KonoSuba

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!
The first light novel volume cover featuring Kazuma Satō (left) and Aqua (right). The volume was released in Japan on October 1, 2013.
この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!)
Genre	Comedy, Fantasy
Novel series
Written by	Jitakukeibihei (Natsume Akatsuki)
Published by	Shousetsuka ni Narou
Original run	December 20, 2012 – October 21, 2013
Volumes	5
Light novel
Written by	Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrated by	Kurone Mishima
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
English publisher	NA: Yen Press
Imprint	Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Demographic	Male
Original run	October 1, 2013 – present
Volumes	12
Light novel
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo!
Written by	Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrated by	Kurone Mishima
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Imprint	Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Demographic	Male
Original run	July 1, 2014 – present
Volumes	3
Manga
Written by	Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrated by	Masahito Watari
Published by	Fujimi Shobo
English publisher	NA: Yen Press
Magazine	Monthly Dragon Age
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	September 9, 2014 – present
Volumes	5
Anime television series
Directed by	Takaomi Kanasaki
Produced by	Rie Ogura
Written by	Makoto Uezu
Music by	Masato Kouda
Studio	Studio Deen
Licensed by	Crunchyroll
Original network	Tokyo MX, TVS, CTC, tvk, SUN, GBS, MTV, TVQ, BS11
Original run	January 14, 2016 – March 16, 2017
Episodes	20 + 2 OVA
Light novel
Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sōdan wo!
Written by	Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrated by	Kurone Mishima
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Imprint	Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko
Demographic	Male
Published	April 1, 2016
Manga
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo!
Written by	Natsume Akatsuki
Illustrated by	Kasumi Morino
Published by	Kadokawa Shoten
Magazine	Comic Alive
Demographic	Shōnen
Original run	May 27, 2016 – present
Video game
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! -Kono Yokubukai Game ni Shinpan o!-
Developer	5pb.
Publisher	5pb.
Genre	Visual novel
Platform	PlayStation Vita, Playstation 4
Released	September 7, 2017

KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! (この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!) is a Japanese light novel series written by Natsume Akatsuki. The series follows a boy who is sent to a fantasy world following his death, forming a dysfunctional party with a goddess, a wizard, and a crusader to fight against monsters. Beginning as a web novel series published on Shousetsuka ni Narou between December 2012 and October 2013, the series was revised into a printed light novel series with illustrations by Kurone Mishima, which began publication under Kadokawa Shoten's Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko Imprint from October 2013.

A manga adaptation, illustrated by Masahito Watari, began serialization in Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age magazine from October 2014. A radio drama CD was released by HobiRecords in March 2015, and an anime television adaptation by Studio Deen aired in Japan between January and March 2016. A second season of the anime aired between January and March 2017. A spin-off light novel series, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen o!, began publication from July 2014. Both the light novels and the manga are licensed in North America by Yen Press.

The series has enjoyed positive reception and commercial success.

Plot

Following an untimely and embarrassing death, Kazuma Satō, a Japanese teenage shut-in NEET, meets a goddess named Aqua, who offers to reincarnate him in a parallel world with MMORPG elements, where he can go on adventures and battle monsters. Despite being offered a superpowered item or ability to use in this new world, Kazuma, following some provocation, chooses Aqua herself to accompany him to the town of Axel, quickly finding her absent-mindedness to be less than beneficial.^{LN 1.P} With Aqua unable to return to the afterlife until the Devil King is defeated, the two form a party and recruit two other members; an explosion-obsessed magician named Megumin and a masochistic crusader named Darkness.^{LN 1.2.4} Due to the party's dysfunctional abilities, Kazuma quickly gives up on the idea of defeating the Devil King and tries to live a luxurious lifestyle, only to find the circumstances of his daily life are forcing him and his party to encounter and battle the Devil King's generals.^{LN 2.3}

Characters

Kazuma's party

Kazuma Satō (佐藤 和真, Satō Kazuma)

Voiced by: Ryōta Ōsaka (drama CD), Jun Fukushima (anime)

Kazuma is a 16-year-old game-obsessed shut-in, becoming one after having his heart broken by his childhood friend in middle school.^{LN 5.2.2} While returning home from buying a video game, he attempted to save a classmate from being hit by what he believed was a truck (which turned out to be a tractor that was going to stop beforehand), but went through acute stress reaction and died. As a result, he is sent to the parallel reality and becomes a role-playing game character.^{LN 1.P} He has average stats in crucial categories, but above average intelligence and extremely high luck, neither of which are important for adventurers.^{LN 1.1.1} Regardless, he becomes one and learns basic skills such as stealing, archery, monster detection, and magic.

