Estudio: Pb Animation, LAN Studio, Paper Plane Animation Studio
Sinopse:
This is a world where heroes are created by people's trust, and the hero who has received the most trust is known as "X." In this world, people's trust can be calculated by data, and these values will be reflected on everyone's wrist. As long as enough trust points are obtained, ordinary people can also have superpowers and become superheroes that save the world. However, the ever-changing trust value makes the hero's path full of unknowns...
(Source: Bilibili, translated)
Nenhum episódio encontrado.
Comentários
Marinate1016
I will eternally be grateful to To Be Hero X for opening my eyes to the world of Donghua. I had honestly written Chinese animation off, but I decided to give this a chance and I am so glad I did. It has been one of the best live viewing experiences of my life. Not only is there not a single dull moment in this show, but every single character introduced makes you want to root for them. It’s one of the best ever battle royale style set ups and combines amazing production values with a captivating narrative. If you like action, superheroes, twists(aTON of them), multifaceted and complex characters who aren’t always perfect and stories where the author isn’t afraid to kill people off look no further, TBHX has it all.
The really cool thing about TBHX is that it has so many different characters. There’s such a wide range of abilities, backstories and personalities, it’s not exaggerating to say there’s someone for everyone to root for in this story. As time goes on, you’ll find yourself becoming attached to characters like sports teams. In an ideal situation, all of the heroes would reach “X” status, this world’s top hero, but there can only be one and every week I found myself struggling to decide who I really wanted to support, eventually settling on Lucky Cyan. I enjoyed every single arc though, some more than others. The other really cool thing about TBHX’s story is that it’s told out of order in these story arcs. So our first and last arcs are right next to each other chronologically, but everything between them takes place at various points and it just gives you all these different perspectives of major events in the history of the world. As they say, there’s three sides to every story, your side, my side and the truth and often I found myself taking a certain stance on an issue before seeing the other perspectives and completely re-evaluating how I felt. I haven’t seen his other work(s) yet, but this is done by the director of Link Clink which I’ve been told has a lot of these same sort of twists and tropes.
There’s amazing production values here which I’ll talk about later, but this show is so much more than that too. There’s a lot of behind the scenes power plays made, political theater, betrayals, manipulation, it’s not the most complex story in the world, but a lot of effort has clearly gone into it and it has an unpredictability to it which made every single week an experience. Some shows you can binge watch, but TBHX’ live watch with speculation, theories and hype building throughout the week was special.
The production on this show is awesome. It starts out with a 3D style reminiscent of Netflix’ arcane. This really grew on me because I’m not a massive 3D animation fan, but by the 2nd or 3rd episode I came to appreciate the distinct charm it gave this series. Then we switched to 2D with the Cyan arc and that’s when this show became even more special to me. The fights were insane, the voice acting(I watched in JP) is superb, Sawano on the soundtrack! C’mon, what’s not to love about this one. It’s a feast for the eyes, ears and got me hype as hell thanks to one of the best soundtracks of the year.
It’s hard to talk too much about this show without spoiling key twists, so it is something you just have to experience on your own. It’s definitely a battle royale story, but it’s probably up there with Ishura as the ones with the most depth and characterisation. These aren’t just superheroes, they’re people with hopes and aspirations as well as insecurities and fears. The key lesson from this story being we can all be heroes. Might not stop aliens or a league of supervillains, but we can all make a difference in someone’s life and make the world a better place. The show covering real world issues like sexism, capitalistic greed and more also helped make such a fantastical world feel so real. This just meant a lot to me with all the great characters, the story’s twists and turns and the badass female superheroes. One of the best shows of the year.
TBHX gets 9 out of 10.
SkyBlue1012
To Be Hero X – I Wasn’t Ready for This (But Now I’m Emotionally Invested) Okay, I’ll be honest: when I first saw To Be Hero X, I thought it was just going to be another run-of-the-mill shonen anime. You know, generic power-ups, dramatic yelling, some friendship speeches, and a hero who screams louder than his enemies. But OH NO. This anime came flying out of left field, drop kicked my expectations into the blue sky, and whispered: "You thought I was mid? Watch this." Let’s start with the beginning, the first arc. Is it the best part of the series? Not really. But is it bad? Alsono. The episodes introducing the Top 10 Heroes felt like a solid appetizer before a full-course anime feast. Each episode gave you just enough to care about these heroes, let’s be honest, could have easily been tossed into the "irrelevant background character" dumpster. But not here. Nope. Everyone gets their moment. Everyone eats.
But let’s talk about the real star of the show: THE ANIMATION.
I don’t know what kind of forbidden animator pact was signed in the studio, but this series looks like it was forged in the fires of Mount Budgetless. I mean, did they even have a budget limit? Did someone say “animation cap”? Because they certainly did not follow it.
The animation is so smooth, so clean, so explosively beautiful that you’ll feel guilty watching it for free. Like, I wanted to PayPal the animators directly.
This isn’t just “good animation,” it’s religiously flawless. You could watch this show on mute and still be emotionally moved by the frame rate alone. But you shouldn't mute it, because..
The music? Absolute fire. 🔥
The opening? Banger.
The ending? Even bangier.
The hero theme songs? Custom-fit like superhero spandex.
Voice acting? Fabulous.
Now let’s talk characters.
This anime could’ve easily just thrown in a cool looking protagonist, made everyone else irrelevant, and called it a day. But no, they gave each of the Top 10 heroes their own dedicated episodes. You get to know their hopes, dreams, trauma, gym routines—everything.
They’re not just side characters. They’re SIDE CHARACTER/MAIN CHARACTERS.
And then… there's X.
My man. My legend. My pixel-perfect powerhouse.
His character design? Sharp enough to slice reality.
His powers? Broken in the best way.
His attitude? Humble king.
He’s the kind of guy who could destroy the planet but would apologize for stepping on your toe.
X is the blueprint. X is peak. X is so cool I almost changed my legal name to X (my parents said no).
And then… that ending.
THAT. ENDING.
I won’t spoil anything, but the cliffhanger at the end of the final episode is illegal in my country.
