of dying again, because she refuses to worry her beloved Rimuru like that. So she locks the heck in, and uses her unique skill, Certain Outcome. Which basically translates to her being able to get whatever results she wants from doing something. In this case, a single crack in Razul’s armor is enough of an opening for her to finish the Insectoid off.

If there’s ever an Isekai fighting game like Smash Bros, they better put Shion in it.

The Heck?!?

But then we get to the whole “power of friendship” bs coming in. His soul goes to Granville to give him a power-up in his fight against Luminous. The man is literally powered up by the spirit of his friend! Not that it doesn’t do him any favors, because he still loses to Luminous!

And that is why only the protagonists can use the power of friendship!

So, with Yuuki and the clowns in the wind and Granville’s dumb plot foiled, all that is left is to save Chloe and Hinata. And to do that, Rimuru has to do the riskiest thing that he’s ever done. He has to get close enough to touch Chronoa, dive into her soul, find Chloe and Hinata and pull them out of there. Which, if things go sideways, could end up killing him for good. But Rimuru is HIM, so he does it anyway.

GO SAVE CHLOE AND HINATA

And so, Rimuru enters the mind of Chloe Aubert, a beautiful field of flowers, and is met by an unexpected guest in the form of Shizu. Whether it’s actually her soul or just a mental guide, nobody knows. She’s just there to help Rimuru calm Chronoa down, which he does with no problem. However, this is where things get complicated: Chronoa says that Chloe’s soul is lost somewhere in their shared heart. But Hinata’s? She’s disappeared.

Well, it looks like Rimuru is about to face his toughest battle yet: saving his student and his…friend? Are he and Hinata friends? He’s not going to let something like death stop him from pulling this off, and we know that he’s going to do it. So why are we even questioning that fact? I’m just glad that we don’t have to deal with Granville’s stupid plots anymore.  

I Give “Granville’s Hope” a 4/5

Rimuru, time to save your Student!

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 22 Review

So I just want to make sure that we are all on the same page about Chloe and Hinata. Chloe got sent to the past with Hinata’s soul hitching a ride, they became the hero Chronoa, and Luminous sealed them away until Rimuru could take care of everything. All of that was made clear in the last two episodes of the series. The real question now is how the heck are we going to fix this?

Sadly, it seems that part will have to wait until the next episode. This one is mostly just about setting us up for Rimuru’s toughest battle to date.

Chronoa’s gone nuts!

So where were we? Oh yes: grown-up Chloe, or rather, Chronoa in control of Chloe’s body. And…dang. When they said that Chloe had the most potential out of all her classmates, they weren’t kidding. She is the kind of person who could single-handedly stop a war. And as we see for ourselves, even the Demon Lords might not be enough to stop her, as Luminous is in the process of freaking out at the sight of Chronoa breaking free. And that’s before she equips her armor and sword. That sword of hers is as strong as his, which is very, very concerning. Add in the fact that Chronoa likely has the combined experience of Chloe and Hinata’s two thousand year odyssey, and is it any wonder why Granville wanted to free her? She could kill the Demon Lords, and then torch the rest of the planet.

https://twitter.com/otaku_lord21/status/2098433895314145486?s=20

So, now is not the time to hold back. As Luminous explains everything we already know to Rimuru, he decides that they need help. So he summons Veldora, and, surprisingly, he realizes right away that Chronoa was the hero who sealed him away. And, I don’t think the anime shows it, but seeing her again actually makes her nervous. Which makes sense, considering how he strongly reacted to Chloe’s future self in Ramiris’ old labyrinth. Also, he claims that the only reason he lost was because he saw how pretty she looked underneath her mask. Awkward.

Time to Journey to the Center of Chloe

So, even with the combined power of Luminous, Leon, and Veldora, Chronoa is just too much for them to handle. So, Rimuru has to do what might be the most reckless thing that he’s ever done. He’s going to have to travel inside of Chloe’s body, find the souls of Chloe and Hinata, and somehow pull them out. Well, he just needs to wake Chloe up. He has to find a way to pull Hinata out and get her back in her body. Either way, it’s’ insane, reckless, and crazy. And you know what? It’s also something that only Rimuru can hope to pull off. Otherwise, Lubelious is a goner.

I have to admit, I didn’t really like this episode. Especially considering how it was coming off the heels of two bangers, it felt like it was just reiterating everything that we had already known. But at least it’s setting us up for one heck of a finale.

I Give “Where the Soul Resides” a 4/5

What…what just happened?

