It certainly feels like an anime season with so many shows bombarding this month, but it is the newly released To Be Hero X that has garnered significant attention. A proper Chinese-Japanese blend helmed by Li Haolin, this anime is a standout owing to the use of 2D and 3D animation in a superhero spectacle that keeps you hooked in the best sort of way.

The first episode, titled “Nice,” drops you right into that crazy world, where trust and fear determine who has power, and it hits you with stellar visuals and a story that won’t quit. But here’s the thing: as soon as you start admiring Nice, he doesn’t even survive two minutes. Well, the scene certainly came as a huge surprise, particularly just when you thought of him as the main character.

Lin Ling | Credit: Studio Lan

So Nice rolls in as this top-ten...