Koichi Yamadera:"I don't want to lose to anyone!" "TO BE HERO X" features a gathering of famous voice actors, but "only one of them has a Showa-era vibe..."

The Japan premiere of the completely new original anime "TO BE HERO X" by Aniplex and China's largest video site "bilibili" was held on March 29th at TOHO Cinemas Roppongi Hills (Minato Ward, Tokyo). The work is also a hot topic as it is the successor to "ONE PIECE", and features a luxurious cast of "leading voice actors" who play the 10 top heroes, including Kana Hanazawa as X, Koki Uchiyama as Queen, Yuichi Nakamura as Liang Long, Yoshitsugu Matsuoka as Mokusatsu, Ayane Sakura as Little Johnny, Inori Minase Koichi Yamadera as Lucky Cian, Nobunaga Shimazaki as Tora, Shimazaki Nobunaga as Tamaden, and Natsuki Hanae as Nice. Yamadera, who plays the "hero dog" Tora, spoke about his feelings about playing a dog role.

In this anime, where hero rankings change depending on people's "trust values," Yamadera said, "Doesn't I stand out? I'm the only one who has a Showa-era feel. This is a character ranking, after all. If it were a voice actor ranking, I wouldn't be here," drawing laughter, and added, "I'm confident with my dog. I don't want to lose to anyone! Just when you think he's talking normally, he barks quite a lot. I don't want to lose when it comes to barking. It's a very rewarding role."

"TO BE HERO X" is a superhero action drama set in a world where heroes with special abilities are celebrated. Hero rankings change depending on the "trust value" of the people, and the absolute hero who stands at the top of the rankings is called "X". The film is directed by Li Haolin, who has directed "Time Agent-LINK CLICK-" and "Heavenly Manifesto".

It will be broadcast on Fuji TV every Sunday at 9:30 am starting from April 6th. Since October 2006, Fuji TV's 9:30 am Sunday slot has been used to broadcast the TV anime "One Piece," based on the popular manga by Eiichiro Oda, but starting this April, the time slot will be changed to "To Be Hero X," which has become a hot topic. It has also been announced that it will be released simultaneously worldwide, and will begin streaming in China and other parts of the world at the same time as it airs in Japan.