Aqua (アクア, Akua)

Voiced by: Kaori Fukuhara (drama CD), Sora Amamiya (anime)

Aqua is the goddess of water who judged humans to send to the RPG world, up until Kazuma dragged her along with him.^{LN 1.P} She is an energetic and inattentive girl who likes to receive reverence for her status, particularly from her Axis cult, and gets upset easily. As an archpriest and a goddess, she is powerful against demons and the undead, and is able to resurrect recently deceased people as well as purify water supplies. However, despite her high stats in magic, her intelligence and luck are among the worst;^{LN 1.1.1} additionally, rather than learning skills which would benefit her party, she spends most of her skill points learning party tricks.^{LN 1.1.7}

Megumin (めぐみん)

Voiced by: Maaya Uchida (drama CD), Rie Takahashi (anime)

Megumin is a 13-year-old archwizard who is part of the Crimson Demons race – powerful humans who possess black hair, red eyes, and chūnibyō characteristics.^{LN 5.5.5} Megumin only knows a single spell, an incredibly powerful Explosion spell that immediately incapacitates her for the rest of the day when cast, and refuses to learn any other skills. Due to the strength and resulting fallout of the spell, she struggles to find a party who would accept her prior to meeting Kazuma.^{LN 1.1.7}

Darkness (ダクネス, Dakunesu)

Voiced by: Marina Inoue (drama CD), Ai Kayano (anime)

Darkness is a 18-year-old crusader who possesses powerful offense and defense, but lacks the accuracy to deliver her attacks.^{LN 1.2.4} She is a masochist who dreams of being ravaged by monsters or married to an abusive husband; regardless, she becomes serious with issues involving her friends. It is later revealed that her actual name is Lalatina Dustiness Ford (ダスティネス・フォード・ララティーナ, Dasutinesu Fōdo Raratīna), and is a noble from the influential Dustiness family who became a crusader against her father's wishes.^{LN 3.3.2}

Devil King's generals

The Devil King (魔王, Maō) is the main antagonist of the story, who aspires to destroy the humans. In a legend, he is described as being a talented, yet isolated, youth who defeated the previous Devil King and assumed his role.^{LN Ex. 2.E} He has eight generals to serve him, all of whom must be defeated before one would attack his castle.^{LN 2.3.2}

Verdia (ベルディア, Berudia)

Voiced by: Hiroki Yasumoto (anime)

Verdia is a dullahan and former knight.^{LN 1.3.5} He becomes hostile towards Kazuma's party after Megumin keeps using his castle for Explosion practice. He is weak against water and is defeated by Aqua's purifying magic.^{LN 1.4.6} Though he had a sense of honor from his knighthood days, he also had a tendency to roll his head underneath Wiz's skirt as she walked by.^{LN 2.3.2}

Vanir (バニル, Baniru)

Voiced by: Masakazu Nishida

Vanir was one of the Devil King's generals who ends up taking over the management of Wiz's magic shop.^{LN 4.1.1} He is the devil of foresight and one of the dukes of hell, with the ability to read everything about anybody, but he cannot read anything about people that are as powerful as he is (the Devil King's generals and other dukes), people stronger than him (Aqua and other gods), and people who are a little weaker than him; these people have their readings clouded and incomplete. An exception to this is Kazuma, whose cunning nature makes him hard to read. He also has very powerful combat skills that he refuses to use on humans.^{LN 3.4.4}

Planning to resign from his position as a boss,^{LN 3.E4} Vanir discovers a previously-cleared dungeon which he turns into his hideout, hoping to achieve his dream of tricking those who defeat him in battle into thinking there were riches inside a treasure chest, only to discover a piece of paper mocking them.^{LN 3.4.4} He is subsequently defeated by Megumin's Explosion spell and forms a second body to live in, moving to Axel and starts working at Wiz's shop.^{LN 3.E4} He holds a grudge against Aqua, who frequently attempts to purify him.^{LN 4.2.2}

Hans (ハンス, Hansu)

Voiced by: Kenjiro Tsuda (anime)

Hans is a deadly poison slime variant type with the ability to devour anything, taking the form of those he devoured and a strong body of poison, which he uses in an attempt to destroy the hot springs.^{LN 4.5.4}

Sylvia (シルヴィア, Shiruvia)

Sylvia is a growth chimera with the ability to modify his own body. Though he takes the form of a woman, he retains his genitalia.^{LN 5.4.7} He attacks the home of the Crimson Demons, whom he despises due to their frequent usage of magic.^{LN 5.5.4}

Wolbach (ウォルバク, Worubaku)

The evil goddess of violence and sloth, Wolbach is worshiped by the Devil King's subordinates.^{LN 9.4.3} She uses her vast reserves of mana to cast Explosion magic on the Belzerg fort at the frontlines, then to teleport to safety. She was split into two entities, one of them humanoid, and the other is Chomusuke, Megumin's cat.^{LN 9.5.6} In the Explosions spin-off series, it is revealed Wolbach had saved a young Megumin from her other self by using Explosion magic, which inspired the Crimson Demon to learn the spell.^{LN Ex. 1.P}

