English Dub Review: Sentenced to Be a Hero “Standby Order: Mureed Fortress”

Overview (Spoilers Below):

The heroes’ time off at a city festival is actually a prelude to the coming terror.

Our Take:

Every hero in existence deserves a break from saving people every once in a while, especially those who are sentenced to become one.  Unfortunately, this week’s episode shows that their little “vacation” is short-lived when they hear what their next mission is.  Their latest order has Xylo and the other “heroes” on standby at Mureed Fortress, where the festival is being held.  However, their time at the festival is actually the beginning of their new and possibly lethal mission: defending the fortress until their dying breath to allow the military to kill the Demon Lord with poison.  This further indicates the government and military’s hatred towards the heroes, prompting them to stop at nothing to torture them with death.

This episode serves as a test to see whether the series can be as attention-grabbing in its character-driven drama as it is in its battle against the Demonic Blight.  In addition to Teoritta’s joy in experiencing new things, the episode delves further into its world-building and themes, including the military’s plan to use Teoritta as a research subject and Venetim’s sentencing.  While the stylized action and animation serve as driving points for Sentenced to Be a Hero, “Standby Order: Mureed Fortress” proves that its dialogue-driven sequences can also be as captivating as its violence.  Plus, who doesn’t love seeing Teoritta be an innocent, quirky child experiencing the outside world for the first time?  Obviously, I’m one of the many viewers who do.  But the real selling point is its expansion on the characters and the preparation for what could be their deadliest assignment yet.