Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party wo Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life suru Koto ni Shimashita

Banished from the hero's party
Red, who is formerly known as Gideon became a prominent figure in his fantasy world in assisting his sister the hero defeat demonic entities. After a party, Gideon's comrade forces him out of the hero party and surrenders his fate to live in the countryside. Under a new alias, Red decides to start an apothecary where he can relax from the high profile life in the hero's party. However, drama brews when his comrades actively seek him out even the hero; All while this is happening a dangerous presence has befallen the party. Will they be able to uproot the source ... of evil plaguing the party or will they lose each other before they succeed?

Story & Characters: 5/10
Banished from the Hero's Party takes a slice of life approach to the fantasy RPG world; Unlike series that focus on a main character and accumulation of their party, this series focuses on the disintegration of the party while also dealing with overbearing adventurers and demonic entities. As a result of the slice of life approach, the story tanks in development and entertainment because the world feels very vaguely developed; Principles aren't explored beyond explanation and even the antagonists dive in and out of the story from time to time. An example would be the blessings: A lot of the world's characters especially in the Hero's party use the power of blessing but it isn't explored outside of what is mentioned in the beginning about how younger generations accumulate their blessings. In a way, it feels haphazardly put together in order to add convenience for the Hero in the end. The main character and his apothecary is a nice touch although not new and the inventions could have been utilized for a potential end goal but it appears to be a minor element to Red's character to pass time in his quiet life. ​

Art & Sound: 6/10
The art isn't the best nor is the animation; Banished from the Hero's Party has a more vibrant and saturated color palette with lack of shadow or textured undertones. This gives it that plastic-ish visual appearance which I personally am not fond of - In some moments of the series it feels budget especially given moments where the character profile shots/long shots deteriorate in quality and consistency. It's not necessarily a bad thing but it does feel distracting to watch.

The sound was fairly simple; The same light hearted melodical tones were played while Red is in the village. Same with the suspenseful background music on scenes involving controversy among the Hero Party's members or Village conflict. Voice actors were fairly suitable to their characters.

Overall & Enjoyment: 5/10
I was expecting a series where the main character hides his powers until trouble finds him; And although it did start that way in the beginning. Suspense was killed at every angle with small-fry enemies that could have been dealt with in the beginning but just got out of hand because they didn't get focused by characters. The ending was also a nice slap in the face with sentimentality among characters we barely understood or had a meaningful build up with Red/Gideon in the beginning. All of it is surface level an d slice of life style which I assumed would not resulting in it not being my particular type of series.

This is the first review I've ever felt the need to write because I find myself so frustrated by how such a fantastic premise was wasted. Very minor unimportant spoilers ahead.

This is the slice-of-life anime equivalent of a B-action movie. Everything about it is aggressively average. This is the type of anime you can leave running in the background while you're washing dishes or cooking. If you like romance and slice-of-life in a fantasy setting and just want to turn off your brain and destress, this is the anime for you.


STORY 3/10: The premise of this anime is fantastic. Unfortunately the entire plot is ... written like amateur fanfiction. If the average anime-watcher decided to write their own anime, this would be the result. It has all the elements of romance and isekai, but none of the skill in crafting a cohesive story. The plot is all over the place and the dialogue is overwhelmingly cliche and almost painfully bad.

So much time is wasted by people overexplaining or exposition dumping. They handhold the audience through the story because the plot-points themselves just barely make sense. "Now X is doing this because so and so happened so now we have to do this." <-basically sums it up

The entire skill/magic system is unfinished. Don't even try to understand it because it's obvious they don't either.


ART & SOUND 4/10: The world is slapped together with no real cohesive creative direction. The doctor has modern doctor clothes. Ancient elven ruins look the same as a generic underground science research lab.

Music is sub-par. The OP is actually fantastic, but the background music is really not. I usually don't notice background music much, but their quirky-jazzy-flirting music actually pulled me out of the anime (which was a first).


CHARACTERS 3/10: I love romance animes. But in order to love them, the characters have to be real people. Only the MC and his sister (the hero) come close to feeling like real characters. It is refreshing to have an MC who is mature, kind, and un-angsty even if he is basically written with no flaws. His relationship with his sister is wholesome and the only part that kept me watching. The premise of the Hero is incredibly interesting, however, again actual execution of her character is lacking. I still like her though.

