KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! was originally a web novel on the Japanese user-generated novel publishing website Shosetsuka ni Naro. It eventually captured the attention of Japanese publishing company Kadokawa Shoten, and they released KonoSuba as a light novel series in late 2013. From there, KonoSuba's unconventional story gathered enough popularity for it to receive a faithful anime adaptation in 2016 with a third season announced as of October 2021.
KonoSuba's charm comes from its deconstruction of typical isekai tropes, effectively a breath of fresh air for anime audiences who've been bombarded with terribly clichéd isekai anime. From its thoroughly degenerate cast of main characters to its character's desperate attempts to make money, KonoSuba breaks a ton of isekai clichés.
10 Aqua, The Self-Proclaimed All-Powerful Goddess Character, Is Usually Useless
While "useless" might be a bit harsh, and Aqua has come in handy on a few occasions, most of the time she's just dead weight to the team. When Aqua was sent to Axel along with Kazuma, her goddess status gave her impressive stats across the board, except when it came to Intelligence and Luck. God characters in other isekai anime are typically far less clumsy and much more capable than Aqua. This is evidenced in KonoSuba itself, where the goddess Eris is much more representative of a typical isekai goddess.
9 Megumin, The Talented Mage Character, Has A Self-Imposed Limited Skillset
Most mage characters in isekai anime are impressive people with a wide range of valuable spells to use, and their skillset only improves with time. But that's not the case for the Arch Wizard Megumin, KonoSuba's resident mage character. Although Megumin has a large mana pool and a high Intelligence stat, she refuses to learn any other type of magic besides Explosion magic. Since she spends all her stat points on increasing her Explosion skill, she's typically able to execute only one Explosion spell a day.
8 Darkness, The Knight Character, Is An Incorrigible Pervert
Knights and swordsman are essential ingredients to a typical isekai anime, and most isekai are bound to have at least one character who fits that mold. Knight characters are usually principled, upstanding people with strong morals and a desire to prove themselves as warriors.
But KonoSuba's Darkness couldn't be further from the typical knight character. Darkness is a noble who adventures as a knight so she can be humiliated and defeated. She's not very skilled in swordsmanship, and more often than not, she's used as a decoy while the others fight.
7 Kazuma, The Main Character, Is Underhanded & Sneaky
The protagonist of any series is supposed to be as likable and relatable as possible. That way, audiences can see a bit of themselves in the protagonist and cheer them on. But Kazuma isn't a typical protagonist. Instead of being a blank slate character audiences can project themselves on, Kazuma has a distinctive personality that portrays him as a shrewd, calculating person who tends to keep a lot to himself. He's also not above taking advantage of any given situation to turn it in his favor.
6 Kazuma Is Not Overpowered & Has No Special Skill Worthy Of Note
Many isekai characters, such as Kirito from Sword Art Online, enter the fantasy realm already overpowered or manage to become overpowered quickly. Kazuma, on the other hand, comes with no special skills to speak of. He's not overpowered, and his most impressive stat is his Luck stat. Furthermore, Kazuma uses very basic skills in the world of KonoSuba and usually relies on his intellect to get out of trouble. It's often his clever use of his other party members' skills that win the day instead of his own skills.
5 Kazuma Doesn't Have His Own Harem
Another staple in many isekai is the obligatory harem that the main character collects during his (or her) journey. Isekai as far back as Fushigi Yuugi in the 1990s showcase the tradition for isekai to have a harem aspect, with shows like In Another World With My Smartphone representing the modern take. But in KonoSuba, every female character Kazuma runs into is usually some form of degenerate or not interested in him romantically. Kazuma is definitely the type of character who would want a harem, but he'll never get one.
4 The Villains & Monsters Are Relatable & Understandable
Many isekai include a powerful antagonist who is already in control of the world or is enacting their plan for world domination. Oftentimes, these characters have vague or unrelatable reasons for their evil deeds. In KonoSuba, however, the villains are just trying to live their lives undisturbed.
The Dullahan that attacked Axel only did so after months of Megumin practicing her Explosion magic on his castle, and Wiz the Lich isn't interested in harming others. Instead, she just wants to run an artifact shop.
3 There's A Lack Of Danger Or Immediate Risk
Although KonoSuba opens under the pretense that there's an evil Dark Lord who needs to be defeated in the fantasy world, there hasn't been a whole lot of Dark-Lord-based conflict in the anime. KonoSuba takes on more of a slice-of-life quality with its portrayal of Kazuma's adventure. Kazuma and his group usually get involved in some mishap or another, often because they're trying to make money for living expenses. In other words, they're just trying to live their lives like anyone else, and there's no dire threat to stop them.
2 Kazuma's Death Is Hilariously Pathetic & Anticlimactic
Isekai anime have a variety of methods that pull protagonists into the other world that they occupy. Miaka Yuki gets sucked into a book in Fushigi Yuugi, Kirito gets trapped in an online game in Sword Art Online, and Kagome Higurashi uses a magical well in Inuyasha. Death is another way characters enter another realm. While characters who die and enter another world usually have a heroic or tragic death, Kazuma merely had heart failure from stress because he thought he was going to get struck by a speeding vehicle.
1 The Series Is Oddly Realistic In Its Approach To The Story
Isekai anime are primarily fantasy. They're idealized situations where an ordinary person enters a mystical world and becomes its hero, finding glory and romance along the way. But KonoSuba is cut from a different cloth. While it's undoubtedly fantasy, the everyday happenings in KonoSuba are far from epic. They're frequently run-of-the-mill situations where the main cast is just trying to survive. Since it's a parody anime, the anticlimactic slice-of-life aspect in KonoSuba suits the series quite well. It's a refreshing break from the typical high-stakes adventure isekai.
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