Tiger & Bunny


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julez

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Retired


Title: Tiger & Bunny
Genre: Mecha, Superhero, Comedy(?)
Premiered: April 3rd 2011
Animation Studio: Sunrise
Director: Satou Keiichi

Episode number: (?)

Opening Theme: "Orion wo nazoru (オリオンをなぞる)" by UNISON SQUARE GARDEN
Ending Theme: "hoshi no sumika (星のすみか)" by Aobozu

Cast:
Hiroaki Hirata as Kotetsu T. Kaburagi/Wild Tiger
Go Inoue as Keith Goodman/Sky High
Katsuhisa Houki as Ben Jackson
Kenjiro Tsuda as Nathan Seymore/Fire Emblem
Mariya Ise as Paolin Huan/Dragon Kid
Masakazu Morita as Barnaby Brooks Jr.
Minako Kotobuki as Karina Lyle/Blue Rose
Nobuaki Fukuda as Albert Maverick
Nobuhiko Okamoto as Ivan Kareine/Origami Cyclone
Rina Hidaka as Kaede Kaburagi
Taiten Kusunoki as Antonio Lopez/Rock Bison
Wataru Yokojima as Alexander Royz
Yuko Kaida as Agnes Gevers

Plot:
Sternbild 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.
(Source: ANN)



Thoughts:
Well I read what you wrote in the Softenni thread Accipiter, and decided to do my share of thread making for this season.
tongue.gif
And yes Barbo, Tiger & Bunny is awesome.
The funny thing is, I was going to skip this show all together. After watching the preview and seeing the CG, I was turned off and decided this wasn't even worth looking into.... but then the good reviews on ANN changed my mind and I decided to give it a chance. I'm glad I did, because this is a truly unique spin on the superhero genre.
I like the idea of the competition reality show, because it's something I could see happening in real life if suddenly super heroes were to emerge. After all, these days they can make reality shows just about anything.
Wild Tiger is the underdog you can't help but root for, and Barnaby (Bunny lol) seems to be Mr. Perfect, but is hiding a dark past. Hopefully we will get more background info on Bunny in episode 3 - I would prefer that over random weekly rescue missions.
I added comedy to the list of genres, because all I could find officially was "mecha". It is superhero as well, if that counts as a genre, I think it does? And as for comedy, I find it has some great comedic moments here and there.
 
^ I think mecha is a very very wrong classification. They're wearing high-tech power suits, there's no special vehicles involved. Wouldn't say it's comedy, imo more of a drama with some jokes here in there. In essence, it's basically a superhero anime and that's all there is to it.


As for the opinions, well the writing's good but CG animation is still ugly as hell and we should be glad we don't get to see much of it.
 
Only watched ep 1 for now, but it was far better than I thought it would since the previews didnt really look good and the setting sounded weak.
But it was pretty interesting and now I think the idea of Hero TV isnt so bad at all and its not even unrealistic because, as julezia already said, nowadays there are reality shows about everything.

Characterwise you cant say much since its only been ep 1 but at least Wild Tiger seems to be interesting. I wonder why he doesnt want his daughter to find out he is a Hero.

I cant say the CG animation is ugly since to be honest I cant even remember there beeing one, so it cant be that bad. And the town itself looked awesome from above.
 
QUOTE I cant say the CG animation is ugly since to be honest I cant even remember there beeing one,

The "new suits" they get handed towards the end of the ep. No worries, you'll have an eyeful in ep.2. Not only are they ugly, imo they don't really fit the theme or setting.


QUOTE I wonder why he doesnt want his daughter to find out he is a Hero.

From the treatment the hero guys are getting, doesn't look like a very prestigious job placement to me. Of course, maybe there is some sort of deeper reason to be revealed later.
 
Thanks Julez!

I get what they are trying to do with this show, but it's all just coming off so cheesy. And that whole making satire out of brand placement while having actual brand placement in the show thing is so transparent. The only really positive thing I can say about this show is that Karina is super-sexy.

