My Home Hero

Well this was certainly depressing. However.
If I can be honest about it, what this show can really do well, is draw an interest. Interest into reading the manga to want more. As it makes your curious to see what happens next.

Story and characters: 7
The story pretty much explains itself, and really feels like your worse fears come to live. Which truly makes you question yourself. Are you willing to go THIS far, in order to protect your daughter? Your family? To not only kill, but to cover up your actions as best you can, while your backs are constantly against the wall, leaving you ... with so little options to do ANYTHING. It feels like big game of cat and mouse. With these poor sods being the frightening mouses. Which to top itall off, there is more to be uncovered, that could really ruin everything for them. It's sink or swim. Fight or flight, and it's terrifying to boot. Only making for a good watch.

What I do like about the cast, is that the two parents's reactions, which only makes for good characters. Sure, you can talk about maybe a plothole here or there, but just seeing their reactions, their natural fear deep inside of their very souls. As they try to accomplish seemingly the impossible. It's gritting stuff. There is more twists and turns to come for sure past these three episodes, and I cannot wait for more.

Art and sound: 7
I'm giving this a high grade, as it deserves such. Sure, while some moments could have been better, but there are times where the reactions are on point. How the scenes are handled and such in the sound department. It really captures how the scene feels,and how it all looks. A great job there. But what I really like most, and what hasn't been pointed out really, is that it's style really fits the tone of the show. Like, let's face it. The theme, the plot, the presentation. It's dark as hell. As if there isn't anything positive about it at current standing, and that's kinda the point? Which is why I feel the gritty, and depressing look of it actually makes it look good as a result. It fits the purpose of the show.

I would say give it a watch, only in te right mindset, as it looks very depressing. But what it has done, is really advertise the concept really well, to the point you'd want to watch more. Give it a go.

The mystery/crime thriller genre is a difficult genre to create a masterpiece in. A tight-knit story with a high level of suspense, while keeping the contrivances and convolutions low is most definitely a tough task, and even more of a tough task to satisfy all viewers. “My Home Hero” has its fair share of suspense to keep you on the edge of your seat at times, but unfortunately, it had a very low budget to work with, making the important moments not hit as hard as they should be. However, it still did a good job at making some of the characters feel realistic to ... an extent.

The set up for the show is relatively simple, as it’s about a normal man, Tosu Tetsuo, doing whatever it takes to protect his family, even it means murdering someone in cold blood to save his daughter. In doing so, he gets the yakuza on his tail, and he has to attempt to diffuse the situation and cover up his murder to save his family. The idea of protecting your family is present in both the protagonist’s and antagonist’s point of view, and the story attempts to make you feel for the characters, even the villains. As with most mystery/thriller shows, there are moments that aren’t particularly well written, and you question the intelligence and consistency of some of the actions of the characters.

I suppose the most difficult thing to believe, or something that requires a degree of suspension of disbelief, is how the characters are so skilled in escaping the yakuza, despite being seemingly a normal family. Tosu Tetsuo, the protagonist, gets his skills from reading and writing mystery novels, which is quite an interesting concept, though admittedly a bit flimsy. His wife, Kasen, was quite a highlight of the show, as she was able to support her husband extremely well, and together, they made an excellent tag team. One major complaint I would have is towards the daughter, Reika, who despite being the focus of the initial conflict, didn’t play much of a role in the story, and felt a bit too oblivious to what her parents were doing.

What I did like about the characters however, is how realistic they felt at points, especially selling the point that they aren’t experts at crime, especially on the emotional side of things. One might criticize Tetsuo for not acting when he had a chance to resolve the issue, perhaps by killing another person, but you got to recognize, he’s just a normal human being with empathy. I also liked some of the fights, as they were realistically awkward and clumsy, because the characters were never trained to fight. It was a good touch for sure.

The other major issue is obviously the animation, which was extremely stiff and took away from the major moments of the show. I honestly feel a live action adaptation might have worked better than this anime. However, the soundtrack was quite decent, and had a level of a thrilling tone to it to help compliment the show.

Overall, the show’s fine, but just severely held back by the production values unfortunately. The story had its ups and downs, and requires a fair share of suspension of disbelief. It’s a fine showing of a crime thriller, but lacked the execution to make it stand out from the other shows in this anime season.

Anime seasons as of late have been filled with a hopeless amount of formulaic productions. Season after season of inundating slice of lifes, reincarnation fantasies, and morally binary superhero fighting shows that all seem ostensibly different. Not to say they’re individually bad, in fact, I’ve enjoyed a fair share of them. But it’s important to remember that anime is a storytelling medium. You shouldn’t have to go into a season expecting most of the shows to fit into one of those three categories. And sadly, long were the days of Death Note and Code Geass where we had characters who were manically supercilious and selfish ... but also unbelievably charismatic that made you hooked. So with the intriguing premise My Home Hero provides, it’s only natural to get excited about something that strays so far from the usual anime titles. But to answer your curiosity and the ensuing question “Does My Home Hero break the mold?” - well sort of and I’ll explain that in this review. But as a quick TLDR for those who just want to know whether they would like the show or not without having to read the whole review to come to the same conclusion. If you’re someone who appreciates methodic careful storytelling, respects strong characters with conviction, and admires hand drawn animation that flows seamlessly: you’ll hate this. If you’re someone who just wants something different from the seasonal bombardment and don’t particularly care about the finish: you might find this interesting. Or if you’ve exhausted all the anime on your plan to watch because eating without watching something seems so otherworldly in 2023 then I'd recommend you give this a shot.

