| To Be Hero | |
Japanese title card of the show | |
| Created by | Li Haoling |
|---|---|
| Anime television series | |
| Directed by |
|
| Produced by | Lu Xingcheng |
| Written by | Li Haoling |
| Music by |
|
| Studio |
|
| Licensed by |
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| Original network | Tokyo MX (Japan) Bilibili (China) |
| Original run | October 5, 2016 – December 21, 2016 |
| Episodes | 12[2] |
| Anime television series | |
| To Be Heroine | |
| Directed by | Li Haoling[3] |
| Produced by | Li Haoling |
| Written by | Li Haoling |
| Music by |
|
| Studio |
|
| Licensed by |
|
| Original network | Tokyo MX (Japan) Bilibili (China) |
| Original run | May 19, 2018 |
| Episodes | 7 (Japan)[4] 12 (China) |
| Related works | |
To Be Hero (Japanese: トゥー・ビー・ヒーロー; Chinese: 凸变英雄) is a Japanese-Chinese superhero comedy animated television series and media franchise created by Li Haoling. The first season of the show was co-produced and animated by Studio LAN and Haoliners Animation League's Japanese branch Emon under the supervision of Shinichi Watanabe.[5][6] It premiered in October 2016, on Tokyo MX in Japan, and on video sharing website bilibili in China.[7][8]
A second series named To Be Heroine premiered in 2018. The series was directed by Li Haoling and animated by Studio LAN and Haoliners Animation League.
A third series titled To Be Hero X, primarily animated by three studios (Studio LAN, Pb Animation Co., Ltd., and Paper Plane Animation Studio) under BeDream, premiered in April 2025. The series was co-produced by BeDream, Bilibili, and Aniplex.
Synopsis
The series follows Ossan, a 38 year old toilet designer living an ordinary life along with his daughter, Min-San. Following a bizarre event that drastically alters his appearance, he is tasked with protecting the earth as a superhero, despite lacking any motivation or heroic traits. The show blends action with absurdist comedy, using a superhero narrative to parody familiar anime tropes.
Production
To Be Hero was made as a co-production involving Studio Lan in collaboration with Haoliners Animation League and their Japanese branch, Emon. Japanese production was overseen by Shinichi Watanabe.[9] The series was aired simultaneously to audiences in both Japan and China, Airing on Tokyo MX and bilibili.[10]
Cast
Chinese cast
- Tute Hameng (Chinese) as Ossan/Yashu[5][8]
- Shan Xin (Chinese) as Min-chan/Chenmin Jiang[5][8] (姜 辰敏, Jiāng Chénmǐn)
Japanese cast
- Kenjiro Tsuda (Japanese) as Ossan/Yashu
- Moa Tsukino (Japanese) as Futaba Hanaya/Yuye Hua (花屋 二葉, Hanaya Futaba)
- Yutaka Aoyama/Li Lu as Yamada[11]
- Tomokazu Sugita[11]
- Takeshi Maeda[11]
- Motoko Kumai (Japanese) as Hikaru Isago/Xiaoguang Sha (沙 光, Isago Hikaru)
- Omi Minami (Japanese) as Tōru Utsubari/Chao Liang (梁 超, Utsubari Tōru)
- Junko Minagawa (Japanese) as Min-chan/Chenmin Jiang (ミンちゃん, Min-chan)[5][8]
Media
The production in general took place in Japan & China, with modifications to the show for both of the Japanese and Chinese broadcasts.[12] The first season aired from October 5[5] to December 21, 2016 on Tokyo MX.[citation needed] The anime has been licensed by Crunchyroll for its online release.[10] In China, the opening song is "Insistence" (执念), performed by Loki (刘畅).[13] Meanwhile, in Japan, the opening song is "Come to See You" (オープニングテーマ「アイニコイヨ」), performed by BRATS.[14] The ending song in both Japan and China is "My Dad Protects the Earth" (エンディングテーマ「私のパパが地球を守る 〜我爹守护地球〜」) by Lin Heye (林和夜).[15]
A second season of the show entitled To Be Heroine[16] was released on May 19, 2018.[17][18]
On October 25, 2022 Diskotek Media released To Be Hero and To Be Heroine on Blu-Ray. The release includes both series in Japanese and English. This marked its first home video release outside of Asia.[19]
An animation project titled To Be Hero X had been announced by bilibili and Aniplex in 2022, serving as the show's third season.[20] The series premiered on April 6, 2025 on Fuji TV and other channels.[21][22][23] At Anime Expo 2023, Crunchyroll announced that they licensed the series outside of Asia.[24]
The series follows an anthological narrative. The storylines of each season are unrelated apart from sharing a universe and a common superhero theme.
