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

OVERVIEW (SPOILERS)

Rimiru gathers all the most important guests to a fancy dinner, and the next day announces the official start to the festival.

OUR TAKE

We’re kicking off the final quarter of this season and it’s yet more set up for the big event, like the last half dozen or so episodes have been, but…there’s something different with this one. We see all the people that have been foreshadowed to be her finally show up, we get check ins with the other Demon Lords to show some major powerful players are in the mix, and we end the episode with the proper beginning to the festival along with a mission statement for what Tempest is meant to represent. I’ve been pretty hard on this arc as it’s been presented thus far, for reasons that I believe are valid, but now that we’re finally at the start of the festival itself, I actually feel more optimistic than ever. In fact, I kinda think that this episode, or at least something like it, should’ve been where this arc really should’ve started. Seeing the development of certain attractions just hasn’t held my interest, so having the whole arc to just show them already built would’ve probably been a good way to lead into vignettes or focus episodes about unique combinations of cast members, which would then ALSO work towards building tension for the fighting tournament…but I guess that’s just the version I’ll imagine we got when this season is over.

As for what we DID get, I liked it for quite a few reasons. Some of my favorite episodes of shows that primarily have big fights are ones where characters get to show who they are OUTSIDE of the fights, particularly when they can sit around a meal. It’s a great way to show off their personalities, how they foil and contrast against one another and lay the groundwork for character dynamics and arcs coming up. Unfortunately, very few of the characters in this show have characterization deeper than a puddle, so that’s not gonna happen, but it can at least to the stuff with plots by getting things revved up for that. In particular, the final scene of the episode truly puts to words exactly what Rimiru is hoping to accomplish with this festival and with the nation of Tempest as a whole, while also making clear that he intends to defend it from those who make threats. Just five more episodes to go, with the tournament starting in a couple weeks, so I have a feeling we’ll be seeing those threats pretty soon.