Yuusha-tachi

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“The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing.”
Edmund Burke.

(First of all, let me start by saying that no, this is not a One-Shot. This is a full volume, but it's not available, at least not on the internet. I had the chance to buy a physical copy in Spanish)

Heroes is a bit of a departure from Inio Asano's regular style. It's definitely as dark and cynical as his previous works, but it's way more sardonically comic than anything I've read from him, while also being pretty cartoonish. Even more so than Dead Dead Demons.
In that vein, ... I assume this might be one of his most alienating works (or will be when more people get to read it), but the themes he deals with are not new. They're basically the same as in Dead Dead Demons. How people will always unite against a common enemy, often not even stopping for a second to ask themselves if what they're doing is actually right.
After finishing it, all I could think of was that quote by Edmund Burke: “The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing". Sounds good on paper. Even necessary to know. But Asano knows the hypocrisy in which people can fall, sometimes even unbeknownst to themselves. With this work, is like Asano was asking his audience "What makes you think you have the wisdom to tell Good and Evil apart?"

It starts as this silly story about a bunch of misfit Heroes, fighting against "Darkness". The first half is basically episodic in nature, where they defeat Darkness but it always comes back somehow. At some point, someone says "Even if we defeat darkness, as long as people start taking sides, there will always be someone to hate". And it just goes to show the cynical view Asano has of this era of opinionated people, who never get to any agreements, but somehow always have something to say. The fact that some parts feel like a meme makes this manga feel even more current (just as Dead Dead Demons).

On the whole, it's a pretty bizarre and darkly funny manga that nonetheless manages to tackle heavy and current themes on morality. I kind of wish it was a bit longer, though. And the comedy at the beginning almost makes the darker implications at the end feel too depressing. But I wouldn't have it any other way with Asano.

I'm going to end this review with another quote by Burke, just because I feel it really connects with the themes present in Heroes:

"Whilst men are linked together, they easily and speedily communicate the alarm of any evil design. They are enabled to fathom it with common counsel, and to oppose it with united strength. Whereas, when they lie dispersed, without concert, order, or discipline, communication is uncertain, counsel difficult, and resistance impracticable. Where men are not acquainted with each other’s principles, nor experienced in each other’s talents, nor at all practised in their mutual habitudes and dispositions by joint efforts in business; no personal confidence, no friendship, no common interest, subsisting among them; it is evidently impossible that they can act a public part with uniformity, perseverance, or efficacy.[...]. When bad men combine, the good must associate; else they will fall, one by one, an unpitied sacrifice in a contemptible struggle."

One of Asano's most undervalued works, mainly because it's barely available anywhere.
Close to what he does in the "Isobeyan" bits of Dead Dead Demons DeDeDeDe Destruction, Heroes starts as a parody of convencional kids manga. A bunch of misfit heroes that defeat a Great Darkness. But this isn't a kids manga, this is Inio Asano, so things start, slowly, becoming more dark as you go through the chapters.
There's a double twist in the story: first, the childish hero story that becomes uncomfortably close to home, with cynical characters and real world issues being handled in that weird Fujio Fujiko-esque style. Then, as you think this ... is just a weird comedy, things become progresivly heavy. By the last chapters is hard to keep reading, and the ending, not spoiling, is in equal parts stupidly comical and sharply depressing.
This is exactly what I expect when I pick an Asano manga, and it's an uncommon piece of art that you should read if you want something to surprise you and disturb you.

I didn't expect Yuusha-tachi (or let's just call it "The Heroes") to be great, since it's just a one-shot. But that's okay. You do not read The Heroes for the plot, you read it for best girl. Best girl is a cute bunny-looking adventurer.

The story's about animals, fighting against darkness. Yep, it sounds bad, which it is - for the most part. At least it had some good elements, too, like some of the scenes were a critic to society. But as I mentioned before: you don't read it for the plot - you read it for best girl.

The art is definitely the ... point where it shines the most, but it's by Inio Asano, so I already was expecting some superb art. The background was really well drawn, maybe that's one reason why it took me so long to get through the ~20 pages. I found myself not caring about anything, but the background. Just starring at it, doing nothing. But hey, I did the same thing with best girl, you just can not stop looking at her. I mean, come on, you can't deny she is one of the cutest things you have ever seen.

Since we're already there, let's talk about the character design.
It was something unique - something you don't see often. Ofc this could mean it's bad, too, since being unique isn't all it takes to be "good". But well, I liked it. I thought Asano did a great job there (especially with best girl).

The atmosphere was something I found to be really good. To be honest, I would contuine reading this Manga just for the atmosphere (and for best girl, of course).

In the end I'd say, that "The Heroes" is something you can read for the art, the atmosphere and best girl; but if you're looking for something with a great plot, you should probably stay away from this.