‘KonoSuba’ Season 3 Release Date Confirmed By Kazuma, Megumin Voice Actors? New Bakuen Anime Or A Movie/OVA 2?

The KonoSuba Season 3 release date may have been confirmed during a recent interview with Jun Fukushima and Rie Takahashi, the voice actors for the main KonoSuba characters Kazuma and Megumin. Fans are excited since it’s possible we’ll see more of Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness earlier than expected.

There have been a lot of rumors flying around that the third season of KonoSuba was confirmed canceled by KonoSuba light novel creator Natsume Akatsuki. While claims about any cancellation are false, information about this new anime project is very limited, so it’s possible the voice actors are talking about a KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World! movie or even the KonoSuba OVA 2 episode. There’s even the possibility that the Bakuen series could be adapted into an explosive new anime spinoff. However, first, let’s dig into what is known for certain.

KonoSuba Light Novel Provides Plenty Of Source Material For A Third Season

Author Akatsuki first began publishing his Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! light novel series in October of 2013. As of this article’s publishing, he is up to KonoSuba Volume 12, which was released in Japan on July 24, 2017. It’s also possible to read the original web novel via web archives. The series exploded into popularity and has spawned multiple spinoff series in both light novel and manga format. There will even be a PlayStation 4 video game released in Japan on September 7, 2017 (no English version of the games have been announced).

The official KonoSuba English translation for both the manga and light novel is being handled by Yen Press. Unfortunately, the English version is far behind the Japanese light novels. As of this article’s publishing, only the second volume has been released, which means the English translation is not even caught up with the anime’s story. The English translation of KonoSuba Volume 3 is scheduled for release on August 22, 2017. However, a fan project for the KonoSuba English light novel is already up to the first half of KonoSuba Volume 11.

The first anime adaptation by Studio Deen began airing during the 2016 winter anime season and the second season followed a year later, with the final episode airing in March of 2017. Both seasons were relatively short, ending in only 10 episodes. An English dub of the KonoSuba anime has yet to be officially confirmed.

There was also a KonoSuba OVA (Original Video Animation) released in June of 2016 called “God’s Blessings on This Wonderful Choker!” The story followed Kazuma, who puts on a choker that supposedly grants wishes only to find out that it’ll choke him to death unless he fulfills the wish he’d unconsciously made when first putting on the choker. The KonoSuba OVA shipped with the limited edition of the ninth volume of the light novel series.

Thanks to God’s blessings, there is plenty of source material left to adapt into KonoSuba Season 3. The second anime series only covered up to volumes three and four of the light novels so the third season should pick up again with KonoSuba Volume 5. If fans desire to read ahead in the light novels, it’s recommended to start with the first volume since the anime adaptation changed and skipped much of the light novels.

KonoSuba Season 3 Release Date

As of this publishing, the anime production committee has not announced anything official about the KonoSuba Season 3 release date, although this article will be updated as soon as the anime sequel is confirmed. However, there can be reasonable speculation about when, or if, the KonoSuba Season 3 premiere date may occur.

When the final episode of the second season aired in Japan, Kazuma’s voice finished off the series by saying, “Thank you for the support, everyone! Our true battle has just begun, and this is just the beginning of our grand adventure in this wonderful world!” The Crunchyroll episode cut Kazuma off, but some have interpreted the full statement as an advertisement for the light novels since the season did not end with a cliffhanger like the first season. Other fans believe it was Studio Deen’s way of saying they hoped KonoSuba Season 3 would happen.

The rumor that Studio Deen had KonoSuba Season 3 canceled started with YouTube videos which discussed a thank you letter from author Natsume Akatsuki. This note was published within KonoSuba Volume 11 in May of 2017. The note said that the “anime collaboration had ended for now, at least.” Akatsuki thanked everyone involved with the anime project and expressed his hope to work with Studio Deen in the future. This thank you letter was not a confirmation that KonoSuba Season 3 would never happen, but some fans chose to interpret it that way.

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— Noct??? the mastah (@korewanoct) July 25, 2017

However, then voice actors Jun Fukushima and Rie Takahashi decided to stir the pot during a 2017 HiBiKi radio program. All that was confirmed was that a “new anime project” was in the works. The official KonoSuba Twitter page also tweeted out the same message. This could mean that a KonoSuba Season 3 release date will be confirmed in the future, but it’s also possible a KonoSuba movie is in the works.

