Review: Tiger & Bunny

Tiger & Bunny

Mimi: Let’s be honest. After looking at the main cover and title, how many of us thought that this was going to be a mediocre superhero show featuring two bozos dressed in horrible CGI animated armored suits? Those suits were the most unappealing part to me, anyway. Little did I know that this show would rank in my top 15 anime before it even ended. Yeah. It’s just that surprisingly good.

Tiger & Bunny can be summed up perfectly in one word. FUN! As soon as it begins, you’re thrown into the middle of the action where superheroes called NEXT are chasing a criminal though the dazzlingly beautiful, night city of Sternbild. They’re being recorded on HERO TV Live and compete each other to earn points. I especially like the heavy use of media and to see how the heroes assimilate into pop culture. If that’s not entertaining enough, they’re funny, stylish, and bursting with personality. To describe a few, you’ve got a flamboyant gay guy, a sexy girl advertising pepsi, a tomboy, a mysterious anti-hero, and an old-fashioned veteran who hardly gets any points. I couldn’t stop laughing during the first few episodes. For once, the humor is so clever that it’s very refreshing. It doesn’t use typical comedy tropes, like girl falls on guy from tree, or guy accidently sees girl in shower. No, this stuff is much much better. Just seeing the heroes dressed formally at a dinner party with only their costume helmets still on is a funny sight.

In another post, I briefly mentioned that I attended the Tiger & Bunny panel at Otakon, where the producer & co-creator talked about the show. Interestingly, he said that the show was very risky and hard to pull off because it’s just so different from mainstream anime. For one thing, the superhero genre is not that popular in Japan. Perhaps more importantly, the main character, Wild Tiger, is an older man who has a daughter and wears a beard, which is considered unattractive there. Well, they obviously did something right, because the show became a success with the last episode shown in theaters. Tiger & Bunny is cleverly designed to reach out to the old and young anime fanbase by giving Tiger a young, handsome partner whom he calls “Lil’ Bunny.” What do you know, they go extremely well together. How can the fangirls resist when they have names like these?! Heck, even I’m a fangirl and bought these fab posters for my wall.

While Tiger & Bunny is largely fun and games, it also has its serious, dark segments. The main plot centers around a mysterious organization called Ouroboros that is somehow connected to the death of Bunny’s parents. More dangerous villains come out to play, bringing the series to all new heights. I like the story, but the characters impressed me more due to their shocking secrets and motives. They had exciting moments where I just had to jump up and say, “Well, that was a brilliant twist!” In the beginning, I never would have guessed what this series had in store for us.

There are a few things that the sequel could improve upon. Some of the CGI effects aren’t that great for the costumes, such as Fire Emblem’s costume. He’s always an eyesore because he just doesn’t fit in with the background or the other characters. Ironically, Tiger and Bunny’s armored suits look much better, so I never had any problem with those. Secondly, the series’ final moments aren’t as impressive as I had hoped them to be, due to the cliches and a certain character disappointingly not getting a big role. I hope that the sequel will pull off something better. Nevertheless, it is an action-packed finale, and the characters are always a blast. I can’t wait to see more of my favorite superheroes soon! *addicted* x3

Mimi’s Score: 9 Meeps out of 10 (Great)

Alex’s Score: 9 Meeps out of 10 (Great)

Dusk’s Score: 9.5 Meeps out of 10 (Great)

Tiger & Bunny Episode 25 [Final]

Eternal Immortality

Mimi: Phew! That’s more like it. This is an excellent episode, though I can’t really talk about it like a conclusion because…well, it isn’t. There’s still more to Ouroboros than we know, and Maverick probably wasn’t even the head honcho. I’m quite happy that there’s going to be another season of this with Tiger still in the action. Yes, Tiger! See, I told you he’d fine, didn’t I? Totally knew it all along. ^_^

One of my favorite scenes in this whole series is when all the heroes fight against the army of androids, which is well-animated and chaotic. There’s just no holding back, and I loved it. It’s also neat how the supporting characters, Saito and Agnes, contribute to Maverick’s demise. Heck, Saito pretty much saved everybody’s lives! He should be a friggen hero. Lastly, I’m glad that Lunatic showed up to do something. I wanted him to attack Maverick. I just wish that he was more involved in the main action instead of popping up at the end after everyone else did the hard work, although it’s…kinda fitting for his character. BUT I’ll be expecting more epicness from him the next season! Oh wait wait wait. Best scene ever? When Tiger punches Maverick square in the face. That was very pleasing. I could watch it over and over. ^^

At long last, Kaede finally tells her father that he’s cool. That must have motivated him to be a hero again. It doesn’t matter that he only has 1 minute left of power; he’s still chasing after the bad guys and…damaging buildings and cars. The very last scene is fitting for Bunny to catch him like he did in episode one. Oh how I love these guys.

