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「この煩わしい外界にさよならを！」 (Kono Wazurawashii Gaikai ni Sayonara o!)
“Goodbye to This Irritating Living World!”
“I don’t mind if they’re padded!”
With episodic storytelling, trying to pick out a theme when you’re dealing with only a part of the whole is tricky at best. After all, what was the theme of this episode? Kazuma finds his heroine? That’s more of a plot point, but it need not be a theme we’re looking for—a point above and beyond “it’s fun” is what I’m talking about. (Character development, plot development, etc.) That seems about the only candidate, along with Kazuma’s acquisition of Chunchunmaru, which, hah! Way to go, Megumin. He deserves that, always.
The nice thing, though, is that sometimes there doesn’t need to be an identifiable theme or more than a sparse scattering of plot-relevant tidbits. This feels like an inbetweenisode, something to bridge the gap between the team’s successful repayment their debt last episode and whatever comes next. That made it feel a tad insubstantial, like this is one of the episodes we’ll forget—but, hell, it was still fun, right? Sometimes, “it’s fun” is reason enough, as long as that isn’t taken advantage of.
I probably most enjoyed the first part of the episode, especially when the sword and armor were taken karmic revenge upon Kazuma on behalf of the rest of the universe. Sometimes, there’s nothing like silence or a purposeful beat to punctuate a joke! Vanir reappearing was also great, mostly because of what it did to Darkness. Not that I blame her.
I’d be lying if I didn’t say that I gave a sly, slightly giddy smile when Kazuma started eyeing Eris as his heroine. I’m a sucker for romance, even if Kazuma mostly deserves a swift kick in the arse. Going after a goddess, bold move! Which shouldn’t feel like one, since goddesses are dime a dozen in Kazuma’s life, but going after one he doesn’t live with is certainly gutsy. I don’t expect it to go anywhere all that fast, but giving Kazuma a target to aim for, rather than just three crazy targets to avoid, makes it all more believable that he’d avoid those three, even though he himself realizes that they’re cute. Maintain the tension, and maybe even ramp it up? Sounds good to me!
But the bets gag of the episode was undoubtedly the final one. Not Megumin drawing on Kazuma’s stomach, though that was nearly there. No, it was Aqua’s smirk. Poor boy, poor Kazuma. Your misfortune is richly deserved, and richly hilarious. Hah!
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: The Carcer Principle; Fire, further; Fire; and Starting a story with a bang—and when not to.
Full-length images: 11.
Preview
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https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
The sword that carries the weight of humanities hopes and dreams. The strongest holy sword created by the faeries with a blade that glows with pure golden light. This is the Sword of Promised Victory! This is EXCALIBUR!
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2036.jpg
Unfortunately, as a (useless) divine entity, Aqua is not impressed. That smirk could kill a man or atleast cause irreparable damage to his dignity
Of all the ‘heroines’, I always felt that Aqua and hikiNEET- I mean Kazuma, are the most similar. He’s crafty while she’s a dummy, but they’re equally adamant about not heeding the call to adventure and scoring good things for themselves even at the cost of the rest of the party. Darkness and Megumin have a lot of things wrong with them, but they’re in their hearts heroes; Kazuma and Aqua really aren’t.
I guess I’d say Kazuma and Aqua have kind of a brother-sister vibe?
exu—-calibaaaaaa !!!
“Look, you don’t understand. There was shrinkage!”
Kazuma & Eris reminded me of Deadpool & Death a bit although I’m not sure which side is more broken.
Hope this shows up.
The best moment of the episode for me was the return of Vanir (second extra life XD) and the shame of my beloved Darkness XD. It’s terrible how I am amused by her misfortune and how lovely she looks.
Kazuma for sure becomes the true demon king XD. I can not blame him, with partners and a world like this, one can only become more crazy. OK, not so much XD.
While I loved the episode, one thing chaffed me: the katana was too long to sheath sideways, but instead of just switching to the side of a belt like the samurai he was imitating, Kazuma shaved off some length? I get the joke, but still… If he knows enough to teach the metal-folding methods, he should know how to carry one, too. New belts don’t cost more than full armor, which did make a good joke.
Oh, and “Megumin no ecchi!!” XD
I think he was going for stereotypical ninja style carry.
But no ninja carries a sword there! Not a longsword, at least, and a katana is a longword. A shortsword of some kind at best, or a dagger. Kazuma’s greatest enemy is his own stupidity
“Kazuma’s greatest enemy is his own stupidity.”
Not that he doesn’t have plenty of other enemies. His teammates’ stupidity, for instance.
The whole point of that scene is that Kazuma was trying too hard to look cool. The implication is that he would rather shorten the sword than sling it by his side and look “uncool”.
Oh, I thought the joke was that a “sword” that size was too much for him to figure out how to handle. Kinda tied in with the end, but your idea fits better.
Still don’t really get why the back is cooler than the side since that’s where a katana is easiest to draw, but I’m probably just over-thinking.
One thing of note. Kazuma gains a lot of money, imediately goes back to being a hikineet.
Guess I’ll leave it like this.
http://i.imgur.com/XprapKQ.png
A new meme emerges!
Megumin wins again (two times this episode).
