As the superhero genre continues to boom in popularity in the West, the genre has expectedly undergone some major changes over the past decade. During the time of the original X-Men franchise and the birth of the MCU with Iron Man and Captain America: The First Avenger, superhero movies were all about embracing the spandex-wearing heroes. But, as the genre has grown in popularity, it has evolved, and creators have begun taking a post-modern approach to superhero storytelling, dissecting the best and worst parts of the genre. Since 2019, Prime Video’s The Boys has been the premier series that dismantles the superhero genre and comic book adaptations. But the Spring 2025 anime season brought with it another amazing show that achieves the same feat, but it has been slept on by fans.
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The Boys and Spring 2025’s most slept-on animated show have some overwhelming similarities as well as some drastic differences. Prime Video’s hit show, based on the comic books by Garth Ennis and Darick Robertson, is a brutal, crude, and satirical take on superheroes through a 21st-century lens. But if you want a show that is similarly hard-hitting in its examination of the genre, without all of the swearing, sex, gore, and milk-obsessed heroes, then To Be Hero X is the show for you.
To Be Hero X Is the New The Boys
If you’ve never heard of To Be Hero X, then we’re not too mad at you, as the show has flown under the radar this anime season. As previously mentioned, Spring 2025 brought with it some big hitters, so it would be easy for any show to be lost among the crowd. But, for an original donghua that blends traditional and 3D animation, it’s easy to understand why casual audiences decided to give the show a miss.
But, they’re severely missing out. Don’t let the term “3D animation” throw you off, because To Be Hero X is a far cry from 2016’s Berserk. The new series was created and directed by Li Haoling (Link Click) and animated by BeDream, and it’s absolutely stunning. But the most interesting aspect of the show is how it tackles the superhero genre.
Much like The Boys, To Be Hero X is set in a world where superheroes are a commonplace part of society. Regular people idolize and adore them, following the most popular heroes on social media, across reality TV, and in video games and movies. Much like Homelander (Antony Starr) in The Boys, To Be Hero X has one hero that dominates pop culture, Nice. With his apt name, Nice is To Be Hero X‘s own take on Superman. But unlike The Boys, he’s not obsessed with milk and Smash Mouth.
The biggest heroes are overseen by giant media conglomerates, who meticulously plan the PR, missions, and every aspect of every hero’s life to ensure the best return on investment. Like The Seven, Nice and the other heroes in To Be Hero X are commodities to be bought and sold.
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What Separates To Be Hero X and The Boys?
On the surface, there are a lot of similarities between the two. But, while The Boys diverts to satirize America’s die-hard attitude towards capitalism, To Be Hero X retains its focus on superheroes.
The series follows Lin Ling, a lowly member of a superhero marketing team who witnesses Nice take his own life. As the sole witness to the event, he is kidnapped by Nice’s PR team and forced to impersonate the hero to keep his brand image alive. This includes a fake wedding to Nice’s girlfriend and staged battles with Nice’s most dangerous foes, who are all contractors hired by the PR team.
To Be Hero X even blends its examination of the superhero genre into its magic system. There are two sources of power in the world of To Be Hero X: hope and fear. The more people who believe in a person and are inspired by them, the more powerful they become, and vice versa for fear. As Lin Ling pretends to be Nice, his own hope meter goes up, until he is eventually able to match Nice’s powers.
Along with its post-modern examination of the genre, To Be Hero X also includes surprisingly complex character arcs and dynamics. The true highlight of the show is the action design and animation. You might have unknowingly seen clips of To Be Hero X’s fights floating around on social media, but the full-length scenes in the show are 100x better. Do yourself a favor and give To Be Hero X a try.
To Be Hero X is streaming now on Crunchyroll.
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