Why Would a Criminal Get Sentenced to Be a Hero?

I try not to watch anime right when they release. It’s fairer to give them a shot after a few episodes, in case they’re slow to start. Which is why, after I learned that the anime Sentenced to Be a Hero had a 58-minute first episode, I knew I had to watch it. Read on to see how important first impressions can be.

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Sentenced to Be a Hero for a Savior Complex

Sentenced to Be a Hero kicks off with a theft. The cowardly hero Dotta is running from frogs that had mutated into what the show calls faeries, while carrying a coffin he stole from allied forces. However, before he ends up as faerie food, protagonist Xylo makes short work of the frogs. Dotta, wounded and whining for death, hears in no uncertain terms that dying is awful. But not because it’s the end.

See, people can resurrect heroes in this world. Xylo is adamant that he and Dotta survive, though, because resurrection means pulling them from hell — an awful start — and damages the hero’s sense of self over repeated resurrections. Xylo even tells us that with enough resurrections, a hero becomes similar to an unthinking automaton, and that he wants to avoid this fate at all costs.

Fair enough.

Consistent Characterization

When we meet him, Xylo saves Dotta. Minutes later, he’s justifying saving Holy Knights because his mission is to rescue as many Holy Knights as possible. When he then learns that the main body of the knights is confronting the enemy instead of retreating, he goes to rescue them as well. Now, does Xylo have a savior complex? It’s hard to tell. He justifies every save pragmatically: for the mission.

But is that really it? Saving Dotta doesn’t seem that important; Dotta’s somewhat helpful, but she needs more saving than his help can provide. The goddess Teoritta (more on her later) awakens from the coffin Dotta stole and starts following Xylo. But despite saying he hates goddesses, Xylo does nothing to stop her stalking him. Ultimately, Xylo is convinced to take up the mantle of Teoritta’s knight and use her power not to ensure his own survival, but to save the Holy Knights from enemies overrunning them.

Sentenced to Be a Hero can present Xylo’s complexity because of its runtime. Revealing that pragmatism is a shield over a hero complex takes time. Even then, the show focuses heavily on Xylo to manage it. He does most of the fighting. He’s the one who gets a backstory. Everyone else, even Teoritta and Dotta, remains mysterious to show that Xylo isn’t as pragmatic as he pretends.

Setting After Character

After Xylo, it’s the setting of Sentenced to Be a Hero that gets the most focus. The story introduces us to the main conflict: humans versus faerie-making demon lords. We learn that being a hero is a sentence for criminals, so they can become reusable warriors. Goddesses are weapons made for humanity to wield. And after seeing that process as the sword goddess, Teoritta goes from Xylo’s stalker to his fighting companion.

Showing off the setting is especially important because so much of it goes against expectations. Faeries are a term for enemy cannon-fodder, and goddesses are super-weapons? Not quite the genre norms. Without the lengthy first episode, either this world would lack detail or be overwhelming.

Power Promises

Is the show good? Well, I do have criticisms.

Xylo’s basic power is that he can detonate any knife or sword he throws. While you’d think he might run into ammunition issues, he doesn’t, and the whole time, he’s one-hit-killing any species of faerie enemy. It turns out that tactically placed penetrating grenade equivalents are powerful. The few times he fights more in melee are when he gets in trouble, and it feels arbitrary when he fights in melee one minute, and then he explodes dozens of enemies the next.

There’s also a weird disconnect when it comes to Teoritta. She presents a strong fire aesthetic, like a tuft of flaming hair. Yet, ultimately, she’s revealed to be the “sword goddess.” And the blessing she bestows on Xylo is summoning swords and knives for him, Unlimited Blade Works style, either to attack directly or for Xylo to use. That’s so convenient that I’m hoping her aspect as a goddess is dependent on the person she contracted with. Even if it is, though, I’ll still be disappointed if she never lit up a single enemy. The promise of a fire motif goddess as a weapon seems like a broken one when, in nearly an hour, Teoritta doesn’t burn a single enemy.

Investment Matters

Yet, even though Xylo’s now unlimited ammunition via Teoritta seems like it will make fights into power fantasy curb stomps, I don’t care. The heart of this show is its characters. So far, the character focus is on Xylo and his driving urge for revenge in a world where he must fight demon lords to save humanity. He has political enemies, an explosive collar around his neck, and allies whose positions are no better than his. I’m intrigued by his story.

And the character stories don’t stop there. The penal nature of heroes and the premise of goddesses as weapons suggest Xylo’s story is the tip of the iceberg. The cast so far is tight — one goddess, a named Holy Knight captain, and two heroes other than Xylo — and if they get half the development Xylo has, I’ll be invested in them soon enough.

Sentenced to Be a Hero Watcher

I’m going to keep watching Sentenced to Be a Hero. And, luckily, anyone interested can watch it now and find out if it’s for them. If you enjoy fantasy anime, try this one. The quality won’t disappoint you, whether you bond with the story or not.

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Great news! To celebrate all the awesome new doujin titles J-List has gotten in stock after the recent C107 Comiket doujinshi event, we’re having a flash doujinshi sale! Through January 14, get 15% off automatically on all shipping-from-Japan doujin titles. Start browsing here!