Episodes
| No. | Title | Original air date |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | "First Day as a Superhero" | October 5, 2016 |
| 2 | "Second Day as a Superhero: Brutal, Brutal, Brutal Death" | October 12, 2016 |
| 3 | "Third Day as a Superhero: A Leader Really Must" | October 19, 2016 |
| 4 | "Fourth Day as a Superhero: Eight Different Types of Screams" | October 26, 2016 |
| 5 | "Fifth Day as a Superhero: Quit Patching It Up With Tape" | November 2, 2016 |
| 6 | "Sixth Day as a Superhero: A Somewhat Heart-Racing Development" | November 9, 2016 |
| 7 | "Seventh Day as a Superhero: Inhabitant of the Other World" | November 16, 2016 |
| 8 | "Eighth Day as a Superhero: I Want Multiple Girlfriends at Once!" | November 23, 2016 |
| 9 | "Ninth Day as a Superhero: If You'll Do It, I'll Take off My Underwear Right Away" | November 30, 2016 |
| 10 | "Tenth Day as a Superhero: This Episode Is Low on Laughs and Salt Content" | December 7, 2016 |
| 11 | "Eleventh Day as a Hero: I am a loser. Please let me die." | December 14, 2016 |
| 12 | "Stay With Me, Daddy!" | December 21, 2016 |
References
- ^ "Crunchyroll Announces Winter 2017 Anime Lineup". Anime News Network. January 20, 2017. Retrieved April 17, 2017.
- ^ "'To Be Hero' to be Aired on October 5th (Wed) on Tokyo MX1". Anime News Network. September 8, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ To Be Hero’ Season 2 Release Date Confirmed For 2018: ‘To Be Heroine’ Trailer Shows Anime Sequel’s Story - inquisitr.com
- ^ To Be Hero’ Season 2 Release Date Confirmed For 2018: ‘To Be Heroine’ Trailer Shows Anime Sequel’s Story - inquisitr.com
- ^ a b c d e "Emon Unveils Original Anime 'To Be Hero' With Excel Saga's Shinichi Watanabe". Anime News Network. September 6, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ "トゥー・ビー・ヒーロー (TO BE HERO)(2016)". allcinema (in Japanese). Stingray. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ "「アイニコイヨ」TOKYO MXのアニメ番組『TO BE HERO』の主題歌に決定 – BRATS Official". brats-official.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on May 6, 2018. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ^ a b c d "凸变英雄 BABA". Bilibili. Retrieved 17 May 2018.
- ^ Ferreira, Samantha (2016-09-28). "First "To Be Hero" Anime PV Introduces Cast". Anime Herald. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
- ^ a b "Crunchyroll to Stream To Be Hero, Cheating Craft Anime". Anime News Network. October 4, 2016.
- ^ a b c "Staff". tobe-hero.com (in Japanese). Archived from the original on September 27, 2016. Retrieved September 25, 2016.
- ^ "Haoliners, Anime, and the Future of Chinese Animation". Anime News Network. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ^ l wb (2016-10-21), TO BE HERO "Insistence" Opening, retrieved 2018-05-06
- ^ 黒宮れい率いるBRATS、アニメ『TO BE HERO』OP曲を担当 - BARKS、2016年9月30日配信
- ^ _qebase (2016-10-05), TO BE HERO 「My dad protects the earth」 ENDING, retrieved 2018-05-06
- ^ "'To Be Hero' Season 2 Release Date Confirmed For 2018: 'To Be Heroine' Trailer Shows Anime Sequel's Story". The Inquisitr. 2018-04-04. Retrieved 2018-05-06.
- ^ "To Be Hero Anime Sequel Reveals Title, Staff, May 19 Premiere (Update)".
- ^ "Emon: 2nd Seasons of To Be Hero, Hitori no Shita the outcast Anime in Production". Anime News Network. April 1, 2016.
- ^ Airey, Jacob (2022-10-21). "Discotek Media Releasing Comedy Anime 'To Be Hero' And 'To Be Heroine'". Clownfish TV. Retrieved 2026-01-27.
- ^ Loo, Egan (March 25, 2023). "Aniplex, bilibili Launch 'To Be Hero X' Animated Project". Anime News Network. Retrieved April 6, 2023.
- ^ Antonio Pineda, Rafael (16 September 2024). "To Be Hero X Animated Project's Video Reveals Cast, Staff, 2025 Premiere Date". Anime News Network.
- ^ Cayanan, Joanna (2024-12-09). "To Be Hero X Animated Series Reveals April 2025 Debut, Theme Songs, Artists". Anime News Network.
- ^ Hodgkins, Crystalyn (2025-03-14). "To Be Hero X Anime Confirms April 6 Debut, Reveals New Visual". Anime News Network.
- ^ Mateo, Alex (July 3, 2023). "Crunchyroll Licenses The Apothecary Diaries, Goblin Slayer Season 2, Black Butler, More Anime". Anime News Network. Retrieved July 3, 2023.
External links
- Official website (in Japanese)
- To Be Hero (anime) at Anime News Network's encyclopedia
- 2016 anime television series debuts
- 2010s animated comedy television series
- Chinese adult animated comedy television series
- Chinese web series
- Comedy anime and manga
- Crunchyroll anime
- Haoliners Animation League
- Japanese adult animated comedy television series
- Tokyo MX original programming
- Aniplex
- Bilibili original programming
- Anime and manga stubs
