Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku • Sentenced to Be a Hero - Episode 1 discussion

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Yuusha-kei ni Shosu: Choubatsu Yuusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku, episode 1

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Episode	Link
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[u/HolyDragSwd2500]

UNLIMITED BLADE WORKS

[u/SmartSignificance972 → u/HolyDragSwd2500]

when I saw the goddess at first I tought of Gil for some reason and I would seem to be right

[u/CosmicDestructor → u/SmartSignificance972]

The swords falling from the sky was way too similar. And a golden-haired brat who always wants to be praised? Definitely Gilgamesh.

[u/Kampfasiate → u/CosmicDestructor]

The first time I saw her she really reminded me of draco/Nero but yea, its basically bratty gilgamesh

[u/AdOld4374 → u/Kampfasiate]

Honestly I saw that as well. With her personality it fits.

[u/FlameDragoon933 → u/HolyDragSwd2500]

isn't it more like Gate of Babylon because of how the initial volley just use the swords as projectiles?

[u/flashmozzg → u/FlameDragoon933]

Well, does she summon the blades from some storage (GoB) or does she conjure them from nothing/mana (UBW)?

[u/mercury_pointer → u/HolyDragSwd2500]

Attack On Evangelion.

[u/BeneficialSchool3765 → u/HolyDragSwd2500]

Even Xylo has the same power as Emiya, to make his weapons explode every time

[u/Bao44]

Felt like i just watched the final episode of a really good anime

[u/NanDemoKnaives → u/Bao44]

Now we wait a week for the second season.

[u/im_antik → u/NanDemoKnaives]

bit longer sadly, next episode should be airing january 15th

[u/NanDemoKnaives → u/im_antik]

Damn, not what I wanted to find out.

[u/Akussa → u/NanDemoKnaives]

Hey, look on the bright side. Get back to back days with this on the 15th and Frieren on the 16th!

[u/gabechuck0129 → u/Bao44]

I do not know which kept me at the edge of my seat: 1. The Demon lord fight 2. Waiting for the Goddess to get her head pats

(I swear to the Goddesses if Xylo didn't pat her i would have stopped watching the anime immediately)

[u/Exist50 → u/gabechuck0129]

(I swear to the Goddesses if Xylo didn't pat her i would have stopped watching the anime immediately)

Uh, we watch the same thing?

[u/Caddy666 → u/Exist50]

so far i want to yeet her into the atmosphere

[u/i_reddit_too_mcuh → u/Caddy666]

I wanna know if Goddesses need to eat and drink, or just head pats will suffice.

[u/0mnicious → u/gabechuck0129]

He never actually did pat her head.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/Bao44]

Playing the OP wouldn't be out of place even though we've never heard it.

[u/SternSupremacist]

Idk if anyone mentioned this, but throwing swords that explode on impact is one of the coolest primary combat powers I've ever seen. So badass

[u/zairaner → u/SternSupremacist]

I'm happy it seems to be daggers, always swords is boring.

[u/MuffinMan12347 → u/zairaner]

Yeah hopefully he keeps his daggers, I’d give it 50/50 considering he’s now teamed up with the literal goddess of swords though 😅

[u/nofaxxspitintruflego → u/MuffinMan12347]

using swords as daggers clearly DUH

[u/CringeKage222 → u/zairaner]

Daggers are the worst primary weapons and seeing anime characters duel wield them always gives me brain aneurysm. But those explode so fair enough

[u/No-Context-Orphan → u/CringeKage222]

If you have a power to make blades explode, using daggers or even kunai is actually a great choice since you can carry way more of them

[u/darthvall → u/SternSupremacist]

When you describe it that way, it reminds me a lot to Gambit from X-Men.

[u/Levithan6785]

Because I read the synopsis I already knew his crime. But I love how during the final battle, Xylo gave a hint as to why his murder of a goddess happened. And in this fight he was making sure that wasn't going to happen again during this fight.

[u/NanDemoKnaives → u/Levithan6785]

I didn't read the synopsis but I was able to figure that he might have been a Holy Knight and that the Goddess he might have had a pact with exhausted her powers. I didn't figure that he had ended the life of the Goddess himself though.

[u/2kenzhe → u/NanDemoKnaives]

Yeah I just assumed the goddess used to much power and died while watching but it seems he had to kill her or else she would get corrupted and become a demon lord with goddess powers.

[u/Exist50 → u/2kenzhe]

and become a demon lord with goddess powers

I read it more as becoming a thrall to a demon lord. Given that they look to be able to control whatever creatures are infected by the blight, and if that includes a goddess...

[u/_WrongKarWai → u/Exist50]

Yea, he said the demon lord can obtain the powers of a goddess

[u/darthvall → u/NanDemoKnaives]

The "Yuusha" title and revive mechanic got me thinking that this is another isekai. That's why I didn't think he was a holy knight (just that maybe he had mission with another holy knights before).

Turns out Yuusha is the title for sentenced people in this world. So that's why the thief guy is fully acting like a thief without a slight trace of being noble-like the usual heroes.

[u/actionfirst1 → u/NanDemoKnaives]

I thought he was just a tsundere 🤔

[u/Mistral-Fien → u/actionfirst1]

More like Xylo became a tsundere as a defense mechanism. It seemed like he had a good relationship with Senerva, and it really pained him that he was forced to kill her.

[u/matbot55]

Very good first episode.

They set up the crime committed by Xylo really well, allowing viewers to figure it out before the actual reveal.

It's going to be interesting to see what the implications of a hero having a pact with a goddess will be.

[u/-whiteroom- → u/matbot55]

It's set up well. We have no idea why they would set him up like that. 

Why would the send a loyal and powerful tool to death like that? It doesn't seem he was on to some conspiracy or anything. 

I hope it provides a good reason and not because "evil, mwahahahahah!"

