Qoutas

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Scarlet Bond is a rare original TV animation liaison film adaptation from another medium. Most movies of this nature either have no continuity or are very far from the main story. While Scarlet Bond is largely a forgotten story, its ties to the history of TV animation help it stand out slightly above its peers.

So much has happened to Rimru Tempest and his faithful companions over the past two seasonsThat Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime that it’s easy to forget the aftermath of previous events. Scarlet Bond brought this back into the spotlight by highlighting an outsider’s view of Tempest.

Before Gerd and the Orcs built roads to connect the Storm to the outside world, they were a scourge, devouring thousands and genocide the ogres. While Benimaru, Shion, and others may have forgiven the orcs and view them as valuable, loyal companions, the rest of the world believes the remaining orcs were taken in by an aspiring demon lord who also resurrected And brought back the most dangerous creature in existence, Veldora let him kill twenty thousand soldiers. (Of course, the truth is a bit different, but it’s something the world “knows”.)

A survivor of the ogre genocide and member of the Benimaru tribe, Hiiro, the protagonist of Bloody Bonds , is a character filled with legitimate anger at the past, but unable to unleash it. After all, killing new friends of long-lost family and starting an international incident is hardly an option – even if Geld is willing to die for the sins of his people. But, logically, knowing this doesn’t magically make the anger go away. Anger can be crushed and repressed, but that doesn’t mean it’s not there, waiting for an opportunity to break free. Through Hiiro, the film explores this inner struggle and how people try to escape this deep pain, while also serving as a riveting introduction to a central character who doesn’t make it into another story or two The main story of the plot.

However, there’s one thing preventing Scarlet Bond from being a truly memorable entry in the Reincarnated as a Slime series: Rimuru Tempest itself. At this point in the story, Rimuru is so powerful that few can (and will) oppose him directly. But of course these guys all have important roles in the main story, so otherwise they’re uncomfortable. This means that none of the enemies in this film pose the slightest threat to Rimuru. The movie’s climax, as heartrendingly dramatic as it tries to be, can only play out that way, because Rimuru is just messing with his food, so to speak.

At the end of the day, the way Rimuru plays cat-and-mouse with the movie’s instantly forgettable villain makes him seem like a real antagonist, as he acts utterly irresponsible. With vital infrastructure and buildings destroyed, Benimaru struggles to contain the damage, and Rimuru “attempts” to catch the villain but fails – despite sitting on the Ranga, while the villain is actually sitting on the minecart. Since we see in this movie that Ragna can move like a wyvern, it’s hard to believe that Rimuru is just dragging out the chase for fun. For all his powers, there’s no reason to believe that Rimuru couldn’t possibly catch villains and deal with more physical threats long before things come to a head, as the film’s actual dramatic climax does. Or, to put it another way, it feels like Rimuru is so powerful that he gets in the way of the story the film is trying to tell – which is how the creators deal with it, either by labeling him incompetent, irresponsible, or simply Tags are described as ordinary demons.

Visually,Scarlet Bond is an evolution of the TV series. There’s a lot of dynamic camera movement in the action scenes, and the magic and fire effects are excellent throughout. However, the weapons in the film do have one hiccup–the sword keeps changing size and looks weird from certain angles–but it’s just a hiccup. As for the music, it’s almost haunting, save for the film’s ending theme song “Make Me Feel Better” (supplied by the singer MindaRyn), which establishes another link between the TV series and the film.

Overall, The Thing About My Reincarnation as a Slime: Scarlet Edge is above average as far as original anime films go. There are clearly attempts to connect the film to the past and future of the story in a meaningful way, and the film’s newly created protagonist, Hiiro, is a character worth exploring. But other than that, everything about this movie is haunting, from the villains and unique heroine to the plot and setting. The way Rimuru is used in the movie detracts from his overall character, either appearing incompetent or simply unconcerned about the suffering of others. But if you’re a fan of the anime, it’s fun to put our evolved ogre back in the spotlight for a while, and if you’re a fan of the novels, there’s a lot more fun here.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist who has lived and worked in Japan for over a decade. For more of his writings, see his Twitter and blog.