Forum SettingsEpisode Information
Forums
New
What did you think of this episode?
DO NOT discuss the source material beyond this episode. If you want to discuss future events or theories, please use separate threads.
DO NOT ask where to watch/download this episode or give links to copyrighted, non-fair use material.
DO NOT troll/bait/harass/abuse other users for liking or disliking the series/characters.
DO read the Anime Discussion Rules and Site & Forum Guidelines.
Pages (2) [1] 2 »
Aug 23, 5:46 PM
#1

Offline
Dec 2021
3602
I mean, X hasn’t been on top for years now, and for good reasons... Trying to go after him no matter the reason, whether it’s to make the top ten or not, there’s no way you’re coming out of it scot-free, that’s for sure. Speaking of X though, I seriously thought he had changed the art style back to 3D at the end of the last episode, but yeah, it’s whatever, only four episodes left anyway, and I’ve gotten used to it.

Anyways though, crazy to think somebody like Dragon Boy is a hero considering how he acts. I’m surprised nobody’s caught him until now .... at least I think so, because those dudes started recording, so it might not be the best look here. Would’ve been nice to see Smile put him down, but yeah, the tables don’t seem to be in Smile’s favor, especially with Nice showing up to cause even more trouble.

Things are definitely not looking good here for old man Smile, that's for sure.
Aug 23, 6:22 PM
#2
Offline
Dec 2024
778
What is he gonna do with that? inject him?
Aug 23, 6:33 PM
#3
Offline
Sep 2012
205
Reply to Ahohite-killer
What is he gonna do with that? inject him?
With Fear and corrupt him, yeah. It'll be enough to see Smile rampaging, letting civilians see all that, and then Dragon Boy can go in to be the "hero" to raise his popularity into the top 10s.
Aug 23, 6:35 PM
#4

Offline
May 2015
3008
Dragon Boy and Rock's first meeting leaves quite an impression. What a rude group of dudes.

Shand's grief over losing his son, Shang Chao, and Rock's plan to make Dragon Boy a god have both led them to the same target. Taking down the hero named Smile!

Still, I'm curious about how truthful Dragon Boy was in his goading over obtaining that locket. I wouldn't put it past Rock to murder another innocent person in his goals, but with how fractured Smile's relationships were revealed to be, it could very well have been obtained without any bloodshed.

With Nice’s childhood hero in a pickle, it's quite a shame that I don't think he'll be coming to his rescue. The story is clearing up the mysteries of the first arc nicely!

Also, it's exciting to hear some dialogue from Smile's drinking partner. I can't wait to see him in work mode.
Aug 23, 6:40 PM
#5
Offline
Jul 2024
4749
Looks like Nice is about to commit another crime. Damn these Managers! Evil scum.
Aug 23, 6:48 PM
#6

Offline
Feb 2019
11468
All I gotta say is if you’re not watching to be hero X live every week, you’re missing out on one of the greatest experiences in anime history.
Aug 23, 7:07 PM
#7

Offline
Nov 2012
2574
Who would think X was a loner who wears striped jammies to bed. The strongest is sleeping it off while his only (maybe) friend is fighting for his life and that of his family. That's messed up. If Smile is dead, which he probably will be or at least out of commission, when he wakes up, there's gonna be one helluva reckoning. I'm guessing murdering his "hero" is impetus to Nice's suicide and why he was smiling when he jumped.

I guess those 2 guys hiding watching the battle aren't streaming. Hopefully, they start before they get themselves killed.

Question: the quick flashback of Nice seeing his friend laying on the ground dead in the rain with the helmet nearby, was that the new E-Soul's friend? Everything is being connected through Nice which is interesting.

edit:
Just re-watched the scene where Shang Chao (E-soul's manager and friend) gets killed, his funeral, and Nice's flashback in this episode. It's definitely the same murder/ person. So again, Nice is the real common denominator throughout the arcs
dragynfaerieAug 24, 3:14 AM
Aug 23, 7:14 PM
#8

Offline
Oct 2017
29860
That starting scene was brutal, trash.
MegamiRemAug 25, 6:18 AM
Aug 23, 7:21 PM
#9

Offline
Jun 2015
474
Who is this ordinary looking guy??? Jokes aside, I did not expect Smile to have such a huge role after all this time. He's the inspiration for Nice to become a Hero and would probably become the reason for Dragon Boy to become top 3, and what's even more surprising is that he is good friends with X. I guess the reason Nice committed suicide is because of guilt for doing whatever's gonna happen to Smile.

