That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime - Episode 5 (Review)
By: Mithrandiel
Miss my review last week? You can find it here!
SPOILERS AHEAD!
Summary
Rimuru enjoys his time at the, erm, establishment. As he’s having his fortune told, Minister Vesta, who tasked Kaijin with the 20 longsword order, enters. Disgusted that a lowly slime was in the tavern, he dumps a drink onto Rimuru, which infuriates Kaijin. The blacksmith punches the minister, knocking him out and offering to join Rimuru in the Goblin Village.
Unfortunately, punching a minister isn’t looked upon favorably, and the group is arrested pending a trial. Kaijin reveals the history of his work with Vesta. The uppity Minister served as his 2nd in the military while he was the captain. Though noble-born, Vesta served under Kaijin, who was from a peasant family. The two clashed often, and when a high-profile project of his failed, he shifted the blame for the failure onto Kaijin. Accepting the blame and leaving the military, this led to Kaijin’s work as a blacksmith. After the story, Kaijin and his men pledge their loyalty to Rimuru.
We are introduced to the Hero King, Gazel Dwargo, who oversees the trial. The trial itself is short, and an obvious sham. The “defense attorney” essentially admits guilt on their behalf, and Kaijin is sentenced to 20 years of hard labor in the mines, while the others are sentenced to 10 years. As they are being dismissed, Gazel asks Kaijin how he’s doing, and if he’d like to rejoin his ranks. Kaijin declines, stating he’s already pledged his allegiance to another master, and wouldn’t break that oath, even if the King commanded it. Gazel understands and waives the previous sentence, instead exiling the group from Dwargon forever.
Following the trial, Vesta is chastised by Gazel for failing to tell the truth about the Magisoldier project, and continuing his deception through the recent trial. It’s revealed that Vesta has always looked up to the King, wanting only to be of service to him, but his ego and jealousy got in the way of proper service. Gazel dismisses him from his position, and commands that he never come before him ever again. Saying goodbye, Gazel thanks him for his service as Vesta weeps.
Kaijin, Rimuru and the others are escorted out of the city and begin making their way back to the Goblin Village. King Gazel commands a shadowy ninja to “observe the slime’s movements”, recognizing the terrible power that Rimuru has.
Review
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime continues to deliver quality entertainment as it enters its 5th week.
I'm continuously impressed with this show's ability to maintain interest and investment, even when there's not a lot going on. This speaks volumes to the engagement that viewers have with the plot, as well as the general likability of the various characters. Rimuru's enjoyment of the attention in the opening scenes, as well as his brief reflection on not being used to being "entertained", but typically being the one who did the entertaining, provided some cool insights regarding his character.
The story of Kaijin and Vesta definitely turned a few elements of the estranged Master and Student archetype on its head, but notably I appreciated the attempts at humanizing Vesta's ambition and drive, both in the prison cell and during the final conversation he had with King Gazel. The tearful reflections and repentance of the disgraced retainer was enough to almost feel bad for him.
Now that Rimuru's acquired the artisans he was looking for, I'm curious to see where the story goes next. Fans of the light novel are certainly looking forward to his acquisition of a more typical human body, which has been revealed in the fantastic opening and closing credits. On that note, someone recently pointed out that they loop!
I'm hoping that we see some more action soon, as I'd love to see Rimuru push the boundaries of his powers and discover even more abilities. Until next time!