I almost thought that Megumin was doing something naughty (if you know what I mean…) with Kazuma’s body while he was dead.
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2035.jpg
Good thing it’s just a doodle close to Kazuma’s man-bits, which was more hilarious. (Aqua’s smug reaction included.) Hope that’s not a permanent marker… XD
Also, Kazuma should have gone for a boring but practical leather breastplate, as that would give him that added protection without sacrificing his mobility or sneakiness. Oh well…
Heh, Apparently Aqua is not impressed with Kazuma “Excalibur”. Also does Darkness blushing like that mean it’s a Vanir and Darkness ship? Also does that mean Vanir have his full power and they didn’t make a dent in the Demon Lord army at all?
Kazuma looked cool for a bit but then got his ass beat like a red headed step child. Feel bad for him. Also anyone know what is up with that “Pause” screen? It happened twice now.
Vanir is far too competent to be Darkness’s ideal man! Though he does like to torment people… But no, Vanir would probably rule the world if he didn’t have the millstone called Wiz around his neck, so its for the best that they stay together.
The pause screen, I dunno. It’s a riff on a video game pause screen, since it’s an RPG-like world, but is it like the animators going ‘Hey guys this frame is great check it out’ or what?
“Pause” is the intermission for adverts.
What SinsI said.
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2029.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Eris is best girl!
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2032.jpg
…but we still love you too, Megumin.
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2002.jpg
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
Never come between a NEET and their kotatsu
I get the feeling that Eris is not who “she” thinks “she” is…
Please, don’t tell me that Eris is a trap!
That’d be a low blow to me.
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2006.jpg
the den of the true demon lord.
I feel like Kazuma should be reincarnated as a turtle.
https://randomc.net/image/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo/Kono%20Subarashii%20Sekai%20ni%20Shukufuku%20Wo%202%20-%2006%20-%20Large%2031.jpg
Anyway, when I think about, most heroines have “negative quirks.” With the exception of Fate/stay’s Sakura Matou or Naruto’s Hinata, I don’t know any any heroine with a “softly nice and caring” personality
Ummm… have you forgotten that HInata use to be a straight up Stalker?
Sakura’s no different. Hell, she’s even worse in the “stalker obssessed with their crush” department. She just hides it very well. Just wait for the Heaven’s Feel movies to see the darker most twisted parts of Sakura
Kazuma might be suffering from PTSD. This is what? 3 times he died already. And 3 companions who think he’s the Energizer bunny and I fear he is starting to get tired. He’s not a native of this world and is tired of the 3 of them. Especially at Aqua. Remember he thought her cute at the beginning. Now he thinks she’s just a pain in the a#$. I’d be tired them too. Darkness for her S&M fetish and inability to hit anything. Megumin for her explosion fetish and refusal to expand her skill set. Which is probably why he is starting to get attracted to Eris. Someone sweet, kind, gentle and SANE.
Megumin probably grasped what is happening to Kazuma, thus the tears. She is hurting someone who done nothing but help her. But she has no idea how to approach the problem, thus the childish action.
So is this a flag? Because I can see Kazuma snapping sooner or later.
He needs a vacation. A fully-catered, no-finger-lifting vacation. Hence, the kotatsu.
Sadly, that’s not going to happen with how much this world hates him. At least Megumin is a little aware, she and Darkness tries to help in their own strange way, but Aqua is going to drive him nuts. Or evil.
Apparently Darkness and Megumine was restless they woudl never let Kazuma take a vacation. Poor bastard.
You’re looking at this entirely from Kazuma’s point of view, but not the others’. Kazuma might be the most competent in the end, but he’s also a perverted, lazy asshole who frequently takes advantage of his friends and abandons them to their own devices (Darkness in the arranged marriage meeting, Aqua in the tunnels, Megumin most times she collapses.
Despite all that, they’re all friends, and they all do care about each other (more or less). Kazuma may need a vacation, this is true, but don’t act like the others are the villains. He’s lucky to have such faithful companions, even if they are a bit nuts.
Aqua excepted, of course. She’s a mess.
I’ve gotta say, Aqua and Kazuma were made for each other. Personality-wise they’re two (putrid) peas in a pod- who also thoroughly deserve each other for this very reason. I know everyone has their own favorite ship, but dispassionately speaking, I think this is the pairing that makes the most sense…
They have a certain chemistry to them, but I can’t see anything romantic coming about precisely for that reason. They are both too similar and share each others worst traits. Neither would inspire the other towards anything greater. This is a case where I can see how the idea of opposites attracting and like repelling as making sense.
So far it’s Kazuma and Darkness that have the most chemistry, but it’s early days yet. I don’t think anyone is even close to the starting line with anyone else.
This episode was amazing. It further drives home my point that this is anime Always Sunny.
All of them are awful. The best kind of awful.
Also I loved the derpy animation and Baqua’s pause screen coming back. She knows she’s the worst and she just doesn’t care.
i wanna see Cricket then, i have no more to say.
The anime Always Sunny, hah! There’s some truth to that, but at least two of the party’s members are basically good people, as opposed to everybody in the Gang, who are deplorable human beings to a person. Especially Dennis. Those people are assholes, lol