With that being said, My Home Hero is the most disappointing anime of the spring 2023 season for me. Not because of how the show ended up, but what it could have been with its premise and source material. While it does try to adapt something unique in anime. It also shows why anime producers have gravitated to the limited show archetypes they produce within; it’s because they don’t know how to make shows of this kind and using a working formula is so much easier. My Home Hero as a suspenseful cat-and-mouse crime thriller fails in appalling fashion and ends up a weird amalgamation of anime triteness and imitated seriousness that misses what makes other shows of this nature gripping and exciting. While it’s unfortunate that this review will have to address these serious problems of the show, I’ll also explain why it’s good in some other aspects.

Tetsuo, the dad, is a frustrating character and detracts from any potential sympathy you may feel for him. On one hand, he’s an admirable family man that continuously shows his love for his family. but on the other hand, he’s just this goofball that feels so alien in the show my home hero is trying to be. He’s constantly getting caught in these shameful predicaments that every storyteller knows not to include because it damages the main character's respectability. Worse than that, he makes these high pitched squeals in the slightest discomfort and makes these embarrassing facial expressions in scenes where he’s just conversing with people that feels so unnatural. He also unironically fist pumps the air every time something goes his way which feels extremely forced. Who the hell does that? It’s this lack of composure and this unnaturalness only seen in anime that makes him seem so pathetic in a setting like this. The sad part is he does some intelligent stuff and is somewhat calculating. But it’s completely overshadowed because his plans are always foiled by variables he hasn’t accounted for or other people outsmarting him. Only for him to somehow weasel out of it by sheer happenstance or submission. That’s bad, not bad for the story per se even with the questionable overindulgence of deus ex machina. But bad if you want to make a main character people can root for because it makes him feel powerless and unassertive. Those wimpy self-deprecating characters might work in a more light-hearted story. But when you place a timid salaryman in a crime thriller, you best give that character some redeeming qualities so he becomes somewhat respectable and competitive in the dog-eat-dog world you place him in. Or make him start off not fit for this world, but slowly and unbeknownst to the characters themselves, morph into someone who does like Rock from Black Lagoon. That’s bona fide development and it makes characters feel more three-dimensional. But these come from a complete lack of understanding of what makes a suspenseful enthralling story. And this lack of understanding is even more apparent in the animation, or more precisely, lack of.

To classify something as animation, the things on the screen have to move. In which the characters and background of My Home Hero do very little of if at all. That's bad in just about any show. But especially bad in a crime thriller because you want a lot of subtle facial expressions to accompany dialogue that exemplifies intentions, inner feelings, and the mind games at play that sometimes tells more than the actual dialogue. The characters in My Home Hero just don’t react to the things they’re hearing or react so slowly and obviously telegraphed that you’d think everyone else would catch on to whatever fib they’re trying to hide. But this rigidity becomes so much worse when you look at the beading sweat on their face to convey nervousness. The sweat doesn’t actually pour down their face, it just stays there as the character it’s supposedly beading down mouths whatever they’re trying to say in real-time. It’s this lack of even trying to make the animation look somewhat lifelike that’s so ire-inducing. There’s a point in the show where Tetsuo needs to wear some bandages from a head injury he sustained. They made the bandages into this plastic see-through film that looks like he just put a glass bowl on his head that only propagates the goofy narrative. It’s these things that show a lack of effort or care of the production that makes it so much harder to watch for anyone with eyes.

In a surprising turnaround, the opening is actually gorgeously woven to fit the narrative with imagery that plays into the show really well. The difference between the opening and the rest of the show is night and day. You’re shown scenes As Tetsuo walks across puddles and in the snow alone. Representative of the hardships he endures to ensure his family remains safe as he reminisces of the times they were happy. Of a time when his family was happy as he willingly takes this journey of self-destruction for a daughter who shows infinitesimally less affection for him. With scenes of his family together vague enough to be relatable to many but specific enough to feel realistic and heartfelt. As Chiai Fujikawa belts her heart out about a love so profound yet fleeting in an octave high enough to blow Ariana Grande with all the autotune she can muster out of the water. This lethal combination will make even the most hardened anime viewers shed a tear. But the real kicker; the main reason as to why I enjoy and would go so far as to recommend this show to some?

