I finally got around to watching the first episode of Sentenced To Be A Hero and it was absolutely insane. Normally I like fantasy anime, but I tend to like certain ones which left me skipping some of the bigger ones like Mushoku Tensei and Frieren. But I knew nothing about this anime until the day it came out and then I saw everyone talking about how good it was so I hyped myself up to see it.
The 58 minute first episode blew me away, and it might be one of the best first episodes that I have ever seen. This first episode is the length of nearly three episodes, so you expect it to cover a lot of the early stuff. But it went above and beyond that, and felt more like a movie rather than a first episode.
The episode introduces us to what appears to be the four main characters, sets up two distinct conflicts, and explains the world and how it works. It does all this in the midst of an epic battle that really puts the animators on display. By the 50 minute mark, I was already hooked by the story alone and wanted to know more. But the fight scenes were phenomenal for a fantasy anime.
But what’s the anime about? It takes place in a world where criminals are sentenced to serve as heroes forever. Do a crime that’s big enough and you become immortal,but you’re forced to protect the world from demons with no end in sight. It’s a very interesting concept that I thought could be well explored, but it also set up a very interesting character.
Our protagonist Xylo has been the hero for who knows how long because of a crime that’s explained by the end of the episode. So the world hates him and he has unimaginable power. But his power, his personality, and his backstory make him such a compelling character. This is definitely something I want to keep up with.
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