That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime (2021)

[転生したらスライムだった件]

Season 2

Director: Atsushi Nakayama
Studio: Eight Bit
Starring: Miho Okasaki, Megumi Toyoguchi, Yumiri Hanamori
Episodes: 24

Synopsis:
Rimiru returns to Tempest to pursue diplomatic work, but enemies of his monster kingdom plot against him.

Impressions:
There are two significant events this season and the rest of the time is spent doing a lot of talking in preparation for those events. Perhaps that sounds too harsh, but I'll be honest with you. While I'm somewhat invested in the world, the plot and the characters, it can feel like a lot of drudgery getting from Point A to Point B. With Rimiru and now most of his followers being so overpowered, there isn't much in the way of stakes. I will at least credit the first cour for introducing a character that Rimiru can't defeat effortlessly and at least for a moment it looks like actual losses have been incurred, but that gets patched up rather quickly. The aforementioned lack of stakes really takes the wind out of the big confrontation with Clayman, but I guess we at least get to see Takehito Koyasu ham it up.

I'm tired of stories on easy mode. I want to see my protagonists actually struggle and earn what they get, but the isekai subgenre is notoriously bad about failing in this regard. I was more forgiving of the first season as I was just starting to get into isekai at the time, but now my tolerance for the sludge is wearing thing. Generally good characters and fairly interesting developments in the plot are this series saving graces, but those merits are hobbled by the lack of much real challenge. There are some stories that manage to work around it, but it doesn't look like this series is going to do it. If you were feeling the drag before, you may just want to pass on this. Being generous, I'm going to say take it or leave it.

Rating:
50/50