Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army – Episode 1

Content Warning: Fanservice

What’s this about? Dariel was a magicless solider in the Demon King’s army: emphasis on was. Despite his intellect and initiative, Dariel finds himself without a job when his supervisor gets replaced. Left with nothing to do and nowhere to go, he retires early to a village of humans, eager to get a new start using his skills to help others.

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In 2022, I turned thirty, an age that I was told to dread but actually, find freeing. As an AFAB individual, thirty has been a splendid ride thus far: each day makes me feel more and more untethered from society’s expectations. I feel free to create, to live, to do what I want. Let me tell you, it’s been amazing: I’m already looking forward to thirty-one.

I suppose that’s why I expected to feel a bit of kinship with Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army because like…mood. I’d be pretty upset if I got kicked out of my job at thirty. Thus began the journey of Dariel and myself as we found our way through another fantasy premiere.

Episode 1, “Dariel Gets Fired” (Fun fact: read that as Darel, which is a much funnier title tbh) starts with well…the four generals kicking Dariel out of the Demon King’s Army. Our protag is given the fantasy pink slip and told to get out and stay out.

And what’s a dude to do when he’s in his thirties without a job? Why, get a boobalicious babe to make the sting of unemployment feel a little bit better. Ah, but after he defeats a monster and makes it through the opening.

Duty first, and all.

What ensues is Dariel just kind of kicking it in a village, learning how to use his aura abilities, and getting constantly glomped by Marika, who the camera loves to leer at, starting from the nipple up or the decolletage down. Take your pick, really. Still, that’s kind of all the plot has, and it’s a very thin plot at that.

Chillin’ in My 30s is just okay. It’s the frozen apple pie of anime: it’ll always be decent, and if you get the one with the Dutch crumble, it’ll even be a bit fun. I actually can’t think of a bad thing to say necessarily because Dariel’s life post-Demonic Army seems to make him happy so like…pop off, my liege! I don’t hate it.

I can’t even hate on the positively massive breasts on Marika, the first girl Dariel meets, because like…no surprise there. Special village girl got them dobonhonkeros and nothing will change that, animators be damned. That said, the fact that Dariel gets a girl for his troubles in the form a busty, buxom, bouncy village maiden–and they do not let you forget she is busty, buxom, and bouncy–just…isn’t great. It’s the kind of icky sexism that just makes me sigh and need a nap. And worse, it just feels like yet another thing this anime is ticking off the list. I’m not even disappointed, because of course it is: I’m just tepidly upset.

If anything, my biggest complaint might be that this is just another middling story in the same vein as Beast Tamer. Ironically, both of the female leads look the same too…must be something in the digital water with these fantasy series, huh? I’m not sure why we keep getting these bland ass anime about a black haired dude and the girl that inexplicably falls for him, but they must be making someone money.

Ultimately, all this anime has going for it is the slips of fanservice in the form of a camera that loves to linger on Marika’s chest every chance it gets. She is the sole bit of entertainment, if you’re fifteen and find boob jiggle to be any kind of fun in a show with all the flavor of a Necco wafer. Other than that, there’s really nothing to say about this series: it’s bland, it’s predictable, and in the end, it just isn’t fun.

I know there’s a demographic coming from the source material, as there always is: I hope they enjoy Chillin’ in My 30s after Getting Fired from the Demon King’s Army to the best of their abilities. I’ll likely leave this one behind: my thirties are precious, after all, and I refuse to spend them chillin’ with this series unless absolutely necessary.