Dragon Boy sure has a weird kind of power, he take hits and returns it like a counter spell, and he had it ever since he was a kid? The markings on his body looks weird too, I don't know what to think of it so i'll just say Alien! (lol)
Aug 23, 7:52 PM
Offline
Dec 2013
9
I'm wating for Smile's daughter turned out to be Moon, lol
Aug 23, 8:08 PM
Offline
Jun 2023
202
Damn, if the current X is really just some random dude that's going to be a let down. How the heck did he get enough trust value to get so strong while being so unknown? Given how the ending song shows the end of heroes and the people that create them through trust, I figured X would play a major part in accomplishing that, either by traveling back in time while maintaining the trust value he got from the future, or some other method like traveling from another dimension. If that's not the case it makes me wonder what is his purpose here. Is it just to help defeat Dragon Boy/Zero?

Seems like Smile is destined to die next episode and Dragon Boy will reap the rewards for beating him by vaulting to #3. That definitely explains Nice killing himself with a smile given that he looked up to him and took part in taking him down.

Seems like after next episode that Ahu's episode will be partially an X episode to me. Given that he's basically a creation of X, they can just speedrun through his backstory while simultaneously giving us more information on X prior to his episode at the end. My concern about the ending being rushed and unsatisfying remains high. Hopefully they stick the landing at the end.
Aug 23, 8:21 PM

Offline
Aug 2024
364
Another good episode.

Smile is actually just a good guy? He is the definition of positive masculinity, until he drinks too much beer and starts to cry. The fact that X respects him should say something about his character: he genuinely wants to make the lives of others better and act as a role model. I feel bad for him; he's getting jumped by two different CEOs just because he's a good hero who hasn't caused any controversies, therefore making him irrelevant and vulnerable. I can see how Rock can spin this into a narrative where he's the villain as well; from the perspective of the public, Smile is the one attacking Dragon Boy.

We already roughly know how this arc is going to play out: Dragon Boy will make it into the top 10, and Nice will kill himself. It's not looking good for Smile. I wonder how Rock managed to find Smile's family, and if they are still alive. I don't think he would have any reason to kill them, but we'll see.

Finally, how exactly did Dragon Boy gain all of that trust? He seems like a villain and acts like one; is he a brutal hero who is trusted by people that support violence against street thugs, or something? It's funny how Dragon Boy doesn't even have to be manipulated by Rock. They just see each other eye-to-eye.
detarameMALAug 23, 8:26 PM
Aug 23, 8:27 PM

Offline
Dec 2020
704
they are STICKING the landing of this

so many threads just all coming together
🌈 i just want gintama back
Aug 23, 8:42 PM
Offline
Jun 2025
57
Reply to IzanaSolos
I mean, X hasn’t been on top for years now, and for good reasons... Trying to go after him no matter the reason, whether it’s to make the top ten or not, there’s no way you’re coming out of it scot-free, that’s for sure. Speaking of X though, I seriously thought he had changed the art style back to 3D at the end of the last episode, but yeah, it’s whatever, only four episodes left anyway, and I’ve gotten used to it.

Anyways though, crazy to think somebody like Dragon Boy is a hero considering how he acts. I’m surprised nobody’s caught him until now .... at least I think so, because those dudes started recording, so it might not be the best look here. Would’ve been nice to see Smile put him down, but yeah, the tables don’t seem to be in Smile’s favor, especially with Nice showing up to cause even more trouble.

