English Dub Review: That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: “Despair”

Overview: After managing to fool and sneak away from Hinata (Alexis Tipton), Rimuru (Brittany Karbowski) returns home to find his nation in shambles. 

Our Take: “Despair” has Rimuru reeling from the carnage unleashed on Tempest but not in the way most protagonists would. And because of that, the episode is all the better for it.

When Rimuru goes berserk and unleashes his unrelenting power, it doesn’t quite have the impact it should have. Albeit what’s given is a feral looking design taking bits and pieces from the various creatures he’s absorbed. However, that’s about the extent of the intrigue as what comes after doesn’t live up to that intense ferociousness. The sequence is very short lived and feels almost like an afterthought. It served to make me appreciate Hinata’s overwhelming strength more than anything else, which was partially the intent. However, had it been not only longer but also animated with a more aggressive and overwhelming tinge to it, it would’ve truly delivered on all fronts, including Rimuru’s dormant power. At the very least, with Rimuru outsmarting Hinata, it leaves not only a winner but a no holds barred battle still on the table for the future. 

A common trait you’ll see in main characters of series such as these, (i.e. isekai, shonen, fantasy/adventure, etc.) is the eternal regret they deal with as a result of a poor decision they made. Fortunately though, with Rimuru, it’s not quite that simple. The most refreshing aspect is how you see him deal with a terrible tragedy such as this and how he chooses to respond as a result. Yes, he feels guilty about how naïve his rules for the nation are but takes into consideration other factors. 

Rather than endlessly torture himself with guilt, he calmly assesses the situation and contemplates how much blame rests with Myulan and remains composed. But even then, after some insight from Great Sage, he doesn’t irrationally lash out at her, even if it is partly her fault. This is a great deviation from what could’ve been a simple cliche. Although, that’s not to say that if more fatal bloodshed comes to light, it takes away from what was established here. That pain just needs to feel earned. Lastly, episode 7 moves at pretty brisk pace, which is a bit of a detriment to Rimuru’s fight with Hinata and kills the proper pacing it had going. It does bring him up to speed and move the plot forward, albeit sloppily. But at least it gave some great character moments with him in the process. 

Slime brings our main hero up to speed as Rimuru deals with the fallout in a refreshingly unique way but unfortunately haphazardly gets there. But even so, it’s not enough to take away from what is another good entry with some intriguing character moments from my favorite blue slime.