Shin no Nakama

[Kraco]

Full name: Shin no Nakama ja Nai to Yuusha no Party o Oidasareta node, Henkyou de Slow Life Suru Koto ni Shimashita

"Red was once a member of the Hero's party, a powerful group destined to save the world from the evil forces of Taraxon, the Raging Demon Lord. That is, until one of his comrades kicked him out. Hoping to live the easy life on the frontier, Red's new goal is to open an apothecary. However, keeping the secret of his former life may not be as simple as he thinks. Especially when the beautiful Rit, an adventurer from his past, shows up and asks to move in with him!" -Yen Press



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This is quite a standard fantasy series (not isekai), but it's standard mostly in good, not bad. It has some trope elements, like getting kicked out of his original group despite being competent and trying to his best (I guess that's the lightest variation of the "betrayed by comrades" trope). Fortunately it at least fits the destiny based world. Since the MC is seemingly not edgy or emo about it (no revenge plot), it doesn't feel like a particularly corny backstory. It's almost refreshing that since his god-given profession is not suitable for grand deeds, he doesn't fight back with full shounen mentality, but instead decides to ace a smaller dream.

Still, this is a fantasy series and the dude does have a background he's trying to hide, so it would be a miracle if he gained the perfect slow life.

This is quite a pleasant series, so I'll try to keep watching.

[Ryllharu]

Since the MC is seemingly not edgy or emo about it (no revenge plot), it doesn't feel like a particularly corny backstory. It's almost refreshing that since his god-given profession is not suitable for grand deeds, he doesn't fight back with full shounen mentality, but instead decides to ace a smaller dream.
...
This is quite a pleasant series, so I'll try to keep watching.

My impression was that he was not very happy at all at getting kicked out of his sister's party by that asshole. He's worried about his sister a lot, and relieved at the end when the rumor goes around that she's doing well and still alive. He just accepted the logic that he's a liability to her and agreed to leave. Obviously didn't discuss it with her first because that asshole implied that she would never ask him to leave (like she wanted to, but was too polite).

I'm guessing Ruti is quite displeased at her brother leaving her side as well. She doesn't know if he was killed off after leaving her. And based on the quick clip, I would wager she wasn't too polite to want him to leave, but she legitimately enjoyed the family support, even if he wasn't as strong as he used to be relatively.

It certainly has me intrigued, as it looks like the other adventurer Rit knows exactly who he used to be.

[Kraco]

Yeah, he was helping her grow up and become the real hero, so it's easy to guess they are close. Just suddenly disappearing is certainly the weak point of his plan. Realistically it should bother him a lot as well, and I'd say we did see some indications of that when he was worrying about her. Even if she didn't want him to leave, he should have still left in a better understanding and agreement. The whole dishonouring the knightly order thing was a bit dubious as well. Basically it would mean that the only way for Red to leave honourably would be by dying. In a world where you receive your optimal profession at birth from the god, it's quite peculiar and ruthless to tell someone to ignore that inviolable truth just for the sake of some organisation. His job was done. That should have been enough. The rest is nothing but bolstering the egos of the members of the knightly order.

[Kraco]

Episode 2


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A whole episode spent on flashbacks is never good in my book, but considering how the series started, I guess it couldn't be helped. Rit appearing like an old comrade would be meaningless if she wasn't an old comrade...

I bet Ruti being like that made it easier for Red to leave:

Red: "Sorry, Ruti, but I need to go."
Ruti: -_-
Red: "Will you be okay?"
Ruti: -_-
Red: "We might not see each other for a long time."
Ruti: -_-
Red: "Alright then, farewell."
Ruti: -_-

[Ryllharu]

It sounds to me like Ruti is looking for a weapon to give to her brother to entice him back into her party. An equipment upgrade, since the sword he gave back when he left wasn't enough. I was wary of the assassin girl until she introduced her spider pet.

