The past is never lost … it is only forgotten.
Creative Staff:
Original Story: Zappon
Art: Masahiro Ikeno
Character Design: Yasumo
Translation: Dale DeLucia
Lettering: Dayeun Kim
What They Say:
After finding himself unable to keep up with the hellish fighting on the front lines of the war against the demon lord’s army, Red is finally kicked out of the Hero’s party. Ashamed of his inadequacy, he moves to a distant frontier region where nobody would know his face or past. However, once he gets over the funk of having to leave his adventuring days behind, he’s actually excited to begin a quiet life as an apothecary … which becomes a whole lot more lively when a former party member and actual princess, Rit, pays him an unexpected visit!
Content (please note that content portions of a review may contain spoilers):
It had been three years since the Raging Demon Lord Taraxon appeared on Avalon, and within that short period he had managed to devastate four countries within the area, resulting in half of the continent falling within his hands. The people could do nothing to stop the destruction, and began to feel as if the gods had abandoned them, until they remembered the prophecy of a new Hero being born to lead them out of the darkness. It was then when a lone girl rose out of the countryside and gathered an army of untrained citizens, allowing them to push back the invaders’ forces and prove to all who doubted that she was their savior reborn. Her name was Ruti Ragnason and she was granted by the gods the Divine Blessing of the Hero, and after this feat when she presented herself to the king in the capitol, no one doubted her claims, and thus people began to gather to join her in this noble cause.
But as two armies assembled outside the city gates, it was the humans who were immediately intimidated by the sheer numbers of the demons, only to have their confidence reassured as Ruti stepped forward to lead the charge, boldly stating they must hold out until her brother brought reinforcements, and yet that composed statement was soon shattered as a massive sword slammed into their lines and several men were brutally cleaved, with the hulking beast who bore the weapon callously declaring all he has to do was defeat them and humanity would lose hope. And yet as her companion Ares endeavors to bolster the trust of their troops, he attempts to show they only need the strength of the Hero and his power as a Sage to defeat this newest foe, grandly displaying his magical abilities by launching an impressive spell toward their demonic foe, which is callously laughed off as it retaliates with a more powerful version which easily consumes several helpless soldiers. With both stunned by how overwhelming this devil is compared to the best they could offer, the towering creature readies its final attack, only to be thwarted as a shining spear intercepts what could have been devastating blow, with all desperately searching for the thrower and surprised to see it is the second-in-command of the capitol’s Bahamut Knights and the Hero’s brother Gideon who has come to the rescue. While this assertive man leads the charge with his now emboldened sister, the powerful warrior orders the once self-assured magician to back them up with spells as the siblings charge into the fray, with this new arrival easily defeating a once domineering demon, his Divine Blessing as Guide making him more powerful than anyone on the battlefield. But that victory three years ago is but a fleeting memory as a familiar face receives his payment for herbs gathered, the cheerful girl behind the counter addressing him as Red and no one knowing of the glory he once held, now displaced as his assistance to the Hero became no longer needed, with others in the group easily outpacing him and he is falling behind, and not being able to keep up, Gideon was banished from the party.
In Summary:
While the presentation of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside may have improved from the light novel due to visual clarity from mangaka Ikeno-sensei’s exciting illustrations, informed readers are left with a new problem arising from writer Zappon-sensei’s original source material – we are no longer interrupted by flashbacks as Gideon and his caring relationship with his sister. Although this adaptation may now be streamlined to concentrate on the life Red has created in Zoltan, this version now lacks the intrusive explanations which mold an understanding of the complex foundations of blessings and how they interact with a person’s future, and it is this exclusion of information which leaves the current story lacking a necessary depth for recognizing why Gideon chose to bitterly leave the Hero behind. The fleeting scene of Ares coldly explaining he is no longer needed is too brief to make any lasting impact, and yet at the same time, it also brutally reveals this conniving mage’s desire to get closer to Ruti, with the black and white images adding to the calculating nature of this man and his plans to exclude people who no serve a purpose for his grand plans.
However, as we are no longer burdened by the underlying yet sincere relationship between siblings, this translation is allowed to focus on the expanding friendships between Red and the people within the village, broadening his new life and allowing these burgeoning partnerships to expand so that the central location for the series is brought forth more quickly, the apothecary which is now considered his promising job within the community. It is through this narrative leap that readers are also able to meet Rit, the princess who had a close connection with Gideon and wishes to rekindle it with Red, allowing them to deepen their bond into something special, all while questionably abandoning the charming closeness we saw between brother and sister, which was the basis for the light novel.
This perplexing adaptation of Banished from the Hero’s Party, I Decided to Live a Quiet Life in the Countryside into a manga is a frustrating predicament, with this focused retelling unable to find a satisfactory balance between keeping what made the light novel endearing due to caring sibling relationships and expanding on a new life with a substitute partner and developing girlfriend. While tolerant readers may have been overburdened by confounding information within the source material, it is this lack of relevance that creates unwelcomed voids within this graphic presentation, lending to the haphazard brevity which makes this book feel rushed to leap forward to Rit and Red becoming closer and helping the people of Zoltan. This puzzling shift in relationship priorities makes those familiar with the original story wonder what will become of this troubled manga, even as a new audience revels in the charm of seeing a princess delight an ordinary life, all as we question how the Hero will tolerate her dearest confidant missing from her hazardous life.
Content Grade: B+
Art Grade: A-
Packaging Grade: A-
Text/Translation Grade: A-
Age Rating: Teen
Released By: Yen Press
Release Date: April 05, 2022
MSRP: $13.00
