Warning: This post contains spoilers for Tensei shitara Slime Datta Ken 2nd season – Episode 11.

When I woke up this morning I had my Top 5 One Piece Openings post ready, and uploaded it as scheduled. With that out of the way, I went about my day. During lunch I put on the latest episode of Slime (to avoid typing a novel every time). I’m not an episode reviewer. Other people do a much better job at this, I generally like to look at an overall theme and write about that, more so than what happens in an episode. I do love reading them, and some of the bloggers I follow write episode reviews pretty much daily. But this particular episode hit me on a different level. In an extremely potent anime season in which all the hype seems to be centered around Attack on Titan and Jujutsu Kaisen (which are both absolutely amazing) let’s have a look at my sleeper favorite of the season for a moment.

The episode starts off where we left off last week, with the different teams getting ready to take down the crystals that are causing the anti-magic barrier around Tempests. This goes about as well as expected, with Benimaru, Gabiru and Souei taking out the first three without a hitch. Gabiru shows his that behind the jokingly incompetent facade is still a very strong monster that knows how to fight properly. We then move to the last crystal, where the otherworlders are about to have a very rough day. Geld, Rigur, Gobta and Hakurou are the only ones who show up, with the two hobgoblins making quick work of the unnamed soldiers. The two fights that follow are cool, but I don’t want to spend too long on them, since I want to get to the really good part. Hakuou makes quick work of Kyoya, and leaves him to suffer as a headless husk for a short moment while his thought acceleration wears off. Do not mess with this grandpa, just trust me on that one.

We then move to Shogo’s fight versus Geld. Geld has the demeanor of a rock, and isn’t in a hurry to get anything done while Shogo is actively taunting him and being his nasty self. Overconfident he goes in on Geld where he gets hit with the rot ability and very quickly we can all see which way this is going. Shogo, desperate to survive, then turns on Kirara, who has been asleep inside a tent. He decides to kill her to gain extra power. Kirara calls for her mother distraughtly. She was far from a good person, but no one deserves to go down like this, betrayed by your own allies. Geld and Hakuou seem to agree, since they show absolutely no mercy to Shogo, and beat the ever living crap out of the guy. Lucky for him, his boss is there to save his hide, and they retreat after a quick show of power. Luck isn’t on Shogo’s side long, as he gets killed immediately, his body to be used by his former employer, Razen. Confident, they get ready to report to the king, while in the sky the main part of this story is getting ready.

And this is the part of the episode that made me want to write up this piece. Rimuru is up in the sky, looking down on the enemy’s camp. There’s already sadness to him, but this only gets through more as he puts on the mask. I love masks, I think they’re an excellent narrative tool when used properly, and Slime is an absolute masterclass in doing so. Even on the verge of committing genocide, Rimuru still gives off the feeling of being hesitant. He puts an anti-magic barrier around the town and starts his big army-demolishing attack: Megiddo. Little balls of slime, which are assumed to be water by the soldiers, appear all throughout the camp. Within a short moment the scene turns from calm before the storm into what basically looks like a deadly rave. Deadly needles of slime pierce through the soldiers while the Great Sage casually rattles off the death count. I know it’s an animated show, and the mask completely covers Rimuru’s face. Regardless of that, I honestly believe that I can see the sadness in him. Never before have I seen so much emotion coming from someone who by all accounts has an emotionless demeanor. 

And the soundtrack. Oh my word, the soundtrack that’s playing when all of this happens just sells it. It’s a beautiful slaughter of thousands and thousands of people, most of which probably deserved a lot better, and the entire scene is just dripping with sadness and regret. Regret that it had to come to this at all, but also the conviction to see it through. It’s merciless and merciful, beautiful and ugly, just and undeserved, murder and revival all at the same time. It’s brilliant and easily my favorite episode of anime in recent months, if not recent years.

Let me know if you liked this episode as much in the comments below. Thanks for reading!