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Humble happiness

"Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita"
(english title: "Banished from the brave man's group, I decided to lead a slow life in the back country.")
is a Purification ritual in anime form.

The premise is simple: we follow Gideon, the Guide, who is expelled from the hero's -- his imouto's -- party on account of being too weak.
He changes his name to Red and moves to the countryside, looking to live the rest of his life as a humble apothecary, far away from the spotlight.

The place he decides to move to is Zoltan, the greatest backwater in the world: no strategic value and no noteworthy wealth of natural resources. Here, Red becomes acquainted with members of the adventurer's guild and some locals. It's through helping one of these locals that he takes a little shortcut in achieving his dream and gets his place to open an apothecary.

But something happened then, that Red did not intend.
He was found out by the most unlikely person imaginable.

An unresolved love interest.
Rizlet, of Loggervia.

Rizlet, now Rit, is the second protagonist of this work of Art. We accompany Red and Rit's daily lives and how they drift closer together.

But conflict always rears its ugly head

As Red continues to build upon his happy life alongside Rit, we are shown glimpses of what the hero's party is up to. And they're crumbling apart.

But the conflict within the hero's party is not the only source of attriction. The world Red lives in is quite merciless in its workings. People are assigned blessings at birth which function much like classes. Proficiency in these classes is achieved through practicing them. Which means a blade master will have to kill other beings to become better with his blessing, unlocking more skills. A person can't choose his blessing. If you want to be a hero but are born with the dancer blessing, you might as well give up.
That is the law set by the Almighty deity of this world.

These are all the elements that propel this anime into the ranks of possibly one of the best anime of this year.

Why so?

Sound (music): Competent -- there's no song that really stands out outside the OP and ED. Both are quite good, if simple, and their perceived quality is undoubtedly boosted by visuals that match the tunes. As they should. Still, it's good enough to stand among OPs that make me want to watch an anime. One piece in particular betrays the lack of refinement some aspects of this anime show: the string-dominant song that plays in times of danger.

Sound (seiyuu): Competent -- everyone does their job well enough. Going through the cast list, that's to be expected. Kinoshita Suzuna (木下鈴奈) as Al deserves special mention. Even though she plays a rather secondary character in a rather modest anime, I'm saddened to see her name not listed on the cast neither on anilist nor the inferior M〇L. Kinoshita-san has proven herself in the same league as her peers with Amazing Stranger and I quite like her range. She deserves some visibility.

Animation: Crafty -- this is where this anime shows its apparent lack of budget, but also the brilliance of those in charge. This anime is not about defeating the demon lord. This anime is not about elaborate sword fighting. It's not about armies clashing with each other. It's a story of love and soul searching. Thus, what truly matters is to make the protagonists stand out. And do they their best to make Rit look cute. The OP dedicates a considerable portion of its time showing us everything that mates Rit so nice.

There is no pretense or shame in how they spare frame animations for what truly matters. Do we need 50 frames animating Red smiling? Not really. Do we need them to animate a sequence that expertly portrays multiple facets and developments of Rit's personality, all the while making her look cute? Absolutely yes we do.

However, this genius is not always used in completely harmonious fashion. Rit is quite the healthy beauty and the people in charge want to show us all her assets.
Sometimes this is done very well.

Other times, not so well.

I believe they could have better pulled off a similar smart-budgeted action sequence with the same effect, but I will not dwell deeper than that.
As mentioned, this is not an action-focused anime and I'm not complaining about what I'm getting!

Presentation: refreshing -- There is talk of skills and stats and levels, but for once people don't yell out the skills they're using, unless they're casting magic. These facets are treated with the same respect an MMO roleplayer shows for the game's mechanics. Things have an in-universe explanation. Awesome.

Art direction: spectacular -- Did you see the image at the top? Lush, green environments with lots of trees, a simple village, not a 3DCG monstrosity in sight. They could have gotten away with using 3D models for certain things but they didn't! Although there are a couple of 3D models used, they are secondary art assets or used subtly. Perhaps they've used more 3D assets than it appears but, if so, they disguised them well enough they surpass the idiots over at ufotable.

Story: -- It made me care about the characters. That's what matters the most. The interactions between Rit and Red may be idealized but they carry a plausibility to them that made me really happy when they became a couple. Seeing them together almost comes off as a manual for romantic interaction between the sexes. Sure, Rit barges into Red's life quite suddenly, but their shared history makes all the pieces click together wonderfully. And while Rit takes the iniciative, Red doesn't stay behind in advancing their relationship.

