First Impressions / Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku Wo!

「この迷宮の主に安らぎを！」 (Kono Meikyuu no Omo ni Yasuragi o!)
“Peace for the Master of This Labyrinth!”

I can’t believe it. Aqua was actually useful today! …I don’t like it. (But it was funny!)

This episode is probably the best example yet of how our protagonists could so easily be a functional team of companions who look out for each other and have untainted victories, but their personalities don’t allow it. Aqua spent the entire episode being actually useful, from seeing in the dark to purifying souls to fighting off undead by the trainload, which should have raised her esteem in Kazuma’s eyes. Heck, they wouldn’t even have been able to get the reward, probably, if Arch Wizard Keele (Tobita Nobuo) hasn’t awoken from his slumber due to her overwhelming divine aura. This should have been Aqua’s triumph in Kazuma’s eyes!

But, no. Not only did he realize that she was attracting all the undead again, but he abandoned her to a good drubbing when the last wave attacked. You or I, we would have run with her or Lurked with her, even if we were cursing her the whole way. Not Kazuma. Like Aqua hilariously laughing at him every time he considered thinking better of her, he’s incapable of functioning properly. Self-sabotage is the name of the game, and it’s fun to watch!

Actually not a whole lot to say this episode. Probably my other favorite moments were bribing Dust (Majima Junji) with a succubus ticket, and then the entire final scene, especially all the Yunyun and all the Chris. Chris clearly best girl! After Megumin, of course. And somewhere around Wiz and Yunyun and Eris and THERE ARE A LOT OF BEST GIRLS OKAY!

But not Aqua. Even in an episode where she was actually useful, she’s still the worst. I wouldn’t have it any other way.

Random thoughts:

  • Good thing Aqua didn’t look into that rustling too much, eh Kazuma? :X
  • Kinda feels nice how, despite the other adventurers not being the most reliable of allies, they do seem to like Kazuma & co in the end. D’aaaww! (Drink!)
  • I can’t wait until next episode. Can’t wait. Darkness is baaaaaack!

My SECOND novel, Freelance Heroics, is available now! (Now in print!) (Also available: Firesign #1 Wage Slave Rebellion.) Sign up for my email list for exclusive content. At stephenwgee.com, the last four posts: Fire, further; Fire; Starting a story with a bang—and when not to; and If my mother was a politician.

 

Preview

39 Comments

  2. Completely in the dark guess about Darkness: she was forced to try on bourgeois dresses and/or attend noble parties the entire time. The only kind of torture she can’t get off on: high society!!!

    Aex
    Reply

  4. Just when you think Aqua is stupid as fuck, she go and pull this. She kind of remind me of Haqua from the World only God knows but like the reverse Haqua. Still, everything about this episode was nice, and the art once more improved. Perhaps they had second teir artist doing the first episode. We all seen Shiro Baka, we know what goes on behind the scenes now. Can’t wait for the Blu Ray!

    Now Aqua being a water goddess, we know she can purfieid water as seen last season, but is her vomit like regular human vomit or purified with sunshine and rainbow like it is depicted here in the anime?

    Now the thing I would also like to point out and asked is, Kazuma had that succibus ticket handy. Does that mean after his intial failure with Darkness last seasons, he have been successful? That my dirty dog Kazuma got some? I know it’s a dream but still.

    I mean obvious he’s been doing other things next to Aqua when they were in the barn… so… Hmm.

    Ah, Kazuma, my favorite protagonist that is more Gar and bad ass then all other harem protagonist.

    Duzz
    Reply

    1. >Now Aqua being a water goddess, we know she can purfieid water as seen last season, but is her vomit like regular human vomit or purified with sunshine and rainbow like it is depicted here in the anime?

      That would be fantastic, if so!

      Guile
      Reply

  5. This is clearly an Aqua-centric episode and is also a good memory refresher in case someone do forget that Aqua is a “high rank” and powerful water goddess and not some dumb, no pantsu archbishop that gives frequent headache to the MC.

    Jeffers
    Reply

  9. Gotta be honest, 1st 2 episode were off, but this hit its stride perfectly.

    Yeah, the dynamics between the characters in this episode were what I’ve
    been waiting for, hope it continues the rest of the season! Chris’s clearly best girl!

