Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!

Overview

Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! ("God's Blessings on This Wonderful World!"), more commonly known as KonoSuba, originally started as a comedic fantasy Web Novel series by Natsume Akatsuki (under the pen name Jitakukeibihei) published on December 2012 to October 2013 on the Japanese free publishing site Shōsetsuka ni Narō. After completion, the Web Novel was revised and released in Light Novel form, with extra content that does not use the ending of the web novel. As of March 2020, the main Light Novel series of KonoSuba has hit 16 volumes and counting.

Since being adapted into Light Novel form, KonoSuba has exploded in popularity, having been adapted into manga, anime, drama CDs, video games, and multiple spinoff books that focus on different side characters.

Premise

Kazuma Sato, a 17-year-old game-obsessed NEET from Japan, dies after trying to save a woman from being hit by a speeding truck (the start of many other isekai-themed stories). After waking up in the afterlife, a goddess named Aqua laughs and tells Kazuma he actually died from an acute stress reaction diving in front of a slow-moving tractor that posed no threat to anyone. Aqua offers to transport Kazuma to an RPG-like fantasy world where he can be reborn as a hero to defeat an evil Devil King, and grant him any one "thing" to take with him to the new world to help on his quest. After being annoyed at her attitude, Kazuma chooses Aqua as his "thing," which is then accepted by her fellow goddess who transports both Kazuma and Aqua to the new world.

Upon arriving in the starter town of Axel, Kazuma decides to try using his new abilities to live an easy life while Aqua wants him to defeat the Devil King quickly so she can return to her home. The two are soon joined in their quest by Megumin, a powerful "Crimson Demon" mage who specializes exclusively in Explosion Magic, and Darkness, a masochistic Crusader with incredible defense who cannot accurately hit anything. Even though Kazuma tries to take things easy, a string of events keep putting him and his party into contact with the Devil King's Generals.