Everybody else in the story can be described as a 3-word caricature. Dumb, strong warrior. Quiet, mature paladin. Shy, cute ninja. Generic Isekai checkmarks.

THE LOVE INTEREST: She can basically be described as Boobs, the girl. She is basically a perfect ditzy fantasy girl with no real personality of her own. And with the amount of time her boobs are on display and how the MC seems to only feel flushed when he sees her boobs, the boobs might as well be the love interest and the girl just a body. Her character = super-fighter who also happens to be a princess who loves food and the MC. You never really understand why they're in love with each other except for "because it's a romance anime."

However, the romance scenes are cute and there's no unnecessary drama either. It's easy to watch for fuzzy feelings but nothing deeper than that.


OVERALL 5/10: Just watch it as a generic Romance, Slice-of-Life anime. The more you expect from it, the more you will be disappointed. It really is a shame. If the premise of this anime was taken up by a more capable studio, this would have actually been a really really good anime.

I read and watch a lot of this sort of JRPG-esque fantasy, partially because I think there's always something new to be found at the end of someone else's rainbow. Shin no Nakama is no different, and for all the similarities I could point to with other series, it's the differences and the conceit that were striking to me. That being said, in spite of how much I like this series in concept, I found the delivery to be lacking.

The general conceit of this first season is the idea that a person isn't born for anything; they aren't supposed to BE anything. Nothing decides what ... a person is other than them. I think this concept is hammered in a bit too far considering that it runs across the entire 13 episodes, only reaching a crescendo in the final two episodes. In dragging out the point as far as the show did I found myself losing interest along the way. In my mind it really shouldn't take 4 hours to tell me that one big thing, and while the romance between the leads, Red and Rit, was something of a salve to tide me over, I kept wanting the show to be about more. The drippings of lore presented in the last arc felt like they were the solution, but at that point in the story that lore was intersecting with the climax of Ruti's arc, which detracted massively from the impact for me.

I felt the world-building was lacking slightly. When the fantasy world has a combination of steampunk airships AND future-tech AND magic it sort of makes me scratch my head a bit. You want the things contained within to make some semblance of sense, but here I don't think they do. This isn't to disparage to the lore, whatever it may be, but it's to say that the world sort of feels hollow, like the things within it aren't because of a past society that crumbled to dust, but merely placed there by the author because they're cool. The only heart to be found is in the show's core; Red.

Red's relationship with Rit is what saves the show's first half. Their romance is small and understated. It progresses smoothly and in a way that makes sense. It's simple and uncomplicated; the quintessential slow-life romance. Red's relationship with his sister, Ruti, is what almost saves the second half. Ruti on her own is a somewhat compelling character, and her kuudere nature is used to its fullest to express the things that can't be said. Red's devotion to her is also compelling, and the bond between them is tangible and believable. What ruins this completely is the antagonist, Ares. He devolves very quickly into a cartoon-y mustache twirling madman who can't tell up from down and it breaks verisimilitude for me. This is a story that takes itself seriously and when you've got a cackling madman in the middle of it, it's hard to accept the things that are happening especially when the main characters are still as serious as they were to begin with.

If I had to say whether or not I liked Shin no Nakama I would say I like it. There's undoubtedly good elements to the show, but as far as recommending it, I don't think I can unless you're really hankerin' for a fantasy romance that develops quickly and you think that spending an entire cour hammering the same point home is a worthwhile investment. I don't, but I can see the argument for it, especially considering the show doesn't really repeat itself in the plot department. All things in moderation I say.

At first, it seemed to be a promising anime that would provide many wholesome moments. And it does, but the amount of unnecessary plot elements ruin it all.

Story: 3

The plot is the worst part of this show. If the main focus was on the development of the relationship between the main characters it wouldn’t be so uninteresting. Unfortunately, it strays away from the most important element all the time and provides an extremely boring plot. And as the show continues, it gets only worse. Episode 12 was such a mess, it is not even worth discussing.

Art: 5

Art is far from beautiful. The characters are designed ... well but that’s the most positive adjective I can use. The animation itself is terrible, especially during fight scenes. It only gets better during wholesome scenes.

Sound: 6

The sound is decent. The voice actors did their job well. I enjoyed the ending song. Very calming and suiting the relationship between Rit and Red.

Characters: 5

The main characters, Rit and Red are likable. Their relationship progressed through the show, which is unusual for many anime. When it comes to side characters, Ares will be remembered for his pitifulness and Ruti for brother complex. Most of the side characters were unremarkable.