Wow… Blue Rose is serious.

Anyway, I hope the rest of you enjoyed this episode as much as I did, and that you’re looking forward to the next season. I’ll be working on my review for both Tiger & Bunny and No.6 today, which should be up before bedtime. =P

Tiger & Bunny Episode 24

Nothing Ventured, Nothing Gained

Mimi: I’ve got a few bones to pick with this episode. Like, the ending. NANI?! Right now, I’m in disbelief that they’d actually kill Tiger off. He has to survive, right? RIGHT? The series just wouldn’t be the same without him at all. T_T Secondly, his powers are supposed to get stronger as they’re declining. I didn’t see any displays of that during the finale, which kinda sucks. Maybe he has super healing (hopeful)? Come on Tiger, stop trying to fool us… D: Hehe…hehehe.

Thirdly, I don’t like the cliched way that they beat the android. I was expecting Lunatic to pop up any moment. So what is his purpose now, to sit around regretting that he didn’t do anything? Fourthly, the villains couldn’t be any more stupid (I know it’s too late to complain about them, but I’m gonna do it anyway). That guy should have just pressed the button, made the android attack Tiger and Bunny while they didn’t have their powers, or developed an android smart enough not to die by his own weapon. Maverick, you really put your faith in a big idiot, lol.

Okay, with those points out of the way, on to the things I did like! Kaede saves the heroes again! I like her well enough to be a main character in the next season. It’d be awesome to see her use different powers. Annnd Tiger’s last line. “Too close, pal… Hey, you have pretty long eyelashes…” That line was good. But he better not be dead!  (probably just wishful thinking at this point… he looks pretty dead.) I didn’t think that T&B could possibly do anything to make me mad… >.<

Tiger & Bunny Episode 23

Misfortunes never come singly

Mimi: I don’t have much to say here except that it’s another excellent episode as always! The first half really made me “squee~!” as Tiger tried so hard to convince Bunny with tears streaming down his face. And what do you know, it all came down to an unintentional “Bunny-chan…” to bring his partner back. How the heck did Bunny break out of his good-luck mode attack so quickly and quietly, though? xD Ah, no matter, I wouldn’t want to see Tiger get hurt even worse. Totally not a guilty pleasure or anything. >>

Still, the drama between them can only last so long, and I’m glad that they’re finally on the same page, with what Maverick kidnapping the other heroes and Kaede. Now it’s the freaky android vs. Tiger and Bunny showdown. Oh come on Maverick, did you honestly forget about Lunatic? *still waiting for him to come kick his butt in the mysterious dimly lit room while the others duke it out*

Tiger & Bunny Episode 22

Bad Luck Often Brings Good Luck

Mimi: Gomen for the lateness of my post! But wow, this episode is awesome on all sorts of levels! Tiger’s “brilliant” plan to convince everyone is to joke around with them as always, saying stuff that only the real Tiger would know. But it’s ultimately Kaede who changes everyone’s memory back to normal, which leads to the priceless picture of a little girl scolding her dad dressed up in a superhero suit after saving him. Really really amusing stuff.

The fight between Tiger and Bunny is just epic. If they pulled those Matrix-like stunts earlier in the show when they were still partners catching lowlife villains, imagine the ratings they’d get on Hero TV, MAL, and…well…anywhere! I just loved the action and visuals, even if it did come down to a cheesy one-on-one collision in the air where both of them gave it their full power. I mean, wow. Just what is the very final battle going to look like compared to this? Needz more Lunatic epicness too.

Tiger & Bunny Episode 21

 Heaven helps those who help themselves (how true that is…)

Mimi: The manhunt is on for Kotetsu. One by one, he struggles to escape from each hero while also trying to convince them of who he is. It’s a little heartbreaking to see, as the harsh reality that no one recognizes him slowly sinks in. Maverick even replaces Tiger with what looks to be a creepy android. My prediction that Lunatic would come to his aid and that Kaede would try to get involved are dead on, yet somehow, the execution of those scenes are even better than I expected! Lunatic always looks awesome, and Kaede finally knows about her dad’s true identity! She most likely has Maverick’s power now. I especially can’t wait to see how she is going to use it.

