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The anime Sentenced to be a hero is an adaptation of the original material (Light novel) of extremely high quality.
All points, whether conceptual, narrative, or illustrative, are being improved in the anime, and unlike what I imagined, the anime will only cover 2 volumes of the Light novel, which is a slow pace compared to other Light novel adaptations. This exemplifies the extreme care taken in making an anime, not just for the sake of it, but in committing to making something of quality.
In short, the production of Sentenced has several points of very high quality, such as the direction, soundtrack, background scenery, voice ... actors, sound design, character design, monster design, and of course, the animation.

Production Aspects:
Direction: Sentenced's direction stands out in the action scenes.
It's very efficient at setting the right pace before, during, and after the action, whether in moments of respite or in the climax. In particular, the director likes to use a first-person angle in several scenes, either to convey impact or simply to guide the viewer through the scene without needing different cuts. In addition, he also uses the typical scene where a character is reflected in the eyes of another.
Those familiar with the genre know the meaning of scenes like this and also know where he drew this inspiration from. A small addendum would be the scenes where the director uses a "colored frame." This was used a lot recently in OPM season 3, but unlike OPM, this director knows how to use these scenes at the right moment without exaggeration, such as in the scenes in episode 1 where Xylo hears the screams of the Kivian soldiers being killed, and also in episode 3 in the scene where Norgalle manages to break his leg. 
The soundtrack also fits perfectly, regardless of whether the scene is action-packed or just a regular scene like the introductory scenes, world exploration, or silly comedy scenes. Speaking of comedy, this is another point that stood out more than expected; the scenes are funny and well thought out, whether in the cute scenes of Teoritta or in the "dark humor" scenes, like when the joke is absurd.

Soundtrack: It's very competent; it's based on the typical "fantasy soundtrack" archetype, having a harmonious song that fits the medieval period, but in the action scenes it goes from frenetic to epic in a few seconds. The highlight would be the chorus of voices present in some soundtracks; having a chorus of voices is rare in anime, and this is a symbol of quality that was only possible thanks to the music production company belonging to the anime's composer.

Background: The settings are heavily inspired by popular Nordic settings, often consisting of many mountains, dense forests, shallow rivers, and of course, lots of snow.
Watanabe Yuusuke are responsible for this, but the highlight goes to Nobutaka Ike, who is credited as world designer. This role (world designer) is very uncommon in anime, being frequently seen in games. It consists of creating a background setting not just for aesthetics, but also to have narrative weight within the story. This is evident in the anime, demonstrating contexts or questions about the world and the story through the settings. However, Nobutaka Ike's specialty is portraying structures like pillars, walls, or enclosed spaces in an organic way, heavily inspired by real-world structures.

Voice Actors: In an interview for a magazine about Sentenced to be a Hero, the director said he wanted all aspects of Sentenced to be excellent, not just the animation, and this included the voice acting. Initially, the main character, Xylo, had a different voice actor, but after many interviews to select the best voices, the official voice actor for Xylo stood out in his interpretation, so he was chosen for the role of the protagonist, even though it was his first time voicing a protagonist and even though the previous voice actor was much more experienced. This previous voice actor is now voicing the character "Rhyno."
Now, regarding the overall voice acting, it is of extremely high quality, both due to the wonderful interpretations of the "newcomer" voice actors.
Xylo's voice actor demonstrates a realistic interpretation while still being a great delinquent, and is very dedicated in the parts where the character shouts.
Teoritta's voice actress interprets the childlike role very well, giving a touch of typical but satisfying sweet purity. 
The rest of the cast is exceptional: Dotta, Tsav, Kivia, Rhyno, and Jayce, all voiced by experienced and highly acclaimed voice actors.

Sound design: Good and realistic. It might seem silly to highlight this point, but not all anime have good sound design. I would say that Sentenced's sound design is better than good. The power sounds are reminiscent of older anime, but the highlight of the sound design is in simple scenes, such as when a character walks or interacts with the environment.

Character design: The character design is very good. One of the characteristics that the director prefers is that the characters' clothes are detailed, not just detailed, but well thought out. In the anime, you can see that both the functionality of the clothing and the care in showing the folds of the garments are believable but without ceasing to be fantastical. As for the faces, each character has a characteristic face. The best points would be the noses, which have a thick line similar to older anime like The Record of Lodoss War.

