Meeting the Sentenced to Be a Hero Creators and Cast at NYCC 2026

• Interview Location: New York Comic Con 2026
• Interview Format: In-person, One-on-One

Anime Herald: Now thatAce Combat 8is out, has it inspired any future arcs for the series?

Rocket Shokai: It is very easy to be influenced, but if this were to inspire an arc within a story, I would choose a different story. An imitation becoming real would be a story for a different time.

Anime Herald: That is an interesting pen name. How did you choose it?

Mephisto: In Japan, we have a term, “middle school illness.” (chunibyo) It comes from middle school kids thinking of themselves as more powerful and important than they are. When I was in middle school, I was into foreign legends, fairy tales. I was reading Dante, Milton’s Paradise Lost,Faust. Within Faust, there is the devil Mephisto. I thought that was so cool, so I’ve been Mephisto since middle school.

I want to make it clear that I am not Satanic. No devil worshiping. (Laughs)

Anime Herald: What do you do to mentally get into character to play Xylo Forbartz?

Yohei Azakami: When it comes to voice acting, there’s no movement. There are no visuals, no body element that we can use to convey what the characters are doing or feeling. The damage to the body, the dirt, the scent, what all of the senses that the character is feeling, they all have to be conveyed by voice. What I focus on is not necessarily how to provide the depth of the character, but rather, what is this character truly experiencing at that moment, and how do I let that carry through using only my voice. I don’t know if I am doing a good job, but that’s what I hope I’m doing.

Anime Herald: What do you do to mentally get into character to play Teoritta?

Mayu Iizuka: What I hope to be able to convey is, going back to my childhood, I always try to help other people. As I get older, it is harder to do that, to have that opportunity to reach out. That pureness, that innocence, of offering help because you can, because you want to, is something that I am calling upon again through reliving that innocence that Teoritta has.

Anime Herald: George R.R. Martin has generally treated life as cheap. Do you feel the same way about life inSentenced toBe a Hero?

Rocket Shokai: Maybe it is my perspective on this, but I feel like George R.R. Martin is asking “What is more important than life? What is worth giving up your life for? If not life, what is left?” That is a consistent philosophy I always ask myself as well in my perspective of this.

Anime Herald: What is it about Rhyno that makes him your favorite character fromSentenced toBe a Hero?

Mephisto: Most importantly, Rhyno is super unique. He has a storyline like no other. What I think is absolutely adorable is that he tries so hard to be accepted by mankind. He tries so hard to be loved by mankind. And yet, everything he does makes him look stranger and like more of an outcast. I think that’s adorable.

Anime Herald: If you were sentenced to be a hero, what is the crime you would have been accused of?

Yohei Azakami: Too many! Lots!

Laziness.

Laziness is definitely the crime. Luckily, voice acting has allowed me to challenge myself. It really motivates me. I feel so lucky to be here in New York because of it. If I didn’t have work, I’d be in big trouble.

Rocket Shokai: What do you think my crime would be?

Yohei Azakami: No comment. (Laughs)

Anime Herald: On a scale of one to ten, where one is not caring at all, and ten is equal to Teoritta, how much do you enjoy praise?

Mayu Iizuka: Ten, with confidence.

Yohei Azakami: Me too!

Rocket Shokai: I’m about a five.

Mephisto: I’m self motivated.

Mayu Iizuka: I feel very fortunate that I can enjoy praise. That makes me feel like there were lots of people who found good things in me and feel that I was praiseworthy. I feel fortunate to be able to say I like praise because it is the love I have received.

Anime Herald: What would you like our readers to know aboutSentenced toBe a Hero?

Rocket Shokai: In the anime so far, we haven’t necessarily seen how lovable these penal heroes really are. That is coming. Please stay tuned to see these characters really come to life.

Anime Herald: What is your origin story? How did you decide you wanted to be an artist?

Mephisto: Ever since I was in elementary school, I drew a lot of sketches. Dragon Ball, Naruto, the popular shows at the time. I would draw at school. My friends would be impressed and it gave me pride and joy, so I continued to draw. In high school, smartphones and social gacha phone games became popular. That allowed illustrators to design characters and push their content to a much larger audience. That made me realize there was a future in making a career out of illustration. That’s what propelled my career.

Anime Herald: What was your initial impression ofSentenced toBe a Hero?

Yohei Azakami: I’ve always preferred dark heroes over traditional, clean heroes. There’s definitely an element of that. But more so, this is a story where a lot of characters with faults come together to make success happen. It ties all of the pieces of the puzzle together, so that they can succeed. Yes, Xylo is the main character, but he is not the one with all of the superpowers. He doesn’t just swoop in and save the day. He has to use wit. He has to use his team. He has to collaborate. There are no clear answers. Everything is complex. That makes the storyline so exciting and enjoyable for me.

Anime Herald: What was your initial impression ofSentenced toBe a Hero?

Mayu Iizuka: I already knew I was assigned to play Teoritta when I first studied thees were Anpanman, Precure. Clean, classic heroes of justice and good. But Xylo is very human. That raw emotion that drives him is so new for the concept of a hero. It is intriguing and something that gets deeper as the story develops

Anime Herald: Thank you very much.