That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season One)
When Satoru Mikami was murdered, he thought it was the end. So, imagine his surprise when he was reincarnated into a new world as a slime… A SLIME! Seriously, why a slime?
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (Season One)
What did you watch?
I originally watched and reviewed That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime back in 2018 when it first aired. Those posts were taken down when I rebranded my site and have now been reincarnated. Well, sort of. I finally got around to watching the first part of season two and I really enjoyed it. So much so, that I started to question my memories of season one. And since we couldn’t decide who was right, I had to watch it again. This time, I decided to use it as a way to try out a new review format. I think it went well, but I’d be curious to see what you thought. Check out the links at the end of this post to see what I mean.
What happened?
Satoru Mikami was on his way to lunch with a junior at his firm. He’d worked hard and made a good career for himself, but never had time for much of a life or even a girlfriend. When a crazed man with a knife ran at his junior, Satoru jumped to his aid and got stabbed in the process. As he bled out, he complained about the heat, the cold, the pain. He begged his junior to destroy his hard drive. Bizarrely, someone else was listening and applied these requests to his next life.
With all of the data accumulated, a body was chosen and Satoru begin his next life as a slime… That’s right, a little blue blob called Rimuru. However, he had managed to gain numerous skills and abilities that are not common to a slime and was able to use them to build a new life. He saved a village of goblins from destruction and became their leader, but that was just the beginning. For this slime, there are no limits to what he can achieve.
What did you think?
I really enjoyed it, more so than the first time I watched it. One of the reasons that I think it was that much more enjoyable this time was because I had seen all of the OVAs and the first part of season two. A lot of the complaints about season one were how it ended and how easy everything was for Rimuru. Well, knowing what I knew changed things and that made this season far superior to how I remembered it. I always loved the world-building and the characters so nothing changed there, but the story started to become far more subtle than I remembered. Things clicked into place that I missed the first time.
What was your favourite moment?
Admittedly, this didn’t change. The entire Shizu arc was my favourite thing about the series and it still is. The way it made you care for Shizu in such a short period of time was incredible. Her interactions with Rimuru was amazing and heartfelt. You could feel her pain from living in this world and the loss of her old life. I loved that Rimuru was able to show her what happened in Japan since she was summoned here. Of course, seeing their final interaction before she died was crushing. You felt everything as they did.
What was your least favourite moment?
My least favourite arc from season one was the school arc where Rimuru tried to save the other summons from being destroyed by the Magicules within them. However, I don’t dislike this arc anymore thanks to the third OVA which was a three-episode mini-arc that really gave this some added depth. In fact, I believe it should have been included in the first season at the expense of the final Shizu flashback, which would have made a better OVA (or a movie, if I’m being greedy). It was still a little too easy and all the answers just kept dropping into Rimuru’s lap. Still, this arc will become incredibly important as the series goes on. I’m absolutely certain of that.
Who was your favourite character?
There are a lot of great characters in this series and that’s one of the highlights. It’s hard to look past Rimuru as the best character, but for me personally, I can’t get enough of Shion. For one, she’s an absolute badass and carries around a massive sword. Also, you just have to look at her to understand where I’m coming from.
Who was your least favourite character?
Much like my first viewing, Gabiru is utterly unbearable, to begin with. However, he does grow on you as the series goes on. I think that was his purpose as a character and it helped to show how bridges can be built across the most insurmountable odds. He betrayed his father, belittled almost everyone he met, but still, Rimuru stood up for him and it made him a better person. Ultimately, you are supposed to hate Gabiru to begin with, so well done!
Would you like some more?
Luckily for me, I’ve still got the second half of season two to watch and a movie has been announced. Before I got back into this series, I was very much on the fence about even continuing, but now, I will watch every single season, OVA, or movie that they come up with. I love this world and the story is rich with details. Some of it was very subtle and could easily be missed, but if you have the time, I would recommend rewatching it with that in mind. I think you’ll see a lot more than you expect.
What have you learnt?
One of the issues I think the season suffered from was the way it was structured. It generally followed a four-episode arc pattern with a little overlap. They stuck to this no matter what and that hurt the school arc. Ironically as my least favourite arc, it probably needed more episodes to really give it the time and gravitas it needed. It goes to show that following a pattern is not always the best way to go. If a story needs more give it more, if it needs less, don’t be afraid to stop there.
It’s the same for writing novels. The story should be as long as it needs. There’s no defined word count for a novel despite what some people will tell you. I certainly don’t enjoy reading through extra descriptions and scenes that are obviously added to fluff up the word count. That said, I don’t think That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime had any filler. It needed more time, not less, which is probably why we have the OVAs between seasons one and two. I think this series will be epic once it’s finished.
Other Posts in the Series
Series Information
| English Title | That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime |
| Japanese Title | Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken |
| Genres | Action, Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Magic |
| Demographic | Shounen |
Anime
Season One
| Season | Season One |
| Released | Fall 2018, Winter 2019 |
| Animation Studios | 8Bit |
| Episodes | 24 |
| 1-4 | Why a Slime? |
| 5-8 | Destined to be with! |
| 9-12 | Ruler of Monsters! |
| 13-16 | Jura Tempest Federation! |
| 17-20 | Charybdis! |
| 21-24 | Back to School! |
| Season | OVA |
| Released | Summer 2019, Fall 2019 |
| Animation Studios | 8Bit |
| Episodes | 5 |
| 1-2 | Something for Everyone! |
| 3-5 | School’s Out! |
Season Two
| Season | Season Two |
| Released | Winter 2021, Spring 2021 |
| Animation Studios | 8Bit |
| Episodes | 24 |
| 25-28 | Laying the Groundwork! |
| 29-32 | Playing With Fire! |
| 33-36 | What Would You Sacrifice for Family? |
| 37-40 | Getting the Story Straight! |
| 41-44 | Scheming and Levelling Up! |
| 45-48 | Setting the Scene! |
Movie
| English Title | Scarlet Bond |
| Japanese Title | Guren no Kizuna-hen |
| Released | Fall 2022 |
| Animation Studios | 8Bit |
Season Three
| Season | Season Three |
| Released | Spring 2024, Summer 2024 |
| Animation Studios | 8Bit |
| Episodes | 24 |
| 49 | Demons and Strategies |
| 50 | The Saint’s Intentions |
| 51 | Peaceful Days |
| 52 | Everyone Has a Part to Play |
| 53 | Meeting of Both Sides |
| 54 | Those Approaching |
| 55 | Saint and Demon Clash |
| 56 | Misunderstanding |
| 57 | The Scheming of the Seven Days |
| 58 | God and Demon Lord |
| 59 | Reconciliation and Agreement |
| 60 | Festival Preparations |
Bonus Posts
| Saturday Spinoff | Shizu |
