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Kazuma Satou

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Kazuma Satou (Japanese: 佐藤 和真, Hepburn: Satō Kazuma, also spelt Kazuma Sato) is the main protagonist of the light novel, manga and anime series KonoSuba. He is voiced by Jun Fukushima[1][2] in Japan and by Arnie Pantoja in English-speaking regions.[3] He was a shut-in NEET until being sent to a parallel world and became the leader of a new party. Initially shown to be cynical and sarcastic, he can show selflessness and compassion towards his friends and competence as a leader. His main goals are to defeat the demon king and his generals, to return to Japan, and to realize the aspects of his new life.

Kazuma Satō
KonoSuba character
Kazuma as seen in promotional artwork for KonoSuba: Fantastic Days
First appearance
  • "Oh! My Useless Goddess!"
  • December 20, 2012
Created byNatsume Akatsuki
Voiced byJun Fukushima (Japanese)
Arnie Pantoja (English)
Ryōta Ōsaka (Drama CD)
BirthdayJune 7
In-universe information
AliasSatou Kazuma
GenderMale
OccupationAdventurer
Affiliation Japan (formerly)
 Kingdom of Belzerg
Weaponchunchunmaru (Japanese sword)
FamilyUnnamed parents
Unnamed brother
Significant otherMegumin
NationalityJapanese

Kazuma has generally received positive reception for his unique traits and as a deconstruction of the isekai protagonist, being known as one of the best Isekai protagonists. His dry sense of humour and ad-libs done by Jun Fukushima are widely praised. Contrarily, he has also received some criticisms for some of his character traits and personality, especially his acts of perversion.

Creation

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Concept art of Kazuma illustrated by Kurone Mishima in the official series art book Mishima Kurone Artbook KonoSuba Cheers!

During production for the anime series, Jun Fukushima decided to give Kazuma a voice with charm as well as insinuating focus on the realism behind the character's voice delivery. During test recordings he began ad-libbing interruptions to characters who opened a sentence by addressing Kazuma by name, feeling that in real life people tend to respond immediately when they hear their name spoken, rather than waiting for the other person to finish their sentence. Many of these ad-libs ended up being included in the final scripts.[4]

Characteristics

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Kazuma is a Japanese teenager that initially dressed in a green and black tracksuit, and later on adorns a green cape with a golden stripe around the edges, a gray shirt with a white tunic, gray pants, dark brown boots with his natural attributes adorning brown hair and green eyes in the anime. His design in the earlier volumes of the light novels has black hair and black eyes to match his Japanese origin, but it was later changed to match his anime counterpart.

Kazuma's personality can vary. He is generally erratic, tends to insult or belittle others that annoy him, and has a pessimistic and cynical attitude.[5] He also shows rash behavior, such as leading a counterattack against the Destroyer which destroys a noble's house, thus warranting his arrest.[6][7] He can show kindness and leadership with his party and with others, at times willingly helping out someone such as Aqua after one of the Demon King's generals made her sad[8] or Darkness with her familial affairs.[9] He is also lazy and a pervert.[10] He cares for all of his companions and has earned the name of "Tsundere" from Megumin for refusing to acknowledge it.[9] Kazuma is also selfless, such as the time when he could have made Megumin learn Advanced Magic that would have enabled her to become much more of a help to the party but instead chose to boost the power of her Explosion Magic as he did not want her to sacrifice her dreams.[11] Through flashbacks,[11] it is revealed that Kazuma became a shut in NEET after seeing his childhood friend who had promised to marry him riding on a senior boy's bike.[12] Almost all of Kazuma's romantic knowledge comes from anime, visual novels and other entertainment materials, which made him pretty inept at responding to heartfelt feelings in the beginning. He grows close to Megumin when she confesses to him[13] and grows a relationship with her when he acknowledges his own feelings to Megumin.[14] Regarding the romantic relationship between Kazuma and Megumin, author Natsume Akatsuki intentionally chose not to shine too much focus on it, wanting to write a proper comedy spin-off on the two.[15]

Abilities

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Kazuma's signature weapon is his sword, and he is more experienced in short-range melee combat. He also uses weapons like his bow, which has precise aim using his "Snipe" skill. Being an adventurer, he is able to learn a variety of other skills from other classes such as Mana Swap, Freeze, Create Water and Steal.[16] These abilities have to usually be taught to him by other characters before he can use them, and he cannot learn advanced skills. Thus, he combines basic skills for more powerful attacks, such as combining his ice and water skills during his rematch with Kyouya Mitsurugi. Statiscally, Kazuma is average in most traits but has above average intelligence and abnormally high luck.[17] Due to this, he nearly put an entire casino into bankruptcy due to his consistent wins.[18] However due to his low-level class, Kazuma is prone to getting slain multiple times in combat against especially powerful opponents, prompting Aqua to revive him.[19] Kazuma is also extremely skilled in battle strategy, often finding creative ways to utilise his party's specialised skillsets in order to defeat enemies in the most efficient way possible. When fighting alone, he often uses underhanded tactics to compensate for his lack of raw power, such as creating earth and blowing it in the eyes of his enemies or using "Steal" as a distraction. With the immense wealth that he gathers through the course of the series, he buys more expensive equipment such as high grade manatites to cast stronger spells.[20]