    I loved the end; not just one girl – no girl was safe! The way it should be! 🙂

    mac65
    Reply

  14. I actually liked that Aqua was useful (for a change). Makes her less one dimensional, gives better balance to the characters as a group, and changes things up a bit. Personally wasn’t quite as LMAO as last episode, but eh, can’t expect every comedy moment to hit so no complaints. Still a fun, enjoyable watch. 😀 Lastly, how does one even let a “succubus ticket” come close to expiration? That’s some serious mental discipline right there Kazuma.

    daikama
    Reply

    1. maybe it’s the old one he had? since he never really got to use it prop (so he got a new one for free?). it’s not like he’s able to use it as we can see from his first attempt. he really has to dump Aqua in that dungeon if he wants to use those, huh

      GoXDS
      Reply

      1. @GoXDS: I was half-joking with that, but I would think it would take some willpower to hold on to a ticket for any lengthy of time. As for his first ticket, I’d think that one would have been used up. Succubus-chan showed up, but was thwarted by Aqua & co. Not succubus-chan’s fault there. Also, if that is the old ticket, would Dust then get what Kazuma “ordered off the menu”? That could be embarrassing.

        As for using a ticket in general – where there’s a will, there’s a way. 😉 Just go back and sleep in the stables or some random place (with notice to succubus-chan) if you have to, then make up some story for the group. “Eh, got drunk and passed out”, or “had some beers with Dust and crashed at his place”). Not that difficult.

        daikama
        Reply

  16. I felt like this episode skewed a little too hard on the ‘Kazuma’s a dick’ side of the spectrum in the anime. It was the same content as in the LN, but I remember being much more on his side when I read it then, as opposed to now.

    It was good to see him get Foresight. He gets a lot of use out of that one over the course of his career. Lurk too, as we saw in this episode (I love that the sound effect is actually ‘Lurk’ for that one), but they skipped the Chris-teaches-him-Lurk scene which was a shame.

    He really might as well just switch to Thief class.

    Guile
    Reply

  18. https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2014.jpg
    “Who are you and what have you done to the real Aqua?!”

    Also…

    https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2034.jpg
    “All your underwear are belong to us.”

    Damn. KonoSuba is just chock-full of scenes ready to make anime cracks/vines of. And this episode is no exception.

    Incognito
    Reply

  19. Well, obviously Kazuma isn’t getting rid of his debt any time soon. Well, in a dark perspective, maybe he can just sell his own soul to the succubus, or at least Wiz. That way, he can neither be reincarnated by Eris nor be revived by Aqua. Spending eternity as a toy for a demon.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2026.jpg
    gee, I am shocked that the poor lad has never received divine retribution. I can’t count how many times Kazuma made Aqua shriek and cry.

    https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2003%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
    While lacking anything in the chest, I do agree with Stilts, Chris is clearly the best girl! Sad she doesn’t get much screen time T_T. Chris must be attracting, in Kazuma’s eyes, if he keeps stealing her panties. “Let my madness manifest” was a new phrase made by Megumin, in Kazuma’s case……..stealing panties is his madness, it’s even “infecting” other people.

    As for Yunyun………..someone please help her, seriously.

    L002
    Reply

    3. I think the reason why Kazama doesn’t suffer divine retribution for abusing Aqua is because she belong to him. IN a sense, she’s a tool for him to use however he wants. She is not a companion unlike Darkness and Megumin. They offer him an weapon of his choice back in season one and he choose Aqua. She is not different than Garm that the other hero have.

      Unfortunately, unlike other hero weapon, this one eats a lot and also talks back.

      Duzz
      Reply

      1. Jesus, when you put it that way, it’s like a pokemon trainer was given a legendary pokemon as his starter pokemon, yet he abuses it in any way he sees fit.

        Well, I am not sure if Aqua is considered the “heroine” but I wonder if the two will eventually love each other.

        L002
        Reply

      2. That’s… actually a very app comparison. I mean her power is second to none, have you seen what she did in the final episode of last season. She broke the shield on that mobile fortress. Something that couldn’t have been done up to date.

        She also killed the Dullahand or COULD have killed him if she kept spamming Sacred Turn undead. Unfortunately she shot one and just thought it was ineffective. LOL!

        However in my opinion, Aqua is definitely classified as the Heroine if only because by extension she belong to the hero.

        Duzz
        Reply

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