That Time I Was Reincarnated as a Slime Part 3

©川上泰樹・伏瀬・講談社／転スラ製作委員会 ©柴・伏瀬・講談社／転スラ日記製作委員会

Oh my god, what a bait and switch. Here we are, all set for a big board meeting filled with details both important and not—and they have the audacity to introduce us to a new character.

Of course, I’m kidding. Masayuki’s introduction takes what could have been another episode of the festival setup and turns it into something both entertaining and engaging. So far, Rimuru has faced many threats—from Orcs and Demon Lords to invading armies and Hinata himself. While Rimuru occasionally fights head-on, most of his victories come from his unique skills. The great sage, now Raphael, can also be a magic “I win” button. Whatever Rimuru needs to know or wants to do, Raphael can do it with ease. And when things get really dire, Raphael can even take over Rimuru’s body or magical power to do the seemingly impossible.

But the problem is that Masayuki may have an even more powerful “I Win” button. He has the Chosen Hero skill, which seems to change the fate of those around him (including himself), so he becomes the hero in many cliché situations. This makes him a great rival for Rimuru. While Raphael needs Rimuru’s guidance to activate (i.e. it needs to at least know his general intentions), Chosen Hero always works—no matter what Masayuki wants. What’s more of a cliché hero story than a hero who not only wins a fighting tournament but also defeats the evil demon lord who rules the city at the same time?

Masayuki feels that Yuuki has a much better way of attacking Rimuru than Hinata. Despite her personality quirks, Hinata is not an idiot. Although she was tricked into attacking Rimuru once, she was able to figure out the truth afterward—ultimately saving her from a ton of pointless deaths the next time she was put in a position to be taken advantage of. To Masayuki, it doesn't matter what he thinks or feels. He is a puppet of fate. Even if he chooses to do nothing, things always end up with him on top—more popular than ever. All Yuuki has to do is put the hero and the demon lord in the same place—and, as we see, that's just a little trouble.

With just this episode, I went from passively enjoying the laid-back festival to actively preparing myself to feel a bit of dramatic tension for the fateful meeting of these two powerful skills (and the poor fools they inhabit). Now I think, is there any way Rimuru can lose? Of course not. However, I also don't foresee any simple way for him to win—and it will be interesting to see how Masayuki's power to change fate affects the monsters of Tempest (especially considering their fanatical devotion to Rimuru).

Rating:

Random thoughts:

Think about it, Rimuru isn't the only demon lord who'll be at the festival. I'd say Ramiris, Milim, and Luminous will be there—and Fray and Carrion too. And that's not to mention the most evil dragon the world has ever known.

→ I'm not going to lie, I don't even remember that fox or where it came from.

I admit, I don't know which character Shuna or Treyni would be suitable for a dungeon floor boss. I would have a hard time remembering any scene where the two of them interacted alone, let alone in the presence of another powerful monster.

→ I think Rimuru is sharing Veldora's immense magical power. So if Rimuru felt exhausted when naming the fox, wouldn't Veldora be too? Or did he become a demon lord and give Rimuru his own magical arsenal that far surpassed what he shared with Veldora?

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 is now streaming on Crunchyroll.