I have to say, I’m surprised at how much this episode was played straight. It’s been a while since we had a KONOSUBA episode that focused less on the over-the-top parody and more on just the simple fantasy. We still had a lot of KONOSUBA staples like the quick cuts and out-of-pocket moments, but most of this episode can just be boiled down to everyone coming together to take down a giant monster. They do that, and then the episode ends in a cliffhanger.

Similar to the heist episode, this one highlights just how much I like Kazuma as a character when he isn’t written as an unapologetic letch. He can be perverted and sarcastic, but he has a decent head on his shoulders. You can tell throughout this episode how much he is trying to look after Darkness without prying too much into her privacy. He had every right to ask her why she was obsessing so much about this hydra situation but the reason didn’t matter, he didn’t want her to get hurt and was willing to put himself in the line of fire to stop her. This episode also shows how far Kazuma and the team have come so far as the adventurers guild was more or less willing to help them in such a crazy situation. Yes, you can argue that the team has accrued enough good standing from their previous accomplishments, but there was a real sense of camaraderie here. Seeing everyone come together to take down this creature with a legitimate plan was great.

This episode kept me smiling from beginning to end rather than making me laugh out loud. If anything, the joke that got me the most was the random one in the background where Aqua was singing a lullaby to her dragon egg, and for no reason whatsoever, she threw in a line about Eris having a flat chest. I can’t wait for the egg joke to backfire in her face by the end of the season. The biggest question is why Darkness was so driven to take care of the situation. If I had to guess, her family is probably down on hard times and needs the money to reclaim their political standing. I assume next week’s episode will get right into the heart of everything. We might have an episode devoid of Darkness as Kazuma and everyone try to figure out the situation. I think it’s a testament that I genuinely feel bad to see Darkness leave after this emotional episode about how great everyone is when they come together.

Rating:

KonoSuba – God’s blessing on this wonderful world! 3 is currently streaming on
Crunchyroll.

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