It’s because that stupid insolent daughter reminds me of myself. A child oblivious to any of the hardships their parents have to undergo and will complain just about any inconvenience that comes their way. The litany of offences you make that your parents can somehow umbrella under the term “rebellious teenage phase” that only a loving parent affectionately ascribed as a home hero can love. I didn’t even go into the show expecting to get so emotional over a bad daughter. It might be because I’m now a university student studying abroad or the fact that this aired on father’s day and I get to spend time with him after what felt like years. But I get really emotional when Tetsuo randomly blurts out stuff like “Let the three of us continue to live happily”. I see the potential, he’s just a father forcibly placed in shrinking confines of a situation he himself placed his family in because of his blinding love for his daughter. It reminded me of all the things my dad did for me growing up. All the things you never say but do to express love. Driving his son to 6am football practices every week for a school team he wasn’t even a starter for. Buying an insane amount of snacks for his son’s first airplane ride by himself because he was nervous his son might be hungry on the plane. Sending care packages with tons of little things I love to make me feel better during exam period. The show captured parts of that type of love a dad has for their child, in its own extreme way. It's just a shame the show didn’t know how to mix that in with the crime thriller portion of the story and made him sound like a bumbling idiot every time he did something loving or sacrificial. I think that’s something that might resonate strongly with you if you grew up with a loving dad. So that’s why, as everyone trained their sights, preparing to drop and cast this show off as more seasonal schlock. I couldn’t help but choose to fire a blank.

It was entertaining and was never boring, an ordinary man who is neither physically nor financially strong tries to save his family from a rather powerful gang, everything he does is a gambit for the life of all his family members.

He needs to pre-plan everything and sometimes things go unexpected, which keeps the audience more entertained.

I love strategy stories& this one is definitely on my list of animes & series. As an experienced anime guy, I recommend this anime to everyone, please give it a try, you won't be disappointed.

There are minimal characters & details are good, the art style is good, and ... this anime has its own unique features.

My Home Hero is a thriller anime about murder where a salary man and his wife try to hide a body of one of the yakuza members which was abusing their daughter, now the yakuza is after him and his wife (as of episode 3 the yakuza does not yet know it was them but are suspecting it was)

This is my first review on MAL so I'm just going to wing it and hope my point comes across, please note that I am writing this as of the release of the 3rd episode which I just finished watching.

Firstly I want to point out reasons ... why this anime is sure to get a below average rating:
➡ The animation, the animation is below average for a 2023 anime, there is a lot of still frames, badly drawn frames, and overall the shadows and lighting aren't great.

➡SFX/Music, The sound effects weren't overly bad or didn't take me out of the environment/story but it wasn't anything that would appeal to someone who doesn't enjoy anime or someone who only watches the big hits, this may be annoying for some but it should be ok. (The ending song is amazing though)

➡The rating is 17+, if the action it has will keep staying the same as it is then I think this rating is way to high and should be lowered, unless something changes, but besides that I think the age rating might put some people off.

Now while all of these reasons are valid points I think this is a must watch, it might not seem like it but I'm a big guy when it comes to animation, if you go onto my list you will see most of the anime I watch are either high budget productions with amazing animation or they are heavily stylized (e.g. Kaiji), animation is one of the biggest factors that determines if I watch an anime or not (one of the reasons I haven't watched many old anime) another thing I don't overly like is thriller murder stories, it's not that I dislike them, it's just that they don't overly appeal to me, so it seems like I would be the guy who hates this based on that, but I like it, have full faith when I say that this anime has some of the most true feeling emotions, every emotion that the characters feel I could see myself feeling if I was in such a situation, the raw emotion is crazy and it will leave you feeling empty, next is that the plot is just really exciting and while you know that the mc will somehow get out of the situation, it leaves you wondering how will he get out of the situation right until he gets out, sometimes you might even be thinking that he won't.

This anime is sure to get a low rating, but I bet if you give the first 3 episodes a chance you will get hooked and will enjoy it, that's coming from the guy who hates bad animation, bad music, and dislikes murder thrillers.

I was excited for this realistic mystery/crime/thriller as there aren’t too many amazing ones out there- Monster and Kaze no Yojimbo come to mind. To sum up quickly, this anime has an amazing start, gets tedious and fails to find it’s footing, gets amazing again near the end, then slams you with a huge annoying aggravation, before delivering a decent enough ending.

The good- the op is one of the best of the season, and thats saying something as I cant remember one season that had so many shows with amazing music. It’s a story about a normal person with nothing special about him ... who has to suck it up to save his family, allowing for some interesting growth. The characters all were pretty interesting for the most part, each with their own motivations.

The bad- for one, the mob seems to catch on way too fast that their darling member is missing, giving the lead almost no wiggle room to get his act together. They catch on so fast, in fact, that it’s almost unbelievable that they need to play cat and mouse. The pacing seems to also go off- there’s a large portion of the show where it feels like very little progresses. Many of the things that the lead does during this time to throw the mob off seem short sighted and not very well thought out. Animation is average.

