When a goddess asks for a favor … it is good to say no?
Creative Staff:
Original Story: Kisetsu Morita
Illustrations By: Benio
Translation: Taylor Engel
What They Say:
I’ve been killing slimes for 300 years, and now … I’m a slime?!
… I mean, inside a pocket sandbox world, though. I’m a bit worried about getting back home, but I’ll be an adventure anyway! This time, I also get my hair cut (no, not because of a breakup), go on a little date with my daughters, and watch sports in the demon lands … sort of. Not only that, but I also get another (slime) daughter!
Plus, at the end of the book, company president Halkara shares more of her foodie adventures!
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
After winning a fight against the goddess named Nintan, Azusa had been on good terms with a deity from this world, but to have her interact with the Witch of the Highlands on such an informal basis would take some getting used to, especially when she would intrude upon her dreams. It was on such an occasion when this troublesome woman spoke to her via this method, but what made it particularly puzzling was the need to use Japanese subtitles in order to make herself easier to understand, only then asking for this new ally to look into a troubling matter, while utilizing a blatant threat to coerce the agreement. When seeing she had no other choice in the matter, Azusa listened to Nintan state she was losing control of her power, particularly within a man made pond that surrounds her temple which is becoming infested by power, and if it continues then worshippers will stop coming. While it would be easy for the goddess to simply raze everything to the ground, a better solution would be for the Witch of the Highlands to confront the power and find a way to control and kill it since she is a human, and if she did not agree to this request, the deity drove her point forward by asking what kind of frog she wished to be if she refused.
The next morning Azusa climbed onboard Laika and they headed to the grand temple of Nintan, with her red dragon apprentice questioning how unusual it is to fight a pond, the teacher wondering if she could defeat such an abstract concept as power, with neither being able to grasp the idea of what or who they had to confront. However, after arriving near the capital city, they decided to walk to the rest of the way to the town of Nintania, but were instantly alarmed by the people they encountered – most of them wore skintight coverings over their entire bodies, and strangely these things appeared to be made from material similar to stockings from Azusa’s old-world which ladies wore on their legs. And yet as they wandered deeper into the religious compound, both were overcome by a growing sense of dread, that is until they began to see people running away and screaming in pain, with their tension building about taking what seemed to be an impossible job, and even wondering if there had been a prophecy of doom for this year from one of the various faiths within the world, all culminating upon overhearing some of the priests proclaiming this must be the wraith of Nintan. But as they neared the center of the facility, the man-made pond finally came within sight and massive swarms of black dots were seen buzzing around its surface accompanied by an unpleasant whining sound, with Laika confirming this insect was not seen in the highlands as she smacked her arm: mosquitoes.
It had been a terrible misunderstanding, when Azusa read the subtitles from her dream in Japanese, the words for mosquito and power look very similar, in fact they are almost indistinguishable in Hiragana and so when she thought Nintan has told her to destroy power, the goddess had actually asked the witch to kill the annoyances. Whose fault was it, not that it really mattered for as Aizawa pondered that perplexing puzzle, a priest dressed from head to toe in creepy robes approached, and while his selection of clothing made him look more like a cultist than a holy man, immediately addressed the pair and asked if she was the Witch of the Highlands. Confirming his suspicion the leader of the temple was told she would come via an oracle, and promptly asked for the extermination of the pests by any means necessary, only to then remind the visitors not to stand in one place for any extended time, pointing out they had already been bitten at least fifteen times each. With both screaming out in alarm and only then noticing how itchy they were, two of the world’s strongest inhabitants had been attacked and pacified by lowly insects, allowing for Laika’s dragon fury to seethe with the announcement she would burn them all to a crisp, permitting the teacher to firmly agree – they would eradicate every last one.
In Summary:
While past volumes of this series have had touching opening moments due to warm interactions between Azusa and her extended family, this book begins under a more frivolous foundation, permitting Morita-sensei to expose loyal readers to an unusual side of his writing style by underscoring the usual seriousness and beginning with an absurd notion which would seem more at home with Western audiences – translation errors. To consider that the Japanese language could be confusing even to native speakers is astonishing, and yet what make it all the more puzzling is how the subtleties of a single line stroke or positioning of the brush could create an entirely different word, all to the befuddlement foreigners who may never understand. And yet it is through this creative conundrum that this skilled writer begins this surprising narrative and builds on the nostalgia which Azusa would miss after three hundred years, all while interweaving the same sincere affection which we have come to adore from prior books. But at the same time, these odd interjections of sentimentality at times seem out of place for a world which is inhabited by demons and friendly monsters, especially when one attempts to imagine the more outlandish notions that have been adapted to this isekai story, such as minotaurs wearing mawashi and performing sumo wrestling.
I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level continues to delight readers with the misadventures of Azusa and her family, and while we may attempt to understand the staggering openness within these realms for entertainment, it is from this uniqueness that surprises continue due to boundless possibilities. And yet at the same time, while one may become exasperated by the nonsensical departures of what we may consider normal, all of these questionable side trips somehow fit into the odd puzzle which is the life of the Witch of the Highlands, even if we may wonder how Morita-sensei may have come up with such baffling ideas. But while the strangeness of these interesting narratives expands our understanding of this isekai world, one cannot deny the end result is a continuation of what we adore about the series – profound tenderness within kindness and understanding.
Content Grade: A-
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: 13 & Up
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: January 19, 2021
MSRP: $14.00
