Visually, the series resembles Arcane and Anime, but the story could as well originate from “The Boys”. A series you shouldn’t miss.
The anime season of Spring 2025 is in full swing, and there are numerous series attracting a lot of attention. However, one series stands out a bit because it isn’t strictly a “pure” anime. Nevertheless, we want to take a look at “To be Hero X” – because what is attempted here is unique so far and works surprisingly well.
What is To be Hero X about? In the world of To Be Hero X, superheroes are an integral part of society. Essentially, every person has the potential to become a hero. Because how much power one has is solely dependent on the trust value in society. The amount of fans, their affection, and wishes shape the powers of the heroes.
However, the heroes quickly realize that the power of trust givers can also have adverse effects. For example, a hero who is considered particularly steadfast can no longer sit down. Another heroine, with the power of teleportation, can only teleport to her partner – because that is where her fans want to see her. Yet another hero is considered flawless and beautiful, leading to the development of a compulsion to always be clean.
The story begins from the perspective of Lin Ling. He is responsible for producing commercials for superheroes and loses his job due to a mistake. He wants to end his life by jumping from a skyscraper when suddenly the superhero “Nice” appears. He winks at Lin Ling – and then throws himself off the skyscraper to crash to the ground.
Nice’s manager then catches Lin Ling and forces him to impersonate Nice to avoid a PR scandal. Through the trust in Nice, Lin Ling slowly becomes this hero – and the boundaries to his true self blur.
A wild mix that works
What makes To be Hero X special? What makes To be Hero X special, besides the good story, is the fact that there are multiple shifts between representation styles. Especially in battles or flashbacks, the “Arcane” style shifts to an anime style that sometimes resembles more “quirky” series like Shin-Chan, sometimes action hits like Attack on Titan, and sometimes a more playful style like One Piece. This transition works seamlessly and gives the series a unique flair that hasn’t been seen in this way before.
Although To be Hero X uses a similar style to Arcane, one shouldn’t expect the same quality here. The scenes often seem a bit more static and the animations not quite as refined as in the “League of Legends” series. However, this hardly weighs negatively, as episodes are significantly shorter and have more action sequences where the style changes anyway.
Where can you watch To be Hero X? Although To be Hero X is technically not a pure anime, you can watch it on the streaming service Crunchyroll. All episodes released so far are available there.
Cortyn says: While scrolling somewhat bored, I stumbled upon To be Hero X and didn’t expect much. However, after the first episode – due to a rather bad cliffhanger – I was hooked, and with each subsequent episode, I wanted to see more of it. The story mixes various well-known settings like “My Hero Academia,” but also “The Boys.” Of course, there are plenty of anime clichés that make you roll your eyes in amusement. But whenever you think you know what happens next, the series surprises with dramatic plot twists that create a hunger for the next episode.
If you are more in the mood for series that are rated 18 and over, you should check out these 5 anime.