Enjoyment: 6

I enjoyed the little moments between Rit and Red. They are very wholesome, and such relationships are a rarity in the anime industry. All the other elements are just very tedious.

Title: A Rollercoaster Ride of Fantasy and Confusion

"Banished From The Hero's Party, I Decided To Live A Quiet Life In The Countryside" takes viewers on a journey that starts as a promising slice of fantasy life but unfortunately loses its way towards the end of the season. The anime's animation, while functional, fails to excel and leaves much to be desired.

One of the noticeable aspects of the show is its inconsistent identity. The storyline fluctuates between several genres, making it challenging for viewers to grasp a clear sense of direction. What begins as a tranquil portrayal of a quiet life in the countryside takes unexpected ... turns that can be confusing and disorienting.

While the moments of ecchi add an entertaining element to the series, they often feel out of place given the overall tone of the show. These instances might be enjoyable for fans of the genre, but for others, they can detract from the coherence of the narrative.

The anime's downfall lies in its inability to establish a consistent and engaging identity. It ventures into different genres without truly succeeding in any, leaving viewers with a sense of dissatisfaction. Despite the initial promise, the lack of a strong narrative structure and the absence of standout animation make "Banished From The Hero's Party" a mixed bag of fantasy elements that never quite come together.

I keep it simple and might contain some spoiler so be avare..

The whole plot itself it kinda stupid..
Got kicked out from the own party? lul? how about just saying no? or kicking him instead? Like i said the idea is stupid.
It's his and his sister party the rest were like extras.
Well atleast his sister lost that blessing with she didnt liked.. like who would? no emotions, food taste the same? cmon.. just stupid..
Its good that dont need to sleep, eat, rest.. but can,t sleep or show emotions.. at all? all those powers sounds more like a curse.. like i said who would ... like that power..
MC is also not the strongest bust also not the weakers.. like above average, simply wanted live normal life thats all. After he met Rit..

And its not even isekai too, there was no mention even once about reincarnations or smth.

So ye, it's simple anime to pass time, dont expect something great out of it.
It's just my own opinion.

I felt like this anime tried to compact many things at once, adult romance, various character development, growing sibling bond, and somehow incorporate some action into it. I would not say it is the worst anime that I have watched but I was I definitely felt disappointed halfway through watching the season.

When I watched the trailer I was excited for a non-ecchi, slice of life fantasy, with a little romance and comedy. ( I know there are many people who are interested in this kinda anime ( you do you) but that is not what I signed up for. I was not completely ... incorrect about my assumption of the show but the trailer was also not the best at providing a holistic preview of the anime either.

The sibling development was well done, that is to say, that it was clear that person A missed their sibling whom they relied on. This becomes something that becomes too much to ignore and they work together to build back the bond.

That being said on the relationship/ romance side I felt like the fact that the MC and "wife" attempts at a serious adult relationship was lackluster and took away from the good parts of the anime. There were points in which the two would get "heated" however it seemed more like two children who we're pretending to be adults. It felt like the MC was taken from a shounen/ slice of life and plopped into this anime. The depiction of the relationship's development was quite segmented. I am not an expert on relationships but I would assume that if you are portraying a relationship in a mature and adult fashion every part of their life would somehow add to the relationship ( as they are learning more of each other). It felt like I watching a slice of life/ fantasy/ action anime then boom relationship. If you have ever watched an American 2010 rom-com I think this anime would fit well into that category. Little development of characters somehow they find each other the movie climaxing in a sexual encounter and/or happy ending. I may be biased because I did not think that the romance aspect of this anime would turn out like this but this is just what I think of the anime.


Looking back I wish I knew what I was getting into maybe I would have a better opinion of the anime but the fact that I came into it thinking differently I am disappointed. The anime itself is based on a quite fragmented storytelling style. The use of multiple perspectives especially the perspective of the sibling was something that I kept wanting to watch.

Lastly, I wish there was a rating between pg-13 and R. I did not think it was necessary 7 months ago however a lot of the anime that was released recently ( last 6-8 months especially) should be recategorized in between these two or given an R rating. I feel like it would be better to know what you are getting yourself into- but I am sure that the producers had a reason.

