A hardcore isekai idea stuck in grind mode
On paper, Hell Mode has the kind of setup that should make isekai fans sit up a bit. Instead of dropping its lead into easy-mode royalty or giving him instant broken powers, the series follows Kenichi Yamada, a hardcore gamer who is reborn as Allen — a baby born into poverty inside a game world set to the toughest possible difficulty.
That is already a sharper hook than the usual “new life, overpowered skill, everyone claps” formula. Allen’s summoner abilities are special, but they do not come with instant domination. He has to grind. A lot. The problem, according to Anime News Network’s review of Season 1, is that the anime leans so hard into the grinding that it struggles to become an actual adventure.
Too many stats, not enough story
ANN’s review describes the opening stretch as especially slow, with Allen spending his early life doing extremely basic tasks while thinking through his stats. The anime apparently moves faster than the light novel version, which the review says spends even more time on detailed status information, but faster does not automatically mean exciting.
Season 1 still sounds heavily built around Allen’s progression systems: levels, numbers, abilities, and optimisation. For viewers who enjoy RPG mechanics, that could be part of the appeal. But the criticism here is that the show does not balance those mechanics with enough plot, character drama, or memorable action.
The review also notes that Allen eventually shifts from simple training into using his summons against monsters, but the fights do not seem to deliver the kind of impact you would expect from a fantasy battle anime. Because his summoned creatures do most of the work, the combat reportedly lacks strong choreography or big hype moments. Basically, if you came in expecting sakuga-heavy monster fights, this may not be that show.
The worldbuilding is there, but barely pays off
There are hints of broader politics and worldbuilding in the background, but ANN’s take is that Season 1 does not develop them into anything especially meaningful. That leaves the series leaning even harder on Allen’s personal grind.
The character writing also comes under fire. Allen does grow attached to his new family, but the review argues that this emotional side feels secondary to his obsession with numbers and progression. That makes him a difficult protagonist to connect with, especially when the anime does not deeply explore his old life as Kenichi.
The CG is the big visual complaint
The harshest criticism is aimed at the CG. ANN calls out the computer-generated summons and monsters as a major weakness, describing them as dated, awkwardly integrated, and unpleasant to watch. The 2D animation is presented as passable rather than standout, but the CG appears often enough that it becomes hard to ignore.
For an anime where summons and monsters are central to the action, that is a serious problem. If the fantasy creatures do not look convincing or move well, the whole power-system fantasy loses a lot of punch.
Sub over dub, according to ANN
On the audio side, the review recommends watching the Japanese version over the English dub. ANN says the Japanese cast performs fine, while the dub does not bring enough energy despite having known names like Luci Christian as Allen and Natalie Rial as Krena.
Why this matters for Malaysia and SEA anime fans
Analysis/inference: For Malaysia and SEA viewers who follow seasonal anime closely, this review is useful because Hell Mode looks like the kind of title that could attract RPG and isekai fans at first glance. The premise has that “hardcore gamer min-maxing a brutal world” flavour, which sounds memang ngam for fans who like systems, builds, and progression.
But based on ANN’s review, the warning is clear: if you need strong characters, stylish fights, or clean visuals, Season 1 may be a rough grind. If you are the type who enjoys watching stat progression for its own sake, maybe there is still something here. Everyone else may want to temper expectations.