“Sentenced to Be a Hero” Anime to Premiere at Lucca Comics & Games 2025
Fans of the captivating series “Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004” have exciting news to look forward to. The anime adaptation of Rocket Shokai’s popular light novel series will make its debut at the Lucca Comics & Games 2025 event in Italy. The premiere screening of the 60-minute first episode is scheduled for October 30 at 12:00 p.m.
The event will also feature a special stage event at the Anime x Game Festival 2025 (AGF) in South Korea on December 7 at 3:30 p.m. Jun Fukushima, the voice actor for Tsav, will be in attendance, adding to the excitement for attendees.
The anime, originally slated for an October release, has been rescheduled to debut in January 2026. The series will kick off with a 60-minute special episode. Streaming giant Crunchyroll will broadcast the series as it airs, ensuring fans worldwide can enjoy the adventure.
The anime boasts an impressive production team. Hiroyuki Takashima, known for his work on “Mushoku Tensei: Jobless Reincarnation” and “The IDOLM@STER Cinderella Girls U149,” is at the helm as the director. He is supported by Yoshitake Nakakoji, who serves as the assistant director and creature designer. Kenta Ihara, with credits on “Tsukimichi -Moonlit Fantasy-” and “Ishura,” is in charge of writing and supervising the series’ scripts. Takeshi Noda, known for his character designs in “DAN DA DAN,” is responsible for the character designs. The music is composed by Shunsuke Takizawa, while Nobutaka Ike handles worldbuilding, and Kouta Sugawa is the prop designer.
The light novel series, originally launched on Kadokawa’s Kakuyomu site in October 2020, has been a hit with readers. The print version, published by Kadokawa since September 2021, features illustrations by Mephisto. The seventh volume was released on January 17. Additionally, the series has a manga adaptation by Natsumi Inoue, which began serialization on Kadokawa’s Dengeki Comic Regulus website in March 2022. The second compiled book volume of the manga was published in April 2024, and BookWalker Global is releasing the manga digitally in English.
The story of “Sentenced to Be a Hero” revolves around a unique twist on heroism. In this world, heroism is a punishment reserved for the worst criminals. Those sentenced to this fate are forced to fight against the demon king’s army, with the grim assurance that if they die, they will be revived to continue the battle. The narrative takes an intriguing turn when a leader, convicted of killing a goddess, encounters another goddess, potentially altering the course of the world.
©2024 Rocket Shokai/KADOKAWA/Project Sentenced to Be a Hero
Kadokawa is releasing the novel series in English, providing a broader audience with access to this compelling narrative. The story promises a blend of action, intrigue, and a fresh take on the hero’s journey, making it a must-watch for anime enthusiasts.
News Source: Animenewsnetwork.com