As for the rest of the episode, I agree. The flashbacks all felt like dreadful filler to pad out the time. They could have compressed all that to five minutes and it wouldn't have changed a thing. The tone of the flashbacks felt very strange too, like a 4koma at the end of a manga volume that goes back to play gags related to events of the main plot.

The best part of the episode was when Rit was essentially proposing to Gideon, they both knew it, and were both embarrassing the crap out of themselves attempting to pretend they didn't know exactly what the subtext was of the conversation.

[Kraco]

The best part of the episode was when Rit was essentially proposing to Gideon, they both knew it, and were both embarrassing the crap out of themselves attempting to pretend they didn't know exactly what the subtext was of the conversation.

I definitely agree. Considering the circumstances she was about as direct as possible, without appearing totally crazy. Yet being so straightforward would be embarrassing, realistically.

[Kraco]

Episode 3


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The aggressive romance reminds me of the explanation for the short courting process in Skyrim: In a violent, dangerous world, who can afford to spend years on it? Other than that, it's simply refreshing when there's not as dense as tungsten male MC and no harem either.

For a character filling that particular role, Ares is surprisingly incompetent. He's arrogant and subtly nefarious, but it's hard to think he would be anywhere near equal to Ruti in power, so it's difficult to consider him a second last boss next to the demon king. Although I've no idea how big of a role the demon king will even end up playing in the story. This isn't about Ruti and her fight, after all, but about Red and Rit.

[neflight86]

Ah, the bureaucracy of approving accidental narcotics. It always amuses me how certain anime will, as if going on a tangent, decide that this is where the worldbuilding should be fleshed out. Nothing wrong with it, but it is starkly random for such a cookie-cutter high fantasy backdrop and made me pay more attention to how it may be eventually returned to as a plot point.

Good to know that other members of the Hero party are aware of Red's contribution, and the sage isn't cutting it as a logistical replacement.

I was wary of the assassin girl until she introduced her spider pet.

How quickly we are swayed by moe...

This courtship is awfully forward, and both the shop keep and her calling him a wimp for shying away from the double bed was pretty amusing. It was also good to know that he is a bonafide cheapskate.

it's simply refreshing when there's not as dense as tungsten male MC and no harem either.

We're not out of the woods, yet. There's still plenty of opportunities for a harem to form, I'm afraid.

[Kraco]

Episode 4



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For a Finn, a sauna-centric episode was nice, but it bothered me immensely the dudes were sitting on the footrest like little children, not on the actual bench, which you could see higher, right behind their backs. It's kind of embarrassing to make the episode mostly about saunas, yet then have such an elementary blunder in. But I guess it can happen when the director has never been to a sauna. In another country it would be enough if anyone at the studio had used a sauna before, but I guess in Japan an animator or another random employee trying to tell the director there's a factual mistake in the episode draft would be unimaginable.

I suppose Red hiding his actual battle power is wise in many ways. It draws less attention to him, making hiding his real indentity easier, including preventing his fame from spreading. It also ensures he can keep running the apothecary shop in peace, without people running to him, begging his assistance for various quests. Similarly the local adventurers' guild won't try to tell him to quit the store and work for them. A perhaps more rare benefit is being able to pull off stunts in secret, without people suspecting it was he who did it. A disadvantage is folks looking down on him, but it's a relatively peaceful town.

[Ryllharu]

It also makes him much harder to track down. He's a useless D-rank adventurer who has all but given up questing. In fact, shacking up with Rit (the obvious one to track down in an attempt to find Gideon, at least for information if nothing else) makes him much more likely to be found. Most outsiders wouldn't think of it and make the connection, but his former party certainly will remember the princess who fancied him.

Rit's request for mead was pretty obvious. Mead is where the term honeymoon originated in the first place.

[Kraco]

In fact, shacking up with Rit (the obvious one to track down in an attempt to find Gideon, at least for information if nothing else) makes him much more likely to be found.

Totally worth the risk, though.

[neflight86]

Didn't notice the sauna thing, as I've never been, so it was a non-issue for me. But the three stooges taking turns taking the fall was amusing. Very 'healing' episode, indeed.

