To Be Hero X Ep 20 Review: End of an Era
This episode brings us back to the meat and bone of To Be Hero X: an anti-hero dark superhero story. This episode is full of heroes smashing their own agendas against each other, trying to beat the others to death. The blood spilled in this episode is incredibly heavy. And the aura farming is absolutely prevalent, especially for a late arrival character. Even so, in the end, the current era has ended, and a new one has begun.
This episode is just violent from start to finish, from Luo Li versus Nice, to Ghostblade and the Johhnies versus E-Soul. The fight’s animation are very well done even though they are 2D. At this point, I think it is confirmed that the 3D fight scenes only happen AFTER the current X did something at the end of this episode. And the animation choice isn’t just a budget decision. Evern so, the action in this episode is very well done.
My hearts go out to all the researchers and Luo Li’s dad in this episode though. They were just trying to help the world and were murdered in cold blood by Shang Chao’s father….’s henchmen. Da Xiong was also beaten to death in a brutal way and Nuo Nuo might have been scarred for life after running away half-dead from a hero – Nice. Seeing her father got stabbed sent Luo Li into a frenzied rampage, and prompted her to take her first lives. Although those are just henchmen controlled by Fear – but her hands has got blood on them.
My hearts go out to all the researchers and Luo Li’s dad in this episode though. They were just trying to help the world and were murdered in cold blood by Shang Chao’s father….’s henchmen. Da Xiong was also beaten to death in a brutal way and Nuo Nuo might have been scarred for life after running away half-dead from a hero – Nice. Seeing her father got stabbed sent Luo Li into a frenzied rampage, and prompted her to take her first lives. Although those are just henchmen controlled by Fear – but her hands has got blood on them.
Let’s talk about the “villain” of this episode – and there are A LOT. First is Nice. Well…he isn’t very “nice” by now. In episode 2, we saw Wreck’s past with him was quite ordinary. A very common story of dreamers who got their hopes and dreams dashed by capitalism. But in this episode, we see another perspective from the original “Nice”. he was prepared to do anything to keep his “ranking” and career. He definitely seems more pathetic than before.
Next is E-Soul. Or rather…E-Fraud. The Yang Cheng we first saw has completely disappeared behind the mask and he is right now…just a tool for Rock to fulfill his ambition. He wanted to become X no matter what. However, he did saved some people, but the bad things he had condoned and participated in are kinda unjustifiable, including what happen during this event. he’s just here to kill people basically. And who knows who else Rock ordered him to kill.
And we come to the “executives”. All of the CEOs are human trash for the most part. The FOMO guy seems to be the most decent out of the bunch. But he gives me the feeling of a tech-bro biding his time to pull the rug from under everyone. But still, Rock is undoubtedly the most evil one here. His goal is to bring back Zero – the first X who committed some very insane murder, and was only stopped by the original E-Soul (mad respect to him btw). Still, I think it’s clear that Rock doesn’t simply want to reincarnate the world’s greatest nightmare as a goodwill gesture to him or anything. Rock’s father was the one who “created” Zero. So I think Rock is trying to replicate what his dad did in order to surpass him, or to prove something that the world has misunderstood about him. Either way, the road to his goal was paved by the blood of people who are both innocent and not.
Next is E-Soul. Or rather…E-Fraud. The Yang Cheng we first saw has completely disappeared behind the mask and he is right now…just a tool for Rock to fulfill his ambition. He wanted to become X no matter what. However, he did saved some people, but the bad things he had condoned and participated in are kinda unjustifiable, including what happen during this event. he’s just here to kill people basically. And who knows who else Rock ordered him to kill.
And we come to the “executives”. All of the CEOs are human trash for the most part. The FOMO guy seems to be the most decent out of the bunch. But he gives me the feeling of a tech-bro biding his time to pull the rug from under everyone. But still, Rock is undoubtedly the most evil one here. His goal is to bring back Zero – the first X who committed some very insane murder, and was only stopped by the original E-Soul (mad respect to him btw). Still, I think it’s clear that Rock doesn’t simply want to reincarnate the world’s greatest nightmare as a goodwill gesture to him or anything. Rock’s father was the one who “created” Zero. So I think Rock is trying to replicate what his dad did in order to surpass him, or to prove something that the world has misunderstood about him. Either way, the road to his goal was paved by the blood of people who are both innocent and not.
With all that out of the way, it’s time for the true “aura farmers” of this episode. After 4-5? episodes after the cliffhanger, Queen is back with her “law” and it was absolutely gorgeous. Jeopardy played right during this moment was absolutely cinema. The transition from E-Soul charging Big Johnny to Luo Li and Nice and then to Queen’s entrance was amazing. During her focus episode, Queen was struggling against Bowa, but it’s obvious that her power has increased, since she was able to stop E-Soul, Nice, Big Johnny and a rampaging Luo Li with just one tap of her cane. The golden color glowing around everyone was also a very nice effect. Cyan joining this episode to do what she do best: saving people – is so heartwarming. Cyan really brings some good vibe to this hellscape of a world.
I’m not sure if Queen has witnessed everything, but she must have had an inkling. After this “ordeal”, I wonder if she will be sticking with that old dude or just separate with the reporter guy. But either way, she was able to stop the entire thing and everyone just went home willingly(?). I can’t imagine the awkward elevator ride in the Hero Tower after the ranking at the end of this season is finalized lol.
And now, to the final reality breaking point – from 2D to 3D. X appeared in this episode under his normal appearance of an ordinary salaryman. But he snapped his finger, and in a second, reality began to warp. We know that X has the ability to alter the very fabric of the world, but we don’t know what his end goal and what the extent of his power is. And I am excited to find out.
=Aaron=
I’m not sure if Queen has witnessed everything, but she must have had an inkling. After this “ordeal”, I wonder if she will be sticking with that old dude or just separate with the reporter guy. But either way, she was able to stop the entire thing and everyone just went home willingly(?). I can’t imagine the awkward elevator ride in the Hero Tower after the ranking at the end of this season is finalized lol.
And now, to the final reality breaking point – from 2D to 3D. X appeared in this episode under his normal appearance of an ordinary salaryman. But he snapped his finger, and in a second, reality began to warp. We know that X has the ability to alter the very fabric of the world, but we don’t know what his end goal and what the extent of his power is. And I am excited to find out.
=Aaron=
Check our more reviews here:
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