Things are definitely not looking good here for old man Smile, that's for sure.
@IzanaSolos Yes, but we haven't entered his arc yet. He only interacts, although the building and environment from the moment he appears are in 3D, only with the characters in 2D. I suppose we'll have to wait to see his powers and see those changes.
Aug 23, 8:46 PM

Offline
May 2015
2105
dragon boy backstory has to be the worst of all so far, he's so dislikeable, how's he even a hero?

I rather they skip this character and instead have 2 episodes of Ahu the dog
Aug 23, 8:47 PM
Offline
Jun 2025
57
Reply to Seansy
Damn, if the current X is really just some random dude that's going to be a let down. How the heck did he get enough trust value to get so strong while being so unknown? Given how the ending song shows the end of heroes and the people that create them through trust, I figured X would play a major part in accomplishing that, either by traveling back in time while maintaining the trust value he got from the future, or some other method like traveling from another dimension. If that's not the case it makes me wonder what is his purpose here. Is it just to help defeat Dragon Boy/Zero?

Seems like Smile is destined to die next episode and Dragon Boy will reap the rewards for beating him by vaulting to #3. That definitely explains Nice killing himself with a smile given that he looked up to him and took part in taking him down.

Seems like after next episode that Ahu's episode will be partially an X episode to me. Given that he's basically a creation of X, they can just speedrun through his backstory while simultaneously giving us more information on X prior to his episode at the end. My concern about the ending being rushed and unsatisfying remains high. Hopefully they stick the landing at the end.
@Seansy It's not that he's unknown, he's someone who, by not having press, has lost relevance, which is different.
Aug 23, 8:59 PM
Offline
Dec 2024
778
@Linkmstr
ok so this will probably be why he loses in that fight against Bowa
Aug 23, 8:59 PM

Offline
Apr 2013
151
Reply to Linkmstr
With Fear and corrupt him, yeah. It'll be enough to see Smile rampaging, letting civilians see all that, and then Dragon Boy can go in to be the "hero" to raise his popularity into the top 10s.
@Linkmstr I think what leads to Nice's eventual suicide is because he couldnt live with the guilt of bringing down his childhood Hero.
Aug 23, 9:01 PM

Offline
Apr 2013
151
Reply to dragynfaerie
Who would think X was a loner who wears striped jammies to bed. The strongest is sleeping it off while his only (maybe) friend is fighting for his life and that of his family. That's messed up. If Smile is dead, which he probably will be or at least out of commission, when he wakes up, there's gonna be one helluva reckoning. I'm guessing murdering his "hero" is impetus to Nice's suicide and why he was smiling when he jumped.

I guess those 2 guys hiding watching the battle aren't streaming. Hopefully, they start before they get themselves killed.

Question: the quick flashback of Nice seeing his friend laying on the ground dead in the rain with the helmet nearby, was that the new E-Soul's friend? Everything is being connected through Nice which is interesting.

edit:
Just re-watched the scene where Shang Chao (E-soul's manager and friend) gets killed, his funeral, and Nice's flashback in this episode. It's definitely the same murder/ person. So again, Nice is the real common denominator throughout the arcs
@dragynfaerie the flashback is the CEO's son that was shot dead because of Rock's schemes. The CEO see's Nice as his tool of revenge.
Aug 23, 9:15 PM
Offline
Mar 2023
4
NICE MY CHILD SO SAD I LOVE HIM. um x lore was nice ig… hah….see what I did there
Aug 23, 9:18 PM
Offline
Dec 2023
1
How did Dragon Boy get a smiling picture of Smile's daughter? Didn't Smile say that they didn't have a single picture of her smiling?

Anyway, I hope to see Dragon Boy's backstory in the next episode to know why he is the way he is.
Aug 23, 10:00 PM

Offline
Sep 2020
5798
Reply to A_J_291
How did Dragon Boy get a smiling picture of Smile's daughter? Didn't Smile say that they didn't have a single picture of her smiling?