Despite the announcement being vague, it’s probably safe to rule out that the voice actors were talking about the KonoSuba OVA 2 episode. The announcement of the second OVA was made last year, and it should have been bundled with KonoSuba Volume 12, which was released Monday, July 24, 2017. The “new anime project” was announced a day later on Tuesday, so it seems obvious the new anime can’t be the second OVA episode.

Besides KonoSuba Season 3 or a movie, the only other option is a new anime spinoff series based on the Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! light novel series. The Bakuen (Explosion) prequel focuses on Megumin and the story is up to four volumes so far, which is plenty of source material for an anime.

KonoSuba Season 3 Spoilers Are Explosive

Assuming that the “new anime project” is KonoSuba Season 3, it’s safe to predict that the story will continue with events described in volumes 5 and 6 of the light novel series. These two books are considered fan favorites, so it will be interesting to see how well they are adapted into anime.

The ending of KonoSuba Volume 4 ended on a cliffhanger, with Crimson Magic Clan member Yunyun bursting into the mansion and announcing, “I…! I…!! I want to have Kazuma-san’s children!” Despite that shocking statement, the next part of the story is really about shipping Kazuma and Megumin together. The party receives a letter from the Crimson Magic Village asking them to help fight back against General Sylvia and the Demon King Army so off they go to Megumin’s homeland.

Audiences will get to see the history of Megumin’s people. It turns out the Crimson Magic Clan was created by a reincarnated Japanese person who left behind artifacts that can be read by Kazuma. Perhaps because of this history, the clan puts more emphasis on looking cool during a battle rather than being effective. Megumin may love her explosion spells, but she has kept this ability a secret since her clan looks down on explosion magic.

Although KonoSuba is not a harem anime, Megumin is set up as the “best waifu” of the story. At one point, Megumin admits feelings for Kazuma in front of friends but then denies these feelings only moments later. Megumin’s family is introduced and a there’s also a scene that involves a locked room and a single bed.

Huge Spoiler Warning: Megumin’s feelings for Kazuma begin in earnest when she offers to give up her beloved explosion spells to become a better mage for the party. This display of self-sacrifice showed how much she cared about the others. In response, Kazuma puts all of her points into the explosion spell, which moves her to tears. To give fans an idea where the romance story is going, by the epilogue of KonoSuba Volume 11, Megumin tells Kazuma that it’s time to become more than friends but “below lovers.”

The battle against General Sylvia is won by Megumin. Princess Iris of the kingdom invites the Kazuma and his party to the royal castle to regale her with tales of their adventures. Unfortunately for poor Kazuma, it comes out pretty quickly that he did not participate directly in any of the amazing battles. Instead, it’s his party that is given credit. Megumin, Aqua, and Darkness defend their luck-focused comrade, but his ego is mercilessly stomped into the ground. Worse, his shame is compounded when he’s beat during a small skirmish with the Demon King’s army.

The main plot of KonoSuba Volume 6 is focused on divine relics; powerful items bequeathed to resurrected Japanese people. These divine relics are so overpowered that when their original owners die the gods desire to retrieve them before they can be used for evil. Kazuma discovers that Princess Iris possesses a necklace that’s a powerful divine relic and the goddess Eris tasks Kazuma with retrieving it.

Meanwhile, a person known as The Chivalrous Thief has the nobility in an uproar because this person has been running rampant in the capital. After Kazuma had his reputation trashed at a royal dinner party, he finds himself dejected and separated from his party. Kazuma learns the identity of The Chivalrous Thief and this person wants him to help retrieve the divine relic from the castle.

What’s more, there is a conspiracy to impersonate the royal family! Despite being humiliated, Kazuma resolves to infiltrate the capital without his party by becoming the Masked Chivalrous Thief. Without spoiling everything, the masked Kazuma manages to singlehandedly beat Claire, Rain, and Mitsurugi and leave Megumin star struck by his awesomeness. But he may find himself in a bit of trouble since he accidentally managed to steal a ring from Princess Iris — a ring that requires the possessor to marry royalty! But, in the end, the story is really about Kazuma finding his own self-worth.

If KonoSuba Season 3 is anything like the first seasons, then it will probably end after adapting two volumes of the light novels. But fans will just have to wait and see what Studio Deen plans on doing next with this new anime project.

[Featured Image by Studio Deen]