It has been a long time coming. If you were hanging around the anime scene back in 2016, you probably remember the absolute fever dream that was To Be Hero. It was crude. It was bizarre. It featured a protagonist who turned into a middle-aged, overweight man to save the world. Then came To Be Heroine in 2018, which flipped the script into a 2D/3D hybrid world that felt more like a feverish hallucination than a traditional battle shonen. But now, we’re staring down the barrel of To Be Hero X Queen, and honestly? The vibe has shifted entirely.
The project isn't just another sequel. It’s a massive technical leap.
Produced by BeDream and directed by the visionary Li Haoling—the same mind behind the emotional gut-punch Link Click (Shiguang Dailiren)—this new entry is stepping away from the gag-heavy roots of its predecessors. We’re moving into a high-stakes, visually stunning tournament arc that looks like it had a budget ten times the size of the original series. People are hyped. And they should be.
What is To Be Hero X Queen actually about?
Let’s get the basics out of the way because the plot is a bit of a trip. In this universe, heroes are ranked by "Hero Values." It’s a literal numbers game. The story follows X, who was once the undisputed top-tier hero, the "King." But things go south, and he loses his status.
Enter Min, our "Queen."
The dynamic between these two isn't your typical mentor-student or even a standard romance. It’s built on the wreckage of a world where superpowers are commercialized and quantified. The "X" and "Queen" titles aren't just cool nicknames; they represent the pinnacle of a social hierarchy that is starting to crumble.
Unlike the previous seasons that leaned heavily into "scatological" humor (let's be real, the first season was obsessed with it), To Be Hero X Queen focuses on the "Hero Tournament." It’s a brutal, high-octane competition where the animation—handled by Studio LAN and Paper Plane—is the real star of the show. If you’ve seen the trailers, you know the movement is fluid, almost hypnotic. It’s a blend of 2D aesthetics with 3D spatial awareness that makes modern MAPPA or ufotable projects look like they're standing still.
The Li Haoling Factor
You can't talk about this show without talking about Li Haoling. The guy is a powerhouse in the donghua (Chinese animation) world. After the global success of Link Click, everyone started paying attention to his ability to weave complex, non-linear narratives with deep emotional stakes.
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He’s taking that same precision to To Be Hero X Queen.
In his earlier work, Li showed a fascination with how the past affects the present. We see echoes of that here. The world of To Be Hero has always been about the burden of responsibility. In the first season, it was about a father. In the second, it was about a girl's transition into adulthood. Now, it seems to be about the weight of reputation.
Why does this matter for the viewer? Because it means we’re getting more than just cool fight scenes. We’re getting a story that actually has something to say about what it means to be "heroic" in a world that only cares about your rank.
The Visual Revolution: It’s Not Just "CGI"
A lot of people hear "3D" or "CGI" and they immediately check out. Don't do that here.
The technical execution in To Be Hero X Queen is a masterclass in stylized rendering. They aren't trying to look like a Pixar movie. They are trying to look like a comic book brought to life with infinite camera angles. The fight between X and the various contenders in the tournament uses "impact frames" and smear techniques that are usually reserved for high-end 2D sakuga.
Basically, it’s gorgeous.
It’s also important to note the collaboration between Chinese and Japanese talent. This "mixed blood" production style is becoming the gold standard for high-end animation in Asia. You get the kinetic energy of Chinese action choreography paired with the polished character designs often associated with Japanese anime.
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Why the "Queen" is the Secret Weapon
The "Queen" in the title is more than just a supporting character. In many ways, she represents the evolution of the franchise's themes. While the first season was hyper-masculine (in a weird, parody way), and the second was a coming-of-age drama, To Be Hero X Queen seems to be aiming for a dual-protagonist synergy.
Min isn't a damsel. She’s a catalyst.
Her interactions with X provide the grounded emotional core that the series needs. Without it, the show would just be a series of flashy fights. With her, we get a window into why these people are fighting in the first place. The stakes aren't just "save the world"—they’re personal.
Honestly, the chemistry we’ve seen so far suggests a much more mature tone. It’s gritty. It’s neon-soaked. It’s got an atmospheric soundtrack that feels like it belongs in a cyberpunk thriller.
Misconceptions You Should Probably Drop
One big mistake people make is thinking they need to have a PhD in To Be Hero lore to watch this.
You don't.
While there are definitely Easter eggs for long-time fans, To Be Hero X Queen is being positioned as a fresh jumping-off point. It’s a soft reboot in terms of tone and accessibility. If the first season was a raunchy comedy and the second was a psychological drama, this is the "prestige action" era of the franchise.
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Another misconception? That this is "just a Chinese anime." The term "donghua" is finally shedding the stigma of being a "cheap alternative" to Japanese anime. Projects like this and Fog Hill of Five Elements are proving that the creative center of gravity is shifting. The animation quality here is, objectively, world-class.
Key Things to Watch For
When you finally sit down to watch, keep an eye on these specific elements:
- The Hero Rankings: Watch how the numbers change during the fights. It’s a clever way of showing power dynamics without constant "power level" exposition.
- The Color Palette: The use of purples, cyans, and harsh yellows defines the mood of the city. It’s very "urban fantasy."
- The Soundtrack: The music is heavily integrated into the rhythm of the action scenes. It’s almost like a music video at times.
How to Get the Most Out of To Be Hero X Queen
If you want to actually enjoy this show and not just let it wash over you like background noise, you need to pay attention to the environmental storytelling. Li Haoling loves putting clues in the background.
- Watch the trailers frame-by-frame. There are hints about X’s past life that haven't been explicitly stated in the synopses yet.
- Follow the official Bilibili and Crunchyroll updates. Since this is a co-production, the release schedule can sometimes be a bit wonky depending on your region.
- Don't skip the "To Be Heroine" season. Even though this is a new start, understanding the logic of the "Leaf World" from the previous season will give you a much better grasp of how powers actually manifest in this universe.
- Look for the Studio LAN signature. If you like the way the characters move, check out their other work. It’ll help you appreciate the specific "language" of their animation.
This isn't just a show about capes and punches. It’s a massive gamble on a franchise that started as a joke and ended up becoming one of the most visually experimental series of the decade. To Be Hero X Queen is the final form of that experiment. It’s bold, it’s loud, and it’s probably going to be the most talked-about donghua of the year.
The best way to prepare is to clear your schedule and dive into the previous seasons just to see the sheer scale of the evolution. You’ll see a show that started with a guy in his underwear and ended up as a high-art action masterpiece. That kind of growth is rare in any medium.
Keep an eye on the official streaming platforms for the global premiere. Given the hype surrounding the latest PVs (Promotional Videos), this is likely to be a "simulcast" situation where we get the episodes alongside the domestic Chinese release. Stay ready.