NOT EVEN DIVINE INTERVENTION CAN BAIL HIM OUT OF THIS!
Creative Staff
Story: Natsume Akatsuki
Art: Kurone Mishima
Translation: Kevin Steinbach
What they say
It’s been nearly a year since Kazuma and his useless goddess began their life in another world. After saving the town of Axel from the Mobile Fortress Destroyer, Kazuma is arrested for teleporting a time bomb to the house of a lord. Thanks to Aqua’s unhelpful testimony, Kazuma is sentenced to die… again!
Content: (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
Konosuba volume 3 is probably the best of the bunch. I don’t know if this is because the author’s ability to write stuff humorously is getting better, or if the translations are getting better at translating the author’s sense of humor. Either way, this is the only volume so far to have made me laugh out loud.
Volume 3 begins with Kazuma getting arrested on charges of sedition. You all remember that giant robot, the Mobile Fortress, from volume 2? You should remember that Kazuma had Wiz teleport the core using random teleport. Well, it turns out that the core was randomly teleported into the manor of the local lord, thus reducing the lord’s mansion to rubble.
You know, for a guy who’s Luck stat is abnormally high, Kazuma seems to have an awful case of bad luck.
I mentioned before that this volume was a lot funnier than previous ones. What really makes the humor shine is how well the characters play off each other. One of the better examples I can think of happens when Kazuma is spending time in prison. The first thing that happens is Aqua comes by to rescue him. She apparently has a plan, which involves Kazuma picking the lock on his cell and using Sneak to walk out. Sadly, the lock is a combination lock and she gave him a lockpick… he also doesn’t have the picklock skill. These moments are what really make this volume shine.
Another moment I liked was during the interrogation, where Sena, the woman who arrested him, uses a magical device that is able to tell when he’s lying. It’s really funny to watch him lie, fail, and then tell the truth, especially since what he lied about was being a student when he was really a NEET. It was also funny watching him get smug when Sena discovered that he really wasn’t in cahoots with the Demon King. Sadly for this NEET, Sena ends up asking if he knows anyone who works for the Demon King and he says no.
I think he forgot about Wiz…
After the fiasco in jail, Kazuma ends up on trial. The one pressing charges is the lord whose house he destroyed, while the one representing the lord is none other than Sena. This might not have been too bad if he had a good lawyer. Alas, Kazuma’s entire fate rests in the hands of his useless party: Megumin the explosion fetishist, Aqua the useless goddess, and Darkness the masochist. Aqua and Megumin are practically useless. In fact, I would even say that Aqua makes his case worse.
This entire farce is pretty outrageous. I don’t mean this in a bad way, mind you. It’s just such a ridiculous scenario that I can’t help but laugh. And just when I thought things couldn’t get any weirder, the one who comes to Kazuma’s rescue is none other than Darkness, who is apparently a high-ranking member of the nobility.
The reveal that Darkness is actually a noble is pretty big. I like it because it gives us more insight into Darkness’ character. She’s a masochist, but outside of that, she is surprisingly naive about how the world works. Now that I know she’s a noble, it’s obvious that her naivety is the result of living a sheltered life. In other words, the life of a noble.
Darkness ends up leaving after the trial is concluded. In order to postpone Kazuma’s sentencing, she agrees to one demand from Lord Alderb, the guy who’s mansion got destroyed. While she’s off to meet with Lord Alderb, Kazuma is freaking out because Darkness is a masochist and has been summoned by a pervert. Of course, since he panics, Aqua and Megumin also panic, which means everyone is now panicking.
But there’s no rest for the weary. Kazuma still has to clear his name, Sena still thinks he’s working with the Dark Lord, and trouble still abounds.
The first step toward clearing his name is dealing with a horde of problems that crop up… like giant toads. It seems the toads, which should have been hibernating during the winter, have been scared out of their hibernation and are causing problems. To prove that he’s not working with the Demon King, Kazuma helps out.
I feel sorry for Aqua and Megumin.
In Summary
Anyway, more problems crop up, such as strange monsters coming out of the dungeon that had the lich from volume 2. Turns out there’s someone who works for the Demon King taking up residence there. I won’t say anymore about that. Spoilers. Let’s just say that when Darkness comes back, Kazuma and the gang will confront this new issue, and it’ll be pretty entertaining.
Content Grade: A+
Art Grade: B+
Packaging Grade: B+
Text/Translation Grade: C+
Age Rating: 13+
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: August 22, 2017
MSRP: $14.00