I held my breath when Kotetsu got in the car with Ben. I mean, I was sure that he would remember Kotetsu, but he was acting pretty strange there for a second. Thank goodness that he does! It’s absolutely brilliant that he still had Kotetsu’s old Wild Tiger suit, which he wears at the end. I thought it was a pretty lame suit at the beginning of this series, but now, Kotetsu looks so friggen awesome in it! I have to watch him make that epic pose again… *0*

This episode is just EXCELLENT all around. Probably the best one yet. There are so many exciting things happening at the same time, the action is great, and the ending always leaves me craving for more. My guess is that for all the remaining episodes, it’s going to be very hard to sit around and wait… In fact, I’m already suffering right now. Where’s the next episode at?!

Tiger & Bunny Episode 20

Full of courtesy, full of craft

Mimi: Oooh how interesting. Maverick wipes everyone’s memory of Kotetsu as Wild Tiger and frames him as the murderer of Bunny’s housekeeper. I thought that Kotetsu was going to figure Maverick out, but he never did, which I can’t exactly blame him. Everyone is calling him stupid and dense, but then again, it must be hard to think that such a respected man could do something so horrible. Besides, that tea scene was funny. :3

This is really turning out to be a heated finale by putting Tiger and Bunny against each other. I can see Lunatic stepping in to deal with Maverick, and perhaps Kaede won’t be able to sit still forever. Her ability to copy powers is going to be useful somehow. Of course, Maverick’s plan isn’t perfect. Those people who know Kotetsu’s true identity won’t believe this, and if Bunny can break out of Maverick’s power due to a small contradiction in memory, so can anyone else. It’ll be interesting to see how that is going to happen. The final episode must be pretty darn good since it’s going to be shown in theaters. Can’t wait!

Tiger & Bunny Episode 19

There’s no way out

Mimi: DRAMA. Lots and lots of it! Bunny is just crumbling down through the entire episode, as he and Kotetsu go to the mall and backtrack where he went the day his parents were murdered. He cries, yells, faints, gets slapped, and feels betrayed by everyone. Yeah, the drama is definitely over the top, but it’s all good for the fangirls~!

The ending is awesome, where Maverick finally reveals himself and sends Bunny on an emotional roller coaster. So he is a NEXT who can implant false memories in people. I thought it was possibly the work of those sleep capsules, but nope. And his motive for killing his parents? Let’s just say that he joined forces with Ouroboros, faked crimes for higher TV ratings, and his parents threatened to reveal everything because they didn’t want their technology used in that way. That’s a pretty good, well-written story.

I wonder how early on people saw this coming with Maverick, or if a lot of people were fooled by Jake. I like to be surprised, so I tend not to theorize too much (speaking of theories, some people thought that Bunny was a robot, lol). I didn’t really suspect Maverick until a couple episodes ago. In fact, I had nearly forgotten about him since he rarely appeared in the episodes. Although it seems obvious now, I consider it a great plot twist for the way it has been built up, keeping Maverick in the background and distracting us with other interesting things going on. He isn’t exactly your typical villain either.

And I hope that Bunny and Tiger make up soon~! >u<

Tiger & Bunny Episode 18

Ignorance is Bliss

Mimi: Hm, I think we all saw this coming. Kotetsu tries to tell Bunny that he is retiring as a hero, but there is never a good time. After all, Kriem wakes up, gives a detailed account about her relationship with Jake, and says that he didn’t murder his parents. To me at least, it just couldn’t have been that simple. It’s really hard for Bunny to accept this, and he’s starting to go a little nuts in suspecting everyone else. Tiger will have to remain by his side, breaking his promise to Kaede once again. So who is the murderer? Out of all the people Bunny sees in his faulty memory, Maverick stands out as having something to do with it. I smell memory manipulation…

Tiger & Bunny Episode 17

Blood is thicker than water

Mimi: Tiger & Bunny doesn’t have to be action-packed and funny to be entertaining. The slice-of-life moments are just as good, especially in this heartfelt episode where Kotetsu goes back to his hometown to visit his daughter, Kaede. She acts very cold towards him in the beginning, as he snoops around her collection of Bunny’s pictures and doesn’t understand her fear over losing her grandmother. It takes one stormy night where Kaede is trapped in a shrine for Kotetsu to reveal his awesomeness and for them to truly bond as father and daughter. And it’s pretty awesome that she’s a NEXT, isn’t it? Hm, I wonder if something interesting will come out of that later. So Kotetsu decides that he’s going to resign to be by Kaede’s side. But wait, there’s still eight episodes left! It can’t be as simple as that. It’s time to crack down on Ouroboros once again.