Character biography

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As a shut-in NEET who was heartbroken by his crush in middle school, Kazuma confined himself to his room playing video games and reading manga due to his lack of social confidence. He dies from acute stress reaction after attempting to save a classmate from a tractor which he mistook for a speeding truck.[21] In the Heavenly Realm, he meets Aqua, who voices impatience while he is deciding on an asset to take with him on his quest to defeat the Devil King. Out of spite, he chooses her as that asset. They recruit Megumin and Darkness into the party. Despite initially giving up on trying to defeat the Devil King, Kazuma and his party encounter the generals through various ordeals. During Volume 5 of the light novels, it is hinted that Megumin begins developing romantic feelings for him and vice-versa.[11] This expands into a love triangle between him, Megumin and Darkness in the later volumes.[13][14] Ultimately, Kazuma and Megumin engage in a state that is described as "more than friends, less than lovers".[22]

During Volume 6, Kazuma is exiled from the Kingdom of Belzerg after realizing the Chivalrous Thief was Chris and reluctantly admits failure. Due to his dire situation, he agrees to assist Chris in infiltrating the royal castle after a conspiracy of the royal family begins to spread word.[23] After figuring out that Chris was the goddess Eris, he agrees to help steal the Sacred Armor Aigis. While initially failing, they get the armor after Eris reveals her true identity and the armor accepts her.[24] After engaging and defeating the other Demon Generals, Kazuma and Aqua have a talk over whether to fight the Demon King. This results in Aqua running off to face the Demon King herself.[8] His stats are reset to 1. After discovering that due to a lack of personal skills, he could regain his levels quickly, he ventures to the hardest dungeon available with the assistance of Wiz and Vanir.[25] After gaining his levels back, Kazuma sets off to defeat the Demon King and rescue Aqua from any further peril. Despite having the option to return to Japan as initially promised, Kazuma chooses to stay in Belzerg along with his friends.[20]

In other media

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Kazuma and other characters from his series make appearances in the gag-crossover Isekai Quartet. He also makes appearances within several KonoSuba video games, usually being a playable character or a main character.[26] His most prominent video game appearance is in the side-scroller KonoSuba: God's Blessing on this Wonderful World! Revival of Beldia where he sets off to free Aqua, Megumin and Darkness from the possession of the Demon General Beldia.[27] He also makes an appearance in the KonoSuba CD Drama, although he is voiced by Ryōta Ōsaka.[28]

Reception

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Kazuma has generally received positive reception for his role in the story as a subversion of traditional Isekai cliches that were present at the time.[29][30][31] This trait was emphasized in a review for the first season of the anime with Max Iorio noting the stark contrast of circumstances between many other isekai protagonists and Kazuma.[32] Rebecca Silverman of Anime News Network gave similar praise, describing him as "the most laid-back hero to find himself plopped down in a fantasy setting".[33] Further analysis of his unorthodox characterization was exhibited in a Comic Book Resources article with author Louis Kemner citing examples such as the pointlessness of his initial death, his relationship with Aqua, his constant strive for money, and the lack of any noble cause.[34] Lynn of The Otaku Author praised the comedic value of his luck stat, stating that his luck perfectly balanced out his other stats and complemented his shut-in lifestyle.[35] His comedic chemistry with Megumin would also be praised in an Anime Kansou review.[36] This sentiment was reciprocated in a review in for the film KonoSuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! Legend of Crimson with Jordan Ramée of GameSpot praising the character development and the romantic undertones between the two.[37] Similar praise was directed at the high amount of screentime Kazuma received and his role in the film but with certain gags being criticized due to their nature.[38] In a analysis conducted in a Medium article on the character, author Alphonso L. Masé places emphasis on his introspection skills and his resilience.[12]

