Cliffhangers in anime are common, but a ‘cliffhanger of an anime’? Now that’s something fans are experiencing every week with To Be Hero X. For a world that values trust over all, the characters are surprisingly very dishonest. That includes the heroes and villains alike. For the heroes, the need to stay in the top ranks warps their moral compass.
The villains have a more elaborate descent into evil. While they choose to take the darker path, it’s interesting to witness how they reach that point. The latest episode highlighted how that happens, and most of the villains share one thing in common: manipulation.
Most To Be Hero X villains are victims themselves
The best way to reach the top in To Be Hero X world is through gaining trust. And the second-best way is to bring down the competition, i.e., heroes who are leading the ranks. We see a lot of that happening in every episode, starting with the first one itself. Enlighter manipulates the boss’s fear to reveal Nice’s identity.
Similar to the boss, most of the villains are either victims of their circumstances or of someone else’s greed. Their hidden desires or qualms get exploited by the actual evil people. For instance, Rock manipulated both E-Souls, and the outcome was in his favor. Where does the story go from here?
We don’t know that, but we do know how Rock essentially ruined lives by hitting his victims exactly where it hurts. Wolf Girl was a victim of her surroundings and the expectations that heroes carry on their shoulders. We’re seeing a similar pattern unfold with Luo. While he’s not a villain yet, the Dean and DOS are manipulating him and Cyan in a similar manner.
Manipulation is the primary driving force behind all the events in the anime. Whether it’s the heroes or the villains, their own will comes secondary to the expectations and rules. Firm-Man’s smile after he found himself free and Cyan’s escape put the spotlight on their feelings, which is rare.
The rules and politics of To Be Hero X
The heroes get manipulated just as much as the villains. Ling’s entire hero arc began because of Miss J’s manipulation. The trust system is the main source of livelihood in the hero world, and that’s why everyone is seemingly doing their best to stay in the mix.
However, the repercussions strip the characters of their desires, which is unfortunate. Even though manipulation is the main motivation behind the characters’ actions, they are still making some choices, and the responsibility for their actions falls on them.
For instance, where Firm-Man chose to stand strong for society, E-Soul brought down another hero for the sake of fame and position. The unpredictable narrative of To Be Hero X is dabbling with many ideas and concepts beyond the surface, and it’ll be interesting to witness how the concept of manipulation plays out in the long run.
To Be Hero X is currently available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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