# Virtual Hero

Virtual Hero is a Spanish-South Korean animated television series produced by Zeppelin TV and Motion Pictures, S.A. for Movistar+ based on the comic book trilogy of the same name created by Rubén "El Rubius" Doblas.
In September 2020, Movistar+ announced the cancellation of the series after two seasons.

## Synopsis

Rubius is one of the 100 selected playtesters for the ORV, an experimental virtual reality device. Connected directly to his neuronal network, these glasses transport him to a computer game universe known as the Game Worlds. Little does Rubius know, it's all part of an evil plan hatched by Trollmask, the devious Master of the Game Worlds, who is holding the players hostage in this virtual setting so that they all witness his victory over Rubius. Alongside his allies Sakura, Zombirella, Slimmer and G4T0, this unlikely hero will take on the challenges of the Game Worlds to free the players from Trollmask's clutches.

## Cast

| Character | Voice (Spanish) | Voice (English) |
| Main cast |||
| Rubius | Rubén "El Rubius" Doblas | Unknown |
| Sakura | Graciela Molina | Unknown |
| Zombirella | Nuria Trifol | Jenny Beacraft |
| Mangel | Miguel Ángel "Mangel" Rogel | Unknown |
| Trollmask | Sergio Zamora | Masumi Mutsuda |
| Demonika | Joël Mulachs | Unknown |
| G4T0 | Elisabeth Bargalló | Caitlyn Mary Mac |
| Slimmer | Juan Carlos Gustems | Alex Warner |
| Guruf | Pep Sais | Unknown |
| Silueta | Carme Calvell | Unknown |
| Secondary cast |||
| Maddy Model | Marina García Guevara | Unknown |
| Captain Legarde | Daniel García | Daniel Francis-Berenson |
| Ben | Raúl Rodríguez | Unknown |
| Nancy | Marta Barbará | Unknown |
| Professor Brasas | Rafael Calvo | Mark Schardan |
| Armadurón | Alfonso Vallés | Unknown |
| Patitas | Ramón Canals | Unknown |
| Limón 4K | Jordi Ribes | Unknown |

## Episode list
### Season 1

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
| 1 | 1 | "Un artefacto misterioso" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 2 | 2 | "Monstruo de ciudad, monstruo de campo" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 3 | 3 | "Cosas grandes y cuadradas" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 4 | 4 | "La hora del té" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 5 | 5 | "Animalitos sueltos" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 6 | 6 | "La batalla de Puerto Panoli" | 12 October 2018 (2018-10-12) |
| 7 | 7 | "Un mundo real" | 23 November 2018 (2018-11-23) |
| 8 | 8 | "Doppelgänger" | 30 November 2018 (2018-11-30) |
| 9 | 9 | "Un pirata metepatas" | 7 December 2018 (2018-12-07) |
| 10 | 10 | "Yourface" | 14 December 2018 (2018-12-14) |
| 11 | 11 | "Cyberblade" | 21 December 2018 (2018-12-21) |
| 12 | 12 | "Reverso tenebroso" | 28 December 2018 (2018-12-28) |

### Season 2

| No. overall | No. in season | Title | Original air date |
| 13 | 1 | "Alas negras" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |
| 14 | 2 | "Actualizaciones" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |
| 15 | 3 | "Sacrificios" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |
| 16 | 4 | "Los que vienen a morir te saludan, Maddy" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |
| 17 | 5 | "Retazos del pasado" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |
| 18 | 6 | "Game (not) over" | 28 February 2020 (2020-02-28) |

## Reception

Virtual Hero has received mixed reviews among television critics. On a positive note, Alberto Cano wrote for eCartelera that Virtual Hero is "a series that, in spite of betting on elements already seen on the likes of Ready Player One or Spy Kids 3-D: Game Over, manages to build a varied, attractive universe with its own personality, resulting in a fresh, fun animated fiction that rises as a notable product for the young audience." On the negative side, Espinof dismissed the show as "a poor imitation of the shōnen genre" and "an animated fanzine with no pretension or quality".