The winter 2016 anime series Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! is getting some renewed attention. After previously bringing out the first episode subtitled, they’ve now added the first episode in a new form. In an effort to entice people to sign up and check that out and get into it through the TV series, they’ve brought the first episode of the series out on YouTube for free streaming.
The series is animated at Studio DEEN with Takaomi Kansaki directing based on scripts by Makoto Uezeu and character designs by Kouichi Kikuta.
The Japanese cast includes Jun Fukushima as Kazuma Satou, Sora Amamiya as Aqua, Rie Takahashi as Megumin, Ai Kayano as Raratina Dustiness Ford, Sayuri Hara as Luna, Tetsu Inada as Ruffian, Ayaka Suwa as Chris, Takuya Eguchi as Kyouya Mitsurugi, Hiroki Yasumoto as Beldia Dullahan and Yui Horie as Wiz.
The English dub has Alex Von David directing it at Bang Zoom! Entertainment with the principal cast including Arnie Pantoja as Kazuma, Faye Mata as Aqua, Erica Mendez as Megumin, and Cristina Vee as Darkness.
The original work comes from writer Akatsuki Natsume with illustrations by Mishima Kurone. The book began in the fall of 2013 and has had manga adaptation along the way with Masahito Watari illustrating that starting back in September 2014.
Plot concept: Kazuma Sato decides that today is the day to get out of the house for a bit. Since he dies, pointlessly, it’s clearly a bad choice. The goddess who greets him in the afterlife, however, offers him a chance to be reborn in a world not unlike that of a video game, and as a bonus she’ll even throw in a cool item or power! Can’t possibly be a bad choice, right? Except he arrives with no money at all, dead average skills, and his “bonus” isn’t useful at all–since he picked the goddess, Aqua, herself. How are the two of them supposed to defeat the evil Devil King and live happily ever after? Well, for them, it probably starts with day laboring rather than adventuring. And it’s only going to get more disappointing from there!