Season 2 better come swinging with the same animation quality or I’ll snap my fingers until my skins peeled off in the most painful way possible (this is a threat).
4 thumbs up for this anime! Including the thumbs on my feet.
NotRekt
I’m running out of words to describe how insane this show is. To Be Hero X has completely blown me away and I believe it’s the best new anime of the 2020s. The story is masterfully told, the characterization is definitely one of the best I’ve seen if not the best, it’s so good that it’s unbelievable they were able to develop this many characters in 24 episodes. Every piece of music feels like it knows exactly when to show up..it just lifts the emotion of each scene without trying too hard or getting in the way…the opening and ending songs are beautifully crafted andthe emotional weight of the visuals that accompany them make them hit even harder. The themes are not just impactful but both powerful and deeply human.
The animation is unlike anything I’ve ever seen before since the episodes are brought to life by different studios, yet the quality never dips. Instead of feeling disjointed, it becomes a celebration of artistic diversity, all while serving a single, unified vision. It’s a bold experiment that somehow works flawlessly which makes both the animation and direction in my opinion nothing short of revolutionary. Would love to see more animes try this.
One of the things that makes this show so special to me is its power system. It’s not about genetics, training arcs, or secret weapons, it’s about trust. Anyone can become a hero if people believe in them. That idea alone sets it apart from almost every other superhero story out there. It’s simple, but incredibly moving and the show uses it to say something deeper about connection, faith, and what it really means to be strong.
God bless the studios that worked on this masterpiece and I hope for more of the same or better in the second season 🙏
camanthat
TL;DR: To Be Hero X is a fun show with phenomenal animation, an interesting premise, and well-defined characters. If you watch it for those three reasons and go in looking for an action-packed good time, you’ll be very happy — see @SkyBlue1012’s review! The ride is wild and you just have to strap in and not think about things too hard to enjoy it. However, if you’re a cynic about these things and go in hoping for rock-hard, satisfying storytelling and strong character development, you may be disappointed (and very confused). Full review: Preamble: Because the show isn’t very clear about this (and no one inthe reviews can seem to agree), I’ll be referring to the characters that get their own dedicated origin stories or (in one case) significant development over the course of multiple episodes as “focus characters”, their arcs as “focus arcs”, and the titular character — X — as such.
Plot:
This story is told in reverse, starting with the present/most recent events, then progressing backwards with the focus arcs that follow. Though each focus arc follows a different character’s journey, we slowly start to see how they all connect, as each arc shows events that cause the effects of arcs prior. However, at some point (and not a very well defined one), the focus arcs start progressing back towards the present, and the story becomes much more non-linear, until we finally crash back into the present in the final episode.
Because of this not-quite-linear storytelling, it becomes increasingly difficult to follow the main plot, especially in the latter half of the show. And not in an I-just-need-to-pay-better-attention kind of way, but in a wait-what-was-that-reveal-and-now-I-have-more-questions kind of way.
The show also leaves so many loose ends. I’m left with questions after episode ONE that never get answered, never mind all 23 of those following. Reveals occur in subtle lines and visuals: literally, if you blink, you’ll miss it. And of the mysteries the show does give the answer to, they’re “solved” with open ends and ambiguous claims. Some threads are tied in the very last episode… in a minute and 30-second stripped back version of the ED with images flashing by so quickly you can barely put together what they mean. It makes for a disappointing, confusing end to what had the potential to be a really intriguing story.
Characters:
Pros: Every focus character got their own dedicated arc where we got to learn their origin stories and motivations for becoming a hero. Each one is both visually and characteristically different, and we get enough characterization that each feels as though they can stand on their own. Honestly, we could have a whole show/season exploring any of these guys as the main character and their interactions and adventures with the surrounding cast. Our titular character, X, is delightfully nonchalant in almost every way and has the most visually fun powers of anyone in the show.
Cons: Because we only get to spend a few episodes with each focus character, we don’t get to know all that much about them. Yes, as mentioned above, we learn their basic personalities, main motivations, and superhero origins, but also as mentioned above, many seem like they deserve far more development and screen time than they get. The allotted time for each character’s focus arc is also pretty unequal, and not in a way that always makes sense: a few of the more interesting characters only get one or two episodes to star, while others receive far more screen time than what seems deserved, given their role in the story. If we get a season two, hopefully these characters will all get more development and chances to interact, but as it stands, we’ve yet to get especially attached to any of this ensemble cast’s members.
Our titular character suffers the most from this. Despite looming large over the whole series, he only actually shows up around 4 times, outside of the OP and ED, most of the time for a few seconds or part of a scene. X is supposed to be mysterious, yes — the show points out explicitly that no one really knows anything about him in-universe, and he certainly doesn’t serve the role of proper main character — but we know nothing about his motivations, his purpose, his origins. Even his power, while fun to watch in action, is unclear as to what exactly it does. The show attempts to explain some of the above (I think) in the final episode, but it does so in a way that leaves his true identity ambiguous and his motivations murky at best. As with the rest, X seems like he would make a great side (or main, or villain) character in a more focused story, and I would have loved to see far more of him than what we get.
Animation:
Pros: Absolutely fantastic animation, especially in the first few and last episodes. Fights are dynamic and flashy, and I love how the animation will sometimes switch styles based on character pov/fighting style. This show isn’t afraid to play around and show some character moments through both narration and different visual symbolism. Also really fun OP and ED.
Mixed feelings: I was personally a little disappointed that each character didn’t have their own unique style (at least in 2d), which I originally thought was going to be the case based on the first few arcs. After the third character introduction, though, every arc shared basically the same 2d style (with the 3d disappearing entirely) with very minor changes until last focus character’s introduction.
Also, to that point, what role was the 3d animation supposed to play? At the beginning of the show, it seems like it’s used as the main style of animation, with 2d fight scenes/imagination sequences/character povs interspersed throughout. Then, it disappears for most of the show as we get further back in the past, returning at the very end as an indicator of the present. However, the second character introduction, which happens in the past as related to the opening arc, is also primarily in 3d… so is the 3d animation just an indicator of proximity to the present? If so, why include the 2d sequences in the “present” portions? Am I wasting too many brain cells thinking about this too hard?
