The following contains spoilers for the Reincarnated as a Sword light novels. The anime will begin airing on October 5, 2022.
Isekai has developed something of a subgenre, and that's thanks to the popularity of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Since then, numerous isekai light novels, manga and anime have seen their protagonists reincarnated as all manner of seemingly weak and ridiculous things. This has culminated in another, very similarly named series called Reincarnated as a Sword.
Despite both being isekai and having titles that are almost the exact same, Reincarnated as a Slime and Reincarnated as a Sword are quite different when it comes to how they handle their stories in the original light novels. From differing takes on world-building to reveling in the genre's excesses, these two reincarnation light novels take on incredibly disparate forms in their second lives.
What Are Reincarnated as a Sword and Reincarnated as a Slime About?
The first of these isekai light novel franchises to come about was That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime, which was created by Fuse in 2013 as an online novel. The story focuses on an everyday salaryman who's relatively unfulfilled in his life, culminating in its end when he's killed by a mysterious assailant. As he dies, his consciousness is reborn in a fantasy world, though his body is far different from before. Know a mere slime, his seeming weakness is balanced by his powerful "Predator" ability, allowing him to mimic the forms and powers of others. Acclimating himself to his new world and gaining a band of followers after taking the name Rimuru, the slime seeks to defend his new kingdom while expanding it and his own power.
Debuting in novel form two years later was Reincarnated as a Sword by Yuu Tanaka. Starring a protagonist whose previous name is unknown, the series has followed a similar trajectory as most isekai franchises of being a novel before eventually becoming an anime. Reincarnated as a Sword sees its main character reborn as... well, a sword, ending up in a strange fantasy world without any way of achieving his previous locomotion. Thankfully, he's discovered by Fran, a slave catgirl who is under attack at the time. Teaming up, with the sword taking the name Master, the two set out for adventure as they develop a close bond with each other.
Reincarnated as a Sword Doesn't Repeat Isekai's Biggest Mistakes
While both series are great examples of what the frequently trite isekai genre can become when well-done, it's ultimately Reincarnated as a Sword that's the better of the two light novel franchises. Slime focuses more on world-building, and while this is a great strength, especially to many of the more superficial isekai out there, it can leave something to be desired in terms of character development. Reincarnated as a Sword, on the other hand, is all about the relationship between Master and Fran, resulting in something resembling a father/daughter dynamic. This isn't the only way in which it goes against the genre's grain and in the opposite direction of Reincarnated as a Slime, however.
Reincarnated as a Sword treats Master's situation as being as disadvantageous as it sounds. He has no real locomotion, and it's only the appearance of Fran that saves him from a solitary existence. Despite the name, That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime often forgets that the situation is supposed to be less than grandiose. Rimuru quickly regains a humanoid form, and when combined with his Predator ability, it makes him essentially unstoppable. This seeps into a major isekai criticism: power fantasies. Many of the isekai heroes are overpowered, making any disadvantage that they're initially at a moot point. Reincarnated as a Sword doesn't fall into this trap, making for an all-around more entertaining read. If the upcoming anime adaptation is anything similar, it should likewise give the That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime anime a run for its money.