"KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World!" (commonly known as KonoSuba) is a particularly popular light novel with the theme of reincarnation. The anime has aired two seasons, and the third season, scheduled to air in April this year, will be the first new series in about seven years. It's been a long time since the previous work, so some people may have forgotten a little about KonoSuba. Before the third season airs, we would like to review the world view of this work! If you have never come across the original KonoSuba manga or anime, please read this as background knowledge.
Introduction: Story Synopsis
Kazuma Satou, a high school student, dies in an accident. In heaven, the goddess Aqua invites him to reincarnate in another world, but Kazuma is angry at Aqua's mocking attitude, so he reincarnates with Aqua as well. In the reincarnated world, Kazuma becomes an adventurer and Aqua becomes an archpriest. After that, he makes friends with Megumin and Darkness, and spends his days being tossed around by their problematic behavior, including Aqua. And those problematic behaviors cause great turmoil. What will happen to Kazuma's life in another world?
About Civilization
The civilization in the story is similar to the atmosphere of medieval Europe on Earth. It is a feudal society, with strong power of kings and lords. There are many areas where the law is not well established, and Kazuma, who grew up in modern Japan before reincarnation, often felt dissatisfied. However, as he gets used to it, he can use such legal shortcomings to his advantage. It is a world where technological development through magic is remarkable, and basic infrastructure and facilities are available. There are no electrical appliances, but it is possible to create something similar with magic. In addition to Kazuma, it seems that several Japanese people have been reincarnated into the world in the past, and Japanese culture seems to have had some influence, such as Japanese card games being popular and Japanese-style rooms in castles.
Magical Technology
As mentioned above, magical technology has developed, and there are several professions that use magic, such as wizards, priests, and craftsmen who make magical tools. Young people who want to be wizards go on to magic academies, and Megumin and Yunyun also graduated from such schools. The process of attending a specialized school to get the job you want is similar to the real world.
About Language
Since a different language is used than on Earth, people who are reincarnated tend to think that they will have trouble learning the language, but there is no need to worry. With the support of the goddess, you will be able to automatically learn the language by putting a strain on your brain, so you will not have any inconveniences. In the anime version, if you apply the rules to the written characters, you can see that they resemble the alphabet. There are also things that seem to be decorative characters, and some are written in cursive script. There are indecipherable characters in the ruins, but they are actually written in Japanese and were brought over by a reincarnated Japanese person.
About Religion
This work is set in a polytheistic world where various gods appear. Eris, the goddess of good fortune, is considered the most major god, and the "Eris religion" that worships Eris is considered the state religion. It is a religion that values living modestly even without money, and has a motto of poverty, and the cult has even built an orphanage. The second largest religion after Eris is the Axis religion, which worships the heroine, the goddess Aqua. Although it has a certain number of believers, it is nowhere near as large as Eris. The doctrine of Axis religion is largely a reflection of Aqua's personality, and it values ideas such as "living an easy life" and "not suppressing your appetite." Basically, it has a stance of not setting any special restrictions and doing what you want without suppressing yourself, and in terms of love, homosexuality is permitted even if there is a difference in social status.
Is Axis religion dangerous? ?
It has a very bad reputation because many of its believers are strange, and it is common knowledge that it is better not to get involved with Axis religion members. The believers have a very deep faith, but their excessive solicitation of others is a nuisance, which has become a problem. Because she spreads bad rumors about the Demon King and the Demon King's army, she is viewed as an enemy by the Demon King's army. The Eris religion has a certain amount of respect and awe for Aqua, but on the other hand, the Axis religion often views the Eris religion as an enemy and harasses it. Aqua and the Axis religionists regularly engage in activities to lower the reputation of their rival, Eris.
About life and death
The creatures that appear in this world are very strong compared to the creatures on Earth. Therefore, they are extremely large and have incredible athletic ability. Vegetables sometimes move around like living things, and they will not behave unless they are attacked. Fish such as Pacific saury are caught in fields, not in the sea. Giant beetles the size of puppies can also pierce the bodies. This ecosystem is unimaginable on Earth. As for death, burial is the norm for the dead. If the body is not purified sufficiently, it will not be able to rest in peace and will become an evil spirit or zombie. Aqua says that most of those who are able to rest in peace go to heaven. There is also a magic spell called "resurrection" that can revive the dead, but it can only be used once. However, Kazuma was an exception and was resurrected multiple times due to various circumstances.
Summary of the world view
The world view of KonoSuba is very different from Earth in many ways, but the stories involving religions such as the Eris religion and the Axis religion are strangely realistic and interesting. I think this article will remind people who have almost forgotten the content. Some people may feel nostalgic. There is still some time until the broadcast in April, so it might be a good idea to check out the original work and anime again! That's all for now. Thank you for reading.