Anyway, I hope to see Dragon Boy's backstory in the next episode to know why he is the way he is.
@A_J_291
A_J_291 said:
Anyway, I hope to see Dragon Boy's backstory in the next episode to know why he is the way he is.
Judging by the PV looks like next episode wouldn't focus on Dragon boy's back story. I think we will get to know him better in S2.
Aug 23, 10:02 PM

Offline
Sep 2020
5798
Reply to anikevin
dragon boy backstory has to be the worst of all so far, he's so dislikeable, how's he even a hero?

I rather they skip this character and instead have 2 episodes of Ahu the dog
@anikevin They didn't even explore Dragon boy's backstory. To be honest this arc should be renamed as Smile Incident Arc.
Aug 23, 10:07 PM

Offline
Sep 2020
5798
Nice have to kill his idol just like E soul. Both of this character have soo much in common. Lin Ling have to clear up lots of mess in S2 since OG Nice was involved in almost every major events.
Aug 23, 10:47 PM

Offline
Oct 2023
1342
Reply to atlans89
I'm wating for Smile's daughter turned out to be Moon, lol
@atlans89 I'm immediately looking for this theory after seeing the pendant x
Aug 23, 10:50 PM
lagom
Offline
Jan 2009
106861
great that the best 2d animation quality of the lucky cyan and queen arcs are back

old man smile the longest top 10 hero knows the identity of the current x eh and he is best friends with him

smile is like all might of my hero academia äka i smile to trick the fear inside of me

dragon boy seems so persistent like pain makes him stronger aka vegeta with ultra ego

and damn nice is holding a fear drug he will definitely inject it to smile

atlans89 said:
I'm wating for Smile's daughter turned out to be Moon, lol


that will be awesome plot twist and now you mention it high chance it will happen
Aug 23, 10:56 PM

Offline
Aug 2023
285
ou so new esoul story happen before nice
Aug 23, 11:19 PM

Offline
Aug 2023
285
atlans89 said:
I'm wating for Smile's daughter turned out to be Moon, lol

that might just take the cake for the saddest thing to happen in this show
Aug 23, 11:27 PM

Offline
Sep 2023
417
Reply to Linkmstr
With Fear and corrupt him, yeah. It'll be enough to see Smile rampaging, letting civilians see all that, and then Dragon Boy can go in to be the "hero" to raise his popularity into the top 10s.
@Linkmstr But we saw two civilians recording video, so they have the real footage of what actually happened.
Aug 23, 11:39 PM
Offline
Aug 2024
205
After the previous episode which was truly amazing, this one feels a bit more laid-back, but there’s still plenty of information and excitement to enjoy.
We get to see Dragon Boy’s backstory, as well as Hero Smile.
More importantly, this episode shows another side of X.
It turns out he’s still like an ordinary human.
Yet among all of them, he’s the one most deserving to be called a hero. He’s mysterious and not bound to the association.

The only lingering questions are: where does X’s power, which is far beyond comprehension, actually come from?
And what’s his motivation for joining the hero tournament, when in fact he never intended to make “being a hero” his profession like the others?
DenkenismeAug 24, 12:00 AM
Aug 23, 11:42 PM

Offline
Jun 2023
268
Hoho the ending always excites me ㅅㅂ
Aug 23, 11:45 PM

Offline
May 2021
865
A hero? Don't make me laugh, that is a villain through and through.
Aug 23, 11:55 PM

Offline
Oct 2021
33
Wow dragon boy is real beast, we are close to learn why nice commit suicide. Full of action pack episode.

Aug 24, 12:05 AM
Offline
Oct 2024
1125
Smile and Dragon Boy are so insanely strong and that cliffhanger was insane!! I need the new episode now!!
Aug 24, 12:07 AM
Offline
Aug 2024
205
Reply to Marinate1016
All I gotta say is if you’re not watching to be hero X live every week, you’re missing out on one of the greatest experiences in anime history.
@Marinate1016
I agree with you. To Be Hero X has outstanding story quality and visuals.
Unfortunately, since it’s made in China, anime fans who prefer Japanese-produced anime still can’t fully accept it.

