Who is Benimaru‘s Wife in That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime?

Hey fellow anime fans! Today I want to dive deep into the relationship between Benimaru and Momiji from the fantastic isekai light novels and anime That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. As an avid fan who‘s been following the series for years, I‘ve loved watching their romance grow from initial distrust into marriage and family. Let‘s break down the key details about Benimaru‘s monster wife Momiji!

Benimaru – Rimuru‘s Hot-Headed Bodyguard

For those unfamiliar with the series, Benimaru is introduced as the last surviving ogre from his village after it was destroyed. He has a classic "grumpy lone wolf" vibe in the beginning. But after being named by Rimuru, Benimaru evolves into a powerful kijin and becomes a loyal ally.

Benimaru takes the role of captain of Rimuru‘s guards, leading troops into battle often on the front lines. He brings brawn and courage to complement Rimuru‘s brains and caution. I always found Benimaru‘s short temper and arrogance amusing, especially when Rimuru has to rein him in. His blunt warrior mentality also tends to clash with the more diplomatic Rigur and Shion. But despite his pride, Benimaru cares deeply for his comrades and would do anything to protect Rimuru.

After evolving into a Demon Lord, Benimaru becomes even more formidable. His pyrokinetic and hand-to-hand skills make him deadly in a fight. Even among Rimuru‘s gathered elites, very few can match Benimaru for pure power. Though he takes on important foreign relations duties for Rimuru, Benimaru clearly itches for battle.

Introducing Momiji – the Tengu Princess

Momiji enters the story as part of a delegation sent from the Tengu kingdom in the forest to forge connections with Rimuru. As the daughter of elder Tengu Hakurou, she possesses great fighting abilities like all Tengu. Their initial meeting with Rimuru does not go smoothly. In fact, Benimaru ends up clashing swords with Momiji to test their respective skills.

Despite being a princess, Momiji has a very tomboyish and stubborn personality. She seems determined to prove herself in combat, inherited the Tengu pride in their sword mastery. When Benimaru looks down on her abilities, she becomes fiercely motivated to get payback and earn his respect.

This leads to a great moment where Momiji challenges Benimaru to a rematch and actually defeats him! For such a proud warrior like Benimaru, it‘s a huge blow to his ego. But it also makes him start to see Momiji in a new light, acknowledging her skills with a blade. From there, sparks seem to fly between the odd couple.

Marriage Between Former Foes

After the Tengu kingdom forges an important alliance with Rimuru‘s budding nation, it paves the way for Benimaru and Momiji‘srelationship to blossom. I just love this classic trope of former rivals becoming a couple! Despite their prickly start, the two warriors come to recognize their counterpart‘s dedication and principles.

Their marriage effectively seals the union between the Tengu and Rimuru‘s monsters. It‘s a political match to tie their peoples together. But it‘s also clear from the light novels that real affection has grown between Benimaru and Momiji. I think it‘s adorable seeing Benimaru‘s usual gruffness soften around his new wife.

One of my favorite moments is when Momiji playfully teases Benimaru for showing off by fighting without a weapon. Even as his spouse, she won‘t hesitate to poke holes in his arrogance! Yet she also understands him deeply, able to calm his anger with a word.

The Perfect Combat Power Couple

Something I love about Benimaru and Momiji‘s dynamic is that they make such a natural battle pair. As two of the strongest warriors among their respective races, they complement each other perfectly in combat.

Momiji‘s refined swordsmanship and aerial mobility pair beautifully with Benimaru‘s overwhelming physical power and skill at close quarters. Any enemy that has to face these two together is in for a world of hurt! They really showcase the synergy between the ogres and Tengu.

And once they have kids, look out! With Momiji‘s grace and Benimaru‘s brawn, their children show remarkable talent from a young age. Their daughter inherits Momiji‘s artistic sword skills. Meanwhile the sons take after Benimaru‘s brute strength and fiery magic. Just imagine this family teaming up – they‘d be unstoppable!

Changes in the Anime Adaptation

Unfortunately, the relationship between Benimaru and Momiji ends up truncated in the transition to anime. Many fans were disappointed that Momiji has very limited screen time and her marriage to Benimaru is never brought up. I definitely missed getting to see their fun combative chemistry animated.

I‘m hoping if a third season does get produced, the show will dive deeper into the Benimaru/Momiji romance. It‘s such a nice change of pace from Rimuru‘s usual crew of admirers! And it fleshes out Benimaru‘s character in an interesting way. Maybe they‘re saving it for later since the Tengu kingdom has an larger role to play in future story arcs.

Why This Couple Won My Fandom Heart

As someone who really enjoys the rivals-to-lovers trope in anime, Benimaru and Momiji quickly became one of my favorite pairings. It reminds me of couples like Vegeta and Bulma from Dragonball Z – you just know their conversations are full of sarcasm and witty banter.

I think it‘s because they have fantastic chemistry as equals who push each other to be stronger. Momiji doesn‘t fawn over Benimaru like some lovestruck damsel. She challenges him and puts him in his place when needed. And Benimaru clearly respects Momiji‘s skills as a fellow badass warrior.

Beyond their dynamic combat prowess, I find their softer domestic moments very sweet. Under his grumpy attitude, Benimaru seems to treasure having a family with Momiji. And Momiji brings out his nurturing side we rarely see otherwise. They really balance and complement one another perfectly.

So in summary, I‘m eagerly awaiting the day when we get to see more of Benimaru‘s loving if unconventional partnership with the Tengu princess Momiji! Their relationship brings great character development for Benimaru and adds interesting new dimension to the world of That Time I Got Reincarnated as a Slime. Here‘s hoping for plenty of scenes with the happy couple (and their awesome kids) if we get a third season!

Let me know which anime romances are your favorites! I could gush about fictional pairings for hours. Whether it‘s combat soulmates like these two or passionate drama like Your Lie in April, I just adore seeing how creative fictional relationships can get. Feel free to hit me up about your OTPs on social media or forums!