The KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! release date is officially scheduled for April 5, 2023. The new Bakuen anime will have a total of 12 episodes released as three Blu-Ray/DVD volumes.
Anime Geek had previously predicted that the exact time frame will be in the Spring 2023 anime season. (For more details, please see the predictions section below.)
It’s also predicted that the KonoSuba Season 3 release date will be in 2024.
A new KonoSuba Explosion trailer PV 2 came out on the morning (EST) of December 4, 2022. This announcement was timed to coincide with the day of Megumin’s birthday.
The announcement of the release year was made by the first KonoSuba Bakuen trailer PV on August 26, 2022.
The characters will be voiced by these Japanese voice actors:
- Megumin is voiced by Rie Takahashi
- Yunyun is voiced by Aki Toyosaki
- Komekko is voiced by Maria Naganawa
- Arue is voiced by Kaori Nazuka
- Funifura is voiced by Miyu Tomita
- Dodonko is voiced by Sayumi Suzushiro
- Nerimaki is voiced by Shizuka Ishigami
The KonoSuba Megumin anime TV series was confirmed to be in production back in May 2022.
The KonoSuba Season 3 anime TV series was also confirmed to be in production during that May 2022 live-streaming event.
Both anime TV shows are being directed by director Yujiro Abe at Studio Drive.
Titled the KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! anime, the story will be based on the KonoSuba Bakuen light novel and manga series, which means it will be a prequel to the main story.
North American publisher Yen Press provides an English description of the KonoSuba: Explosion plot summary:
The number of episodes or cours for the KonoSuba Explosion anime hasn’t been announced yet. However, based on the source material, it is predicted to be only a single season (please see the light novel section below for more details).
“One year before a certain useless goddess and NEET extraordinaire hit the scene, Megumin, the ‘Greatest Genius of the Crimson Magic Clan,’ is hard at work. Ever since a life-changing encounter in her youth, the young wizard has dedicated her every waking moment to the pursuit of the ultimate offensive magic, Explosion! (Well…every moment not spent hustling food from her self-proclaimed rival.) And while the big sister’s away, the little one will play. On a routine trip into the woods, Megumin’s little sister, Komekko, finds a strange black kitten. Little does she know that this cat plays a key role in unsealing a Dark God’s tomb…”
On May 28, 2022, the KADOKAWA anime YouTube channel announced the new KonoSuba Explosion anime project via a New Information Unveiling Guest Special live stream event that featured KonoSuba voice actors Jun Fukushima (Kazuma), Sora Amamiya (Aqua), Rie Takahashi (Megumin), and Ai Kayano (Darkness).
The KonoSuba Megumin anime will feature returning voice actresses Rie Takahashi as Megumin and Aki Toyosaki as Yunyun.
The KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! OP (opening) theme song music “STAY FREE” is performed by Machico.
The ED song “JUMP IN” is performed by Megumin (CV: Rie Takahashi) and Yunyun (CV: Aki Toyosaki).
- Updated December 4, 2022: KonoSuba: Bakuen release date confirmed for Spring 2023. Added new trailer PV.
- Updated August 26, 2022: KonoSuba: Bakuen release date confirmed to be in 2023 by trailer PV 1.
- Updated July 8, 2022: Added the KonoSuba: Bakuen teaser trailer.
This article provides everything that is known about the KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! anime (Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! anime) 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.
Why the KonoSuba Explosion anime release date is in Spring 2023
As of the last update, Studio Drive, or any company related to the production of the anime has not officially confirmed the exact KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! release date. However, the production of the KonoSuba Bakuen anime was confirmed on May 28, 2022. The Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! release date was confirmed to be in Spring 2023 on December 4, 2022.
Once the news is officially confirmed this article will be updated with the relevant information.
The production of the anime projects was first teased way back in July 2021. Thus, it’s likely that pre-production began even before this production decision was made public.
When the teaser trailer was released at Anime Expo 2022 on July 3, 2022, the announcement did not provide a time frame for the TV show’s premiere. As previously noted, most of the animation was unfinished work, which gives us a rough idea of the production status.
Anime projects take years to develop and production studios are booked out in advance along with the main staff and cast. Unfortunately, the entire Japanese anime industry is facing growing pains due to a shortage of human resources thanks to low animator wages.
Typically, a production decision is not publicly announced until the anime project has already passed the pre-production phase. Additionally, these announcements are usually made within a year or two before the actual premiere. Fully animated trailer previews typically came out within 6 months of the premiere time frame.
Therefore, Anime Geek had predicted that the KonoSuba Bakuen release date will be in Spring 2023.
KonoSuba Megumin anime to be produced by Studio Drive
The first two seasons were produced by animation Studio DEEN while the KonoSuba movie was produced by Studio J.C. Staff.
Both the third season and the KonoSuba Bakuen anime project will be animated by returning main staff at the Japanese animation company Studio Drive. The studio has previously animated the original story Vlad Love and in 2022 they’re also releasing Teppen!, Uzamaki: Spiral Into Horror, and To Your Eternity Season 2.
Chief Director Takaomi Kanasaki (Princess Connect! Re:Dive Season 2) is helming the projects along with main director Yujiro Abe (episode director for Vlad Love, Great Pretender, Boruto, Kaguya-Sama: Love is War, Megalobox). Kanasaki is also acting as the chief supervisor for the KonoSuba Megumin project.
Writer Makoto Uezu (Kengan Ashura Season 2) is handling the series composition. Artist Koichi Kikuta (Blue Reflection Ray) is the character designer (for the second season, he was also the chief animation director).
Kono Subarashii Sekai ni Bakuen wo! anime is based on the light novel prequel
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!
The Bakuen light novels (“bakuen” literally translates as the word explosion) by original creator Natsume Akatsuki are side stories that function as a prequel to the events of the main story, which ended in 2017 with light novel KonoSuba Volume 17. As of March 2019, the spin-off series finished the ending in Bakuen Volume 5, which is more than enough for an anime adaptation.
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.
A KonoSuba Bakuen manga adaptation by Akatsuki and illustrator Kasumi Morino was serialized in Media Factory’s Monthly Comic Alive from May 2016 through December 27, 2017. It was released as five volumes.
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 and manga series. The English Bakuen Volume 5 was released on August 24, 2021. The manga’s English translation was also finished back in July 20, 2020.
As previously noted, it’s predicted that the KonoSuba Bakuen anime will only be a single season. The reason is that the first three volumes of the KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! light novel series is a complete story that ends with Megumin meeting Kazuma and Aqua.
Volumes 4 and 5 are labeled as the Zoku Bakuen series since they are bonus stories that take place during the main story in the KonoSuba timeline. For example, Bakuen Volume 4 takes place in-between main light novels KonoSuba Volume 9 and 10 and tells the story of Megumin forming a thieving party with Yunyun and Iris after being inspired by the Chivalrous Thief.
Unfortunately, anime fans will have to wait until the KonoSuba: An Explosion on this Wonderful World! release date to find out how the story will be adapted. Stay tuned!