To Be Hero X exploded onto the anime scene with a thrilling and raw story. It has a stunning mix of fantastical stakes, political intrigue, and a lot of satire. Not to mention the ground-breaking mix of 3D animation (a staple of the donghua) and 2D animation (like most anime) represents the present and the past accurately.
But even with the proper groundwork being down and the life of each hero depicted along with their struggles, motives, and those supporting them, it might not last for too long.
As soon as the groundwork is laid, the supporting characters (there are a lot of them) will be set aside. They are like the booster rockets that are dropped when a rocket takes off. When the going gets real, it will be up to the heroes themselves.
The cast is already too vast to handle properly
The series is approaching even higher tiers of storytelling and heading towards the exciting tournament arc in Season 2, the fans may have to say goodbye to some of their favorite side characters.
In a massive, laid out tapestry such as To Be Hero X, the side characters are mirrors into their psyche, explaining and hinting to the audience about what the heroes want. Whether it is Lin Ling, Yang Cheng, or the Queen, they all have their own circumstances.
The important thing about the anime is that only the one who holds the title of ‘X’ can reign supreme. The rest of the heroes have to play PR games and constantly fight for the approval of the fans. But at the peak of the world, the Hero X can revolutionize the way things work.
Do you think any other characters will play significant roles in other arcs?
byu/Kufrel inToBeHero_X
The important thing is that, for this fight of ideologies, the side or supporting cast was utilized. Now, with the tournament arc approaching, it is time for these characters to fade away. After chiselling the images of the contenders, they can only remain as spectate, mainly off-screen.
The story is shifting towards the center, connecting all the strings
The first season juggled a wide cast of figures, from the everyday civilians to behind-the-scenes schemers, and even the compatriots in the lives (or the past of the heroes). The narrative was brilliantly set and made each and every character, no matter how mundane, feel special.
But with the plot shifting focus directly to the competition among Hero X candidates and the ideological wars surrounding them, it is clear that there are already way too many cooks stirring the pot.
The next chapter of To Be Hero X will dispense with the subtleties and start a constant, ongoing fight for the top seat. Since there are multiple contenders and the implications of their actions, their monologues and depictions themselves will take up a lot of time.
Comment
byu/Kufrel from discussion
inToBeHero_X
This isn’t necessarily a flaw or a bad thing; it is good to know when to let things go, like upgrading to better equipment in a game. With the main characters ‘leveling up’ and heading to the big leagues, the other characters can either support them or be forgotten.
Comment
byu/Kufrel from discussion
inToBeHero_X
Even with the focus switching to the core themes and narrative, there’s still room for meaningful flashbacks, symbolic moments, or emotional situations involving former side characters. After all, Shonen has taught us that the best way to get a power-up for free is to use the emotions of ‘camaraderie’ and ‘hope’.
You can currently stream To Be Hero X on Crunchyroll.
This post belongs to FandomWire and first appeared on FandomWire
