10 Books/Manga Like Konosuba
Konosuba is a hilarious fantasy-light novel series with an immense following. It was written by Natsume Akatsuki and illustrated by Kurone Mishima. It revolves around a boy named Kazuma who gets whisked away into a fantasy world after making a deal with a water goddess named Aqua.
The light novel was published as a printed light novel series by Kadokawa Shoten in October 2013 and May 2020. Many people love this work for its varied humor and its amusing cast.
If you’re in the mood for more fantasy or comedy manga that offers a similar vibe, fear not! We’ve gathered together 10 books/manga to check out when you’ve caught up with Konosuba. Of course, if you feel we’ve missed any of your favorites, do comment below and let us know!
The Eminence in Shadow – Daisuke Aizawa
Similarities – Isekai & Comedy
The Eminence in Shadow is a light novel with incredible action and comedy. In it, we follow Minoru, a boy who desires incredible strength. After toying with biker gangs and riling up crowds, Minoru gets hit by a truck and reawakens as Cid in a new world where magic is commonplace. Cid becomes acquainted with his newfound abilities and dons the moniker “Shadow.”
He establishes the Shadow Garden group to combat a faction he conjures up called the Cult of Diablos. As the Shadow Garden gains worldwide appeal, Cid will realize that the Cult of Diablos isn’t as fictional as he thought. Both stories have protagonists with unusual powers who get involved in groups filled with adorable yet chaotic females.
Both light novels offer different types of humor. Konosuba feels more overt and slapstick-centric while The Eminence in Shadow’s comedy feels more dry and witty. Furthermore, Konosuba offers more character development than The Eminence in Shadow. The former explores the relationships between its cast while the latter hones in on Minoru’s quest to become a supervillain. If you’re okay with these differences and slight similarities, give The Eminence In Shadow a read.
Re: Zero: Starting Life In Another World – Tappei Nagatsuki
Similarities – Isekai
From a hilarious action-packed comedy to a serious isekai, we arrive at Re: Zero: Starting Life In Another World. Like Konosuba, it’s another isekai series where our character gets transported to a fantastical setting. However, our protagonist Subaru is unlike Kazuma in multiple ways. He’s not as raunchy and comedic as him. He’s more grounded and mentally broken.
Kazuma and Subaru also differ in abilities. Where Kazuma can swipe things from people without leaving a trace, Subaru can respawn back to certain increments of time. Furthermore, Re: Zero feels more dramatic and bloody compared to Konosuba. Characters will die many times in this work and each death feels just as impactful and tear-jerking as the last one.
Furthermore, this manga offers a great stance on mental health. Subaru and other characters suffer from severe trauma due to their terrible upbringings or through the deaths they experience. Nonetheless, both stories offer a decent amount of lighthearted moments that will make you smile and grow attached to the cast. Give this a read if you’re after a more dramatic isekai-themed story.
4 Cut Hero – Gojira-kun
Similarities – Adventure, Comedy, Characters
4 Cut Hero is a funny adventure-themed webtoon that Konosuba fans will find appealing. Both works offer a great mix of humor, harem, and exploration elements. In 4 Cut Hero, we follow a heroic figure named Zeed as he defeats his world’s Demon King and rescues the damsel who happens to be a prince. That’s the least of his worries, though.
Zeed will get caught up in a long-time conflict involving legends, curses, and a strange plot involving multiple magical locales and creatures. Like Kazuma and his friends, Zeed’s adventures are never dull. He’ll meet multiple people and fantastical beings who’ll make things more interesting for himself and the readers. 4 Cut Hero has the advantage of being a webtoon.
This means you can expect to see glorious imagery depicting our cast indulging in these activities without having to imagine it yourself. The humor between the work differs a bit. Konosuba relies more on slapstick while 4 Cut Hero offers more irreverent and snarky humor. Both series offer some fun fights that will keep you invested, too. Give this webtoon a shot if you enjoyed Konosuba’s offerings.
The Voynich Hotel – Douman Seiman
Similarities – Comedy & Themes
The Voynich Hotel is a horror comedy manga with strong ecchi elements. It takes place in a decrepit resort owned by a former wrestler named Umeda and maintained by two maids and a maniacal chef. Kuzuki, our series’s protagonist, is a new customer who wants to stay at the resort to rid himself of his bothersome past.
Although Kuzuki isn’t a fan of the supernatural happening that occurs to him on the island, he’ll grow a strong bond with its residents and offer them a helping hand. Despite having raunchy elements, The Voynich Hotel feels more wholesome and comfy than Konosuba. Kuzuki may cause his fellow residents more problems than normal, but he’s more kind-hearted than Kazuma.
Both stories offer large casts who receive adequate development. They all have great personalities and goals that will last with readers. The Voynich Hotel’s manga format gives it more of an edge over Konosuba because it has imagery readers can look at as they read through the story. However, both stories offer incredible narratives that delve into friendship, loyalty, and redemption. Give The Voynich Hotel a shot if you loved Konosuba for its cast and themes.
World Teacher: Special Agent in Another World – Neko Koichi
Similarities – Parallel Worlds
World Teacher: Special Agent in Another World is another fun Isekai story where our protagonist gets teleported to a new world and must navigate through this world’s multiple hurdles. In it, we follow Sirius an agent turned teacher who dies at the age of 60 due to a secret organization’s involvement. However, he gets reincarnated in another world and retains his previous memories.
Fortunately, Sirius gets reincarnated into an infant, so he no longer needs to worry about the physical barriers of his 60-year-old self interfering with him in this universe. With his knowledge from his world intact, Sirius vows to spread his wisdom to a new group of students he’ll meet by traversing this new landscape he’s been dropped in.
