May Day 2021: Azusa Says: “Worker’s Rights!”

Today is International Workers’ Day, and we thought we would take the time to acknowledge Azusa, the protagonist (and unwitting labor rights activist) of I’ve Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level!

Many isekai stories start off with the protagonist dying and reincarnating into an RPG-esque world, and Killing Slimes is no different. But Azusa has a particularly depressing death at the far-too-young age of 27, brought on by overwork. At the outset of the story, she recounts her days pulling all-nighters, working through weekends, and generally giving everything she has to her job – until she doesn’t have anything left to give!

When confronted with a sympathetic angel in the hereafter, Azusa requests to be reborn into a situation where she can lead a lazy, carefree life. She is thus reincarnated as an immortal witch, and she sets her sights on a life of leisure right off the bat!

Azusa’s new life is an ideal one. She does some work – killing slimes to keep herself solvent as she whiles away her immortality reading books, tending her garden, eating good food, and enjoying her all-girl found family. When her apprentice, Laika, offers to work overnight to complete construction on a new wing of Azusa’s house, Azusa firmly puts her foot down, emphasizing to Laika that while hard work is admirable, overwork is unhealthy and unsustainable.

As Azusa’s circle of friends widens, she moves farther away from the carefree life she had cultivated for 300 years. But she strikes an important balance between her responsibilities as the most powerful Witch of the Highlands and the activities that make her happy.

So today, we wish you all the wisdom of Azusa, who learned the hard way that life is about more than labor. May you find fulfillment in your work, but also rest and happiness in your free time – and take time off, for goodness’ sake!

You can join Azusa, Laika, and the whole crew with the I've Been Killing Slimes for 300 Years and Maxed Out My Level light novel and manga! And don't forget to check out the anime, streaming now on Crunchyroll!