Heroism—a punishment for only the worst criminals. Those sentenced to the fate of a hero are forced to fight at the front lines against the demon king's army—and if they die, they can expect to be revived and continue the battle. But when their leader, convicted of killing a goddess, meets another goddess himself, the contract they forge may be enough to change the world...

Sentenced to Be a Hero is based on theSentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 light novel series by writerRocket Shokai and illustratorMephisto. The anime series is streaming onCrunchyroll on Saturdays.

Do you like your anime to be aggressively self-aware when it comes to how dark and edgy they are? Then definitely giveSentenced to Be a Hero a try – this show doesn't just know how grim it is, it revels in it. To be perfectly fair, that's clearly meant to be part of the appeal. It's a morbid riff on the typical hero narrative. In this series' world, “heroes” aren't respected do-gooders; they're criminals who have been sentenced to an unending life of battle, revived after each death so that they can once again be sent to the front. It reminds me, in theory at least, of the Undying from the light novel seriesKieli, although in this first double-length episode, it lacks the poignancy of that tale.

But it's worth noting that it doesn't want to be poignant or to induce any feelings in the viewer beyond the sheer unfairness of protagonist Xylo's situation. Even before the final moments reveal the truth, it's obvious that he's not like the other penal heroes – none of the Holy Knights (who should really be “holy-ish knights”) immediately recognize him as such and the other hero Xylo works with, Dotta, was clearly sentenced for being a thief and doesn't have even a quarter of the skills Xylo does. The truth, when it comes out, isn't so much a bombshell as it is a confirmation of what everything about Xylo's actions already told us. That, for my money, is the best done piece of the episode. I could live without the gross monsters and the gore, and definitely without yet another girl acting like being petted on the head is the ultimate in praise. But showing us Xylo's truth without explicitly telling it until the final moments is well done.

Another bit of praise I have for this is that all of the characters whose names we learn appear to be actually important. That's a bit of creative writing advice that seems to elude a lot of authors; a name indicates that we need to remember a character because they're central to the plot. And the one named character who dies in this episode? His name is straight out of Yorkshire folklore, so that, plus the fact that the bad guys are all called “faeries,” indicates some of the inspiration for this piece. And yes, I'm assuming that Awd Goggie is male because he shoots goo that turns into babies out of his suspiciously-placed eye-stalk. You can't tell me that's not a creepy penis.

I can't say that I actually enjoyed this episode, or that I'll seek out any more. I couldn't get through the light novels it's based on. But this does plenty right while still being emphatically not for me, and there's something to be said for that.

Each season, we get at least a few of these double-length (or, god forbid, triple-length) episodes. I've found them to be a double-edged sword—leaving me either fully engaged or turned off completely (and angry at having been forced to watch more than I wanted). Which outcome happens almost always revolves around the question, “Did this need to be 44 minutes long to tell its story?” The good news forSentenced to Be a Hero is that yes, it did.

A lot is going on that needs to be sorted through—even after using an opening title card to explain that the ultimate punishment in this fantasy world is not death, but rather to be sent on suicide missions while being resurrected repeatedly and losing a bit of your soul and memories each time you die. One issue is that we have a lot of proper nouns that mean different things in this fantasy world. A “Hero” is one undergoing the ultimate punishment. A “Goddess” is a living weapon able to manifest items seemingly out of midair. “Fairies” are normal animals mutated by the corruption spread by a “Demon Lord”—and I have no idea what exactly a Demon Lord is other than a big monster.

In addition to all that lore, we need to get to know Xylo as a character, as he serves as both the emotional core and viewpoint character in the anime. In this episode, we learn about him by seeing how he acts around different groups of people—i.e., fellow prisoners, holy knights, knight commanders, and Goddesses. We also watch him in combat and see how—despite his constant grumbling—he does try to save as many lives as he can.

This makes us wonder about the nature of his crime—what a man as good as Xylo could have done to end up as a “Hero.” And not only do we get that answer, but the context behind it—which makes this a revenge plot, a redemption tale, and a save-the-world adventure all rolled into one.

All this could not have been done in a single 22-minute episode, and splitting it in two would have left this premiere with far less impact—even with the show's high-tier animation. So having a double-length episode was the right choice, and I'll absolutely be back for more episodes.

Look, I know that as both a professional critic and a functional adult who lives in a society, I should be above making fun of people's names. Trust me, in my day job as a teacher, I see some real doozies when it comes to odd spellings and utterly baffling uses of capital letters and apostrophes, and I would never dream of calling any of those kids out. It's not like fictional characters get any more say in what they are named than real-world meatbags, either. All of that being said, though, I am begging the anime industry to find even two or three native English speakers with a modicum of taste and run some of these hero names by them. We live in a globalized society with all sorts of resources at our fingertips, so I don't know if you can use the language barrier as an excuse anymore, especially since a name like Xylo Forbartz is clearlytrying to sound like a cool-guy hero name from a Western fantasy setting. Just imagine, all of you Japanese writers and editors that are obviously reading this review right now, if I tried to pitch my gritty anime series set in feudal Japan, starring a hero namedChinchin Kusaionara.

Yeah, it isn't so easy to take me seriously now, is it?