Powers and Themes (this one is more nitpicky lol):
Pros: In the first focus arc, we start to explore this world’s power system, one based on public perception and “trust” — the more trust people have in a given person, the more powerful they become. Their powers also reflect the image the public gives them: to take from the first couple of episodes, one hero is “the perfect hero” with standard Superman-esque powers; while another stands proud and strong, able to support anything and anyone. However, the strength heroes gain from the peoples’ trust is also a weakness, as they slowly become the extreme of their public image: the hero from the first example NEEDS to be perfect, almost unconsciously fixing his hair and struggling with asymmetry; the latter is so upstanding and strong that he can no longer sit or bend, even when he isn't actively doing his job, being a hero. We get to explore the pressure those in the limelight face from the public based on the image they present and see the dark side to fame and power, especially when money-hungry, controlling corporations get involved. This “grass is always greener” concept is a classic, the likes of which we’ve seen before (think of any Prince and the Pauper retelling), but here it’s done in a modern and interesting, if on-the-nose, way.
Cons: Though we do get to see the shortcomings of some of the characters’ powers, this aspect of their power also being their weakness largely gets ignored for most of the show. After the first arc, it shows up significantly a few more times, but falls to the wayside as we explore characters’ backstories and the dark side of the hero agencies. Of the 10-11 (depending how you count) characters that get focused arcs, only 3 show marked deficiencies because of their powers (and even then, one of those deficiencies is not well defined).
Overall, I enjoyed it, but came away with more questions than answers and the desire for more exploration of these characters and their stories. If I could give it a 6.5 out of 10, I would, but here I'll round up to a 7.
Animation: 10/10
Story: 6/10
Characters: 7/0
Dialogue: 6/10
Worldbuilding/Power system: 7/10
JumpIntoTheNight
Is To Be Hero X perfect? Nope. But is it a Masterpiece? Yes This is one of the most experimental shows in recent history. Taking risk in not only storytelling, characters, animations and trusting the audience to piece the story by themselves. Even if you are don't like every single character there will be a character that resonates with you personally. To Be Hero X challenges every convention of traditional storytelling. It's not perfect by a longshot, there are ways they can improve for the 2nd season and they have had plenty of feedback but with how bold their vision of the story is I hope to seethese characters doing something epic together. I just love these characters.
Also the music is easily an 11/10.
Issac113234
This series could be summed up simply as "a unique experience," as the world of To Be a Hero X deserves to be explored; it has so many interesting things to offer the viewer that it's insane. Story 9/10 The only reason I don't give it a 10 is because the ending left more questions than answers, but that doesn't take away from all the incredible lore it presented, the themes it touched on about a hypocritical society, corrupt and false hero organizations, the creation of heroes and their purpose, self-confidence, etc. All of this makes this series work wonderfully. While it had its ups and downs,it ultimately recovered and became, for me, the best superhero story I've ever seen. Aside from the fact that it has many incredible moments, interesting plot twists, the 10 main heroes, each one better than the other, and very good supporting characters who contribute to the story and aren't just mere embellishments, it keeps the series exciting until the very end.
Animation 10/10
This section was the main reason many of us wanted to watch this series, and it lived up to expectations perfectly, at least for me. While the 2D and 3D styles were more prominent throughout most of the series, the moments where other styles were used made it not only exciting but also very creative on the part of director Li Haoling and the animation studios that collaborated to give this series their own style.
Soundtrack 10/10
Another area where I'm more than satisfied is the OSTs for each of the 10 main heroes, each with their own style, lyrics, and tone that suits them perfectly. I obviously also include the OP and the ending, which were gems this year and have great significance for the story of To Be Hero X in general.
Without a doubt, this is a series with incredible potential that can be exploited in the future. The best part is that there are indications that a second season will be released, thanks to the release of a new video of Inertia's OP remix for the final episode of this first season, which shows us things that will come in the second season.
Final rating: 9.3/10
dazedcowcow62
TO BE HERO X: Proof that there's still room among the anime community to appreciate donghua The series featured 10 character arcs and a special arc with appealing character designs in both 3D and 2D. The animations are, without any doubt, some of the best this year. What made TBHX different from the others was its power scaling, where it is solely based on people's trust and fear. It will always be captivating when such a random person becomes a superhero. Another intriguing aspect was that just because an individual becomes a hero, they will be friendly with fellow heroes. Hence, tournaments do exist in this lore. Allcharacter arcs are executed pretty well, despite two not being in the most appealing way. However, the aforementioned arcs are still intriguing to watch.
In conclusion, while TO BE HERO X may not be the anime of the season, it still earns a spot in the Top 5. Each episode manages to impress with its execution.
Ultimately, I never intended to write this short, 'brainless' review, but I probably had to as a sign that I am able to credit donghua as much as I want when credit is due.
Klein_00
I dont judge like a normal person but shi this one's good. it wasnt perfect like some ep are boring but i like seeing majorly of it is superb. The overall story is nice and loved the twist that they did which actually i like, the 3d 2d shi it was a goddamn good. I normally stay away from 3d with shitty animation but this one was nicely put together, no awkward animation and loved that they really gave much importance to x as it will always goes 3d and shi was cool ps. first chinese shi that i like
Conflagr8
To Be Hero X is a brilliantly-executed ensemble cast story with an interesting premise, stellar animation, and a great mix of stories that are heart-wrenching, hopeful, and convergent in a braided timeline told in an anthology format. Where to begin? In the very first 5 minutes, TBHX throws us headfirst into the volatility of a world where heroes are not just given power by the populace's belief in them, but shaped by it. The show doesn't shy away from all the consequences and themes that this entails, and it does a marvelous job in exploring those themes and consequences. The narrative engages in adeft timeweave that expertly brings together the large cast of characters, epitomizes the raw power of a well done "show don't tell," and each arc does an excellent job of creating a compelling story that stands strong on its own while becoming even more fulfilling as part of the larger whole. This also leads to a lot of rewatch value, as what seemed like background fluff turns out to be intricately-placed details that further enrich the narrative.
