Despite the annoying full 15-word title typical of light novels, the first season of Expelled from the Hero Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Country is one of the my first. Highlights of Fall 2021. First, it's not an isekai, and it mixes low-stakes slice-of-life shenanigans with an engaging plot, engaging world-building, and drama sincerity. Although I felt like its quality dropped a bit during the rushed ending episodes, I'm glad to hear that a second season is in the works.
While I haven't read the original light novel, I've since heard from more informed sources that this animated version was quickly made by them, cutting out an entire episode's worth of plot in one adaptation. can be significantly streamlined. I wouldn't have known this just by watching the episodes. What is presented here has a strong plot and theme, a fascinating deeper exploration of the fundamental nature of “Blessing” and a brilliant, multi-faceted main villain who enlightens and oppose the main character's values. I'm pretty confident that this second season will be even better than the first.
While the former Guide Red remains the empathetic and trustworthy heart of Banished, his sister Ruti (and by extension, his sweet, shy friend Tisse) get a lot of screen time. However, perhaps not enough to justify this extreme, some might say problematic, focus on her feet and breasts in the opening scene is too subtle. Ignorant viewers might be fooled into thinking this is a show just for yuri feet lovers. (No?) Unfortunately, such expectations are dashed by its actual content, which is very wholesome—despite Red and Rit constantly bumping into each other offscreen. I'm happy for them! Their mutually beneficial romantic and physical relationship is one of the healthiest adult interactions I've seen in anime in a long time. We got over the will-they-won't-they aspect of the beginning of season one and now they're in love in an interesting, subtle way.
The consistent background plot this season is Red's quest to find the perfect stone for the engagement ring he longs to give her, and its ultimate solution is so sweetly satisfying. Ruti's main storyline follows her attempts to assimilate into the quiet rural life without breaking her cover and announcing to everyone that she is a former Hero who abandoned her position. me. Poor Ruti can't do anything about her ridiculous strength or social awkwardness, so poor, exasperated Tisse must continue to smooth things over for her friend. I like that their “big plan” only involves growing medicinal herbs for Red's Apothecary store. Ruti still has a disturbing romantic crush on her brother, which I hope she gets over someday (though her love for Red did help her break Hero's Bless's limit). previously established). If she looked a little closer to home, she would notice that Tisse harbors something more than platonic love for her…
The main focus of this season's plot is the appearance of the Alternate Hero Van. An egotistical religious zealot, he accepted the Hero's Blessing just as Ruti had refused, blindly following its urgings and justifying brutal actions to himself. which he commits by claiming everything he does is ordained by the blessed god Demis. He is a clear warning against an empathetic religious fundamentalism mixed with pathological, self-interested, and unquestionable certainty. He is an inhuman monster who believes he can do whatever he wants, as God can also control his actions. That means people like Ruti, who rejected their Blessings, are his opponents, and anyone who disagrees with his rigid, harmful views deserves to be punished. death, at least in his mind, except death.
Van is a compelling villain because there are people in the world with such limiting and extreme belief systems who refuse to compromise or reflect on their failures. He is aided by tiny fairy-like Lavender, his constant cheerleader, who, indifferent to his obvious sociopathy, revels in her unrequited obsessive love. for him. Van himself seems incapable of love, which is part of his tragedy—he was an abandoned church child, raised in a religiously stifling environment, who later received a Blessing that suppresses human emotions and magnifies its obsessions.
A smaller story might have killed off a villain like Van and left the cast moving on with their happy lives, but Banished is smarter and more nuanced than that. Red uses his Guide's blessing as an advantage—due to his ideology, Van tends to listen to him. This leads to some intriguing character developments as Van finally begins to question and doubt herself. The concept of a God-given Blessing controlling your life and actions is terrifying, and Banished continues to define the consequences of the Blessing in a thoughtful and insightful way. I swear we'll probably end up with Red and friends teaming up to kill God, or at least having an emotionally resonant conversation with him that makes him change his ways and change his life. change the world. Any choice is fine.
Part 2 ends the story well so I won't be heartbroken if this is the last part. It's an incredibly satisfying show–never flashy animation, but I love the character designs and music. We don't get as much slow-burn content this time around, but the film that replaces it is stronger than the first. If you're not into this show, you should come back to spend more time with Red and his former team members, who have quite a bit of time left to adventure to live near their fallen colleague. their previous banishment, which was adorable.