Supporting characters

Eris (エリス, Erisu)

Voiced by: Ayaka Suwa (anime)

Eris is a goddess of the RPG world whom Kazuma first meets after he is killed during a battle. She is kindhearted but is prone to embarrassment from Aqua, who is jealous over how much more Eris is worshiped despite being Aqua's junior goddess.^{LN 2.1.4} It is later revealed Chris is her persona in this world.^{LN 7.E2}

Chris (クリス, Kurisu)

Voiced by: Ayaka Suwa (anime)

Chris is Darkness' friend and a thief who teaches Kazuma the Steal skill.^{LN 1.2.2} She is Eris' alternate persona;^{LN 7.E2} in contrast with her docile nature as Eris, Chris has a more energetic personality.^{LN 6.2.1} In the sixth volume, she targets the houses of nobility to steal holy relics, and is dubbed the Chivalrous Thief.^{LN 6.3.7}

Wiz (ウィズ, Wizu)

Voiced by: Saori Hayami (drama CD), Yui Horie (anime)

Wiz is a powerful lich wizard and formerly one of the Devil King's generals. She was tasked with maintaining the barrier surrounding the King's castle,^{LN 2.3.2} though she eventually leaves her position under a neutrality agreement which prohibits her from interfering with the King's army as long as non-combatants are not targeted by his forces.^{LN 4.5.6} She is a timid and kind woman who uses her powers to assist civilians and lead lost spirits to the afterlife.^{LN 1.2.8} She runs an unsuccessful magic shop in Axel which is later managed by Vanir, in which she is treated like a slave worker.^{LN 4.1.4}

Yunyun (ゆんゆん, Yun'yun)

Voiced by: Kana Hanazawa (drama CD), Aki Toyosaki (anime)

Yunyun is Megumin's former classmate and daughter to the Crimson Demons' chief.^{LN 3.1.3} She has a normal personality, causing her to be ironically estranged from her chūnibyō peers. Yunyun is a highly skilled archwizard and forms a rivalry with Megumin as an excuse to create a friendship.

Kyōya Mitsurugi (御剣 響夜, Mitsurugi Kyōya)

Voiced by: Kōsuke Toriumi (drama CD), Takuya Eguchi (anime)

Kyōya is another human who was sent to this world by Aqua. He was given a cursed sword known as Gram as his chosen item upon entry, but loses it in a fight to Kazuma, who uses his Steal skill to swipe it.^{LN 1.3.8} Kazuma later pawns it off for extra money. Kyōya parties with two girls, spear and dagger users, by his side.^{LN 1.3.9} When word of the Chivalrous Thief's burglaries spreads, Kyōya is summoned to the capital to serve as a guard.^{LN 6.3.6}

Dust (ダスト, Dasuto)

Voiced by: Junji Majima

Dust is the local delinquent in Axel and a friend of Kazuma, often getting drunk in the guild's tavern or arrested for petty crimes.^{LN 2.1.7LN 3.1.2} A spear user, he travels with a party of three: Taylor, a sword user, Rin, a wizard, and Keith, an archer.^{LN 2.1.8} In the second volume, Dust and Kazuma switch parties for a day; while Kazuma and Dust's party successfully complete their quest, Dust and Kazuma's party end their quest in disaster.^{LN 2.1.12}

Kingdom of Belzerg

Much of KonoSuba's story takes place in the Kingdom of Belzerg,^{LN 10.3.6} particularly in the city of Axel, where most rookie adventurers are located. One of Axel's landmarks is its guild, where adventurers can register for jobs and take quests.^{LN 1.1.1} Also located in Belzerg is the city of Alcanretia, one known for its hot springs and civilian population devoted to the Axis cult.^{LN 4.3.1}

Luna (ルナ, Runa)

Voiced by: Sayuri Hara (anime)

Luna is a receptionist in the Axel guild.^{LN M.3.1} She works at the guild's counter, assisting adventurers in registering and providing quests.^{LN 1.1.1} Despite her attractive appearance and large bust, she does not have any romantic endeavors due to her consuming work, much to her chagrin.^{LN M.3.6}

Ruffian (荒くれ者, Arakuremono)

Voiced by: Tetsu Inada (anime)

A recurring anime-exclusive character who resides in Axel and appears during important plot points. It is later revealed he is merely an artisan weaver.