But that's just the storytelling; arguably an even more stand-out quality of TBHX is the animation and music. TBHX blends 2D and 3D animation in a way that goes far beyond just flavor, and all the animation styles are wonderfully executed. It then goes a step beyond that with music and sound design, intertwining weighty sound effects and music with the narrative (each of the 10 focal heroes has their own song, and all are wonderfully done).
Basically, unless you're the type of person who is allergic to decentralized ensemble cast stories, this is a must-watch. If you don't want to commit to a full episode, I'd recommend checking out the ~4-5 minute concept movie that billibilli put out for the show.
luxray978
__Introduction__ To be a Hero X is the third entry into the anthology series To Be Hero, with no relation to previous works. This means that the show consists of “arcs” consisting of 1-4 episodes in a character's point of view before moving to the next one. Each arc centers around a hero and their rise to prominence within the “trust system,” which gives individuals power according to others’ beliefs in them. __Animation/Visual style__ One of the show’s biggest assets and largest problems is its split animation style, with it being animated by three studios (Pb Animation, Studio LAN, and Paper Plane). It features a traditional anime-style 2D,common Sharp Featured 3D, and a comic book-inspired dot-shaded 2D aesthetic. At times, the show struggles to integrate these styles with disjointed transitions, but when it pulls off the swap seamlessly, the effect is great. The worst offender in the early episodes is the comic style, which is worse than the others and causes an awkward contrast in quality when cutting back and forth. While it doesn’t come up often in this season due to a smart choice to drop this effect for the characters for which it would be worst, one issue with switching is that character designs are sometimes significantly different between styles. The most notable character in this season is Ahu, who is cute and silly in 2D but gruff and serious in 3D. In future seasons, this may be a larger issue, with the Cyan and Queen designs both feeling strange in 3D. Visually, the combat in the non-dotwork styles is engaging when stakes are properly set, with strong use of lighting and decent flow. However, it rarely wowed me and largely came out as fine-above average in my opinion.
__Plot and themes:__
The anthology segments within To Be a Hero X range from unconnected to direct lead-ins to each other, with varying success. This style, in theory, provides the opportunity to provide a range of perspectives on the world and give a wide view of how it functions, but the show often fails to deliver upon this. Early disconnected episodes are okay, but struggle to place themselves in the greater context, while later highly connected episodes have issues with washing out character moments, but are overall an improvement. The show functions better as the sum of it’s parts, with character interactions getting better as arcs go on and the overall mystery helping to tie things together.
Regarding the issue of society of the show, despite how much it relies upon it with the trust system, we are rarely given any impression of what it’s like to live in it. The public and civilian characters are one note and insignificant, with them being easily moved by whatever the more important characters tell them to think. There is an implication that villains exist early on, but we are never given a view into how this risk impacts the public and their perception of heroes. This is a massive missed opportunity for a concept so rife for exploring the ways this would change human interactions. This lack of care is consistent throughout the show, with interactions and themes handled simplistically, even when opportunities are given to explore further.
The show struggles to maintain a consistent tone or themes between its segments and sometimes within them. This isn’t unusual for an anthology series, but it can be jarring at times. However, this also acts as a benefit as the rapid fire pace of the anthology segments and fun enough plots make up for these flaws, as if something is shallow or boring, it doesn’t stick around for an extended period of time. The best example of this is the terrible choice to use fakeout cliffhangers early in the show, which thankfully fades into the background in later segments. This change coincides with a transition midway to a larger connected arc, which was where the show started to gain its legs. The show’s tone becomes more refined with comedy segments integrated in a way that doesn’t confuse the viewer. The charecters featured here have the strongest development and feel most human out of the cast with the extra screentime from interactions in other’s arcs. Unfortunately, there are two major exceptions to this, where characters had the majority of their arc sidelined for larger plot developments, and without the ability to make up the time, they are left shallow and undirected.
The overall plot of the story is intentionally kept ambiguous, with the sparse and hard to parse information being dripfed. This is a good choice for the series and creates a mix of time for characters to develop while giving the viewer opportunities to theorize and dig deeper. From what I’ve seen I do worry the overall reveal won’t be as interesting as what people think but that doesn’t impact this season.
__Character Design:__
Character designs for hero X are hard to discuss as the different studios handled the designs in very different ways, and my impressions are based on the majority screentime. Regardless, most of the designs are well crafted with unique sillohettes and charecter details that reflect their personalities.
In contrast to their visual designs it character's powers aren’t well integrated with how they present themselves or live their lives with the exception of X. This isn’t a requirement for hero shows but I think that having superpowered characters interact with the world in a different way goes far towards making them stand out (a classic example of which is Nightcrawler from X-men) . For the characters, where they choose to mention it, the effect on their psyche makes up for this, but this isn’t the case for all of them.
__Character:__
Due to the anthology format, many characters end up feeling shallow unless they are one of the core cast who were given development in each other’s episodes. This is, to some degree to be expected and hopefully a second season will improve upon this. Nevertheless there are standouts (that I won’t mention because it’s a spoiler) who I felt were quite compelling even if the cast fell largely flat. Regardless, you gain a good impression of their “core traits,” which is as much as you can hope for with some characters.
__Treatment of women:__
Possibly due to the large nature of the team, the way the show handles women is very variable.
One unique aspect is that there are three female pov characters who are given full agency. On the other hand, the treatment of female side characters can be strange at times, especially in the first portions of the show. The odd segment in the show is Luo Li’s nickname of “loli” an oestensible refrence to the way people refer to underage or flat chested small girls. It’s never mentioned in the show directly to my knowledge which makes me wonder how intentional it even is despite it being on the promo material. Due to this, it’s a very small aspect of the show and nowhere near as bad as mainstream shounen. Overall, to be a Hero X is a breath of fresh air for this type of animated media, with it being able to have women on screen multiple times without introducing a pervert to grope them or playing boing boing sound effects (demon slayer).
__Conclusion:__
To be a Hero X is an ambitious project with an interesting premise, and despite it sometimes struggling against its format, it is a breath of fresh air. It deeply wants to make societal commentary, but struggles to do so and suffers from inconsistent quality. In contrast, the show’s best moments are when characters are allowed to shine. To be a Hero X is a 7/10 altogether, but it makes me excited for the future of the Chinese animation industry as a whole and Haoling Li’s future work.