Monster Design: Fantastic! The monster designs utilize a single animal as a base for each monster.
The assistant director, who is responsible for this, said that the main objective of the monster designs is to generate repulsion. This was very evident in each fairy design; all the smaller ones have fungi from the demonic plague leaping out of their bodies and transforming them in extreme ways. But the main highlight is the design of the demon kings.
Each one has a very well-crafted design, both in how bizarre they are and in the functionality of their designs in relation to their characteristics, such as the Fortress Insect Demon King or the Seductive Tree Demon King.

Animation: The animation is the highlight of Sentenced.
The kagenashi style (an animation style that uses little or no shading on the characters) is excellent for achieving the most fluid animation possible.
In a time when many have been conditioned to think that anime must be detailed with post-production effects and designs that are not intentionally distorted, the kagenashi style opposes this mass perception, leading many anime productions with quality staff to opt for this style.
Furthermore, the animation is far above average. Nowadays, most well-animated anime only have good animation in action scenes, but Sentenced is consistently well-animated, whether in slice-of-life scenes or in simpler things like characters merely existing. During these moments, the animation ranges from fluid to exaggerated, whether due to its consistency in character acting or its comedic timing in comedy scenes. In action scenes, the animation is dynamic, frequently using creative and very laborious angles to animate, which in itself is a seal of quality.

Story Aspects:
Story/Narrative: The story remains the same, but the narrative in the anime is being changed or improved compared to the light novel. The development of the characters, their relationships, and the build-up before the start of the arcs are the points of greatest improvement in the anime.

Action: The action in Sentenced is very well thought out.
The story uses military battle concepts, whether regarding troop positioning or rationing, as well as food/resources, or the rearrangement and predisposition of weapons of war, involving the environment and political context behind them.

Characters: One of the best aspects of the anime is its characters.
In short, they can range from psychopaths, sociopaths, insane maniacs, or just people with personality disorders.
They all have a certain ambiguity in the irony behind their stories and character concepts. For example, a character might be crazy, but this craziness is somehow beneficial, so these characters win the audience's sympathy, but in reality, they are externally unstable people.
Many of these aspects probably won't be explored this season, so I'm limiting my comments to a few, but what I could highlight for now is the concept behind the goddesses. They are beings whose sole purpose is to serve humanity so they can receive praise. I've seen this concept before – "ancient beings used for the benefit of humans" – but here, the goddesses do it willingly in a desperate search for recognition.

Original screenplay: 10/10
Overall direction: 9/10
Action direction: 8/10
Animation: 9/10
Character design: 9/10
Monster design: 10/10
Prop design: 10/10
Effects design: 10/10
sound design: 9/10
3d: 9/10
Backgrounds: 10/10
Soundtrack: 9/10
Original voice actors (JP): 10/10

Final score: 9/10

Overview: Spice and Wolf is a magnificent light novel in what it sets out to do. It has a well-developed dynamic about economics in the medieval period and a wonderfully captivating dynamic between the main characters.

Story: The story is fantastically beautiful and simple. A merchant who carries a wolf goddess with him, and together, amidst situations of profit and loss, their romance is as warm as wine and as light as wheat carried by the wind. He is as attractive as a good piece of meat or as succulent as an apple, but without being frivolous in his mannerisms, as a certain wise she-wolf once ... said.

Narrative: The narrative leaves you stunned by its quality. It builds both its mercantile dilemmas and its romantic charisma. The way the author presents and develops the economy according to the time period in which the story takes place is very well explored, to the point that economic and medical errors are present in the work. This is due to its faithful representation of how much people knew about themselves and the world in the Middle Ages. The romance is nothing short of perfect; the archetypes of the characters constantly diverge and reconcile through mental games with their words, provoking each other and generating a romantically hostile atmosphere that stands out to the point of being the best aspect of the narrative, even above the economics.

Characters: The characters are the definition of simplicity and good characterization. The protagonist, Lawrence, is shrewd but innocent and kind when it suits him; he is a good businessman who has common desires for his profession. The secondary characters are usually fleeting; they don't have a strong personality or a role of paramount importance in the story. However, they are by no means bad, just a little ironic.

