First Impressions / Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

「ドワーフの王国にて」 (Dowaafu no Ookokunite)
“In the Dwarven Kingdom”

Some people may not enjoy it, but I personally love it when “overpowered” characters use their ridiculous powers for the good of all.

General Impressions

After a fantastic three episodes, I was so happy to see that this show was able to maintain that certain vibe to it even after it revealed that Rimuru was literally the embodiment of a god in the form of an adorable blue slime. Because if there’s anything I dislike just as much as I like overpowered characters, are unfun and stupid overpowered characters.

Looking back at this week’s episode, I’m glad we had so many moments that highlighted just how good of a person Rimuru is at heart. From trying his best not to obliterate the thugs who were assaulting him to not breaking out of prison when he obviously could have just walked out, it was refreshing to see him continue to follow the rules of society even though he could have just as easily ignored them.

However, there’s no way I can’t talk about the moment where he duplicated twenty epic or better rarity swords. So, as much as I love this show, I’ll admit that I was a little thrown off when he was able to use his great sage skill to create replicas of a weapon that takes over a week to smith. Besides all the crazy assumptions that arise when you think about all the ways to max/min his abilities, it really begs the question of just how far you could push the thing. Because if copying epic or better swords is a piece of cake, what’s stopping Rimuru from finding some ridiculously overpowered weapon and just mass producing it?

Luckily I don’t think we’ll have to worry about things like that since this doesn’t seem to be the kind of show that would worry about the little things. At this point, all I really want to see is Rimuru doing crazy overpowered things while also being a good guy and just helping out everyone he can. In any case, I’ll see you guys next week where we’ll hopefully get to see just how much progress can be made when you have some awesome dwarven smiths helping out a village of orcs. See you then!

P.S. I hope Gobuta is okay – the show completely forgot about him after they were released from prison!

 

Preview

38 Comments

  3. Hey Takaii. I think he’s got the ability to copy the sword, but he only was able to make those swords because of all the ores he sucked up with Predator. Therefore, he probably can’t continually do it. Well, depending on how much ore he has. Which I’m hoping isn’t a lot, because those types of swords seem like they would be something that you’d require a lot of that type of ore to make those copies. Or so I think anyways.

    Dorian S.
    Reply

  4. https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2004%20-%20Large%2030.jpg
    Not gonna lie, I got a bit jealous of this little blue ball.

    Now on overpowered characters. I like when an overpowered character has something to relate to. For example, Saitama from One Punch Man just want to find a challenge and he’s afraid when he can’t find people to save when he’s on C rank. The protagonists from Death March and Isekai Smarphone just want to enjoy life, but somehow I find them unlikeable and cannot relate to them. Rimuru does the same thing as them but I like him. But why, though?

    One Pinch Man
    Reply

    2. One thing for me is how unapologetically goofy and spontaneous Rimuru is. He’s a nice guy that’s in a completely ridiculous situation(reincarnated as a freakin’ slime), so he doesn’t force himself to follow anyone else’s rules. He obeys the law in town because he feels like its the right thing to do, not because he’s all worried about getting into trouble or being seen as odd. And if his behavior does get him into trouble he’s competent enough to work through it(though not in a smug way). Too many isekai characters try to bring all of Japan(ethics, behavior, etc) with them when they go to another world to the point where it stunts them. You definitely wouldn’t see Satou(too rational) or Touya(too nervous) fully enjoying a lap-pillow from a hott elven hostess like this(and I love Death March).

      Rimuru’s a great character for people who want an MC that cuts loose without being traumatically brutal or a completely whipped sap.

      Aex
      Reply

    3. Part of the problem is character development and what is cut out in adaptations. While Isekai isn’t the shining beacon of characters it doesn’t actually get very interesting till the 4th novel which didn’t get adapted so you lose a lot of the interesting stuff but at the same time why do you have to wait till then to get a decent character.

      Death March’s protag is actually more like rimuru than not, although not as silly but again we have lost a lot due to the way the story was adapted. His entire motivation is to tour the world and his side job is cooking and making stupid stuff while getting dragged into the usual overpowered hero tropes along the way.

      I feel so far they have captured Rimuru really well (although they have a lot fewer “MC’s” to focus on atm vs other isekai’s which try to jam as many characters in as possible.

      Tegual
      Reply

  7. On “using powers for the good of all”, it reminds me of Overlord’s author stating why they made Ainz evil; as a reaction against the selfless heroes of most LNs and anime like what Rimuru’s doing here.