__ Postscript: - Short thoughts on each anthology segment __
Nice - 5/10 Start of the story, fine and gave an introduction to the world but was simplistic and unable to decide between a comedic and serious tone. Bizarre cliff hangers pull everything down.
E soul 6/10, Simplistic but works at what it’s trying to do improvement from the previous arc.
Lucky cyan 7/10 - Strong character moments and mystery falters at where to take things
Queen 5/10 - Real shame because I like the character but it was a poorly integrated disaster and featured one of the worst episodes of the series
Luo Li 8/10 - Best character moments in the series and leads well into the next arc
Ghost blade 7/10 - Fun and cute character setup, enjoyed this
Johnnies - Didn’t feel like they got an arc of their own honestly but they didn’t suffer for it. Time went to other people
Dragon boy 5/10 on it’s own 7/10 when integrated, Got cut out of his own story, feels like he was only here to pad the roster. Shame because his design and story is kinda cool. Setup good character development for other people
Ahu 8/10 - Great bottle episode, manages to setup emotional stakes quickly and has some of the show’s best animation.
FrostediKing
I went into To Be Hero X not expecting much, but man, this show hooked me from the start and never let go. It’s one of those rare series that feels alive — everything is firing together: the visuals, the energy, the music, the emotion. It’s fast, it’s loud, and somehow it still hits deep. Story: 10 The world is built around trust, and that concept alone gives it so much life. People gain powers through belief, and those numbers on their wrists become everything. The show bounces across timelines, exploring the top heroes we see teased in the opening — and it all ties back togetherbeautifully. It’s chaotic in the best way, switching tones and eras but never losing focus. It’s about heroes, yeah, but it’s also about what it costs to be one.
Art: 10
Visually, this thing is wild. You get these sudden shifts in style, splash-page visuals, and explosive color bursts that make even quiet scenes feel intense. Every frame looks like it’s trying to outdo the last. It’s one of those shows that reminds you how much animation can move.
Sound: 10
This is where the show completely destroys. The music, the transitions, the ambient effects — everything is placed so perfectly it’s almost unfair. Every explosion, every quiet breath, every emotional shift just hits. The opening track still loops in my head, and there’s this constant rhythm to the whole thing that makes even dialogue scenes feel alive. It’s rare that I finish an anime and think “sound design” before anything else, but this one does that.
Characters: 10
The heroes here aren’t just cool designs or powers — they feel like real people crushed under public perception. Some are broken, some are desperate, some are proud, and the way their stories overlap gives this constant momentum. Even when we jump around timelines, it all builds into something that makes sense emotionally.
Enjoyment: 10
I loved every second of it. It’s a ride that doesn’t slow down, and by the time it’s over, you’re left with this hollow feeling — like, now what? It’s that rare show that fills your head completely, then vanishes and leaves you wanting to chase that same rush again.
Overall: 10/10
To Be Hero X is the kind of show that reminds me why I watch anime in the first place. Visually stunning, emotionally charged, and absolutely bursting with style. It’s bold, funny, heavy, and heartfelt all at once.
Final Thoughts:
It’s loud, fast, messy, and brilliant — everything I love about animation done with no hesitation. It’s been weeks since I finished it and it still echoes in my head. Season 2 can’t come soon enough.
Lucxs_Bundgxxrd
I HAVE to write a review on this show, despite normally never writing anything about something I watch. I will keep it short though. The animation, as everyone also states, is ABSELUTELY INSANE. The change of art-styles are so insanely sick to see in anime, and I really hope that other animes can do something like it. I really like how there's a clear corelation between the character we're watching and the animation-style that we're watching them in. It does maybe get kind off when you then see them for the first time in a different art-style, but it doesn't really take anything away from the story. Thestory isn't a 10/10, and it can be kind of complex if you don't take note of what year we're in, but despite that it's still good. The story-telling was very different and unique, atleast when comparing it to other animes. We get to the story from multiple perspectives, and from that we're able to learn about the world and understand the character better.
In conclusion
If you're looking for some sick fights, some cool animation-styles and decent story that's told in a very unique way, then you should definently give this a watch.
Sorry if my review wasn't as well-written, or good as some of the others', but I really wanted to glaze this show, so cut me some slack...
llHakull
English OMG!! This can’t be real, man. What an amazing series! There isn’t a single flaw in its technical side, it’s simply spectacular. That mix of different types of animation —3D, cartoon, 2D and more— used throughout the mini-arcs of each character gives a huge boost to the story while also adding variety for us as viewers. It’s fantastic. Especially when they use 3D animation, which has a strong resemblance to the magnificent Arcane… that, that’s just brilliant, man. The direction is outstanding. As I said, blending those styles of animation and taking full advantage of them adds so much. The OST fits perfectly in every scene,whether dramatic, action-packed, or sad. You can clearly feel the expertise of H. Sawano.
The script is truly bold, a critique of a society controlled by those with resources, willing to do whatever it takes to “climb the ranking” (just like us). Sure, the idea itself isn’t new, but the way this world of heroes is presented feels fresh and different. While I did feel that around mid-season some characters lacked enough time to develop (mainly Queen), everything eventually comes together, building up to a FINAL EPISODE THAT’S FANTASTIC, BOLD, NONSENSICAL, CRAZY, SPECTACULAR (no spoilers, but you HAVE to see it!).
Simply cinema. I don’t want to sound elitist, but that episode in terms of technical execution and direction is some of the best work done in a long time. And it ends on a bittersweet note. Sweet, because it answers and resolves some of the doubts raised earlier in the story. Bitter, because I was left wanting more and with a few unanswered questions.
I can’t wait for its second seasonnn! I know it’ll take a while, because delivering that level of quality isn’t easy or cheap. I just beg they continue it.
Español
OMG!! Esto no puede ser real, hermano. ¡Qué pedazo de serie tan buena! No hay un solo defecto en su apartado técnico, es simplemente espectacular. Esa mezcla de diferentes tipos de animación —3D, cartoon, 2D y más— que se va utilizando conforme a los mini-arcos de cada personaje le da un apoyo brutal a la trama de cada protagonista y, además, brinda variedad para nosotros como espectadores. Es fantástico. Principalmente cuando usan la animación 3D, que tiene una similitud con la magnífica Arcane... eso, eso es genial, hombre.
