Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo – 08
See, Kazuma? See what happens when you don’t wind?
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Starting off with a new story this week from what seems to be the beginning of a new LN. Can KonoSuba keep up the funny and interesting, or will it suffer the same way that Shimoneta did? |
A Chance for Everything to Go Wrong
Why do all the big-boobed girls have a strap underneath their bust for Aqua to grab?
That’s what the start of a new source document is, especially with LN’s going from the first to a subsequent one. As I mentioned, Shimoneta had a huge comedy drop-off after the first story ended, which was pretty darn disappointing. But that’s not a guarantee, and from the early indications, KonoSuba’s not having the same problem. I’ll admit I wasn’t particularly convinced right at the beginning, tho, because although Wiz seems to be a nice character, she feels a little one note. On top of that, the interaction between her and Aqua brought out what is hopefully the worst in Aqua. We’ve known that she’s whiny and petulant and certainly puts the “arch” in “Arch Priest”, and all of that was on display with Wiz, who is probably the softest lich you’ll ever see.
![KonoSuba - [HorribleSubs] Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! - 08 [720p].mkv_snapshot_06.57_[2016.03.04_22.48.55]](https://i2.wp.com/metanorn.net/wp-content/uploads/2016/03/KonoSuba-HorribleSubs-Kono-Subarashii-Sekai-ni-Shukufuku-wo-08-720p.mkv_snapshot_06.57_2016.03.04_22.48.55.jpg?resize=650%2C366)
Aqua’s just being a jerk
I did like that they implied time passing a bit, with Wiz setting up her shop, and things getting even worse for Kazuma and Aqua in the stable, but that doesn’t stop Aqua from being the same way she was. Maybe she’s the way she is because of who she is. When the knowledge is out that she’s the goddess Aqua, the object of worship of the sect of Axis, Wiz certainly seems to indicate that they’re a bunch of whackaloons that are best avoided. Not that Wiz is a stranger to the rarified air of leadership, being “one of the eight leaders of the Demon King’s army.” Well, now seven, since they knocked off Beldia (who it turns out was kind of a skeeze). She’s more of the defense oriented one, and seems to have been pressed into service only to put a shield up, and then let go do her own thing. That brings a whole fresh attack from Aqua, but Kazuma needs to learn a new skill, and thinks that Drain Touch would probably be a good one, although showing it to him almosts costs Wiz her undead life. As Kazuma says, it’s getting hard to tell which one is the lich and which one is the goddess.
Yeah, Beldia was pretty much a sleaze
In the End It All Comes Back to You
“We were impressed, but not so much now.”
The second half of the episode is spent on improving Kazuma and Aqua’s living situation. They get the offer to live in an aristocrat’s second home… if they can exorcise it of the spirits that it fills up with. Somehow it never sticks. But hey, exorcising undead is right up Aqua’s alley, right? Well, maybe not so much. It does give us a chance to see Megumin and Kazuma team up again, tho, and that’s always welcome.
AAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!!!!
The chase through the house was hilarious, starting when the first doll appeared in Kazuma’s room. They played the cliché pretty much perfectly, imbuing the dolls with just the right sort of comic menace to allow Kazuma and Megumin to be straight and still uproariously funny. Plus, getting in that brick joke about Crimson Demons and using the toilet just added to the moment. But the way that Megumin and Kazuma needled each other about something that’s so embarrassing really worked for comedy. In the end, it turned out that the spirits were all Aqua’s fault anyway, so they decided to decline the cash reward, but they do now have a nice place to stay, and all four of the party members are together.
Knocking Aqua out is always a good plan
I think it’s probably obvious that Megumin’s my favorite character (although I never get tired of seeing Darkness excited about something) and Aqua’s at the bottom of the list. So seeing her be her petty self to Wiz wasn’t the best part of this episode, especially since all of Wiz’s reactions were the same. It was a good performance by Yui Horie, when she wasn’t just crying, tho. But a better performance by the army of dolls chasing Kazuma and Megumin, and a lot of good laughs.
About Highway
Proving that you don't have to be young to love anime, I enjoy all genres and styles of shows. If it's not hurting anyone else, you should never be ashamed of what you like!
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I think they were trying for a bit of role-reversal with both Wiz and Aqua, which is something you point out that Kazuma points out…I could almost get the gags, but they felt like the were forcing the split to much. It’s almost like they were afraid we wouldn’t get the humor?
But, yeah, Megumin. They must love her as much as you (and I) do, cause she has the best scenes and the best gags. It’s also good to hear one of my favorite newcomer VAs get a great role. Rie Takahashi seems to be on the right track, with playing several good characters last year, Futaba from In Your Ear-hole and Miki from Zombie K-ON…
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
The sect of Axis or Axis Cult or whatever you wish to call it… you see that fellow Aqua, the object of their worship? Now you should be scared because you know all you need to know about them before you’ve even met them. Show ▼
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Megumin is really popular though, seriously. She got 1st in this official poll. Careful though some of these Characters haven’t been introduced in the Anime and others won’t be introduced because the anime won’t reach that far yet.
http://sneakerbunko.jp/special/konosuba-charavote/index.php
Translation for what each character is saying on reddit.
https://www.reddit.com/r/anime/comments/48i8nt/kono_subarashii_sekai_ni_shukufuku_wo_official/
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Oh, those links are worth it just for the cosplay alone.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
Rozen Maiden strikes.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I noticed her, too, even though I haven’t watched that anime. It was a good shout-out.