This story feels more serious and action-oriented than Konosuba. However, both light novels harbor characters with unique personalities and abilities that will help them traverse through their world. Sirius adopts a better attitude that many people can resonate with. He’s hard-working, passionate, and not as selfish as Kazuma. If you’re looking for an Isekai light novel with class and excellent characters, check out World Teacher: Special Agent in Another World.
No Game No Life – Yuu Kamiya
Similarities – Comedy
If Konosuba’s gaming elements appealed to you, then you’re in for a treat with No Game No Life. Not only are its protagonists more intelligent than Kazuma and Aqua but they participate in fun mind games that feel more thought-provoking and rich. Our story follows two siblings named Sora and Shiro. They like to compete in competitive online games under the alias “Blank.”
One day, they respond to an unknown user’s message. This results in them being transported to a virtual world called Disboard. After this world’s God, Tet, explains the situation to our protagonists, they traverse the area looking for people to challenge. The pair run into Stephanie, who wants to retain her ownership of her father’s throne.
Sore and Shiro agree to help Stephanie reclaim her kingdom and we analyze their journey to take over this world. Like Konosuba, there are some characters who exhibit colorful, wacky reactions that will make you laugh. Sora and Shiro have their sensual sides, so those who adored that aspect of Kazuma’s character will find these two equally appealing. For those looking for another light novel with amusing characters traversing through a rich world, check out No Game No Life.
A Certain Magical Index – Kazuma Kamachi
Similarities – Fantasy & Comedy
A Certain Magical Index is a captivating story with great action, characters, and fantasy elements. It takes place in Academy City, home to residents who have latent supernatural powers. Among them is our protagonist Touma, a powerless esper. Despite having weak powers in the public’s eye, Touma can nullify supernatural powers by contacting people.
He performs this through his mysterious ability called the Imagine Breaker. One day, he meets a girl named Index and she tells him she’s being hunted by magicians. This leads Touma to embark on a perilous journey where he’ll tackle his city’s scientific and magical-related issues while protecting Index from her magical threats.
Both series harbor different tones but take place in worlds filled with magic and wonder. Konosuba leans more toward its comedy while A Certain Magical Index leans more toward romance, drama, and action. While A Certain Magical Index has lighthearted comedy, Konosuba has more varied comedy than it. Both light novels contain very little artwork due to their format but have a strong emphasis on dialogue and character interactions to provide readers with an enjoyable experience.
Uncle From Another World – Hotondo Shindeiru
Similarities – Comedy, Characters, Isekai
Uncle From Another World is another fantasy comedy like Konosuba that will make you laugh hysterically. After falling into a deep coma for many years, our protagonist’s uncle has awakened from it. Takafumi, our male lead, realizes two strange things about his uncle, though. His uncle loves video games and he happened to be transported to another world as a hero.
Not only must Takafumi teach his uncle about what he missed but he must contend with the magical abilities he attained from the fantasy land he was sent to during his coma. Both series provide a comedic spin on the isekai formula and give readers endless amounts of comedy to laugh at. Uncle From Another World has the advantage of being a manga.
Readers can expect to witness the characters’ banter and exaggerated facial expressions illustrated in this story. Although Takafumi’s uncle’s situation sounds grim, Hotondo Shindeiru adds enough humor to make it appear more comical than it should. If you’re searching for a manga with a bizarre yet effective twist on the isekai formula, this one’s worth reading.
Slayers – Hajime Kanzaka
Similarities – Adventure, Comedy, Fantasy
To many people, Slayers was the original Konosuba. Instead of transporting people to another world and goofing around, Slayers brings the goofiness to its own world. In it, we follow a talented sorceress named Lina. She’s known for traveling the world in search fo treasure and tends to get into fights with bandits. She’s extremely powerful, so it’s not big deal to her.
One day, she gets ambushed by a group of bandits. Before she pulverizes them, a noble yet dimwitted knight named Gourry arrives and saves Lina. Although she didn’t need his help, Lina thanks him and tags along with Gourry. They embark on many adventures together fighting bandits, eating dinner, and soaking in what their marvelous fantasy world offers.
Slayers and Konosuba are character-driven works with a boatload of comedy. They feature great slapstick, jokes, gag, and deadpan humor that will make you smile and laugh. Both are light novels, so only expect single-panel illustrations. These art pieces are delightful to look at but don’t add anything significant to the story. Slayers evoke parodic intent with its storyline, so it’s best not to take things seriously when reading it. If you’re looking for another fantastical comedy with great characters, read Slayers.
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest – Ryou Shirakome
Similarities – Isekai & Adventure
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest is another fantasy story where our protagonist gets transported to another world and must discover ways to survive in their new environment. After being sent to the RPG-like world of Tortus, everyone in our protagonist Hajime’s class exhibits great strength besides Hajime himself.
They all get thrust into a dungeon but get cornered by a powerful demon. Hajime attempts to sacrifice himself to protect his classmates, but a strange fireball sends him flying into the depths of the dungeon. Now he must embark on a new survival quest to reach the surface. Arifureta is less comedic than Konosuba and feels more action-focused. It has a darker tone coupled with serious themes.
Survival and revenge are two themes that fuel Hajime’s journey to the top. Nonetheless, both series focus on character development. Kazuma and Hajime deal with numerous problems that will help them grow. The other side characters in Arifureta receive adequate development, personalities, and abilities that fit within the realm of fantasy too. If you’re looking for a darker isekai manga with characters who gradually develop over time, check out Arifureta: From Commonplace to World’s Strongest.
So there we have it, our 10 books/manga to read after you’re caught up with Konosuba.
What do you think of our picks? Do you agree? Are there any notable omissions? Let us know in the comments below!