KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! (Season Three) – Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
After defeating another of the Demon Lord’s generals, Kazuma was invited to the Capital to tell the Princess all about his heroic adventures. And that’s where the trouble really began? Just who is the gentleman thief, robbing from the nobles?
KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! (Season Three) – Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo!
What did you watch?
Back in the autumn of 2020, I decided that I would revisit one of my favourite series, KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! and review everything I could. After twenty episodes, two OVAs, and a movie it was clear that I was still absolutely in love with these characters and this world. So, when they announced a new season, I was delighted. It was long overdue. So, I knew that I would need to continue to review everything it has to offer, which meant seasonal episode reviews. This series came out seven years after the last season and five years after the movie. Would they be able to recapture the spirit of the show? Let’s find out!
What happened?
Amazingly, Kazuma had defeated yet another of the Demon Lord’s generals. This time it was Sylvia, the chimaera. He was starting to make quite a name for himself and that attracted the attention of Princess Iris. She came to Axel to speak with Kazuma which made Darkness incredibly anxious. One wrong word and they would all face execution… and what were the chances that Kazuma, Aqua, and Megumin would be able to hold their tongue? Kazuma accepted the invitation nonetheless and told the Princess how he defeated the Demon Lord’s generals. She also wanted to know how he managed to defeat the Hero, Mitsurugi. Of course, Kazuma couldn’t tell them about his drain skill as that was a dark art. Eventually, he was forced to show them Steal and well, he stole Princess Iris’s bodyguard’s panties. Iris was surprisingly amused by him and then just as they were leaving for the Capital, she grabbed Kazuma and took him with her.
Kazuma was enjoying his life of luxury at the Capital but there came a time when he would have to leave. It coincided with the time that Iris and Kazuma swapped bodies thanks to a magical item and he tried to wash Claire and Darkness’ backs in the bath… Before he left for Axel, Kazuma said that he would capture a bandit who was targeting nobles. That would be sure to restore his standing with Iris. So, they went to stay with the most likely noble to be robbed, Aldarp! The same Aldarp whose house they destroyed with the core from the Destroyer. Amazingly, Kazuma did apprehend the thief, however, it turned out to be Chris who told him she was on a special mission to… He stuck his fingers in his ears and refused to listen. Anyhow, he let her go but stopped her from stealing anything. That might be enough. It was more than the Royal Guards had managed. Then, Chris came to him again and made him listen. There were several magical items that were too strong for this world and she had been tasked by Eris to gather them all. The Princess had one that they needed to get before someone stole her body permanently!
What did you think?
I loved every second of the return of KonoSuba. It was as if they never left and you could tell from the voice actors just how much they enjoyed reprising their roles. Of late, so many sequels have failed to live up to the standards set by the first season, but this felt like a continuation rather than a sequel. I have noticed that some viewers do not share my point of view, but I can’t see any difference in the jokes, the story, the characters, or anything for that matter. The only change was that this season focused much more on Darkness. That seemed fair as Aqua was much more involved in the first and second seasons. Megumin was undoubtedly the focal point of the movie. This series involved the royal family and several nobles so it made perfect sense that Darkness would help them navigate things.
One of my favourite things about this series is that everything that happens, happens because of something they did. They destroyed the Destroyer and sent the core away. That blew up Aldarp’s house which made him come after Kazuma. Aqua flooded the city when they fought Beldia which incurred massive debts. We eventually learn that Darkness’ family took some of the burden which is why Darkness was forced into a marriage with Aldarp. Just like how the haunted house that they eventually bought was haunted because Aqua stopped Wiz from helping the souls move on. And not to mention that the guy who created the Destroyer was also the one who made the Crimson Devils and was a guy from Earth who got a magical item from Aqua. The same magical items are now putting this world in danger. Everything ties together.
What was your favourite moment?
I’m torn between the wedding and the night that Kazuma and Chris stole the magic item from the palace. And, I’m going with the bandits. I think Kazuma and Chris made an amazing duo. They have similar skills so they complement one another perfectly. The thing that I really liked about that scene, however, was that it showed us that Kazuma may come off as a useless bum, but when he’s serious about something, no one can touch him. I think that comes from his understanding of his strengths and weaknesses. Mitsurugi tried to stop them, but Kazuma was never going to fight a swordmaster with a sword. He uses his cunning to make it so Mitsurugi can’t use his sword and then hits him with an unexpected attack.