Sena (セナ)

Voiced by: Hitomi Nabatame

Sena is the special prosecutor of the Kingdom of Belzerg in charge of serious crimes, such as treason and conspiring with the Devil King. She was sent to arrest and investigate Kazuma when the teleported Destroyer core blew up Alderp's mansion.^{LN 3.1.1} Despite Kazuma's innocence, she remains suspicious of his activities and summons him to solve various situations, including the confrontation with Vanir.^{LN 3.4.1}

Alderp Alexei Barnes (アレクセイ・バーネス・アルダープ, Arekusei Bānesu Arudāpu)

Voiced by: Takashi Nagasako

The Lord of Axel, whose mansion was destroyed by Kazuma's decision to randomly teleport the Destroyer's core. As punishment, he attempts to manipulate the trial to sentence Kazuma to death, but fails upon Darkness' intervention.^{LN 3.1.2} His estate is later under the scrutiny of Kazuma's party after a wave of robberies plagues the nation's nobility.^{LN 6.3.1}

Walther Alexei Barnes (アレクセイ・バーネス・バルター, Arekusei Bānesu Barutā)

Voiced by: Kaito Ishikawa

Alderp's son, a kind, courteous, and noble-minded knight of the realm, who was to wed Darkness as arranged by his father (much to Darkness' distaste).^{LN 3.3.6} When Darkness invents the story that she cannot marry him as she is carrying Kazuma's child, he decides to tell his father that he has declined the match.^{LN 3.3.11}

Ignis Dustiness Ford (ダスティネス・フォード・イグニス, Dasutinesu Fōdo Igunis)

Voiced by: Kazuhiko Inoue

A prominent noble and Darkness' father. He disapproves of his daughter's adventuring lifestyle and attempts to arrange marriages for her, though to little success.^{LN 3.3.2} After Alderp's disappearance, Ignis becomes the next Lord of Axel.^{LN 8.1.1}

Iris (アイリス, Airisu) / Belzerg Stylish Sword Iris (ベルゼルグ･スタイリッシュ・ソード・アイリス, Beruzerugu Sutairisshu Sōdo Airisu)

Iris is the princess of Belzerg. Curious about adventure stories, she develops a close relationship with Kazuma, whom she treats like her older brother.^{LN 6.2.4} Despite her age, she is proficient with swords and carries a divine blade called Calibur.^{LN 10.2.3}

Media

Novels

The original web novel series written by Natsume Akatsuki was published on Syosetu between December 2012 and October 2013. The author also wrote a side story featuring Wiz and Vanir. Akatsuki, who enjoyed playing fantasy video games like Wizardry and Final Fantasy, also derived much of KonoSuba's fantasy elements from tabletop role-playing games.

A light novel version with illustrations by Kurone Mishima began release under Kadokawa Shoten's Kadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint from October 1, 2013, with twelve volumes released as of July 24, 2017. The light novel diverges significantly from the web novel's plot from the sixth volume onwards, and also features changes to the characters' ages.

A Megumin-focused spin-off light novel series, also written and illustrated by Akatsuki and Mishima respectively, titled Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! (この素晴らしい世界に爆焔を！, lit. "Give Explosions to This Wonderful World!") and takes place a year prior to the main series, began release from July 1, 2014, with three volumes released as of June 1, 2015. A sequel novel was released December 28, 2016, named Zoku: Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! (続・この素晴らしい世界に爆焔を！, lit. "Sequel: Give Explosions to This Wonderful World!"). Another spin-off featuring Vanir was published on April 1, 2016, called Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sōdan wo! (この仮面の悪魔に相談を！, lit. "Consulting with the Masked Devil!").

Yen Press announced on May 20, 2016 that it had licensed the light novels for release in North America. The first volume was released in conjunction with the second manga volume on February 21, 2017.

Volume lists

KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Beautiful World!

