Akatsuki wrote the series with the intention of setting a contrast with typical fantasy tropes. The series was serialized as aweb novel onShōsetsuka ni Narō between December 2012 and October 2013,KonoSuba was published as a printed light novel series byKadokawa Shoten under the company'sKadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint from October 2013 to May 2020. The light novel series features a divergent plot.
By November 2021, the series had 10 million copies in circulation. The series received positive reception from critics and fans, with both the light novels and the anime adaptation receiving multiple awards. Critics praised the anime for its humor and voice acting, but its animation received mixed reception for its quality and its fittingness to a comedy series. The series' characters have also proven to be popular, withMegumin ranking highly in multiple polls and awards.
Following an untimely and embarrassing death,Kazuma Satou, a Japanese teenageshut-in NEET, meets a goddess namedAqua, who offers to reincarnate him in aparallel world withMMORPG 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, spitefully 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 theDevil King is defeated, the two form a party and recruit two other members; an explosion-obsessed magician namedMegumin and a masochistic crusader namedDarkness.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 comfortable 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
Akatsuki had been a fan of novels since youth, reading series such asRecord of Lodoss War,Slayers, andSorcerous Stabber Orphen.Record of Lodoss War was the first novel he read, which became an influence in his interest in fantasy.[9][10] He is also a fan of the gameKantai Collection, admitting he came up with his pen name while playing it.[9] Prior to writingKonoSuba, he had submitted a draft to a light novel contest but was told he needed to work on the basics of novel writing. He continued writing to practice his skills before deciding to pursue writing more seriously. He wanted to write a series different from typical light novel series, with it having a story that would contrast against expectations about the fantasy genre.[11] The series' fantasy elements were derived from fantasy video games likeWizardry andFinal Fantasy, as well astabletop role-playing games.[12]
In writing the characters, Akatsuki aimed to give each one distinctive quirks, regardless of how trivial they might seem, citing Aqua's interest in unusual rocks as an example. Some characters developed differently from their original conception; for instance, Mitsurugi was initially intended to serve as a rival to Kazuma's party but instead became another eccentric and foolish character. Akatsuki has stated that the supporting characters Dust and Vanir are his favorites.[12][9]
Akatsuki first learned that an anime adaptation was in development in January 2015. At the time, he was living inFukui Prefecture and had been called to a meeting in Tokyo. However, he was unable to go as his house was buried in snow, leading to him being informed of the anime adaptation via phone.[9]
Koichi Kikuta and Momoka Komatsu served as chief animation directors for the series, 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 likePokémon as he feltKonoSuba's story was similar to those found in them.[13]
Akatsuki released the originalweb novel series onShōsetsuka ni Narō from December 20, 2012, to October 21, 2013, under the pen name Jitakukeibihei (自宅警備兵).[14][9] Following its publication as a book, the web novel was removed from the website on December 10, 2013.[14] The author also wrote a side story featuring Wiz and Vanir.[15]
Alight novel version with illustrations byKurone Mishima was released underKadokawa Shoten'sKadokawa Sneaker Bunko imprint from October 1, 2013,[16] to May 1, 2020.[17][18] The light novel diverges significantly from the web novel's plot from the sixth volume onwards, and also features changes to the characters' ages. The final book in the series, Volume 17, contains information in its Afterword on possible future development that the teased "After Story"spin-offs might contain.[19]
A Megumin-focused spin-off light novel series, also written and illustrated by Akatsuki and Mishima respectively, titledKonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World![Jp. 2] and takes place a year prior to the main series, was released from July 1, 2014, to June 1, 2015, in three volumes.[20] A two-volume sequel,KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Bonus Story,[Jp. 3] was released on December 28, 2016, and March 1, 2019.[21] Another spin-off featuring Vanir was published on April 1, 2016, calledConsulting With This Masked Devil![Jp. 4][22] A third spin-off series titledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! Extra Attention to that Wonderful Fool![Jp. 5] began publication on August 1, 2017. It is written by Hirukuma and illustrated by Uihime Hagure, and features Dust as the central character.[23] A light novel adaptation ofKonoSuba Fantastic Days smartphone game, written by Hirukuma and illustrated by Mishima, was published on March 1, 2022.[24]
