The punishment for heroes begins with a special event. The production team of the anime Sentenced to Be a Hero: The Prison Records of Penal Hero Unit 9004 (Yusha-kei ni Shosu: Chobatsu Yusha 9004-tai Keimu Kiroku) revealed its main promotional video on Saturday. The announcement confirmed that the series will premiere on January 3, 2026 on Tokyo MX with a special 60-minute episode.
The video teases the show's powerful theme song, "Kill the Noise," performed by rock band SPYAIR (famous for their songs on Haikyu!! and Gintama). Following the one-hour special on January 3, the second episode will air on January 15, continuing with a regular broadcast on Thursdays.
New additions to the cast
Two new high-profile voices have been confirmed to join the squad:
- Yuuichi Nakamura (Satoru Gojo in Jujutsu Kaisen) as Rhyno
- Saori Onishi (Aiz Wallenstein in DanMachi) as Frenci Mastibolt
Staff & Production
The series is produced by Studio KAI under the direction of Hiroyuki Takashima. Kenta Ihara (Saga of Tanya the Evil) is in charge of series composition and scripts, while Takeru Noda designs the characters.
About the original work
Based on the Rocket Shokai light novels illustrated by Mephisto, the story follows a group of doomed heroes who must fight on the most dangerous front lines as a way to serve their sentence. The eighth volume of the novel is scheduled to be released on January 17, 2026.