No.	Title	Original release date	English release date
1	Oh! My Useless Goddess! Aa, Damegami-sama (あぁ、駄女神さま)	October 1, 2013 978-4-04-101020-4	February 21, 2017 978-0-31-655337-7
1. May I Go to a New World with This Self-Proclaimed Goddess! 2. May There Be Treasure (By Which I Mean Panties) in This Right Hand! 3. May the Self-Proclaimed Goddess Have Her First Pressing at This Lake! 4. May There Be an End to This Useless Battle!
After meeting an untimely death, Kazuma Satō is greeted by the goddess Aqua who offers to send him to a reality with MMORPG elements to battle the Devil King there. Given the choice of anything to arm himself with, Kazuma chooses Aqua herself and the two are teleported to a town called Axel, where they recruit two other party members, Megumin and Darkness. As the party complete quests to earn money for their daily life, their actions anger one of the Devil King's generals, Dullahan, who attacks the town but is thwarted by Kazuma and Aqua's efforts.
2	Love, Witches & Other Delusions! Chūnibyō demo Majo ga Shitai! (中二病でも魔女がしたい！)	December 1, 2013 978-4-04-101110-2	April 18, 2017 978-0-31-646870-1
1. May I Trade with These True Friends! 2. May There Be Peace for the Master of This Maze! 3. May Love Reach Out to This Ghost Girl! 4. God's Blessing on This Wonderful Shop! 5. May We Do Away With This Outrageous Fortress!
The volume covers the party's daily life: Kazuma is killed while on a quest hunting snow fairies and is revived by Aqua; Kazuma and Dust swap parties for a day, with the former successfully completing his quest and the latter's ending in disaster; Kazuma and Aqua explore a dungeon and help an old couple pass into the afterlife; Kazuma visits Wiz and takes a request to exorcise a mansion, their success allows the party to use the mansion as a home; and Kazuma hires a succubus to induce a nocturnal emission but fails due to Aqua's barrier. When a mobile fortress, the Destroyer, threatens Axel, Kazuma leads his party to counter the attack, only to inadvertently destroy a noble's house, landing him with a warrant for his arrest.
3	You're Being Summoned, Darkness Yondemasu yo, Dakunesu-san. (よんでますよ、ダクネスさん。)	March 1, 2014 978-4-04-101242-0	August 22, 2017 978-0-31-646873-2
1. May I Be Saved from This unfair Trial! 2. May There Be a Friend for This Crimson Magic Girl! 3. May There Be a Good Match for This Noble Daughter! 4. May This Masked Knight Submit!
The noble rigs the trial and condemns Kazuma to death. Darkness is forced to reveal her noble roots as the noble Lalatina to postpone the execution; in return, Lalatina is pressured into marrying the noble's son. The noble's son turns out to be a perfect gentleman so Kazuma and Aqua attempt to make the marriage meeting a success to prevent Lalatina's sadomasochistic dream from coming true; instead, Lalatina counters by convincing people that Kazuma is her lover. Meanwhile, the court prosecutor accuses Kazuma for summoning monsters in the old couple's dungeon. Realizing the court may find Aqua's magic in the dungeon and use it as false evidence, the party enter the dungeon and defeat the Devil King's general, Vanir. Vindicated of his crimes, Vanir proposes a business deal with Kazuma.
4	You Good-for-Nothing Quartet Namakura Karutetto (鈍ら四重奏)	May 1, 2014 978-4-04-101570-4	December 12, 2017 978-0-31-646876-3
In return for patenting technological knowledge Kazuma has of Japan, Vanir offers him a large amount of money after production. Feeling set for life, Kazuma's party and Wiz visit the hot springs in Alcanretia, a town which serves as a base for the infamous Axis Church, an aggressive and disillusioned cult that reveres Aqua. There, they encounter the Devil King's general, Hans, who attempts to poison the hot springs to destroy the town's source of income. With Aqua's insistence, the party kills Hans and return to Axel.
5	Let's Go, Crimson Magic of Explosion! Bakuretsu Kōma ni Rettsu & Gō (爆裂紅魔にレッツ&ゴー!!)	September 1, 2014 978-4-04-101571-1	—
The party learn from Yunyun that the Crimson Demon village is under attack by Devil King general Sylvia. On Megumin's request, the party follow Yunyun to the village. There, Kazuma makes advances towards Megumin and learns that a Japanese man created the Crimson Demons, along with weaponry to counter the Devil King's attacks. Sylvia attacks the village, but is defeated with a gun left behind by the Japanese man. Returning home, Kazuma receives a letter from a princess who wishes to meet him.
6	The Princess of the Six Flowers Rokka no Ōjo (六花の王女)	March 1, 2015 978-4-04-102267-2	—
As word of their victories against the Devil King spreads, Kazuma eagerly seizes upon an audience with the Crown. With the King called away by the endless war, they are received by the insatiably curious princess Iris. In the capital, they find the nobility in uproar as the empire's wealth vanishes into the clutches of the Chivalrous Thief. Though he catches the thief, Kazuma reluctantly admits failure when he discovers the culprit is none other than Chris, who is attempting to steal a holy body-swapping relic before it is used for malicious intent. His shame is only compounded when he is slain during a routine skirmish with the Devil King's army. Disgraced and exiled, Kazuma is forced to infiltrate the royal castle alongside Chris, though without his party, when a conspiracy to impersonate the royal family is uncovered...
7	10 Millions Bride Okusenman no Hanayome (億千万の花嫁)	September 1, 2015 978-4-04-103539-9	—
Lord Dustiness falls ill and, in order to save the family from debts, Darkness agrees to marry the landlord Alderp Alexei Barnes and quit the adventurer life. Kazuma and the group rescue Darkness from the wedding, while Aqua manages to heal Lord Dustiness, whose illness is revealed to be a demon's curse. Vanir discovers Alderp had made a pact with a demon named Maxwell in order to curse Lord Dustiness and had defrauded everyone with the demon's help. Vanir reminds Maxwell that he is owed payment for the pact, so Maxwell drags Alderp to Hell to collect it. For the rest of the people, it appears Alderp had fled because of shame.
8	Axis Cult vs Eris Cult Akushizu Kyōdan vs Erisu Kyōdan (アクシズ教団VSエリス教団)	January 1, 2016 978-4-04-103540-5	—
Aqua gets jealous of the Eris Festival that will happen in Axel, so she decides to host an Aqua Festival. Kazuma figures out the thief Chris is the goddess Eris in disguise and they team up to try to steal and seal a holy relic, the Sacred Armor Aigis, but they fail in the first attempt. Kazuma ends up having to help create stalls for the Aqua Festival and her cultists. As Kazuma and Chris discover that Aigis has a conscience and is a pervert, they convince the organizers to hold a Beauty Contest on the last day of the festival in order to lure the armor. The Sacred Armor is attracted by the event but refuses to surrender because the girls aren't attractive enough for it. Chris drops the disguise and joins the contest as Goddess Eris, and the crowd goes unruly because of the divine appearance. Aigis accepts that Eris is beautiful enough, lets her wear the armor, and helps her get away from the crowd.
9	The Crimson Fate Kurenai no Shukumei (紅の宿命)	July 1, 2016 978-4-04-103954-0	—
Kazuma and his group become aware of an evil goddess and Devil King general named Wolbach. The party goes to a fortress located on the frontlines, which is being attacked by Wolbach with guerrilla attacks via explosion magic and teleportation, to gain enough fame and recognition to legitimately visit Iris. Megumin, Kazuma, and Yunyun retaliate against Wolbach, who is revealed to be the mentor who taught Megumin of Explosion magic.
10	Gamble Scramble! Gyanburu Sukeranburu! (ギャンブル・スクランブル！)	November 1, 2016 978-4-04-104992-1	—
Upon receiving a letter from the capital regarding Iris' marriage meeting in the neighboring nation of Elroad, Kazuma acts as her bodyguard for the meeting. On their arrival, Kazuma finds out that the true motive behind the Iris' meeting was to secure defense funding from Elroad, which was to be used in the war effort against the Devil King. To secure the funds, Kazuma and Iris resort to gambling as Elroad's prince is hesitant to provide financial support for suspicious reasons.
11	The Archwizard's Sister Dai Mahoutsukai no Imouto (大魔法使いの妹)	May 1, 2017 978-4-04-104993-8	—
When his party returns to Axel, Kazuma elects to stay with Iris, but is quickly teleported back home at the demands of Iris' guards. Upon returning, Kazuma discovers he is locked out of his mansion by Aqua, who is unhappy with his decision to remain in the capital; with Megumin's help (and the assistance of the police), he successfully reclaims the mansion. Megumin's sister Komekko eventually arrives in Axel to escape the Devil King, where she provides moral support to Kazuma's party and the city's adventurers.
12	Lullaby of a Female Knight Onna Kishi no Rarabai (女騎士のララバイ)	July 24, 2017 978-4-04-105005-7	—

