Anime Review: TO BE HERO X’s E-Soul arc descends into tragedy

TO BE HERO X
Director: Li Haoling
Producers: Aniplex, bilibili, BeDream
Studios: Pb Animation Co. Ltd., LAN Studio, Paper Plane Animation Studio
Streamer: Crunchyroll
Release Date: April 5, 2025
Rating: PG-13
Genre: Action, donghua

Adam and Hilary are back to cover the E-Soul arc of To Be Hero X, which spans episodes five through seven. Did this new story arc electrify our writers—or is this promising series already running on empty? Also, how is it possible that Ahu isn’t getting a spotlight until the penultimate episode? You wound us, To Be Hero X.

The following write-up contains spoilers for episodes 5 through 7 of To Be Hero X.

The tragedy of Yang Cheng

Hilary: Adam, you said in our very first round table that you were looking forward to seeing E-Soul the most. Now that we’ve seen his arc, what were your thoughts?

Adam: I was a fool. E-Soul? More like weak sauce!

I do respect the gamble the To Be Hero X team took here, though. The first four episodes told the inspiring story of Lin Ling, a humble advertiser who proved he could play the superhero game without losing himself. These next three, however, are the tragedy of Yang Cheng—who sacrifices everything he once wanted to achieve his goals.

Hilary: I had a sneaking suspicion at the end of episode four that we were headed for E-Soul’s villain origin story, but I didn’t expect it to unfold like this. Are we ever going to get an arc where someone doesn’t die?! No supporting character is safe.

Yang Cheng’s story truly was a tragedy though. At first, I thought the saddest thing we would see was his crush being “taken away” by his best friend. But series director Li Haoling decided to stab us all in our chest and twist the handle. It’s a classic tale of someone rising to greatness (whether good or bad) in pursuit of revenge after losing someone close to them.

Batfamily

Adam: You could say it’s a twist on a famous superhero: Batman. Like Bruce Wayne, Yang Cheng lost his parents when he was a child. The hero who saved him, E-Soul, inspired him to try and save others. But then his superhero origin story curdled into something else. Yang Cheng cut ties with everyone who might have helped him, with the exception of the one guy he never should have trusted. Perhaps he wouldn’t be in such rough shape at the end if he had a Batfamily of his own.

Hilary: I was a little disappointed that we didn’t learn how the old E-Soul changed from a protector of the weak and vulnerable to a corporate puppet. I guess that speaks to the world of To Be Hero X, since we saw a similar arc in Lin Ling’s story.

Yang Cheng did have a Batfamily in Xia Qing, Pomelo, and Shang Chao… sort of. Yang Cheng and Shang Chao were both chasing the same dream of being heroes. But I’d say Shang Chao’s dream was more about helping Yang Cheng become his own hero. If he survived this arc, the story might have gone differently.

Adam: Shang Chao is definitely an interesting character for what he represents. He’s a start-up mogul who is a genuine good guy—a true rarity these days. The show creates tension by having him “compete” with Yang Cheng over Xia Qing, but he’s always supportive and wants his friends to succeed. If this were an American series, Shang Chao probably would be revealed as a villain. Maybe I’ve just seen too many Trigger series featuring Elon Musk as the big bad.

You have to wonder what might have happened if Yang Cheng and the old E-Soul had shared the stage. Looking to the Batfamily as an example, you have multiple other Batpeople fighting crime on the streets of Gotham: Nightwing, Red Hood, Batwoman, and even multiple squads of Robins. Old E-Soul could have deputized his imitators across the country as members of the E-Soul Squad. Instead, he clings to relevance, and is sunk by an opponent he never once expected.

One replaces the other

Hilary: That’s why I was disappointed. I don’t think the old E-Soul was as fleshed out as Yang Cheng and the others. We’ve now had two arcs where former “old” heroes, Nice and E-Soul, are replaced by a younger generation. Both used to embody the ideals of heroism, but we hardly get to know them. The only exception was Nice, who we understood through Wreck. Yang Cheng and E-Soul don’t talk to each other. Instead, they battle it out, and one replaces the other.

Since you mentioned being surprised that Shang Chao wasn’t a villain, during Yang Cheng’s final attack, we see 2D animation of his memories with Xia Qing and Shang Chao, but Shang Chao’s face is scribbled out. What do you think about that?

Adam: The last time Yang Cheng’s personal feelings got in the way of duty, Shang Chao lost his life. So Yang Cheng can’t let his affection for Xia Qing get in the way. At the same time, he gives up what Xia Qing and her brother Pomelo once found so appealing about him: that he was driven by a need to help the weak rather than to be the best. The Yang Cheng of the past might have been insecure, but he never would have chosen revenge.

Also, I want to push back a little against your characterization of E-Soul. The big reveal shows that many of the crimes attributed to his team were actually orchestrated by someone else. It underscores what we don’t know about him. We do know he lost an arm and trains regularly. I can believe he was once the hero Yang Cheng admired—worn down over time into a corporate figurehead.

Empty soul

Hilary: What did you think about the big reveal at the end?

