This is my first time writing a season review for an anime, so it might not be the most polished. More of a collection of jumbled thoughts. Sorry if some sentences or ideas don't seem to make sense. Also, spoilers ahead.

The core “suicide squad” concept is genuinely compelling, especially with the added twist of losing memories upon each revival. However, that tension feels undercut by the lack of meaningful consequences. The higher-ups never actually execute the heroes for disobedience, which makes the threat of death feel hollow. You could argue this is due to

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Kafzen having more political power than is explicitly shown, but if that were the case, it raises the question: why would he need to secretly assemble this team in the first place?

That said,

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Kafzen’s reveal in the finale was excellent. It ties neatly into the reasoning behind why these individuals were sentenced to become “heroes,” particularly in Veetim’s case. It would make more sense for the co-existers’ interests for someone with that kind of information to simply be eliminated. Here, though, protecting the secret isn’t necessarily the goal, and that nuance adds a lot of intrigue.

The same logic makes the sentencing of the other members of the team more understandable.

Where the show really shines is in its supporting cast. While Xylo is cool as a protagonist and Teoritta is cute, most of the other characters are far more compelling. There’s a strong desire to dig into the backstories of characters like Tatsuya, Norgalle, and Rhyno, who all carry an air of mystery. Even Kivia, who initially comes across as rigid and uninteresting, gradually becomes one of the more engaging characters, arguably more so than Xylo, in my opinion.

The same can be said about the action as well. Xylo’s fights often feel repetitive. He throws a dagger, something explodes, and that’s about it. Even strong animation and art can’t compensate for the lack of creativity. His combat becomes noticeably more interesting when he’s working alongside his teammates. Unfortunately, the monsters themselves don’t help much either, as they’re largely one-note, and even the Demon Lords only become interesting when they take on more human-like forms.

What really captured my attention, though, was the political intrigue and underlying mystery. The reveal about

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the co-existers is particularly effective. Instead of being demons in disguise or fanatical cultists, they’re simply selfish humans, and that feels both grounded and thematically consistent. This choice also enhances moments like Kivia’s confrontation with her uncle.

The finale’s focus on

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Kivia was especially strong. Her uncle’s sword breaking as she uses it to kill him is a powerful visual symbolizing the permanent breaking of their bond, and her internal conflict of whether she’s truly righteous or simply deluding herself adds meaningful depth.

Xylo touches on similar themes, but Kivia’s arc explores them far more effectively.

Overall, I enjoyed the season. While it struggles with lackluster fights, inconsistent world-building, unremarkable monster design, and a lack of tangible consequences, it makes up for these flaws with a strong cast, excellent animation, engaging character dynamics, and a genuinely intriguing political mystery.

Edit: Changed my score from 80 to 70. The latter half of the season is why I felt like an 80. Upon reflection and rewatch, considering how the first half of the season is about a 60-65, a 70 feels like a score more reflective of how I feel about the whole season.