KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2

Episode 1

The first season of KONOSUBA was my pick for the funniest series of 2016 (and my #3 pick for best series overall), thanks to its peculiar brand of humor. The beginning of its second season shows no sign of letting up, as all the things that you both loved and hated about the first season are back in all their glory. This is also not a good place to join the series, as lots of references are made to events from the first season, and several jokes will be missed if you don't have at least some familiarity with those events.

First, let's get one negative out of the way. The first season was definitely not known for its artistic quality; in fact, it was practically infamous for its tendency to be off-model, to the point that some wondered if it wasn't part of some running joke. Regardless of intent, the artistry has not improved one bit and may even be a little worse, especially where Darkness is concerned. That doesn't prevent great visual gags like Kazuma's expression in the screenshot above or the strong suggestion that Aqua is perpetually going commando, though. The artistry could be looked at as a joke unto itself, but it may be a distraction for some.

Otherwise, the series is in fine form, with all of the regular characters living up to expectations. Kazuma getting in trouble for obliterating the lord's castle in the Destroyer incident at the end of last season was obviously going to be addressed, but I underestimated how much fun those consequences could be, whether it's the way that everyone gives up Kazuma without protest to cover their own butts, the blazing incompetence of the escape attempts orchestrated by Aqua, or the interrogation scene where Kazuma is forced to admit some hard truths about himself due to a magical lie detector. His propensity to be a complete ass when he actually has an advantage shines through harshly too, and the way that situations can turn on him because he always overplays his hand is definitely one of his charms. He's really not a good guy at all, as the litany of his faults on display in this episode reminds us, but he's lovable for being a not-good guy, and you have to cut him at least a little slack given some of the weirdos he's dealing with. There are plenty of other parodies thrown in too, such as the opening credits rolling Star Wars-style or the video game effect at the beginning.

The first episode also provides us with some plot direction! Darkness is back in form with her twisted predilections, but more importantly, her unexpectedly stepping up and revealing her background in order to save Kazuma was unexpected. With this happening so early in the season, I have to think that it's going to have some long-term plot implications. More immediately though, it looks like the reset button is being hit on the cozy living arrangements our quartet had come across. The group is probably going to be funnier when they're reduced to scrabbling to get by again, as long as new developments keep this time around fresh.

Rating: A-

KONOSUBA - God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.