The official synopsis of “Hero Syndrome” from Yen Press: “Heroes bristle with the power that can protect and save everyone, and these young men and women battle monsters in their dreams, doing their glorious Goddess’s bidding. …Never realizing that the monsters they fight are actually humans. Infested by the mysterious being known simply as the Goddess and transformed into unthinking creatures of havoc and slaughter, these heroes of destruction wage an endless war of blind justice. Only Charon, an elite unit led by a young man known as Azuma, stand a chance against these terrifying enemies. So what might happen when a young scientist named Kaguya who joins their ranks wants to save the heroes rather than defeat them…?”
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“Hero Syndrome” carves a nice little place in the light novel landscape. It offers sci-fi action and adolescent drama that is familiar in its writing but free of redundant tropes and provides a unique world overrun by “heroes.” Moreover, the series has a deceptive depth to it, exploring themes of abuse and touching on the fundamental desires of youths for acceptance and safety in an unfair world.
What works here is the focus on character development with an intriguing cast of misfits with a dark past hanging over them. Azuma and Kaguya are opposites in personality and views on ‘heroes.’ However, their gradual opening up to each other works exceptionally well to unravel the grander societal effects and meaning behind the creatures plaguing Japanese youths. Moreover, both are well written, with Kaguya’s scientific mind and ambitions to change society being well-established through her internal monologs, and Azuma’s closed-off nature and spite towards heroes being clearly defined through his actions. It is always interesting to see the two play off of each other.
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However, the most significant draw and Ayatsuki’s strength as an author lies in the more sensitive themes explored, and the creation of heroes, molded through past trauma, which adds a deeply tragic and emotional layer to the story that will be appreciated by those who like more mature and deep entries in the light novel series. In addition, the build-up of a potential antagonist is handled with such intrigue that it will leave readers anxiously awaiting volume two (kept purposely vague in the review to avoid spoilers). There is a surprising depth to “Hero Syndrome” that could benefit the longevity of the light novel series.
The action also gets considerable attention in Rei Ayatsuki’s writing, with the battles against heroes feeling fully immersive in how detailed each skirmish is. There is also a well-executed transition between the real-world action and the metaphysical battles that occur when Kaguya enters the world of the ‘heroes’ to help land the final killing shot. The action sequences are highlighted through the art by Riichu and character designs by ‘GEKIDAN INU CURRY Doroinu,’ which bring the bizarre machinations to life throughout the books with illustrated guides to the monsters that appear. For this reason alone, the physical release is preferred over the digital one. The translation of the source material is also well handled, with the book containing some language readers may have to look up, as opposed to using ‘Westernisms’ to make it more accessible, a fact that is always appreciated.
“Hero Syndrome” is a well-rounded entry in the light novel genre. It is nothing groundbreaking but familiar enough in its flow and contains some intriguing ideas and characters, making it a promising new series.
