To Be Hero X Review: A Sharp, Stylish Take on Identity and Hype Culture

Rating: 8/10 ⭐️

Short verdict: To Be Hero X is one of the sharpest anime of 2025. 24 episodes on Crunchyroll, directed by Li Haoling (Link Click), with music headlined by Hiroyuki Sawano alongside Kohta Yamamoto and others. It buries a precise satire on fame and public trust inside absurdist superhero chaos.

To Be Hero X tricks you at first glance. It walks in loud, messy, and deliberately ridiculous, then locks into a show that turns every gag into setup for something sharper. Created by Li, the filmmaker behind Link Click, this Chinese-Japanese co-production is streaming on Crunchyroll with sub and dub options.

Fame Is the Superpower

Heroes in this world are assigned a Trust Value, a number based on public perception that literally determines their power. High trust means flight, super strength, the works.

Lose the crowd's faith, and those abilities vanish. It sounds like a punchline, but the longer you sit with it, the more precise the concept becomes.

Fame, hype, and fear become resources that bend reality. One viral moment creates a hero. One scandal destroys one.

Wait, That Was Setup?

The show plays like a puzzle dropped on the floor out of order. E-Soul, Lucky Cyan, Ghostblade. Each arc feels standalone until it suddenly clicks into everything else. Timelines bend and perspectives shift without warning.

By the midpoint, you stop taking anything at face value. You start asking which version of events is true, who benefits from that version, and who controls the cut you're being shown. I stopped trying to predict it halfway through and just let it drive.

Nothing Looks the Same Twice

A fight scene renders in sharp, high-contrast cuts, then the next scene flattens into loose, sketchy comedy that looks hand-drawn on a napkin. The shifts signal changes in tone, identity, or perspective. It took me a few episodes to stop flinching at the whiplash and start enjoying it.

Sawano shares composer credits with Kohta Yamamoto and six others, and the combined score matches the visual instability. The score swings from orchestral bombast to stripped-back piano cues without warning. When the show shifts from comedy to gut-punch, the music shifts before you realize the scene has.

The Hype Machine

The meta layer runs sharper than the superhero stuff. A corporation called Mighty Glory manages heroes the way a talent agency manages influencers. Public trust is built through PR plays and destroyed through hit jobs.

Trust Value is a follower count with superpowers attached. Every hero has a manager, a press team, and a brand deal. The show never winks at the camera about any of this.

What Keeps It from a 10

The puzzle-box structure that makes the show rewarding also makes the first few episodes a hard sell. The show expects patience before it starts paying off. The comedy gets aggressively juvenile in spots, and a few gag sequences overstay their welcome.

There were moments where I wasn't sure if a scene was meant to be funny or serious, and not in the way the show intended. The final stretch makes the rough start worth sitting through. But those opening episodes will lose some people before they get there.

Still Thinking About It

Even with those rough patches, I'd still give To Be Hero X an 8/10. It built a world where one viral clip can create a god and one bad headline can strip someone of everything. That premise alone would carry a lesser show, but TBHX uses it to ask questions about every trending tab and parasocial relationship you've ever clicked on.

If you've been skipping it because the name sounds generic or the thumbnail looks silly, give it until episode four. The show stops pretending to be dumb right around then, and it doesn't look back.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is To Be Hero X good?

Yes. It's an 8/10, one of the most distinctive anime of 2025. The first few episodes require patience, but the second half pays off everything the opening sets up. If you enjoy layered storytelling that rewards close attention, this one sticks with you.

What is To Be Hero X about?

It's set in a world where heroes gain power from public trust, measured as a numerical Trust Value. The show follows multiple characters navigating a system where fame, fear, and viral perception literally shape reality. Think superhero anime meets influencer economy critique.

Is To Be Hero X standalone?

Yes. While it shares the name with the earlier To Be Hero anthology series, To Be Hero X is a fully standalone story with its own characters and world. No prior viewing required.

How many episodes is To Be Hero X?

24 episodes, all streaming on Crunchyroll with sub and dub options.

Who made To Be Hero X?

Directed by Li Haoling, who also directed Link Click. Produced by BeDream, bilibili, and Aniplex. Music by Hiroyuki Sawano (Attack on Titan, Kill la Kill), Kohta Yamamoto, and others.