Product Info

Studio

Eight Bit

Director

Yasuhito Kikuchi

Genre

Action, Adventure, Animation, Fantasy

Rated

NA

Theatrical Release Date (NA)

May 1, 2026

Film Length

1hr 44min

Purchase From

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea is the second animated film of the popular anime series. With beautiful visuals and animation, it provides a fresh take that extends the world outside the anime but doesn’t feel as impactful when compared to the television series.

Exploring Under the Sea

Set after season three, when Rimuru, the protagonist of the anime, establishes his nation as a major power in the world. Tears of the Azure Sea is placed as a side story, similar to its previous film, Scarlet Bond but showcases its cast of characters in a different way.

Rimuru and his selected team take a vacation but it only lasts for a brief time when a crisis suddenly emerges from an ocean nation nearby the island they are residing on. The underwater nation, Kingdom of Kaien, is located in the Azure Sea and is tied to an ancient water dragon known as Aqua Dragon, an elemental dragon that awakens and causes chaos in both the ocean nation and the nearby island.

Similar to the anime series, the film delves into various paths of political tensions, hidden agendas within the kingdom, and a relationship-building story that you wouldn’t expect. The first solid half of the film explores mostly the island and then delves more into the ocean towards the kingdom’s internal struggles and climactic battles.

For the film to explore a world that involves the ocean makes it an intriguing plot and showcases that the world in which Rimuru resides is much bigger than expected. Using the ocean waters as the highlight for battles and story-building makes the film more interesting. The animation effects utilize the ocean to create some impressive animation and effects, especially during the climax of the film.

Goblin Power

The film focuses more spotlight on its side characters, particularly the comic relief character Gobta. Gobta notices a mysterious female character spying on Rimuru and his small team as they tour the island’s town. After some brief interactions filled with comic relief, Gobta and the mysterious character named Yura find themselves traveling around town together in search of Rimuru but then are confronted by a group of military men from the Kingdom of Kaien. Gobta gets more battle screen time in this film than the series itself, which fans of the green goblin should be excited about.

The film spends a large portion in the first half of the duo as they’re chased across the island. It was at first an interesting development but felt that it went on longer than it should, as if adding extra time to the film which could have been needed in other areas, such as the development with the Kingdom of Kaien. The relationship-building between Gobta and Yura is a highlight of the film and carries through to the end of the film as viewers will witness the two’s relationship growing stronger with some heartwarming moments.

Rimuru and his team play more of a supporting role to Gobta and Yura. Fans who want to see a Rimuru-driven story or battle scenes involving characters like Hinata Sakaguchi and Diablo will be disappointed. Diablo had more screentime in the previous film but fans should stick around after the credits roll for some interaction with the popular character that could be a hint for the future.

The film blends a mix of romance, and political drama, which works well at times but, being a feature-length film can interrupt the pacing. Despite the buildup, the film struggles to create real urgency that you tend to feel in the original anime. A little more time for buildup added could help the intensity more. 

Fans of the series will likely want to watch the film, and seeing their favorite green goblin receive a significant amount of spotlight may be satisfying enough. Don’t expect any powerscaled shakeups from other characters.

The Final Tear

That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea delivers stunning visuals, stylish battles, and a refreshing ocean setting with Gobta taking center stage. However, its uneven pacing and low stakes keep it from fully making waves.

An early dubbed screening provided for this review. That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime the Movie: Tears of the Azure Sea arrives in theaters on May 1, 2026. Fans can visit the film’s official website for tickets and showtimes.