In a review for the episode "A Betrothed for This Noble Daughter!", Meni praised Kazuma's role in the episode, finding hilarity in his duel with Darkness.[39] While initially being more critical of Kazuma's characteristics, BanjoTheBear of The Chuuni Corner commended his nicer and comedic aspects.[40] Similarly, Kazuma was praised by SD Pict for his character development, noting that he's gone a long way from a NEET to someone who's more outgoing and reliable.[41] The character was also praised for the performance of Jun Fukushima for his performance as well as the ad-libs he would give Kazuma.[4][10][42][43] FandomSpot author R. Romero ranked him as the 3rd best Isekai protagonist in anime.[44] MoviesRulz ranked him second among the 10 unluckiest isekai protagonists.[45] Kazuma has also been a nominee for the Best Boy category for the 2nd Crunchyroll Anime Awards.[46] He has also enjoyed consistent popularity within the light novel guide Kono Light Novel ga Sugoi!. He would appear five times from 2017 to 2021 within the top 10 male characters rankings with his highest result being ranked sixth in the 2020 polls.[47] He has been frequently compared to Subaru Natsuki from Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World due to their many similarities in terms of character and series premise.[48] The comparisons were frequent enough to where they were noted in Isekai Quartet throughout several gags.[49]

References

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  1. ^ "Staff & Cast". konosuba.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved September 27, 2019.
  2. ^ "Jun Fukushima (visual voices guide)". Behind The Voice Actors. Archived from the original on July 21, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  3. ^ Hazra, Adriana (January 1, 2021). "Crunchyroll Adds Konosuba Film's English Dub on January 1". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on December 23, 2021. Retrieved January 1, 2021.
  4. ^ a b "公開直前！ みんなで語ろう、映画『このすば』⑤――カズマ役・福島潤編". Line News [ja]. August 29, 2019. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  5. ^ "Konosuba Characters: The Beloved Degenerates Of The Show". Anime-Internet. January 30, 2021. Archived from the original on January 20, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  6. ^ "第10話 この理不尽な要塞に終焔を！" [Episode 10 A Final Flame for this Over-the-top Fortress!] (in Japanese). Kono Subarashii Sekain ni Shukufuku o!. Retrieved March 16, 2016.
  7. ^ "遂にあのポンコツパーティが帰ってくる!? 冬アニメ『この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！２』を５つの見どころでご紹介!!". Animate Times (in Japanese). January 11, 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  8. ^ a b Akatsuki 2021b, vol. 15.[page needed]
  9. ^ a b Akatsuki 2018c, vol. 7.[page needed]
  10. ^ a b "この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！（このすば）のネタバレ解説・考察まとめ". Renote (in Japanese). September 29, 2021. Archived from the original on October 11, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  11. ^ a b c Akatsuki 2018a, vol. 5.[page needed]
  12. ^ a b Masé, Alphonso L. (January 1, 2021). "What We Can Learn From Kazuma (Konosuba)". Medium. Archived from the original on November 18, 2023. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  13. ^ a b Akatsuki 2019b, vol. 9.[page needed]
  14. ^ a b Akatsuki 2020, vol. 12.[page needed]
  15. ^ オレンジ (30 May 2023). "【このすば】めぐみんがカズマに告白！二人の関係についてネタバレ". Right Nonel (in Japanese). Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  16. ^ "第3話 この右手にお宝(ぱんつ)を!" [Episode 3 A Panty Treasure in This Right Hand!] (in Japanese). Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!. Retrieved February 7, 2016.
  17. ^ "この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！２ キャラクター紹介(12/13追加)". Studio Deen (in Japanese). 13 December 2016. Archived from the original on October 27, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  18. ^ Akatsuki 2019c.[page needed]
  19. ^ "第6話 この煩わしい外界にさよならを!" (in Japanese). Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Shukufuku o!. Retrieved March 21, 2017.
  20. ^ a b Akatsuki 2022b, vol. 17.[page needed]
  21. ^ Akatsuki 2017, vol. 1.[page needed]
  22. ^ Akatsuki 2021a, vol. 14.[page needed]
  23. ^ Akatsuki 2018b, vol. 6.[page needed]
  24. ^ Akatsuki 2019a, vol. 8.[page needed]
  25. ^ Akatsuki 2022a, vol. 16.[page needed]
  26. ^ Romano, Sal (28 March 2017). "KonoSuba game launches for PS4 and PS Vita this summer in Japan". Gematsu. Archived from the original on September 4, 2022. Retrieved March 30, 2017.
  27. ^ "KonoSuba's Season 2 Limited Blu-ray Bonus Is A Sweet Mega Man-Style Side-Scroller". Siliconera. February 1, 2017. Retrieved August 6, 2021.
  28. ^ "佐藤和真とは (サトウカズマとは) [単語記事] - ニコニコ大百科". nicovideo.jp (in Japanese). Archived from the original on October 23, 2021. Retrieved January 12, 2022.
