Mipon recently had an interview with Fuse-sensei, the author of the light novel Tensura (That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime.) In his very first interview with an English/Spanish-speaking media, Fuse-sensei reveals his behind-the-scenes involvement in the anime and manga adaption, his creative writing process, the fact that he doesn’t watch that much anime, and much more.
One of the most charming points of this novel is the straightforward and lengthy title — That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, or Tensura for short. As the title says, it follows the story of salaryman Mikami Satoru who reincarnates to another world as the slime Rimuru. He eventually builds a kingdom of his own in a quest to create a welcoming city for all monsters. From light novels to manga to anime to games, Tensura has become one of the most beloved isekai stories among fans.
We have Fuse-sensei to thank for, and apparently, it all began from a novel contest. Of course, he won, and the rest of his writing journey is history!
Needless to say, fans have found something charming about the Great Rimuru. Some of his highlights are his overpowering magic, unique leadership, his kind and protective personality. Although he constantly wants to avoid trouble, Rimuru actually works very hard when the situation calls for it. (He was a badass during season 2!) A lot of these things are, in fact, inspired by Fuse-sensei’s idea of an ideal boss. In addition, he believes that communication is key and that one must absolutely make an effort for things to work out.
In addition, the interview also shares the author’s hands-on involvement in Tensura‘s manga, spin-offs, and anime adaptions. From writing the plot to scriptwriting — Fuse-sensei would do his best to communicate such details to the team. However, there are also instances where he gives full control to the staff. Fuse-sensei also follows a very strict but productive schedule. He shares some of his writing processes in the interview too. In case you didn’t know, he also mentions some of his experiences with his editor on his Author’s Notes as well.
It’s also fun trivia to know that Fuse-sensei doesn’t watch as much anime as people may think! He truthfully admits that he does enjoy some popular series like A Certain Scientific Railgun, Steins; Gate, as well as the Gundam and Macross franchises.
Lastly, the author has a meaningful piece of advice that he keeps in mind, and now, shares with aspiring writers. To quote from the interview — “The things we create truly shine when they are able to move the hearts of our audiences.”
Fuse-sensei says that it is important to figure out our feelings and then create something that can truly make an impression. Anyway, these are just some of the interesting parts of the interview, so feel free to check out the rest! The full interview is available on Mipon’s website.
That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, or Tensura for short, is a light novel by the author Fuse, together with illustrator Mitz Vah. It follows the story of Mikami Satoru, who reincarnates to another world as a slime monster. He eventually obtains the name Rimuru and begins his quest to create a world that’s welcoming to all races. The title also has a manga adaption by Taiki Kawakami, spin-offs, and an anime adaption by Studio 8bit as well. There is also a mobile game adaption by Bandai Namco. Additionally, a movie adaption is set to premiere in Fall 2022.
Source: Mipon
Images via Crunchyroll
© Taiki Kawakami, Fuse, KODANSHA/“Ten-Sura” Project, Shiba, Fuse