First Impressions / Tensei Shitara Slime Datta Ken

「ガビル参上！」 (Gabiru Sanjyou!)
“Gabiru is Here!”

Ah, I’ve been waiting for a while for this week’s episode and it did not disappoint!

General Impressions

Seeing how I had prior knowledge of what was going to happen this week, I went into this week’s episode with a lot of heavy expectations. Expectations that, for a lack of better words, were hoping for an episode that managed to recreate the humor and fun from the source material. Luckily for all of us, I think the episode managed to do all of that and then some. Be it demonstrating just how strongly Shion feels about her duties to Gabuta laying down the law on the silly lizardman prince whose name escapes me, I had literally zero things to complain about this week.

If I had to pick my favorite moment from this week’s episode, I think the award would have to go Shion’s homemade food scene. Besides truly taking the idea of terribly made food and making it look like something that could actually kill you, I loved how the Great Sage had an opportunity to make itself known by saving Rimuru’s life (and nearly taking out Gobuta in the process). That and I loved how the moment took the opportunity to show us just how close Rimuru and Benimaru have become with the latter getting stuck with a pretty terrible responsibility. Then again it’s all in service to Rimuru so it can’t be all that bad, right?

Besides that, not much really happened on the exposition front. With Gabiru appearing and revealing to Rimuru that the threat of the Orc Lord and his subordinates are a lot closer than anyone would have thought, I can’t wait to see just what happens. Toss in the appearance of the Dryad Treynii and her request for Rimuru to save the forest and it looks like everything is building up to an inevitable big battle where we’ll hopefully get to see Rimuru and all of his new subordinates kick some butt. Until then, stay safe and I’ll catch you guys next week!

Spoiler Talk

Show Spoiler ▼

 

Preview

34 Comments

      1. I used the spoiler tag mostly because I was responding to content from a spoiler tag, and if I hadn’t used one I would have revealed some of what Takaii clearly wanted hidden.

        Regarding the OP, what you say is true, technically, but it also contains details that the anime cannot possibly reach within the time available. I’m erring on the side of caution.

        Wanderer
        Reply

  8. https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2005.jpg Just another show where all the girls love and adore the main character. In fact, they’re even fighting over him. Nothing ever changes about the fact that these shows are shameless escapism. It’s especially sad when you remember that Satoru was a middle-aged nobody. It’s like, “So this is what you fantasize about, huh?”

    Fede 5000
    Reply

      1. I think the point may be that there are other Isekais out there, with similarly overpowered protagonists who were losers in the mundane world but now are geniuses that nobody can defeat and quickly have a harem around them.

        A lot of those series are lambasted for being cheap escapism, yet this one is becoming very popular and appreciated. Why, if it has the same vices?

        Well, I’d say it’s because those other series lack its many, many strengths. Especially its endearing and likeable protagonist and supporting cast. And I personally love how the story never forgets to make fun of Rimuru, so that his OP status doesn’t get in over his head (like that very picture; enjoying the harem, aren’t you, Rimuru?).

        Mistic
        Reply

  9. Episode subtitle :: “It’s Always the Busty Ones…”

    I really liked the Anime’s portrayal of Gobta’s getting the “Poison Resistance skill”
    and the Simulacrum explanation, but the LN events were more consistent in that Gobta
    was already there and didn’t just hop and skip to the Lizardmem envoy. Definitely hands
    down for the funniest in the Anime, though…

    Gobta’s character has seen a steady development and it works well that while he’s the
    butt of some of the humor in the series, he’s actually a character to be reckoned.
    Also, the series doesn’t really distinguish the different races as clearly as the LN.
    So, the Goblins really are still “weak” even after naming, but with the Anime they
    come (IMHO) across as just other members in Rimuru’s town that are pretty much on
    equal footing as everyone else.

    Seeing how the animators are really enjoying this adaptation Show Spoiler ▼

    .

    Some things in the LN which took a few paragraphs were half an episode – this isn’t a complaint.
    They really seem to be focusing on the slice-of-life aspect of Rimuru’s character and
    the conflicts don’t seem to be the epic part of the series. But the only real
    complaint I have is that the episode ends too quickly!

    Really looking forward to next week!

    mac65
    Reply

  10. https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2011%20-%2042.jpg https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2011%20-%2044.jpg
    We’ll see if fantasy-dryads are the same as story-dryads. In D&D, they’re limited to one tree, but try to make a scared grove or meadow as a “buffer zone” for their tree. Obviously an Orc army of 20,000 is making a highway through the forest, and that would give any dryad pause. Plus, in Japan, you have the super-sized “sacred tree”. Is this going to be Treynii’s tree?

    jhpace1
    Reply

  11. I like how Gabiru wouldn’t be as much of an idiot if he wasn’t surrounded by boot-lickers. No doubt he’d be dumb, but we csaw that his ego wouldn’t be so big it’s as likely to kill him as a terminal illness like what we have here.

    Aex
    Reply

    1. What I like a lot of the series is that it tries to explore why people act like they do, even when they do bad things:

      -The Dwarf King’s advisor: petty, ambitious, and willing to corrupt the law to get his rival disgraced. And yet, he does want to be useful to his king. But it’s that admiration and wish to serve that also fuel his ruthlessness and resentment.

      -The ogres: Their sense of honor and martial culture are great when they’re on your side, but when they mistake you for an enemy or feel threatened, it’s a pain in the ass that can get people killed.

      -Gabiru and friends: He’s too easily swayed by praise. But it’s not as if his circle has malicious intent either. They’re just blind to the bigger picture, overconfident in their leader and impatient to show everyone who’s boss.

      If anything, the series is consistent in its message that lack of communication, knowledge or understanding is to blame for a lot of problems, but that it can be solved if people make the effort.

      Mistic
      Reply

    1. 1vs1 they beat Orcs most of the time. Orcs are stronger but Lizardmen use armor and fight tactically. Lizardmen are about as strong as Hobgoblins, but again usually have better armor and tactics. Plus Gabiru is “Named”. That’s why Gobta wrecking Gabiru had all the Lizardmen speechless for a second.

      Aex
      Reply

  14. https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2042.jpg
    https://randomc.net/image/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken/Tensei%20shitara%20Slime%20Datta%20Ken%20-%2011%20-%20Large%2044.jpg

    You also gotta love how consistent Rimuru is in that whenever it comes to beautiful beings he knows from games, they turn out to be just as beautiful in reality as he imagines them rather than ironically turning out to be the complete opposite for some reason just to screw with him.

    HalfDemonInuyasha
    Reply

  18. Offtopic:

    I just want to write down how good the background arts are in this Anime.
    in Episode 13, the “throne room” of the Lizardmen king and many more, these “Watercolors” like style feels good.

    Keep this Artist in your Books!

    Worldwidedepp
    Reply

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