KonoSuba Season 3 release date predictions: New anime project confirmed – Is 2023 likely?
A new KonoSuba anime project has officially been confirmed to be in production!
The announcement was made by the official Twitter account on July 18, 2021:
“The new anime production has been decided!” stated the official KonoSuba account. “A visual announcement of the new anime has been released! Please look forward to further news!”
The announcement did not specify whether the new project will be a KonoSuba Season 3 anime TV series or a KonoSuba movie 2. The studio and main staff making the KonoSuba 2021 project hasn’t been announced yet, either.
This announcement means that three out of four anime series in the Kadokawa’s Isekai Quartet have now been renewed in 2021 (an Isekai Quartet movie is even in the works).
First, the Overlord Season 4 anime TV series and an Overlord movie were both confirmed to be in production in 2021. Then, The Saga of Tanya the Evil Season 2 anime was also confirmed.
The only series to be left hanging is Re:Zero, but Re:Zero Season 3 seems very likely since the producer has already openly discussed the third season.
The release date for the KonoSuba Season 3 anime was pushed a little further over the horizon thanks to the KonoSuba movie, KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World! Crimson Legend.
Now that the Megumin-centric film has been released all anime fans are hoping the third season is just over the horizon. However, the series switched animation studios from Studio DEEN to J.C. Staff for the film project, so what does that mean for the third season?
A Kadokawa producer named Junichiro Tamura is claiming that KonoSuba Season 3 “has a good chance” if the Crimson Legend movie does well in theaters. Still, even if there is talk about creating the third season the KonoSuba director is busy with other projects in 2021. (Please see the release date section below for more details.)
The wait has been long for the new anime project. The first KonoSuba movie was originally teased during a July 2017 interview with Jun Fukushima and Rie Takahashi, the voice actors for KonoSuba characters Satou Kazuma and Megumin. Speaking during a HiBiKi radio program, the duo teased fans by claiming that a new KonoSuba anime project based on the original Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! light novel series was in the works.
In June 2018 the official KonoSuba website began reconstruction and then announced the film project a week later. In May 2019 the official website confirmed that the KonoSuba movie was coming out on August 30, 2019.
While it was good that Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, Darkness, and Yunyun will be returned for a film, what form will this new adventure take? Thankfully, the Crimson Legend movie was a direct continuation, not an original story, and adapted Volume 5, the next part in the main story from the light novels.
The Konosuba: Crimson Legend movie featured a story focused on Megumin and Yunyun of the Crimson Demon clan. And, as might be expected, it sure was explosive!
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Updated July 18, 2021: New KonoSuba anime confirmed!
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Updated August 14, 2020: Added news about KonoSuba director and how that affects KonoSuba Season 3.
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Updated April 2, 2020: Added info about KonoSuba’s ending in the novels.
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Updated February 17, 2020: Added info on KonoSuba Season 2 English dub.
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Updated March 25, 2019: Added new KonoSuba movie trailer preview. Hopefully, the KonoSuba Season 3 release date could be announced close to the movie premiere?
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Updated February 11, 2019: Added Kadokawa producer’s comments on KonoSuba Season 3 chances.
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Updated February 7, 2019: Added new Crimson Legend trailer. Overhauled analysis/spoilers based on this info. Added KonoSuba English dub.
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Updated January 23, 2019: Added leaked premiere date for the Crimson Legend movie.
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Updated December 14, 2018: Added the announcement of the official English translation of Bakuen light novel series.
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Updated October 23, 2018: Added Konosuba movie release date time frame, light novel Volume 15 release date, and updated miscellaneous details.
This article provides everything that is known about KonoSuba Season 3 and all related news. As such, this article will be updated over time with news and rumors. Meanwhile, let’s delve down into what is known for certain.
KonoSuba Season 3 Release Date Prediction: Sequel Waiting On The Director?
As of the last update, Studio Deen, J.C. Staff, or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the KonoSuba Season 3 release date. However, the production of a KonoSuba sequel was announced on July 18, 2021.
Once the news is officially confirmed this article will be updated with the relevant information.
In the meantime, it’s possible to speculate about when, or if, the KonoSuba Season 3 premiere date will occur in the future.
When the first season was being produced it was very likely that Studio Deen already knew that KonoSuba Season 2 would be released the following year. Episode 10 ended with a cliffhanger, while Episode 20 finished with Kazuma 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!”
That statement could be interpreted as either a hopeful endorsement for KonoSuba Season 3 by the studio or an indirect advertisement for the light novels. Based on history, any official announcement concerning KonoSuba Season 3 will probably happen sometime after the premiere of the Crimson Legend movie.
