Fans of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime are in luck. In addition to the recent release of the anime’s fourth season, the series’ second movie has just hit US theaters. Tears of the Azure Sea features everyone’s favorite salaryman turned slime turned Demon Lord on a tropical island adventure with the rest of Tempest’s elite. Made for longtime viewers, the film offers lighthearted fun, crisp animation, emotional stakes, and a chance to see a fan-favorite character in the spotlight like never before.

Picking up right after the opening ceremony of the Demon Kingdom Federation Tempest, the series’ second theatrical film is set after the events of season 3. Rimuru and friends have been invited by the Celestial Emperor Hermesia of the great elven nation, the Magi Dynasty Salion, to visit her private resort. As the group enjoys their brief vacation, they eventually become embroiled in an undersea conflict with a mysterious woman named Yura and the powerful elemental water dragon.

What starts as essentially an extended beach episode with movie-level animation quickly evolves into a much more nuanced story with decent stakes for our beloved characters. However, given this is a side story set within the anime’s canon, fans can expect little to carry over to the wider series, but it is fun to see the cast on an adventure outside their normal setting. The film’s director, Yasuhito Kikuchi, maintains the anime’s familiar tone and energy while adapting it for the theatrical medium.

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A particular highlight of the film is its crisp animation, which exceeds the usual quality of the series. Most anime films have that extra polish that only comes with a theatrical polish, and That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea is no different. The bright tropical colors pop against luscious background art and are complemented by the smooth, easy-to-follow action sequences that make up the story’s climactic battle.

Unlike the anime’s typical storyline, the film shifts the focus away from the isekai’s overpowered protagonist, Rimuru, and instead puts Gobta in the spotlight. The Hobgoblin leader of the Goblin Riders and one of Rimuru’s Elite Four, Gobta, is often portrayed as a capable but primarily comedic side character. So, with that said, it was quite refreshing to see him take on a larger role in the film, with his actions driving much of the plot, even developing a deep relationship with one of the film’s original characters, Yura, a priestess from the undersea nation of Kaien.

Tears of the Azure Sea is well-paced and keeps the audience engaged throughout its brisk 104-minute runtime, but it does falter a bit in the third act. While the smaller, more intimate moments between characters like Gobta and Yura are a highlight of the film, the bigger climactic story beats feel overly complicated and don’t receive enough time to feel fully developed. And given the film’s side-story nature, any lasting changes have to be swept aside at the end, meaning some character development feels a bit wasted.

Overall, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea is a fun side quest made for longtime fans of the series. With moderate stakes and quality animation, the film offers side characters like Gobta a chance to shine as they haven’t in the main series. While it seems unlikely, fans should not expect any major connections to pop up in the main series, but that should not deter audiences from checking out the film. In the end, the movie delivers exactly what it promises: an exciting tropical adventure for Rimuru and the citizens of Tempest.– Jacob Campbell

Rating: 7/10

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime: Tears of the Azure Sea arrives in theaters on May 1.