Extremely stupid story about a guy who for some reason abandon his little sister, whom he trained (supported) to become a hero. Motivation for abandoning is that one of his teammates feels that MC does not bring anything to the party. Mind you, party consist from at least six people and these two guys have this fallout in secrecy from them. Cover story for leaving - something about spying on demon king army, basically "he went to buy the milk". Illogical behavior, stupid decision after stupid decision. Unbearable to watch.

There is some redeeming qualities:
- a lot of fanservice up to fully naked girls
- ... somewhat sweet cohabitation of MC with a girl (she tries to make moves on him and he is of course oblivious to this for some time or behave like some kind of monk with ED)

Alas both storylines (MC "slow life" and his sister path of heroism) are below mid and feel empty most of the time. By the end (8-9 ep.) situation somewhat improves and author tries to somehow save this mess and make some plot twist out of this mess. Only fanservice had kept me to keep suffering through it to get to the last fourth of the season. Last part is not great but good enough on its own to keep things interesting without girls flashing boobs.

Its diffidently worth a watch if you want a interesting slice of life quick story. I'd put it more at a 6.5 as it wasn't horrible, I'd recommend the anime, but I wouldn't quite classify it as "good".

If it had the budget, it probably would have been a lot better.
Overall, the plot is decent, its a good idea - but I think its hard to get the plot of this down in 13 episodes. But at the same time - its diffidently supposed to be a cute slice of life anime, there is just a lot of backstory thrown into the gaps that ... was somewhat poorly executed.

But it made me smile, laugh, and was overall cute. Not the best anime I've ever watched, but

I would have to say that I'm a little ambivalent to this anime.
And what I mean by that is, there was this really good idea and great concept but it got lost behind all this other stuff so it lost it's meaning.

The concepts didn't really mix well, I had to look up what the MC blessing was, but it was more the idea that this guy claims to want the best for his sister and to support her... While yes I agree that leaving if you're not good enough should be the right thing to do...

I also dislike that NOT once did he consult ... the person he was trying to help!

Positive : the romance, the opening
Ok : The art, the osts
Negative : The rest (the animation of the fights hahahahaha)

Sincerely, we start to smile in front of the scenes of the couple. But it is really during the last episodes that the weaknesses of the anime are revealed. The universe is absurd, the reactions of people in front of Ruti's decision ???

My theory: In fact the blessing of Gideon is not the Guide, it would be rather a trick which makes people around him completely stupid and silly. The wise man would be the only one not affected, that's why he ... tries to keep Gideon away from the group so that the heroine can continue her quest. But in the end he flips out because literally around Gideon, the world is the smile cult and he is the only rational person.
It's better that way, isn't it?

Slice of life disguised as isekai.

I started to read because there was supposed to be a hard working MC, but all i saw was a MC that was given everything.

The author lied to us from the start: first, regarding the title, the MC wasn't banished form the hero party but decided to partake by himself from it because the one that 'tried' to banish him had no authority to banish anyone from the party given he was not the hero. Absurd premises. Why did the MC left then? No idea, the plot doesn't explain with logical consistency.

And lets talk about plot inconsistency. There are dozens ... and dozens of them.

The MC really thought he was setting back the party when it is showed it wasn't true. Lying author (decieving).The MC is perfect at everything he does, so why he always thinks he is mediocre is beyond my understanding. Good at sword fighting, better than someone that has the champion blessing, good at fighting in general without having martial arts blessing, good at herb picking without having any herb picking blessing, good at cooking without having any... etc

The MC can apparently:
- retrieve the herbs from the forest
- cook for every meal
- make hundres of potion
- look at the shop
- go around the town to sell the potions
- play with the kids in the town
- relax in the middle of the day
- help others who needs ideas
- plant thr herbs
- take orders from hospitals and ability to fullfill those orders on time
- make new invention regarding the use of herbs


all this in a single day. Like how? Are their day made of 240 hrs?

This anime, which looks and sounds good, honestly feels like a filler episode of Naruto or something. Where the protagonists spend all day doing boring everyday tasks instead of fighting epic battles and solving ancient mysteries and whatnot.

The title of the show really spoils this idea quite well. "Slow Life in the countryside". No kidding. It's slow alright.

There's so much slice of life, there's hardly anything left beside it.

There's a surprising amount of backstory given and characters explored, yet nothing really happens. And nothing really makes you care for any of these people. So it feels so very wasted, when all the cool stuff ... gets a few minutes of flashbacks and exposition, but the actual "in the moment" story is utterly mundane and boring slice of life.