Aug 24, 12:12 AM
Offline
Aug 2024
205
Reply to G_Aker
@Linkmstr I think what leads to Nice's eventual suicide is because he couldnt live with the guilt of bringing down his childhood Hero.
@G_Aker I think the reason Nice committed suicide was because he was frustrated — instead of making it into the top 10 himself, he ended up helping Dragonboy (from the MG association) reach the top 3.

Aug 24, 12:43 AM
Offline
May 2021
3148
Dam smile vs dragon boy was 🔥🔥🔥. I hope his daughter is alive and this dragon mf is just bluffing. But ya we know this mf entered the Top 10 so smile will lose here
Aug 24, 12:48 AM
Offline
May 2021
3148
Denkenisme said:
@Marinate1016
I agree with you. To Be Hero X has outstanding story quality and visuals.
Unfortunately, since it’s made in China, anime fans who prefer Japanese-produced anime still can’t fully accept it.


another reason is that lucky cyan and queen arcs were pretty boring. Many people already dropped the anime there lol. It actually got a bit interesting again in previous episode 😂
Aug 24, 12:50 AM

Offline
Aug 2020
7209
ANOTHER GREAT EPISODE

LET THE DUDE KEEP SMILING...
The best Anime/Manga account on IG

just have a look, you won't regret it...


IG: https://www.instagram.com/otakuweek?igsh=em5kY3Q4NTVtNXlh /

Discord for more review: https://discord.gg/vbZrk64uH7
Aug 24, 2:37 AM

Offline
Nov 2012
2574
Reply to G_Aker
@dragynfaerie the flashback is the CEO's son that was shot dead because of Rock's schemes. The CEO see's Nice as his tool of revenge.
@G_Aker Same character. The guy that was managing the New G-Soul was Shang Chao son of Shang De. It was just surprising to see Nice connected to another story arc so I doubted myself. Why? I dunno but I went back and checked. And yeah De literally grabbed Nice's face and calls him his tool for revenge. I totally forgot he was Chao's dad.
dragynfaerieAug 24, 3:27 AM
Aug 24, 3:10 AM

Offline
Oct 2020
30
Reply to Apratim
Denkenisme said:
@Marinate1016
I agree with you. To Be Hero X has outstanding story quality and visuals.
Unfortunately, since it’s made in China, anime fans who prefer Japanese-produced anime still can’t fully accept it.


another reason is that lucky cyan and queen arcs were pretty boring. Many people already dropped the anime there lol. It actually got a bit interesting again in previous episode 😂
@Apratim I think most people were still on board with the Lucky Cyan arc because Cyan is a likeable, normal and humble girl who's not overacting. What drove people away was the Queen and Loli arc. My brother binged episode 1-10 and stopped watching right after Loli EP1, telling me "the anime is not as good as you think".

We both had this conversation that young Queen behaved a bit like Greta Thunberg, a child who knows so much more about the world than people twice or three times her age. And she reminded us of the girl boss trope, because everyone in-universe pretended like Bowa and Cowboy girl didn't exist and Queen was the first female hero. Then Loli came along and was growing up in a priviliged household and invested her energy in a first world problem like "oh nooooo, I'm too cute, how baaaaad is my life, ALL men WITHOUT exception are discriminating against me".

Most people have nothing against positive feminist messages, but they don't want to get punched in the face with it.

I'm saying this again, as a woman, I think the lead writer struggles with introducing female lead characters for some reason. Their first impressions drove people away and made the overall score drop quite a bit, which the anime does not deserve. Those characters were perfectly good when their arcs ended though (I really feel for Loli now and am highly impressed how Queen saved Loli, Nuonuo, The Johnnys and Ghost Blade that day), but first impressions can sadly devalue a character's likeability.
Aug 24, 3:45 AM

Offline
Nov 2012
2574
atlans89 said:
I'm wating for Smile's daughter turned out to be Moon, lol

Mind blown! You know that’s twisted enough to be one of the next reveals. Nice probably approaches her at the funeral or something.
Aug 24, 4:25 AM

