Are you looking for a new 12-episode anime to binge-watch? Maybe a short show to enjoy in a day or two with friends? Intrigued by the title I’m Quitting Heroing (Yuusha, Yamemasu)? Well, you’ve come to the right place! I’ll share my thoughts on the series—without spoiling too much—so you can decide for yourself whether it’s worth picking up.
An anime television adaptation by studio EMT Squared aired on April 5, 2022, during the Spring 2022 anime season. It’s based on the Manga, released in 2018, illustrated by Nori Kazato.
Brief Plot Explanation
The show takes place in a medieval era, but there still seem to be some futuristic aspects of the world. In this world, humans fear one man, Leo Demonhart, the strongest hero in the Anime, and it’s not even close. Leo’s power exceeded anyone’s expectations and instilled fear in those he even protected. Leo even took on Demon Queen Echidna and her Elite four (Shutina, Lili, Mernes, and Edvard), humiliating them and forcing them to retreat back to their now-destroyed kingdom and weakened army. Demon Queen Echidna attempts to obtain the Philosopher’s Stone, and her hopes to make the Demon World habitable were crumbling right in front of her eyes.
Instead of celebrating this victory, humans feared Leo even more and worried he’d one day become the Demon King and turn against them, so they decided to exile him. Not a smart decision if you ask me, you wouldn’t want to exile and anger the strongest being in the world, right?
Finding no one appreciated his hard work, Leo decided he was done with being the hero, and that joining Demon Queen Echidna to help rebuild her army was his best decision going forward. Despite the great resume, Echidna rejects him and kicks him out. Leo decided to hide his identity, wearing a full night armor and helmet with a visor to obscure his face. Under his new alias, Black Knight Onyx, Leo tried to rejoin the Demon Army, keeping things secret from Echidna and her four elites. That astonishingly worked, and his goal now is to help Echidna and her four elites and to grow closer to each of them.
Leo slowly gained the trust of the four elites, as he helped each of them with their own tasks to rebuild the Demon Army. They eventually learn his true identity but choose to keep it a secret from Echidna, fearing her anger. Although Leo’s plans seemed to help Echidna regain her demon army, he had his own goal, an objective he had to keep for himself.
Is the Show Worth Watching
My Rating: 6.5/10
If you enjoy fantasy shows where the main character is overpowered, this show is a great pick-up. I’m Quitting Heroing is full of comedy moments, getting you to laugh while trying to figure out what will happen next, and why is Leo going above and beyond for Echidna. The show has sad events that could leave you in tears, which probably bumps up the rating of the show for me since I’m a sucker for sad Anime.
The show has some epic fighting scenes, the animation is great and you don’t really feel there are crappy scenes being added (like the Seven Deadly Sins). You’ll get to slowly learn about Leo, Echidna, and the Four Elites, learning to see things from their perspective, rather than automatically rooting for the humans.
Overall, I think I’m Quitting Heroing is a great short Anime to pick up, but keep in mind, you’re going into a 12-episode Anime with no season 2 that will leave you attached to Leo Demonhart and Demon Queen Echidna. You will be left with more questions than answers at the end of the episode, and the show feels like it has more to give, which is a bummer since you have multiple interesting characters you’d love to join them on their journey as they rebuild the Demon Army.
