Tu Bian Ying Xiong Leaf

Not sure why it says 12 episodes when it's actually 7 but whatever.

The synopsis doesn't actually describe what this show really is. It way more then that. It starts off just like what the synopsis says but it's only for like 3 episodes and then shit happens fast. I don't want to spoil it but it has some really good drama that happens. Starts off funny, insane, and stupid but then transforms into something else as if to hide the true nature of the show in the later episodes.

It's only 7 episodes but it's action packed basically every second of the show. It is ... a little bit predictable and cliche but I feel like they did the cliche's well and even though it's predictable it's still a lot of fun to watch. I started watching this show on a whim and I'm so glad I did because it was amazing. Give it a try if you have't already you might just love it.


Side note: The animation is amazing, the fight scenes are so well done I had to re watch them a few times cause of how amazing they were.

I normally never write reviews, simply because if you're gonna like it - you will. If you're not - you won't. BUT this review is only to let you know, the person who isn't sure if they should watch this yet, or the person who is confused three episodes in, that yes... you should finish it. It's only seven episodes, with a weak budget. But comparatively to the full season, big budget assembly line anime we watch every day 'To Be Heroine' is a refreshing change of pace.

The animation is sloppy, the voice acting is hard to listen to and the story is so ... strange off the bat. BUT WAIT before you realize it you're caught up in a story you didn't realize you were, invested in characters you just met and getting all emotional at those final credits.

If you've got a couple hours to spare, you'll be rewarded for your investment.

I will keep this short. After watching the trailer, this anime looked stupid. After watching the first full episode, in spite of the "1" review I read, it seemed I was right, and it's a shallow anime that does some wacky stuff to get attention. I then started skip-watching the next 3 episodes, just to see if I am missing something. I did miss something.

Without spoiling, I'll say this: by the time I reached episode 5 I decided to come here and write the first review I ever wrote on this website. This anime is not "comedy" and "super-power"; sure, it has elements, but you ... most definitely cannot sum it up with those 2 genres. This anime has deep meanings and metaphors that I didn't fully grasp yet, but the real plo" is quite thought provoking.

Sure, some parts of it might be a bit hard to watch, as it can look quite childish/idiotic, but I think this might be done with the full intent of relaxing one's mind to create even a bigger reaction for the actual plot. I am considering going back and watching the episodes I skimmed to make sure I don't miss any clues mixed in within the weird.

You might still not like it, but don't do it because of the reviews. Give it a shot.

To Be Heroine is a hit or miss kind of show. Either you didn´t got or enjoyed the underlaying darker tones camouflaged in extremely vivid colours and animation, wired plot (babies fighting almost naked and clothes are magical weapons = wired), and the mixed Japanese/Chinese audio. Or you totally got it and/or enjoyed said combination. As you can guess from the score I gave the show I belong to the later category. Actually, I think To Be Heroine may have been spring 2018´s best contribution in my eyes and ears. I started to watch it on a whim after seeing the PV. Worth to note ... is that I usually not go for the combo of Super power and Comedy. But something had peaked my interest, and I was very surprised of how much I enjoyed To Be Heroine.

Somethings can be good to know in advance. In writing moment, the page tells you that its 12 episodes. It´s not correct, only 7 exists. The source material is an original project from Haoliners AL which is a Chinese Studio. You also don´t need to watch the prequel To Be Hero first. Apparently, they are not related plot or character wise, so you can go ahead and watch it as it is. And don´t let the two tags mislead you, I would´ve have labelled this as sienen and drama and maybe romance as well.

Even though only the story only spans for 7 episodes, they have used the time efficiently. It is focused on the important characters, sufficient backstories are provided, and the plot structure is surprisingly detailed. By the synopsis I believe that many can mistake To Be Heroine as a wired Chinese contribution to the Isekai genre, but that would be a wrong assumption. It may appear so for the first 3-4 episodes but evolve much further than that.

Basically, the show evolves in three steps. The first is the establishing platform with a heavy Isekai feeling and you try to figure out what´s going on, failing in figuring out what´s going on, to just sit back and enjoy the ride to see where the they are going to do with all miss mashed craziness (and if you can handle that it switches from Chinese to Japanese audio depending on which “world” our Heroine is in). The second step is the realisation that there is indeed something more going on. Back flashes work both as to get to know the characters and enfolding the next step of the narrative.