Adam: Part of me was sad that they threw away the emotional payoff of Rock selling his café so Yang Cheng could chase his goals. It would’ve been a powerful grace note to complement Xia Qing crying at the Lucky Cyan concert. But on the other hand—what a twist! To Be Hero X isn’t a mystery series like Link Click, but it plants puzzles and then blows them up in your face. Rock having orchestrated it all (but why?) hit like a sucker punch. And now Yang Cheng’s last friend might be his worst enemy.

Hilary: You can’t trust anyone. It definitely took me by surprise, but I was sadder when I saw all the people who were collateral damage Rock’s pursuit of replacing the old E-Soul with a new, fresh version. That includes Yang Cheng himself, who was made to kill his former idol. Do we think Rock is the so-called “Big Bad” in the series, or is there someone else pulling the strings?

Adam: Who knows? Rock might run “Fear,” or he could just be a wild card. The series loves reminding us that “the truth is more complicated than it seems,” so I’d bet the real culprit is two or three layers deeper.

Hilary: I also wanted to talk about E-Soul’s name. Nice was named for his catchphrase and persona. E-Soul could stand for “electric soul,” but it could also mean “empty soul.” There’s little life left in him after all he’s endured. When Yang Cheng looks out over the city after defeating him, he doesn’t take off his mask. It makes him seem cold, mechanical.

Adam: I totally missed that the E could also mean “empty soul,” but you’re right!

I forgot about Xia Qing

Adam: My biggest frustration with this arc is the relationship between Yang Cheng and Xia Qing. After what happened to Moon earlier in the series, I was on high alert, watching for signs that Xia Qing would be fridged. To To Be Hero X’s credit, they killed the tech mogul instead.

Still, I think Xia Qing was meant to be the emotional centerpiece, and their relationship didn’t land for me. The show backfills their connection—for instance, Xia Qing suspected Yang Cheng was a copycat early on—but most of the arc is him being too afraid to confess. I get it, but I wish they’d had more conversations to really show what Yang Cheng gave up to become E-Soul.

What do you think? Am I making a mountain out of a molehill?

Hilary: Miscommunication—a classic romance trope.

Honestly, I forgot about Xia Qing after episode six. The “will he confess?” subplot heightened Yang Cheng’s insecurities, sure, but I wasn’t emotionally invested.

Adam: Yeah, me neither. His friendship with Pomelo was more compelling. Pomelo idolizes Yang Cheng at first, but grows frustrated when his hero loses his way. The show writes heartfelt male friendships really well, but that nuance isn’t there yet with its female characters. That makes me nervous about the next arc with Lucky Cyan. But hey, the “religious cult” preview is at least something new.

A striking finishing move

Hilary: Pomelo! What a good kid. I honestly expected to hate him at first.

I wanted to bring up something else. At the start of this arc, Yang Cheng’s trust value is 0, and he gets bullied for it. I brushed it off—who expects kids to be heroes? But now I’m not so sure.

Supposedly, trust value comes from people who love, support, and believe in you. Yang Cheng’s an orphan, which explains the low number. But we find out Xia Qing liked him ever since the children’s performance. So why was his trust value still zero? Maybe it’s not how others see you, but how you see yourself. Yang Cheng’s self-esteem was in the gutter. He didn’t see himself as a hero until he went viral saving Pomelo.

If that’s true, then maybe X ranks so high because he’s just that confident.

Adam: That’s a solid theory. Both arcs have emphasized self-belief, though whether that helps or hurts depends on whether you’re Lin Ling or Yang Cheng. Pomelo’s faith in Yang Cheng feels purer than Xia Qing’s quiet interest. And it’s only after Yang Cheng proves himself that Shang Chao takes notice. So maybe it’s both: Yang Cheng forges his own path, but Pomelo gives him the courage to start.

Hilary: I also found it interesting that old E-Soul was forced to use his Lightning Slash attack at the end, even though he didn’t want to. It was a striking finishing move.

Adam: I’m shocked by that pun. Shocked, I say!

A matter of branding

Hilary: It was a tragic choice for a tragic character. Old E-Soul had been trying to separate himself from the masses and corporate powers, which is why he was so adamant about not using it. I’d be hesitant to say that he did it because he wanted to increase his trust value, but do you think he felt like if he didn’t use it, he’d die?

Adam: It was a matter of branding, right? Audiences want to see E-Soul use his finishing move. Imagine if Usagi Tsukino beat up the monster of the week but then refused to use Moon Tiara Action. Fans would go ballistic. That’s the double-edged sword of To Be Hero X’s setting; fans grant unlimited power but inevitably lock you into following their script.

To answer your question though, I bet that old E-Soul would have won if he stuck to strategy. His shield would have been too strong. But then we wouldn’t have had a story…

Hilary: Fans suck in real life and animation!

Adam: Any last thoughts before we wrap up?

Hilary: This was a great follow-up to the Nice/Lin Ling arc. I’m a little sad that we’re done with 3D animation, but based on the preview, the Lucky Cyan arc will be just as electrifying.

Adam: Yeah. It looks like the Lucky Cyan arc will have a stronger focus on 2D over 3DCG animation. I was missing some of the visual experimentation in this arc from the first few episodes, so I hope each new story keeps switching things up.

(Also, in the ending credits, you can spot future character Loli reaching toward E-Soul. That opens up all sorts of possibilities. Hopefully, the series doesn’t settle into a static status quo.)

To be Hero X airs in the United States via Crunchyroll.