🍎 Holo 🍎: Holo is undoubtedly the best of Spice and Wolf. She has extreme charisma; her personality varies from wise, beautiful, arrogant, intelligent, shrewd, provocative, serious, and tempting to sweet, vulnerable, volatile, childish, and greedy. Her character evokes a fantastical realism that makes anyone fall in love. Holo is mistakenly the ideal woman for any man. Forget economics, forget the medieval world too; all that matters in Spice and Wolf is Holo, and only Holo.

Note: 10/10

Story: 10/10
Narrative: 10/10
World-building/setting: 10/10
Characters: 7/10
Execution: 9/10
Holo: 10/10 ❤

Melt with Spice and Wolf while sipping something warm under a blanket and fall in love with a world not as fantastical as a spicy spice or a wolf goddess.

🐎 🍎 🍻

VOLUME 1
General summary: A fantasy story based on generic elements widely used in anime or Western media. If you don't mind generic elements, you'll find it quite enjoyable, especially in how, when, and with whom these generic elements are used.

Small addendum: In the end credits of each volume, the author talks about his favorite character types and how he likes certain cliché character archetypes, such as the villain who says "I've already won" before the fight ends and then loses. However, this type of caricatured character is not found in the light novel.

Story: The story would be the main generic element in this light novel, ... including elements such as the suicide squad, the demon king, and character archetypes already seen in various anime.  In this action light novel, we follow several battles against the Demon King and the plague he created in a world covered in destruction. The work subverts the concept of "hero," making the greatest punishment for a crime be serving in a war as a hero. The heroes are either psychopathic criminals or simply troubled people who seek not to be revived after their death in battle so as not to lose their "humanity." In this story, the population has already been severely reduced by the wars against the Demon King, and the only way to fight him are the goddesses. According to the church, they are divine beings sent from heaven to save humanity from the Demon King's plague. Their gifts and powers are given to their children, the humans, and for these "heroes," the only choice is to fight.
Finally, the three arcs that make up the volume are very well organized and execute everything the story sets out to do excellently.

Narrative: Since this is an action story, it sells itself through this characteristic right from the beginning. It builds the world quickly and expositorily so that the action begins. However, soon after this abrupt beginning, the narrative slows down and focuses on its best point: the characters and their dynamics. After that, we have (1) worldbuilding, then (2) focus on characters and their dynamics, and then (3) action. The narrative follows this cycle throughout the volume, even though the positions 1, 2, and 3 alternate.

Action: The fights are very well thought out, often incorporating war strategies such as positioning based on the terrain, scarcity of resources, and distribution of roles. The enemies are monsters, non-humanoids, and are generally much larger than a person. The conclusion of the fights is epic, always ending with something unexpected and unconventional according to the narrative that was presented. These are scenes that make you think, "Wait, this makes perfect sense."

Characters: The characters are the best part of the series. They're basically made up of violent, psychotic lunatics, which makes the dynamics between them unpredictable. You never know when one of them will reveal itself as an "imposter" or jeopardize the mission. However, these characters are not lacking in charisma, whether they're comic relief, antagonists, or waifu. They all have a creative personality that peaks in their interactions with other characters, especially due to the not-uncommon fact that an ally who could be a villain in any other story is right by their side. (The "imposter" is in quotation marks because the characters are forced to be heroes, so none of them consider themselves companions. Rather, they "accept" collaboration to achieve success in the mission and avoid death. This varies depending on the character, but generally, that's it.)




Characters (with spoiler):

