Animehouse

It feels like it’s been quite some time since our last dance with Tensura, and in truth it has been. The events that kick off That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime season 3 episode 1 began with the previous season- which ended in 2021. It’s been quite some time since we’d seen Tempest (in this form) last, and 8-Bit recognizes that. Not that the episode is a flashback or anything of the sort, but they do quite the job of balancing the two acts. In one hand they bring the meeting of Octagram to an end and discuss the outcome of the battle with Falmuth (if you can call it that), and in another they forge ahead with the political intrigue of turning Falmuth into a Thrall of Tempest while teasing at the mastermind behind Clayman’s actions. It’s a lot to digest, but it’s also a lot of fun, so in turn there’s a lot to talk about!

Firstly, the animation really did catch my eye in this first episode. While it may be a short sequence, the amount of frames in a walk cycle featuring Shion and Rimuru is really incredible. It’s very rare to see animation on 1s (that is every frame of the video, a new frame is drawn), so it’s a pretty great sign of what 8-Bit and this Tensura team have been able to work on. Similarly, Razen’s magic in the throne room was really well done. Not quite the same surprise as that walking animation, but it immediately proves that the quality of the work from previous seasons will remain a central piece of combat for That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime season 3.

Though the star of the show is, of course, the narrative. There’s really not much to say… aside from the fact that I love Diablo. Having not gotten a great deal of screen time in the previous season, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime season 3 episode 1 starts off with enough Diablo to last an entire season. Takahiro Sakurai puts in amazing work to provide a chilling and fear-inducing act, and the sound design surrounding his character is amazing. Truthfully, the soundtrack in general for this opening episode is very strong, but Diablo’s tracks are a cut above. The religious fear that’s felt in the weight of the choir when he hands Falmuth their ultimatum is just incredible, and it’s perfectly complemented by how Diablo is framed in these sorts of scenes.

The boards work both near and far with Diablo in the episode, and it’s really great. They tend to really enjoy punching in on him and isolating his character within the frame, which may seem rather plain in some instances, but it’s really great awareness of the weight of other pieces in the episode. They bring the viewer nice and close to this primordial demon, and let Sakurai and the music create that incredibly imposing sense of dominance and otherworldly power that Diablo exudes. Then conversely, they take really wide shots that tend to separate him from the group, and really show the level of fear that the people of Falmuth hold in regards to him. Also, I really love the humor they’re able to work into his imposing character. The scene with Mjurran in front of Diablo as he’s just exuding animosity is great fun, and I really like how Youm’s silhouette blocks out Diablo’s during conversation, but that Diablo’s mana still appears from around the edges of him. Very simple moments that still display Diablo’s anger, but are able to make light of it within the context of the series.

Surprisingly, past that there isn’t a great deal that’s surprising with That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime Season 3 episode 1. Maybe it’s because I’ve got rose colored glasses thanks to Diablo, or maybe it’s because Tensura has been kicking around for the better part of seven years now. You really know what to expect with the series, and that’s for it to dive into large scale socio-politics and eye-bulging action in this magical world. The episode really does nothing to betray that… but by the same token, you might also say it does nothing to build upon it. After all, it’s just a debut episode, and with 2 cours of slime waiting for viewers, there’s sure to be a good bit of work being done.

We’ve got the Falmuth subjugation underway, and similarly we have Clayman’s mastermind to track down, alongside the introduction of elves with Erald Grimwald from Season 2…. and then on top of that there’s Hinata, who was a very sore spot in the previous season and is teased a good deal in the opening. So really, much like the theatrics of Diablo, That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime season 3 episode 1 is all about playing to the crowd and getting them to fall right into your hands… as well as maybe letting off a bit of steam and excitement.