It was Seul-ki all over again

"Sentenced To Be A Hero" reminds me of "Fullmetal Alchemist", "Suicide Squad", "Game Of Thrones" and other dark fantasies. Heinous criminals are magically forced into a servitude where they must fight for the religious-military state. If they refuse or mess up, their heads are blown off. They then get resurrected to continue fighting. But the more times this happens, the more chance their minds will become muddled and their memories lost. Protagonist Xilo is one such hero, with a hella-bad attitude, a shameful past the viewer instinctively knows wasn't his fault, and combat skills for days. As a result of a dubious deed by an offsider, he's reluctantly teamed with a cute li'l "goddess", Teoritta - essentially a living magic-generating weapon - and thrust into the forefront of the worldwide battle against demon lords and their "faerie" minions. A battle which might not be so black'n'white as it first appears, appropriately enough for a show stocked with noble crims, corrupt officials, thrill killers, kleptomaniacs, and all kinds of deception and manipulation. The weakest aspect for me is the generic enemies - faceless, voiceless, mutated animals and insects sporting brightly coloured bulbous growths. However, I gotta admit their demonic masters are way cooler in design, and that even the grunts are becoming slightly interesting as of Episode 5...which features a shocking plot development. The supporting cast of characters is well above average, with a personal favourite being a resurrection-scarred hero named Norgalle who thinks he's a king and is constantly making rousing speeches or issuing royal commands. Is "Sentenced" trying to say something about PTSD in soldiers? Or the effects of long-term incarceration? I'll have to ponder those questions further while I continue watching.