Its not a bad anime, but not particularly good either. If nothing else, it stands out because it’s different- which may be a nice change of pace in a sea of isekai’s. I might watch it again sometime, but I’d have to be pretty bored.

I liked the anime. It was a slow burn but keeps your attention by drip feeding you what you need at the right times.

I have watched so many Anime, near to 1000.. and I can’t believe this is my first review.. I felt compelled for some reason..

It’s dark, gritty and realistic to a degree. This is a mature anime for maturer viewers who have patience and an attention span.. it is not for shounen lovers who like power ups..

Themes of yazuka, desperation and family are explored.

I really enjoyed the cat and mouse dynamic between the antagonist and the protagonist. It reminded me a little of ... death note.

It’s been a while since I watched an anime with and all adult cast and an R rating, I enjoyed this.

I’m a little tired of shounen teens powering up..

This gave of vibes like monster and death note, albeit not as good. But.. worth a watch.

The story is intriguing, but the animation quality is highly questionable.

The previous statement perfectly sums it up. While the story itself isn't bad, the narrative quality is dubious. There are moments when the series has a fast-paced dynamic, with things happening quickly, but there are also moments when the opposite occurs, lacking a consistent speed.

Now, regarding the characters, I wouldn't say they are bad, but they aren't perfect either. There are instances where their actions contradict the character development previously established, which can be somewhat uncomfortable to watch.

Is it necessary to mention the animation? Well, yes. It's terrible. It's normal for animation quality to ... decline slightly throughout a season, but in this case, the animation is already poor from the first episode.
So, if you don't enjoy watching a PowerPoint presentation with audio, then I don't recommend it.

Lastly, the soundtrack is quite forgettable.
Only the opening theme stands out, but the in-series soundtrack is mostly slow and boring (this is just my personal opinion).

In conclusion, the series falls short in terms of animation.
The plot is interesting and captivating, so I wouldn't judge the work based on its adaptation, I'll just say that it didn't receive the adaptation the manga deserved.

I literally knew nothing about this anime but I saw it in the recently updated list and thought it’d be funny to just jump on it and give it a try and I was kind of impressed. I don’t normally like explaining stuff that I went in not knowing anything about but I figure if I don’t win you over then you won’t be interested so here’s a little something.

This show features a dad, someone who's already gone through what we're used to with anime, but has lived basically a normal boring life. This is the part where you say everything's changed now or he ... grew tired of it. But the real case is that he's in a strange set of circumstances that keep stacking onto each other where one crime leads to another. Is he in the right or is he in the wrong? Even he doesn't know but he sure feels guilt over it.

When I watched 91 Days, it was more Mafia type dealings and winning over the prospects but with this one, it keeps the same storyline and goal through and through allowing for more opportunities for a more mysterious approach with the gang being yakuza instead, which is a lot more entertaining in my playbook.

But part of what made this anime for me is the relationship between Tetsuo and his wife, they don't ham up the life that he's fighting for but there are small moments where you realize "hey, this might be worth it.", she's just as much a part of this anime as he is.

It was an enjoyable anime but let's point out a few faults. The animation looks rigged at times like when they’re running. He comes up with a lot of hypotheticals where his excuse is “I read a lot of mystery books” but if I heard this kind of stuff as carefully planned as him, I’d definitely take it the wrong way. The dialogue can sometimes seem sketchy or unrealistic in that regard. I'd definitely at least try it and if not read the manga because for a spur of the moment random watch, it won me over.

First of all, I should say that this show is rather dark, sad, and depressive. More than just an average crime drama. It doesn't have anything to lighten up the mood and is also realistic.

Usually, shows like this have action-packed scenes like brawling, car chase, or some gun fights to take your mind off the heavy stuff like people being murdered in the cold blood. Otherwise, there are scenes from the main character's daily life that usually have some relaxing context: colleagues joking around or discussing some silly everyday stuff or relatives that spend their time at home in a relaxing way.
"My home hero" ... won't give you any such pause to get your wits together. It will put pressure on you even when it is supposed to relax its grip a bit. This makes the show rather mentally taxing, even overbearing. So that's the biggest minus in my opinion. But while this is a minus for me, someone might find such a narrative to be gritty and unforgiving, which could be good in its own way.

Artstyle and animation 8/10
"My home hero" is a bit lacking in this department. But the lack of quality is barely noticeable because the art style adds to the whole atmosphere of the show. The style doesn't distract and it is good enough to immerse you in the scene. It's actually very fitting for the show because the drawing and animations are similar to the family in the story's focus: average, non-assuming.

If I were to highlight something, that would be facial expressions and animations. They are really good. They deliver the message.

Music and sound effects 8/10
Every sound and melody adds to the mood. And again, nothing distracts you from what is happening on a screen. The music won't catch your attention, but also won't shatter the suspense, which is very good in my opinion. The quality of voice acting is great.

