First Impression: Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!

Within this season, there are several anime that feature the fantasy-game genre. While this genre has become quite common, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! or KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World, offers some differences compared to other anime with similar theme. Take an example of another show from this season, Hai to Gensou no Grimgar, is focused more on showing a condition where people are trapped in another world and have to face a reality of killing or be killed. It shows that adapting to a world fantasy games is not easy as it seems. Another famous example is Sword Art Online where the players had it tough to survive in the Aincrad castle, even though they still could have fun throughout the adventure.

Meanwhile, Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! (literally means Give Blessings to This Wonderful World!) shows something not much different from that perspective: the fantasy world typical of video games is not always like what  the gamers expected, but in a variety of ways. Kazuma Satō (Jun Fukushima) had the most unfortunate day in his life when he died, but then dragged into another world to defeat the Demon King. He found out, though that the condition of the world he lives in now is not as he imagined. First, he was dragged into the another world not because he was needed, but it was just to fill an emptiness in that world. Second, he didn’t have any money to begin with, so his partner, Aqua (Sora Amamiya) had to beg some money from a priest. Third, he found that the city he first came into was a peaceful one, because of a hilarious reason: the Demon King wouldn’t send his troops to attack a distant city that is only filled with beginner adventurers. And last but not least, all of his partners are all weird. The first one is a goddess who have a very low intelligence. The second one is a mage named Megumin (Maaya Uchida) who could only deploy a deadly explosion magic once a day. And finally, the third one is a crusader named Darkness, who possess great defensive abilities but is also a masochist (perfect combination, isn’t it?). In summary, they all somehow ended up living in a funny yet a strange world!

KonoSuba is different because it mainly focuses on its comedy . The story takes any possible chances to insert gags into it. It is possible because we were introduced to very weird characters with distinctive personalities. The point is that every character has one redeeming ability while also lacking in an another thing. The same pattern was also found in the last year’s anime, Charlotte. But in Charlotte, it was used to balance the personality of characters. However, in Konosuba, it is used to create any possible gags. The interaction between Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness with Kazuma is the key focus of the series, and I think it’s sure making viewers laugh.

I also feel that the opening and ending songs compliments the anime itself. Fantastic Dreamer, sung by Machico, supports the funny side of the anime with its lively melody. It prepares for the upcoming gags. While the ending song Chiisana Boukensha, sung by Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness, give a relaxing and comforting feel. It’s a perfect song to end an episode after the viewers may have exhausted from the laugh. The video during the ending song also gives the sense of a peaceful village (it also makes us wonder if the Demon King has conquered this village), fitting with the song. This kind of songs is akin to songs used by shows like Non Non Biyori. The ending songs for Non Non Biyori series also end the anime with a comforting feeling. The songs are also sung by the main characters from the series.

Studio Deen‘s experience in Log Horizon 2 will explain that they’ve done quite an admirable job for this series, in particular for the action scenes. So, for those who are looking for a fantasy game world story, but tired of live-or-die survival scenario, you can check out this one. As I never read the original light novels, it’s still unknown if in future episodes there will be some dramatic moments. But at least for now, it still offers a lot of laugh.

The Indonesian Anime Times | by M Razif Dwi Kurniawan