I’ve been trying desperately to catch up on some more recent series, and one I’ve been particularly interested in was this one.  After all the talk of MHA, it’s refreshing to see a VERY different take on hero society.

BUT IS IT ANY GOOD?  Find out below, and as always, SPOILERS AHEAD.

So, quick synopsis:

TO BE HERO X takes place in a world where heroes are ranked by the perfectly-well-defined Trust Value rating on their wrist, showing how many people trust in them as a hero and defines how a hero is presented in public.  The story goes into deeper lore, defining a relatively new score labeled Fear that works inversely to Trust Values, and the ranking of heroes that labels the top hero as “Hero X”, the most popular and powerful hero placed atop society every three years.

While this seems vague, I primarily focus on the world for the synopsis rather than the main characters because the story shifts views between ten-ish characters in its 24-episode timespan.  I won’t say it’s unusual for a series to switch views so much (looking at you, Juni Taisen), but so much depth and lore is packed into the first season that it can be a bit overwhelming if you’re not prepared.

So, what did I think of this series?  Let’s find out!

Plot / Story: 10.0/10

Where do I begin with this one?  The threads of the plots are incredibly wild, and incredibly well-designed.  Every story we’re introduced to plays into another character’s, usually more than one.  Nice and Lin Ling; Lucky Cyan, Queen, and Little Johnny; and E-Soul and New E-Soul.  Minor characters will occasionally show up with other-character-relevant information, from the subtle build that X starts with Cyan, to the events presented in the last few episodes leading to Nice commiting suicide in the first few scenes of Episode 1.

From start to end, the series wants the watcher to see the connections that bore each character’s reactions to the others.  Who and why is this white-haired adult stalking this teen scientist? When two people share a title, do they share the power or fight for it?  Almost every interaction is important for the overall plot of becoming the best hero, and the show shows how and why our presented leads are fighting  for their goals.

I often go into series lately with the most minimal knowledge of it, to keep everything a surprise and maintain interest to the end.  Having only seen the youtube concept video about four or five years ago, I can’t deny that I was pleasantly surprised about almost everything I saw in To Be Hero X.

The basic idea is that any hero can become Hero X, but there will always be someone who is better than the current star, for better or for worse.  The “main” X presented in parts of the story is just what you’d expect of a powerful hero: unbeatable, mysterious, and fighting for the right things.  When we finally see more on Hero X, he’s entirely clear with what he wants to do; having fun, protecting people from harm, and clocking out on time.

Character Development: 11.0/10

With such a large main cast presented individually over the course of 24 episodes, one might think there’s either going to be rushed introductions or that characters will be shown as unimportant or backburner for Season 2 (should it happen).

You’d be wrong to think that.

The first arc follows Lin Ling, a commercial maker for the nearly-top-ten hero Nice, and as he attempts suicide, he meets Nice, who waves to him before falling to his own death.  Lin Ling is then taken by Nice’s handlers, and is forced to become Nice, on the screens, and in reality.

This arc lasts three or four episodes, and gives us some important details about Trust Values, primarily that those with prominently high values are more restricted by their fans and their depiction of the heroes… and that a hero can reject their powers with enough grit and determination.

Every arc has very important points that help build the world, explain Trust and Fear values, and flesh out our heroes and heroines that are the focus of this world.  To Be Hero X does this so well, every episode feels like a cliffhanger that you just want to jump off of to see what happens next.

The best part (for me, at least) is that none of it feels rushed or unimportant.  Every character introduced plays a key part in the story, whether you’re aware of it during the episode or via a callback in a later one.  Little Johnnie’s father dying, Nice’s fall into suicidal intentions, even the mystery surrounding X going into the final few episodes… there is so much meaning behind each of the characters, and it all feels intentional, well-planned, and carefully brilliant.