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen o!

No.	Title	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	Megumin's Turn Megumin no Tān (めぐみんのターン)	July 1, 2014	978-4-04-101866-8
Set two years before the beginning of the main series, this novel follows Megumin and Yunyun's time as students in the Crimson Demon village's high school. As a child, Megumin is saved from a black beast by a big-breasted woman using Explosion magic, who inspires her to learn the spell. The beast is shrunken by the woman and becomes a small cat, which is later adopted by Megumin and nicknamed Chomusuke. In school, Megumin and Yunyun are repeatedly competing with one another to be the best student, with the former hoping to raise enough Skill Points to learn Explosion magic.
2	YunYun's Turn YunYun no Tān (ゆんゆんのターン)	December 1, 2014	978-4-04-102438-6
After graduating, Megumin attempts to raise money to visit Alcanretia and meet the woman who saved her as a child. With enough funding, she is able to travel to Alcanretia, but fails to find the woman, who is reportedly in the city of Axel. Along with Yunyun, she battles Anis, a demon seeking to retake Chomusuke for a woman named Wolbach.
3	The Strongest Pair's Turn! Futari wa Saikyō! no Tān (ふたりは最強！のターン)	June 1, 2015	978-4-04-103100-1
In Axel, Megumin and Yunyun attempt to join parties, but Megumin's high-powered Explosion spell proves to be too overwhelming for her party members, while Yunyun's shyness scares off potential suitors. The two eventually partner together and fight Hoost, another demon hoping to take back Chomusuke. After parting ways, Megumin meets Kazuma and Aqua.

