in By The Grace of the Gods, where we embark on an enchanting journey through a realm filled with magic, wonder, and endearing characters. In this By The Grace of the Gods review, we will delve into the intricacies of this captivating anime series, delving into its rich narrative, immersive world-building, and heartfelt themes that have captivated audiences worldwide. Join us as we uncover the enchantment and charm woven into the very fabric of By The Grace of the Gods.
This season aired in the Fall 2020 anime season. By The Grace of the Gods was animated by Maho Film, also known for In the Land of Leadale and I’m the Villainess, So I’m Taming the Final Boss.
If you have ever wondered what it would be like to live in a fantastical world of magic and monsters, then look no further, By the Grace of the Gods has you covered. Set in the fantasy world of Seilfall a young man is reincarnated and transferred from earth by the gods. Living the life he wants, and earning the blessing of the “Beloved Child of the Gods” Ryoma lives a simple life as a tamer with his slimes. That is until fate decides to intervene and Ryoma meets the Jamil family.
Story:
From the beginning of the anime, it feels like a slow-paced and calming story. The protagonist, Ryoma, is a young boy who lives alone in the forest with a lot of slime.
Shortly into the story, while Ryoma is out in the forest he encounters a group of people. Realising that one of them is injured he decides to help, which makes them wonder about who Ryoma is. Once they leave Ryoma reveals that he was reincarnated in the world 3 years prior as an 8-year-old. 2 weeks after the people leave Ryoma, they return with more, and Ryoma realises that his simple slime-based world will soon change.
Entering into the second episode Ryoma is introduced to the people as not just nobles of the land but the Duke’s family. In Ryoma’s previous encounter, he met the Duke and his guards, this time around he meets the other members of the house. Out of all the members of the Jamil family, there is only one who pushes Ryoma in the right way. This is the daughter of the duke, Eliaria, it becomes clearer later in the series but in the first few episodes, Ryoma seems to value her insight over the other members of the Jamil family. By the time the second Episode ends, Ryoma makes it to the city. After this point, there is a slight increase in the events unfolding but things still feel like they go slow.
From when Ryoma enters the town of Gimul, his adventure begins. Joining both the Tamers Guild and Adventures Guild, Ryoma forms new friendships and earns a reputation for his abilities. Later he moves on to being a proprietor of his own cleaning service. Although there are 12 episodes in the series most of them unfold with Ryoma and the Jamil family taking central roles. Where this might be the case, the story of the series is lacking as it’s just Ryoma’s second chance at life. That being said there are several stories that don’t really sink in until later. The first is Ryoma living the life he wants, the second is him being a business owner, and the third and finally there is the relationship he shares with Eliaria.
Characters:
Ryoma:
As protagonists go, Ryoma isn’t someone who you would think fits the role. As the series goes on he falls more and more into this role but at the start, he seems like this loner who would much rather stay out of the way and in his forest rather than going on an adventure. Part of his development is due to Eliaria pushing him. The rest of his development is due to his separation from the Jamil family. By the end of the 12th episode, Ryoma owns a business, is an experienced adventurer, has new slimes, and has a few new spells.
Eliaria:
Introduced at the end of episode 1 and formally introduced to Ryoma in episode 2, she is the daughter of the Duke. Throughout the series, she is a cheerful and energetic character who has sway over Ryoma, albeit indirectly. From her introduction, she decides that she wants to tame a slime as her first familiar, because of this the Jamil family head to the forest where Ryoma lives. Her changes are more pronounced when she is with Ryoma, she even states that Ryoma gives her courage in episode 12 further adding to the development being in part to Ryoma.
Although there are only two characters that have been outlined above, they are the only two who have a visible development. Other characters like the rest of the Jamil family, Guild Members, and Ryoma’s employees don’t show much change. That being said the biggest change in the Jamil family is that they adopt Ryoma, treating him as family.
Use of 3D:
Like lots of anime, 3D is used in limited amounts. Unlike some anime that overuse the CG aspects to the point it seems painful, BTGOTG really limits its use. This is mainly seen in some monsters and horses and carriages. Where you might think the worse when the topic of CG/3D in anime comes up, it being overused or not blending in well, you can relax with this one being a nice consistency.
Conclusion:
To conclude the first season, comprising 12 episodes, is a good adventure which is slow and easy to follow. The concepts that are introduced, like the slime evolutions and business, keep the series interesting. The only thing that feels sort of off is the speed the series moves, it would have been nice to have it speed up in the later section. This isn’t much of a problem as following along is easy at the speed it unfolds.
One thing that I would have liked to have seen more of is Ryoma exploring more of the world. Being in the city is alright but seeing the same environments all the time can make the series feel stale. This is broken up with slightly different backdrops and different angles but you can identify where the characters are most of the time. I’m not saying this is bad, it just feels a little robotic. All told it’s good but feels a little off. This might be because Ryoma doesn’t go to many places around the town.
I would have also liked Ryoma to have visited the gods a bit more, they feel like important characters but they are only seen twice. They seem the single most important entities in the series, but after the second meeting in episode 3, they take a back seat.
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