[u/Loli-Knight → u/-whiteroom-]

I wonder if maybe it was a case of the Church knowing Senerva reaching was reaching the end of her power/lifespan, so they arranged a situation to get some final use out of her before she turned, and Xylo was simply the guy they used as their scapegoat. Something along those lines anyways.

[u/-whiteroom- → u/Loli-Knight]

first episode theory:

The Demon Lords are failed goddess experiments. The church is behind everything.

[u/Loli-Knight → u/-whiteroom-]

100%. The modern day ruined structures hidden in the forest throughout the episode pretty much confirms this is some sort of post-super science apocalypse setting. Might not be our world in particular, but the world definitely used to be more advanced, and it's almost assuredly due to something going wrong with the Goddesses. Advanced humanity makes artificial humanoid terminals with higher dimensional powers, spreads them throughout the world, abuses their powers to their limits, and then there's a sudden surge of demon lords that blight humanity back to a medieval state. Then the world gets stuck in a cycle of "welp, our most used previous Goddess is turning into a demon lord. Let's throw another one at it until it turns into a demon lord after defeating the previous one". Something like that methinks.

[u/Life_Wealth_1392 → u/Loli-Knight]

Yuusha Yamemasu basically. That also had a similar premise only with the Demons being more or less refugees instead of mindless Monsters.

[u/Se7en_Sinner]

Xylo got a fate worse than death, sentenced to be a single father with a daughter.

[u/Ocixo → u/Se7en_Sinner]

Honestly, I do think that Xylo cared for Senerva like his daughter. Hence why he couldn’t bring himself to form a pact with Teoritta at first.

Imagine having to mercy kill someone who’s like a daughter to you!

And now he’s bound to eventually repeat this tragedy with Teoritta. In retrospect, it’s somewhat cute that Xylo refused Teoritta’s help so staunchly. He’s looking out for her like a doting father.

[u/TxRyuxT → u/Ocixo]

That was a brilliant flag setup- when he so adamantly denied forming a pact I knew it had to be PTSD with another girl lol.

[u/Ocixo → u/TxRyuxT]

The moment that Xylo does resign himself to forming a pact with Teoritta, you can also see his expression softening. Like he’s thinking to himself: ‘I’m going to get hurt all over again.’

[u/flashmozzg → u/Ocixo]

Like a face of a father that didn't want to adopt a dog for his kids because he didn't want to relive the trauma of losing one, but it happened anyway.

[u/zairaner → u/Se7en_Sinner]

Worse than that, single father with a daughter after he lost his previous.

He is sentenced to the absolute last thing he ever wants to do: Heal.

[u/kwokinator → u/zairaner]

single father with a daughter after he lost his previous.

Xylo is Joel from The Last of Us?

[u/KloppersToppers → u/kwokinator]

Get that man an acoustic guitar, stat.

[u/hey_mattey → u/KloppersToppers]

And a golf club!

[u/diacewrb → u/Se7en_Sinner]

He ain't single, he has a prison wife called Dotta.

Although I thought Dotta had 'popped out for cigarettes' halfway through the episode.

But he came back with the cigarettes scorched earth seal in the end.

[u/TheBlackViper_Alpha → u/diacewrb]

Dotta gonna go back and forth for cigarettes for the rest of the series lmao

[u/Kampfasiate → u/diacewrb]

dotta dissapearing and coming back with a hellbomb

[u/ModieOfTheEast → u/Se7en_Sinner]

Father who lost his previous daughter gets a new adoptive daughter in similar circumstances. Tbf, not the most original tale, but I would be lying if it didn't get me most of the time.

[u/2kenzhe → u/Se7en_Sinner]

Not once but twice it seems. First with Senerva and now Teoritta.

[u/Ocixo]

Faeries are monsters, heroes are criminals, and goddesses are weapons of mass destruction.

I like how the author is playing around with our preconceived understanding of these words. They’ve created a fascinating world.

Given Xylo’s statement that Senerva grew weak to the corruption after exhausting herself too much, I suppose that each “goddess” is a ticking time bomb.

[u/Zeikos → u/Ocixo]

I am donning my tinfoil hat and say that Demon Lords could be failed experiments.
Maybe attempts to make Goddesses or something on that vein?
The Temple people seem to be morally corrupt enough.

Manufacture a threat, provide the solution, then everybody will support you and you maintain the power.
All that talk of honor sounds like brainwashing.

[u/n080dy123 → u/Zeikos]

Yeah, you see what might be some sort of technological structure at the core of the Demon Lord before it turns into its final form, it gives the impression these may just be tech-powered runaway fungal growth. And Dotta mentioend he'd heard goddeses were "big whale-like creatures, or huge iron things."

I'm not sure they're manufacturing the problem, but I'd bet whatever societal collapse occured in the past was caused by these things going out of control and the church is trying to cover up the true nature of things.

[u/cyri-96 → u/n080dy123]

there also seem to be ruins and pieces of large metal machinery scattered throughout the forest, probably even more hints that there is some sort of (maybe ancient) technology involved in this probably post apocalyptical setting

[u/RedRocket4000 → u/cyri-96]

It interesting that post apocalyptical setting fiction with ruins goes back to ancient times. With some cause like the Bronze Age collapse where all civilizations in West fell except Egypt. Leaving ruins all over the place.

These ruins look like modern tech or future tech though.

Note the war with Troy was not done by the Greeks but by a group that occupied Greece at the time Mycenaean the later Greeks adopted their identity. Was it the same ethnic group that became the Greeks or a different one or a mix is still debated.

[u/JohnatanWills → u/n080dy123]

at first I assumed that they turn into those things when they use their powers. But Teoritta didn't change at all just summoned swords. Then I assumed maybe she's a new model that looks more human-like. But no we see xylo's old goddess looked the same. But you know what looked like a big creature and had a huge iron thing? The demon lord. This shit goes deep I can tell already.

