That Time I got Reincarnated as A Slime Vol. 1
Author: Fuse
Illustrator: Taiki Kawakami & Mitz Vah
Publishers: Kodansha Comics
Age Group: Teen
Genre: Isekai
Type: Manga
Content Warnings: death; very slight naughty thoughts
Spoilers ahead
Plot
Average, unexceptional, 37-year-old salayman, Satoru Mikami has found himself in a gooey situation. After getting killed while saving his coworkers’ lives, he gets a new lease on life—just not the life he was expecting. He has been reincarnated in a fantasy world as a magic-wielding slime creature. Under his new name “Rimuru Tempest,” this once-normal man will have to learn to survive in this strange, new world—and with his incredible wit, affable nature, and a few powerful allies, he’ll quickly ooze his way into the hearts and minds of everyone he encounters along his journey.
Character Development
Rimuru is an interesting character. He’s kind of a grouch but a decent guy at the beginning. Once he becomes a slime, he’s a bit more logical and friendly.
Veldora, a dragon, is the first living entity that Rimuru encounters in his new life as a slime. Veldora is a proud dragon but kind of obnoxious. I love the duality in each of the characters. We get the expected with a twist in the development of each character. We glean a lot of Veldora’s character through the fun Veldora’s Journal at the end of the manga. It’s written in his style of thought and speaking which is very different from the rest of the manga.
Each character, including background characters, have great backstories and are important to the story. Each has a purpose. Not only that, but each character has a specific way of speaking so we get bits of their personality.
World-building
Artwork paneling is simple and doesn’t bog down each panel. Easy to follow pictures. Love that when Satoru (Rimuru) can’t see the paneling is black with white to highlight what is going on - the opposite of normal. It creates some great world building so the audience experiences everything Rimuru does as he gets used to his slime body. It also makes it easier to focus on characters with just enough background for context. The artist, Taiki Kawakami, does an excellent job of adding enough detail that the brain of the reader can fill in the rest while focusing on the story and characters.
I love that Rimuru refers to his slime life as an ectoplasmic life. It creates an interesting effect in the reader’s mind as ectoplasm is usually associated with ghosts. It’s also the name for the outer layer of the cytoplasm of amoeboid cells. The slime would be considered an amoeboid as it can change its shape much like amoeboid cells can.
Magicules are one of my favorite ways that describes how magic is in the world. They’re molecules just like oxygen or nitrogen in the air. It’s fascinating. The magic sense skills allows one to view the world using these magicules, creating sight by letting the person see the aura of all things.
Themes
Being friendly with others can bring about unexpected results. We see this when Rimuru chooses to help the Goblins. He finds a place that accepts him as he accepts them.
Observations & Predictions
It’s fabulous and creates a great dynamic between characters along with personal growth for each of them through Rimuru’s eyes.
Veldora’s Journal is like a recap but from Veldora’s point of view. It’s interesting to read because he’s got a very strong voice. We also learn bits and pieces about Rimuru we didn’t know before from the manga.
One of the things that Veldora mentions in his journal is that Rimuru is not a normal slime and always surprises him. Veldora’s observations about Rimuru is that he is a unique slime with very unique skills. As we see how Rimuru goes about his life, we see that he’ll be an OP protagonist.
Recommendations
For something with a similar vibe:
So I’m a Spider, so what? By: Okina Baba
For an Isekai a bit more serious:
How the Realist Hero Rebuilt the Kingdom By: Dojyomaru
For an Isekai a bit more pervy and weird:
Do you Like your mom and her two-hit multi-target attacks By: Dachima Inaka