La dirección está muy bien hecha. Como dije, combinar esos estilos de animación y aprovecharlos suma muchísimo. El OST acompaña de manera increíble cada escena, sea dramática, de acción o de tristeza. Se nota demasiado la mano experta de H. Sawano.
El guion es realmente audaz, una crítica a una sociedad manejada por quienes tienen recursos y hacen lo que sea necesario para "subir de ranking" (como nosotros). Sí, esa idea no es nueva, pero la manera en que plantean este mundo con héroes se siente fresca y diferente. Si bien a mitad de temporada sentí que ciertos personajes no tuvieron suficiente tiempo para desarrollar su crecimiento (principalmente Queen), llega un momento en que cada arco comienza a alinearse para terminar con un CAPÍTULO FINAL FANTÁSTICO, ATREVIDO, SIN SENTIDO, LOCO, ESPECTACULAR (no haré spoiler, pero ¡tienen que verlo!).
Simplemente cinema. No quiero sonar como un elitista, pero ese capítulo en su apartado técnico y de dirección es de lo mejor que se ha hecho en muchísimo tiempo. Y concluye de manera agridulce. ¿Por qué? Dulce, porque resuelve o responde ciertas dudas planteadas en capítulos anteriores. Agrio, porque me quedé con ganas de más y con algunas preguntas aún sin respuesta.
No puedo esperar por su segunda temporadaaa, sé que demorará, porque tener esa calidad no es nada fácil ni barato. Solo pido que por favor la continúen.
LightningIsDead
Absolute Peak One of the best Donghua i have seen. From the original but amazingly well-written characters to a story that links them all together, subtly building up throughout all their arcs leading up to a highly anticipated season 2. The animation has been great and consistent throughout, shown in all the fights and especially in the last episode that makes fantastic use of the To Be Hero X's changing animation from 2D to 3D along with its varying styles. This is definitely one of the best shows that I have watched throughout this year, the emotional moments, fights, characters, the greater story that untiesall our heroes, this is truly peak.
C4bs
It's been a long time since Chinese anime—or donghuas, if you prefer—was booming. With entertainment giants like Tencent behind the scenes, it's to be hoped that at least the technical quality of such works won't disappoint. And in a scenario where such works are competing for market share amid already established South Korean and Japanese franchises, the summer 2025 season became a major turning point with the release of two donghuas that managed to break through the otaku bubble and reach a more general audience: Lord of Mysteries and To Be Hero X. While the former was already highly anticipated due to its highly regarded novel,the latter came with the air of mystery of being an original work, meaning it doesn't use previously created material as a basis and then adapt it for animation. After a promising start, a lukewarm first half, and a thrilling climax, To Be Hero X delivered more fun than its "language sibling," but also suffers from some issues with the story's direction and creative decisions made by the writers.
In To Be Hero X (Tu Bian Yingxiong X), we see a world where heroes are created by people's trust, and the hero who has earned the most trust is known as "X." In this world, people's trust can be calculated by dice, and these values are reflected in everyone's pulse. As long as trust points are gained, ordinary people can also have superpowers and become superheroes who save the world. However, the ever-changing value of trust makes the hero's path full of unknowns.
As mentioned previously, it seems that a major commonality among the great donghuas from now on will be their animation quality, which was no exception in To Be Hero X. The donghua constantly switches animation styles from 3D to 2D and back again, especially at the beginning and end of the season, which is technically very impressive and visually beautiful to behold. However, when I finished watching the first episode, I wondered how the production would manage to maintain such a high level of animation for more than twenty episodes, and the answer I received was, unfortunately, negative. It's not that the quality drops dramatically—far from it—but since something very exciting was introduced in the first few episodes, I naturally expected this to continue, or perhaps even grow, over time.
Another point that disappointed me was the use of character powers, generated from the audience's trust in them. Initially, the story showed that this system had enormous potential to be explored, but as the episodes progressed, it was gradually sidelined to make room for more individual character developments. Again, it's not that it was terrible, but since it was a very well-presented element, I expected it to be better utilized.
But the main drawback of the story was the overuse of characters, especially in the first half. Make no mistake: they're all important to the future events of the donghua, but the way they were introduced—in anthology format, that is, in a short arc of one or two episodes, followed by a completely new story in the next episode—really took away from my motivation to dedicate myself to the story. Because of this format, few characters actually received interesting development, despite the majority being quite charismatic. This leaves the impression that, if they had their own series, they would be excellent characters, much better than what was shown.
The greatest proof that all these characters would have good individual series was when, at a certain point, the animation abandoned the anthology format to embrace a more conventional narrative format. In these few episodes, we see the writers' skill in bringing together all the previously introduced characters around a single conflict, even managing to create strong arcs for each of them, making them quite relatable to the audience. The highlight goes to the hero Ghostblade, who, despite barely speaking a word—a narrative device very well utilized—manages an excellent character arc, but one that could have been better, as mentioned before, if he had his own series.
All that said, To Be Hero X, despite some serious issues, particularly in the narrative format and the excessive number of characters presented as relevant, manages to achieve the ultimate goal of any entertainment product: to truly entertain its viewers. With beautifully animated fights, technically impressive animation changes, and charismatic characters, it was a lot of fun to watch the episodes upon their release and is an excellent choice for those who enjoy superhero-themed works.
whiteflame55
I hate to start my review with a comparison to another series, but I think it’s demonstrative of what makes this series work. Back in 2024, I picked up Ishura. With the promise of a major tournament between absurdly OP characters from all over the world was too good to pass up. I watched the first season through and never picked up S2. I never got into the characters, nor did I stay interested in their upcoming clashes beyond just seeing how their powers would interact. The series felt distracted by larger events making it rarely character focused or driven. To Be Hero X approaches asimilar concept with a narrative that is almost solely character driven. Despite focusing its attention on so many characters characters as the series has gone on, you do at least get a feel for their motivations through their backstories and you get to see them fight it out as some broader aspects of the story hem them into playing specific roles. Not every character is amazing, but each is distinctive, and that’s not just for the variety of character models on display. There’s a lot to appreciate in the series' character building, and while I felt put out that Ishura never reached its tournament arc in that first season, all this effort leaves me satisfied with the first season of TBHX (though yes, I am very much looking forward to that tournament arc next season). It also helps that the creators include the opportunity to support your favorite heroes on their website, perhaps influencing the outcome of the next season. It deepens that investment.