Story and narrative 9/10
While it's too early to say how good or bad the story is, so far the storytelling was good. Screenwriter uses parallel storytelling through background narratives (like news flashes, tv shows, or dialogues that are not directly relevant to the main story) to confer the mood and state of mind of the main characters. The storytelling pace might be a bit faster than you would expect, but the suspense is there, so you can barely catch a breath between scenes. As a drawback, it also puts a lot of pressure on a viewer.

Total 9/10
If I were to quantify the overall quality, I would give the show itself 8 out of 10, but I gave it a slightly higher score because we rarely get such a good story as an anime show. Yes, criminal dramas or detective stories might provide a better experience in this genre, but those are separate mediums in my opinion. And in anime, realistic criminal thrillers are far and between.

The show in a TL;DR format: great manga, not so great, or shall I say: an even subpar adaptation.

I don't blame you if you don't know who mangaka Naoki Yamakawa is: his first anime adaptation in the form of 100-man no Inochi no Ue ni Ore wa Tatteiru a.k.a I'm Standing on a Million Lives, studio Maho Film's adaptation of its 2 seasons back in Fall 2020 and Summer 2021, just does not do the source material enough justice. And at the time of his next forthcoming towards this Spring season, I foretold that if the next adaptation of his much more successful work in ... the form of the drama and psychological suspense manga "My Home Hero" got the adaptation it deserves, then at the very least, Naoki Yamakawa would be justified in saying that it got the attention and recognition it should have gotten with 100-man. And boy, oh boy, was I wrong, in the most insulting of ways. First and second time's a fluke, third time's a literate gangster's beating down.

As compared to Boku no Kokoro no Yabai Yatsu a.k.a. The Dangers in My Heart, which features love and murder in the rom-com sense, My Home Hero is instead, a bat-swinging heck of a suspense thriller that also involves love and murder, but one that proves that the cost to protect a beloved person (i.e. loved ones), comes at the cost of millions. It's why the American columnist William E. Vaughan mentions this quote: "One murder makes a villain, millions often a hero." This is a direct reference to Naoki Yamakawa's first work of 100-man, and My Home Hero showcases the brutality of that work, amped up to a depressing, dark, and gritty state. That's what I love about the manga, aided by illustrator Masashi Asaki's striking art style that beckons one to read further as an incentive.

"To kill, or not to kill, that is thou question." At the behest of an innocent life played at the hands of one uncharacteristically nonchalant growing other, this is the life of the Tosu family, wrecked to shreds at the mercy of a yakuza corporation. The main challenger is 47-year-old Tetsuo, along with his 41-year-old wife Kasen, who are bidding to fight for their 18-year-old daughter Reika's release from her supposed "boyfriend" Nobuto Matori, who extorts girls for money and then murders them for his enjoyment. Unsurprisingly, Reika is in the same formation as well, for her physical and mental abuse by Nobuto is seen by her parents to be played out in the exact same sequence as he did before. So, it's this action of committing "the perfect crime" by disposing of Nobuto instead by whatever means possible, ensuring that he will never live to see another day to torment the Tosu family for any longer. The problem with Nobuto is that he's the only son of a powerful yakuza head, with the organization run under his name, Yoshitatsu, spearheaded by his trusted lieutenant Kubo and the many lackeys under his control at his beck and call. And therein, lies the endless cat-and-mouse chase "of the century" with many twists and turns, all to avoid Tetsuo and (potentially) Kasen caught in the act, losing out, and being brutally tortured by the yakuza.

In many ways, to understand the perils of being chased by an organization as fearmongering as the Yakuza, put yourself in Tetsuo's shoes, if this is how you've done it one and the same or different from his outcomes. The thing is, Tetsuo has a knack for the mysterious element since he enjoys reading mystery stories and writing novels in his spare time, and when it came time for an escape plan, that is all he had at his disposal for knowledge gained for an edge over Matori's syndicate that is surveilling and threatening his family at every nook and cranny of the order. Conspicuously, his wife Kasen is more of the same, due to the fact that the couple were in the same club in school, being the common interest in their growing-up years until their marriage that gave birth to their daughter Reika, who is left out of the picture completely since the married couple is keeping very close tabs and not wanting any further harm on their daughter. It's the same for Yoshitatsu Matori: his son has been murdered, and he wants to know who his killer was, because as barbarian as Nobuto can be, he's his only son, and without a mother figure, it's the double duty of a father to raise him in this unforgiving and brutal nature of the underworld. A depressant for most of the run, I can understand Matori's distress as a father who had just lost his only family, even if he was raised in a bad environment, and his relentless pursuit to give karma back to his killer, more so than not.