I also really enjoyed the chemistry between Chris and Kazuma and I hope that one day he will find out that Chris is Eris. That’s going to be amazing considering how much he likes Eris and all of the despicable things he’s done to Chris. It’s going to be hilarious. Anyhow, I love these longer scenes where we really get to see the characters do what they do best. The fight with the hydra was another great example too.
What was your least favourite moment?
I really wasn’t ready for the scene where Megumin is desperately trying to get Kazuma to help them stop Darkness’ wedding to Aldarp. She’s been at him the whole time and even stood on his bubble wrap to make him mad. However, it turned out that Kazuma had been trying to come up with a plan, but he couldn’t see anything that would work. He knew that if they interrupted a noble wedding, they would all be executed so he needed to know that Darkness wanted them to help. Seeing him sitting there helplessly was incredibly sad. I loved how Megumin realised what he was going through and instantly stepped off. I think that highlighted just how well these characters have meshed together. They understand one another perfectly.
Who was your favourite character?
Darkness finally got her time to shine and it was glorious. Right from the beginning we got to see her stressing over the others being idiots in front of the Princess. She had to silence them continuously as soon as she stopped one, another stepped forward to take their place. She had a number of great moments where she walked in at the perfect time to hear something that she would have to react to. Seeing her discipline Kazuma on numerous occasions was hilarious. However, she also showed her sweeter side. I loved the scene where Vanir was going to read her fortune and he started revealing all of her secrets, such as how she would hold up one of Megumin’s dresses and wish that she was cute enough to wear it.
Damn it, Darkness. You are cute enough to pull off whatever look you want. I also loved how she had that moment of closeness with Kazuma that looked like it was going to go somewhere until he made a comment about her abdomen. Stupid, Kazuma! Darkness is my favourite character in these series let alone the season, so I was delighted that she got to be the centre of attention such a large part of it. I love that muscle-bound degenerate crusader!
Who was your least favourite character?
I mean this is an absolute no-brainer. It has to be Aldarp, but then he’s been a thorn in our sides since the beginning of the second season when he tried to have Kazuma executed as a spy and traitor. However, there was that hilarious moment when he was debating with Kazuma about who should use the fake mirror in the bathroom only to get caught by Darkness. And true to the way this story is built, he was integral to everything else that had happened. He caused Lord Dustiness’ illness so that Darkness would be forced to marry him. He was behind so much and all thanks to one of those magical items that Chris was trying to find. At least, he got his comeuppance when Vanir came to take Maxwell the demon Aldarp was using back to hell, but not before he took his payment from Aldarp!
Would you like some more?
I’ve read several of the light novels and have fourteen volumes of the manga that I haven’t had time to get to yet. So, the obvious answer is yes, emphatically. I love this series and I will watch everything they make no matter what. The characters feel like a family to me and just being around them no matter what they do is energising. I don’t really have anything else to add to that. Just give me more!
What have you learned?
There are two things that I think make this series so good. The first is something that I’ve already touched on and that is how everything is linked. It’s like dominos. One falls over and it knocks over another and another. Sometimes we don’t see where the dominos are going until they come back into view and cause something big to happen. The connectivity between the various scenes and actions makes everything feel like one event. That’s why this season didn’t feel like a season on its own but part of a much larger thing that is still ongoing.
The other thing is something that I always go on about. And, I’m not even sorry. Characters are the most important part of a story. You can have the most amazing plot in the world but with the characters to connect us to what’s happened and how that impacts the world, it doesn’t really mean much. However, if you get the characters right, we’ll watch them do just about anything. I bet this group could make doing the laundry interesting. Now, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t strive for a great plot too. Having a great plot and interesting characters is going to get you a long way.
Series Information
| English Title | KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World! |
| Japanese Title | Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! |
| Genres | Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy, Isekai, Parody |
| Demographic | Seinen |
Anime
Season One
Season One – OVA
| English Title | God’s Blessings On This Wonderful Choker! |
| Japanese Title | Kono Subarashii Choker ni Shukufuku wo! |
| Released | Winter 2016 |
| Animation Studios | Studio Deen |
Season Two
Season Two – OVA
| English Title | God’s Blessings on These Wonderful Works of Art! |
| Japanese Title | Kono Subarashii Geijutsu ni Shukufuku wo! |
| Released | Winter 2017 |
| Animation Studios | Studio Deen |
Movie
| English Title | Legend of Crimson |
| Japanese Title | Kurenai Densetsu |
| Released | Summer 2019 |
| Animation Studios | J.C.Staff |
Season Three
