I Hope The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero Becomes an Anime

While typically it is manga series that end up turned into anime series, light novels can spawn those types of adaptations too, and I hope Inori’s The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero. This yuri romance and fantasy story from Yen Press is not only incredibly cute, but highlights the different perspectives between two prospective heroes. As a result, we get to see how well they balance each other out both as love interests and actual partners in the field. Plus, it’s also really fun to see a young demon girl make a name for herself and show how great she’d be at being a hero.

Editor’s Note: There will be some light spoilers for The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero below.

The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero is the tale of two students at The Hero Institute. Leonie Baez is a young human woman who is the daughter of the legendary Almighty Hero. Her mother beat the Demon Lord, ending the Great Human-Demon War in the process and bringing peace to the two species. Ruchika is a young demon woman. She’s heard about humans, the Almighty Hero, and the school. She decided that she wanted to become a savior too, and raced to attend. However when the two meet, it is love at first sight and Ruchika proposes to Leonie. However, Leonie is really quite unfamiliar with any kinds of relationships, romantic or platonic, aside from her friend Nor due to her upbringing and notoriety.

Okay, so the first reason I think The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero would make a great anime is because there’s a fantastic structure in place for the light novel that would be interesting to see showcased in an animated adaptation. Inori goes back and forth between Ruchika and Leonie’s perspective for things. I’d love to see that represented in a show. Perhaps have Ruchika’s perspective be the main focal point, but some episodes from Leonie’s perspective.

Another reason it might work well is due to the story and its execution. It’s an underdog tale at its heart, but for two reasons. “The girl who wants to be a hero” referenced in the title is Ruchika. Even though she is a demon, a race a lot of people are still prejudiced against as the story begins despite it being years after the Great Human-Demon War and the two species being a peace, she’s basically an ideal hero. She’s got strong moral beliefs. She’s strong. She’s intelligent. She’s also fiercely loyal. But because of her background, she isn’t being recognized both by her classmates and teachers. At the same time, “the girl who ought to be a hero” Leonie is an underdog in her own way. We see how people just seem to use her for background and possible potential, and don’t care about her for who she is. (Only Ruchika and Nor value the real Leonie!) But also because of that background, she’s only “perfect” in-classroom. In practice, she has issues. We end up rooting for both characters in different ways.

The dynamic between Ruchika and Leonie would also make for a fun anime adaptation of The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero. Ruchika isn’t shy. She knows what (and who) she wants. There’s a fantastic energy around her. Leonie is more subdued and uncertain, but does possess her own strengths. Her stability and practicality are two of them. They balance each other out well, even though the “assignments” suggest they might not be a perfect pair. Even though Ruchika is sure about their relationship, Leonie isn’t, and seeing the bond really build up throughout the story and leading into the end and epilogue is great. I think it’d be fantastic to watch their love story and relationship on screen, given the situations and final test that come up.

The story The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero tells is so fun, relatable, and heartwarming that it should be an anime so more people could enjoy it. Both of the lead characters are compelling in their own way. Their dynamic is also fantastic. Plus, the way Inori tells the light novel and showcases perspectives is interesting, and I feel like it’d be great to see that in-action on-screen.

Volume 1 of the light novel The Girl Who Wants to Be a Hero and the Girl Who Ought to Be a Hero is available now via Yen Press.