In January 2026, numerous anime sequels are launching, which fans have been eagerly anticipating for months. However, one new release is currently receiving all the hype.
What series is it? Many viewers are currently celebrating the anime Sentenced to Be a Hero, despite other strong sequels like Jujutsu Kaisen and Hell’s Paradise being released. The uniqueness of the anime lies in its subversion of classic heroism. The title of “hero” is not a reward, but rather the hardest possible punishment for serious criminals.
As a hero, they must fight against an overwhelming army and do so at the front lines. Additionally, a hero is resurrected after death to continue fighting. Death is thus not a release, as one continues to fight forever and loses a piece of their memory with each resurrection.
This is why heroes are so despised in the anime’s world. The main character, Xylo, is such a hero who claims to be a victim of a conspiracy. His goal is to take revenge on those who condemned him to this fate. One day, he encounters a goddess who bestows upon him immeasurable powers. This brings unwanted problems.
The anime breaks with classic clichés: gods are weapons of mass destruction, fairies are ugly monsters, and heroes are serious criminals.
Doomed as a hero, celebrated for the action
How well is the anime doing? Currently, only one episode of the anime, which runs for about an hour, has been released on Crunchyroll. However, it has already thrilled the first viewers. On IMDb, the first episode has a rating of 8.9/10 based on 1,111 votes.
Also on MyAnimeList, where a bit more votes have been cast, the anime holds a decent rating of 8.53/10 with 12,184 users.
What is behind this? In a new video, the YouTuber penguinz0 mentions that he heard about the hype surrounding Sentenced to Be a Hero and watched the anime himself to see what the hype is about.
He was particularly impressed by the animation quality and the visual effects of the anime. They are incredibly visual and beautifully animated, reminding him of an anime film. Moreover, there is constant action that “hits hard”. It feels to him more like a strong finale than like an episode one.
Moreover, he fears a drop in quality and that the entire budget may have only been invested into the first hour of the anime. He makes an explicit comparison to Ninja Kamui, whose quality suffered significantly after the first episode.
The fear of a drop in quality is, by the way, not unfounded. There is a golden rule in anime that they must convince the audience within the first 3 episodes. The producer of Lord of the Mysteries reported this: “Anime” producer complains about the first 3 episodes, explaining why it gets better afterwards
Additionally, he finds the superpowers creatively chosen. The protagonist doesn’t just have a special power but uses sacred seals through which he throws swords as projectiles and can make them explode with fire and light.
Is there any criticism? However, the YouTuber also expresses concerns about the future of the series. So far, the story is not very deep and still needs to show its full potential.
Moreover, he fears a drop in quality and that the entire budget may have only been invested into the first hour of the anime. He makes an explicit comparison to Ninja Kamui, whose quality suffered significantly after the first episode.
The fear of a drop in quality is, by the way, not unfounded. There is a golden rule in anime that they must convince the audience within the first 3 episodes. The producer of Lord of the Mysteries reported this: “Anime” producer complains about the first 3 episodes, explaining why it gets better afterwards
