The Slime Diaries: That Time I Got Reincarnated As a Slime

This "Four Seasons in the Realm of Demon Lord Rimuru Tempest'' thing is based on a pretty sweet and novel idea used to expand the world and flesh out the characters from the original anime series. In That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime they show you how such an empire is created, all the great and lesser dramatic developments and fights (isekai style) and then in this series you see how the characters actually live it (slice of life style). Plus, by knowing the characters and their world from the start, you have already been drawn in and can enjoy it from the off. In addition, thanks to the nice pacing and good humor it works very well and everything flows nicely. I also liked the sort of diary-style narration, with the individual episodes divided into smaller segments, because that way we got to see more characters. In general, I was glad for this to fill the gap between the two halves of the second season of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, because it dispelled my doubts about some of the great leader Rimuru Tempest’s actions I saw in previous episodes a few months before this, and showed me what he and his people are actually fighting for. While many of the outcomes of the plot were predictable, because of knowing the characters and knowing what to expect from them, some things were a bit surprising (like Geld’s popularity with the kids, Treyni, etc.). What I am a bit disappointed about though, and why I did not think about awarding full marks, despite the fact I loved this calming, amusing, and likable slice of life anime series so much, is the untapped potential of the world. There are a lot of different monsters from different cultures, yet it all feels like no one has their own traditions and customs, and so everyone has simply adopted Japanese traditions and culture no problem. I understand that Rimuru is their great leader and an idol, and when he declares that they are going to celebrate Christmas, well, they are going to celebrate Christmas, however, I thought it came across as weird and awkward, like when Rimuru tries to explain Christmas and Santa to everyone. In addition, in the final scene, it seemed like ordinary life is much the same as in a random Japanese village, and the sense of a strange world and its enchantment is mostly gone all of a sudden. So, you have to ask why someone did not continue using their imagination when there were no limits due to the setting. You also sometimes wonder where they got the ingredients for some of the Japanese dishes, or how the monsters managed to get the design of some more traditional buildings so right. But okay, despite all that, I was still able to relax and enjoy this anime series and have a good laugh. 7/10. (23/06/2021)