Yen Press announced on May 20, 2016, that it had licensed the light novels for release in North America.[25] The first volume was released in conjunction with the second manga volume on February 21, 2017.[26] On June 20, 2023, Yen Audio released the first volume of the light novel as an audiobook.[27] They also released theFantastic Days novel on July 18, 2023.[28]
Amanga adaptation ofKonoSuba illustrated by Masahito Watari began serialization in the October 2014 issue ofFujimi Shobo'sMonthly Dragon Age magazine on September 9, 2014.[29] As of February 9, 2026, twenty twotankōbon volumes have been released.[30] Yen Press announced its acquisition of the manga adaptation at the same time that it licensed the original light novels.[25]
A manga adaptation ofExtra Attention to that Wonderful Fool! novels, illustrated by Tamako Buta, was published inMedia Factory'sMonthly Shōnen Ace magazine from January 26, 2018,[31] to January 24, 2020,[32] and compiled into two volumes. A manga adaptation ofConsulting With This Masked Devil! novel, illustrated by Suzume Somemiya, was published in Media Factory'sMonthly Comic Alive magazine from February 27, 2018,[33] to January 26, 2019,[34] and compiled into two volumes. A manga adaptation of theKonoSuba Fantastic Days smartphone game by Kasumi Morino was published inMonthly Comic Alive from March 26, 2022, to May 27, 2024, and compiled into four volumes.[35][36]
In May 2015, Kadokawa announced that ananime television series adaptation ofKonoSuba was green-lit.[37] It was produced byStudio Deen and directed by Takaomi Kanasaki, with scripts written byMakoto Uezu and character designs by Koichi Kikuta.[37] Thefirst season aired onTokyo MX from January 14 to March 16, 2016;[38][c] it was later broadcast on eight other networks and severalvideo on demandstreaming networks.[40] The series was simulcast byCrunchyroll in several regions such as North America,[41] and byAnimeLab in Australia.[42] Anoriginal video animation (OVA) was bundled with the ninth light novel volume ofKonoSuba in June 2016.[43] Crunchyroll released an English-languagedub of the series on January 15, 2019.[44][45]Discotek Media released the first season and its OVA onBlu-ray in North America on May 26, 2020.[46]
Asecond season was announced after the airing of the first season's final episode.[47] Kanasaki returned to direct the season at Studio Deen, with Uezu and Koichi also reprising their roles as the scriptwriter and character designer.[48] The season aired on Tokyo MX from January 12 to March 16, 2017.[48][39][c] Crunchyroll later added the second season.[49] A second OVA was bundled with the light novel's twelfth volume, which was released on July 24, 2017.[50] An English-language dub of the season was released on Crunchyroll on February 25, 2020.[51] Discotek Media released the second season and OVA on Blu-ray in North America on February 23, 2021.[52]
In October 2018, it was announced that characters fromKonoSuba would appear inIsekai Quartet, a crossover anime also featuring characters fromRe:Zero,Overlord, andThe Saga of Tanya the Evil.[53] The series aired from April to June 2019,[54] and later spawned two more seasons and a film.[55]
In July 2021, the officialTwitter account for theKonoSuba anime confirmed that a new anime project was in production.[56][57] The project was later revealed to be athird season of the main series and an anime television series adaptation ofKonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World!. Both series were produced byDrive and directed by Yujiro Abe, with chief direction by Takaomi Kanasaki. The rest of the main staff returned from previous seasons.[58]KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! aired on Tokyo MX from April 6 to June 22, 2023.[59][60][d] The third season aired on Tokyo MX from April 10 to June 19, 2024.[61] Crunchyroll also licensed both series.[62][63] A third OVA was released theatrically in Japan on March 14, 2025, and on Blu-ray and DVD on April 25.[64]
A sequel to the anime series was announced in March 2025,[65] which was later revealed to be a fourth season.[66]
Masato Kōda composed the music for all three seasons and the adaptation ofAn Explosion on This Wonderful World![67][48][59][4] For the first season, the opening theme is "Fantastic Dreamer" byMachico, and the ending theme is "Chiisana Bōkensha"[Jp. 6] performed by Aqua (Sora Amamiya),Megumin (Rie Takahashi), and Darkness (Ai Kayano).[67] The second season's opening theme is "Tomorrow" by Machico, and the ending theme is "Ouchi ni Kaeritai"[Jp. 7] by Aqua (Amamiya), Megumin (Takahashi), and Darkness (Kayano).[68] ForAn Explosion on This Wonderful World!, the opening theme is "Stay Free" by Machico, and the ending theme is "Jump In" by Megumin (Takahashi) and Yunyun (Aki Toyosaki).[69] The opening theme for the third season is "Growing Up" by Machico, and the ending theme is "Ano Hi no Mama no Bokura"[Jp. 8] by Aqua (Amamiya), Megumin (Takahashi), and Darkness (Kayano).[70]
