New Chinese Anime Is a Perfect Arcane & Spider-Verse Replacement
The new anime series, which was created by six studios at once, looks like a mix of Arcane and Sony's Spider-Man animated projects – here's why fans of Vi, Jinx, and Miles Morales should pay special attention to it.
You probably missed a new anime gem that was released on April 6 – the Chinese-Japanese title To Be Hero X.
Six studios were involved in the production: Pb Animation Co. Ltd., LAN Studio, Paper Plane Animation Studio, Aniplex, Bilibili, BeDream. Why so many? Well, because To Be Hero X is a visual feast that rivals both Arcane and Sony's Spider-verse.
What Is To Be Hero X About?
The action takes place in a unique world where everyone has the opportunity to become a superhero by accumulating a certain number of points. These points are awarded for various good deeds. Once someone reaches the required level, their superpowers are revealed.
Every two years, a grand tournament is held to select a new absolute hero. The main character, a man named Lin Ling, suddenly finds himself among competing superheroes and must do whatever it takes to win.
To Be Hero X Impresses With Its Brilliant Visuals and Animation
The project To Be Hero X is most often compared to is Arcane. And we love all things Arcane, right? The visuals of these two projects are so similar because both use 2D comic-style animation and 3D animation.
At the same time, To Be Hero X rivals one of Netflix's biggest hits in terms of animation quality – the transitions between different styles are smooth and seamless, and the characters' movements and facial expressions are worked out to the smallest detail.
In addition, unusual visual solutions carry their own meaning. Every time the character's point of view changes, the rhythm, colors, and animation style change as well. The same visual trick was used in Spider-Verse, but in To Be Hero X this device also works dramatically.
What Did Viewers Think of To Be Hero X?
To Be Hero X has already captivated viewers with its first episode and is sure to become one of the most popular titles of the season.
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On IMDb, the anime has a score of 7.5/10 and the first episode is rated even higher – 8.3/10.
Most fans were thrilled - it's a real treat for those who miss top-notch animation like in Arcane and titles with an intriguing premise. Reddit user Big_Gas5785 wrote:
“It's so good, can't believe people wouldn't wanna watch it if they like animation.”
To Be Hero X Release Schedule & Streaming Platform
So tune in: the first season is scheduled to have 24 episodes, which will air weekly on Sundays until September 14th.
The two already released episodes of To Be Hero X are available to stream on Crunchyroll.
