Hell Mode
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Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing(Japanese: ヘルモード ～やり込み好きのゲーマーは廃設定の異世界で無双する～, Hepburn: Heru Mōdo: Yarikomizuki no Gēmā wa Hai Settei no Isekai de Musō Suru) is a Japanese light novel series written by Hamuo and illustrated by Mo. It began serialization online in November 2019 on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō. It was later acquired by Earth Star Entertainment, who have published thirteen volumes since July 2020 under their Earth Star Novel imprint. A manga adaptation with art by Enji Tetta has been serialized online via Earth Star Entertainment's Comic Earth Star website since October 2020 and has been collected in thirteen tankōbon volumes. An anime television series adaptation produced by Yokohama Animation Laboratory aired from January to March 2026. A second season is set to premiere in July 2026.
Plot
Kenichi Yamada, a 35-year-old office worker and veteran MMORPG player, becomes disillusioned with modern games that cater to casual play. When he encounters a mysterious new game that promises endless progression and an extreme difficulty setting called "Hell Mode", he selects it without hesitation. Upon doing so, Kenichi is reincarnated into another world as a newborn boy named Allen, born into a family of serfs, with no status or wealth.
Living under the harsh rules of Hell Mode, Allen chooses the Summoner class, which offers vast potential, but requires significant effort to grow stronger. With only his previous memories and wits to guide him, he painstakingly experiments to understand his abilities while training from early childhood. As he steadily develops his power, Allen works toward improving his family's circumstances and escaping serfdom.
Characters
Allen(アレン, Aren)
Voiced by: Mutsumi Tamura (audio drama, anime) (Japanese); Luci Christian (English)
Krena(クレナ, Kurena)
Voiced by: Mayu Iizuka (anime) (Japanese); Natalie Rial (English)
Dogora(ドゴラ)
Voiced by: Tasuku Hatanaka (anime) (Japanese); Chaney Moore (English)
Cecil Granvelle(セシル・グランヴェル, Seshiru Guranveru)
Voiced by: Kana Ueda (audio drama), Sayaka Senbongi (anime)
Rodin(ロダン)
Voiced by: Hideo Ishikawa (anime) (Japanese); Jeremy Gee (English)
Theresia(テレシア, Tereshia)
Voiced by: Sayaka Ohara (anime) (Japanese); Annie Wild (English)
Matthew(マッシュ, Masshu)
Voiced by: Makoto Koichi (anime) (Japanese); Kalin Coates (English)
Butler Von Granvelle(バトラー＝フォン＝グランヴェル, Batorā Fon Guranveru)
Voiced by: Tomokazu Sugita (anime)
Mikhail Granvelle(ミハイ＝グランヴェル, Mihai Guranveru)
Voiced by: Shōya Chiba (anime)
Thomas Granvelle(トマス＝グランヴェル, Tomasu Guranveru)
Voiced by: Marie Miyake (anime)
Zenoff(ゼノフ, Zenofu)
Voiced by: Akio Ōtsuka (anime) (Japanese); Jay Hickman (English)
Carnell(カルネル, Karuneru)
Voiced by: Takahiro Miyamoto (anime)
error: {{nihongo}}: Japanese or romaji text required (help)
Voiced by: Takahiro Sakurai[citation needed]
Media
Light novels
Written by Hamuo, Hell Mode: The Hardcore Gamer Dominates in Another World with Garbage Balancing began serialization on the user-generated novel publishing website Shōsetsuka ni Narō on November 17, 2019. It was later acquired by Earth Star Entertainment who began releasing it with illustrations by Mo under their Earth Star Novel light novel imprint on July 15, 2020. Thirteen volumes have been released as of January 15, 2026.
During their panel at Anime Expo Lite 2021, J-Novel Club announced that they had licensed the series for English publication. During their panel at Anime NYC 2022, J-Novel Club announced that print releases of the series would be handled by Yen Press.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | North American release date | North American ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | July 15, 2020 | 978-4-8030-1433-4 | October 13, 2021 (digital) June 6, 2023 (print) | 978-1-7183-8198-8 (digital) 978-1-9753-6849-4 (print) |
| 2 | November 16, 2020 | 978-4-8030-1468-6 | January 4, 2022 (digital) September 19, 2023 (print) | 978-1-7183-8200-8 (digital) 978-1-9753-6850-0 (print) |
| 3 | March 17, 2021 | 978-4-8030-1501-0 | April 13, 2022 (digital) January 30, 2024 (print) | 978-1-7183-8202-2 (digital) 978-1-9753-6851-7 (print) |
| 4 | September 15, 2021 | 978-4-8030-1564-5 | July 27, 2022 (digital) May 21, 2024 (print) | 978-1-7183-8204-6 (digital) 978-1-9753-6852-4 (print) |
| 5 | March 16, 2022 | 978-4-8030-1624-6 | January 11, 2023 (digital) August 20, 2024 (print) | 978-1-7183-8206-0 (digital) 978-1-9753-6853-1 (print) |
| 6 | September 15, 2022 | 978-4-8030-1693-2 | July 31, 2023 (digital) November 19, 2024 (print) | 978-1-7183-8208-4 (digital) 978-1-9753-6854-8 (print) |
| 7 | March 15, 2023 | 978-4-8030-1763-2 | January 15, 2024 (digital) February 18, 2025 (print) | 978-1-7183-8210-7 (digital) 979-8-8554-0556-9 (print) |
| 8 | October 18, 2023 | 978-4-8030-1848-6 | December 18, 2024 (digital) June 10, 2025 (print) | 978-1-7183-8212-1 (digital) 979-8-8554-2143-9 (print) |
| 9 | April 17, 2024 | 978-4-8030-1938-4 | March 26, 2025 (digital) December 16, 2025 (print) | 978-1-7183-8214-5 (digital) 979-8-8554-2382-2 (print) |
| 10 | September 13, 2024 | 978-4-8030-2007-6 | September 2, 2025 (digital) May 12, 2026 (print) | 978-1-7183-8216-9 (digital) 979-8-8554-3343-2 (print) |
| 11 | March 14, 2025 | 978-4-8030-2099-1 | December 26, 2025 (digital) | 978-1-7183-8218-3 |
| 12 | October 16, 2025 | 978-4-8030-2198-1 | — | — |
| 13 | January 15, 2026 | 978-4-8030-2252-0 | — | — |
Manga
A manga adaptation illustrated by Enji Tetta began serialization on Earth Star Entertainment's Comic Earth Star manga service on October 15, 2020. The manga's chapters have been compiled into thirteen tankōbon volumes as of January 2026.