In July 2017,Jun Fukushima and Takahashi, the voice actors of Kazuma and Megumin respectively, announced plans for a newKonoSuba anime project.[71][72] In June 2018, a film adaptation was announced to be in development atJ.C.Staff. The cast and staff reprised their roles from the television series.[73] TitledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson,[Jp. 9] the film was released in Japan on August 30, 2019.[74][75] Crunchyroll began streaming the English subtitled and English dub version on March 25, 2020, and on January 1, 2021, respectively.[76]
A PC video game developed by game creator Tachi, titledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! In The Life,[Jp. 10] is included in the first Blu-ray/DVD volume of the anime series on March 25, 2016.[77] The game is developed using the softwareRPG Maker VX Ace.[78] Another video game, created by Team Ladybug and Krobon, titledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Revival of Beldia,[Jp. 11] is included in the limited edition of first Blu-ray/DVD volume of the anime series' second season and was released on April 28, 2017.[79] The game is aside-scroller with gameplay resembling theMega Man series.[80]
A visual novel adaptation forPlayStation Vita andPlayStation 4,KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Judgment on this Greedy Game!,[Jp. 12] was developed and published by 5pb. (later known asMages), and was released in Japan on September 7, 2017.[81][82] 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 by raising enough money.Judgment on this Greedy Game! introduces an "Underwear Judgment" system, where the player assists Kazuma in returning lost underwear to its rightful owner.[83] Like the anime, Machico performed the opening "Million Smile", and Amamiya, Takahashi, and Kayano sang the game's ending theme "101 Pikime no Hitsuji".[84] ANintendo Switch port of the game was released on theNintendo eShop on December 17, 2020.[85]
The sequel toKonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Judgment on this Greedy Game!, a visual novel with outfit crafting mechanics,KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Love For These Clothes Of Desire![Jp. 13] was released on September 24, 2020, for the PS4 and Switch in Japan. The game features a story where Kazuma's party discovers a slab that can create clothing but curses them with personality changes in exchange.[86] A western release of the game, including aMicrosoft Windows port, came out on February 8, 2024.[87]
A dungeon crawler game for the PS4 and Vita, titledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers!,[Jp. 14] was released in Japan on June 27, 2019.[88] An updated version of the game,KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Labyrinth of Hope and the Gathering of Adventurers! Plus,[Jp. 15] was released in Japan on August 27, 2020, for the PS4 andNintendo Switch.[89] A dungeon RPG,KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Cursed Relic and the Perplexed Adventurers,[Jp. 16] was released for PS4 and Switch in 2022.[90]
Amobile gacha RPG titledKonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Fantastic Days[Jp. 17] was released for iOS and Android devices on February 27, 2020.[91] It was developed byCyberAgent subsidiary Sumzap, withNexon Korea handled the global release, in which the mobile game launched worldwide outside Japan on August 19, 2021. The latter announced that they've transferred the global publishing rights over to Sesisoft, which took effect on June 1, 2023.[92] On January 30, 2025, official service for the game was discontinued following nearly five years of support.[93]
An audiodrama CD, featuring a different voice cast to the anime, was released by HobiRecords on March 1, 2015.[94] A second drama CD, along with an original soundtrack by Kouda Masato and acharacter song album, was released in March 2017.[95]
TheKonoSuba light novels have been quite popular. By March 2, 2016, the 11-volume series had a total of 1.5 million copies in print, each volume selling 136,000 copies on average.[96] In January 2018, the light novel series ranked first among the top 50 best selling digital manga and light novels in worldwide stores byBookWalker.[97] By February 2019, the light novels had 6.5 million copies in print.[98] By November 2021, the novels had a total circulation of 10 million copies.[99] In a review of the first novel, Andy Hanley ofUK Anime Network 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.[100] The series won BookWalker's 2016 Grand Prix Award.[101]