A popular YouTube video started the rumor that Studio Deen had KonoSuba Season 3 canceled thanks to the wording of a thank you letter contained in KonoSuba Volume 11. Author Natsume Akatsuki said in May 2017 that the “anime collaboration had ended for now, at least.” He thanked the animators at Studio Deen for working with him, but neither confirmed nor denied KonoSuba Season 3.
Now that the KonoSuba movie has been out for quite some time, it’s possible the groundwork for KonoSuba Season 3 has already begun since anime projects take years to develop. It could be argued that switching animation studios for the movie freed up Studio DEEN, but the main staff from the first two seasons were part of the project along with J.C. Staff.
As an example, KonoSuba director Takaomi Kanasaki worked as a contractor for both studios, but he’s currently busy working on other projects. Since the KonoSuba he contributed to the storyboards on Gleipnir and That Time I Got Reincarnated As A Slime but in 2020 he was the director for Princess Connect! Re:Dive anime at Cygames Pictures.
In 2021 and Winter 2022, the director will be busy working on Princess Connect! Re:Dive Season 2. When the news came out, Sakuga Blog’s kViN was asked, “So we have to wait even longer for KonoSuba 3?” In response, the anime expert jokingly suggested we could try cloning the director.
Assuming that the July 2021 announcement was about a third season, it seems reasonable to predict that the KonoSuba Season 3 release date probably won’t be until 2023 at the earliest.
Anime projects take years to develop and in 2017 many studios were admitting that they were scheduled all the way up through 2020. Unfortunately, the entire Japanese anime industry is facing growing pains due to a shortage of human resources thanks to low animator wages.
Many anime studios are booked to capacity and they simply don’t have enough people to do the work. Many Japanese studios have come to rely on outsourcing work to Chinese and Korean studios and the worldwide coronavirus pandemic caused many projects to be delayed.
Even though KonoSuba Season 3 is greatly desired, it’s possible Studio DEEN is contractually obligated to complete other projects first. The studio released ten anime in 2017 alone (Neo Yokio was co-produced with Production I.G.).
In 2019 they were so busy that The Seven Deadly Sins Season 3 and Season 4 was largely outsourced to a smaller studio. Fans will just have to hope that Studio DEEN has already worked KonoSuba Season 3 into their packed schedule for the future.
Bakuen light novels make Megumin its explosive star
Is the KonoSuba: God’s Blessing On This Wonderful World! movie not quite explosive enough for you? In addition to the film and a third season, some fans hope that the Gifting this World with Wonderful Explosions! (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo!) light novel spin-off series based on Megumin will be adapted into an explosive new anime.
The Bakuen light novels (“bakuen” literally translates as the word explosion) are side stories that function as a prequel to the main events of the story. As of March 2019, the spin-off series was up to Bakuen Volume 5, which is more than enough for an anime adaptation, whether it be a KonoSuba movie or a new TV series.
In December 2018, Yen Press announced that it had acquired the English translation license for the Konosuba: An Explosion On This Wonderful World! light novel series. The English Bakuen Volume 1 released on June 18, 2019, while Volume 2 is scheduled for February 18, 2020.
There is also the KonoSuba Dust spin-off Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o! Extra: Ano Orokamono ni mo Kyakkou wo! and the Wiz/Vanir spin-off Kono Kamen no Akuma ni Sodan wo! Unfortunately, those side stories are relatively short and would probably work better as KonoSuba OVA 3.
KonoSuba Light Novel Series Compared To The Anime And Manga
The Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku wo! light novel series first began being published in October 2013. The light novels are based on a web novel, which can be accessed through web archives.
The release date for KonoSuba Volume 16, Cult Syndrome was on November 1, 2018. Japanese book publisher Kadokawa has announced that the KonoSuba Volume 17 release date is scheduled for May 1, 2020. Volume 17 will contain KonoSuba’s ending for the entire series.
READ: KonoSuba’s Ending In Novels To Be Extended Beyond The Web Novel
The official English translation by Yen Press is up to Volume 11 as of December 2019. Volume 12 is scheduled for April 21, 2020.
The KonoSuba manga series started serializing within Monthly Dragon Age in 2016 and it’s written by the original creator and illustrated by Masahito Watari. KonoSuba manga Volume 11 released on April 9, 2020. Based on the series’ scheduled publishing history, KonoSuba manga Volume 12 is likely to come out in fall 2020, with Volume 13 coming out in March or April 2021.
The Japanese manga has already passed the events of KonoSuba Season 2 and even the English translation by Yen Press has caught up. The English translation of manga Volume 10 came out March 17, 2020.
The first anime season of KonoSuba aired during the 2016 winter anime season. KonoSuba Season 2 followed up quickly, with the finale airing in March 2017 with a combined total of 20 episodes.
A KonoSuba English dub began releasing on Crunchyroll starting in January 2019. A fan dub project was briefly released for limited episodes but was eventually taken down. Crunchyroll eventually released a KonoSuba Season 2 English dub on February 25, 2020.