    (Ainz) leads a vast evil organization, and he is meant to feel like the final boss of a game… those readers who don’t believe in saving people without a reward (as is common in LNs or anime) and put themselves first will enjoy this book.
    http://skythewood.blogspot.com/2014/10/O17.html

    zztop
    Reply

  8. about the topic “magic sword duplication”… There were some details missing in tv anime adaptation that only those who read manga/ novel could spot. at that scene, Rimuru ate up a bunch of regular long swords that lying around the shop along with that one magic sword, then he had great sage analyzed them in his stomach. then he fuse magic stone with regular swords to make copy of magic sword. so Rimuru wasn’t create the magic swords purely from the magic stone

    pmnt
    Reply

    1. Ah. This makes more sense.

      That said, I’m totally cool with Rimuru being able to do anything because I’d personally be real pissed off to be reincarnated as a slime of all things.

      Awesome slime sure, but still a slime :<

      Takaii
      Reply

  9. …he duplicated twenty epic or better rarity swords

    Don’t forget the huge barrel of healing potion, too.

    Honestly, while I believe I understand why the “isekai” appeal to me, they’re
    really no different than most Marvel superhero characters when it really comes
    down to it. Superman as an “isekai” is a great parallel. He was transported to
    Earth from a distant place and has powers far above the culture he lives in.
    And only uses those powers to support the culture that he lives in, not change it.

    I think this literary concept goes back further than the written word of books
    that have survived time. I have a collection of Tom Swift books, and when I think
    about them, there are so many similarities to the thread of a “isekai” protagonist.
    Even Harry Potter is an “isekai” – he’s transported to a different world for school,
    is a “super-power” (so to speak) to defeat the evil Lord Voldemort.

    The isekais I have read / watched all have (even Overlord – Overlord’s circle is the
    monsters created by his friends – their children) the same theme, more or less, to use
    their power to protect what’s dear to them, and support the new world they cast in.

    Slime is doing a pretty good job of that as well, he’s traveling all of the way to this
    dwarf city to see the elfs improve the lot for the goblins he’s with. He had no
    obligation to do so.

    Based on the OP, looks like there’s some interesting developments to look forward to!

    (I wish we had our preview button back 🙁 )

    mac65
    Reply

  10. Rimuru was literally the embodiment of a god in the form of an adorable blue slime.

    Please be more careful how you use the word “literally” because it is not correct in this case. The word you’re probably looking for is “practically.” Rimiru is no god. He may be capable of seemingly godlike feats in the eyes of common folk, but not only does he have plenty of limitations, he just happened to end up in situations that he had the perfect solution for. The healing potion he provided was made out of those plants he ate while in Veldora’s cave: thanks to Great Sage perfectly analyzing them, it was able to process them into 100% full recovery potions. Likewise, the swords were not just formed out of nothing: he used some of the magic ores he ate from Veldora’s cave as a core and regular steel swords for additional materials to construct those magic swords.

    Basically, he can’t just make something out of nothing. He has to have proper materials to make things. He is simply able to store seemingly infinite amounts of things inside his stomach, so it’s not hard for him to have whatever materials he needs, so long as he thought to eat them ahead of time.

    Also, regarding godhood, not only is Rimiru not the most powerful being in the world, those who genuinely are could squash him like a bug.

    Wanderer
    Reply

  11. Well, if he mass produces the weapons, it would lower their value.

    And he couldnt mass produce them from nothing. He needs the raw material. That the cave where he appeared, was full of rare materials was an isekai coincidence.

    Kinai
    Reply

  14. There are many things that I would like to tell to clarify and refute several things that people comment on, but it would be a spoiler and it is better that they see it for themselves.

    Bertz
    Reply

  16. >village of orcs

    Hobgoblins and goblinas, rather (them and tempest wolves). Well, they do look a lot like orcs.

    The part of the episode where Rimuru leveled with Ranga about killing his father was great. Truly the reincarnation of a cool and mature working adult, knows how to properly clear the air.

    Player
    Reply

  19. With so many daydreams about elves, I thought for sure he was in for a surprise when he went to the hostess club. Even when he entered I thought he was imagining things and we would get a switch to what reality was like.
    Color me surprised that they played the beautiful elves trope straight.

    ruicarlov
    Reply

  21. well, Rimuru gets his previous incarnation dying wish…
    “get better with the girls”
    elven girls, no less
    btw nice to see for a change anime dispensing with tolkienesque hatred between dwarves and elves… the smith and his friends look like welcome cutomers at elven host club…

    ewok40k
    Reply

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