Zoku: Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen o!

No.	Title	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	We, Megumin's Thieves Warera, Megumin Tōzokudan (我ら、めぐみん盗賊団)	December 28, 2016	978-4-04-104991-4
This novel is set between the ninth and tenth novels of the main series. Inspired by the acts of the Chivalrous Thief, Megumin forms a thieving party with Yunyun and Iris. Later, Kazuma's party visits the home of the Tennessee family, a rival of the Dustinesses and led by a woman named Carleen. Suspicious about the monsters surrounding the estate, Kazuma, Chris, and Megumin infiltrate and confront Carleen, hoping to steal her divine weapon used to summon said monsters.

Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sōdan o!

No.	Title	Japanese release date	Japanese ISBN
1	Consulting with This Masked Devil! Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sōdan wo! (この仮面の悪魔に相談を！)	April 1, 2016	978-4-04-104293-9
Consulting with This Masked Devil! is set between the eighth and ninth novels of the main series, and features a series of vignettes following Vanir's life in Axel. Wanting to raise more money as his and Wiz's magic shop was struggling, Vanir opens a consulting center in the adventurers' guild. The spin-off also explores Wiz's own adventuring past, including her battles with Vanir and decision to become a lich.

Manga

A manga adaption of KonoSuba illustrated by Masahito Watari began serialization in the October 2014 issue of Fujimi Shobo's Monthly Dragon Age magazine on September 9, 2014. Five tankōbon volumes have been released as of March 2017. A spin-off manga, A Spotlight For (Even) This fool! Gifting this Wonderful World with Blessings! Extra, was released as a bundle with the twelfth light novel volume. Written and illustrated by Kuma Hiru and Hagure Yuki, respectively, it follows the story of Dust, who finds himself in trouble with Vanir over selling stolen products.

Yen Press announced its acquisition of the manga adaptation at the same time that it licensed the original light novels.

Volume list

No.	Original release date	Original ISBN	English release date	English ISBN
1	April 9, 2015	978-4-04-070539-2	November 22, 2016	9780316552561
2	December 5, 2015	978-4-04-070782-2	February 21, 2017	9780316553322
3	March 9, 2016	978-4-04-070834-8	April 18, 2017	9780316469333
4	September 9, 2016	978-4-04-072019-7	July 18, 2017	9780316559546
5	March 9, 2017	978-4-04-072212-2	November 14, 2017	9780316412810

Anime

See also: List of KonoSuba episodes

An anime television adaptation by Studio Deen aired on Tokyo MX between January 14, 2016 and March 16, 2016; later broadcasting on eight other networks and several video on demand streaming networks. The series was simulcast by Crunchyroll in several regions such as North America, and by AnimeLab in Australia. The series was directed by Takaomi Kanasaki and written by Makoto Uezu with character designs by Koichi Kikuta. An original video animation (OVA) was bundled with the ninth light novel of KonoSuba in June 2016. The anime's opening theme is "Fantastic Dreamer" by Machico while the ending theme is "Chīsana Bōken-sha" (ちいさな冒険者, lit."Little Adventurer") performed by Sora Amamiya, Rie Takahashi, and Ai Kayano.

The series was animated by Koichi Kikuta and Momoka Komatsu, with the former working on odd-numbered episodes and the latter on even-numbered. While Komatsu's character designs closely resembled those of the light novels and had more attractive appearances, Kikuta based his designs on children's shows like Pokémon as he felt KonoSuba's story was similar to those found in such shows.

A second season premiered on January 12, 2017. The second season's opening theme is "Tomorrow" by Machico, and the ending theme is "Ouchi ni Kaeritai" (お家に帰りたい, lit."Want to Go Home") by Amamiya, Takahashi, and Kayano. A second OVA was bundled with the twelfth volume of KonoSuba in July 2017. During the month, Jun Fukushima and Takahashi, respective voice actors of Kazuma and Megumin, announced plans for a KonoSuba anime project.

Video games

A PC video game developed by game creator Tachi, titled Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! In The Life (この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！in the life), is bundled with the first Blu-ray Disc/DVD volume of the anime series on March 25, 2016. The game is developed using software RPG Tsukūru VX. Another video game, created by studio ledybug and Krobon, titled KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Revival of Beldia (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! Fukatsu no Verdier (この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！復活のベルディア)) is bundled with the limited edition of first Blu-ray Disc/DVD volume of the anime series' second season and was released on April 28, 2017. The game is a side-scroller with gameplay resembling the Mega Man series.

