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 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 goal is to defeat the demon king and his generals to return to Japan but slowly grows to realize the aspects of his new life.

Kazuma has generally received positive reception for his unique traits and as a deconstruction of isekai protagonist, being known as one of the best Isekai protagonists while 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

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. A famous attribute tied to Kazuma is his ad-libs to when other characters refer to him by name with it developing out of habit during test recordings for the anime and would later be included in the final script.[4]

Characteristics

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, while his design in the earlier volumes of the Light Novels had 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 as in some cases, he can be generally erratic and tends to insult or belittle others that annoy or insult him as he's initially shown to have a pessimistic and cynical attitude towards others.[5] He can also display behaviors of rash characteristics with instances such as leading a counter attack against the Destroyer only to end up destroying a noble's house, thus warranting his arrest.[6][7] Although sometimes, he can show kindness and leadership with his party and with others, at times willingly helping out someone such as when he willingly chose to help Aqua after one of the Demon King's generals made her sad[8] or helping Darkness with her personal familial affairs.[9] He is also shown to display levels of laziness and a pervert due to some of his antics with other characters.[10] Despite all of this, it has been regularly shown that 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 shown to be 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 in the future riding on a senior boy's bike which traumatized him to the point where he slowly avoided going to school and interacting with people.[12] Almost all of Kazuma's romantic knowledge comes from the various anime, visual novels and other entertainment materials he used to consume in Japan, which made him pretty inept at responding to heartfelt feelings in the beginning but he later grew close to Megumin when she confessed to him[13] and started a relationship of 'more than friends and less than lovers'[14] with her when he acknowledged his own feelings to Megumin. 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

His signature weapon is his sword due being more experienced in short-range melee combat. He also uses other weapons like his bow which has precise aim using his snipe skill. He can also learn a variety of other skills from other classes such as Mana Swap, Freeze, Create Water and Steal.[16] These abilities are usually taught by other characters of varying classes but can't learn any advanced skills due to his class. Despite his class limiting himself to just using basic skills, he has shown to combine them for a more powerful attacks such as combining his ice and water skills during his rematch with Kyouya Mitsurugi. Statiscally, Kazuma is shown to be average in most traits but has above average intelligence and abnormally high luck.[17] Due to this, he managed to nearly put an entire casino into bankruptcy due to his consistent wins.[18] However due to his class, Kazuma is typically slain multiple times throughout various points, usually prompting Aqua to revive him.[19] Kazuma is most well known, however, for his underhanded tactics that he uses 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. Thanks to his immense wealth that he gathers through the course of the series he also buys more expensive equipment such as high grade manatites to cast stronger spells.[20]

Character biography

As a shut-in NEET who has been heartbroken after an incident with his crush in middle school, Kazuma initially confined himself to his room playing video games and reading manga due to his lack in social confidence. This all changed after dying 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 makes fun of him over how he died and out of spite, he decides to take her to help him on his quest to defeat the Devil King. After having sufficient funds, their party grows after managing to 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 at different locations throughout various chapters in the story. During Volume 5 of the Light Novel, it is hinted that Megumin began developing romantic feelings for him and vice-versa.[11] This later 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 was described as "more than friends, less than lovers".[22]

During Volume 6, Kazuma becomes exiled from the Kingdom of Belzerg after realizing the Chivalrous Thief was Chris and reluctantly admits failure. Due 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 but while initially failing, they manage to 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 and attempting to face the Demon King herself.[8] Matters are made worse when his stats are reset to 1 but 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 in an acceptable stance, Kazuma sets off to defeat the Demon King and rescuing Aqua from any further peril. Despite having the option to return to Japan as initially promised, Kazuma chooses to stay in Belzerg along with the rest of his friends.[20]

In other media

Kazuma along with other characters from his respective 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

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 a 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

  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. 1 2 "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. 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. 1 2 Akatsuki 2021b, vol. 15.
  9. 1 2 Akatsuki 2018c, vol. 7.
  10. 1 2 "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. 1 2 3 Akatsuki 2018a, vol. 5.
  12. 1 2 Masé, Alphonso L. (January 1, 2021). "What We Can Learn From Kazuma (Konosuba)". Medium. Retrieved November 18, 2023.
  13. 1 2 Akatsuki 2019b, vol. 9.
  14. 1 2 Akatsuki 2020, vol. 12.
  15. ↑ オレンジ. "【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.
  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. 1 2 Akatsuki 2022b, vol. 17.
  21. ↑ Akatsuki 2017, vol. 1.
  22. ↑ Akatsuki 2021a, vol. 14.
  23. ↑ Akatsuki 2018b, vol. 6.
  24. ↑ Akatsuki 2019a, vol. 8.
  25. ↑ Akatsuki 2022a, vol. 16.
  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). 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

  • 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)
This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.