You better save Chloe and Hinata, Rimuru!

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime S4 ​​Ep 23 Review

Okay, I know this is going to sound rich since I’ve had no problem seeing it happen, but the power of friendship is nonsense! Well, at least when it’s done by lazy writing. But at least in this case, it didn’t lead to a deus ex machina, because the person on the receiving end didn’t win. And that’s a good thing, because the person in question was Granville Rosso. So, as Rimuru puts his crazy plan into action to save Chloe and Hinata, Shion steps forward and blocks him. You can say a lot of things about Shion (he’s not that smart, he cooks badly, he can’t fit into shirts), but when he steps up, he gets things done.

Shion does it

So, I don’t know if I said it in my review of the last episode, but I was really hoping that we would dive right into, well, Rimuru’s dive into Chronoa. This entire arc has been building up to the end of Chloe’s story; The fact that she is featured prominently in the OP and ED is proof! But instead, we are expected to sit through the last of the fights that take place between Granville’s frankly suicidal plan. It’s a fight between Shion and Ranga against Razul. It is an Insectoid, a species of insects from another dimension that are extremely powerful. Granville and his wife befriended and appointed him after a failed invasion centuries ago, and he has been their right-hand man and ultimate weapon. And if you have seen the Chimera Ants of Hunter x Hunter or Cell (who we call bug man), then you know how strong bug people get in anime.

Now, we all know that Shion is not a pushover. She is one of Rimuru’s main subordinates. Sure, he may not be that smart, but we’ve seen how strong he is. He was able to go toe to toe with Clayman at Walpurgis! However, the fight between her and Razul is the classic case of the unstoppable spear versus the unbreakable shield. In his case, Razul’s exoskeleton is as hard as steel, making it impossible for him to deliver a fatal blow. Well, at least at first. She knows how much is at stake in this fight and has no intention of dying again, because she refuses to worry her beloved Rimuru like this. Then she makes sure and uses her unique ability, Certain Outcome. Which basically translates to her being able to get whatever results she wants from doing something. In this case, a single crack in Razul’s armor is enough of an opening for her to take out the Insectoid.

If there ever was an Isekai fighting game like crush brothersThey better put Shion in it.

What the hell?!?

But then we get to the whole “power of friendship.” His soul goes to Granville to give him a power in his fight against Luminous. The man is literally driven by the spirit of his friend! Not that it doesn’t do him any favors, because he still loses to Luminous!

And that’s why only the protagonists can use the power of friendship!

So, with Yuuki and the clowns in the wind and Granville’s foolish plan thwarted, all that’s left is to save Chloe and Hinata. And to achieve this, Rimuru has to do the riskiest thing he’s ever done. He has to get close enough to touch Chronoa, dive into her soul, find Chloe and Hinata, and get them out of there. Which, if things go wrong, could end up killing him for good. But Rimuru is HE, so he does it anyway.

SAVE CHLOE AND HINATA

And so, Rimuru enters Chloe Aubert’s mind, a beautiful field of flowers, and encounters an unexpected guest in the form of Shizu. Whether it is actually his soul or just a mental guide, no one knows. She’s only there to help Rimuru calm Chronoa down, which he does without a problem. However, this is where things get complicated: Chronoa says that Chloe’s soul is lost somewhere in their shared heart. But Hinata’s? She has disappeared.

Well, it looks like Rimuru is about to face his toughest battle yet: saving his student and his… friend? Are he and Hinata friends? He won’t let something like death stop him from achieving it, and we know he will. So why do we question that fact? I’m glad we don’t have to deal with Granville’s stupid plots anymore.

I give “Granville’s Hope” a 4/5