Hero Mask

I'm glad I ignored reviews and ratings I saw online before watching this. In terms of style, Hero Mask is a mix of Deus Ex, Detroit: Become Human, and your typical American criminal investigation drama. It certainly isn't anything groundbreaking, but definitely worth the watch if you're a fan of the genre. I have to agree with another reviewer in that there seems to be some strange aversion to anything Western by some fans and that seems to be the case here.

One reviewer on Youtube griped about the Western names and was confused about whether it was taking place in Tokyo or London. If it ... wasn't obvious from the architecture, the fashion, and characters mentioning the River Thames by name, it is indeed set in contemporary London and the characters have English names because they are, well, English. Another reviewer on here mentioned that "every normo wears a guy fawkes-like mask". The reason you'll see people wearing a Guy Fawkes mask in one episode is because it was indeed, Guy Fawkes Night. A real celebration observed in Britain, crazy, innit? The show doesn't tell you explicitly, but it expects you to use your noggin and see the crowd of people, the fireworks in the sky, and the fact they are somewhere in London to piece it together yourself. Another common issue mentioned in reviews is unclear character motivation. Again, the show doesn't spoon-feed you every bit of information. For example, the main female's connection to the victim that kicks things off isn't made explicitly clear but if you can read between the lines, it is implied that they were more than just friends. It is also unclear to me why so many people are hung up on the character of James Blood when this series has an ensemble cast, following different characters and organizations as the investigation unravels.

The only real sticking point for me is that there are several occasions where situations are handled unrealistically in order to get characters into crazy shootouts or chases. I can look past it because the fight sequences are enjoyable enough, but at times it does feel like the governmental agency the main characters belong to is just a handful of rogue agents.

The pacing is great and the plot moves along quickly in 20 minutes. The score of the show and overall feel is very reminiscent of Detroit: Become Human which came out during the same time. Aside from the character designs, the costume design is pretty great and even the male characters change up their outfits from episode to episode. Didn't find anything wrong with the dub aside from a few awkward spots that made it clear it was was Japanese person trying to write a Western character. Overall, an enjoyable watch.

Hero Mask had all the ingredients to be interesting.

The art style isn't going to please everyone, but it's worth a look.

So this is season 1.
It's... A mess. In the good and bad sense of the word. I know what they wanted to do, and I like... Certain things. But it's done in a rather confusing way. Luckily I like the genre, otherwise I would have given up, I think.

The plot is pleasant, even if complex and sometimes exhausting to follow. But the characters are the biggest weak point in my opinion. James Blood doesn't inspire me, he doesn't take me on a journey through his ... story.

That said, Hero Mask still respects its genre and it’s worth watching.

I don't really know what I watched here.
If you ask me "what happens in Hero Mask", I can't explain. I remember the beginning, the girl diying and the mask stuff, but that's all.

I can't see any progression here.
I can't understand any of the characters motivations.
I can't even recognize the caracters of it and what they are.

That happens mostly because nothing happens in the course of the series. Yea, there's some things I can remember in the middle of it and in the end, but the plot doesn't make any sense and the show doesn't even have a premise.

Yea, the mask from the title is ... there and we learn its properties in from the start of the series, but we are fooled by it because Hero Mask isn't about it and we even forgot about its existence sometimes.

The sound is dumb. The animation is Naruto-tier, with character designs that are beautifully generic.

It's a waste of time. 15 episodes of nothing happening and pure boredom.