💧 #AnimeAwards ANNOUNCEMENT 💧Konosuba Season 2 English Dub Comes to Crunchyroll February 25th! pic.twitter.com/NMVS2FiXi8
— Crunchyroll 🎉 #AnimeAwards! (@Crunchyroll) February 16, 2020
Thankfully, the light novel series provides plenty of source material for Studio DEEN (or J.C. Staff) to produce the KonoSuba Season 3 anime. The second season finished up events from Volume 4, and the KonoSuba movie covered in full the events of Volume 5, so the third season will start with the story from KonoSuba Volume 6.
Thus far, two books have been adapted per season. It’s possible that the movie will force KonoSuba Season 3 to be a two-cour season based on necessity. Without getting into spoilers (see below), the story of Volume 6 is self-contained while Volume 7 ends with a minor cliffhanger that leads into Volume 8. All three volumes also represent a complete story arc.
If fans want to read the book series, it’s recommended to start from the beginning since the anime adaptation changed and skipped certain events. Check out this link for the recommended reading order.
KonoSuba OVA Episodes
In June 2016, a KonoSuba OVA (Original Video Animation) episode called God’s Blessings on This Wonderful Choker! was released. The anime short had Kazuma putting a choker around his neck because he believed it would grant wishes, but instead it is slowly choking him to death unless he fulfills a wish he’d unconsciously made when first donning the deadly magical item. The first KonoSuba OVA episode was packaged with the limited edition of light novel Volume 9.
KonoSuba OVA 2 was released in July 2017 and it’s called God’s Blessings on This Wonderful Work Of Art! Similar to the first OVA, the second OVA was released as part of the limited edition Volume 12. KonoSuba OVA 2 tells the story of Kazuma’s party searching for a robot created by a Japanese neet who was reincarnated in the past. There’s also a “fanboy” of Kazuma’s, but this fan may have an ulterior motive.
Unfortunately, neither one of the KonoSuba OVA episodes are available on official streaming sites like Crunchyroll.
KonoSuba Movie Details
The new KonoSuba movie focused on Megumin and the Crimson Demon race. It’s a smart move since Megumin is definitely the most popular character from the TV series next to best girl Aqua. Volume 5 was also one of the most popular books in the series, so it made sense for the Konosuba: Crimson Legend movie to adapt the book.
The biggest surprise about the KonoSuba movie announcement was that animation studio J.C. Staff was taking over from Studio Deen, which produced the first two seasons. The good news is that the main staff and cast were kept the same. Director Takaomi Kanasaki will be returning as well as character designer Koichi Kikuta, series composition writer Makoto Uezu, and music composer Masato Koda.
The KonoSuba movie release date happened in Japan on August 30, 2019.
KonoSuba Season 3 anime ‘has a good chance’ if Crimson Legend movie does well, says Kadokawa producer
When will KonoSuba Season 3 release? Anime producers are used to hearing a chorus of “KonoSuba Season 3 pls” whenever they’re asked questions by the public, but during a Reddit Ask Me Anything Kadokawa producer Junichiro Tamura seemed to give hope for the third season of KonoSuba: God’s Blessing on this Wonderful World!
Now, Tamura joined the Reddit AMA primarily to discuss The Rising Of The Shield Hero anime, which is his latest project. So, when he was asked about the chances for KonoSuba Season 3, anime fans were probably slightly surprised by his response.
“KonoSuba Season 3 has a good chance if the movie does well,” Tamura replied. In another KonoSuba S3-related question, he explained that the decision-making process for another season of any show “mostly depends on the popularity of the show.”
To put these responses into perspective, Tamura was also asked about No Game No Life Season 2, Re:Zero Season 2 (which has been confirmed to be in production), and The Melancholy Of Suzumiya Haruhi Season 3. The producer just replied, “No comment,” each time. To be fair, Tamura was not involved in any of those projects, but his comment about KonoSuba Season 3 stands out because he’s also not directly involved with the KonoSuba anime.
The total box office was $7.57 million ($6.37 million in Japan alone). To put that number in perspective, films like Psycho-Pass and Violet Evergarden posted similar numbers and TV anime sequels were greenlit for production. But Crimson Legend’s success was certainly no Weathering With You or Your Name, which generated billions of yen each.
KonoSuba Movie Spoilers: Crimson Legend Will Ship An Explosive Relationship
The ending of Season 2 left our “heroes” hanging out at the mansion. Crimson Legend mave have adapted Volume 5, but first, the anime will need to go back to the cliffhanger ending of Volume 4 that was skipped.
