After being told he’s become useless, Gideon is summarily kicked out of the Hero’s Party after years of fighting together against the Demon Lord. Now free to live his life as he wishes, he opens up a small herbal shop near the border where he unexpectedly meets Rit, an old acquaintance, again.
You’re not a true companion!
Banished from the Hero’s Party
I came across Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside, while mindlessly scrolling through Crunchyroll. The synopsis was pretty tempting and the show quite short, but unfortunately, this anime left me drowning in a sea of bored indifference.
An Overbearing Romance
When I clicked play on Banished from the Hero’s Party, I really didn’t think I was signing up for a romance, but alas, that is what I got. Too bad the love story ended up incredibly boring if only because it’s based on past events we only get showed through flashbacks.
The rest of the story is made up of oneshots and slice-of-life non-issues that felt way too similar to a bunch of filler episodes stuck together with ductape. Sure, I got to see the Hero’s Party collapse miserably in the absence of the “indispensable element” that was Gideon, but honestly, I didn’t really care about any of them, so their hardship meant zero to me. With a past like his, Gideon could have been a fascinating character, layered and always torn between the newfound comfort of his rural life and years of combat which made an unparalleled strategist and formidable combatant out of him. But just like Rit, he’s got no depth, and their love story, just like them, remains hopelessly flat.
The Animation
On the visual side of things, the characters looking older and more mature would have worked way better at making their past and romance convincing. As is, they look young, unscathed, unscarred, and their traumatic fight against the Demon Lord feels like a mere sidenote to their (not so) epic love story. The low-end charadesign, animation and voice acting really don’t help any.
Also, and that is a personal preference, I’m not a fan of the multiple instances of vulgar humor and of the innumerable times we get to see naked women.
All in All…
Banished from the Hero’s Party didn’t give me what I was hoping for and makes for a very boring watch. It’s easy, flat and won’t make you think, but it’s not awful, I suppose.
Title: Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside
Country: Japan
Studio: Studio Flad, WolfsBane
Aired: 10/06/2021 to 12/29/2021
Number of episodes: 13
Genres: Romance, Slice of Life, Fantasy
My Rating: ★★☆☆☆
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