The second feature film spun off from the popular anime series is easy enough for non-acolytes to follow, but only the faithful will get much out of it.
Plus IconBeatrice Loayza
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Courtesy of Crunchyroll Those unfamiliar with the popular anime franchise “That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime” may be disappointed to learn that goopy substances are pretty much absent from the series’ second standalone movie “Tears of the Azure Sea.” For the uninitiated, the title seems to promise something far stranger than what this basic anime offers at this point, now four seasons and one other film into its world-building epic about an average Japanese guy who is reborn in an alternate universe as a slime with the ability to absorb the powers of other beings.
To fast-forward through those dozens of chapters — all based on a web novel-turned-manga that first emerged in 2013 and has now been serialized for TV and film by the animation studio Eight Bit — the titular ooze, Rimura Tempest, becomes the formidable leader of a multi-species society, meaning his adventures involve clashes with dragons, demons, ogres and the like.
Beginning in the third season, Rimura begins establishing diplomatic relations with other nations as he works to build his own. This would be much funnier if Rimura were, indeed, simply a slime. But world leaders must keep up appearances, so what we get is his androgynous human form for most of the series, “Azure Sea” included. In any case, this new film can be watched without having seen any of the previous chapters, though that’s mostly because the plot is cookie-cutter generic.
In the beginning of this side-quest of a film, Rimura Tempest (Brittney Karbowski in the English dub and Miho Okasaki in the Japanese version) and his band of counselors and bodyguards are invited to Celestial Emperor Elmesia’s private island, which is accessible only by dragon-powered transportation. Naturally, trouble spoils the crew’s relaxation in the form of an ocean princess named Yura (Allegra Clark; Saoiri Onishi) on the run from baddies Zodon (Christopher Corey Smith; Koichi Domoto) and Djeese (Yuri Lowenthal; Koji Yusa).
This trio of characters is new to the franchise, though the biggest shift — in addition to seeing Rimura and company in breezy beachwear — is the focus on series mainstay Gobta (Ryan Reynolds; Asuna Tomari). One of Rimura’s closest confidantes, Gobta is usually comic relief fodder: As a squeaky goblin, he’s drawn like a pug-faced puppet next to his humanoid comrades and their slick attires. Here, however, he gets something of a main character moment as Yura’s unlikely love interest.
Directed by Yasuhito Kikuchi (who helmed the last movie, “Scarlet Bond,” as well as most of the series), “Azure Sea” unfolds like an inevitably tragic romance, with moonlit near-kisses flanked by franchise insider humor and moody interludes of palace intrigue. Yura’s nemeses, who are part of her elderly father’s underwater court, seem to be after her magical flute, an ancient device that controls their kingdom’s dragon. In scenes where Yura remembers her childhood and its connection to the beast, the animation takes on a gauzier, more primitive style that matches the film’s more cosmic, oceanic themes. The aqueous action scenes — cascades of water swirling around aerial charges — should play out nicely on the big screen during the film’s theatrical release.
Still, the story, in which an underdog plays knight in shining armor to a mysterious woman, is far too schematic to have real stakes in a franchise that revolves around another character. Rimura plays the diplomat seemingly out of obligation to Gobta, but they’re a bit too chill about the whole ordeal for us to buy that anything we’re watching really matters. Besides, the series’ fourth season is still being rolled out through the summer, making “Azure Sea” play like a long-weekend getaway as opposed to a true feature-length fable. The fans are sure to clock in for its extra nuggets of lore, but there are few reasons for a non-Slimehead to take the plunge.
Jump to Comments‘That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea’ Review: A Franchise Bonus Primarily for Fans
Reviewed online, April 29, 2026. MPA Rating: PG-13. Running time: 104 MIN.
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