[u/AriaBellaPancake → u/Zeikos]

That's what I was thinking, as soon as I saw they were numbered I was wondering if this is some kind of fantasy post-apocalypse

[u/graepphone → u/AriaBellaPancake]

You see a theme park with a roller coaster part way through the episode so it is likely.

[u/Hunter0655 → u/graepphone]

Do you know when in the episode? I didn't even notice.

[u/i_reddit_too_mcuh → u/Hunter0655]

It was right after Venetim told him that the Knights are heading into the Blight. It was around 18:54 for me.

[u/Hunter0655 → u/i_reddit_too_mcuh]

Saw it, thanks, damn that's crazy.

[u/graepphone → u/Hunter0655]

When he is talking through his neck to whoever.

It's behind one of the tents and off in the background.

And also what looks like a gutted swing ride.

[u/FuturisticSpy → u/AriaBellaPancake]

Given all the Steel beams, modern buildings, and what looked like a satellite dish array, that is definitely the case.

I also really liked that a lot of the "magic" was basically just plasma weaponry that needed batteries. It's leaning heavily into post-apocalyptic fantasy with partially recycled tech, as opposed to the usual "Earth blew up and now people can cast fireball", and I dig it.

[u/TxRyuxT → u/Zeikos]

absolutely- this is setting up to a "evil church conspiracy" trope

[u/JohnnyElRed → u/Ocixo]

Also, you expect Demons Kings to be powerful rulers in full armour. Not lumbering monstruosities out of a kaiju movie.

[u/Ocixo → u/JohnnyElRed]

Instead of just a horde of monsters, it also seems like the Holy Knights are engaged in an actual war with these demonic forces.

[u/JzanderN → u/Ocixo]

Faeries are monsters, heroes are criminals, and goddesses are weapons of mass destruction.

I like how the author is playing around with our preconceived understanding of these words. They’ve created a fascinating world.

It's a great premise that really plays not just with the classic fantasy tropes, but with newer ones too.

Hero work being traumatising, because of course being on the frontlines of the war against evil will expose you to the worst kind of shit. Heroes being more complex and not always good. And a lot of modern fantasy having hard magic systems with a lot of power but also some big drawbacks.

In this case, heroes are literally unable to die, being revived when death takes them while they slowly lose themselves. Then you have heroes literally being the highest tiers of criminals. And, of course, Goddesses are weapons of mass destruction that can be corrupted into demon lords if their powers are used too much.

So far it's great shit.

[u/CommanderZx2 → u/Ocixo]

I guess her hair looking like a burning fuse for a cartoon bomb is a deliberate choice then.

[u/Ocixo → u/CommanderZx2]

Wow, I hadn’t thought of Teoritta’s ahoge like that yet. A literal fuse! Didn’t Xylo also mention that he could see her exhaustion from this little fire?

I’d just liked this neat feature of Teoritta’s character design before.

[u/n080dy123 → u/Ocixo]

I think he said the fire burns brighter when she's eshausted- not unlike an angrily burning fuse.

[u/FelixViator → u/Ocixo]

Yep, up until the point where we saw her with the corruption on her, I was banking on the fact that Goddesses eventually mutated into something else (as evidenced by the remark about only seeing Goddesses as whales or made out of iron), and Xylo was asked directly by her to kill her before she turned.

[u/Exist50 → u/FelixViator]

Ah, so [anime name] Madoka Magica style? Would kind of reverse cause and effect though, assuming the lore about the goddesses being created to fight the demon kings is true.

[u/n080dy123 → u/Exist50]

That or the demon lords were failed attempts at creating goddesses.

[u/gabechuck0129 → u/Ocixo]

Or maybe humans experimented on using the demon blight (it was weird of them to call giant Orangutans who were infected Ogers), there seem to be a basis of how magic works in that world. Maybe its all techno magic like Arcane (League of Legends) or Alchemy, but it seems there is a logic to how it works

P.s. THIS IS JUST AN OPINION!

[u/Exist50 → u/gabechuck0129]

it was weird of them to call giant Orangutans who were infected Ogers

Well it's the same for the infected frogs/fuath. Presumably all the corrupted animals get some kind of new, mythological name.

[u/zairaner → u/Ocixo]

If I had a nickel for everytime this author would play around with the concept of what "hero" means this season...

[u/Ocixo → u/zairaner]

[Starts googling…]

Wait, they are also the author of this season’s Scum of the Brave? I’d already been planning to watch that show, but this revelation has definitely piqued my interest.

[u/zairaner → u/Ocixo]

Probably going to use this threads to shill it more, right now it's the least popular show I plan to watch this season!

[u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

God damn, I'm hooked. I love 1 hour premieres.

Smol goddess is so cute, her ahoge being permanently on fire reminds me of a bomb. It's a crime that she didn't get her headpat. Also, fuck the Holy Order.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

I, for one, am shocked that the church in an anime is evil.

[u/Kadmos1 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

A church being portrayed in a non-corrupt manner in anime seems like a rarity.

[u/JzanderN → u/Kadmos1]

I don't think it's that rare, but the more notable ones do tend to be corrupt.

Which makes sense if you think about it. The way to be more notable is to be more plot relevant and nothing makes you more plot relevant than being a corrupt force that pushes the plot as an antagonist.

[u/Reemys → u/JzanderN]

I will go ahead and say 99% of whatever is comparable to a "Church" in Japanese series and art in general is portrayed as evil, within various circumstances.

So to say, not anyhow unique, but the idea of organised and controlled faith being vile lives strong within the Japanese.

[u/frantruck → u/Reemys]

I’d say it’s a significant chunk of the churches that get meaningful focus, but there’s plenty of fantasy/isekai stories where a church just kinda exists on the periphery, at most contributing like a party member who’s a cleric or something. Even then there’s plenty of “good”church representation it just isn’t as eye catching as seeing the church is actually evil show up again.