And here I need to point out that it’s not random plot points, even the most silly and random scene still service a purpose (even if just for laughs), neither does it do a complete change of story direction. The undertones and metaphors are there from the beginning and done in what I would call a clever way, which made the next step feel natural. Few writers have the talent to really incorporate important details along the way to make the evolution of their story feel like its building on itself smoothly. The third step is the unravelling and conclusion of our Heroine´s story. Because its her story and told from her perspective.

Speaking of our Heroine, I enjoyed her character a lot. In the dub/sub version I watched, her name is Hanaya Futaba. She reminds me of your ordinary high school girl, just living her ordinary life as she always has. Until something happens, and she finds herself in another dimension, summoned by a bold baby with a gold diaper who claims that she is his hero, and that she needs to fight the assassins that the other baby bosses send after him. Like that´s isn´t enough, the babies have the same name as her friends and roughly the same personality in this dimension as in her own. Hanaya first tries to get out of whole ordeal, the whole thing is obviously madness and she want nothing to with it. Use her clothes to summon handsome men fighting for her? What craziness.

I know, you thinking “what the hell?” right now? It is definitely such a moment when first introduced to To Be Heroine. My advice watching this is to just let go and see what it will take you.

Anyway, let me ask you a question. How would you define bravery? I discussed it with a friend a while ago. And of course, the definition will change from person to person. To me is being brave when you go ahead and do things that you are afraid to do, but despite that you pull through when it counts somehow anyway. Because if you feel no fear or hesitation when doing something outside your comfort zone, that´s not being brave for me, then you are just either fearless or stupid.

Why talk about bravery here? Well, because that´s how I would describe Hanaya best. She is brave, not fearless, cocky, arrogant or super powerful as your stereotypical hero. She is a normal girl in unusual situation and deals with it along away. It’s sometimes funny to watch (some of her age girl reactions is spot on). And sometimes its emotional to watch, and sometimes is bloody bad ass to watch.

As other reviewers have been pointing out as well, roughly half of the show has Chinese language and half it has Japanese dub (at least at the time and date when I´m writing this).

I haven’t watch any of Studio Haoliners productions before, but their work on To Be Heroine was very nice indeed. Think a combination of a toned down Kill La Kill and Katanagatari mixed in style and colours. That´s the easiest way I can describe the art style they used. I liked it a lot, it fit the Comedy element in the show, and they knew when to use more neutral colours and animation. Well done. The animation looked great to me, I definitely felt that some love was put into it. Fluid motions, good facial expressions, detailed and lifeful fight scenes, and cool angles. They also get thumbs up for the minimal unnecessary fanservice and the awesome OP.

To summon things up, To Be Heroine is a little jewel that many probably will miss. It mixed comedy, super power, sienen, drama and romance surprisingly well in my eyes. Few can mix those genres together and make it feel natural, but here I think they did a great job. Don´t get me wrong, it´s ludacris at times, but I enjoyed that type of ludacrisness, it was refreshing.

I like To Be Heroine, and have been waiting for reviews to come back so I can maybe convince a few people to check it out who might have otherwise been turned off by the low score. I give it a 7 overall, but I would consider it a strong 7. It's not perfect, but it has some uniqueness to it that I find captivating.

Disclaimers:
0. I haven't actually seen the first series. Do with that what you will; I might be missing some things, but there's also no selection bias here.
1. This is my first MAL review
2. The show is only at episode 4 at ... the time of writing, plus a behind the scenes. I may or may not update the review, but currently I would recommend it.
3. I haven't seen all that many anime in total, so some pretty tired tropes aren't as old for me as they might be for others.


That said!

Story: 7
To Be Heroine's story so far doesn't seem like anything super groundbreaking, though I find the use of vignettes and the method the story is told with to be pleasing. Futuba is a girl dragged into another world and charged with restoring it. We've all seen this before, so her quest has been generally glossed over in favor of flashbacks that give us insight into the kind of people Futuba and her friends are, and their struggles. At times it can seem like the show is trying to do too many things at once, and sacrifices clarity for it, but I can accept a little uncertainty if it means that I don't have to be given exposition dumps on characters archetypes we've all seen before. Ultimately, from where the show stands now, it appears to be less about Futuba's quest to purify this world or whatever, and more about her own personal ascension to womanhood. Again, nothing groundbreaking, but I like the presentation.