Art / Acting / Music: 10.0/10

Acting in this series is incredibly well-done; Lin Ling’s reaction to becoming Nice, Yang Sheng’s ups and downs as and against Old E-Soul, and Lucky Cyan’s displeasure with her cult and daring escape from it (and inevitable return to save her friend).  Each character plays their role incredibly well, though it’s hard to keep track of some characters listening to a Chinese anime with Japanese actors and English subtitles.  Names don’t always translate properly, so there’s occasionally some weird translations (such as the dog named Tiger being retranslated from Tora into Ahu), but overall, I have few complaints about the actual acting.

Music in To Be Hero X is also presented well; as an action series, there are key fights that have music fit to them, such as God Eye vs Lin Ling, X vs various minor heroes, and E-Soul vs New E-Soul.  Each part of the soundtrack is an instant banger, to be blunt, and the OP and ED themes are even more addictive (I can’t count the number of times I’ve listened to Inertia since starting the series).  I’ve never encountered an action series with as much hype as this one, though that could be my own bias towards action series in general.

…You may have noticed that I skipped over Art.  When you start the show, the presentation is 3D animated – not hard-to-watch partial animation with 2D characters, or “you have to get used to it” Land of the Lustrous 3D animation.  It’s ARCANE-style, well-done 3D animation with care given to various points.  Just as you’re settling into the 3D style, however, the show throws a curveball and switches to high-energy, “the team must be tired after animating this”-level 2D animation akin to that of TWEWY’s art style.

To Be Hero X does an exceptional job of switching the animation style on the fly, though one may ask “why?”  For a short bit (the first few episodes), it switches regularly, but then we reach a point in the show where we’ve gone specifically to 2D – and it stays this way for a while.  Then, out of nowhere, we return to switches between 2D and 3D.  But again, “why?”

In the last few episodes, we discover X’s ability to change people’s specific art form, and we see various fights with him quickly flowing with himself and the enemies between 3D, 2D, and even in-world 2D.  It kinda gives the impression that X has been present for many of the major events shown (such as Lucky Cyan’s first performance), or at least, that’s my headcanon.  Either way, it makes for a flashy and unique series showcase, and an excuse to try out new animation techniques.

Rewatch Value: 10.0/10

Would I watch To Be Hero X (season 1) again?  Almost absolutely yes, if not just to piece together the lingering questions that I have, such as WHICH E-SOUL WON THE FIGHT (and to confirm my headcanon about X).  The characters are extremely interesting, and unlike some other shows I could name (cough JJK cough), I genuinely like all of them, even the ones with questionable motives, like Nice and whatshisface who controls him.  Like I stated, the opening theme is a banger, the action is intense, and the depressing scenes are minimal (but ever present, RIP Shang Chao and Smile), so the show overall is interesting and engaging from start to finish.

Overall Rating: 10.0/10

I LOVE THIS SHOW, but you probably already gathered that.  Recently I’ve been discovering shows that are incredibly well-crafted, impressively composed, and enjoyable on multiple rewatches.  Some shows are too gritty or depressing to rewatch immediately, while others just bore me to death past two or three rewatchings.  To Be Hero X meets an artistic itch that I never thought I’d scratch with music and stories that keep the show interesting and cool – emphasis on “stories”.

Is there something I’d change about this show to make it better?  Not really.  I think the creators and distributors did a bang-up job with this show, from the presentation to Western audiences to the show itself.  I can’t name a single thing I’d change… except for killing Moon, but I doubt they’d leave that plot thread there if they weren’t coming back to it for Season 2.

To Be Hero X is available on Crunchyroll in North America, as a lot of series are nowadays, but also on Bilibili for anyone wanting the authentic Chinese experience (that is, the original).  While season 2 hasn’t been announced yet, there’s a good chance that the exposure from its concept video (which I hadn’t realized I had watched until X was introduced) and from the Crunchyroll release will give it a better chance of being announced soon.  But as we all know, animation takes a long time (probably triply so for this series).

Total Score: 51.0/50

Grade: S