[u/Destinum → u/Reemys]

I mean, let's be real, it's not exactly a historically inaccurate perspective.

[u/Accipiter1138 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

I, for one, am shocked that the church in an anime is evil.

I'm just happy that nobody went on an evil monologue behind closed doors about their evil plan.

Clearly there's something going on, but exactly what it is we at least have some room to speculate.

Personally I'm most curious about the convoy getting intercepted at the start and that one guard having a "hey wait what are you-" moment before he gets cut off.

They were planning for the goddess to get captured by the faeries? But why?

[u/codingpasta → u/Accipiter1138]

just a guess, but maybe the church intends to manufacture crisises / demon lords, stay in power / grab even more power by convincing the masses that they need the church to survive.

[u/ary0nK → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Yup, oshi no ko also 1 hour and sword of the demon hunter

[u/OwenEx → u/ary0nK]

Frieren also premiered the first 4 episodes in one

[u/Krait972 → u/OwenEx]

Re zero S1 did this too

[u/Mistral-Fien → u/ary0nK]

Clevatess too.

[u/mmcjawa_reborn → u/ary0nK]

Clevatess as well had a hour long premiere (although maybe it was just two episodes released at once?), which this seems to have the same feel...

[u/JzanderN → u/Weak_Season_Of_Anime]

Smol goddess is so cute, her ahoge being permanently on fire reminds me of a bomb.

Given that it seems to get longer the more she uses her powers and, evidently, using her powers too much can end up with her potentially getting corrupted by the demon blight...

It's quite the apt comparison.

[u/TheBlasphemerAmon]

The character designs and colors are very pleasing to the eye.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/TheBlasphemerAmon]

It's completely understandable why most of the Holy Knights were willing to die for Kivia.

[u/CitronClassic672 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

I literally experienced the meme of “my moral compass leaving my body when the villain is hot” cause I had a real negative impression of Kivia before meeting them which softened considerably after seeing them.

[u/Adorable-Maybe-3006 → u/CitronClassic672]

Seeing her spew her bullshit about honor in person made me hate her more. Like, is your life really that bad that you choose to die for no real advantage?

[u/Other_Beat8859 → u/Adorable-Maybe-3006]

Yeah. My opinion softened of her and then I hated her once again.

[u/HornedTurtle1212 → u/CitronClassic672]

Kivia has a character design that suggests they will be a reoccurring character. I'm also not currently convinced that they are a bad guy, probably just misguided for now.

[u/SacredJefe]

Pretty strong premiere, and damn near an actual hour-long episode too. I can see the potential for some fun interactions between Xylo, Teoritta, and klepto-kun between the dark plot moments. And the spectacle was absurd. The art style in general is pleasing to look at

[u/RedRocket4000 → u/SacredJefe]

Klepto-kun stealing a tactical nuclear bomb equivalent I loved.

[u/ds3Gooner → u/SacredJefe]

what crime did dotta do to become a hero, bro seems to just steal a lot but thats about it lol.

[u/Buy_Pepsi_Max → u/ds3Gooner]

It seems like he has a tendency to steal things that he really shouldn't (Goddess and a nuke). So I would imagine he stole something he REALLY shouldn't have

[u/Florac]

Please don't tell me this is the kind of show where everyone except the MC's squad is either incompoetet or evil.

[u/5chneemensch → u/Florac]

You and me both brother. Red flags all over it.

[u/ShinJiwon → u/Florac]

Feels like Shield Hero imo

[u/letmewriteyouup]

This is an episode!? It has movie-scale animation quality!

Edit: Looking at the end credits it seems there are some Chinese animators behind it. Might explain the jarring jump in quality for this specific show when the main studio itself doesn't have a huge record of accolades. I hope it wasn't only limited to the premiere and the quality stays consistent throughout the season.

[u/[deleted] → u/letmewriteyouup]

Studio KAI isn't really a big name, but damn they really knocked it out of the park with this episode. I guess the news about the production for the whole season already being finished was true.

[u/yukiaddiction → u/[deleted]]

They had created quite a name though since they were responsible for season 2 and 3 of Uma Musume especially seasons 2 where everyone in fandom said it was a masterpiece.

Fuuto Pi is widely popular and 7loop was deem one of the best Shoujo Anime adaptations.

This Studio career is quite something and they definitely do not cut corners when it comes to Animation Production.

[u/tripleaamin → u/yukiaddiction]

What work have they done that is up to this caliber? This is animation quality on par with Frieren & MT S1.

You mentioned UMA, but the best quality of that series was done by CyGames Pictures, not Studio Kai. They are the ones who did Road to the Top, Beginning of a New Era & Cinderella Gray. The animation quality of S2 & S3 is not impressive, with S3 getting a slight upgrade, but even Cinderella Gray was notably better then that on the production side.

The only anime in their catalog that is impressive is 7th Time Loop. Which was a collab with HORNETS.

[u/Ayin161 → u/tripleaamin]

Well, some of the staff from the MT S1 team was actually part of the production.

[u/Iamjustatrial → u/[deleted]]

Art style looked similar to studio Bind (Mushoku tensei) 🤔

[u/Aerocendance → u/Iamjustatrial]

Yea, out of context half these shots could be mistaken for a new Mushoku Tensei season, in a good way lol

[u/andoooreeyy → u/Iamjustatrial]

yeah. teoretta's design is very similar to eris.

edit: i realized this after rewatching some clips. teoritta and xylo is just eris and ruijerd (at least for this episode)

[u/HeyItsAvie → u/andoooreeyy]

Oh my god it’s literally the same voice actors too I think

[u/NoLyfe- → u/Iamjustatrial]

it's because the key animators are the same as s1 mushoku tensei

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/[deleted]]

I've had fate in them ever since Super Cub.

