Artist Taiki Kawakami adapts writer FUSE’s 2013 web and light novel “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” which is now available in English thanks to Kodansha Comics.

Office worker Satoru Mikami woke up to a strange dream as slime that had a powerful army. Little did he knew the importance of the dream until the day his friend Tamura brought over his fiancee, Miho. A knife-wielding man suddenly attacked the trio and Satoru stopped him, but suffered a fatal injury. The 37-year old virgin bachelor forgave his friend for making him jealous and asked him to take care of his computer before breathing his last breath. Satoru died at the scene, but it was not the end of him for there was an unusual voice taking note of his last thoughts and granting him “skills.” He was still conscious and experienced the reincarnation process. Something felt weird with his new form and realized he became a slime like the one from his dream. While trying to understand his new predicament, the same voice returned to answer his questions. One of the skills he received was “Great Sage” that was some kind of analytical assistant who owned the voice. After some experimenting, he gained proper sight and his own voice along with the new name Rimuru, but it will take more to get by in the fantasy world he now lives in.

The story of “Slime” is eerily similar to “Re:Monster” with how both protagonists reincarnated into classic role-play game creatures after being stabbed by someone. Though both Tomokui/Rou and Satoru/Rimuru gain abilities though consumption, Satoru/Rimuru also gets some from simple innovation and experimentation. Unlike “Re:Monster” Rimuru is well aware of his previous life and maintains the same personality through his rebirth. While the rate might be rapid, Fuse’s choice of creature definitely limits what Rimuru can physically do, making him not too overpowering. Though it’s usually a comical kind of monster, the series’ take on the slime is a very refreshing sight among the collection of others in the fantasy genre.

Kodansha Comics released Volume Three of “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” in December 2017. To read an online preview and find more information, visit Kodansha Comics’s site. Yen Press has English translations of Fuse’s original light novel and Volume Two will be out in April.

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