Art: 8
Originally I wasn't too impressed with the art, but it's grown on me. The storyboarding is well done: shots help tell the story in a way that shows care is put into each scene. Faces on people, even background characters, are always drawn, again, carefully. If you pause at any given moment, you can tell that the artists were considering the actual anatomy of a face, even for the guy in the back all the way to the left of the screen. The action is pretty, if perhaps a little lazily drawn, but that's hardly a cardinal sin for a weekly show. There are some things that look pretty distinctly chinese to me that might stick out to you as Quality, like how faces are drawn in nearly full profile, but frankly anime is typically no more accurate than this show when drawing faces from the side. Nice use of color. I like the way it looks.

Sound: 8
The show sounds good. The SFX work well, the music is suitable, the OP and ED have cool themes, though they might sound a bit too much like DDR tracks for some people's tastes. What puts it at an 8 for me is the use of chinese for the flashbacks to the real world and nihongo for the weird alternate one. It's not a huge deal, but it's just a cool detail, one the significance of which I look forward to finding out.

Character: 6
Not too much to say only 4 episodes in. The blonde chick is a badass. Nobody sticks out as anything completely new, but that's okay. Characters in the flashbacks aren't super interesting but they're pretty believable people that way.

Enjoyment and Overall: 7 and 7
I just generally find the show pretty cool. the action is flashy, the plot feels like it's gearing up, and I have a good feeling about the show going forward.

To be heroine is a Japan-Chinese product and i know these is a lot of people already give it some hate just for that fact. but this show is really good. and have real effort given by people behind it.
the sound and track in action scene China cut ver is actually more intense (maybe to bring more people to watch the chinese ver)


OK, THE REVIEW.

The show is good. animation, sound, character, story... all did a good job

In the first episode. i know it at least is a enjoyable show with that quality. after the 3th. i know it will be a ... good ass story. just some minutes, the back story of Hikaru's parent nailed a good love story better than most majority romance anime. so just experiment it you self.
I actually surprise with my self since i never like the sound of Chinese. it kinda weird even though i watch a bunch of kung fu movies. but the moment three kid start singing, it just beautiful !

at the episode 6, I confused. everything is make sense now. why bring that element back (the kid in other world). but instead of just bring a resolution and end the story. it keep me wonder and curious. it maybe some more good shit behind it.
At the episode 7. I lost. did it just... miracle happy ending and that all ? just 7 episodes ?

I though i may miss something. and when i research a bit. i saw some crazy theory. OK, SKIP THIS AND ONLY READ WHEN YOU WATCHED THE SHOW: the only thing happen is the read head boy able to upload the video pro . all of that spirit fighter only in her "world". so that mean nothing happen just... they are all dea... No. i rather take they drop quality and use a deus-ex machine.


i would wait if there is more . For now i leave it a 8. Still a full of fun, sadness, happy, emotion drive. Would recommend

I can't believe this anime made me write my first ever anime review when I can just review other shows that I've watched.

To be honest I'm not sure if it's good because I haven't heard any of my friends talk about a studio called "Haoliners Animation League" and the Synopsis is kinda confusing so at first I listened to the opening song in youtube and it's unexpectedly..... good ,so I decided to watch it (yeah I'm a person who decides what anime to watch by it's op song).

And DAMN I don't regret that decision,this anime suprised me with it's story, I thought it's just another ... Comedy,Super Power anime but NO!!,the drama caught me off guard even my little brother cried when we watched it.

The art is good ,I'm just not used to it's style but I think it makes the fight scenes more awesome.

After watching this, To Be Heroine easily became one of my favorite underrated animes,Maybe I'll also watch the season 1 if I have time :)

First, this is a Chinese produced anime, or in whatever term you prefer to use. I won't be writing any spoilers, and simply my own opinions regarding the anime and the differences between the Chinese and Japanese version.

The story is put into a rather complicated order, it's basically from the fantasy part, to drama, back to comedy and fantasy only to move back to drama. Which continues only to end with 3 episodes (original Chinese version) of drama and a rather decent fight scene.

