First Look: Tiger & Bunny
Title: Tiger & Bunny Genre: Sci-Fi
Summary: Schternbilt City is home to people called “Next,” who use their special abilities to protect the people as superheroes. These heroes solve cases and save lives so they can wear sponsor logos or acquire “hero points.” Their activities are documented on the popular program “Hero TV,” which picks the “King of Heroes” in a yearly ranking. The veteran hero Wild Tiger has always preferred to work alone, but now he’s been assigned the rookie Barnaby Brooks Jr., who has a different perspective on being a superhero.
First Look: A superhero show that isn’t cliché or over the top? If you told me that before Tiger & Bunny I wouldn’t have believed you. After watching the first five episodes of Tiger & Bunny I think my opinions of superhero anime has changed. It’s quite possible that the reason I find this anime enjoyable is because it shows the struggles of being a superhero. Sure people cheer for you, and they always ask for your help, but as an individual you’re nothing. The people cheer for the the mask, not who’s behind it. The will power to continue sacrificing your life for people who don’t even know you is difficult to keep.
Tiger & Bunny is basically about what a superhero would be like in the modern world. The anime has a very cool concept with the Hero TV program. Each season has the heroes start with 0 points which wracks up depend on how they do. Points are earned if a hero stops a criminal vehicle, captures a criminal, or saves a citizen. At the end of the season the one with the most points is the new King of Heroes. This capital system of exploiting the powers of individuals for entertainment leads to a completely different environment than other superhero shows. Even though the heroes seem like they care for the citizens, some may only be going for the points. Wild Tiger seems to be the only superhero who doesn’t care about the system at all. Unfortunately each hero is also sponsored by a company, so sometimes escaping the system is difficult. The new unmasked hero Barnaby Brooks Jr. basically represents the new, younger generation of superheroes that care more for the glory than moral grounds. Although he doesn’t seem like a terrible guy, he doesn’t have the same charm as Wild Tiger. The series has hinted at his past which seems creepily similar to a popular DC character. The anime overall is quite entertaining. It has some good action scenes and comedy. I think most of the focus is around character development and taking you into the lives of superheroes. Wild Tiger seems to be the best of the lot (possibly because he is the main character) because he has old school values. He might be corny, but I still like him. Even if the media or younger generation don’t like him, I’ll still be his fan. Who cares about a couple broken buildings when you get results. Or at least help get results… for someone else. I’m sure there was a good argument in there somewhere.
I’m really liking the series so far and I always look forward to it each week. It doesn’t seem to be getting too much attention this season, but I’m sure that will change. It’s a nice change of pace and has a unique story. I’m hoping that the background stories don’t flop, but other than that I don’t see much that could possibly go wrong. The anime is doing a great job balancing story and action and having a little moral message at the end of every episode. And I don’t care if Wild Tiger isn’t popular! I’ll be his fan even if he gets last place.
Final statements: I’m keeping it on watch for entertainment value. It seems to be one of the better shows this season and I haven’t seen a good superhero anime in a long time (or ever). I’d probably suggest putting it on your list as well if you have the time.