And other than Matori and Kubo overlooking the cat-and-mouse chase of a case, none has it closer than any other, than Kyoichi Majima. One of Kubo's right-hand men with supreme skills of surveillance and detection, as well as countermeasures against both, he is the right person for the call to chase Tetsuo and his wife Kasen, knowing that while Tetsuo committed the crime, Kasen is a collaborator, ready to assist him at his call. But even Kyoichi's life doesn't come easy: The son of an upstanding policeman who wanted to exact justice from a young age, his family was dealt the worst of circumstances, which led him to join the yakuza to find his own justice, even if it means killing people. It's painful to see such a life wasted away for evil, but humans are not God, and that's most certainly the case for Kyoichi, who spearheads the on-the-ground investigation, which eventually leads him to the married couple. He wants to fight for a life where life for him is lived in a just manner, and there's nothing wrong with that, but it has to come in a worse state than imagined, fulfilled through the tall order of a ruthless yakuza organisation.

As expected from the adaptation, which adapts Part 1 of the manga, at least the newbie director Takashi Kamei got the dark and gritty portions of the manga right, though many sacrifices were taken in order to be able to align with regulatory TV standards, so that it almost feels like an incomplete adaptation in comparison. And yes, the intense moments of confrontation, deaths, and killings are there, but at a lower fidelity of the grotesque vibes, it almost looks pedestrian compared to the manga, which brings out the full psychological breakneck mentality that pursues one to read more to find out the outcome of it. But if I have to judge it from an overall state, it would be just like Maho Film's 100-man adaptation yet again, for the 3rd time with a different studio that's less than adequate for the job. The music, however, is so-so at best. Chiai Fujikawa has done a good job on her solemn OP song, which I find adds an allure to the anime adaptation, though Dizzy Sunfist still hasn't quite got the edge, apart from their last appearance being that of Ex-Arm's static show of a lazy ED.

To put it simply, when all is said and done, I LOVE the manga to shreds, but Tezuka Productions' adaptation here is yet another vexing matter that Naoki Yamakawa has suffered the same mindless and disappointing shrug of anime wasteland with another subpar showing yet again, but now of his most revered manga series to date. It's an absolute shame that he has been screwed over by the anime staff team for the 3rd time in a row (if you count the 2 seasons of 100-man separately), and seeing that he only has both said work and this show's manga still concurrently serializing, I think that to properly savour the best of what this mangaka has to offer, it would be better to read the original source materials instead.

PLEASE, for the love of God, do yourself a favour and read both 100-man and My Home Hero's manga, they are CLEARLY the superior versions over both anime.

I started this anime the day it aired and the first episode definitely exceeded my expectations.
Everyone is either saying that this anime sucks or either its AMAZING but im not sure i agree with both.
In terms of over-rated or under-rated, it is definitely over-rated, it is not an EPIC mystery/thriller anime however it is pretty good.
The animation is so-so, the characters are pretty realistic, and idk WTF is wrong with the daughter's mental health but yea theres def smth wrong with her. The father seems like a general dude who has a daughter...and stuff?
The second episode kinda bored me, but it ended in a cliff-hanger ... so OFC i had to finish the third episode and i am currently awaiting the next episode.
The plot is pretty good, but there are way too many complications and I keep forgetting the characters because they are not really memorable.
The anime is pretty good all in all, however it is definitely over-rated.
Dont set your expectations too high but its a good time-killer.

My home hero is a fairly mediocre show, but despite its mediocrity I still found it to be consistently entertaining.

The good:

The first 75% of the story was well done in my opinion. It was entertaining and tense and had progression that felt natural. Despite the show being slightly slower paced due to its genre (compared to the constant action many shows bring) it was still constantly engaging and interesting.

I also think the characters were good overall. The characters felt consistent and acted in ways that you’d expect. The show also did a good job of showing different sides of most characters that needed it. ... Many of the characters acted extremely or had extreme thoughts, but it never felt unjustified or confusing based both on the characters personalities and the life or death scenario most of them were constantly facing throughout the show.

There were also no “bad” characters in the show. To me this is a huge plus, as in many shows, a cast of great characters can be dragged down by a few bad ones. This show thankfully doesn’t have this issue.
Another point that stems from the characters is I think that they did a good job with humor, or rather the lack of it. Many shows that attempt to be more serious greatly suffer when they try and force humor throughout the show. This show doesn’t have that problem at all, and it greatly improved my enjoyment.

Finally I also think they did a good job with the ending. I won’t spoil what happens but they managed to both finish off the core storyline while still leaving the potential for a sequel. I’d feel satisfied if a new season never comes out, and equally excited if one did.

The ok:

First the sound. Ultimately, the sound wasn’t memorable, neither in a good or bad way. It did its job.

Next the animation. I’d expect the animation to be a pretty criticized aspect for many people, either because they were fans of the manga and wanted a better adaptation, or because they thought it was too stiff. While I can acknowledge that the animation isn’t great, I still disagree with many of the criticisms as the animation didn’t hurt my enjoyment of the show at all. This is mostly for two reasons. One is simply that I think its fine. The character models are fine. The animation is consistent. It’s never so bad that its an eyesore to look at. The 2nd point is that a show like this doesn’t need good animation to be interesting. There is very little fighting or fast passed movement. Rather most of the tension is based on characters trying to find or hide evidence or trying to outsmart each other. You don’t need good animation for this kind of story to work well. Still, calling the animation anything better than just “ok” would be a lie.