The high ratings for the show kinda baffle me. Who exactly wants to watch a show with a fantasy action adventure protagonist, who simply bakes cookies and collects flowers one episode after another and awkwardly tries to handle a romance interest?

This show is basically "what the NPC's get up to when your main character is out adventuring", lol.

Minor/ non-specific spoilers in this review.

This anime centers around an adventurer turned apothecary and his “slow” life in the countryside with the woman of his dreams. However, Red’s life is anything but slow, as he encounters numerous obstacles that could hinder his slow life in the countryside. It also features a side story with the Hero, Ruti, on a quest to gather a party to defeat the Demon Lord.

Story: 5

The story in this show is mediocre at best. It’s basically about how each person has a special gift, or “Blessing” that makes them good at something. The show explores a common trope in Japanese culture ... in that it should be okay to move beyond the confines of one’s chosen role and live life as you see fit. Japan is a very collectivist society, so seeing a message like this is not surprising.

The main reason why people came to this show (myself included) was the romance between the main characters Red and Rit. The romance was the only good thing about the story, in my opinion. Anytime the story tried to get serious and dramatic, it came off as boring, average, and contrived. There was nothing there to make the story interesting. Each episode (except episodes 10-12) are comprised of 80% boring drama and 20% romance. Episodes 10-12 are purely drama, which make them easily the worst episodes of the season. The show would have benefitted greatly from more slice of life moments and romance and little to no drama. Some drama is okay to keep things interesting, but the drama needs to be interesting in the first place to make the show better.

Art: 7

Overall, when used in the slice of life/quieter moments, the art is nice. There are scenes in this show that are very well designed and drawn, such as some of the scenes that take place at night. The characters are all well drawn. Rit is especially beautiful (and voluptuous). She is the best designed and drawn character (other than maybe Ruti) in the show. However, the art begins to falter when action occurs on screen. The action is poorly animated and framed. The fights are all boring and poorly choreographed. The fights feel lazy and rushed, which only brings down the show more. Once again, the slice of life aspects of the far exceed any drama or action the show tries to throw in.

Sound: 5

The sound is average. The music and sound effects aren’t bad, but they’re not good either. There is nothing that makes it stand out in any way. The music is a list of extremely generic tracks that simply exist to meet the mood of the moment. Sound effects are pretty standard. Nothing spectacular in that department.

Character: 6

Overall, I liked most of the characters in this show. The main ones seemed to have some sort of character growth throughout the show, especially Ruti. Of course, there are some characters who are extremely one-note (mostly the side characters).

One of my biggest problems with this show is how the writer’s treat Rit’s character in the show. After introducing her to the audience, we learn why she arrived in Zoltan and her history with Red. Her and Red’s relationship soon escalates after that. Once their relationship is established, however, Rit’s character development seems to fall right off a cliff. She becomes a one-note fan-service character with a large boob window for viewers to gawk at. We see her in numerous nude scenes just because she can be. She feels more like a plot device for developing Red’s character than she does her own character. It’s quite a shame, as she is perfectly capable of being top tier waifu material, both in her character and looks. If there is a second season, she needs to have significant character development alongside her inevitable nude scenes. While she had one character flaw that she was trying to overcome throughout the show, it wasn’t really wrapped up well enough in the last episode.

Enjoyment: 6

When there were happy slice of life scenes and romance, I immensely enjoyed the show. Whenever there was drama, I really didn’t like the show. The best way to watch this show is to skip all of the drama and just watch the slice of life moments and romance.

Overall: 6

I came back to anime after a long time to watch this show after seeing clips of it online. I am definitely disappointed that the show didn’t live up to my expectations of being primarily slice of life, but it had its good moments. If the show was purely slice of life and romance, it could easily be an 8 or 9/10 for me. On the contrary, if the show was strictly drama, it would probably be a 4 or 5/10 at best.

I definitely can’t give this show a 7/10 or call it “good,” but it has enough good moments that make me believe it is an okay show for the most part. Therefore, I’m giving this show a 6/10.

If there is a season 2 planned, I hope the team behind the show can improve it for the future.

Plot:
First half - Mostly slice of life & romance, with small splashes of adventure that create mini story arcs, as well as introduce us to the characters & world order. The pace can feel a bit slow (especially towards the middle of the series) if you're expecting more action & plot.

