In a thrilling update for anime enthusiasts, the official X account for the dark fantasy series Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 (known in Japanese as Yūsha-kei ni Shosu: Chōbatsu Yūsha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku) shared a post on January 15, 2026, unveiling the non-credit version of its opening theme song video. Posted by @yushakei_PJ, the announcement has quickly garnered over 1,400 likes and 100,000 views, sparking excitement among fans of the newly premiered show.
The post highlights the rock track “Kill the Noise” by the Japanese band SPYAIR, featuring a snippet of the lyrics: “No matter how many dozens or hundreds of times, I’ll challenge it. Devour the tears, Just kill the noise.” Accompanied by a 90-second video clip, it showcases intense animation sequences filled with fiery battles, blood-red effects, and dynamic character introductions against dramatic backdrops of flames, shadows, and epic confrontations. The visuals introduce key heroes in action poses, wielding swords and magic amid chaotic war scenes, perfectly capturing the series’ gritty tone.
The anime’s new cast members:
- Shōya Chiba as Jayce Partiract
- Yōko Hikasa as Neely
Stars of the anime include:
- Yōhei Azakami as Xylo Forbartz
- Mayu Iizuka as Teoritta
- Shizuka Ishigami as Patausche Kivia
- Shun Horie as Dotta Luzulas
- Shunichi Toki as Venetim Leopool
- Yōji Ueda as Noragalle Senridge
- Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Tatsuya
- Jun Fukushima as Tsav
Sentenced to be a Hero anime premiered on January 3, 2026.
Staff of the anime include:
- Hiroyuki Takashima as Director
- Animation Studio: Studio KAI
- Yoshitake Nakakōji as Assistant Director, and Creature Designer
- Kenta Ihara as Script Supervisor, and Writer
- Takeshi Noda as Character Designer
- Shunsuke Takizawa as Music Composer
- Nobutaka Ike is credited for Wordbuilding
- Kouta Sugawa as Prop Designer
Crafted by writer Rocket Shokai and brought to life with illustrations by Mephisto, Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 is a gripping Japanese light novel series. It first emerged as a web novel on Kakuyomu in October 2020, captivating readers with its unique premise. The series transitioned into a published light novel under ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki no Shin Bungei imprint starting in September 2021. A manga adaptation, expanding the story’s reach, began serialization in ASCII Media Works’ Dengeki Comic Regulus web magazine in March 2022.
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Hello, I am Theisen. I am a blogger and I enjoy writing about anime, manga. I have experience in writing articles about anime for a couple of years, and I am trying to make myself better in the industry.