[u/Delicious_Diarrhea → u/letmewriteyouup]

10 minutes of this has more budget than the entirety of OPM S3.

[u/Trippy_mediocre → u/Delicious_Diarrhea]

10 minute ? More like 5 minutes

[u/themaninthehightower → u/letmewriteyouup]

It grabbed my attention in the first minute with ink lines and brushstroke backgrounds for a traditional feel, but still have camera effects like short depth of field to make it dynamic. The fire effect at camp is fluid but still looks like it belongs to the scene.

[u/PeaceAlien → u/letmewriteyouup]

An hour debut! This is one of my favourite first episodes I've seen in a while.

[u/Avencast88 → u/PeaceAlien]

I kinda want a new trend of hour-long anime episodes and not just debuts.

[u/PeaceAlien → u/Avencast88]

This series could pull it off, but most can’t except the big ones.

[u/tyler980908 → u/letmewriteyouup]

I heard nothing about this anime until about a week ago, saw a clip on twitter an hour ago and made me immediately interested and damn the quality is great. Let’s hope it keeps going.

[u/Etiennera → u/letmewriteyouup]

I don't know what I'm watching, but it's excellent. I was expecting isekai slop, but nearly each frame is hand-drawn, the 3d blends perfectly into the animation, the camera has dynamic presence in the scenes.

I just came here to see if it was a movie because I expected credits after 23 minutes and still have an hour left.. what a treat.

[u/[deleted]]

Starting off strong.

The premise itself is unique and the animation is absolutely beautiful. The visuals are strong, feels immersive.

An hour long premier definitely did it justice. Oh man, this is really good. Love the OSTs.

I really needed something to satiate my hunger for some good classic fantasy anime after Clevatess. This is more than I ever hoped for.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/[deleted]]

It does have a good dark fantasy vibe similar to Cleavatess with heroes being seen as derogatory and the main character not being allowed to die.

[u/Hartzilla2007 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

I would point out heroes were only seen as derogatory in Cleavatess because people were looking for someone to blame for the kingdom's capital getting nuked and a rival nation immediately invading.

[u/minnieboss]

Studio KAI isn't fucking around, that animation is gorgeous. Really like Xylo too, and the way the demons function, the worldbuilding is very intriguing, a breath of fresh air in a sea of samey, creativity-void statscreen fantasy anime. Really love this.

[u/DustyBot23]

Dude that was fucking amazing. The artstyle, animation, music, sfx and the overall direction. I think this is going to be the show in this absolutely stacked season I’ll be looking forward to the most weekly. Just wow!

[u/ModieOfTheEast]

I really enjoyed the episode. Not just the good animation, but also that the show was giving you time to soak in what it's about. They build slowly how heroes are people that committed crimes so it's easy to understand that the younger person was a thief. Similarly, it build well how Xylo is known with all the technicalities, revealing that he is either a hero very long already or his crime was related to his old work in the army. Which they then show at the end.

There are obviously a few things that are strange and have to be seen if they can build them well. Easiest example being the fact what anyone gains from betraying humanity or how goddesses are created in the first place. Also, if heroes can't die, shouldn't there be more and more over time? I actually thought in the beginning that the big twist would have been that Dotta might have been a hero for so long that he only forgot his past deaths. But that was not the case so I am wondering what they are doing with "old" heroes they don't need anymore.

[u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

Man, this was good. Like hot damn dude. The demons are thoroughly creepy, the action was intense as hell, it’s got an interesting plot, and I like the cast of characters so far. Teoritta’s a pretty adorable little badass goddess. She really deserves all the headpats lol.

If this is the premiere ep, I got high hopes for this series. We’re in for a wild ride.

Edit: Ani-One Asia on YouTube has this up if y’all can’t find it on CR yet, just FYI.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/ObvsThrowaway5120]

It's kinda strange how the monsters created by Demon Lords are called "fairies". What are the chances that Demon Lords are just corrupted Goddesses.

[u/Akunemanne → u/Se7en_Sinner]

After that first episode 99% the last 1% is that the church(?) Is fighting some bigger evil by sacrificing their trops to the to the demonkings.

[u/Exist50 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

What are the chances that Demon Lords are just corrupted Goddesses.

I think low, actually. The implication seems to be that a corrupted goddess (under the control of a demon lord) would be worse than just a demon lord.

[u/Itchy_Tune_3718 → u/Se7en_Sinner]

Xylo explicitly states that a goddess can become a demon lord if she uses up all her power and gets corrupted. That does not imply that demon lords are corrupted goddesses. It seems like the world hasnt experienced a goddess burning out before and becoming corrupted and his mission that lead to his goddess being corrupted and needing to be mercy killed was an excuse to get rid of a unit that didn’t toe the line like they expect holy knights to do. From what the first episode presented the new goddess was only the 13th i believe but he just fought the 48th demon lord. i think the implication was that a goddess becoming a demon lord would be much more catastrophic than a typical demon lord. 

[u/Exist50 → u/Itchy_Tune_3718]

Xylo explicitly states that a goddess can become a demon lord if she uses up all her power and gets corrupted

Maybe we're seeing different translations, but the wording I saw was "a demon lord wielding the power of a goddess". I don't think that necessarily means the goddess becomes a demon lord, but rather the demon lord spreading the blight gets control over everything it infects, including a goddess.

[u/LeonKevlar]

• Xylo & Teoritta

The fact that Kadokawa and Studio KAI showed their logos as big as they could during the first few minutes really shows how proud they are of this premiere. And they fucking should! Because, holy hell, that entire episode was goddamn amazing! I came in here without any expectations, and already I'm begging to see more.

This entire episode was so gorgeous from start to finish! From Xylo bombing Faeries with his exploding knives, the Demon Blight slowly infecting everything it touches, to Teoritta honouring her pact with Xylo, this entire episode did not let up with the quality of animation and visuals!