Lastly, while I was giving the story praises above, I still think that its mostly mediocre. It’s true that I found it entertaining, and it was pretty well done but compared to other shows it doesn’t stand out. I’m glad that I watched it, but odds are I won’t think about this show again after finishing this review unless a sequel is announced. Don’t go into this show expecting a masterpiece.

The bad:

This show is pretty mediocre, but part of the reason that I’d still recommend it is because I don’t think there is much “bad” about the show. However there is one exception. I mentioned that I think both the first 3/4 and the ending of the show are good, but that leaves that tiny bit in between. While most of the content in those episodes was entertaining, the way the story progressed in the end really annoyed me.

I won’t spoil the specifics, but the progression of the story changed a bit in this section. Rather than feeling natural, the progression was led by unrealistic incompetence of others, and by extremely unlikely luck. I can even think of other ways they could have handled the progression and gotten the same result while feeling much better.

This same progression also allowed the show to avoid some major events and interactions from happening which was disappointing. I can understand why the author chose to avoid those events, but as a viewer it felt really sudden. It made the entire build up feel largely pointless.

Overall my home hero is a pretty flawed but entertaining show. If you want to watch something with a more serious tone, I’d recommend you give this a watch.

My final scores would be:
7/10 story
7/10 characters
5/10 animation
5/10 sound
7/10 enjoyment
6/10 overall

It was entertaining sure wasnt an masterpiece or something memorable like others series but keeps you hook to know how it goes unfolding its not exempt of erros or things that feels kinda off like the way that our protagonist (and the wife also) react or are prepared for such situations on early moments of the series making it kinda surreal and little credible even going further to say that they felt a little cold on how handled everything without too much remorse for a everyday family (taking out the daughter of the equation that didnt play any rol on the events besides of being ... the point of departure for the overall plot).

I never comment about the seiyuu who make the voices for the characters on anime because for almost all the cases if not every single one of them that i have watched (maybe being with the exception to the rule pegasus of yu-gi-oh which was really bad haha) the quality on this aspects are always to say the least good, in this instance the person who makes the voice for tosu tetsuo felt a little too young for the age of the character which for entire of the series always gave me this feeling that was kinda rare and didnt fit the protagonist.

For today standarts where each season of anime are 80% isekai or something on the same nature that for the most are an copy-paste this one really difference with an trama that is interesting and entertaining i feel to those who like suspense are gonna like it.

Animation wise was mehh falling to the mediocre side even being a series in which there are not many action scenes or crazy shots taking appearence and rather more statics ones, i feel was touching the bear minimum of what could be considerable on this aspect.
Sound wise nothing worhty to mention the ending song was good although.

RESUME

You like drama-suspense focus series? this is one is for you if you forgive those aforementioned things give it a shot i feel you will not be dissapointed it doesnt gonna be on your top best anime you have watched but also you dont gonna feel like you wasted your time after watching it.

First of all all tragedy genre got plot like these to make things more spiced so if you aren't used to seinen tragedy of course you won't love it , and honestly so far i enjoying it. It is depressing anime and story is really great. Stop complaining about every single shit tragedy plot its not your typical steins;gate or Haibane Renmei, authors won't keep making story plot to what you actually like. This anime is great, the animation is good, Good character build up. The thrill and mystery is art in this and we see less animes like these. The main character's personality suites ... fine too. 7/10 for me because of the animation was done in a budget we all can see as a manga reader but yeah its great and worth watching loving it so far.

I haven’t written a review in a while but right now I’m pushed to do so, this is not that anime with a wow factor but it’s that anime you definitely don’t see coming. Even though 3 episodes are out atm. I binged watched all 3 and I didn’t notice, now I’m looking forward to other episodes.

Plot 7/10
The story s very simple, a man will do everything to protect his family even if it means killing someone. Now like I said pretty easy, but there’s something about the way the plot unravels. You find yourself drawn into where the story could go and it’s ... immediately countered by a better twist. I love how this anime shows different parents protecting their kids with everything they can, not only to the MC but the villains too.

Character 8/10
Now this is another interesting aspect for me, the MC is a wimp but he smart so he thinks on his feet, I like that the wife is all for supporting her husband. Very simple people but they are really good at handling the situation way better than expected. The main villain is also doing everything to protect his child, we see his double personalities and how extreme he could go to get his son back. I really can’t wait for the two characters to meet.

Art 6/10
Art is clearly low budget but they did try to minimise as best as they could. Decent enough, it’s a crime anime so it works.

Soundtrack 6.5/10
Soundtrack is decent, it blends well for me especially the Outro.

Overall 7/10
If you want that yakuza anime that unravels crime, mystery and kind of gives that death note feeling but not quite. This is for you! I’m looking forward to how it ends.

And the champion of the suspense anime of the first half of 2023 goes to...you guessed it, My Home Hero!

