Episode 5 of To Be Hero X , released on May 3rd, introduces another hero to the top ten. The episode focused on Yang Cheng and E-Soul, the 9th-ranked hero, signaling a shift in prominence and shifting the focus away from Lin Ling.
E-Soul's introduction doesn't seem to be a coincidence, as the anime not only presents the heroes in ranking order, but he was also apparently responsible for attacking Xiao Yueqing. Therefore, despite the change in the main character, the narrative seems to be connected to the ending of the previous episode.
To Be Hero X brings a character with the same purpose as Lin Ling
Like Lin Ling, all Yang Cheng wants is to become a hero. However, since his parents died, his confidence level has been at zero. The boy dreams of being like E-Soul, as the hero saved him as a child and became a role model for him. Thus, the character begins playing E-Soul in a children's theater, hoping to one day meet him.
During one of his performances, Yang Cheng meets a little boy who, despite his strong temperament, helps him improve his performance as E-Soul. The boy, named Pomelinho and also the brother of the girl the protagonist likes, begins to spend more time with the actor.
Furthermore, in the episode, while trying to improve his uniform for the performances, Yang Cheng vents about the difficulty of living without trust points in a world where recognition from others is everything. This theme is quite recurrent in To Be Hero X, as points are directly linked to gaining powers.
After putting some of the boy's tips into practice, Yang Cheng enters a contest in which the best E-Soul interpretation will win. However, due to his lack of confidence, he doesn't win the competition. Frustrated with the situation, the character gives up trying to find E-Soul or be like him. However, something unexpected happens, and Yang Cheng, who thought he would never be a hero, is forced to act like one.
Yang Cheng gains the powers of E-Soul through Pomelinho's trust
After two delivery men working for Yang Cheng's boss receive a call asking them to deliver a person in exchange for a large sum of money, Pomelinho is kidnapped. Thus, the protagonist, who was once saved by a hero, decides to rescue the child.
With zero trust points and no apparent power or physical strength, Yang Cheng speeds after the kidnappers on his bicycle. This moment is reminiscent of episode 4, where Lin Ling, even with no trust points, fights to save the one she loves.
The encounter between Yang Cheng and the kidnappers is the highlight of the episode. The scene of the real E-Soul taking the stage for his speech blends with the moment when the protagonist, dressed as the hero, fights for the little boy he met at his performance. However, this is no longer an act; Yang Cheng is no longer acting. Now, he must truly become a hero.
The kidnappers don't give up easily on taking the child; they beat the protagonist without a shred of compassion. The scene combines moments from Yang Cheng's past and lines from E-Soul's speech with the fight between the character and the two men. The highlight is the exact moment when Pomelinho calls the protagonist E-Soul and places his trust in him. Consequently, Yang Cheng seems to gain the hero's powers.
The animation in this scene is impressive, especially when Pomelinho's confidence, manifested in the form of lightning, courses through and fills Yang Cheng's body. The soundtrack, combined with the hero E-Soul's speech, makes the fight even more extraordinary. At the end, to make the episode even more moving, the little boy hugs the protagonist and says it was the best performance he's ever seen.
The Unsolved Mysteries of To Be Hero X
To Be Hero X knows how to capture the audience's attention. The series leaves some questions open, but they will likely be explained later. One of them is Xiao Yueqing's death, as it appears that E-Soul himself, the hero introduced in the current episode, is responsible.
Furthermore, who hired the two delivery men to kidnap Pomelinho? Is there someone behind it, trying to motivate Yang Cheng to become a hero? There's also the protagonist's transformation. Could he ultimately be the real E-Soul, and will the anime address time travel? Or did he simply inherit the hero's powers because Pomelinho wished, during the fight, that Yang Cheng was like E-Soul?
There's still a lot to explore in the narrative. To Be Hero X is following a very interesting path in which, despite the change in protagonist, everything that has happened so far likely connects to the upcoming episodes.
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