Second half - A larger arc with the main story. Most of the adventure, plot progression & character development happens here, but still contains moments centered on slice of life & romance. The genre-switching between scenes can be a bit abrupt & so may feel like a disruption to the main adventure or romance (depending ... on which you're expecting from this anime). The pace also significantly speeds up, & some leaps in world logic & character motivations are made towards the end. This may make the plot feel rushed & confusing.

Characters:
Character development for the main characters (Red & Rit) is mostly shown through their backstories, which only occupy a short segment of total viewing time. Hence, they may feel a bit flat/lackluster as characters to some.

Arguably though, the main focus of this anime is on the blossoming romance between Red & Rit - how they first meet, reconcile their differing lifestyles/worldviews & build a life together. It's a straightforward romance made up of everyday moments, with no melodrama or mind games.

Interestingly, it's the supporting characters who undergo the most character development, especially Ruti whose motivations, relationships, dilemmas & growth we get to see in the second half of the series. The majority of the plot & drama centers around this.

Themes:
Stays true to its premise of living a quiet life away from the Hero's party. This anime may appear simple at first glance. However, a deeper look will reveal that it explores themes like fate vs free will, responsibilities/expectations others place upon us vs our own desires, talent vs diligence in achieving mastery, following our calling vs appreciating everyday pleasures to find fulfilment in life.

Art:
Adequate to portray the everyday life of Red, Rit & the townsfolk. Good enough where it counts, e.g. a few of the battle sequences, how Ruti's character development is conveyed through her facial expressions. A bit heavy on the fan service in some episodes.

Sound:
Nothing spectacular. A pretty chill OP & ED. Voice-acting was good enough to make the romance, conflict & battle scenes convincing.

Overall:
• A blend of everyday romance & simple adventures in a fantasy world. Could leave you feeling dissatisfied if you're looking for the emotional kind of romantic drama or a story-rich adventure with a complicated plot/mind-blowing twists.
• More focused on the character relationships than character development.
• Unique in its take on the usual overpowered hero trope, which it then uses to explore deeper themes. This is what pushed up my enjoyment & rating of the anime.

The fun part of this anime is romance between mc nd FMC as it was like a breeze then the story shifts to the story like it's ok ! That's just disappointing for me ! The rules of the world in this anime is too complex for me to grasp so that's why i just skipped most of the dialogues or just straight up ignored it !! The characters are decent enough to me ! The twist which was focused on MC's other main charcter was not so much interesting !! The end was incomplete so what can I say !! The story jumps ... too randomly from slice of life to dark serious plot !! So i guess in second season it could get better ! I know i am complaining too much but what I hoped just got crushed and i still watch it cause of the romance and hope to see it more in second season ! Ans i apologize for minor spoilers

Shin no Nakama etc... is an enjoyable show despite its shortcomings. The cast "especially Red and Rit are really enjoyable. I honestly wish the show was just about them solving the town's problems. The shortcomings are in the budget and "action" in the later half of the show. I could tell from the start that this show is not Attack on Titan with blending its CGI. I chuckled every time I saw bad CGI or stilted fighting animation. This show doesn't have the budget to being the action anime that it desperately wants. We just wanted to see the slow life between Red and Rit. ... The other problem is its muddled message about blessings and how blessings don't control you, free will, blah blah blah. They just keep going over this blessing message and it gets more and more confusing every time they bring it up.

Despite me complaining, its not a bad show its just not a great one. I'd recommend watching it dubbed and doing other more important things.

Short review of the anime:
The story offers an unique perspective on the classic hero vs demon lord fantasy gimmick with a quiet life, however it quickly falls short when it strays from that. Literally everything that wasn't part of it was poorly written, thus giving the overall score only a 7. The last episodes didn't make sense, were very skippable and villains were extremely bland.
Overall it felt like they could've focused on the apothecary life and romance instead of throwing ideas out there and leaving them undeveloped. Main characters like Ruti and Rit could've used more explanations on why they act and feel the ... way they did in the show, the village could have more time to get properly developed and the overall world building around that remote area could've added different unique perspectives that come with living a calm lifestyle such as Red's.