  29. ^ Morrissy, Kim (February 27, 2017). "FEATURE: Novel vs Anime – "Konosuba": How does the Konosuba light novel compare to the anime?". Crunchyroll. Archived from the original on September 3, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  30. ^ "Konosuba: A Parody on This Isekai Genre". Couch Soup. 12 July 2022. Archived from the original on July 12, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  31. ^ Ramphele, Naledi (April 22, 2022). "The KonoSuba Effect – How Comedy Became Inseparable From Isekai". Game Rant. Archived from the original on May 15, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  32. ^ Iorio, Max (July 8, 2016). "KonoSuba Anime Review". Fun Curve. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  33. ^ Silverman, Rebecca (November 20, 2016). "Konosuba: God's Blessing on This Wonderful World! GN 1". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  34. ^ Kemner, Louis (December 15, 2021). "KonoSuba: 10 Ways Kazuma Is Unlike Any Other Isekai Protagonist". Comic Book Resources. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  35. ^ Lynn (December 19, 2016). "KonoSuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! (Episode 3) – A Panty Treasure in This Right Hand!". The Otaku Author. Archived from the original on August 2, 2021. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  36. ^ "「この素晴らしい世界に祝福を!2」レビュー". Anime Kansou (in Japanese). 16 March 2017. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  37. ^ Ramée, Jordan (November 15, 2019). "Konosuba: Legend Of Crimson Review - Falls Short". GameSpot. Archived from the original on December 24, 2021. Retrieved July 12, 2020.
  38. ^ "THE KONOSUBA MOVIE IS ALL ABOUT MEGUMIN". Biggest in Japan. 16 September 2019. Retrieved September 26, 2022.
  39. ^ Meni (September 26, 2020). "【この素晴らしい世界に祝福を！2】第4話感想 変態ダクネスとクズマの全力ぶつかり稽古【このすば2期】". Many Anime (in Japanese). Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  40. ^ BanjoTheBear (November 28, 2017). "Review/discussion about: KonoSuba Season 2". The Chuuni Corner. Archived from the original on January 17, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  41. ^ "10 Most Liked Characters In Isekai Anime". August 27, 2022. Archived from the original on September 8, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  42. ^ Martin, Theron (February 23, 2017). "KONOSUBA – God's blessing on this wonderful world! 2 – Episode 7". Anime News Network. Retrieved September 1, 2017.
  43. ^ "KonoSuba Season 1 Review". Anime UK News. 20 March 2016. Retrieved September 23, 2022.
  44. ^ Romero, R. "20 Best Isekai Protagonists In Anime (Ranked)". FandomSpot. Archived from the original on July 19, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  45. ^ "The 10 Unluckiest Isekai Protagonists, Ranked". MoviesRulz. July 2022. Archived from the original on September 25, 2022. Retrieved September 25, 2022.
  46. ^ Jones, Jordan (February 25, 2018). "Crunchyroll's 2017 Anime Awards Recap and Winners". geeksofcolor.co. Retrieved 2021-02-02.
  47. ^ このライトノベルがすごい! 2020 (in Japanese). Takarajimasha. November 25, 2019. ISBN 978-4-8002-9978-9.
  48. ^ "What Made 'Re:Zero − Starting Life in Another World' So Popular?". Manga.Tokyo. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.
  49. ^ "Isekai Quartet Episode 4". Anime News Network. Archived from the original on January 6, 2022. Retrieved September 9, 2020.

Primary sources

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  • Akatsuki, Natsume (February 21, 2017). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 1, Oh! My useless Goddess! (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-31-655337-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (April 24, 2018). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 5, Crimson Magic Clan, let's & go!! (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-31-646878-7.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (August 21, 2018). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 6, The Princess of the Six Flowers (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-31-646880-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (December 11, 2018). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 7, 10 Millions Bride (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-31-646882-4.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (April 23, 2019). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 8, Axis Cult vs Eris Cult (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-0-31-646885-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (August 27, 2019). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 9, The Crimson Fate. New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-538503-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (December 17, 2019). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 10, Gamble Scramble! (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-533234-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (October 20, 2020). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 12, Lullaby of a Female Knight (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-533238-9.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (June 22, 2021). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 14, The Crimson Demon's Trial (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-533242-6.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (October 26, 2021). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 15, Cult Syndrome (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-533244-0.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (April 19, 2022). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 16, Runaway Goddess, Come Home! (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-534204-3.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
  • Akatsuki, Natsume (August 2, 2022). Konosuba: God's blessing on this wonderful world! 17, God's Blessing on These Wonderful Adventurers! (First Yen On ed.). New York, NY. ISBN 978-1-97-534310-1.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: location missing publisher (link)
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