POWUH: Meta Team and Meta-Analyst with 3844 comments
-Desu.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
I noticed her, too, even though I haven’t watched that show. Nice move putting her in this episode.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Did you see any particular doll from Rozen Maiden? I looked, and thought they did a good job changing outfits and colors and accessories to make sure that none were the same as any of the dolls in Rozen Maiden. Without the specific combinations, it’s just dolls in fancy clothes.
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
For some reason the goth Loli doll made me think Rozen Maiden. But as I said I haven’t watched that show. Whatever, that’s the vibe I got though I suppose I was wrong to get it.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
Well, I think that dolls are a nice hint of ‘creepy’ at the best of times (and yes, I grew up in a house with a LOT of dolls, albeit Cabbage Patch Dolls). Rozen Maiden is a pretty popular story, and is probably the best known thing with dolls outside of the Child’s Play franchise (and probably more well-known in Japan). So I’m sure that allusions to those stories weren’t out of the minds of the creators here.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
Creepy Dolls are universal….
POWUH: Meta Resident with 1692 comments
Put me down as another who thinks Megumin is the best character. While I like her wizard hat, I like the way she looks even better bare-headed. And she is right that the best way to deal with the baddies is by way of massive explosions. Collateral damage is just one of the risks you have to run.
I didn’t care for the way the show gave us the introduction between the main characters and Wiz by way of a flashback. The whole thing made me think I missed an episode somehow. I feel that would have been worthy of an episode in itself with plenty of opportunity for comedy. However, I suppose the anime team has a certain point they want to reach by the last episode and they felt they had to hurry past Wiz’s introduction to the main characters and so handled it by way of a short flashback.
Wiz continues this show’s turning the genre tropes on their heads. Rather than a wizened mummy-like creature she’s an amply fleshed (especially in the boobs department) beauty. Forget female vampires–Wiz is the new undead hottie.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
The anime slightly changed many things and added others e.g. the scene when Aqua spat out tea in Kazuma’s face was Aqua spitting tea on Wiz’s clothes (which imo is more humorous because it emphasizes how much of a childlike bully Aqua is and how pitiful Wiz is despite being a Lich XD. Instead now are we meant pity Kazuma? Idk that doesn’t work as well for that scene). I also felt they extended the toilet humour too far. In the source material their conversation in the toilet was uninterrupted and Kazuma wasn’t busting because he went first (true to his word about gender equality, Kazuma abides by ‘me first’ instead of ‘ladies first’ XD, truly a conceited human for better or worst). So he actually hummed a song from Japan, prompting Megumin to enquire about Kazuma’s homeland. Repetition when used in humour can be very hit and miss such as the anime’s overuse of toilet humour.
POWUH: Meta Team and Spammy Tamer with 7115 comments
I actually don’t think it’s been overused. So far we’ve only had two references for it, and I felt the first one was much more of a play on the fact that in Adventure games, none of the players ever goes to the bathroom. I can run my dwarf around Azeroth for hundreds of hours, even eating and drinking as I go, and I’ll have to get up from the chair and go to the bathroom but he never does. So to me, Aqua, Darkness, and Megumin claiming they don’t have to go to the bathroom was half a play on that, half a play on it being unladylike to talk about. And that’s why I liked that specific factor being brought up again.
And I didn’t think this one was out of place. People have to get up and go to the bathroom in the middle of the night. That was a good reason for Kazuma to wake up, giving him the opportunity to see the dolls. Same with Megumin. I thought it also gave a good reason for them to be out and around, not just hunkered down in some room.
As far as Aqua being petty and bullying Wiz, I think that message got through loud and clear. Her spewing tea on Kazuma was more of a ‘she just doesn’t care about anyone else’ moment, I felt, which works fine for her character.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
You mean the whole “Crimson Magic Clansmen don’t need to go to the toilet” joke? I’m fine with that, and that they woke up because they needed to go to the loo (something which makes perfect sense and yes was made hilarious). However I was peeved they decided to overdose on that for when they actually reached the toilet itself. I felt that it would have been better to let it play out naturally instead of rushing them because ‘Kazuma is busting’ or interrupting them halfway because cursed dolls are rampaging. Many people have praised Grimgar for letting scenes sink in (as opposed to rushing and making things chaotic) and Konosuba would have done fine with something similar here (albeit not as long as Grimgar obviously). Just a short break to let the audience see the bonding happening in this team of misfits.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Basically I think you misunderstood what I was displeased with. Its good that the event was based around having to go to the toilet at night (something I’m sure many are familiar with) but the anime ruined it by taking the premise too far and ruining a small but nice bonding scene that was there. Sorry I just wanted to make it clear what exactly I was unsatisfied with.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Maybe I didn’t explain too well but I feel I’m beginning to see the anime trading too much of the source’s ‘nice’ moving moments (i.e. the kind of things you expect from Grimgar, when you feel you’ve learnt more about the characters and/or you feel them getting closer) for just more comedy. It might be something akin to flanderization but not just for a character but an entire story. After they showed us such great choice in the ending theme I’m disappointed they didn’t follow through with the directing.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/Flanderization
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=Flanderization
Also yes, they skipped most of Wiz’s introduction in the novels and condensed it into the flashback that happened this episode (So they did basically skip an episode’s worth of material, good observation there).
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
Not sure if my comments were absorbed by Spammy or if they simply didn’t submit.
POWUH: and LOLi Defender with 10997 comments
I gotcher…The Spamster has been tossing tantrums all day long, thank you for alerting us.
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
yeah, I learned about the way of the Spamster the hard way ^^ ,thanks for the help
POWUH: 500-599 with 540 comments
After reading more about flanderization I think the more appropriate trope would be adaptation decay.
http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AdaptationDecay