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

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

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

Granville’s Plan

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

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

Uh-oh

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

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

Where did Chloe go?

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

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

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

This is about to get crazy

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

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

Man, it feels good to enjoy peak right now!

I Give “Death and Disappearance” a 4/5

Chloe and Hinata 2: Electric Boogaloo

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

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

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

The adventures of Chloe and Hinata

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

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

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

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

Hinata got her get back with Veldora

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

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

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

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

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

I Give “Chronoa the Hero, Pt 2

Rimuru must have a Nat 20 on Luck

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

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 18 Review

I’m just going to come out and say it: I think Rimuru got a nat 20 on luck when he reincarnated. Because there is NO FEASIBLE way that what managed to happen in this episode can be explained otherwise. His new subordinates just managed to stop an international incident without him even realizing it!

Guy would have gotten away with it…

After Diablo’s little dust-up with Rain, he is greet by his old frenemy/rival, Guy Crimson, the first Primordial and first Demon Lord. Now, Guy had no idea that Diablo had incarnated until now (I think), nor did he realize that he’s working for Rimuru. But before Diablo can start praising his lord and savior, Guy gives it to him straight: he’s here to cause trouble for humanity. While the incident in Lubelious is taking place, he has his other subordinate, the Primordial Demon Mizeri, agree to help the Rozzo family in their final f you to those they see as betraying mankind. Sure enough, Guy’s minions are currently attacking the other Western Nations, while Granville’s other flunky and their hired mercenary band, Vert, attempt to slaughter the Council. As it turns out, the goddess the mercenaries worship is Mizeri, who they summon with the goal of wiping out Engrassia.

I can’t go into further details about the why, but Guy has his reasons for doing this. Basically, he needs humans to continue to be afraid of monsters and demons as part of this grand plan he’s got going. And when they begin to grow comfortable like they are now, he reminds them of why they shouldn’t be like that!

…is what he should’ve gotten away with, if weren’t for a certain slime ruin his plans without trying.

If it weren’t for that meddling slime

As you recall, Rimuru made Testarossa Tempest’s representative at the Western Council. Which means that she is present when Granville and Vert summon Mizeri for their mass-murder plan. And since Rimuru made it her job to keep the Council safe, she is not going to let Mizeri have her way. After realizing that Testarossa, who is a Primoridal Demon like herself, is not only there, but has fully incarnated, Mizeri takes one look at what’s going on and comes to one conclusion: NOPE.

And so, Testarossa saves the day, while barely lifting a finger. And she and her followers start praising Lord Rimuru for it. They think that he knew that something like this would happen and that he had the foresight to put Testarossa in place to keep it from happening.

RIMURU IS SO LUCKY!

LOL

I was audibly laughing as I watching the Demons praise Rimuru like this. Rimuru may seem like this all-knowing god to his friends and followers, but we know the truth: if he didn’t have Raphael, he wouldn’t be able to pull off half the stuff he does. At this point, I’m pretty sure that he’s the only one who doesn’t know that Diablo and the other Colors are Primordial Demons. Even Guy freaks out when he realizes that Rimuru now has four Primordials working for him and doesn’t know it. He’s going to have to have a talk with him later!

Back in Lubelious, Rimuru and Hinata are still fighting against Granville. And since he stacked the deck against them, he’s lasting a lot longer than he would otherwise. Say what you want about the former hero, but he knows what he’s doing. Rimuru has to pull his punches with the Otherworlders (that was a bluff, though.) so he doesn’t kill them, and that distracts him enough to let him focus on Hinata. And that’s before he pulls out his wildcard in the form of Leon Cromwell.

Just keep up the ruse until you can strike, Rimuru and Leon

We already know beforehand that Leon didn’t come to Lubelious to fight. He just wants to see for himself that Rimuru is looking after his beloved sister, Chloe. But then Granville tells Rimuru how he helped Leon summon Otherworlder kids like Shizu, knowing that Rimuru isn’t happy about what Leon put her through, even if it did help her live to adulthood. Basically, Granville is trying to emotionally manipulate Rimuru into fighting Leon and making things worse. Both of them know this, but since they still don’t know what Granville’s game is, they have to play along. Plus, Rimuru did genuinely want to punch Leon for Shizu’s sake.

Little do they know, but Yuuki has already got what they wanted: Chronoa the Hero. And when she wakes up, things are going to get crazy.

The episode ends with Granville’s plans already starting to come undone without him realizing it, but at the same time, he and Yuuki are about to get what they want. And if the title of the next episode is any indication, then things are about to get pretty heavy. That Nat 20 luck that I think Rimuru has is going to be needed! As for this episode, though, I liked it by sole virtue of it making me laugh at how lucky Rimuru managed to be!