As someone who's watched both the after editing Japanese version with only 7 episodes and the original Chinese version with 12 episodes. ... I would personally say that it would be more enjoyable to watch it in the original version. Legit. To be allowed to be broadcasted in the Japanese TV, you need to have at least more than 20 minutes per episode, meaning that the thing itself has been edited and cut, loosing some of its original scene and charm. It also need to be using Japanese, making a few jokes unable to be understood and replicated using Japanese.

However, except from all of these things. The animation can be said to be rather simplistic. Has few details and are rather rough in some parts, which I think is something that overall fits better with the story. It also has a few screen cuts similar to a certain Mob Psycho 100 episode, for either comedy or drama purposes. It also has a animation style that is smooth, with good enough of a color theme, not too flashy, which makes it rather pleasing for the eyes, or at least, my eyes.

Now let's talk about the music and other sounds. First, the Japanese dubbing isn't bad, I think it's actually above average. However I personally think that the Chinese dubbing was better, and fit with the thing better, tho that is arguable in certain cases. There are some music that has been lost due to copyright problems or whatever making it replaced by something else in the Japanese version. (Just a comment, the people who decided to edit this thing has made a rather, eh, convenient way of pushing Chinese language, by only dubbing Japanese in the 'Isekai' parts)

The character can be said to be rather lack luster and some characters also gave me some surprises, and this part is something that I would rather not touch upon or talk about. So it's better if you watch it to find out yourself.

So I would like to say, once again. That if you want to watch it, watch the Chinese version. As you would be able to experience the original atmosphere that the creators behind the anime wanted to let us experience. There are naturally somethings that the Japanese version has which wasn't found in the original version. (I prefer the Chinese version, tho)

Also, 8/10.

Don't know why a lot of other people are saying its only 7 episodes when I watched 12; also don't know why a lot of people are saying its mixed languages? I watched it in Chinese?

(Edit: so the MC found herself in another world, but from what I watched everyone spoke Chinese except for one person who spoke Japanese - the clone of the gun dude - and to my understanding, that was for comedic effect. I'm really starting to wonder if what I watched matches what everyone else did...)

BE WARNED. You might think that this an action donghua with bits of comedy from what ... is shown in the beginning; it's not. I don't want to spoil anything, but this is far from a comedy. It almost seems to try to intentionally mislead you into thinking its a comedy in the first few episodes (there are lots of jokes) before dragging you into emotionally heavy stuff (and the comedy goes away too). Not super serious stuff but a far stretch from the "Comedy" genre this is listed under.

Overall though, it was a good show. The few fight scenes at the beginning and at the end were very well animated, the sound and quality are exceptional, and the story unfolds in an extremely meticulously designed and clever manner.

Personally, I really didn't feel too great after watching this because I expected a lighthearted comedy, so I watched this very late at night. When I realized it was too late and I was invested in the story already (I watched all 12 episodes in one night). Don't let this scare you off from the show -- it really is a good one -- but do know what to expect.

DO NOT HESITATE BECAUSE OF THE SYNOPSIS OR THE REVIEWS!!!

It's one of the anime where the 3 episode rule help a lot. I'm here because i totally enjoyed 'To Be Hero' with its unique story and amazing key animation.

The wacky and comedy atmosphere of the first few episodes can kill it for you. but i promise, endure it and you will not miss a great series.

starting with an absurd and stupid story, making no sense at all in a seems like cheaply made animation. The simple and low budget yet beautiful animation lures me. After some absurd and idiotic conversation, yet funny to some degree...

WHOAAA ... IT'S A FIGHT!! WHOAAA WHAT IS THAT!! WHOAA THE HYPE!! WHOOAAA THE KEY ANIMATION!!!

that's what happened the first time i see the fight. wonderfully keyed, making me remember 'to be hero' last episode fight. rating it as one of the best fighting scene i've seen.

if you've ever seen madara fight, mob psycho 100 fight, one punch man fight, naruto vs sasuke (sage of six path) fight, then you know what i'm talking about.

and then it's back to the comedy, with some random slice of life scene flashing in, not knowing that those "flashing scene" is actually the main plot.

from there, it took me to the drama train that i totally did not expect. the development of the character, the relationship between each character, and the emotion of each character feels heavy. i almost cried as it's very beautifully expressed. a unique way of telling a story, combining an absurd comedy with a realistic drama.

