Tiger & Bunny - ''The Wolf Knows What the Ill Beast Thinks''

Spoiler Level: High

We learn more about the strange new NEXT as he continues his killing spree, and the heroes of Hero TV try out figure out who he is and why he's doing it.

Who he is is Lunatic.  And why he's doing it is that question that has faced comic book super-heroes since the 80's and especially during the 90's-- Lunatic believes in his own brand of justice, where the bad guys deserve to die.

In that aspect this show has definitely turned into more of a straight-forward super hero show, with the reality TV show factor as more of an add-on. Although it is refreshing to note that, as a rogue "hero," Lunatic has no corporate sponsors.  This could be great material for a future episode, but I'm suspecting it won't even be mentioned.

The thing is, even before he's made himself public, Lunatic's attitude has already begun resonating with the people, as a young kid scoffs at Kotetsu for just arresting bad guys when he has the chance to kill them.  Kotetsu, ever the old school hero, balks at the concept, but it's one I've run into with comic fans plenty of times.  (For example, I used to work with a guy who also a comics fan.  We got along really well but liked completely different things.  He kept insisting that the Superman comics needed to have Lois Lane be murdered so that Superman could become darker and grimmer.  I always argued back that there's a zillion other characters out there for that already; the point of Superman is that he's the eternal role model, the one to look up to and aspire to be like.) While the attitude isn't as prevalent as it was in the 90's, it made enough of an impact on the comic book world that the argument will probably never go away, and I feel its becoming a part of the main story here reflects that.

As always, this episode is available to watch for free at http://www.vizanime.com/tiger-and-bunny.

Tiger & Bunny - ''Fire Is a Good Servant But a Bad Master''

Spoiler Level: High

Another good character episode, this time focusing on Fire Emblem as he's accused of murdering some bad guys in jail.  They bad guys were talking about how fun it is to murder hostages in general and child hostages in specific, so it's hard to feel any sympathy for them, yet Kotetsu manages to. It's that kind of value for all human life that makes Kotetsu a hero.

Even though we saw none of Hero TV this episode, it's still a very satisfying episode, as we see elements from the previous episodes are starting to come together. The criminals who were killed were from the first episode, Kotetsu recognizes an assassin (in a very cool piece of mecha) as the same guy who planted the bomb in episode 3, and somehow it all seems tied to the organization that killed Barnaby's parents.  So while I may be a bit disappointed that the show has lost some of the edge that makes it different, it's still a well-written show and holding my interest.

(Although it hasn't completely lost the reality show edge-- at one point, Barnaby is content to let Kotetsu take the lead after the assassin, because there are no cameras around and no points to be awarded.  It's little touches like that that keep the concept alive.)

As usual, this episode is available to watch for free at http://www.vizanime.com/tiger-and-bunny.

Tiger & Bunny - ''Go for Broke!''

Spoiler Level: Kinda High.

Another episode where we examine how well Kotetsu and Barnaby are coming together as a team, which is to say not well.  Barnaby is fed up with Kotetsu (again), and Kotetsu can't stop himself from getting involved in Barnaby's personal life.  In this case, it's organizing a surprise party for Barnaby's birthday.

We also get a very cool villain, whose body covers itself in diamond armor.  (Didn't Marvel make that the White Queen's ability at some point?) We get some great fight sequences, and a lot of it is through Hero TV's lens, although they neglect to award points as events are going along this time.  Doc Saito also comes up with some cute little Tiger and Bunny icons on their armor, and we get a cool transformation sequence where we see how they suit up.

So while not earth-shattering, this show continues to be enjoyable and entertaining.


As of this writing, this episode (and all previous episodes!) are available to watch for free at http://www.vizanime.com/tiger-and-bunny. Remember, new episodes debut the same day they air in Japan!

Tiger & Bunny - ''Fear Is Often Greater Than the Danger''

Note the Pepsi sponsorship on Blue Rose's arm!

Spoiler Level: High

In this episode we get to learn about one of the other heroes, Blue Rose.  Blue Rose is really school girl Karina Lyle, whose dream isn't really to be a hero at all, but to be a singer.  She's only become a super hero because it's supposed to be the best path to stardom.

In previous episodes she's played the enthusiastic hero, but now she's obviously grown tired of it and would rather focus on her real dream of playing piano and singing.  This of course brings lots of speeches from Kotetsu on the nature of being a hero, which is counterbalanced by Barnaby's more cynical desire for fame. The result is a lot of discussions examining personal motivations, why we do what we do, and the dilemma of choosing between what we want and what's expected of us.

The episode works well for me, because even though we're not seeing a lot from the camera's perspective, we are seeing how this world of super hero reality TV affects people's lives, as Karina has to juggle trying to satisfy her television obligations, pursuing her own dreams, and still have a social life and go to school.  She thinks she knows what she wants, and it's not being a hero-- but as Kotetsu points out to her, helping people isn't something one can just choose to stop doing.  It's the usual anime dilemma, but with a super hero twist, and it works well.

