Transported to a fantasy realm after his humiliating death, gamer geek Kazuma is not having much success living the hero’s life. Then again, it could be argued that Kazuma is not much of a hero. After several months and six levels, the only talents he’s mastered are magically creating water, and stealing the panties off any woman who lets him get close enough. Between this and his tendency to use his fellow adventurers as monster bait, leaving them covered in slime, it is small wonder the townspeople call him Kazuma the Cur.
Then again, it’s not like the rest of Kazuma’s adventuring party is much better. First, there’s Darkness the Crusader, a dirty-minded paladin who can’t hit the broad side of a barn with her sword and only seems to have joined the crusade against the Demon King because of the tales of horrible, degrading, yet strangely exciting things that happen to female holy warriors taken captive by his followers. Next there’s Mequmin the Magician, scion of the Crimson Magic Clan, who only knows one powerful explosive spell that she can’t scale down. Finally, there’s Aqua, the water goddess Kazuma brought with him from our world into the next as his One Free Magic Item. Unfortunately, she’s utterly useless in this world since nobody worships her, and her powers as an arch priestess of herself are incredibly limited.
It’s all they can manage to handle a relatively simple task like purifying a local lake or killing the giant alligators threatening the local fishermen. How are they supposed to survive one of the Demon King’s generals deciding to attack the sleepy beginner’s city where they are grinding XP fighting giant frogs? And how will Kazuma come out on top when an honest-to-goodness Level 37 hero with a real magic sword takes offense at how he treats Aqua and the rest of his teammates?
Konosuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World!, vol. 2 continues in the same vein as the first book in the series. The primary focus here is on comedy; there’s little in the way of an ongoing plot, with only a few scant references to the party’s brief encounter with the Demon King’s general from the first book to connect the two volumes. However, lovers of JRPGs won’t mind the one-note characterization and thin storyline. They’ll be too busy laughing at the antics of Kazuma and Company as they mock every cliché in role-playing.
The artwork is fairly standard stuff for a Shonen manga. The action sequences and general aesthetic don’t stand out as anything special. The character designs, however, are fantastic, with even the most mundane of characters sporting a unique and memorable look.
This volume is rated T for Teen and that rating is well-earned. There is little in the way of violence but there is more than a fair amount of fanservice and adult situations. Darkness is continually bending over in such a way as to leave herself vulnerable to certain kinds of “attack,” and her behavior—while not overly suggestive—may prompt a discussion regarding BDSM much sooner than any parent would like! There’s also the matter of Kazuma’s magical panty-stealing powers and his creative use of a wind spell prompting numerous upskirt shots. There’s no outright nudity or sex in this volume, but some audiences may be uncomfortable.
Konosuba: God’s Blessing on This Wonderful World!, vol. 2
by Natsume Akatsuki
Art by Masahito Watari
ISBN: 9780316553322
Yen Press, 2017
Publisher Age Rating: T (13+)