I was so close to dropping this anime after 3 episodes. But, I decided to keep going. And oh boy was it worth it. The animation is fantastic and the story is even better. From the 4th episode and onward, the anime is really amazing. You should watch it.

The last episode was by far the best, and it was very hard to hold back my tears. The character progression is overwhelming, and I do not regret not dropping this anime. Its only a measly 7 episodes to watch, and will only take about 2 hours to watch all of it. You wont regret it.

7 Episodes; 1 Powerful Anime.

While the first 3 episodes can be off putting and a little weird I ended up coming back to this anime today and picking back up from where I left off at episode 4, and I really regret having dropped it when it first came out.

The first three episodes feel mindless in comparison but once the latter half of it picks up, boy do you get one hell of a heart wrenching anime that will punch you in the face with emotion in that moment of watching it. In retrospect looking back on it somethings don't make full sense or ... feel a little rushed but that doesn't take away from how I felt while viewing this story. If you're unsure about watching it just stomach through the first three episodes, you'll love it.

As someone who never wrote a review before, it speaks volumes that this anime makes me want to put one together. At first, I only wanted to watch it because it looked like an isekai, but it turned out to be so much more. It starts off in a way that doesn’t give away what’s about to come. As the episodes go on, things start to take a turn and the whole story line takes a big leap from a happy show to a heart wrenching one, about grief and moving on. A lot of people give up on the anime because of the language, ... but I didn’t find it bothering at all. It’s a beautiful story with a great message. Although the whole thing about clothes seemed a bit strange at first, towards the end it became clear what the meaning behind it was. The clothes were used as a metaphor, the less clothes you wore, the more vulnerable you were, the more yourself you became. It was about being confident in who you are without hiding. I couldn’t recommend more, especially if you want to treat yourself to a crying session.

Writing this review partially to clear up something: there are some people who are confused because the series is listed as having 12 episodes, but there are only 7 if you try to watch it. This is because the original 12-episode Chinese version was converted into 7 episodes for the Japanese version, I think due to having unusual episode lengths or something. The series was also heavily edited in that process, which is why pacing in certain scenes might feel a bit strange.

Anyway, the review: For me, the show's main selling points were its animation and story. The animation is seriously good, with the show ... going all out with flashy fight scenes especially. As for the story, I had positive expectations because I'd seen its predecessor, To Be Hero. The story of To Be Heroine was clearly made with genuine passion and care, and without spoiling anything, the emotional parts really affected me. I was also surprised by how far the show was willing to go with its stakes, especially with its kind of school-life, cutesy art style. However, I will also say that the execution of the story could have been a lot tighter. I don't know how much was affected by getting trimmed for the 7-episode version, but sometimes things seemed abrupt or heavy handed. Especially after watching To Be Hero, a lot of worldbuilding and plot elements could have been set up more carefully or tied up more neatly.

I'd still put To Be Heroine above a lot of other shows. When watching it, you can really feel that it was made by a relatively young studio full of passion and creativity. Worth a watch.

[This review is spoiler free!] TL;DR: If you have about 3 hours to spare, I would definitely recommend To Be Heroine.

I have watched To Be Heroine twice now. This show is by no means groundbreaking. The blend between Japanese and Chinese dialogue is strange and the characters are bland. Overall, To Be Heroine can be described as forgettable.

You probably won't remember you watched this anime one week after you've finished it. However, that doesn't mean it is a bad show. By the time I finished the last episode, I felt satisfied. For only 7 episodes, the writer's made good use of their time. They ... managed to build up enough background to have the viewer feel connected and (and more importantly) invested in the characters. You won't even realize how invested you are until the end credits rolled. This is definitely a good show to binge. Although the animation isn't outstanding, and the half-dressed babies is a bit jarring, To Be Heroine is a good show to watch if you are bored and have a couple hours to spare.

I would describe To Be Heroine to be a waterdown Kill La Kill without the comedy and a Watamote opening. Although it had its moments, To Be Heroine wasn't that funny. It definitely got some amused exhales from me, but nothing too grand. I found the more serious and dark undertones to be far more interesting. Instead of comedy, this definitely more of a mild seinen. You can expect some action, drama, and a bit of romance.