Isekai is a subgenre of fantasy that has taken over the anime world, and it widely resonates with anime fans. In the isekai genre, the main character finds themselves in a parallel, fantasy,or medieval world. This is either due to the main character dying and reincarnating, orbeing summonedor transported to their new world without having to die. In the latter cases, the character has to fulfill a purpose or complete a mission, like defeating the demon lord. In Isekai, it is quite common to see that the main character is overpowered, meaning that they have incredible abilities that make living in this new world very easy, and they get to go on dangerous quests.
Isekai can take different routes,and can be sci-fi, romantic, supernatural, action, drama, or even comedy.Konosubarevolves around the main character dying and reincarnating in a parallel world todefeat the demon king. However,Konosubabreaks away from the blueprint, as isekai usually involves drama, an overpowered main character, and exhilarating quests. This series focuses more on humor, flawed characters, and less heroic escapades.
5Flawed Characters
Imperfect Characters Are Relatable
Konosuba’s protagonist, Kazuma, does not possess overwhelming strength. Instead, he is blessed with high intelligence and luck, which does not help his plans tobe an adventurer. Kazuma strives and struggles to level up, making his journey in this parallel world quite relatable.
Kazuma had different expectations for his life as an adventurer in the parallel world, andKonosubafocuses on his journey trying to become a worthy hero withgreat wealth and resources. Not being overpowered makes Kazuma’s journey relatable and funny because it shows that, as much as Kazuma had dreams of being a hero, not everyone can be one.
4Satirical In Nature
It’s A Parody Of The Conventional Isekai Anime
From the very first episode, Kazuma’s life has been a funny one, ashis death was avoidable and laughable. Before he died,Kazuma was a gamerwho rarely left his house and only did so on this fateful day to pick up some games he was excited about. However, on his way back from the game store, he saw a girl about to get hit by a truck. He did the second most out-of-character thing he had ever done: to push her out of the way. Unfortunately, the truck hit him instead, and he died.
It was in the presence of Aqua, the goddess responsible for guiding young Japanese people into the afterworld when they die early, that he discovered that the truck was not a truck but rather a slow-moving tractor. The shock of being hit by a truck was actually what killed him.Konosubaacknowledges what an isekai is made of, butit exaggerates the actionsthat make it isekai. This is seen in, Kazuma’s death, his unheroic presence in the parallel world, and Aqua’s lack of common sense, among others.
3Unheroic Escapades
Focuses On Everyday Challenges
In isekai anime, the protagonist usually has the grand mission of defeating the demon king and his generals, but that is not the focus ofKonosuba.Kazuma and Aqua have to defeat the demon king in the parallel world if Aqua wants to return toher life as a goddess, but their whole lives do not revolve around the demon king. Instead, they are more focused on making enough money to live a better life out of the stables.
This refreshing switch of expectations offers viewers a more relaxing experience. Kazuma’s daily challengesare usually comedicand chaotic, especially with Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness doing things that he finds frustrating and adding to his problems.
2Focuses On Comedy Rather Than Combat Or Drama
Funny Moments Make It Fun To Watch
Most isekai anime are about the protagonistgoing on life-threatening quests, fighting a greater evil, and trying to survive in a war zone. There is hardly ever humor in the story, butKonosubabreaks that cycle as Kazuma and his party go on adventures. Although some of them are dangerous, they take a funny and light pace instead of being serious. This focus on comedy makes it refreshing for the viewers, as they can always count on laughing at Kazuma and his party.
For instance, during the giant toad quest, Aqua had an energetic moment where she hoped to blow away a toad with her god’s blow, but in the end, she failed and got eaten by a toad. In an ideal Isekai world, the toad would not have had the chance to eat Aqua, as her blow would have eliminated it. These comedic actions are what makeKonosubaas popular as it is.
1Intriguing Power Dynamics
The Series Combines Four Dysfunctional Individuals
When Kazuma put up the ad for party members, he expected to attract determined, hardworking, and powerful adventurers. Instead, he found himself with Darkness and Megumin, two extra ladies to look after alongside Aqua. He tried to get rid of Megumin after finding out how limited her powers were, but she was going nowhere.Darkness, on the other hand, finds pleasure in the most inappropriate situations, while Aqua just wants to live and spend recklessly.
This group is dysfunctional in the sense that they do not work normally. They overcome their quests in unconventional ways after a lot of bickering and going back and forth. These bickings have led to Kazuma’s death twice, during the Lizard Runners' quest and the Snow Spirits' quest. However,their diverse personalitiesmake them connect with each other. As much as they do not always get along, they still care about each other and have a connection.
