KonoSuba Season 2 First Impressions

I’ve been hyped for this for a long time.

I declared the first season of KonoSuba as the best comedy anime of 2016. That’s quite a bold statement coming from someone who in general dislikes comedy series and especially in anime format. Don’t get me wrong, I love satire and dark humor, but simple gags aren’t for every show. Additionally, since animes’ domestic audience is so different, there’s a lot of ‘lost in translation’ going on. KonoSuba has hit that sweet spot that can easily be enjoyed by audiences abroad.

The show starts exactly at the cliffhanger of the first season and treads along its familiar formula. Kazuma remains the main narrator of the series, with its witty remarks and over the top reactions. Aqua is still the hot klutz, that claims to be independent, but when push comes to shove, she will always heavily rely on Kazamu. Along with the Darkness and Megumin, the band of misfits keeps exploring life as an adventurer.

KonoSuba quickly abandoned the cliffhanger moment. The first episode was strong, but it felt like there was more to the trial of Kazuma. The constant teasing of his execution during the episode kept you on the edge of your seat. A lot of other jokes were spot on, so there is some lost potential.

KonoSuba reused a little bit too much of the original premise in the second episode with the disgusting slimy toads making their reappearance. Not the most original approach. The addition of Megumin’s sister, threw some spice into the mix, but this alone won’t save KonoSuba from falling into its original format, which or a second season might lose some of its novelty.

Visuals have remained the same, staying true to the original design. The overall visuals aren’t overly complex. The color scheme is pretty flat and the usage of camera techniques to create a certain atmosphere remain minimal. The gags are the core foundation of KonoSuba and not so much the visual display.

There are many more themes to explore and I sure hope the series will initiate another epic adventure, or at least a notable quest. The quest building will determine whether KonoSuba has enough originality left to reach the end with a continuous laugh on your face.