[spoiler]Xylo: He is a typical protagonist with a dark past. He was adopted and trained by an ancient clan to fight in a war for the survival of what remains of the world. He is strong, fearless, and doesn't like to be underestimated.
While serving the Order of Knights as a platoon captain on one of their missions, he was tricked into having his entire platoon killed and forced to kill his fellow goddess after she was infected by the demon king's plague. After that, Xylo was condemned to be a hero for the unforgivable crime of killing a goddess. Since his conviction, he has sworn revenge on whoever orchestrated the ambush, his companion's death, and his sentence. The main psychotic characteristic of her character is her aggressiveness and constant unpredictability. However, her aggressive behavior is greatly diminished shortly after her pact with Teoritta.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Teoritta: A goddess extremely devoted to humanity, she is proud of herself and will do anything for the good of the world. Her greatest pleasure is being praised for her deeds. Teoritta is found in a coffin that was in the possession of the church by Xylo and Dotta. Shortly after, she makes a pact with Xylo to fight the demon lord and the demon king's plague. Nothing is known about how or why Theoritta exists and was in a coffin; however, even having lost her memories, she remains a goddess.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Dotta: Dotta is a kleptomaniac who was condemned to be a hero for committing over a thousand thefts. He is a coward and did not think twice before running away. Dotta is very entertaining even though he's one of the most unstable heroes. When he's not stealing something, he's very rational and pragmatic, even when he's being forced to act.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Vanetim: Vanetim is a mythomaniac whose only useful trait is his smooth talk and ability to deceive others. But don't get confused, he's not smart or cunning; he's just a pathological liar.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Kivia: Kivia is a commander of the Order of Knights. She's fearless, strong, and has a very intimidating look. But if I were to summarize her character, I'd say she's a typical tsundere.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]King Norgalle: He is the king above kings who, seeing his kingdom and people collapse before the demon king, volunteered to fight on the front lines with the renowned heroes who bravely fight against the imminent destruction of the world. But in reality, Norgalle is a terrorist who was condemned to be a hero and, after being revived, lost part of his memory and now thinks he's a king. He's certainly the most unstable hero given his psychological condition.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Tatsuya: There's not much to say about his personality, as Tatsuya is an example of what happens to heroes who have died many times. However, in battle, he is relentless.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Tsav: Tsav is a verbose assassin. His sense of humor is unconventional, but his long-range aim is accurate.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Rhyno: Rhyno is the only hero who wasn't condemned but instead chose to be a hero. His personality is extremely warm and friendly, quite unlike his face and mannerisms, which evoke a sense of constant distrust.[/spoiler]

[spoiler]Jayse: Jayse is a dragon knight who believes he is closer to dragons than humans. He is extremely aggressive toward anyone other than his beloved dragons.[/spoiler]






Arc Ratings:
Arc 1 (forest): 8/10
Arc 2 (cave): 9/10
Arc 3 (fortress): 9/10

Overall Notes:
Story: 7/10
Narrative: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Execution: 8/10

Volume 1 Rating: 8/10



VOLUME 2
General summary of volume 2: a significant change in the narrative compared to volume 1. While the first volume focused on monster fights, volume 2 has a strong focus on politics and smaller-scale fights, focusing on an urban area and territorial conquest missions.

The highlight, once again, is the characters and their dynamics. The new heroes are as charismatic, if not more so, than their predecessors, bringing creative twists that explore the best of established characters. Another important factor is the villains. Unlike volume 1, volume 2 features humanoid villains who think and use strategies. This brings a new dynamic to combat, which focuses much more on strategy than on attack power.

Arc Rating:
Arc 1 (alley): 9/10
Arc 2 (guild): 9/10
Arc 3 (final boss fight): 9/10

Overall Rating:
Story: 8/10
Narrative: 9/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Execution: 9/10

Volume 2 Rating: 9/10

(Personal opinion: Better than volume 1 in terms of story and narrative, but inferior in terms of combat. However, my opinion is biased since I much prefer monster fights.)



VOLUME 3
General summary of volume 3: This volume is entirely about an invasion mission, but to complete this mission, the heroes must first conquer and secure a control point in a specific area to complete the main mission.

In this volume, the political burden of volume 2 is lessened, giving much more space to world conflict on the enemy side. Now, the focus is on struggles and war strategies, in addition to the return of non-humanoid monsters.

The ongoing narrative is interesting; the arc alternates well between the enemy and ally sides of the war. The new characters are unique, especially the new villain who martyrs himself.

Arc Rating: (This volume is basically composed of a single arc with short breaks between fights.)
Arc 1 (beginning): 8/10
Arc 2 (middle): 7/10
Arc 3 (end): 7/10

Overall Rating:
Story: 7/10
Narrative: 8/10
Worldbuilding: 8/10
Characters: 10/10
Execution: 7/10

Volume 3 Rating: 7/10

(Personal opinion: The idea of ​​the volume is good, but its execution leaves something to be desired. The narrative remains very good in terms of battle strategy and world-building; however, the fights, which should be the best part, are inferior in this volume compared to the previous ones, even though they aren't bad or uncreative. However, since this is an entire volume that builds up to the next volume, I can easily overlook the negative points mentioned. If I had to highlight one thing that makes it better than the other volumes, it would be a more linear pacing than volume 1).


