Could there be some subtle foreshadowing in our favourite slime anime that isn’t getting enough credit?
So I recently decided to do a rewatch of That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime, and I noticed a couple instances of foreshadowing that I completely missed previously, even though it’s like my tenth time watching it. The first of these is a spoiler for anime only fans who haven’t read the light novel, and the second spoils a big reveal from season two, so be warned.
The first of these has to do with the vision of Rimuru’s “fated one” by the fortune teller at the Night Butterfly bar in Dwargon. This character and her prediction did not appear in the Web Novel, nor the Light Novel, and appeared for the first time in the Manga, where it looked like this:
But the real genius came when it was adapted for the anime.
Notice that in this version, we start with a wide shot of the kids with Shizue, who we’re led to believe is the Fated One in question, which would makes sense given that the vision ends with a close up of her face, and the events of the very next arc. But take a closer look at it’s beginning. Notice who’s at the Center of the wide shot? Chloe! And it’s Chloe’s face that we first see clearly as it cuts to her as she hugs Shizue. The vision then pans over the faces of the other kids: Alice, Gale, Ryota, and Kenya. Only then do we get a good look at Shizue’s face which is where the vision ends.
Given Chloe’s fate to become the strongest hero, and Rimuru’s becoming a Demon Lord, both of which are functionally immortal, and tend to lead to intertwining destinies, this might have been a subtle indication that Rimuru’s true “fated one” is not Shizue, but Chloe Aubert.
The second case I noticed has to do with the dynamic with “Kaval’s” Party. Although Kaval is presented as the leader, Eren seems to be the one most often acting in the role, making decisions for the party with Kaval following them while reminding her that he’s the leader.
In fact “I’m the leader, remember?” or “I’m supposed to be the leader!” become something of a catchphrase for Kaval, usually spoken to Eren.
On a casual viewing, this could just be a sign of how casual the party’s dynamic is, showing that they’re friends first and a party second. But given what we learn about them later, it means something entirely different. The reason Eren acts like the leader sometimes is because…she is. Kaval is only the leader on paper.
Eren, or Elyun Grimwald, is a member of the royal family of the Sorcerer's Dynasty Sarion, a higher station then Kaval or Gido, who are actually her body guards. Kaval is acting as the leader of the party publicly to better hide her identity. When he reminds her that he’s the leader, he’s not lamenting the disrespect, as we’re meant to assume at this stage. He’s reminding her of the roles that they’re supposed to be playing.
This is also seen in how protective the pair are of Eren.
Twice during the battle against Ifrit they moved to shield Eren form potential harm, prioritising her safety over their own. This could be read as the sturdier members of a party covering for the physically weaker mage, or as two loyal soldiers guarding their princess from harm.
Anyone spot any more foreshadowing?
