That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3

Episode 58

All right, so now that we're at what appears to be the end of this arc, let's talk about why it's been more than a bit of a letdown: the villains. Frankly, we just don't know enough about them. We don't know their origins or greater goals. We don't even know why they wanted Hinata dead, or Rimuru dead for that matter. What was the benefit? What would they gain from a war with the death of their god's favorite pawn or a war with Tempest?

Without knowing their motivations, Seven Day's Clergy seems like a group of one-dimensional, mustache-twirling villains doing evil for evil's sake. (I mean, they even come complete with a trademark evil laugh.) That doesn't make them interesting, nor does it make them feel like a legitimate threat.

Now, to be fair, this arc managed to sidestep this issue for the most part by having Hinata fill the role of the reluctant villain. But even she was mishandled somewhat. Why is it only here, two episodes after her climactic battle with Rimuru, that we get her true backstory? It does so much for her character and explains how she views the world. Heck, I wish a whole episode had been spent on it. The montage flashback we do get just feels like so much wasted potential.

It also doesn't help this episode specifically that the action is little more than our heroes standing in the villains' magic circles, taking their ultimate attacks like they're nothing, and then one-hit killing them after. It all just feels so anti-climatic.

All that said, I will admit that, if nothing else, this arc has succeeded in doing what it set out to do: resolve the Hinata situation. However, with her no longer a danger to Rimuru, what are we left with? What dangers do our heroes face? Some old dude and his creepy granddaughter hardly create any real tension at the moment (though this could always change as we learn more about them).

Anyway, with all the recent conflict out of the way, we can finally get back to what has become the real meat of Tensura: boardroom meetings where our heroes discuss the future and plan parties.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Rimuru does understand you can attack first, right? You don't need to take every enemy attack head-on. (And while the baddies had some kind of magic nullification field, he could have just lasered them like he did the entire Falmuth army, right?)

• What will Luminous do with Hinata's knights now that they know she's a demon lord? Does she have any reason to not kill them, to keep the secret safe?

• I would like to know why/how a vampire is able to use such powerful holy magic with no ill effects.

• Wait, so Luminous not only “knows” where Rimuru (Hinata?) is but can teleport there at will—despite never having been to Tempest herself? Best not to piss her off Rimuru. She basically has her own big “I win” button right there.

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime Season 3 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.