[Kraco]

Episode 5


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That was a pretty good way of saying: "Don't touch me."

[Ryllharu]

"I learned my lesson." from the elf.

I felt that one pretty hard. Nicely done bit of minimalist drama by implication.

[Kraco]

Episode 6



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The Hero's blessing really sucks. It basically turns the person into a Terminator: A single, obsessive purpose and more or less no other feelings, no desires, no happiness, no sadness. The hero is nigh unstoppable, but it hardly benefits the hero themselves at all. It seems like the lesser the blessing, the more free a person is. There are good and bad sides to everything.

If you throw in weird drugs, though, all bets are off.

The romance plot is definitely one of the strengths of this series, compared to many of the isekai/fantasy series out there.

[Ryllharu]

Ruti says unnecessary emotions she doesn't need to survive are eliminated, then immediately laments that her path leads her away from her brother. Sounds like someone is lying to themselves...

Red's blessing is Guide, so he was the perfect intermediate level trainer and mentor for his sister and the others. But he certainly isn't trapped by it, since he's basically just applying a handful of the skills associated with it to be very proficient at something else.

I think that Ruti and her companions are putting her into that self-imposed prison by reinforcing all the aspects of her Blessing. The Assassin girl doesn't seem trapped by hers, and seems to live fairly carefree. Ares may have screwed up by inviting her, because to me it looks like Ruti might finally have her actual first friend. Ruti said she doesn't need to sleep, not that she can't if she does want to. The Assassin girl is asking some questions I would assume no one else ever has.


The romance stuff is pretty good here. Rit deliberately checking to see Red was looking before showing off her décolletage while changing instead of the trope of asking him to turn around. Incredible.

[Kraco]

Social skills aren't unnecessary for the hero, though, so feelings (of affection) toward other people would remain to some extent. A hero still needs to operate with a team. As a side effect she would miss her big bro. Also, if she felt nothing about other people, she would be a total loose cannon who might kill any random person who seemed to get in her way. That's not suitable behavior for a hero.

If you think about assassins, they ought to be near the epitome of needing to be able to work alone, relying only on themselves. Thus it would make sense her blessing would make her more independent also emotionally.

[Ryllharu]

Episode 08

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The intro felt like I missed an episode, jumping from the conspiracy to, "we finally got a double bed and are prepared to fuck." Only to jump back to the conspiracy after the OP. It was very weird storyboarding.

But overall, the series is getting far more interesting than the premise would have you believe...with the demons apparently having their own traitor faction who has embedded themselves within the Church itself if I'm reading that dialogue correctly. Quite the contrast to other "quiet life of the adventurer" type series where they truly are slice of life with absolutely no stakes involved. I'm quite pleased with this one.

Even Al ended up with a big titty onee-san party leader. I was kind of hoping for a revelation that Ademi could still become a guard like he wanted, but needed to learn how to adapt his Bar Brawler blessing to beating up drunkards, thugs, and the occasional monster invading the town square.

Also, it feels like Rit's boobs grow bigger by the episode? Must be love.

[Kraco]

But overall, the series is getting far more interesting than the premise would have you believe...with the demons apparently having their own traitor faction who has embedded themselves within the Church itself if I'm reading that dialogue correctly.

It could be that or it could be the rulers trying to limit the amount of powerful people.

Also, it feels like Rit's boobs grow bigger by the episode? Must be love.

She's getting ready to feed the many children.

[Kraco]

Episode 9



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Somehow I didn't expect them to meet so soon, in fact not before the story ends. Since this is beyond the manga adaptation already, I had no idea. Since they met now, I wonder how Ruti's war against the demon king is going to continue. She'd obviously want big bro to accompany her once again, but Red has no intention to continue. It's not like he would have left only because Ares told him to disappear. Still, Ruti should be wondering why Red is just running a pharmacy in peace and leisure in a small town, while others are out there fighting demons.