Another great season for bingers, and another reason, i explicitly suggest that you cannot and should never take this show in bite-size portions.
This is a "Page Down", "Press Next" show, you have to keep going, skipping and stoppages are detrimental to the pleasure of this ordeal.

What's interesting is that the first time i noticed this show spent entire episodes on meetings is when i saw some discourse about it on Twitter/X. I never noticed, it was just that engaging when you spend long periods immersed in its world.
You need to be a man of patience and endure the full episodes in longer sessions. I couldn't imagine foolishly waiting a week after each episode, it sounds like a nightmare. Perhaps if I was waiting around watching this weekly my opinon may have differed, You're aboslutely butchering the experience for yourself.

8bit have made this a very comfortable binge, I effortlessly flew 20 whole episodes in a single session. I've always said whilst watching this show, it's one of the only shows with such depth and wisdom in discourse that i don't even notice the time go by.

The show does what it does best with it's terrific dialogue, powerful character direction and long engaging conversations filled with insight and thoughtfulness and tact. There are so many characters, yet it never drowns you and each seem important in the grand-scheme of things. I just think nothing else but to press the next button for the next episode. Episodes will just be an entire meeting and i'd never even think of being bored in the slightest. They explore many small details and viewpoints and get the mind going as you learn more about the world. It's truly a rare brain on-experience and you will suffer if you're not the type to think when watching these shows.

Pacing is just perfect for me, they flesh out most things they introduce quite thoroughly and give you time to take everything in. The only problem is that I'll have to wait months to years for the next season.

You look at the public response and my words so far seem utterly ludicrous. On the contrary I think expectations are very different. Every show needs seasons like this where it's alot calmer, more character and dialogue focused. It keeps the pace at a healthy level and tempers the world-building keeping it sane, realistic and immersive. People complain about cuts all the time, but when they actually slow it down and show you everything there are stilll complaints. it seems people dislike not having random fight scenes thrown in every 2 episodes. It's the same response i saw to Goblin Slayer 2 which was a great season aswell but if there isn't some kind of existencial giga-crisis every season apparently nothing happened according to many of these viewers. I simply don't understand their displeasure.

This series has clear phases and you really have to be engrossed into the experience to understand it. Initially he lacked power and influence so the tension lied within his lack of those things with the exhilarting uphill battle it took to gain those things and it was a joy to watch. Everyone was happy during that phase. We are in a different phase due the power, wealth and people he has accumulated and the tension lies more in dialogue, influence and liasion with most of it outside of the battlefield. It's evident that even when politics is done well most people simply don't have the mental fortitude to enjoy such things. This, of course, makes relief moments such as the Tournament Arc very important. With a decrease of these more people-pleasing fight scenes they do have to be handled better to continue to satisfy the fans which hold the battles in such high regard. They serve as a relief from the dialogue which others just don't appreciate.

There are of course many valid complaints.....

The animation was definitely not as strong as S2 but not bad in the least.

I will say, It's all too easy at this point, Rimuru's has gathered all the powerhouses and they're just so incredibly valuable to him in advice and influence allowing him to dodge every obstacle possible on his road to success. His biggest obstacle is practically his own complacency, whilst adequate for his current position, for many viewers who aren't able to hold their attention during extended sessions or made the mistake of watching a series like this weekly, it's evidently too frustrating for them.

It was unfortunately a painfully average tournament Arc(2 eps). It's a 7 fight tourney with far too many forfeits. If this Arc was longer i'm sure much of public perception would have increased. Im sure most people were just craving the fight scenes which are always a blessing in this show.

They did alright in the general sound of the show, however the soundtrack in general could have been stronger.

My biggest problem is the same after every-season perhaps even more so after this one, which is the.... "It's over already?" and "Where's the rest of it?" problem. I just want more and i want it now. Hopefully this movie and the next season come quick, they've honestly left us TENSURA fans hungrier than we ever been.

Final Rankings

Animation 8
Sound 8
Characters 10
Story 9
Enjoyment 10

45/50 - 9/10 - Recommended

If you're in deep into the world of this series, obviously this is unskippable unmissable greatness which i will eventually rewatch.
Make sure you have alot of free time before you attempt to do this. You must watch handfuls at a time or you risk ruining your own immersion and souring the taste of the series.

Im off to finally watch tensura nikki and the other non-movie adaptations i have yet to watch to satiate my apetite.

If you haven't started it yet it's 72 episodes of some the greatest isekai has to offer, take a few days out and just enjoy the binge.

Hope this helps.