Decent anime series, and the art style, and animation are quite decent, the story is slow-paced, there will be less fights and it will end also soon. There are some little ecchi scenes scattered here and there throughout the show. What I liked about this series were the characters which gave some depth to the story. The characters are also decent but sometimes boring, I suggest this series to those who want a quiet slow-paced story and a calm, soothing atmosphere. It isn't suited for action fans, it's a mix of slice of elements and will certainly soothe your heart.
I give it 5/10.

With the flood of fantasy anime that have been coming out lately, you really need to make yourself stand out if you want to be remembered among some of the more unmemorable titles. Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside isn't an MMO based one per say, but it makes you feel like you're watching one. I sense that this is the initial appeal, as it will allow you more freedom to get away from MMO slow start. The problem is that this series really has a difficult time keeping up the momentum after ... a decent start to their tale.

Story: Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside tells of an adventurer, Gideon Ragnason, who is part of the "Heroes Party". They're basically an MMO group where everyone has very defined roles and the 'Hero' is his own sister, Ruti, with the goal of defeating the Demon Lord. Everyone in this world is blessing with a Divine Blessing, which is basically everyone's special ability or something that defines their job. Gideon is defined as a D-Rank adventure, which means he's not the greatest party member in terms of physical skills. When the rest of his party ups their rank above his, one of the members, Ares, deems Gideon unfit to be in the party. This causes Gideon to abruptly leave the party, create a new name for himself known as Red, and open an apothecary in a small village known as Zoltan.

The series itself makes you feel like you're watching an MMO because they do so many things that many MMOs usually add in - special abilities, announcing spell casts, naming each Divine Blessing, etc. Like I said in the intro, this is actually just a fantasy anime that has multiple MMO themes included. It's weird, but really, it's just a different world than we're used to seeing. That in itself isn't bad. All major characters have interesting Divine Blessings. When Red finally starts to settle into his new life as an apothecary owner, Rit, who once travelled with the Heroes Party, seeks out Red and they start to live together in a new life.

The start of the story is actually a ton of fun. Red's new adventurer in this, seemingly, quiet town takes some interesting turns and his willingness to help others makes you realize he's a fantastic character. The story takes on a romantic aspect when Rit enters the picture and their goal seems to be going for a really wholesome romance story. The minor hiccup in all this is that romance is very hit or miss. Some nail that goal while other moments feel really awkward. Late into the story, Ruti's party starts to get involved with Red and Rit's little story, but I was horribly underwhelmed by it. There are a lot of aspects that feel like they're missing important points and the writing in general feels really sloppy. For example, does everyone's weapon have to magically break in the final bunch of action scenes? The ending is fine so the decent start and poor third quarter balance off each other. (6/10)

Characters: I really liked Red. He's really smart and, a fantastic character to teach us through the story. He has his own talents that aren't really combat driven, and these characters can thrive, when done well. Rit has more combat experience behind her character, but I feel like they could have shown more about her backstory. I did find it odd that they didn't really do anything special with her offensive abilities though. Ruti, as said earlier, is the Hero, which allows her to gain immense power, but is unfortunately void of many human emotions as a drawback. Due to this, she comes as having a bland character, but her condition does improve as the story carries on.

Side characters mostly consist of either the heroes party, or villages that interact with Red. The villagers are all fairly close to each other and it creates a village mostly free of conflict on its own. This really does link to why the start does so well, but the story starts to fall apart at the back half because the Heroes Party gets to Zoltan, and everything just becomes a mess. (6/10)

Art: I wasn't the biggest fan of the animation style here. The romantic parts actually look decent, but the animation starts to fail during the action scenes, most noticeably during spell casts, which almost never look good. It just doesn't feel like this was given the amount of care that many other series were, especially when you consider this to be a fantasy anime. (5/10)

Sound: The other aspect of presentation - sound - wasn't anything special either. The OST wasn't noticeable and the OP and ED play out too similarly. I wasn't the biggest fan of the VO cast either. Aaron Campbell (Red) was probably the best of the bunch, but Dani Chambers (Rit), Brandon McInnis (Ares) and even Tia Ballard (Ruti) didn't feel like they had everything in it for this one. They all had very awkward moments and the lack of polish kind of matched the questionable art. (6/10)

OVerall Enjoyment: Banished from the Hero's Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside was pretty mediocre from top to bottom. It had a very promising start to it, but not only did they halt momentum, but the story just had way too many holes in it. Presentation didn't help it's cause, as there were too many random blips present. There were decent moments throughout the runtime, but there weren't enough highs to even off the lows. (6/10)