‘Sentenced to Be a Hero’ premiere review: “Sentence: Support Retreat From Couveunge Forest”

Sometimes, quick, good word of mouth works because the hype surrounding the first episode of Sentenced to be a Hero is no joke. With gorgeous animation and brilliant fight sequences, this fantasy adventure earns its hour-long premiere. Setting up a world where the worst casualty is labeled a hero, where they are disposable pawns in an ongoing war against demons, and where their bodies can be constantly revived in an exhausting fight, the series immediately sets its tone. With an abundance of style and just enough lore to establish the world without overwhelming with info dumps, “Sentence: Support Retreat From Couveunge Forest” stuns with riveting animation and direction.

The series was first a light novel by Rocket Shōkai, illustrated by Mephisto. Then, a manga series with illustrations by Natsumi Inoue. Now, in the anime adaptation from Studio Kai, directed by Hiroyuki Takashima, the story reaches new heights through dazzling set pieces and immersive physicality.

It is, undoubtedly, a series made for those who tend to gravitate towards the fantasy genre. That said, it reaches beyond those limitations. While the premiere itself leans into the otherworldly setting in which the rules of nature, politics, and warfare adhere to an unknowable higher power and genre rulemaking, there’s a lot of potential for a character-driven story with supercharged stakes.

What is Sentenced to Be A Hero About?

We first meet our protagonist, Xylo Forbartz (Yōhei Azakami), as he’s looking after his seemingly hapless, trouble magnet partner, Dotta (Shun Horie). Dotta, who, after a run-in with a type of monster called faeries, seems to be on death’s door. He says as much, asking Xylo to kill him to spare him the pain of healing. Here is our first clue that this world – and our hero – offers more than meets the eye.

Xylo and Dotta are immortal warriors, “heroes.” If they die in battle, as long as the body is intact, they’ll be revived. Xylo, however, reminds Dotta that the more this occurs, the less of your original self you maintain, be it memories or judgment. Criminals who are punished and declared heroes aren’t so much spared from death as they are sentenced to countless deaths. They’re held under the thumb of the government as expendable tools in their constant fighting.

Tasked with helping the Holy Knights escape from the faeries, Xylo realizes that Dotta has caused him more trouble by kidnapping a coffin containing a goddess, Teoritta. Here, the story pivots further, as we learn more about the stages of power in this world and the desperate means to which those who control it are willing to go.

A goddess, a hero, and a thief.

As the ensemble grows, the more interested Sentenced to Be A Hero becomes. And not because Xylo isn’t an interesting character. He is. But because the additional characters, from goddess Teoritta (Mayu Iizuka) to the knight’s commander, Kivia (Shizuka Ishigami) , help chip away at the aloof violence that first introduces him. Yes, he’s clever in battle and seems to singlehandedly save the day twice in just one episode. But as his backstory unravels and we learn more about what being a goddess means, the story suggests greater depth.

Yes, Xylo and Teoritta form a bond that allows them (essentially) to defeat the demon in front of them, thanks to the latter’s sword-summoning skills and the former’s precision in battle. But it’s the politicking behind it and the way different types of demons plague Xylo’s history that make it a story worth investing in.

Because this isn’t Xylo’s first run-in with a goddess. And his history with his former goddess, Severna, and how that relationship ended, adds an immense layer of intrigue while also filling in the story of what has already happened before the revelation. It’s not just that he doesn’t want to form a bond with Teoritta for some selfish, lone wolf reason. He’s felt the burn of their power and the abuse of it.

Initial thoughts.

The series is gorgeous. It will be interesting to see if the studio can maintain this caliber beyond the premiere. So far, the work is stunning, not just in its epic scale and cinematic action sequencing. In just the opening moments, it becomes clear how stacked the creative team is, with character designs that flourish through the physical acting, both in combat and in minute details, such as how Dotta scurries away from an incoming faerie.

Teoritta’s smug naivety is evident just in how the animators have her stand and throw her hair back. There’s a playfulness in the characterization. The execution works not just because of the voice acting (though it’s another highlight), but also due to how they move. There’s well thought-out deliberation to each step, each moment of hesitation, seen too when, in the flashback, Xylo is on trial for Severna’s death. Check the difference in how he stands. First, in defiance upon realizing he was set up. Then, in defeat, in accepting his role in Severna’s death.

But of course, the action itself is an obvious highlight. There’s no getting around that (nor should we overlook it.) But it’s all the more impactful because it never feels as if certain scenes are saving the budget for these explosive sequences. Instead, it all rushes together, with stylistic touchpoints that keep it cohesive. The obvious, roughened linework gives it excellent tactility. The striking use of garish, sickly colors, splattered with gushes of blood, creates a sense of menace in the atmosphere.

That, plus the music and the faeries’ creature designs, which warp and contort the bodies of other forest creatures, builds into something fantastically eerie and unsettling. The scale is operating, meaning that it only has further to fall if the story can’t maintain this energetic world-building.

Continue or quit.

There’s no denying the hype that Sentenced to Be a Hero builds. And while there are certainly concerns, such as whether Teoritta will have greater agency moving forward, we’re still in the early stages. The humor doesn’t always fit the grim reality of this world, but otherwise the series maintains a consistent tone, lightly peppered with doses of silliness.

But the story and its protagonist are too interesting to give up on just yet. And, despite some one note writing, Teoritta is an interesting character. Her optimism, countered with Xylo’s nihilism, makes for a charming pair of contrasts. Kivia, too, offers a striking character who will, hopefully, begin to question her own loyalty to a power that, from Episode 1, already seems to be corrupt.

Sometimes, it really is the anime with the prettiest explosions that draw us in. Luckily, Sentenced to Be a Hero doesn’t coast (at least for now) on the easy, attention-grabbing spectacle. There’s heart and intrigue and a fascinating story present, too, that make the glittering, bloody fireworks all the more engrossing.

Sentenced to Be a Hero Episode 1 is out now on Crunchyroll. Watch the trailer below. 

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Images courtesy of Studio Kai and Crunchyroll.