And that’s where we come to my favorite thing about this series: the power system. The ways that Trust Value and Fear factor into the kinds of powers people use, how they’re displayed, and how characters are restricted by the perceptions of others is very impressive. The series finds lots of interesting ways to make use of these, turning strengths into weaknesses in both crazy and seemingly mundane ways. In a power system built off how others see you, changes to public opinion matter a lot more than just the numbers on a hero’s wrist.
The series’ animation is, of course, excellent. Shifts between styles really pop, and the apparent connection between that and X’s abilities make the changes diegetic and not just a stylistic choice for the audience. That’s a brilliant way to both pop off in the animation department and make that sakuga meaningful to your world. The series isn’t always top notch in this department, particularly when it comes to vehicles and some motion blur effects, but it is largely excellent.
There isn’t too much in the way of flaws for me to cover, but the ones I have are usually narrative. I can’t say I was super invested in Lucky Cyan’s story despite the time they spent on it (some issues with the animation of vehicles that episode did not help). Queen’s arc brought the best fight in the series so far, but did scant little to help connect with her as a character. Much as I love both Ahu and X, they get far less time for setup, which leaves them a little less emotionally powerful. And for other characters, like Lin Lang, their stories resonate powerfully only to get side-lined for much of the remaining plot.
And that narrative choice extends between characters as well. The overlaps between some of their stories were a cool choice, but it did grind some of the pacing to a crawl as it showed events from a different perspective. Apart from all this, much as I love the power system, the series just doesn’t maintain that level of introspection as the scale of threats increase, which means it ends up leaving some of the most interesting parts of Trust Value behind for long stretches. Also, much as I love the concept of bringing in the audience to afford trust to each of these characters, it does make the final line-up going into next season too predictable since we know who is and isn’t going to make it into the top 10 (with one notable exception).
Still, I’m left in awe of what this series accomplished. It’s not easy to pull off a whole season of character introductions and setup and make it both emotionally investing and narratively fulfilling. To Be Hero X does both with style. It’s not always punching at its best, but when it hits, it hits hard. That ending in particular really brought the whole story so far full-circle, leaving us with some important revelations, the setup to what is bound to be the series’ greatest fight, and does it with plenty of the animation changes that make this series so striking. Can’t wait to see how this all comes together next season.
Kranst
Through the combination of anthological stories converging into an overarching narrative, a spectacular mix of stylistic and consistent 2D and 3D animation, triumphant scores, and a simple but meaningful power system, To Be Hero X reinvigorates heroism by questioning what makes a hero from the human perspective. Strength manifests through trust from another person, albeit serving as a double-edged sword, as their desires, expectations, and ideals directly influence the individual. However, fear is the antithesis of trust and remains entrenched in the hearts of people. Throughout the series, each character arc explores the weight of responsibility, trauma and identity, and the heroics of average people.
PeterGundry
Please be gentle with me. I try to avoid using too much AI in my writing; I'm trying to use Google Translate more. I do occasionally use AI to translate what I say, but it's tricky, and I'm afraid some of the information might come out nonsensical. I'm also looking into taking English courses, just so you know, I'm Brazilian. But please enjoy the review—it's a great piece of work! To Be a Hero X begins with a simple, powerful conceit: public belief becomes material power. The series uses that premise to investigate media, spectacle, and the political consequences of content consumption. Rather than staying onsuperhero spectacle alone, the show dissects how public opinion, marketing, and corporations shape identities — and therefore real power. This is a full review that organizes production information, technical analysis, thematic reading, and my personal opinion.
Credits and production
Co-production / Distribution: Bilibili (China) — co-producer and main distributor; Aniplex (Sony subsidiary) contributing to music production; international distribution includes platforms like Crunchyroll and broadcasts on Japanese channels (e.g., Fuji TV).
Main studio: B-Dream (listed as the principal animation studio in the credits you provided).
Partner studios: Paper Plane, PB Animation, Lan Studio (2D), and Biku Studio (pre-production), among others.
Creator / Director / Writer: Li Haoling (Haoling Li) — credited as creator, writer and director.
Soundtrack (divine): Hiroyuki Sawano and Kohta/Kohta Yamamoto;
Premise and thematic reading
The central conceit — that public faith produces power — turns reputation into a supernatural resource. The series explores:
Power as commodity: heroes require public approval; audiences consume heroes as products.
Media and propaganda: belief is often a media construction that becomes reality.
Corporate responsibility and authoritarian dynamics: companies monetizing spectacle have clear interests and control narratives.
Identity and spectacle: talents and images are exposed, refined, or distorted by audience demand — a parallel to influencer culture and modern networking.
These elements make the show a mirror of our contemporary media ecosystem: public belief functions as symbolic capital which translates into material advantage and political leverage.
Script and narrative structure
Li Haoling chooses an almost-anthology structure: instead of following a single protagonist through the season, the series devotes short arcs to individual heroes. Effects are clear:
Pros: wider perspective; social scope; each arc highlights different aspects of the hero system.
Cons: uneven character investment when arcs are compressed.
The result: strong conceptual and structural discipline, with occasional emotional underdeliveries due to time constraints.
Characters and arcs — highlights
Some characters function brilliantly as case studies of the system (e.g., the hero whose power is born from public belief).
Other arcs — notably shorter ones like the “Dragon Boy” arc and some secondary arcs — don’t provide enough material for viewers to form strong attachments.
Li Ling’s arc (as you pointed out) runs on a different timeline and likely needs more space; currently it feels more like setup for later seasons.
Key revelations sometimes happen offscreen or without the dialogue that would justify the dramatic weight, producing a jump-cut feeling in emotional logic.
