The human world has finally regained its peace after the war with the demons. But what happens when the strongest hero wants to join the demon army? I’m Quitting Heroing Episode 1 presents this possibility. Let’s find out in this review!
I’m Quitting Heroing Episode 1 Overview
I’m Quitting Heroing, or Yuusha Yamemasu in Japanese, is an action, adventure, comedy, and fantasy focusing on a post-war world between humans and demons. It is based on the light novel “I’m Quitting Heroing” (Kadokawa Books) written by Quantum and the original character design done by Hana Amano.
The anime adaptation is developed by Studio EMT Squared, that has produced many other anime such as The High School Life of a Fudanshi, Rainy Cocoa, and The Master of Ragnarok & Blesser of Einherjar. The show is being produced with Yuu Nobuta (Saihate no Paladin, Kuma Kuma Kuma Bear) serving as chief director, Hisashi Ishii (Ame-iro Cocoa: Side G) as the director, and Shigeru Murakoshi (Zombieland Saga, Murenase! Seton Gakuen) overseeing the series’ composition.
– Yuusha Yamemasu Episode 1 Review does not contain any spoilers –
I’m Quitting Heroing Review- World Doesn’t Want Their Hero, So He Joins The Demons
What makes us humans different from the demons? The general answer would be our inane humanness and ability to empathize, rationalize and hold a moral compass. What if these values are corrupted in some ways? I’m Quitting Heroing starts by dealing with these topics. Let’s talk about this a bit more!
Yuusha Yamemasu Episode 1 takes place in a world where humans and demons have been at war. After saving humanity from the despicable Demon Lord, humanity’s strongest hero and the reason for their victory, Leo Demonhart does not earn a hero’s standing. Instead, he is hunted down by those he had once fought to protect. Treated with such contempt and being hunted down did not sit right with Leo, and he left humanity behind to join the demon army!
This plot definitely must have caught your attention! Yuusha Yamemasu has a premise that has not been encountered before, at least in the mainstream media. It begins with a strong genesis of our characters, a very plausible yet unreasonable and comedic start. There is a very common trope present – a character, which is different from the rest of the population, yet is their saviour, is not easily accepted by them. Even when they might spend their entire lives in this pursuit, they are always feared. I’m Quitting Heroing shows what path that unsung hero might tread on next.
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Our hero Leo is not the most conventional type of saviour. He is blunt and arrogant, gets mad at others’ incompetence, and is prideful and confident about his abilities. He feels wronged when he is cast aside by mankind, displaying his human side. He is not a symbol of peace, just a person who wants to find his place and reason. These characteristics exhibit Yuusha Yamemasu’s themes: there is no good or evil predefined. Just being a demon or a human does not make you right or wrong.
The character design is varied- the Demon Lord might not be heartless, the demon generals are not just looking for a war, and the hero is not an embodiment of goodness in the world. All have their reasons (or seem to do so) for their actions. This makes the anime portray its storyline very well as the characters are very relatable.
On the other hand, the overall flow of the plot has not been executed properly. Within the 23 minutes of I’m Quitting Heroing Episode 1, the atmosphere elapsed from a dramatic start to comedic interaction to a tragic ending. This might represent a poor adaptation of the light novel, as music and the animation tones could have been used better to gradually change the theme to balance the overall ambience of the anime.
Verdict
I’m Quitting Heroing Episode 1 holds potential due to its terrific character designs and entertaining backstory. Showcasing a world where the hero and the demons are not what they are usually portrayed is very different from what the general anime of similar trope, and this should be used to its leverage. However, the writing should be improved so that the viewers get time to immerse themselves in this universe of heroes and demons.