These are just a few thoughts and impressions, a laid back rant, don't expect a thorough analysis unless I really love or hate a show.

It is not the case with this one for sure. My Home Hero is a quirk because it proves that a shit story and bad quality pictures can hit the suspense brakes really well. There's not much else that it excels at. For instance, this anime is clearly on the train of progressiveness, if not politically, at least through the gruesome ... contest of gore that seems to be where most consumerist anime tend to attempt at winning, and if you're here to say that MHH gore is benign compared to more bloody and horrendous shows, that says a lot more about the saturated audiences that are spoon fed lately in a subtle or more explicit way gore content.

But this show really gets you hooked with a little bit of good faith on your part, I promise. The family life of the protagonist isn't everyone's cup of tea, and you don't get to sympathize with MCs wife and child outside of his point of view. Perhaps Majima is a notable exception to the whole show, and perhaps one could argue that MC, along with Majima and Matori give you the best reasons to care, to a lesser degree given this order. That doesn't give you no reasons to care about anybody else, it's just that there's not much to care about honestly.

The suspenseful scenes could be also easily deconstructed to eliminate any virtue the show might have. But that's not a reason it is a bad suspense. It's actually quite the opposite if you put yourself in those situations. I'm sure I would go mad if I were the MC.

Other than that, the finale is pretty well written. I was pondering between disappointment and curiosity, because there's no story without atonement, right? Well, you can guess why my rating won't be below 7 even if I would try to be mean. Because in all honesty, it kicked in like a truck on the sideways.

Overall a good show, and a great example of what effort can achieve despite low budgets and lack of creativity. I recommend you try it.

Story (8):
This is a genius anime, where a husband and wife cover up their criminal acts to protect their daughter. I have never seen a story like this in the crime, mystery, and thriller genres. Although there is no action, here it relies on the way of thinking to deal with a problem and the strategies that must be made. The husband and wife are very smart and very competent in this story, they look like an ordinary family but they are geniuses. Here everything is related to criminal knowledge, negotiation, manipulation, backup strategies, betrayal.

Characters (9):
Here the characters are well written, not cheesy. I like ... the relationship between Tetsuo and Kyoichi. They are both smart and want to achieve their goals even though they have to be opposites but work together to get the goals they are aiming for. They also show their emotions very well. The backstory of the characters here is also well written.

Visual (8):
The visuals of this anime are like old anime like in 2004 like Death Note and Bartender. but this visual is also very suitable for this anime genre.

Audio (8):
The opening and ending are just ordinary, what I like is the voice actors of each character are very good, especially Tetsuo, Tetsuo's wife, Kyoichi and Nobuto's father. They can convey their emotions very well. The sound effects here are also good, and another thing I like is the thriller backsound so there are goosebumps

Are you ready to do everything for loved ones?
Our MC ready and boy he is doing!

This is story about Lies, deception and willingness to fight the world in order to protect your loved ones.

It's funny to see how mc being extreamly weak manages to find his way around dedly world. All schemas he doing are desperate yet calculated. And MC's wife deserve absolute adoration in her willingness to participate in all schemas.

It's not a story like Death Note or Code Geass where there is absolute geniuses fighting each other. Here we only have weak man and women desperatly fighting for their lives ... and future and in my oppinion, in some way it's better.

Also bonus points to title for one of the best buddy\enemy ark in form of Tetsuo and Kyouichi.

8/10

Review made by someone who hasn't read the manga before.

History: 10/10

Almost a Western Thriller, suspense, psychological, organized crime and drama. The methods and strategies of the protagonist together with his wife are very cunning, putting all of this together, it captures the viewer in a beautiful way.

Art: 7/10

The appearance of the characters remained somewhat similar to the manga, it is possible to say that the look is great for those who want to watch something serious and mature and that makes you get more into the story.

... Animation: 3/10

Bad, low fluidity, it's notable that they did it with a low budget, it could have been much better in many ways, such an engaging story should have been of better quality, but even though it was of low quality, the proportions and shapes of the characters weren't strange.

Soundtrack: 6/10

good, it involves the atmosphere of the scenes, especially the tense ones, the parts where there is no soundtrack are well placed too.

Dubbing: 10/10

Great, the voices of each character matched their appearance, and they fit into different scenes in the story, adapting to different scenarios.

Characters: 8/10

Tetsuo, Kyouichi, Kasen and Yoshitatsu were the most notable characters, the others had some good moments, but they didn't have a bigger role like those mentioned previously.

Enjoyment: 9/10

Since the 1st episode I felt enchanted by the anime, the protagonist's actions and justifications, the suspense, the drama, with each passing episode I became more and more curious to know if Tetsuo would be able to protect his family until the end.

Overall: 9/10

A great thriller/suspense to watch, the message about family in the anime certainly captivated me and left me very connected with the story, although some small details were left out, it was great entertainment that will definitely make me recommend it to more people, I plan to read the manga too.