This show has been one of the best rides for me as a heavy game consumer, and that is because the whole premise revolves around this MMORPG-like world and how a stupidly overpowered slime wants to conquer it. Now all's well and good when I say that, but what exactly makes this show different from all the other isekai shows with similar premises? Well it's simple: None of the other shows could capture the feeling of such a world, especially having it feel like an actual game you would play back in the 2000s.
TL;DR: It's a good show but beware of the characters which may feel like extras. Other than that it's one of the best of its kind.
Story: 8/10
Although this might come out as a shock because of how generic it sounds from the premise, TenSura manages to execute many things right, from worldbuilding to actual storytelling. Its story goes like this: A 37 year-old NEET virgin with a crippling hentai and eroge addiction, Mikami Satoru, is caught in a weird accident and ends up with a knife in his general abdominal region, dying pretty soon afterwards, but not before telling his precious kouhai to wipe out his hard drive(Carefully, he's a hero). Before he dies, he has this internal monologue(almost) where he complains about pain and whatnot. Then our good pal, Great Sage which will later be revealed as our MCs Extra Skill, hears him out and takes care of his complaints, giving him all the powers he needs in a body that does not require blood: a slime(Now, anyone who has ANY knowledge in the world of games knows slimes are some of the weakest mobs you could find). With a unique skill that lets him store anything he eats into his body and take their characteristics, he loots the cave he spawned in like a real game connoisseur, and ventures into it, finding Veldora, a... tsundere dragon? Point is, he is one of the strongest monsters out there who's been imprisoned by a hero of legend and, in a real tsundere fashion, our buddy befriends him and gets himself a name which he'll use from that point on: Rimuru Tempest. After discussing for a bit, Rimuru wants to free his tsundere friend, and Veldora agrees to stay inside of our MCs stomach until they can find out how to break this prison of the hero's. Rimuru explores more of the cave in hopes of finding the exit, while killing all the mobs and gaining their powers. After a few days had passed, our slime friend finds his way out and into a village of goblins. He decides that he wants to build a civilization now, and thus begins the adventure...
Most of what happened before this point was not coincidental nor just for the sake of plot convenience, and anyone who's played games can tell that from a distance.
With a basic understanding of the place, and having drawn the outline of this fantasy world, all the while not forgetting to explain the mechanics and rules of said world, the story proceeds, with a very lighthearted tone. People saying that the show has no stakes might be right, but only for now, as this is probably only a mere introduction into the world of TenSura.
Art: 10/10
The art in SlimeTime is definitely wonderful, and I personally loved the very goofy style it showed. It's very vibrant and 8bit put everything together nicely, resulting in some smooth animation, which successfully resembled an MMO world.
Sound:10/10
The audio was a highlight in my opinion. The OSTs blended in with everything that was happening on the screen and it made me feel like I actually was in a game. Beautiful OPs and EDs, and the VAs did an excellent job voicing the characters(I'm looking at you, Kazuma).
Characters:6/10
Here's where the show failed to deliver, the characters. Aside from Rimuru and a few exceptions, the show does not dive deep into any of its characters, if at all. Though this definitely reminds me of the good ol' NPCs in games, in an anime you can't brush this aspect off. This rating is as high as it is because when the anime does dive into a character, it further develops the world and it adds a bit more to the story itself. I wish there was more depth to the side characters, but the show simply did not explore this side of itself.
Enjoyment:10/10
This aspect always comes down to subjectivity more than anything else, and I cannot lie that this show has its issues(the one most talked about being the pacing), I'm well aware of that fact. But for me, this managed to bring me back, and give me a trip down memory lane.
Overall:9/10
This show has everything you need, it's a well executed story accompanied by MMO-like visuals and soundtracks, and it's a great watch for any age. Highly recommend it to anyone who loves their MMORPGs.
