To Be Hero X director Li Haoling's latest comments prove Nice's story is far from over

While To Be Hero X ended the Nice Arc with episode 4, so many questions are yet to be answered concerning the white-haired hero. Interestingly, the official X account of the series released a Q/A video on Sunday, April 27, 2025, featuring the show's director, Li Haoling, who provided fans with some interesting insights regarding the character.

In the short clip, Li Haoling was asked about the original Nice's brief appearance when fans wanted to see more of him. In response, the director assured fans that the original Nice will reappear in the series. Li Haoling explained that the actual story is told in the reverse order. In other words, the first four episodes, i.e., the Nice/Lin Ling arc, are actually the ending of To Be Hero X.

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Li Haoling's comments in the latest Q/A video proves the original Nice will return in To Be Hero X

As fans know, the To Be Hero X series has an anthology-based structure, where the first four episodes are based on the 10th-ranked hero, Nice. The white-caped hero's irresistible charm and grace have certainly enchanted fans, even though it was Lin Ling who assumed his identity for most of the arc. In episode 1, the original Nice had seemingly jumped to his death within the first four minutes.

However, the narrative didn't reveal the reason for the hero's tragic act. In fact, the series has yet to explore the original Nice's story. Only the facts concerning Nice's doomed relationship with his partner Wreck and his false relationship with Moon were revealed. The series didn't showcase who Nice truly was. Everything was filtered through Lin Ling, who transformed into the next Nice, before eventually stripping that persona.

The original Nice, as seen in the donghua (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

So, many fans might have been disheartened after To Be Hero X episode 4's release. However, they now have a reason to cheer about, as the show's director, Li Haoling, has confirmed that the original Nice will reappear in the series. According to the latest update from the series' official X handle, Li Haoling will answer pressing questions from fans after each Arc.

In the first Q/A video, centered on the Nice Arc, one of the selected questions for Li Haoling was about the original Nice, who briefly appeared in the first episode and then was killed off. Li Haoling acknowledged the anonymous fan's concerns and assured them that the OG Nice, or the original Nice, will be back in the series. According to the director, the To Be Hero X series is told in reverse order.

Lin Ling as Nice (Image via Pb Animation/LAN Studio/Paper Plane Animation)

Thus, the first four episodes actually served as the series' ending. In other words, Lin Ling's timeline is the most current one. From the fifth episode, the series will move to the previous timeline and focus on E-Soul, who had a massive part to play in the Nice Arc's ending. Li Haoling said that the ten heroes' stories will eventually cross paths.

Furthermore, the director revealed that the first four episodes were intentionally fast-paced, and the later stories will have different sets of rhythm. While Li Haoling didn't explicitly mention the episode numbers that will feature original Nice, the Q/A video included footage featuring the character. Interestingly, he appeared to have a twisted personality.

It seemed as if the original Nice had a dark past he hid under the guise of a fake smile. In fact, Li Haoling shared an illustration of the original Nice, with a caption "Kill them all." The illustration depicts Nice as an unhinged character, ready to punch someone to death. He didn't have a "heroic" look in his eyes, but rather a distinct glare of a villain.

Even in the PV, he asked fans to look forward to the original Nice after his "Dark Turn." The remaining episodes will likely touch on this idea and show the original Nice's interesting change. Moreover, those episodes could finally reveal why Nice chose to jump off the building in the first place. At any rate, the director explicitly revealed in the video that there is so much left to be explored about Nice's character.

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Conclusion

Li Haoling's assurance should uplift fans who have been wanting to know more about the original Nice. Interestingly, the director revealed that Nice would go through (or rather, "went through" since his narrative is revealed backwards) a dark phase. Therefore, To Be Hero X has so much to tell about Nice, and certainly, the four episodes weren't enough.

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