Sentenced to Be a Hero

Episode 4

Sentenced to Be a Hero episode 4 downshifts the pace of the action to (mostly) good effect.

The general trendline of the action from the first episode to now has been a downward one, but I don't think that's a bad thing at all. The overwhelming bombast of the first week was exciting to be sure, though it was a little difficult to appreciate the scale of everything that was happening. The second and third weeks gave us a smaller-scale conflict with tight confines and the claustrophobic horror where dozens of lives were at stake as opposed to hundreds. Now, in week four, our heroes don't really have much direct conflict to contend with, no lives are in danger, and only one blade is drawn in anger throughout the proceedings.

That does not mean it was empty of excitement or tension.

This week's slowdown gives everyone from the characters to the audience a chance to catch our collective breath. It's good to see Xylo have a chance to do something other than yell and throw explosive blades while purple blood gushes everywhere (despite that being admittedly very cool). Amazing action set pieces are great and all, but you have to care about the characters involved. Otherwise, it's just a hype sizzle reel, and this low ebb gives us time to see the heroes interact and deepen their bonds with one another.

The two best scenes for my money were the marketplace and the negotiation with Venetim. The marketplace had Xylo, Teorrita, and Kivia palling around and shopping. There are lots of great character moments in this one, like Teorrita being awed by all the various foods that she had never tried before and Kivia's begrudging recognition of Xylo's many successes. Also, the bit that Kivia really enjoys sweet treats like ice cream - this is critical intel that we deserve to know, and I made a quick note of it.

The negotiation scene with Venetim was great too. The scene was not terribly long, but it packed a lot of quality moments within. Most importantly, it's a rather complex dialogue scene that might be hard for most folks to appreciate. Venetim and Xylo are having one conversation while trying to portray a different sort of negotiation with the officer, and at the same time, there's an undercurrent of distrust/distance between Venetim and Xylo in addition to a few revelations being drip-fed between statements. It's a delightfully textured scene and shows how this series has more than just strong action scenes to flex with.

Venetim's flashback was good, but I wished there had been more to it. I certainly like the overall shape of it: Venetim is sentenced less for his actual crimes and more for his ability to make others believe in things. His skill at lying gets him sentenced because he would be a remarkable truth-teller… that's a good hook, very good in fact. The sad thing is that the flashback was too short to let that sink in and really twist the knife, so to speak. It's a minor issue, but it could have been a home run instead of a solid base hit.

Rating:

Sentenced to Be a Hero is currently streaming on Crunchyroll.