Hey so you gotta watch To Be Hero X.
Do NOT read the wiki. Do NOT check the tag. Go in AS BLIND AS POSSIBLE and just WATCH THE SHOW.
Two friends who had already seen it basically locked me in a voice chat and said "We're watching this now!" after which we proceeded to watch the first 11 episodes over the course of two evenings, and then went through the remaining 13 in A SINGLE NIGHT because I wanted to keep going so badly.
You can watch the first episode for free on Bilibili's YT channel (turn on CC for English subs) to get a taste for it; the rest are available in the same place for channel members, or (in slightly higher resolution) over on Crunchyroll.
It basically starts with an extremely hot guy flinging himself off a roof because Fuck This Shit I'm Out
One character's superpower is literally just Murder, which is also canonically his autistic hyperfixation
Autistic Murder Hero is nonverbal and 40 years old
Store Brand Hatsune Miku is there and is also Saint Cajetan
Superpowers are gained and lost through a metric that essentially amounts to follower count
This metric can also cause disability based on public perception of the person being awarded said powers
One character's superpower is, arguably, being extremely cunty in 490893406 art styles
The use of 490893406 art styles throughout the series is important to the plot
There are 12 individual protagonists, one of which is a cat(?) and one of which is a dog
All but two protagonists, including the cat(?), are 21 or older by the "present" time
The only protagonist under the age of 18 by the "present" is the dog (who is technically 82 in dog years)
The series is conceptualized, written and directed by Li Haoling, the guy that directed Link Click and the TGCF donghua
I'm reasonably certain that every single person in the main cast is queer to some capacity with the exception of the dog and the cat(?), neither of whom have apparent sexual or romantic preferences, presumably on account of being a dog and a cat(?)
The "main antagonist" is literally the corporate commodification of human connection via parasocial relationships
Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan, PROMARE, Bubble, etc.) worked on parts of the soundtrack, including the opening theme, which is FUCKING PHENOMENAL:
Watch it in Chinese, not Japanese. It is originally in Chinese, this is the intended presentation and the line delivery is important. (Chinese is the very last audio option in the menu on Crunchyroll. I do not know why.)
It's anthological with overlapping arcs for each member of a cast of a dozen, so don't look for a "main character." (There is a title character, but that's not the same thing!)
It is non-chronological, starting in the "present" and then working backward and forward again as we go through the roster of characters. (It all comes together eventually, trust me here.)
Both the non-chronological storytelling and the art style shifts are extremely important aspects of the series' presentation.
Season 2 has been confirmed since season 1 dropped, but isn't expected to come out until 2027.
CONTENT WARNINGS: Suicide, violence, blood/gore, abuse of children and animals, ideological grooming, mental and emotional abuse, loss of autonomy, manipulative cults, gaslighting, and some body horror. HEALTH WARNINGS: Flashing lights and eyestrain.
ANYWAY YOU SHOULD WATCH IT THANK YOU GOODBYE
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