I Give “Turbulence in the West” a 4/5

Granville is Making his Move!

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That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 Ep 17 Review

Due to some sort of scheduling conflict or error going on in Japan, we didn’t get a new episode of Slime Tensura last week. It’s unfortunate, but given how I was at a convention that day, it worked out for me. But don’t know what isn’t going to work out? Whatever the heck Granville is planning on doing. He and Yuuki have this crazy plan to attack Rimuru and Luminous so they can kill them/steal the body of Luminous’ best friend. And they are going all out on this! And to make matters worse, not one, but two other Demon Lords are getting involved! At least one of them isn’t actually looking for a fight, at least.

Leon Loves his Little Sister!

So, we need to talk about Leon Cromwell. If you recall, he was the one who summoned Shizu to this world and sealed the Fire Demon Ifrit in her. This kept her alive, but it also led to her eventual death as Rimuru had to stop him from rampaging. Naturally, this didn’t leave us or Rimuru with a very good impression of him. But if the last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Leon isn’t a jerk. He’s more of a…dork.

Yes, if the last few episodes have shown us anything, it’s that Leon isn’t a bad guy. He’s just incredibly socially awkward. He doesn’t know how to talk to people properly, and since he’s a Demon Lord, people get the wrong idea about him. Since he’s so focused on finding Chloe that he gets tunnel vision and can’t really see how his actions come off towards other. Combine those two, and it explains why he hasn’t found Chloe on his own. In fact, when he finally decides to ask Elmesia for help, she tells him that he could’ve saved himself a lot of trouble if he had asked for help.

No matter, though. He’s off to Lubelius to reunite with his adoptive little sister! And for his sake, I hope he plays nice with Rimuru. If Chloe has her way, the slime could be his brother-in-law in ten years, LOLOLOL!

The timing couldn’t be worse, though. Granville and Yuuki are on the march.

Granville is on the Warpath

So, Rimuru and Hinata are just enjoying a relaxing get-together as platonic friends, sipping tea and enjoying their morning. Then all of a sudden, they learn that Lubelius is under attack by an army of warriors! And at the head of them is Granville Rozzo.

Granville has assembled a small army and marched them on Lubelius, all with the goals of stealing Luminous’ most prized possession and killing her and Rimuru. At least Granville is being smart about this. He knows he can’t face Rimuru in a fair fight, so he’s rigged it in his favor. Using an army of mind-controlled Otherworlders knowing full well that Rimuru wouldn’t harm them is a good handicap. And the Harlequin Alliance is currently keeping Luminous and her guards busy. He even resorted to using necromancy on his wife’s body to have her fight Luminous. But we know that this is only a stalling tactic. Granville couldn’t beat Luminous in his prime, so there’s no way that he can beat Rimuru. And if anything, seeing someone that she knew and likely called her friend at one point being revived as a puppet is only going to enrage Luminous rather than shock her.

But that’s the whole point of the plan. The bad guys are distracting our heroes so that they can steal the body of Chronoa, wake her up, and have her kill them. As far as plans go, it’s decent.

But that’s not the real highlight of the episode. It’s what Diablo gets up to.

Diablo Takes Care of Business

So, while Shion and Diablo are fighting this giant bug…thing, Diablo gets distracted. And it’s soon clear why: someone is lurking nearby, waiting for him. So, at Shion’s behest, he decides to go take care of this problem.

Also, note how Diablo and Shion addressed each other by their names. That’s a first!

The person that Diablo sensed is none other than Rain, the personal maid of Guy Crimson, the first and strongest of the Demon Lords, as well as the first of the Primordials. And Rain is also one of the Primordials like Guy and Diablo. So, she’s crazy strong. But she’s also not on the same level as Diablo. Even before he got his name, Diablo was able to fight Guy to a standstill. And then, Rain commits the ultimate sin in front of Diablo: she calls Rimuru trash.

What happens next is on her!

The episode ends with Guy Crimson himself showing up in the aftermath. I don’t know why he’s there, but this might have just added another wrinkle to this brewing crisis. Rimuru can handle himself just fine, but Guy Crimson? The OG Demon Lord? Yeah, he’d lose. Please don’t let this end badly for him!

I’m still looking forward to seeing how this all turns out, though.

I Give “Lubelius, the Point of Convergence” a 3/5

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

Wait, Diablo got WHO?!?!

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

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

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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