KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! Part 4 Episodes 10-12

The town of Axel: the hub city for beginning adventurers of all types and classes.  Megumin has fought tooth and nail to get here and start her legendary career…except no one wants her on their party because she only knows one attack.  She’s also happened to arrive at a time when a powerful demon presence has begun to stalk the outskirts of the city, a Demon Megumin and Yunyun might be familiar with.  If Megumin can take this monster down, perhaps she’ll get the recognition she deserves and find the party she longs to join…unaware that some future miscreants just like her are lurking around town trying to start their own party as well. 

The Megumin origin story reaches the conclusion it was always aiming but does it do so in spectacular Crimson Demon fashion?  The short answer is: not really.  While there are a few good moments here and there, most of the Series Finale dances around what we all know is coming but the show doesn’t want to just let happen already.  The result are three episodes that could have been either two or, probably better, one 45 minute wrap up.  Not exactly the most exciting and overly dramatic finish befitting a Crimson Demon prodigy like Megumin.
 
The most annoying part of being in Axel was ironically the main cast.  I don’t mean Megumin and Yunyun.  No I mean the original characters being constantly teased throughout.  This is doubly so for Kazuma and Aqua, who are getting into their usual argument ridden misadventures within ear shot of a lot of scenes Megumin’s in.  The show tries to be clever by not showing their faces, no the faces of Darkness, Wiz and even Kris.  And that’s fine if they were only in single scenes.  But every few minutes we hear Kazuma and Aqua in another argument with themselves or the people around them.  It becomes so eye rollingly obnoxious and you know the final shots gonna be Megumin meeting the two, it can best be described with the “YES GET ON WITH IT” scene from Monty Python and the Holy Grail. 
 
That might be my biggest complaint about this final set of episodes but it isnt the last.  Megumin’s first days in Axel are padded to death with her trying to find a party while also dealing with a Gargoyle minion of Wolbach still trying to steal Chomusuke.  It’s not exciting and only elicits a minor chuckle or two.  If anything I feel bad for Megumin but also a little irritated since she is a one shot only spellcaster who cant seem to understand why no on wants her in their group.  But again, we all know where’s she’s gonna end up.  Instead of just getting to the point, she just sulks around until its time to fight that Gargoyle, who isnt even really that big of a threat (even Arnes wasn’t that threatening herself…do all of Wolbach’s servants just suck?). 
 
The most entertaining of Megumin’s early Axel days was when Axis priestess Cecily popped in.  While Zesta was the stand out in Arcanretia, Cecily got to steal the spotlight here with her constant cozying up to Megumin and vandalizing the rival church just for it existing.  Seriously, her throwing a brick through the window of the Eris Church got the biggest laugh of the whole show out of me.  Her heading off on her own adventure does explain why Megumin isnt recognized in Arcanretia in KonoSuba Season 2.  I’ll also give credit that the show does wrap up Megumin and Yunyun’s story nicely.  Yunyun knows if she sticks around Megumin she wont be able to grow like she should be.  It’s a very amicable parting and I also love Yunyun admitting how much Megumin means to her as her best friend while Megumin is pretending to be asleep.  The show has worked largely in part thanks to the antics and warmer moments between these two and Yunyun grew to be quite the formidable mage herself.  I’m glad she stuck around after Megumin left the village. 
 
While events do sync up with KonoSuba Season 1 in the end, there’s still the matter of lingering plot threads.  While Yunyun, Chomusuke and Megumin’s family have popped up in the parent series, the Wolbach situation hasn’t been resolved.  Komekko still has that puzzle that led to her supposedly being released.  And if she is really Chomusuke, why is Wolbach not making a move?  None of this even came up in Season 3 that I’m aware of so there’s still a major threat still on the loose Megumin’s just kinda forgotten all about, if she’s even cared to remember.  It would be one thing if this was all addressed and even resolved in Season 3, which came out the year after this prequel.  But nope.  Season 3 has come and gone and while Season 4 is coming, there’s no release date though we can at least be sure it won’t be a seven year long gap like between Seasons 2&3.  Idk, it just keeps Explosion from being a series that can stand on its own and not just be a tease for bigger things later on in KonoSuba proper.
 
My gripes with the finale aside, overall KonoSuba: An Explosion on This Wonderful World! is a fun little return to one of the best Isekai Fantasy Anime in recent years.  Megumin brings everything that has made her such a fan favorite to the main stage and is as insufferable loveable as always. Yunyun is a cute foil for her and the supporting cast is fun if a little underutilized.  Once the show leaves the Crimson Demon village it tries to lean too hard into familiar favorite moments from KonoSuba and feels like its spinning its wheels trying to fill time before the finale ties everything together.  And while Megumin and Yunyun are a fun pair, it is noticeable not having Kazuma, Aqua and Darkness to bounce that tried and true KonoSuba comedy magic off of Megumin.  It may be the weakest entry in the franchise so far but it’s not a terrible one.  Could have been shorter.  Could have been some OVAs.  But I’m never saying no to more KonoSuba.  Now the excruciating wait for Season 4 begins so Kazuma and the gang can probably clean up the mess Megumin totally forgot she left behind…classic Megumin.
 
7/10