Summary
Whenever a new anime season comes along, there’s always at least one isekai anime in the roster, each with its version of isekai heroes with the newest and latest gimmicks. Some reincarnated into the strongest magicians or sword masters, while others werereborn as strange things like swords or even vending machines.
But out of every single one of them, Rimuru Tempest fromThat Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slimeis arguably the best isekai hero, and it doesn’t even have anything to do with his unique powers or abilities.
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The Common Flaw of Most Isekai Heroes
One of the appeals of the Isekai genre is the idea that somebody who used to be a regular folk in this life can be reincarnated or transported into a fantasy world as a hero. Unfortunately, most of these newly reincarnated heroes forget about their old world not even halfway through the first episode. They are so focused on the new world that there’s hardly any mention at all of their old world, be it the technologies, the culture, or even the knowledge. They’re no different than regular citizens of the fantasy world who are born with special powers.
The same thing can’t be said about Rimuru Tempest fromThat Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime. He still carries the knowledge and experiences that he accumulated in his old world all the way to the end of the series. Sure, there are several other isekai heroes with similar characteristics as Rimuru, with the most notable one being Kazuya fromHow A Realist Hero Rebuilt A Kingdom, but none of them do it in the same way as he is. These are some of the things that Rimuru did that made him deserve the title of the best isekai hero.
A Little Slice of Home
Although Rimuru is now a slime demon lord withnumerous unique and ultimate skillsthat can decimate the entire army of an invading nation in a matter of minutes, he is still a simple Japanese man at heart. As such, he always craves the comforts of home, such as a calming hot spring bath or a delicious meal like rice or ramen.
Since none of those are available in this fantasy world of magic and monsters, Rimuru decided to find ways to create the next best thing. But he can’t do it himself, so he describes what he wants to his friends and subordinates and asks them to create a close replica of his home. After experimenting for quite some time, they managed to create dishes, clothes, and even buildings that are highly similar to those that you can find in Japan.
That is why Tempest, the capital city of the monster nation the Jura Tempest Federation, looks just like the mix of a modern and traditional city that isplucked right out of Japan. Rimuru has not only introduced Japanese foods and culture to his people, but he has basically turned them into Japanese people.
Using The Knowledge And Technology of The Previous World
to share the comforts of his old home with these new people, Rimuru goes further than simply bringing Japanese foods and cultures to his young nation. He also brings his knowledge of modern science and technology to Tempest. Some are useful for everyday lives, such as building smooth roads and highways that connect neighboring nations directly to Tempest. He also combines the science of the old world with the magic of the new world through his original physic-based offensive magic, Megiddo.
Those are only some of the things that we can see in the anime.If you dive into the light novels, you’ll find lots of other great inventions that are based on the technologies from Rimuru’s previous world. Some are useful for day-to-day lives, such as magic trains and big-screen TVs that can display live feeds from magical devices that work like modern-day cameras. But there are also inventions that are mainly used for security purposes, such as another physic-based magic called Argos, which is a surveillance system that allows Rimuru to see the entire city of Tempest and beyond through the sky.
Promoting The Culture And Technologies of The Previous World
Bringing the foods, the cultures, and the knowledge of modern science into the new fantasy world already makesRimuru stand apart from his fellow isekai heroes. But what makes him deserve the title of the greatest is the fact that he also tries hard to promote all of those to everybody around him. He tried hard to replicate ramen not only so that he could eat it whenever he wanted, but also to introduce it to his people and the citizens of the nations beyond his borders.
That is basically the purpose of the biggest event that was held in Tempest, the Founder’s Festival. He invites kings, queens, political, and military leaders from around the world to his nation to promote the unique cultures of his nation, which is basically the fantasy version of Japan. He deeply wishes other people around the globe would enjoy the distinct foods and cultures of his country. While at it, maybe some of those important people would also be interested in purchasing some of the advanced technologies that they would see in this event.
None of the things mentioned in this article can be done by somebody who was born and raised in the fantasy world. Only a person who came from the other world, Japan in particular, can create, introduce, and promote these kinds of cultural and technological advancements to the people of the fantasy world. Nobody else has done these things on the same scale as Rimuru. And that is whyRimuru Tempestdeserves the title of the best Isekai Hero.
That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slimeis available to stream onCrunchyroll.