During their panel at Anime Expo 2023, J-Novel Club announced that they had also licensed the manga adaptation for English publication.
| No. | Original release date | Original ISBN | North American release date | North American ISBN |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | May 12, 2021 | 978-4-8030-1516-4 | September 20, 2023 | 978-1-7183-8720-1 |
| 2 | October 12, 2021 | 978-4-8030-1566-9 | December 27, 2023 | 978-1-7183-8721-8 |
| 3 | March 12, 2022 | 978-4-8030-1622-2 | April 27, 2024 | 978-1-7183-8722-5 |
| 4 | August 10, 2022 | 978-4-8030-1676-5 | August 7, 2024 | 978-1-7183-8723-2 |
| 5 | January 12, 2023 | 978-4-8030-1733-5 | December 25, 2024 | 978-1-7183-8724-9 |
| 6 | June 12, 2023 | 978-4-8030-1791-5 | April 16, 2025 | 978-1-7183-8725-6 |
| 7 | October 12, 2023 | 978-4-8030-1844-8 | August 6, 2025 | 978-1-7183-8726-3 |
| 8 | March 13, 2024 | 978-4-8030-1919-3 | October 15, 2025 | 978-1-7183-8727-0 |
| 9 | July 12, 2024 | 978-4-8030-1978-0 | December 24, 2025 | 978-1-7183-8728-7 |
| 10 | December 12, 2024 | 978-4-8030-2047-2 | — | — |
| 11 | April 11, 2025 | 978-4-8030-2110-3 | — | — |
| 12 | September 12, 2025 | 978-4-8030-2180-6 | — | — |
| 13 | January 9, 2026 | 978-4-8030-2248-3 | — | — |
Anime
An anime television series adaptation was announced on December 5, 2024. It is produced by Yokohama Animation Laboratory and directed by Masato Tamagawa, with Daishiro Tanimura handling series composition, Kei Tsushima designing the characters, and Misaki Tsuchida, Moyu Kanazaki, Junko Nakajima, Kanada Sakuma, Reiko Abe, Kaho Sawada, BeauDamian, and Tsugumi Tanaka composing the music. The series premiered on January 10, 2026, on Tokyo MX and other networks. The opening theme song is "Haku", performed by Atarayo[ja], while the ending theme song is "Sanctuary", performed by Kaya. Sentai Filmworks licensed the series in North America for streaming on Hidive.
Following the airing of the final episode, a second season was announced, which is set to premiere in July 2026.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Directed by | Written by | Storyboarded by | Original release date |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Transliteration: "Tensei Shitara Nōdodatta" (Japanese: 転生したら農奴だった) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | January 10, 2026(2026-01-10) |
| 2 | Transliteration: "Kantei no Gi" (Japanese: 鑑定の儀) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | January 17, 2026(2026-01-17) |
| 3 | Transliteration: "Jiken" (Japanese: 事件) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | January 24, 2026(2026-01-24) |
| 4 | Transliteration: "Aren no Kokuhaku" (Japanese: アレンの告白) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | January 31, 2026(2026-01-31) |
| 5 | Transliteration: "Shōkansamurai no Chikara" (Japanese: 召喚士の力) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | February 7, 2026(2026-02-07) |
| 6 | Transliteration: "Tabidachi" (Japanese: 旅立ち) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | February 14, 2026(2026-02-14) |
| 7 | "Life With The Granvelles" Transliteration: "Guranveru-ke de no Hibi" (Japanese: グランヴェル家での日々) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | February 21, 2026(2026-02-21) |
| 8 | "Huntsman" Transliteration: "Shuryō-ban" (Japanese: 狩猟番) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | February 28, 2026(2026-02-28) |
| 9 | "Murdergalsh" Transliteration: "Mādāgarushu" (Japanese: マーダーガルシュ) | Unknown | Unknown | TBA | March 7, 2026(2026-03-07) |
Reception
The series won the grand prize at the 2nd Earth Star Novel Award in 2020.
By December 2024, the series had over 1.6 million copies in circulation.
See also
- Chronicles of an Aristocrat Reborn in Another World, another light novel series with the same illustrator
Notes
External links
- at Shōsetsuka ni Narō (in Japanese)
- at Earth Star Novel (in Japanese)
- (in Japanese)
- (in Japanese)
- (light novel) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia