Banished from the Hero's Party

Episode 11

For as interesting as Banished from the Hero's Party is with its unique magic system and musings on free will, it has one big problem: there is just too much story for a 12-episode series. This week's episode is our second stupidly jam-packed episode of the run. I mean, let's just look at all the things that happened over the course of a single episode:

• Tisse spills the beans about what Ruti is up to.

• We learn that eventually Ruti will lose her immunity to the drug's murderous side effects when her Hero level gets low enough.

• Danan shows up missing a hand and catches up with Red.

• Theodora and Albert spy on Red and Danan.

• We learn that there are two Danans—and the one with two hands is actually the demon that killed Rit's master (and that it's supposed to be dead).

• Fake Danan goads Ares into going batshit on Red's home.

• Ruti has a heart-to-heart with Red.

• Tisse apologizes to Ruti and is forgiven.

• We learn that Ruti isn't actually being affected by the drug at all but rather that it has caused a new, nameless Blessing to appear within her—one that seemingly returns her free will.

• Ares attacks Red.

• Ruti stabs Ares.

• Teodora and Albert confront Danan.

• Ares makes a pact with the Fake Danan demon.

This is way too much to happen in a single episode. Nothing is given any room to breathe. There is no tension at all—be it plot-driven or character-driven. Characters are instantly forgiven for their secrets and betrayals with fences mended by simple, 30-second conversations. Revelations layer one atop another and no time is left to explore their deeper ramifications before the next is revealed.

But with all of what is thrown at us this episode, what's far more shocking is what isn't: the villains' motivations. While we've seen Ares act like an ass from episode one, we know next to nothing about him. We don't know his history—what drove him to join the heroes' party to save the world. And given the nature of Blessings, we don't even know how much of his personality comes from his Blessing and how much of it comes from him. As another person with a rare and powerful Blessing, he could be as much of a slave as Ruti has been—and is only able to act in ways that will continue the mission to save the world. It's easy to hate him for being a dick to Red but the man is clearly mentally unstable at this point and may not be responsible for his actions. I don't know if I should feel happy or if I should pity him as Ruti runs him through.

Then there's Shisandan—the other big bad of the show so far. We know he impersonated Rit's teacher and almost brought down her kingdom but we don't know why. Of course, we originally assume that it's because he is a demon and demons are evil. But this episode reveals that he is a special type of demon that doesn't have a Blessing—meaning he is the only character besides Red (and perhaps Ruti) who has unobstructed free will. Therefore, we have no clue as to his actual motivations or even what he is doing in Zoltan in the first place. We don't even know if he is working for the rebelling Demon Lord or against him.

My only hope is that, with this overly stuffed episode out of the way, we can spend some time fleshing out the villains and exploring the massive ramifications of what has been revealed. And as long as we don't have another episode like this one ahead of us, the series just might be able to end on a high note.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• Is Ruti the first person to ever have two Blessings?

• So, if I'm understanding this right, Ruti's Hero Blessing is still at full power—and all her skills can still be used. However, her new Blessing simply overrides the aspect that hampers her free will? That's something with some absolutely crazy ramifications right there.

• If Ruti has this new, nameless Blessing, does she even need to take the drug anymore? Also, when did the nameless Blessing first appear? Cuz we saw her still dependent on the drug after she told Red she was planning to live in Zoltan.

• I'd also be down for spending some time on Theodora and her history. She's going to have to pick a side in the upcoming conflict one way or another and I don't think she'd just be down with letting the Hero quit her mission.

• I'd also like to know some more about these hero-making ruins they have found themselves in—because that seems like it just might be a bit important to how we view the world in general.

• I've been thinking, if demons and humans are both controlled by God via Blessings, doesn't that mean the whole war is pointless? It's just a sick divine game with humans and demonkind as the pieces.

Banished from the Hero's Party is currently streaming on Funimation.

Richard is an anime and video game journalist with over a decade of experience living and working in Japan. For more of his writings, check out his Twitter and blog.