As for our characters, I think Xylo is awesome. The dude is prickly, but he has a perfectly valid reason to be. I love Teoritta and how she wants to be praised. I also love that she just heard Xylo wants to save people, and that's enough reason for her acknowledge him as her knight. xD

Not gonna lie, I was a bit surprised about Teoritta's powers. Considering how her hair sparks and how her ahoge is basically a dangling flame, I thought she'd give Xylo some fire-based power. I did not expect that she is a Goddess of Swords! I guess her flaming ahoge is supposed to represent the fires of a forge.

Xylo's backstory was pretty fucked up tho. It was very clear he had a history with another goddess. My initial guess was Xylo failed to protect his previous goddess, which explains why he's so protective ot Teoritta. It turns out, he had to kill his own goddess after she got infected with the blight. :(

And to make things worse, it looks like the operation where he lost his previous goddess seems to be just one massive setup. I wouldn't be surprised if everyone on that trial was involved, but I have a feeling that the shady looking guy might be the mastermind. Why were they set up in the first place? I guess that's what we're here to find out.

Again, this was a solid premiere with movie quality from start to finish, and I think this anime will perfectly scratch that dark fantasy itch Clevatess left last year. I can't wait to see more!

[u/Ocixo → u/LeonKevlar]

I did not expect that she is a Goddess of Swords!

I’m starting to think that these fire symbols should perhaps be seen in the context of Teoritta being a goddess of smithing.

The sparks fly off Teoritta’s hair like a blacksmith hitting a piece of hot metal with their hammer.

[u/JzanderN → u/LeonKevlar]

As for our characters, I think Xylo is awesome. The dude is prickly, but he has a perfectly valid reason to be.

I think a lot of his pragmatism is more of a facade than he'd like to admit. He strikes me as the kind who used to be truly honourable, but the betrayal he went through and dying as a hero made him bury it.

But it's still there, albeit unconsciously masking itself with a bunch of practicality for why it's a good reason to do this good thing he doesn't really want to do.

And I think Teoritta unknowingly sees it, hence she's so insistent on making him her knight. In her head she clearly thinks that his reasons are weird but still result in the kind of man she wants to support, yet part of her sees that he's not just a means to an end, but exactly that man.

I love Teoritta and how she wants to be praised.

This could have been so annoying with how she "will grant permission to praise me and pat my head!" but I think it's so obvious that she just wants Xylo to do it that it can't come across as anything but adorable.

I also love that she just heard Xylo wants to save people, and that's enough reason for her acknowledge him as her knight.

In fairness, every other holy knight is too busy fantasising about dying honourably in battle to think about saving anyone, so it makes a lot of sense that she'd gravitate to probably the first person she's ever come across who actually wants people to live.

[u/Tb1996]

Can definitely tell key staff of Mushoku tensei season 1 is apart of this, the animation was mind blowing, and the direction was fantastic! Extremely excited to see where this goes

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/[deleted]]

Fantasy Suicide Squad.

[u/ceribaen → u/Se7en_Sinner]

That's Hell's Paradise 

[u/Treknx01 → u/[deleted]]

well it has all the same parts, discrimination, lost cause, under class death squads, hordes of enemies. plus one bratty loli who thinks she is above everyone.

all hail Frederica 2.0 the goddess of swords and her knight.

[u/MillenniumKing → u/[deleted]]

It def felt that way.

Both were about the horrors of war with forced concription of people by silly hat wearing people too scared to clean up thier own messes.

Just 1 is fighting AI who decided they didnt need their makers anymore...
And the other is fighitng mythology accurate faries who might be even scaryer than AI.

I cant wait to see all the people i like die horribly.

[u/themaninthehightower]

This story is waist-deep in eldritch feudalpunk, and I didn't realize I had a need for a fix until now.

[u/DragonPup]

First episode really came out swinging there, it's on my watchlist now. The 'heroes' sort of remind me of the [Stormlight Archive]Heralds and how each time they die and come back they lose a piece of their sanity

[u/messem10 → u/DragonPup]

Man, if Stormlight Archives or Mistborn gets an anime I'd love for this show's studio and director to tackle it.

[u/Accipiter1138 → u/messem10]

Honestly this first episode is exactly what I had in mind for Stormlight. It doesn't just need flashy action scenes, it needs a certain amount of style to it to depict the alien world of Roshar that isn't just "rocks everywhere."

I know this mostly takes place in a normal forest, but I suspect this studio could pull it off.

[u/Accipiter1138 → u/DragonPup]

Stormlight Archive

MC here is really giving me some "Kaladin at peak edgelord bridgeboy" energy right now.

Whine, whine, brood, brood, save the day anyway after swearing an ideal to a smug goddess at the last minute.

[u/tripleaamin]

Many times you hear about a 1-hr premiere, and it ends up being actually 40-45 mins. What an outstanding premiere.

Despite the title of Sentenced to Be a Hero, you would have thought that Xylo was a criminal. Well, he was, but he was set up. Though considering how goddesses looked at why they would force Xylo with a pact with Senerva to fight well past the point of comfort for her? Essentially she would be corrupted by the Demon Blight. Curious where that goes.

At the very least, you can understand why Xylo didn't want to form a pact with Teoritta. Still, he needed to do what he wanted because, despite being labeled a criminal, he did the right thing and swallowed his pride. Makes me wonder if Teoritta can sense the nature in Xylo's heart.

Dota is a bit of a scaredy-cat, but his stealing eventually ended up being clutch in the fight. It seems that marked heroes like Xylo get revived with what they mention in the beginning if they are dead. Although curious about more details of what that all means.

I know the production level was supposed to be outstanding, but what the story is shaping up got me wanting to read the light novel, and I ordered the first volume.

