To Be Hero X: A Visual Symphony of Trust and Treachery

In the vast, saturated landscape of superhero media, it is rare to find a story that genuinely reinvents the wheel. We have seen heroes born of tragedy, heroes born of science, and heroes born of magic. But To Be Hero X (凸变英雄X), the 2025 animation juggernaut produced by Bilibili and BeDream in collaboration with Aniplex, asks a more poignant, modern question: What if heroes were born of popularity?

Premiering in April 2025 and concluding its stunning 24-episode run in September, To Be Hero X has not only cemented itself as the dark horse of the year but has also set a new benchmark for cross-border animation production. Directed by the visionary Li Haoling (known for Link Click) and scored by the legendary Hiroyuki Sawano, this series is a neon-soaked, adrenaline-fueled exploration of the symbiotic—and parasitic—relationship between idols and their fans.

If you missed this masterpiece during its initial broadcast, here is why To Be Hero X demands your immediate attention.

The Economy of Belief: “Trust Me, I’m a Hero”

The premise of To Be Hero X is deceptively simple yet socially cutting. In this universe, superpowers are not biological accidents; they are manifestations of “Trust”. The more people believe in you, the stronger you become. If the public believes you can fly, you fly. If they believe you are invincible, bullets bounce off your skin.

This “Trust Value” is quantified, tracked on wrist-mounted devices, and broadcast globally. It turns heroism into a literal popularity contest, a high-stakes influencer economy where a drop in followers doesn’t just hurt your ego—it strips you of your physical divinity.

The story revolves around the “Tournament of Heroes,” a biennial event where the top-ranked heroes compete to reset their Trust Values and vie for the ultimate title: X, the symbol of the absolute strongest. However, beneath the glitz of the arena lies a darker conspiracy. We follow a diverse cast, including the mysterious, silent assassin Nice, the tech-savvy Lucky Cyan, and the manipulative main protagonist (or antagonist?) who navigates this treacherous ladder.

This system is a brilliant allegory for modern celebrity culture. It explores how public perception shapes reality, how quickly “cancel culture” can depower a god, and the crushing weight of maintaining a persona that isn’t real.

A Visual Revolution: The 2D/3D Hybrid

For years, the debate between 2D (traditional hand-drawn) and 3D (CGI) animation has divided fans. To Be Hero X does not choose a side; it fuses them into a weapon.

Director Li Haoling and the team at BeDream have perfected a “hybrid” visual style that feels like a comic book coming to life in a cyberpunk dimension. The environments are rendered in lush, high-fidelity 3D, creating a sense of depth and scale that rivals major motion pictures. However, the characters themselves often switch seamlessly between cel-shaded 3D and raw, expressive 2D animation during high-octane combat.

When a character unleashes a special move, the art style often shifts dramatically—rough sketch lines appear, colors bleed outside the lines, and the frame rate modulates to emphasize impact. It is a stylistic choice that reminds viewers of Spider-Man: Into the Spider-Verse, but with an aesthetic that is distinctly Eastern—blending Chinese “wuxia” fluidity with Japanese “sakuga” intensity. The result is a visual feast where every frame feels like a piece of concept art.

The Sawano Effect

A major anime epic requires a soundscape to match, and To Be Hero X brought in the heavy artillery: Hiroyuki Sawano. The composer behind Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill, and 86 delivers one of his most electrifying soundtracks to date.

The opening theme, “INERTIA”, is a pounding anthem that perfectly encapsulates the show’s themes of momentum and resistance. Throughout the series, Sawano’s signature “drops”—that moment when the orchestra swells and the vocals kick in right as the hero lands a blow—are used to devastating effect. The music doesn’t just support the action; it dictates the heartbeat of the show.

Collaborating with artists like SennaRin and Rei, the soundtrack shifts genres as fluidly as the animation, moving from industrial rock to haunting electronic ballads that underscore the loneliness of the heroes.

A Cast of Broken Gods

The “Top 10” heroes of To Be Hero X are not the boy scouts of the Marvel or DC universes. They are deeply flawed individuals, each representing a different facet of fame.

• X (The Absolute): Voiced by Mamoru Miyano, the current number one hero is a figure of terrifying perfection, whose power is so great that he has become detached from humanity.
• Nice: Voiced by Natsuki Hanae, Nice is a “cleaner” who does the dirty work. He is a hero who hates heroism, battling depression and the crushing expectations of a public that misunderstands his silence for coolness.
• Queen: Voiced by Kana Hanazawa, she represents the “idol” hero, whose power is directly tied to her beauty and stage presence, fighting a constant war against aging and irrelevance.

The English and Chinese dub casts are equally stellar, bringing a localized flavor that fits the show’s international urban setting.

Why It Matters

To Be Hero X is more than just fights and flashiness. It is a commentary on the “Age of Information.” In 2025, we live in a world where truth is often secondary to engagement. The series asks uncomfortable questions:

• Does the crowd choose the best hero, or just the most entertaining one?
• What happens to a god when the believers stop praying?
• Is a hero defined by their actions, or by the camera angles capturing them?

By the time you reach the finale—a culmination of twists that recontextualize the entire season—you realize that this wasn’t just a battle for a trophy. It was a battle for the definition of truth itself.

Verdict

If you are looking for a series that combines the intellectual depth of Psycho-Pass, the stylistic bravado of Cyberpunk: Edgerunners, and the heart of a classic shonen, To Be Hero X is your next obsession. It is a rare gem that manages to be incredibly cool while having something substantial to say.

In a year filled with sequels and remakes, To Be Hero X stands tall as an original triumph. Trust the hype.

Rating: 9.5/10 – A modern classic that redefines the superhero genre.