Offline
Mar 2021
140
Nice keeps being Not Nice. X is Saitama with hair. Smile best dude to depict X's reasoning to staying anonymous. Smile story, though actually worth listing to, reminded me of Genos overloading Saitama. They're all eagerly trying to become the next X to avoid X taking over once more rather they will anger him assaulting Smile giving him a reason to take place in the next tournament. Double thought: Maybe this all planned to make him resurface before the tournaments. Someone wants to catch him... Possibly with Queen's ability

Aug 24, 6:11 AM
Offline
Jul 2023
91
things are heating up
Aug 24, 7:06 AM
Offline
Sep 2012
205
Reply to Rom-Com_lover
@Linkmstr But we saw two civilians recording video, so they have the real footage of what actually happened.
@Rom-Com_lover

Could be too far away for people to get proper recording or even hear what they say. And those recordings can be confiscated by the group that are orchestrating the entire thing and edited to fit their purposes.
Aug 24, 7:58 AM
Offline
Apr 2019
2
Everybody keeps talking about Moon being Smile's daughter, but if that's true, she can't be dead yet. Moon is killed in front of Lin Ling, which only happens after Nice kills himself. And Nice likely offed himself due to the "Smile incident". So if Moon is Smile's daughter, she's likely killed as tying up loose ends rather than driving Smile crazy.

Though some credence is lent to the "X time travels to try and fix the timeline" theory if you think back to how Lin Ling kept seeing Moon dead in his dreams. Those could not be dreams, but rather alternative possibilities
Aug 24, 8:31 AM
Offline
Nov 2023
20
Reply to Denkenisme
@Marinate1016
I agree with you. To Be Hero X has outstanding story quality and visuals.
Unfortunately, since it’s made in China, anime fans who prefer Japanese-produced anime still can’t fully accept it.

@Denkenisme I agree, unfortunately those who dropped after the anime with the Cyan arc were those who expected the series to be just a battle between heroes, when instead it has a crazy plot with incredible characters, this is hands down one of the best series of the year and probably once it's finished I'll do a good rewatch to better understand all the details I missed, all the post nice and e-soul arches are connected to each other so you have to be very careful not to miss anything
Aug 24, 8:49 AM
Offline
Jun 2023
202
Reply to LeanRivs
@Seansy It's not that he's unknown, he's someone who, by not having press, has lost relevance, which is different.
@LeanRivs No, you are describing his current status. I am referring to when he first appeared against Queen during her arc he was so unknown that he wasn't registered with the HAC roster. The news broadcast also said "nobody has any information on him". Additionally, his PV shows that nobody knows who he is and where he came from. He literally just appeared out of nowhere and easily overcame all other heroes to become X.

You cannot reach a top 10 rank and beat all the best heroes without accumulating enough trust to compete and a hero that nobody has heard of cannot accomplish such a feat barring some major extenuating circumstances such as that he traveled back through time while keeping the trust value he had in the future as the X of that timeline.
Aug 24, 8:54 AM

Offline
Mar 2020
503
Dragon Boy trying to pull a full counter
Aug 24, 10:34 AM
Offline
Apr 2022
10
Seeing him in 20 and 21 I start to see more on why Nice off himself in the first episode. I can't believe we finally get to hear his voice.
Pages (2) [1] 2 »

More topics from this board

Poll: » Tu Bian Yingxiong X Episode 22 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )

IzanaSolos - Aug 30

117 by morcy11 »»
1 hour ago

» Current Hero Rankings by Viewers

G_Aker - Sep 1

30 by frawgz »»
11 hours ago

» What do people see as X's power?

GustavoJovelli - Aug 31

8 by ArthurBedlam »»
Yesterday, 8:51 AM

Poll: » Tu Bian Yingxiong X Episode 20 Discussion ( 1 2 3 4 5 )

IzanaSolos - Aug 16

225 by whither »»
Yesterday, 3:27 AM

Poll: » Tu Bian Yingxiong X Episode 19 Discussion ( 1 2 3 )

IzanaSolos - Aug 9

118 by whither »»
Yesterday, 2:56 AM
It’s time to ditch the text file.
Keep track of your anime easily by creating your own list.
Sign Up Login