Direction and tone
The direction toggles between sharp political satire and intimate human drama. The tonal flexibility is an asset, but sometimes emotional payoff is blunted by episodic pacing and lack of runtime for certain beats.
Technique: animation and aesthetics
2D/3D blend: CGI is used intelligently with 2D to render powers and stylized sequences; integration is generally high-quality.
Art direction: polished; framing and textures suggest an above-average technical budget.
Collaborative production: multiple partner studios account for varied textures and a generally high production sheen.
Soundtrack
Music is a standout: the score escalates political and intimate scenes, and opening/closing themes are well-placed to set tone. The presence of notable composers (as you cited) increases the emotional and epic dimension of key moments.
Voice acting and localization
Original Chinese: distinct rhythms and cadences; some initial vocal choices may feel awkward until the character settles.
Localized dubs: available and competent; early episodes show small timbre/intonation mismatches that later stabilize. Overall, voice acting doesn’t break the show, though micro-discrepancies exist.
Budget and investment (reflection)
You normally include budget data in reviews. Here, without official budget figures, the safest reading is that the technical level and scale of co-production indicate substantial investment — a high-risk, high-cost project that needed to perform to be justified.
Strengths (summary)
Original, politically charged premise.
Outstanding soundtrack and musical direction.
High technical level in animation and visual design.
Anthology-like structure broadens social perspective.
Weaknesses (summary)
Uneven pacing across arcs; some characters need more development.
Excess reliance on character-driven moments when worldbuilding would support decisions better.
Important revelations sometimes unfold offscreen or with minimal dramatization.
My personal view
I was excited by To Be a Hero X as someone who consumes superhero stories: the idea of public faith translating into power felt original and corrosive in the best sense. Production quality and soundtrack impressed me; there’s a tangible sense of investment. I was, however, frustrated by compressed arcs: when the series asks viewers to “vote” for a hero, it should give us enough emotional evidence to make an informed choice — and that doesn’t always happen. Some revelations occur without adequate dialogical processing, leaving the emotional payoff incomplete. Overall, I’d watch a second season — provided shorter arcs get more space.
supersmash1580
Amazing. Legitimately amazing. I can't say enough good things about this anime I don't even know where to begin. I've never seen an anime do what To Be Hero X does. The way the animation is incorporated into the plot and characters is so genius it's amazing a studio hasn't done something like this years ago (or maybe a studio has but just never got popular or had the length, resources, and story elements to back it). Plot (9/10) To Be Hero X is a story that centers around the Commission's top 10 heroes—the top heroes with the most Trust Value. These top 10 heroes are: Nice/LinLing, E-Soul, Ahu, Lucky Cyan, Loli, The Johnnies, Ghostblade, Dragon Boy, Queen, and X. Each hero in the top 10 is under something called a Hero Agency (besides the current X), basically a company that advertises heroes to the public in order to increase their Trust Value. There are four main agencies that are important to the story: Fear of Missing Out (FOMO), DOS, Mighty Glory (MG), and Treeman. These agencies cooperate with the Commission, basically the government/organization that oversees hero rankings, registration, and agencies. The main goal of the Commission is to make sure no one hero gains so much Trust Value that they end up becoming a God. Trust Value is the power system that makes up the world of To Be Hero X, meaning if someone has enough Trust for other people, they can gain supernatural abilities. The person who is considered the number one hero is called X. But the Trust system is not as good as people might think it is, there are a lot of drawbacks to this system due to how people see your public image. For example, a hero named Firm Man is unable to sit down because he's supposed to be an "ever-standing hero." Ghostblade can't speak because he's supposed to be a "silent killer." These drawbacks are exactly what makes the power system of To Be Hero X so interesting because this means that no matter how strong a hero may be, there are certain limitations that affect them due to how the public sees them. Someone can even become an already existing hero if the public believes that the fake hero is the real one. This type of power tends to get out of hand because the public can be easily manipulated by the Commission and the hero agencies into believing what they want you to believe, which causes conflicts between heroes. All of these elements correlate into one huge story that connects the current top 10 heroes to each other in one way or another.
Characters (8/10)
It would take me multiple hours if I went into detail about every character so I'll just tell about my top 2 favorites. Let's start with Lin Ling, tied with X for my favorite character. Lin Ling is a regular person who has the simple desire to be a hero and believes with the power of Trust, anyone can be a hero. A perfect character to get the viewer invested in the story quickly and efficiently. After the death of a hero named Nice, Lin Ling is forced to become Nice by the agency he works for and realizes his dream of becoming a real hero. Lin Ling, to me, is what a hero should be, a person who simply wants to save people not for fame, fortune, or any other insidious motive, but someone who cares about people and wants to help people. He's the perfect protagonist to begin the show and I wouldn't have it any other way. Hero X is my other favorite main character. I mean, what's not to like about him? He's just a dude that's so overpowered it's just fun to watch him beat the crap out of any other hero with minimal effort. Not to mention his power is probably the coolest power I've seen in anime, you'll understand what I'm talking about when you watch him. Anyway, god-tier aura farmer, nonchalant as hell, and just a chill guy all in one. Top tier character. The reason I didn't give a 10/10 on character is because there are some that I wish got more time to shine and others I wasn't extremely interested in, but nonetheless every character was memorable and had an interesting backstory and motivations that was explained well throughout the story.
Animation (12/10)
The animators absolutely outdid themselves with the animation. The amount of passion that went into this show is unlike anything I've seen. Other anime have recently began to incorporate both 2D and 3D elements in their anime like Ufotable does with Demon Slayer, but I'd argue To Be Hero X does it even better. The beginning two arcs are entirely in 3D besides some moments during the fights, which is a great move by the director. Although the majority of the anime is in 2D, the 3D aspects look great and don't stand out too much when moving from one dimension to another. Speaking of moving from one dimension to the other, the animation change is so seamless that I almost didn't notice initially when it began to change. Even when it's 2D for a while, you can tell the animation has a different style to it depending on the character we're focusing on. Just brilliant.
All in all, amazing show, current anime of the year for me. Go watch it if you haven't.
