Otaku USA Magazine
Beyond KONOSUBA: Godlike Beings That Make Aqua Seem Normal

KONOSUBA is coming back, and so is that useless goddess!

So you’ve probably heard the news… we’re getting more KONOSUBA! The wacky isekai is getting a new season… which means more quality time with the “useless goddess” Aqua. But hey, anime is big, and it’s full of real characters. Is she really all that bad?

We’ve done a tally of gods, demigods, and godlike beings throughout anime. And we’re pretty sure we’ve found a few that give Aqua a run for her money. Some are wholesome, some are weird, and others seem downright evil. But they all help put her in perspective.

 

The Great Will of the Macrocosm

The Macrocosm, Excel Saga

Excel Saga, much like KONOSUBA, is weird. Weirder even than the original manga, in that special way that only late 1990s anime can really hit. There’s an evil organization trying to take over one prefecture. There’s adorable teddy bear aliens that look like Golgo 13 if you beat them up enough. The director shows up sometimes. Oh, yeah, and people die constantly. Fortunately, the Great Will of the Macrocosm peeks in to set things right.

The Great Will of the Macrocosm is a sort of swirling space-void with lady arms and a lady voice. To her credit, she does tidy things up on occasion. But she’s also got the hots for Pedro, a Colombian construction worker who just wants to go home to his adorable daughter and hot wife. Sorry, bud, you’re God’s arm candy now.

 

Jesus and Buddha

Jesus and Buddha, Saint Young Men

Contrary to KONOSUBA, Saint Young Men features deities coming to our world… and staying a while. In particular, those madlads Yeshua bar Yosef and Siddhartha Gautama come to Japan and split an apartment. They’re here to live a normal human life: groceries, blogging, and just doing that Mortal People Thing.

Unfortunately, being who they are, lying low isn’t easy. Both of them have a tendency to perform accidental miracles or inspire awe in their believers. So while these two fall on the “wholesome” side of our rating, they’re still kind of a lovable mess.

 

Drosselmeyer

Drosselmeyer, Princess Tutu

And on the complete other end of the spectrum, we have Drosselmeyer. He watches over the world of Princess Tutu with far more of an iron fist than Aqua… does… anything in KONOSUBA. But that doesn’t automatically make him responsible. He’s a writer, after all. And not just any writer: a weird magic one who doesn’t kill his darlings so much as inject misery into their lives and see what they do about it. Why? Because it’s fun. And it makes for a good story.

Of course, Drosselmeyer has the relatable writer experience: his characters rebel. And when your story is alive and breathing, character rebellion is a lot bigger deal. He’s not wrong, though… it does make for a fantastic story.

Want more OP anime characters? Here are some who share a skill set with Dr. Strange.

Kara Dennison

Kara Dennison is a writer, editor, and presenter with bylines at Crunchyroll, Sci-Fi Magazine, Sartorial Geek, and many others. Beyond the world of anime, she's a writer for Doctor Who expanded universe series including Iris Wildthyme and the City of the Saved, as well as an editor for the critically-acclaimed Black Archive series.

Comments