Isekai is an accidental travel genre of light novels, mangas, and anime in which anyone from Earth is transported to, reborn, or trapped in a parallel universe. Lately, there has been a boom in the Isekai industry, with at least 5-6 animes of this genre being produced and aired every season. The only problem with so many Isekais existing is the repetitive tropes.
The MC in most Isekais is a male who’s a game nerd, becomes overpowered after literally one day, and has a harem of girls who all want to be his lover. Add a pinch or more of typical fan service, and that’s your generic Isekai ready. In this series of three parts, I will be discussing 3 Isekais, which are a welcome change to the generic Isekai, starting with The time I got reincarnated as a slime.
Plot Overview
Satoru Mikami is MC, is an ordinary 37-year-old corporate worker. While meeting his colleague, due to a sudden attack, he dies and reincarnates in a parallel world as a slime! When he becomes aware of his surroundings and himself, he tries to understand what he can do with his body. He seems to have acquired newfound skills, particularly the ability called “Predator,” which allows him to devour anything. He stumbles upon Veldora, a Catastrophe-level’ Storm Dragon’, and decides to befriend it. Learning about the fact that he is sealed there, Satoru promises to free him.
In return, Veldora bestows upon him the name Rimuru Tempest to grant him divine protection. Till now, having lived a very mundane life, Satoru now Rimuru decides to live his life to the fullest. While gaining new skills constantly, he embarks on numerous adventures gaining fame wherever he goes.
Characters
There is a wide variety of characters in The Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. From monsters to lizards, humans to demons, dwarves to elves, goblins, and even spirits! Talking wolves and Dragons too. With a cast of such diversity, it is impossible to get bored even for a second. They bring the right amount of humor and cuteness to make it a wholesome and enjoyable ride.
Adaptation
Light Novel
The Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime/ TenSura was originally a fantasy light novel series serialized by Fuse from 2013to 2016. In April 2017, Yen Press gained the license to serialize it in North America
Manga
Its official manga adaptation in Kodansha’s Monthly Shonen Sirius started in March 2015. While its license for publication in the US was announced in October 2016. It also received three manga spin-offs published respectively by Micro Magazine and Kodansha.
Anime
The anime adaptation aired from October 2, 2018, to March 19, 2019, on Tokyo MX and other channels. The series is animated by Eight Bit and directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi. (24+5 episodes)
The second season was announced and scheduled to premiere in October 2020 but has been delayed to January 2021 due to COVID-19.
Review: Worth It or Not
Definitely worth watching! To be frank, I am not a fan of the Isekai genre. The repetitive plots and extravagant fan service make it a no-go area for me, but I was pleasantly surprised by how cute, and enjoyable Tensura turned out to be.
Having a slime as the main character was already baffling enough, but then he was made an extremely overpowered character too! But his presence of mind, wit, and communication skills alongside his powers were what sealed the deal for me.
On top of that, the series was not too action-heavy, with a fair share of chilled-out episodes. The simple storyline and okayish pacing made it easy to follow the story. Therefore if anyone needs a light-hearted but enjoyable tale, this is the one to go for!