As always, this episode is available to watch for free at http://www.vizanime.com/tiger-and-bunny.

Tiger & Bunny - ''Many a True Word Is Spoken in Jest''

 Spoiler Level: High

I liked this episode a lot more than the previous one; this episode felt more in line with the first episode.  Hero TV is shooting a documentary on Barnaby Brooks Jr, so he-- and by extension, Kotetsu-- are both getting followed around, having everything they do recorded. This brings back the reality show edge, as we get to see many of the events through the eye of the camera. Maybe it's the Max Headroom geek in me, but I love shots like that.

Poor Kotetsu still can't win; the TV studio wants to portray the two heroes as great partners, which they're most definitely not, and since Barnaby is the golden child then Kotetsu is perceived as the problem.   When the TV crew isn't happy with Kotetsu's "natural" self and indifference to Barnaby, they begin scripting things for him to say. On the one hand, the network trying to shape reality into what they want the public to see is typical TV, but on the other hand reality TV just loves when people don't get along.  In this case the corporate mentality wins out, but I can just see how this would lead to a "Big Brother House: Super Hero Edition!"

The characters continue to grow as Barnaby and Kotetsu begin to have a grudging respect for one another, even though they still bicker. We also get to learn a bit about Barnaby's past.  And the background character of Origami Cyclone is starting to really amuse me.

As usual, this episode is currently available to watch for free (with limited commercials) at http://www.vizanime.com/tiger-and-bunny.  Oh, and you know another cool thing about it?  It even includes the Japanese sponsor cards.  I only wish Hulu would actually put their "Brought to you by GEICO!" card over top of it!

Tiger & Bunny - "A Good Beginning Makes a Good Ending"

Spoiler Level: Medium

The second episode of this series sees Kotetsu and Barnaby have their first official team-up.  Kotetsu is altruistic and inspired; Barnaby is only in it to get the most points and win the game.

It's still a good episode, but it doesn't have the edge that the first episode had, most likely because we see very little from the perspective of "Hero TV Live," the reality show the heroes are all competing in. This episode's focus is more of a straight-forward hero story, with us getting to learn about Kotetsu's past and seeing what made him become a hero, and how he clashes with Barnaby.  Kotetsu is endearing as the lovable loser, the guy who wants to do right by his daughter and help people but always seems to get it wrong.  And Doc Saito, inventor of Wild Tiger's new suit, is a very humorous character.

But I have to confess, if this had been the first episode, I wouldn't have been as taken by it. It's much more of a straight-forward anime episode. It makes sense that the whole reality-show concept would be taking a back seat to getting to know all the characters, but hopefully future episodes will be able to do that while exploring this world of reality shows gone overboard at the same time.

As of this writing, this episode is available to watch for free at http://www.vizanime.com/ep/3176-a-good-beginning-makes-a-good-ending. And remember, we're getting these episodes the same time as they're airing in Japan, so let's show them some support!

Tiger & Bunny - "All's Well That Ends Well"

Spoiler Level: Low- Medium

I've been trying out a few new anime titles here and there, but in general have found my interest is mostly in either the classics (such as Space Pirate Captain Harlock, now officially available from Toei and Crunchyroll), or updated versions of the classics (such as Galaxy Railways.  Hmm, maybe I'm only into Leiji Matsumoto stuff?)  I tried out the first episode of Aquarion but it didn't grab me, and I've had so many other things to watch that I haven't really been looking for anything new, especially in the anime department.  While I no longer resent anime like I used to, I can't say I've really been interested in it either.

Tiger & Bunny might just change all that.  I tried it out based on the recommendation of Captain JLS, who's also been a little burnt out on the anime scene, so I figured if it was good enough to get him hyped then it must be worth checking out.  And it definitely is.

Tiger & Bunny tells the story of a future where super-powered people (referred to as NEXTs) have been around for 45 years. So how does society react to this?  By putting them on reality television, of course.  And not just a documentary-style Cops-type reality show, oh no; "Hero TV Live" is a competition show, with points awarded for the number of villains captured, people rescued, and various other game show factors.  Each hero has a sponsor whose name is proudly emblazoned on their costume, and sponsors include Bandai and Pepsi.

And the first episode did something an anime show hasn't done for me in a long time-- after the first episode, I wanted to see what happens next.  That's what good anime should do.

And Tiger & Bunny has another edge to it-- it's being simulcast in Japan and in the US, courtesy of Viz, on their website vizanime.com.  Fresh, new episodes are legally being made available every week, subtitled in English, the same day they air in Japan.  Ha!  Take that, ya bit-torrenting bastards!

I don't know how long they intend to leave each episode up, but as of this writing this episode is still available at http://www.vizanime.com/ep/3149-all-s-well-that-ends-well.  It has limited commercials, but (a) that's totally worth it for same day release, and (b) it works with the format of the show, since the show is about a tv show.  If you've ever liked anime and/or reality shows, you should definitely check it out.