Forum - View topicRimuru Tempest and Robinson Crusoe: How to Build a Civilization
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whiskeyii
 Posts: 2268 |
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The most common nickname I've seen for this show is Re:Slime, which I much prefer, but it definitely loses a lot of context that way.
The one thing I do like about Re:Slime is that it seems to infer that even "weak" monsters like Goblins are capable of building a functioning society, they just never had the opportunity to do so in a kill-or-be-killed world, and it's the access to new resources that allow all the monster races to flourish (with the notable exception of the Dwarves). I'm withholding judgment on "monsters become less monstrous as they level up" idea for now, because it's difficult for me to tell if all of Rimuru's villagers are more human-like because he's the one bestowing names, as opposed to, say, the Orc Disaster who became more monstrous after being named by a Demon Lord. This isn't really touched on in the show, but I'm also curious if Rimuru's country is shaping up to be on the same technological level as other Human cities, or if it's actually more advanced due to Rimuru's 21st century education. |
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doomrider7
Posts: 107 |
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You lose a bit of the world building from the manga and LN's that explains the tech level and some good character development stuff as well, but they're roughly on par to even a bit above par the average with the exceptions being the major players of the Slimeverse. The monster becoming more human looking is a complicated one to explain. In the manga their designs were more mundane and they looked more "rough", but their skin tones were never anything that was actually mentioned so that whole point is anime only. The human thing is a bit of the desires of the one getting named hence why Gabiru became more dragon like and his sister more kijin like. It's their sort of idealized selves/ |
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huangm777
 Posts: 9 |
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The thing that amazes me about Rimuru is that, as of yet, the enormous power he wields has never gotten to his head. It takes a person of strong moral fiber to resist the temptation of having magical power, loyal retainers who regularly proclaim your praises, and success after success. (Counterexample: Gabiru and his doltishly sycophantic retinue, spoiler[who drive him to nothing less than a coup over his father].) Rimuru's also an unusually gifted diplomat, able to win over almost everyone who tries to talk to him. I think it helps that he was a 37-year-old general contractor in his previous life: he's a mature adult who knows how to lead a team and create consensus, in order to build things. Light novel author Fuse's background as a civil engineer shines here. That it is a consciously multi-racial, multi-cultural nation he's creating is even more notable, given the homogenous society he comes from. Enlightenment values, indeed!
Rimuru is such an admirable authority figure. Were it that we had more leaders who could take a lesson or two from his example. |
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doomrider7
Posts: 107 |
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This. He DOES mention winging a lot of stuff here and there, but overall he's taking cues from dealing with various types of people from his previous life such as contractors, construction foremen, executives, etc., in how he deals with people in this life. It helps that Great Sage gives him information about some of the things he comes across and people he meets. More finer details like etiquette are actually coached to him by Shuna and Vester who used to be royalty and ministers. |
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nobahn
 Subscriber Posts: 5147 |
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No doubt about it; I'm definitely gonna have to watch this.....
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LinkTSwordmaster
 Posts: 535 Location: PA / USA |
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I thought the original ogres looked way more cool, they kinda got homogenised and bland after transforming & I was a bit disappointed they went that route losing the unique aesthetic.
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scrwbll19
Posts: 87 |
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The author of the article seems to trace much of the developments in Slime to the Enlightenment. While the Enlightenment, the Renaissance, and the subsequent Industrial Revolution have had significant impacts on modern society and civilization, I would push the issues raised back to ancient times. All of the issues really revolve around identity. Rimuru is successful because his laid back approach to life makes room for the other. This is best exemplified by how he names those of other races. While he is a bit lazy about it, the members of those other races are ecstatic to know they are needed, wanted, and are more than Goblin or Orc A or B. Names give an easy marker for identity, and they imply individuality and otherness, whether for good or bad. Rimuru's approach to this, despite its flaws, uses that otherness to build a social fabric that is much more fluid than perhaps what today's society would lead one to believe is the norm. In our world, much of this kind of approach to the other happened in pre-Christianity times, where many abstract categories like religion, politics, economics, etc. simply did not exist, at least not in the categories of today. Rimuru seems to have somewhat of a similar worldview, although his is tinged with much naivety and irresponsible behavior. For example, asking previously warring peoples to bury the hatchet without any sort of remuneration is the height of immaturity and would obviously not fly in our world.
The writer also brings up mentions of colonialism. Here I am hesitant to immediately draw comparisons to Slime and our world based on one simple observation: Rimuru never forcibly subjugates friend or foe. Colonialism is predicated upon the opposite of this, and that is why it is morally reprehensible by today's standards. Lastly, Slime does a great job at world building, but it tends to through a lot of important things like resources and how treaties and alliances work by the wayside. Perhaps, that is only because I have only seen the anime. Still, the philosophical approach of the series has merit, and I look forward to more. |
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Norm the genius
Posts: 91 |
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Very good interesting article certainly seems to capture the essence and intentionality of the story,It hurts that people do not see it like that and think that there must be constant fights or everything has to be hell for the protagonist.
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