Tiger & Bunny episodes 1 & 2: Stereotypes done right
Tiger & Bunny’s premise is that in Sternbild City superheroes are sponsored as they fight against crime making it a competition and popularity contest. Hero TV, the leading television show run by the foxy Agnes Joubert, does its part in getting as close to the action as possible for the best shots to get the best possible ratings.
I love this show's opening
That’s the back story of the show, but that’s not the draw of Tiger & Bunny. The draw of Tiger & Bunny is all of its well written characters that no matter how stereotypical they may be they somehow manage to hit all of the right notes to leave you feeling all warm and fuzzy on the inside.
That said the first two episodes tie up the introduction portion of the series. Our main Hero is the lovable Kotetsu Kaburagi, otherwise known as Wild Tiger who can increase his physical abilities 100 times for five minutes. He’s the underdog and least popular of the crowd who tends to be purposely swept under the rug whenever he attempts to look cool for the camera.
No amount of criminals will help you outshine Blue Rose's fan service
Career aside he’s a loving father who tries to make time to see his daughter’s ice skating recital. Kotetsu isn’t really up with the times, but he’s serious when it comes to helping his pals and keeping the peace. That and I don’t remember the last time I’ve seen such a moe 40 year old dude. That’s right he’s moe, watch the show, I’m serious.
Like a real good guy he got the balloon for the little kid...
On the other end of the spectrum is Barnaby Brooks Jr., otherwise nicknamed Bunny by Kotetsu and he’s got the same power as him. Barnaby is a new Hero and Kotetsu’s opposite. He’s young, the girls love him, he’s an instant hit wonder, he’s serious, and a really only doing it for the fame and business (and his own goals) aspect of things rather than the “help cause it’s helping” aspect of being a hero.
After Barnaby completely ignored him by with a "hmph" to boot
Kotetsu get’s partnered up with Barnaby after the company sponsoring Wild Tiger gets laid off and they give Kotetsu over to the company that sponsors Barnaby as his partner in attempt to gain popularity as the first ever superhero duo. But as can be assumed Tiger & Bunny don’t exactly see eye to eye on things. In their first act of heroism to stop a giant moving statue they continuously bicker, and when it’s time to take the culprit down they end up clashing with each other quite literally.
Lucky for them, they’re main characters so of course the giant statue stops right in the nick of time. Kotetsu gets reprimanded by his boss who tells him to remember his role as Barnaby’s foil, extra, second, assistant, etc. Suffice to say Kotetsu isn’t too happy about having to play second fiddle. Nor was he all that happy that he realized he was late for his daughter’s recital as he was being scolded at by the mechanic of his new suit.
But duty calls what, cue more bickering between Tiger & Bunny. One Blue Rose Pepsi commercial break later we get a peek at Kotetsu’s past to see just where he got such great morals. Kotetsu as a kid was saved by the superhero Mr. Legend from bank robbery, given a “you’re a hero too” speech and then they bro-fist in true cheesy fashion. Back in the present Tiger attempts to stop the culprit, a kid with superpowers himself, on his own after leaving Barnaby still in the grip of the statue.
"I might have misheard what you said, but did you just call me "bunny-chan?""
On that note it’s revealed that the culprit was getting back at some bullies who just so happen to be at the ice skating recital. Kotetsu evacuates the people and Bunny out of nowhere comes out to save Kaede, Kotetsu’s daughter from harm earning him some gratitude from Kotetsu.
Now comes the most cliché part of the episode that’s designed to make you warm and fuzzy by the end. Kotetsu give the kid the same superhero speech he got when he was a kid, and persuades the kid to lend the heroes his power to save the day. Though in the end Kotetsu still loses out when his daughter proclaims that she became a fan of Barnaby. Keep on trying Kotetsu we’re rooting for ya!
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The one thing that bugs me about Tiger & Bunny is that for heroes on television, they’re not very dramatic about it (with the exception of Blue Rose, of course).
Then again Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann levels of ham and narm would probably be too unrealistic for Tiger & Bunny’s setting.
But yes, congratulations and condolences on your first post – now you’re going to have to keep this up until series’ end (:
PS I’ve made a Tiger & Bunny category and edited your posts’ categories and tags.
The way that I see it is they aren’t actors or anything like that, they actually fighting crime it just being filmed at the same time. Bringing up Blue Rose on that is an interesting point later on that gets explained. I actually like this aspect of the show, that it not all pulling cool poses and actually being serious. Had it been Tengen Toppa Gurren Lagann level I think the show would have turned me off.
Thanks for the encouragement! 🙂 It took a lot more work than I enticipated, but I think I have the method down. I tried to find out how to add categories but didn’t find the button or however you add them at all so thanks for that to. With the school year ending more and more I’ll get the posts written a lot sooner.
Oh I know, but I think it needs more dramatization. I’m okay with Kotetsu, because there’s only so much exaggeration you can put into being a weary single parent, but Barnaby needs a little more jerkass in him. Because the best way to showcase a character’s traits is to provide contrast – the greater the contrast the more obvious and memorable a character will be.
While I’d like to tell you that experience helps, posts are still going to take a while to write, depending on your mood and internet connection. Unless you’re defrayal, who spams screencaps and panders to the ecchi crowd -___-
That reminds me, whatever happened to defrayal? I really miss his Oretachi ni Tsubasa wa nai review, it’s been a good series and I really want him to finish it.
He’s been in China. He did say he’ll be starting his reviews again… although he didn’t say when.
Yeap, I just came back from Shanghai. Still can’t get use to the pathetic weather of Sillypore, and i got buttloads of anime to catch up with… not to mention a 10hrs animelo summer live 2010. JohnnyYandere…. care to join me and sabershirou next week @ my secret base as we attempt to sit through 10hrs of auralgasm??