That brings us to Red. I want you to please take a good look at him.

A good smile, calm exterior, round, visible irises that allow for a slew of emotions.

Now please, look at these characters from other romantically-charged works.

Worried demeanors to blank faces at best, a look of anxiety and dots for irises, indicating emotions limited to the realm of panic.
I really don't think I need to say any more.

But if I must...
These are not men.
They are castrated simulacra for consumption by the hypersocialized masses.
Passive agents in the lives of the women who interact with them, usually in a vaccuum.
Their crowning achievements being the rare moments when they stop bending over backwards, bending over naturally instead.
Standard-bearers of a carcinogen.

Does red get flustered by Rit? Yes.
Does he get pulled into her pace sometimes? Of course.
But does he reply in kind in as much frequency as his partner?
Yes.

Herein lies the big difference and what makes Red and Rit so special. It's the difference between finding someone that completes you and finding someone to be by your side.

And that's why "Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" is a Purification ritual.

But I'm not done talking about the story

"Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" does not take the Hunter X Hunter path in dealing with power types. People may be born with blessings that don't match their personality. There's those who quietly accept the hand they're given, those who fear being consumed by their blessing, those who let themselves be carried by the impulses of their blessing and those who wish to tear themselves apart from it. It's a rather unique setting point that allows "Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" to stand out among others within the genre.
The conflict between people's aspirations and their true abilities is one I feel was very well explored.

Subtitle quality -- grating

No. She called him onii-chan.
Onii-chan. This is the most important thing you needed to translate right and you blew it.
Worse still, sometimes you translate it as "Gideon" when Ruti is clearly saying "onii-chan".
YOU. BLEW. IT.

However, I will commend a translation of a particular line by Theodora in episode 12. That was very good way to transmit the right meaning while maintaining dramatic emphasis.
"Mr. Crawly Wawly" is a nice nickname too. Very cute.

Overall -- "Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" is not going to change the world. It's a very nice distraction and a good way to pass the time. It's not offensively bad nor outstandingly noteworthy. It's average and everyone working on it is aware of it, and treat it with the respect as well as present it with that japanese flavor of modesty and humility that makes it worth cherishing. A wabisabi sensibility, let's say. Looking under the cover and from a meta perpective, of where we are as human beings and what anime has been presenting us within the same thematic sphere, "Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" transcends its niche. But that's a matter of zeitgeist, rather than of the work itself. In ten years, hopefully, that won't matter. Then, people will echo my sentiment and praise of the anime itself, on its own merits.

Ideal seasons to watch in:

Spring          Autumn

Color pallettes representative of lukewarmth. A sun that warms without burning. Blue skies with hints of clouds. Cold nights. Rain that threatens torrential. Scenes of warmth and comfort. Blooming romance with a purpose beyond the efemerality of summer and carrying an innocence beneath the sobriety of winter.

This anime will make you in the spirit of staying inside with a warm blanket and a cup of your favourite warm drink.

Personal notes (click to view)

Red is most definitely a role model. He sets a goal for himself, focuses on getting things done and carving new happiness. Circumstances weren't the best and he became a victim of someone else's ambition. Expelled from the party he created with his imouto. But he didn't let that misfortune stop him. I found no satisfaction in seeing the hero's party crumble with Red gone, and Ares' fall from grace was sad to see, but it was very satisfying to see Red and Rit get together.

As you may have noticed, I have no love for the modern type of romantic comedy anime. With every new one that came, I began to wonder whether these anime are truly the godawful abominations I thought they were, or had I simply became a bitter stupid asshole who can't enjoy seeing two people growing closer together anymore. I decided to watch "Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" because -- well, look at the name! It was bound to be mediocre drivel to enjoy with an empty mind! Instead, it's a breath of fresh air. I was expecting yet another reincarnation story and was pleasantly surprised by a standard fantastical setting (with a bit of phantasy star thrown in) that is very well explored instead. And then the love story I didn't see coming, played so straight.

They could have so easily made Rit a bumbling tsundere who defies the idea of plot progression, or a complete doormat with no agency who is head over heels for Gideon. They were already halfway either of those, that with her pretty much landing on his lap. But then... Character development! Dates! The sharing of sweet everyday moments! A couple-sized bed!

"Shin no nakama ja nai to yuusha no party wo oidasareta node, henkyou de Slow Life suru koto ni shimashita" is as much of a Purification ritual of romantic depictions in anime, as it was a rite of personal reaffirmation. I'm not a stupid cynical asshole after all! I was right!

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