To Be Hero X

Episode 12

While this is the second Queen-centric episode, it's not really about Queen. Sure, she's the viewpoint character, and we get to see her emotional struggle from not snagging the title of X, her amazing battle against Bowa, and her soul-crushing realization that she missed out on her chance to get another shot at Hero X. Moreover, we come to understand how her friendship with Cyan and Little Johnny has made her a better person (if not a better hero) and why it's important to her. However, when it comes down to it, this episode is more about Bowa than Queen.

Bowa is a hero who built herself through her actions. She could have just gotten rich as a prize fighter, but she instead put her skills to use first to support heroes and later to become one herself. Even as a top 10 hero, she struggled to gain recognition, and it was only after Queen captured the imagination of the people that she was able to reach the number one spot. However, it was obvious even to her that everyone—from her own management to the general populous—saw her as a placeholder for Queen more than anything else. So Bowa was determined to prove everyone wrong by defeating Queen in the tournament—and then she never got the chance.

What's interesting is who she holds responsible for losing the top spot. She blames Queen and Cyan, along with DOS and Queen's journalist father. She focuses all her rage on them—on taking them down by defeating Queen. She nursed that grudge for two years, falling out of the top 10 in the process. But there is one person she doesn't blame—one person whom she rarely mentions. It's the person who took her spot as the top hero, Hero X himself.

If you take this at face value, it seems like Bowa truly believes that if it weren't for Cyan's luck powers, neither she nor Queen would have lost to Hero X. But when you think about it a little more, you remember something: Bowa's new powers are based on fear. So what does she fear so much that it powers her up to a strength on par with the number two hero despite having a much lower Trust value? It's a base fear that we all struggle with: that we're simply not good enough.

Bowa focuses on Queen because she believes that she can beat the younger girl. She tricks herself into believing that Hero X's win was due to cheating because if that's the case, and she beats Queen, then she is “good enough”—she is worthy of being the top hero. But deep down in her core, she knows the truth—and it is that truth that constantly fans the flames of fear within her. Hero X came out of nowhere and beat both her and Queen in a single attack—she didn't stand a chance. Now, she is just protecting her pride by removing Hero X from the mental equation because she simply can't imagine beating him.

And the worst part of all this? Bowa isn't in the wrong about being mistreated. If she had the support that Queen has had, no one would see her as a placeholder. Her mental fortitude is so amazing that not only did she climb from normal person to hero on her own, but unlike the other fear-based villains we've seen so far, she controls the power rather than the other way around. Never does she turn into a monster like Lin Ling's boss or the Orphanage owner. Instead, her attacks are clever and well thought out. She out-thinks Queen as often as she overpowers her. And while the Fear is affecting her mind, she can, in the end, realize the reality of her situation—i.e., that even if she beats Queen, she'll never again attain the title of X—and gives up rather than fighting to the death.

If all that weren't enough, this episode also gives us an important piece of world-building. The fight we get here is between the ones who would be battling for the spot of top hero in a world without Hero X. This battle is far beyond any we have seen so far. Lin Ling and Cyan's fights don't hold a candle to this one, and even the battle between the E-Souls pales in comparison. This is the kind of raw power Lin Ling, E-Soul, and Cyan have to overcome to take the title of X—and to be frank, all of them seem hopelessly over-matched. And then there's the simple fact that there's a man out there who can beat both Queen and Bowa with a snap of his fingers. It's hard to believe anyone we've seen so far has a chance to take the title from him.

Rating:

Random Thoughts:

• I wouldn't be surprised to find out that the whole Bowa situation was set up on purpose by the DOS president and Queen's father as an experiment to see which was more powerful, Trust or Fear.

• DOS' data file on Hero X is interesting. He's not down with Uncle Rock—which is honestly fantastic news—and he's fought Wreck at least once. He's suspected to be partnered with Rebellious Hero Nine (who I don't think we've heard of before) and is somehow connected with an unknown woman who is superhuman in all stats, and her power's name is “Multiple”.

• I feel that the cliffhanger of this episode only works if you've been watching things outside of the actual anime—i.e., if you know what the berserking beast in the final shot is and what fighting it would mean for Cyan and Queen on a personal level.

• So I assume Queen was Rank 10 after her second tournament, as she forfeited due to injury. That means in the past two years (leading up to Lin Ling's time), she has fought back to the number two spot through superheroics alone. Impressive.

To Be Hero X is currently streaming on Crunchyroll on Saturdays.