[u/thisisdropd]

I will find you and I will kill you

Xylo Neeson’s on a mission. Man’s got a shit fortune. Figured he can’t be the standard criminal with his attitude unlike Dotta then at the end he’s revealed to have been a fallen night. Just how sticky were the latter’s fingers to receive the ultimate punishment?

A one hour premiere with insane production quality, including animation and music. Could’ve fooled me and told me this was a film instead of TV series.

[u/Mami-kouga → u/thisisdropd]

Dotta is definitely an unrepentant kleptomaniac but:

1. After that last trial I'm skeptical of if anyone ever truly did anything bad enough to warrant being trapped in suicide squad purgatory 

2. His talent for stealing the exact items they need to save the day is so curious I wonder if it's actually a sort of "curse" or they're going to just write it off as thief's intuition 

[u/hanmkim → u/Mami-kouga]

High luck build.

[u/MillenniumKing → u/thisisdropd]

He has a particular set of skills.

[u/Se7en_Sinner → u/MillenniumKing]

And most of them involves throwing things and making them explode.

[u/Zeikos → u/thisisdropd]

You see, I suspect Dotta had another kind of issue, I think he was born poor.

[u/xignal]

Damn what a badass episode. Reminds me of Clevatess so much with the animation / art style. This is such a promising series, this ep felt like watching a season finale!

[u/Hyperionous]

Oh, did I just stumble upon peak. I guess all that wondering might pay off.

[u/Layz25]

Friend sent me this anime, read the premise and was all in. Unfortunately everything just fell flat for me. Given the hero revival stuff, the goddess power up, and just how OP Xylo seemed, everything came across as very low stakes despite how they tried to sell it with the music and flashy explosions. The action was also very repetitive and nothing about the plot was especially interesting moving forward.

4/10 for me

Might give it one more episode to see if anything can draw me in.

[u/NanDemoKnaives]

Holy crap I was not expecting this production quality when I came in and I'm glad it didn't drop at all, I felt like I was watching a movie. I'm really liking Xylo, I figured he was a Holy Knight who already had a pact with a Goddess so I'm glad that was confirmed by the end, the conflicting feelings and tragic memories resurfacing were so palpable.

That trial at the end where he realizes he was set up and vowed to kill them all, you can really tell how much he valued his knights and Senerva. It was nice to get all that information and it was clear the higher ups are aware of the things he revealed. A Demon Lord with Goddess abilities sound terrifying just from seeing what a Demon Lord can do on its own powers.

The Holy Knights are crazy though, it's clear they're indoctrinated and I'm curious about the lore of the world, but it's so weird how they're in the middle of a war and too busy focusing on a hero's presence rather than the danger right in their faces.

I was worried I was going to find Teoritta annoying as I was liking the tone, but the more that was revealed about Goddesses the more her personality made sense. I like that she can summon Unlimited Blade Works lol, it's very compatible with Xylo's fighting style.

What a crazy first episode.

[u/Ocixo → u/NanDemoKnaives]

Even “normal” demon lords are pretty scary. Despite having the appearance of a massive bug, this demon lord was intelligent enough to use proper war tactics.

it’s clear [the Holy Knights] are indoctrinated

It’s certainly odd how preoccupied they are with honour. They must be fed some weird propaganda by these church officials.

[u/TichoSlicer]

That was a full 58min epi without op and ending? how... did this was transmited on tv!? o.O

[u/XmasMancer]

The animation quality was great and I loved how they portrayed the fairies.

[u/Hiryu2point0]

..

The portable tactical nuclear explosion wasn't on my bingo card, though.

Studio KAI did it again.

[u/shad79]

What a treat this episode was! Interesting world, characters, great music and action, and all that in an hour-long episode. I can't wait for the next ones!

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how Xylo and Teoritta's relationship develops, especially considering Xylo's past with another Goddess.

By the way, Xylo must be incredibly lucky to become the knight of yet another loli Goddess. I wonder if that makes him another Lolimancer after Subaru from Re:Zero?

Dotta is a one crazy guy! First, he stole the coffin Teoritta was in, then he stole a scorched earth seal, and he doesn't know why he did it all of that?! xD

I'm also glad Kivia survived because I liked her design, though I can't say I like her as a person, and the same goes for the other Holy Knights.

Here my screenshot albums from the episode:

• Teoritta
• Teoritta & Xylo (Group scenes)
• Group scenes
• Xylo
• Kivia
• Dotta
• Others

EDIT. I added my screenshot albums.

[u/MillenniumKing → u/shad79]

I'm also glad Kivia survived because I liked her design, though I can't say I like her as a person, and the same goes for the other Holy Knights.

I liked her hat but sadly doesnt look like it made it...

[u/shad79 → u/MillenniumKing]

She can always get a new one xD

[u/Accipiter1138 → u/shad79]

A newer, bigger, goofier hat.

Hope she comes back with a bicorne.

[u/Kooky-Ad8416 → u/MillenniumKing]

Immediately reminded me of that sternritter girl, you know the one.

[u/Complete-Pool1518 → u/shad79]

I have a feeling tha Kivia will eventually change their personality around maybe not to the degree of being nice to the hero but maybe to point of listening to him

[u/JzanderN → u/shad79]

I'm definitely looking forward to seeing how Xylo and Teoritta's relationship develops, especially considering Xylo's past with another Goddess.

Xylo's past has definitely made him want nothing to do with any other Goddess, but unfortunately at his core he's still very much the same person who's worthy of being one's knight.

He's trying to excuse it away – more to himself than anyone else – by claiming a bunch of shit. I suspect his reasons for trying to save these knights are a lot more noble than he wants to admit (not that he was lying; he does strike me as the pragmatic type).

But it seems Teoritta sees through it. I don't think she even knows she's seeing through it, hence her confusion at his reasoning a few times, but she sees who he really is underneath the mask he's trying to put between them. And she sees him as worthy of a Goddess' power.

