My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s is a new anime adapted from the work of Matsuri Akai. It is an isekai tale that follows a teenage boy named Oda Akira and his high school classmates who are transported to a fantasy world. They are given different classes and tasked by a king to embark on an important mission. However, Akira isn’t totally convinced by the good intentions of the king and soon finds himself on the run trying to uncover the truth.
The start of the series is a fun ride incorporating a quest of the week format alongside advances in the longer narrative. It delivers the thrills of a role playing game from watching different classes with their unique skills help save the day to epic boss fights to even the dungeon grinding to level up.
In addition, piece by piece you gain a better understanding of the world gradually removing another layer of the greater mystery. While the show moves at a steady pace, it can be a little slow initially acclimating the viewer to the new realm.
Another admirable aspect of My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s is the efficiency the anime can build up its characters. An early stand out is the knight Saran Mithray, who serves as a mentor to Akira. Their relationship is so warm and supportive helping you become invested in both in such a short amount of time. The weekly format also allows a spotlight on a supporting member or two allowing the steady growth of the ensemble.
That steady growth of the ensemble all leads back to Akira. The subplots all tie into the main protagonist and provide opportunities to show what a stand up guy he is. Despite his less than honorable class of assassin, he really is a man of principle and high morals making him an easy person to root for and for the other characters, someone to follow into battle. The use of foreshadowing throughout paint the picture that Akira is destined for greater things.
The way Akira is built up can also be a double-edged sword. His actions help add to his heroic stature, but that main character energy can also get in the way. The first four episodes lack the feeling of urgency or danger. He always finds a means to save the day or to solve the problem so you never really fear for him or think he’s out of his depth. The situations could become old quickly if Akira wasn’t so likable or if they didn’t test his moral code.
The start of My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s delivers an entertaining and compelling story with an affable cast.
New episodes of My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s release Mondays on Crunchyroll.
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