A visual novel adaptation for PlayStation Vita and PlayStation 4, KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Judgment on this Greedy Game! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! -Kono Yokubukai Game ni Shinpan o!- (この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！ -この欲深いゲームに審判を！-)), was developed by 5pb. and is scheduled to be released in Japan on September 7, 2017. The game features an original story, in which Kazuma discovers a cursed ring that allows him to steal the underwear of others near him. He learns the only way to undo the curse would be through raising enough money. Judgment on this Greedy Game! introduces an "Underwear Judgment" system, where the player assists Kazuma in returning lost underwear to their rightful owner. Like the anime, Machico performed the opening ("Million Smile"), while Amamiya, Takahashi, and Kayano sang the game's ending theme ("101 Pikime no Hitsuji").

Other media

A radio drama CD, featuring a different voice cast to the anime, was released by HobiRecords on March 1, 2015. A second drama CD, along with an original soundtrack by Kouda Masato and a character song album, was released in March 2017.

Reception

The KonoSuba light novels have been popular. As of March 2, 2016, the 11-volume series has a total of 1.5 million copies in print, each volume selling 136,000 copies. As of February 2017, the light novels had three million copies in print. In a review of the first novel, Andy Hanley praised the series' comedy reflected in the "tired genre" as well as its cast finding them appealing based on their traits. However, Hanley criticized the short length of the first volume. The series won BookWalker's 2016 Grand Prix Award.

"KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World is an anime that has a lot of fun mocking the tropes of the typical JRPG fantasy world via a colorful cast of characters that are enjoyable in their own right. The comedy is so spot-on with its deadpan nature that it’s hard not to be drawn in by that alone."

– Richard Eisenbeis, in his review of the anime

Like its light novel counterpart, the anime has received positive reception for its comedy, parody of the "trapped in a fantasy world" subgenre, and faithful adaptation of the light novels. Reviewing the first few episodes, Anime News Network (ANN)'s Theron Martin described the second episode as "the funniest episode of anime I have seen since Monthly Girls' Nozaki-kun aired", while also praising the series' musical score. The voice acting has also been a subject of praise; Nick Creamer of ANN commended Sora Amamiya and Rie Takahashi's roles as Aqua and Megumin for the energy provided in their performances, while Martin applauded Jun Fukushima for his work in voicing Kazuma, considering his dry tone an additional factor in the show's humor.

In contrast, a common criticism of the anime was its inconsistent character animation, one that was described as "low budget" as characters appeared off-model. Koichi Kikuta responded by stating such design was intentional, hoping to "bring out the individuality of each character" rather than the prettier artwork in the light novels; to do this, Kikuta's animation displayed "their more human sides, like their unflattering traits and their distressed moments." Crunchyroll's Kim Morrissy considered the animation to be humorous, especially fitting in a comedic anime. Kotaku writer Richard Eisenbeis explained much of the series' humor derives from the deconstruction of Kazuma's hopes of becoming the hero of a fantasy world, instead realizing he is forced to struggle his way through the world. Comparing Kazuma's problems in a fantasy world to those in real life, Creamer wrote about a sense of relatability between the series' protagonists and the audience, as the party deals with issues like debt and taking questionable jobs because of high pay. On a critical note, Creamer disapproved of Kazuma's negative attitude, which he felt harmed the comedy in the series.

KonoSuba's characters, especially those in Kazuma's party, have gained favorable thoughts in the anime community. Creamer described the group as possessing a "strange but endearing chemistry," as the members are unfriendly with one another, yet are close. Morrissy added the party's "emotional bond is also evident in the ways they interact with each other. My favorite thing about the anime is that it takes the time to draw these nuances out onscreen and express them with visual flair." Megumin in particular has been considered one of the series' most popular characters, winning Sneaker Bunko's official Favorite KonoSuba Character poll. She was also the sixth-highest vote in Newtype's 2015–16 Awards for Best Female Character (Kazuma was third in the male category) and received the most "Other" votes in the Best Girl category in Crunchyroll's Anime Awards 2016. In an interview with internet personality The Anime Man, Natsume Akatsuki described Megumin as giving off "a pure and elegant atmosphere" like one of an anime heroine or waifu, hence her popularity among fans.

In 2016, the anime was voted the tenth-best TV anime in the Newtype 2015–16 Awards. KonoSuba also finished runner-up for Best Comedy in the Anime Awards 2016 to Haven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto.

Notes

• ^LN represents the Light Novel of the series in the format of X.Y.Z, where X represents the volume, Y represents the chapter, and Z represents the part. Chapter P represents the prologue while chapter A represents the afterword of the novel. Ex. and M. refer to the Explosions (Sekai ni Bakuen o!) and Consulting with the Masked Devil (Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sōdan wo!) spin-offs.

External links

• Official website Template:Ja icon
• Official anime website Template:Ja icon
• Official manga website Template:Ja icon
• KonoSuba (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia