By the Grace of the Gods

It has been a while since I have done a blog post on an Anime and not a game or Visual Novel. But I decided that this anime deserved a mention for a couple of different reasons. This anime is currently still being published in Dubbed format on Funimation. At the time of this blog, there are 7 episodes that are out Dubbed with a full 12 episodes out that are subbed.

By the Grace of the Gods is about a man living on earth named Ryoma that one day dies in a freak accident of sorts and comes face to face with three Gods. To some extent, this anime is an iseki but it doesn't follow the normal troupes of one, which actually is a breath of fresh air to some extent all unto its own.

Ryoma is a 31-year-old office worker that works for a very exploitive corporation that works all their employees like slaves. Because of this, he is used to pulling all-nighters, working days, and nights on end before ever being allowed to return home. From what little the story has shown of his past thus far he was apparently abused and beaten as a child and as a young adult, he was also abused by multiple bosses. Because of all this, he spent years building up his body to the point that he is very physically able.

In the realm of the Gods the three Deities, Lulutia the Goddess of Healing and Love, Kufo the God of Life, and Gain The God of Creation all speak with Ryoma and explain to him that he was chosen to act as a transfer from the realm of earth to another world where he will be able to live the life he wants to live. With that stated he will be sent to the new world in the form of an 8yo boy. He is told that he will be able to wield magic and so he decides he wants to wield all types of magic, this makes him a jack of all trades but a master of none. 

Upon getting to the new world he opens a book left to him by the Gods and through a small scene, he learns "Taming" Magic which allows him to obtain his first of many familiars, a Slime.

Ryoma using what he learns from the book provided to him and what he learns on his own whims is able to establish himself a small home in the woodlands of a forest away from other people. He spends 3 years by himself in his self made home which brings him to be 11yo. During his time out in the forests, he is able to learn a great deal of new magic as well as to capture many more slimes that he then begins to learn and make notes about. 

He later finds out that it was Gain that created the slimes and that he had created them with the ability to adapt to any environment meaning the evolution of slime was endless, however, due to the limited environments they soon stopped evolving and a few types were all there were. 

These were the basic slime that had no special ability to speak of. The Acid Slimes which could dissolve anything and eat through metal, the Poison slime which through eating poison plants took on their characteristics, the Sticky Slime which used a sticky substance created in their body to trap their foes and then eat them. Later he is also able to obtain a couple of Healer slimes that have the ability to heal other people and creatures. 

It is also brought to his attention later that through his own vices that Ryoma has actually created two new types of slimes, a Scavenger Slime which eats excrement and other forms of waste and produces fertilizer, and a Cleaner Slime which seems to possess the ability to clean dirt and grime off anything including Goblin Grime which is the hardest thing to get rid of apparently. He studies slimes on a regular basis and keeps a large working force of slimes numbering almost 4k in slimes.

One day while Ryoma is out doing some routine hunting and gathering for his home he runs into a group of soldiers. One is wounded pretty bad and the others are debating how to get him back to town in time to help him. Overhearing them he hears that one of them is a mage and knows healing magic but due to being low on mana he's not able to cast the needed spell to heal their wounded friend. Ryoma shows himself to the soldiers where he explains to them that he has some medicine he will give them for their wounded friend.

This interaction leads to Ryoma meeting the family of one of the knights that also happens to be the Duke of the territory that Ryoma resides in. It is here that he is introduced to who I can only assume is to be his 'primary' love interest (unless they follow the example JK Rowlins used and then I think there may be fires in the streets). 

Eliaria is the daughter of Duke Reinhart Jamil. She is also a gifted tamer like all of the Jamil family. She is the same age as Ryoma (11yo) and follows her father and mother into the forest along with the knights and the former Duke Reinback to meet and speak with Ryoma. It is during this first meeting that Eliaria asks Ryoka about the slimes he has under his command as well as about the two new slimes. She was taken out into the forests to find her first familiar which she has chosen to be a slime. When she asks Ryoma how to catch a Cleaner Slime he is taken aback as he really doesn't want to answer that. I won't spoil the funny part but needless to say, it is an interesting thing to see.

Eliaria becomes Ryoma's closes friend, she has a great deal of mana and magic ability but lacks the ability to control it, because of this Ryoma helps teach her how to master her own magic through simply playing around with it and learning to control it through better understanding what it is she wants to use it for. Eliaria is in line to be a noble of the Jamil family and therefore she is taught magic, politics, diplomacy, economics, and of course fighting.

There is a great deal more that could be talked about but I think it's better to let you watch it for yourself. That said there is one thing I want to cover. And that is the controversy that is associated with this anime. Now based on what you have heard I am sure you realize this anime isn't adult-oriented or even rated above a PG13 like rating. However like most things now, it has become a topic for discussion over the matter of Ryoma's character and past life.

As stated on Earth Ryoma was a 31yo man, however, in the new world, he is an 11yo boy. When the obvious best girl presented to him is the same age as him in the new world (ie. 11yo) there are some that feel this is either borderline or 100% pedo territory. While I can at the very least kind of see where these people are coming from let me make this clear, there is nothing of the sort like that. We need to remember that both are the same age in the new world, also we need to think of it this way. If you are 90 and you get sent back to a time when you are 14, would you go looking for another 80yo to be with? I highly doubt that.

All in all this anime is a must-watch and while not really adult-oriented it is one that I think you will still find fun and interesting.