Episodes 1-3 – My Status as an Assassin Obviously Exceeds the Hero’s

i was surprised to see My status as an assassin obviously surpasses that of a heroI get comments every week – but that’s not surprising. Ultimately, this anime has its own retro anime appeal. You don’t have to look anymore to see how it’s drawn. Instead of the super-saturated (or simply bland) color palette of most modern animation, there are more shadows, highlights, and low-light effects here, reminiscent of the feel of high-budget OVAs or movies from the ’80s and ’90s (looking at you, Rhodes War Records). However, the classic feel is more than skin deep.

The story itself feels like it ignores the fact that isekai stories have been thriving for over a decade at this point. It adheres to some clichés, ignores others, and always treats the material with complete seriousness. That’s why the first three episodes are so good.

The series puts a double twist on the normal isekai formula. The first is when the entire class is transported to another world. The second is that protagonist Akira quickly discovers that there is something fishy about summoning heroes from another world to fight the Demon King, while his classmates are obsessed with empowerment fantasies. But even as he discovers his fears are justified, he grapples with a simple fact: He’s a stranger in a strange land. Sure, as the title points out, he’s more powerful than the hero, but so what? His strength cannot bring him home, nor can he survive in this world alone.

This is where Saran’s story comes from. Although he only appears in one and a half episodes, the anime does a great job of establishing a strong friendship between these two. So when Saran is killed and Akira is framed for murder, we fully root for him—understanding his short-term goals (getting stronger in the dungeon) and long-term goals (avenging his friends).

But just when Akira feels truly alone in this fantasy world for the first time, he meets Amelia, whom he rescues in a dungeon and nurses her back to health. Although not really friends, their relationship works well because with their ability to assess, they know that neither is a threat. Since both characters are on the run, it’s a luxury to have someone by your side who doesn’t need their protection – so as long as they’re heading in the same direction, they can go together.

Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for Night, the third member of Team Akira. The problem isn’t that the shape-shifting cat joins Akira; Akira was willing to take the risk and let her do it. Night is the boss of the dungeon – Akira and Amelia have just finished fighting. Using dangerous magic spells on enemies that either work or kill you outright seems a lot stupider than Akira’s usual behavior. Additionally, we don’t know enough of Akira’s backstory to understand why he would suddenly take such a risk – especially when he has so many goals worth living for.

The reason this doesn’t quite work is probably a direct result of the animation’s looming main problem: its pacing. While the story is understandable and most of the emotional moments are great, sometimes certain things get overlooked – both plot-related and character-related. Hopefully now that the situation and characters have been introduced, things will slow down a bit.

While this definitely gave the three episodes a rushed feel, I also want to praise the series’ B-plot, in which the heroes and other students successfully escape the king’s mind control. While it’s not much right now, their adventures should go a long way in fleshing out this fantasy world and how it works. While Akira walks in the shadows, dealing with a persecuted race of non-humans, the Hero Party will walk in the light, so to speak – contrasting and providing more context to what Akira and friends are dealing with. This is a great narrative choice.

All in all, the anime is off to a great start, and I’m excited to see where Akira’s adventures will go – whether it’s the elves’ forests or beyond.

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My status as an assassin is obviously higher than that of a hero Currently live broadcast
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