If you've been paying attention to certain corners of the Internet over the last few months, then this should come to you as no surprise. But why is Konosuba under Anime Watch, and not Why I Love Anime?
Well, technically it isn't complete yet. Even though I absolutely adore this show, we are still waiting on an OVA to drop before season one is really 'complete' - and it is definitely going to get a season two, which I am very excited.
So let's get into this.
Konosuba is a show that I should absolutely hate. It has a tired cliche of a plot hook that's been beaten to death, with the most stereotypical character imaginable. And it was produced by Studio Deen.
Those things would normally throw up red flags for anyone. Especially that last one - Deen is not known for quality. In fact, they are known for their distressing lack of quality. Anybody expecting anything GOOD to come out of something graced by Deen's grubby mitts should consult their doctor because that's like expecting the sky to be green when you wake up in the morning. It's not to say that it can't happen, but the likelihood of it occurring suggests that it's not something you should ever expect.
At best, their adaptations of material is best described as 'okay'. I like Higurashi mind you, which is another one of Deen's achievements, but the animation is absolute garbage 90% of the time. It's not even consistent, and there's plenty of times where their take on a show is questionable at best.
Needless to say, you don't go into a Deen show expecting it to be a mind-blowing experience. At best, it'll be okay. At worst... well, at worst they give you Pupa, which I am fairly sure I described as the absolute worst piece of shit I've ever seen.
Konosuba is not merely okay. Konosuba is f***ing remarkable. Like with One-Punch Man, it takes a concept and instead of doing what you expect it to do, it plays it straight. It fully embraces its utterly ridiculous nature, and runs with it.
In this case, the story is about Kazuma (yes I'm Kazuma), who is a shut-in that loves playing video games. On his way home from getting the latest and greatest release, he dies. In the most embarrassing manner imaginable.
But fear not! For you see, his skills are uh, highly desirable in some other world. So uh he could totally reincarnate with all of his memories and stuff but only this one time, and he has to defeat the evil Dark Lord over in that other world. They'll even give him bonuses and stuff to make his transition that much easier!
Everything that proceeds from here descends into pure and utter hilarity. Heroes that reincarnate like this are allowed one cheat item. Whatever they want.
Kazuma (yes, I'm Kazuma) chooses to take the goddess with him.
His request is accepted (much to the horror of said goddess), and they get whisked away to this world where RPG mechanics are a real thing.
This isn't a story about how a young man up and saves the world. It's supposed to be, but it isn't. It's about what it's like to actually live in a world like that. And it's goddamn adorable.
The art, the music, and the plot are a breath of fresh air. The show is funny, consistent, and actually engaging. It explores a lot of great concepts, pokes fun at the ridiculousness of certain things, and at times asks some great questions about morality, all while managing to provide some of the best character development I've seen in a long while.
It's hard to cram all of this shit into ten episodes. And it isn't perfect - it's clearly evident that they skipped an entire plot arc that gets referenced near the end. Hopefully the OVA will cover that, because it's pretty integral to the whole thing. But that aside, how in the hell was it possible for Deen to make something good for a change?!
The answer is the new staff. The director, new to his role, has worked his way up. He was an animator for shit like the end of Evangelion, a key animator for Vampire Hunter D, and many, many more. This is a man who knows his shit, and knows how to manipulate visuals for the right effect.
Take for example, my favorite episode: The filler ep. Nothing of note happens. It's the laziest goddamn piece of shit imaginable, and it shows even in the artwork, which is your typical Deen quality. The thing that they are most infamous for is used to reinforce the idea that the entire episode wasn't worth anything, until the very end when everything hits the fan - and then the artwork gets good again.
It lets you relax and just kind of flow along, which was the point of the entire episode - the calm before the storm. I haven't seen something done so ingeniously since Endless Eight.
I had my concerns about this show, especially episode three, when stealing panties was a thing. But instead of going the route that everything else does, it was actually played for laughs the right way, and didn't get all perverted. It didn't become a thing that kept happening (though it has become a recurring gag, and something that is threatened if people don't fall into line!).
After seeing how they handled that, I was on board.
I f***ing love Konosuba. And you should too.
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