That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3

If you haven't already heard, the strengths and weaknesses of this franchise has finally started to become more apparent to the general public... and the copium/mental gymnastics of the fandom as well. Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken/That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime season 3 has received scrutiny as for the first 11 episodes were nearly entirely done in a single room where the cast simply sat around and discussed current events and what to do next. Not only that, but weirdly enough, the art and animation were somehow noticeably poor during these 11 episodes as it honestly felt like a slideshow. However, after episode 12,the anime suddenly feels like it was picked up by another anime studio as more life and movement starts to fill the screen. As if it was an actual anime. The 2nd half of the season then shifts to its main draw: which is the slice-of-life. Where Rimuru continues advertising his nation with a bunch of entertainment venues with a big focus on a battle coliseum and a 'dungeon crawl' where teams of adventurers may attempt to go through, kill mobs, challenge bosses, and obtain loot. To clarify, the weakness of this series ISN'T just because of the long, drawn-out meetings. It's actually the things discussed in these meetings. For some reason this series has been constantly trying to convince the readers that this is a 'serious' world and push "national" and "political" consequences onto Rimuru and his nation due to his sudden arrival and strategically-valuable location. Rimuru & friends will then discuss on how to proceed should these other nations start to impose themselves on them. However, this is still a POWER FANTASY isekai. Whenever trouble finally arrives for Rimuru & friends, they simply resolve any problems through brute-force anyway and then get the most out of the situation later while still being the "nice guys" in any political maneuvering. It's essentially a running-gag in the anime, manga, and light novel. A few troublemakers show up, Rimuru's subordinates show off, then the troublemakers quickly cower and behave themselves. Just so you know, Season 3 is nearly caught up with the manga, at least up until Chapter 118. So with the end of this season, a 4th season and even another movie was announced. The show will quickly surpass the manga very soon. I have very mixed feelings about this season and the series going forward. On rewatches, the first 11 episodes will be painfully slow and will only get worse as I imagine it will often be skipped over and when you get to the slice-of-life content it starts to get stale as you already know how Rimuru & friends will just clown everyone who challenges them. Essentially, if you're already a big fan, you'll probably watch this no matter what. If you're not, I don't think this season will change your mind.

While I would say that this was the worst season of the series up to this point, I still don’t think this was a bad one by any means. It’s pretty contentious when discussing this season as for everyone that loves how faithfully this recreated the light novel and the dreaded meetings, it seems like it alienated just as many. I fully understand that it’s good to build this world out. That’s what separates this show from many of the other Isekai out there, but I do think there is a limit to what should be adapted, especially with static board room meetings mostly discussingwhat is getting ready to happen in a few episodes knowing that the plan probably isn’t going to work out the way they expected. To some that may be excellent. To me it was fine, but I did unfortunately find this ultimately dull by the time this one wrapped up. I like all of the ideas, I just didn’t like the execution of this one as much as I would have liked. Overall, it was still nice to see Tempest again, and I can’t wait for the season 4 and another movie even. This show has a lot of promise, and I am confident there will be better days ahead as this really blazed a really interesting trail if they can capitalize on it.

This show falls flat with an overabundance of meetings, detracting from the vibrant world and characters the show once showcased. Across 24 episodes, the plot stagnates, bogged down by dialogue-heavy scenes where key figures discuss politics, strategies, and alliances without moving the story forward. While some world-building is necessary, the pacing here is unbearable, making it feel like filler rather than meaningful progression. What made earlier seasons captivating was the dynamic balance between action, character growth, and world exploration. Unfortunately, Season 3 prioritizes endless discussions over compelling storytelling, making it a frustrating watch for fans expecting more from the franchise. If you're hoping for any of theexcitement from earlier arcs, you may want to manage your expectations. While there are brief moments of brilliance, they are few and far between, overshadowed by the overwhelming number of meeting scenes that offer little payoff.

It's rather depressing how little I felt happened through a 24-episode season. Each of the arcs felt extremely long, but the most satisfying parts, the build ups were just completely glossed over and instantly you're sent back to the gulag that is the meeting room. It seemed like the producers had an end goal of where they wanted the season to end and way too little screen time to achieve it. So to sum up everything without showing the viewers anything they decide to clog it up all with dialogue and some minor animations. Don't get me wrong it is watchable if you simply wanta brain-off anime, but it won't be as engaging as the previous seasons have been. Perhaps this is all for the buildup leading up to Season 4 but it's difficult for a viewer to mentally switch from an action genre anime to suddenly a financial advisory class.