The book epilogue ends with Crimson Magic Clan member Yunyun rapping on the door of the mansion. The flustered girl could barely speak. Kazuma was casually drinking tea since he was used to such developments, but then the red-faced Yunyun proclaimed, “I…! I…!! I want to have Kazuma-san’s children!” Needless to say, Kazuma spat out his tea.
Despite all the commotion over that announcement, the real reason that Yunyun was there was to deliver a letter from her father, the chief of Crimson Demon village. The Demon King was gearing up to launch a major offensive against the village and Kazuma’s group decided to set out for Megumin’s homeland to help fight back.
As might be expected, the rest of the Crimson Demon clan is about as odd as Megumin and Yunyun. The village was started by a reincarnated Japanese person and Kazuma is able to read some of the “artifacts” left behind. Their fighting style is baffling because they would rather look cool than be effective in combat. Megumin may think explosions are awesome, but the rest of the clan look down on explosion magic users.
Huge Spoiler Warning: The KonoSuba anime has typically defied isekai genre stereotypes by turning them on their head and mocking them. The anime series has so far avoided the trappings of harem animes, but when KonoSuba Volume 5 released the Kazuma X Megumin ship officially sailed. Megumin even admits to her true feelings, although she denies emotions only seconds later. And Megumin’s family only makes things worse. The tension gets even hotter when the two are locked in a bedroom with a single bed.
The biggest development comes when Megumin is willing to sacrifice her beloved explosion magic for the sake of the party. While this decision showed how much she cared for the others, Kazuma moves her to tears by instead shifting all of her points into explosion magic. This gesture is what moves Megumin’s heart and she begins to have real romantic feelings for Kazuma.
Unfortunately, the Demon King’s army leads Kazuma into a trap: the Demon General Sylvia appears to be a towering beautiful woman, but in reality, this chimera creature is both a man and woman. Not knowing this, Kazuma is so attracted to the manipulative General that he decides to defect to the Demon King’s Army.
How will Megumin defeat the Demon King’s army now? Anime fans will just have to watch the KonoSuba movie to see the explosive ending.
KonoSuba Season 3 Spoilers (Plot Summary/Synopsis)
Note: The second season was more than popular enough to justify a two-cour season for KonoSuba Season 3, but for the sake of simplicity, these spoilers will assume Studio DEENwill do another single-cour season with 10 to 13 episodes. As previously discussed, it’s possible the third season could be more than two books, but it’s also possible the Volume 7 cliffhanger will be skipped similarly to how Season 2 skipped the Volume 4 cliffhanger involving Yunyun.
Hearing of the party’s great deeds, Princess Belzerg Stylish Sword Iris of the Kingdom of Belzerg invites Kazuma, Aqua, Megumin, and Darkness to the royal palace to tell the tale of their exploits. But Kazuma’s bloated ego is quickly deflated when his party is given all the credit because he did not directly engage in combat in any of their battles.
The King is away due to the endless war with the Demon King and the nobility is upset because much of the empire’s wealth is being pinched by a person known as The Chivalrous Thief. Kazuma tries to redeem himself by catching this thief, but he is disappointed when he finds out the thief’s identity. Kazuma becomes even more ashamed of himself when he loses to the Demon King’s army during a small skirmish, is slain, and must be revived by the gods once again.
With his reputation royally trashed by the nobility, the dejected adventurer finds himself all alone, separated from the party. Thus, the major theme of this story is Kazuma finding his own self-worth by finding areas in which he can excel.
One of the other themes of KonoSuba Volume 6 is divine relics, which are powerful magical items given to reincarnated Japanese people. Divine relics are so overpowered that when their owners die the gods will attempt to retrieve them before anyone can use them for great evil. As it so happens, Princess Iris has a special necklace that is a divine relic and the goddess Eris wants Kazuma to retrieve it.
Kazuma ends up partying up with The Chivalrous Thief when a conspiracy to impersonate the royal family requires that he infiltrate the empire all on his own. Kazuma takes on the identity of the Masked Chivalrous Thief and he manages to singlehandedly beat Claire, Rain, and Mitsurugi. The masked Kazuma is so awesome that Megumin fangasms at his heroics.
Since this is KonoSuba we’re talking about, nothing goes quite as expected and Kazuma accidentally steals a magical ring from Princess Iris. This ring requires that the possessor marry royalty and yet the princess is only 12 years old! How will Kazuma resolve this new crisis?
Speaking of marriage, Volume 7: 110-Million Bride is all about princess Darkness getting hitched! Kazuma is taking it easy after piling up money from defeating Demon King’s generals, but Darkness is nowhere to be found and suddenly a resignation letter turns up. And now there are rumors that Darkness left to marry a Lord?
Hopefully, KonoSuba Season 3 will surprise everyone by adapting more than two volumes of the light novels. Indeed, let’s just hope that Studio DEEN plans on releasing the third season sooner rather than later. Stay tuned!
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