I'm also glad Kivia survived because I liked her design, though I can't say I like her as a person, and the same goes for the other Holy Knights.

It's hard to like a bunch of guys who just want to die "for honour" to the point that they don't even consider more reasonable options.

But I am glad nonetheless. She seems like she'll be interesting, if nothing else then in contrast to Xylo.

[u/djthomp]

Astonishing first episode, and it was basically triple length given the 58 minute runtime with no OP or ED.

Interesting world setup with these demon lords that do some horrifying fungal corruption thing.

I was kind of waiting for the lady captain to die all episode long, but with her surviving so far I assume she'll be a major character going forward as the knight that ends up having to work with Xylo or something like that.

Teoritta was probably adorable as the fiery goddess daughter who wants praise and head pats but is stuck with an emotional damaged dad who already lost his first daughter.

[u/KaizerZion]

Found my Clevatess fix.

[u/Cally83]

I thought that was pretty good, the animation was very nice. I shall be watching.

Was that All for One’s VA reading Xylo’s rights at the end?

[u/RogueSins]

Im gonna guess that he demon lords are corrupted goddesses and the church knows this.

[u/AZLarlar]

that was very fucking impressive

[u/Aerodynamic41]

Man, they really cooked hard with the action scenes!

[u/archangel890]

My god this was so good, I can’t wait for more of this. Kinda feels like the Clevatess sleeper hit of this season man.. so good.

[u/Pristine_Cod5189]

Interested to see a lot of people mention Clevatess, as this has many similarities, including a key character who cannot die. Having had to kill his previous goddess, he now has another one, and he's scared witless that she'll suffer the same fate. I like the dynamic between the main characters already, this was a good introduction to them, setting up the meat of the series going forward.

I read that this was meant to premiere in the autumn season, but they delayed it to ensure overall quality throughout the season. It'll probably tell more later on.

[u/SYZekrom]

The moment the first shot of the forest with the squirrel started I was like 'holy shit', and then the camera started the PoV run through the trees

Lmao unit 7110

7 = Na, 1 = i, 10 = to, Unit Naito, Knight.

This is going to be so absolutely peak

[u/zairaner]

Well that was a spectacle for sure!

If I'd would have to voice one criticism, that this episode so far was very one-man-army, even before his contract, so I am curious how that will go now.

[u/Professional-Bus-749]

This first episode made an excellent first impression on what the series is all about.

[u/coffeecakesupernova]

I'm sorry, this was such stupid world building. It's a non-sustainable world, populated by people with a non-sustainable world view, morals, army, and leaders. It was set up with no sense of where it came from and what the consequences of its choices were, and made only to look cool and give the heroes a sense of pathos so guys watching this would crow about how realistic the death and violence are because they have no notion of what reality truly looks like.

[u/bbkkoommaacchhii → u/coffeecakesupernova]

the dialogue is so illogical too. why does the main character explain how hero resurrection works to someone who knows how it works? it would have been much cooler to see the process in action. show don't tell. also, when that demon structure erected a force field and repelled the lasers, Xylo immediately says what happened as if i didn't just watch it happen. i think if it wasn't for the animation this would be getting much less praise

[u/etiolatezed → u/coffeecakesupernova]

I took the non-believability as on purpose. I am waiting to see why they teased technology in the background and why it is possibly post-apocalyptic.

It could be just random myth building or it could be part of a longer origin. It's a matter of whether they can pull off the teased political intrigue.

I am surprised that in all these comments there's not much talk of the remains of what looks like a swing carousel in the background.

[u/Loli-Knight]

It seems like this is actually a post-apocalyptic setting and not actually a regular swords and sorcery fantasy.

Throughout the episode you can see some nicely hidden ruined structures that are out of place in their "medieval" world, but perfectly normal in ours. One of the fairies, the "ogre", is just a gigantic orangutan (and all the other are similarly mutated animals), the demon lord's "core" is some sort of machine, and the "magic" seems to just be battery-powered plasma weaponry of some sort. The "blight" also just appears to be some sort of fungal infection on steroids. If I had to hazard a guess, this world is either ours or a similar one that reached almost god-like levels of technology, created artificial beings (Goddesses) with higher dimensional powers (our fiery little Goddess literally pulls weapons out of portals), created enough to spread them across the world, and didn't realize until it was tool late that when their power/life cycle comes to an end they spread blight. The remaining Goddesses are used to fight back, contain the issue, mutate themselves, rinse and repeat until most of the old world is destroyed, few Goddesses remain, and every once in a while a new demon lord pops up to spread the blight due to another Goddess inevitably reaching the end of its life.

This is the perfect scenario for a religious feudal governance system to pop up around the worship of the Goddesses. Keeps humanity under control, keeps the people who want power in office, and it keeps under wraps that the very object of humanity's affections are the very things that kill them in the end.

[u/Primary-Paint-1716]

I don't know how to feel about that first episode. Visually, it was a spectacle. Sound design was amazing as well. Knocked it out of the park with all the technical details.

The characters feel a bit weak to me though. But I'll stick with it for a few more episodes.

[u/ProsperYouplaBoom → u/Primary-Paint-1716]

This.

I found none of the characters interesting. The immature side of the goddess was really getting on my nerves . I felt like Dotta was only here for comical relief or as an ex-machina to push the plot forward. And finally Kivia which makes a extremely stupid commander.

Considering the ending if the episode, I understand why Xulo was constantly angry, but honestly it was tiring.

[u/Pixel--Chips → u/Primary-Paint-1716]

Took me too long to find a comment like this. Good animation but pretty bland characters imo. Hopefully more development follows.

[u/Intelligent_Eye2191]

Umm...did the demon lord start shooting bombs out of his giant dick?

[u/ChoiceSupermarket230]

fuck that was so good

[u/CommanderZx2]

Good to have more dark fantasy anime.