Hurry up, a fantasy with controversial characters, struggles involving religious beliefs and battles for the conquest of a kingdom in a war for the survival of humanity awaits you.

401
My review: As a whole, it was a great season before the release, was looking forward to the phoenix, but right from the beginning, it was already noticeable that this season wouldn't adapt to the point I was looking forward to. Instead of an epic battle against a guardian beast, I received a season of adventure, political drama, and character development. In the end, I understood why the staff slowed down the pace. This gave them time to focus on the characters, even though the last episode seemed rushed, I got the impression that it was because of the twists and turns in the light ... novel.

About the characters Naofumi finally met Siltvelt but as usual he will not have peace wherever he goes but that was all we did not have a great development in his character except for the conversation between Naofumi and Raphtalia in episode 12 about their very similar responsibilities and the future in the end he played the role of mentor which always suits him very well helping both in battles and as a guide for Rem, Itsuki, Fohl, Raphtalia and Shildina (a small detail that maybe in the future Naofumi and the Trash king will fight together this was a small development of the Trash king for the future I assume).
Fohl and Atla had their concluding arc, which had been in the works since Season 3, this can be seen in the original scenes involving the brothers in Season 3. These scenes gave more focus and built the foundation that would culminate in the climax of the first arc of Season 4, In the end, Fohl became more responsible in making actions and decisions for himself, maturing both morally and physically. This can also be seen in the conversation between Fohl and Raphtalia in the following arc. Atla, on the other hand, remains unshakable and indiscriminate, even though she picked on her dear brother, We all know how she feels.
Moving on to the next arc, after an unexpected revelation at the end of Season 3, Raphtalia goes through a trial in her own arc, in which she has to take a stand on the legacy left by her parents. In the end, her decision was to help her people, including the former emperor, free themselves from the tyranny of ill-natured rulers. We also had some focus on Sadeena, showing in a conversation why she considers herself a horrible person and deepening her relationship with Naofumi, who, as usual, only cares about efficiency, profit, and results.

I have no hesitation in saying that Motoyasu was the best character this season. While Naofumi dealt with his endless problems to be solved, Motoyasu was working for his father-in-law to make his life easier. Amidst so many murders, he was having his own adventure and building a harem of Filolials. This was simply CINEMA. And as if he wasn't already satisfied with this, he did what no one else could: "ending" the whore—or should I call her a pig now?—I thought of Motoyasu's spin-off light novel as a meme, but now I'm genuinely curious to see an adventure from his perspective.
Motoyasu, my best waifu ❤

Regarding the animation, this was definitely the most consistent season since Season 1. That doesn't mean there weren't any inconsistencies, but rather that they weren't as alarming. Whether it's because the animation wasn't bad or because the animation didn't reach the same high levels as in Season 3, this decline in action is due to the lack of involvement of Hiroshi Yoneda and Yuka Kuroda, who were the action animators in Season 3. I imagine their lack of involvement is due to the demand for recent productions, including original Kinema Citrus productions, this was a hard blow to my expectations, I have to admit. The highlights in the animation were the sets, which, as usual, were beautiful, and the designs, which, as I said, were very consistent. The standout episodes were undoubtedly episodes 1, 2, 6, and 9 for their consistency, and episodes 4 and 8 for the fight animation. It's worth noting that both episodes 4, 8, and 9 had direct involvement from the director. The art direction change wasn't bad, even though it had some lower points, but perhaps that's due to the change in responsibility for the Photography.

Final Thoughts:

Grade:
Story: 8/10
Animation: 8/10
Design: 9/10
Art Direction: 7/10
Sets: 9/10
Soundtrack: 10/10

FINAL GRADE: 8/10

(I'd like to give it a 7/10, but I don't think the other seasons did better than season 4, but rather just had better and worse points between them)

Season 1: 8/10
Season 2: 3/10
Season 3: 8/10 (maybe a 7.5, but that rating doesn't exist)
Season 4: 8/10

Ironically, The Rising of the Shield Hero had a dip in Season 2 but recovered in Season 3 and continued toward the rise in Season 4. I expect great things from Season 5. Until then, I'll settle for reading the adapted volumes in Season 4. See you in Season 5!!!