cacamanthat
September 15, 2025
Mixed Feelings
TL;DR: To Be Hero X is a fun show with phenomenal animation, an interesting premise, and well-defined characters. If you watch it for those three reasons and go in looking for an action-packed good time, you’ll be very happy — see @SkyBlue1012’s review! The ride is wild and you just have to strap in and not think about things too hard to enjoy it. However, if you’re a cynic about these things and go in hoping for rock-hard, satisfying storytelling and strong character development, you may be disappointed (and very confused). Full review: Preamble: Because the show isn’t very clear about this (and no one inthe reviews can seem to agree), I’ll be referring to the characters that get their own dedicated origin stories or (in one case) significant development over the course of multiple episodes as “focus characters”, their arcs as “focus arcs”, and the titular character — X — as such.
Plot:
This story is told in reverse, starting with the present/most recent events, then progressing backwards with the focus arcs that follow. Though each focus arc follows a different character’s journey, we slowly start to see how they all connect, as each arc shows events that cause the effects of arcs prior. However, at some point (and not a very well defined one), the focus arcs start progressing back towards the present, and the story becomes much more non-linear, until we finally crash back into the present in the final episode.
Because of this not-quite-linear storytelling, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow the main plot, especially in the latter half of the show. And not in an I-just-need-to-pay-better-attention kind of way, but in a wait-what-was-that-reveal-and-now-I-have-more-questions kind of way.
The show also leaves so many loose ends. I’m left with questions after episode ONE that never get answered, never mind all 23 of those following. Reveals occur in subtle lines and visuals: literally, if you blink, you’ll miss it. And of the mysteries the show does give the answer to, they’re “solved” with open ends and ambiguous claims. Some threads are tied in the very last episode… in a minute and 30-second stripped back version of the ED with images flashing by so quickly you can barely put together what they mean. It makes for a disappointing, confusing end to what had the potential to be a really intriguing story.
Characters:
Pros: Every focus character got their own dedicated arc where we got to learn their origin stories and motivations for becoming a hero. Each one is both visually and characteristically different, and we get enough characterization that each feels as though they can stand on their own. Honestly, we could have a whole show/season exploring any of these guys as the main character and their interactions and adventures with the surrounding cast. Our titular character, X, is delightfully nonchalant in almost every way and has the most visually fun powers of anyone in the show.
Cons: Because we only get to spend a few episodes with each focus character, we don’t get to know all that much about them. Yes, as mentioned above, we learn their basic personalities, main motivations, and superhero origins, but also as mentioned above, many seem like they deserve far more development and screen time than they get. The allotted time for each character’s focus arc is also pretty unequal, and not in a way that always makes sense: a few of the more interesting characters only get one or two episodes to star, while others receive far more screen time than what seems deserved, given their role in the story. If we get a season two, hopefully these characters will all get more development and chances to interact, but as it stands, we’ve yet to get especially attached to any of this ensemble cast’s members.
Our titular character suffers the most from this. Despite looming large over the whole series, he only actually shows up around 4 times, outside of the OP and ED, most of the time for a few seconds or part of a scene. X is supposed to be mysterious, yes — the show points out explicitly that no one really knows anything about him in-universe, and he certainly doesn’t serve the role of proper main character — but we know nothing about his motivations, his purpose, his origins. Even his power, while fun to watch in action, is unclear as to what exactly it does. The show attempts to explain some of the above (I think) in the final episode, but it does so in a way that leaves his true identity ambiguous and his motivations murky at best. As with the rest, X seems like he would make a great side (or main, or villain) character in a more focused story, and I would have loved to see far more of him than what we get.
Animation:
Pros: Absolutely fantastic animation, especially in the first few and last episodes. Fights are dynamic and flashy, and I love how the animation will sometimes switch styles based on character pov/fighting style. This show isn’t afraid to play around and show some character moments through both narration and different visual symbolism. Also really fun OP and ED.
Mixed feelings: I was personally a little disappointed that each character didn’t have their own unique style (at least in 2d), which I originally thought was going to be the case based on the first few arcs. After the third character introduction, though, every arc shared basically the same 2d style (with the 3d disappearing entirely) with very minor changes until last focus character’s introduction.
Also, to that point, what role was the 3d animation supposed to play? At the beginning of the show, it seems like it’s used as the main style of animation, with 2d fight scenes/imagination sequences/character povs interspersed throughout. Then, it disappears for most of the show as we get further back in the past, returning at the very end as an indicator of the present. However, the second character introduction, which happens in the past as related to the opening arc, is also primarily in 3d… so is the 3d animation just an indicator of proximity to the present? If so, why include the 2d sequences in the “present” portions? Am I wasting too many brain cells thinking about this too hard?
Powers and Themes (this one is more nitpicky lol):
Pros: In the first focus arc, we start to explore this world’s power system, one based on public perception and “trust” — the more trust people have in a given person, the more powerful they become. Their powers also reflect the image the public gives them: to take from the first couple of episodes, one hero is “the perfect hero” with standard Superman-esque powers; while another stands proud and strong, able to support anything and anyone. However, the strength heroes gain from the peoples’ trust is also a weakness, as they slowly become the extreme of their public image: the hero from the first example NEEDS to be perfect, almost unconsciously fixing his hair and struggling with asymmetry; the latter is so upstanding and strong that he can no longer sit or bend, even when he isn't actively doing his job, being a hero. We get to explore the pressure those in the limelight face from the public based on the image they present and see the dark side to fame and power, especially when money-hungry, controlling corporations get involved. This “grass is always greener” concept is a classic, the likes of which we’ve seen before (think of any Prince and the Pauper retelling), but here it’s done in a modern and interesting, if on-the-nose, way.
Cons: Though we do get to see the shortcomings of some of the characters’ powers, this aspect of their power also being their weakness largely gets ignored for most of the show. After the first arc, it shows up significantly a few more times, but falls to the wayside as we explore characters’ backstories and the dark side of the hero agencies. Of the 10-11 (depending how you count) characters that get focused arcs, only 3 show marked deficiencies because of their powers (and even then, one of those deficiencies is not well defined).
Overall, I enjoyed it, but came away with more questions than answers and the desire for more exploration of these characters and their stories. If I could give it a 6.5 out of 10, I would, but here I'll round up to a 7.
Animation: 10/10
Story: 6/10
Characters: 7/0
Dialogue: 6/10
Worldbuilding/Power system: 7/10