I am taking the opportunity to dunk on the name ofSentenced to Be a Hero's protagonist because, if you just read that description on its own, you might think that this is just another drop in the overflowing bucket of seasonal fantasy slop that we have to dunk our heads straight into every four months or so. “Xylo Forbartz” is exactly the combination of nonsensical letter combinations that some inexperienced light novel author would pull out of an online name generator to slap onto their generic potato-starch homunculus of a protagonist right before they get to the scene where he is hit by a truck and given magical cheat powers by some busty goddess from another world. As it turns out, though,Sentenced to Be a Hero is not slop at all. It is, instead, trash. Gloriously self-serious, expertly produced, and very entertaining trash.

One of the key differentiating factors between “slop” and “trash” in art is confidence. Even when it comes with top-tier production values, slop always gives the impression that any artistry on display is either completely accidental or purely for defensive purposes. “See, see!” slop always seems to be squealing, “This is cool, right? This is what you wanted to see? Please, God, tell me that I'm cool, and also give me your money!” Meanwhile, trash couldn't give less of a good goddamn what you think about it; it revels in filth purely out of love for the game. InSentenced to Be a Hero's premiere, the moody backgrounds and textured linework give the series a somewhat old-school aesthetic, similar to last season's excellentClevatess, and the animators atKadokawa Animation are clearly having a blast bringing every lingering shot and cut of character animation to life.Sentenced to Be a Hero is an anime that understands the vital, atavistic appeal of seeing a dude with big muscles absolutely wreck the everloving shit out of a bunch of monsters and bad guys in a setting that has been pulled straight from the grimy pencil-sketched art of theAdvanced Dungeons & Dragons Dungeon Master's Guide.

As we watch our hero do his best to earn that “We Have Guts At Home” trophy that is surely hanging on a mantle somewhere back home, the show continues to radiate blazing “Go screw yourself if you're not down with Xylo Forbartz” energy, and I cannot help but respect that (even if I still think his name is stupid). Is the story doing anything particularly novel or interesting? No, not at all. We've got a badass warrior with some cute companions who gets betrayed by the Powers That Be and cast down as a prisoner after a battle against a horde of demonic creatures goes wrong. No matter what goes down over the course of the proceeding season of television, I am sure it will invariably lead to Xylo enacting some richly deserved, grimdark revenge.

Execution is what matters the most, though, and this is whereSentenced to Be a Hero excels with flying colors. This premiere was one of those hour-long deals that are becoming increasingly common, and you know a show is doing something right when I don't even bother mentioning that until the end of my preview. If you're looking for high art or searing, emotional storytelling, then you obviously will need to move along to greener pastures. If you're in the mood for some trashy but delicious junk food that will put a smile on your face, even as your arteries are filled with 99% undiluted bacon grease, thenSentenced to Be a Hero might well be worth your time.

Every season, there's at least one show you can tellCrunchyroll is expecting to be the Next Big Thing. It's usually action-driven fantasy, with glossy animation, big-name voice actors, a male protagonist, and at least one fawning anime girl.Dragon Quest and/or MMORPGs often influence them. I do not generally care for these series for some reason or another, usually related to their persecution complex, misogyny, or appeal to the lowest common denominator. There may also be a dash of resentment that the character-driven series I tend to prefer are usually overlooked. Maybe.

Sentenced to Be a Hero is almost certainly ready to be propped up asCrunchyroll's Next Big Thing for the winter season. It's got all the components: lots of glossily-animated action,Yōhei Azakami as the hero Xylo Forbartz, and a fresh-faced newcomer as the goddess Teoritta, and references to Heroes as a class of human being that hearkens back to Dragon Quest. Unlike most seasons, however, if it blows up, I will be at peace. As it turns out,Sentenced to Be a Hero is pretty stinking good… or at the very least, rock-solid dark fantasy.

The first thing that stood out to me was how the script actually respects its audience's intelligence. There isn't a single line of narration explaining the world, nary a mention of stats or classes as a world-building shortcut. Exposition comes through the characters discussing their situation and the world, reminding one another of the grim nature of their lives: rather than knights, they are heroes punished for their crimes. I didn't need anyone to tell me that Dotta was probably sentenced for theft because he keeps stealing throughout the show. The hour-long premiere was primarily focused on action as Xylo, the newly-awakened goddess Teoritta, and Commander Kivia (whom I had an immediate crush on) battle to defeat the demon god Awd Goggie, so I cannot speak much about the characters. Still, I already have a concept of who they are and what motivates them. Xylo and Dotta's situation – forced to fight as a punishment for a crime but still detested and treated as disposable – reminded me of the inmates who are forced to fight the wildfires that ravage California every year. The actual action was gorgeously fluid and well storyboarded, backed by a soaring musical score worthy of any Hollywood fantasy film.

However, two things about the episode rubbed me the wrong way. The first was Teoritta, who may be a goddess but looks like a twelve-year-old girl. Her fawning attachment to Xylo has an unsavory tinge; at best, she feels out of place in the world as she begs him to pat her on the head and praise her for a job well done. She's toomoe anime girl for the setting and story thus far. My other quibble is that the episode ends with a flashback to Xylo's sentencing, when I felt like it would have been more in step with the writing and effective to slowly roll out that information, letting the viewer put together the pieces of the unfairness of his situation.

Sentenced to Be a Hero simply has the juice. I'm not sure if it's my preferred flavor of juice, but I recommend trying a sip, regardless of how your tastes tend to run.