In 2016, the anime was voted as the tenth-best TV anime in theNewtype 2015–16 Awards.[102]KonoSuba also finished runner-up for Best Comedy in theCrunchyroll'sAnime Awards 2016 toHaven't You Heard? I'm Sakamoto.[103] In 2019, the anime won "Isekai Series of the Decade" at theFunimation's Decade of Anime poll, where the fans voted for their favorite anime across multiple categories.[104]
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[105]
Like its light novel counterpart, the anime has received positive reception for its comedy, parody of the isekai genre, and faithful adaptation of the light novels.[106] 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 sinceMonthly Girls' Nozaki-kun aired", while also praising the series' musical score.[107] 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,[108] while Martin applauded Jun Fukushima for his work in voicing Kazuma, considering his dry tone an additional factor in the show's humor.[109]
From theLegend of Crimson's release in Japan, Daryl Harding, writing for Crunchyroll News praised the story and comedy of the film noting that the "classic humor of (the TV series) translates well to a film runtime." Daryl Harding did criticise the film by stating that "It doesn't look too different than the TV series" even with "more effects placed over the animation during scenes of explosive magic."[110]
In contrast, a common criticism of the anime was its inconsistent character animation, one that was described as "low budget" as characters appearedoff-model.[106] 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."[13] Crunchyroll's Kim Morrissy considered the animation to be humorous, especially fitting in a comedic anime.[106]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.[105] 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.[108]
KonoSuba's characters, especially those in Kazuma's party, have garnered favorable reactions 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.[108] 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."[106] Megumin in particular has been considered one of the series' most popular characters, winning Sneaker Bunko's official FavoriteKonoSuba Character poll.[111] She was also the sixth-highest vote inNewtype's 2015–16 Awards for Best Female Character (Kazuma was third in the male category) and received the most "Other" votes in theBest Girl category in Crunchyroll's Anime Awards 2016.[102][103] In an interview with internet personalityThe Anime Man, Natsume Akatsuki described Megumin as giving off "a pure and elegant atmosphere" like one of an anime heroine orwaifu, hence her popularity among fans.[12]
This series was originally licensed by Crunchyroll, then owned byThe Chernin Group andAT&T, prior to its acquisition bySony'sFunimation Global Group in 2021. Funimation itself is owned as a joint venture between Sony Pictures Entertainment and Sony Music Entertainment Japan (Aniplex).[5][6]
^abTokyo MX listed the air dates for the first two seasons as Wednesday at 25:05JST, which is effectively Thursday at 1:05 a.m.[38][39]
^Tokyo MX listed the air dates forAn Explosion on This Wonderful World! as Wednesday at 25:00JST, which is effectively Thursday at 1:00 a.m.[60]
LN notes
^LN represents the light novel series in X.Y format, where X represents the volume number and Y represents the chapter number.
Original titles
^Japanese:この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！,Hepburn:Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!;lit.'A Blessing on This Wonderful World!'
^この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！エクストラ あの愚か者にも脚光を！,Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! Extra Ano Orokamono ni mo Kyakkou o!; lit. "Bless Me in This Wonderful World! Extra: Attention Also to That Fool!"
^「おまもりひまり」の的良みらんエイジ新連載 [Omamori Himari, Milan Matra's NewAge Series].Comic Natalie (in Japanese). Natasha, Inc. September 9, 2014.Archived from the original on December 22, 2015. RetrievedOctober 30, 2015.
^"KonoSuba Network Information" (in Japanese). KonoSuba.com.Archived from the original on October 12, 2016. RetrievedJanuary 29, 2016.TOKYO MX – 1月13日より毎週水曜 – 25:05 ～ 25:35
^Martin, Theron (February 23, 2017)."KONOSUBA – God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 – Episode 7".Anime News Network.Archived from the original on September 26, 2017. RetrievedSeptember 1, 2017.Week in and week out, Jun Fukushima knocks it out of the park with his perfectly-measured rendition of Kazuma. In every scene, his inflection and tone is exactly right to milk the maximum value out of a scene's comedy potential. ... The female seiyuu are nailing their roles too, but many scenes in this series wouldn't be half as funny without Kazuma's dry wit as the slightly-less-crazy center of a crazy maelstrom.
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