To Be Hero X Is One of Crunchyroll’s Most Promising and Visually Stunning Shows Yet

The shonen anime scene is evolving, bringing in new waves of content as iconic classics like My Hero Academia near their conclusions. While the dust has not settled on which new anime show will usher in a new era under the superhero genre, Crunchyroll’s latest addition, To Be Hero X, has confidently entered the arena to plant a flag as its new standard-bearer. What’s more, its premiere episode emphatically shines a spotlight on Chinese animation, a historically under-appreciated medium that is as equally must-watch as its Japanese counterpart. To Be Hero X, a donghua (Chinese animation) directed by Li Haolin of Link Click, is set in a fantasy world where heroes are not created, not born. In this universe, hero status is earned through public “trust,” reminiscent of how social media influencers gain fame by amassing loyal followers. Its story centers on Lin Ling, an ambitious young man whose journey into heroism is thrust upon him after a public relations agency orchestrates his rise, ... Read full article.