QUOTE I think mecha is a very very wrong classification. They're wearing high-tech power suits, there's no special vehicles involved.

Power suits are Mecha. It's really a broader term meaning high-tech mechanical devices and not just giant robots and such. But you're right, they don't really fit the show. They already have superpowers and they have power suits too? It was like in the 70's when Spiderman had a Spider Mobile. Why?
 
Hmm, I'm not even sure they can classify as power-suits, if you look at the way they work in ep. 2. And while mecha may be a broad classification, I don't think exoskeletons and such classify as one.
 
Watched ep and it was good again.

And now I know what you mean with the CG, but I must say that it totally suits and is nowhere near ugly. But thats only my point of view. At least its a lot better than in the recent OVA "The Epic of Zektbach".

Characterwise there still cant be said much, except that I really like Wild Tiger since he still cares about what Superheroes should, the people and not some points in a TV show or such things like Bunny.
 
Considering that Zektbach was a random special bonus that shipped with music CDs and not a proper OVA, it's hardly a fair comparison.

I think the design looks silly and 3DCG stands out too much. The former is understandable since the world doesn't seem to have a consistent theme going on anyway. The latter's a blunder though. But hey, opinions.
 
First episode was great, second episode was good. Potential wise, it is already on thin ice.

Im very wary of these gimmick heavy animes, as they usually run out of steam fast. The product placement is not instilling me with confidence either.

I have no hope for this, as I dont the series is innovative enough.
 
QUOTE (Ausdoerrt @ Apr 12 2011, 04:19 PM) Hmm, I'm not even sure they can classify as power-suits, if you look at the way they work in ep. 2. And while mecha may be a broad classification, I don't think exoskeletons and such classify as one.
Most power suit shows are generally classified as Mecha. Bubblegum Crisis for example immediately jumps to mind. But I'm not going to get into a fist fight over it.
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Interesting show. CG is horrible though but the designs themselves are interesting (except for Tiger&Bunny's new suits). It's got humor, is light hearted, tackles the popular superhero movie/show cliches (such as personal life etc.) and adds a twist, the Superhero TV (which is by far the most interesting concept because it blatantly defies the core values of being superheroes).

Will be watching.
 
I really like the Tiger & Bunny team even though the pairing is totally uninnovative. They have a good chemistry together, at least for us viewers since its always funny.

The good thing is that this show seems to have an overall story and Im more than just sure that the bomber has something to do with Ouroboros.

Seems Im the only one who likes the CG oO
 
Bunny confirmed to be Batman. Who's White Tiger then? Also, is that blatant Pepsi ad really a part of the show or is it just a commercial?
 
QUOTE Also, is that blatant Pepsi ad really a part of the show or is it just a commercial?

I'm thinking both.
 
QUOTE (Ausdoerrt @ Apr 18 2011, 10:44 PM)
I'm thinking both.
It's a commercial. Look carefully at the pepsi bottle's details. They're just using the characters to promote the product.

Having seen the first 3 episodes now, the show is slightly more interesting than I gave it credit prior to it airing, but it's still far from being a good show. If Kaede had died in episode 2 rather than being saved by Bunny, I would've enjoyed this show some more as it would give Wild Tiger an even greater purpose to protect the people. Unfortunately, Kaede didn't kick the bucket and the show continues as your generic western superhero show with the two heroes constantly quarreling. Obviously the show is geared more towards a western audience and so while I am giving this show many chances to prove itself, it has thus far failed to do so to separate itself from a generic superhero show. Can't exactly say I'm impressed with the "story" at the moment. In fact, Iron Man was more interesting than this so far.

@AccipiterF1: I definitely thought of Bubblegum Crisis based on the way they designed the mechs/suits, but the show itself unfortunately did not follow a similar formula
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Preliminary Expectation: Low
Preliminary Score: 6/10
 
QUOTE It's a commercial. Look carefully at the pepsi bottle's details. They're just using the characters to promote the product.

It looked that way, but I'm a bit unsure, since they don't usually leave Japanese commercials in anime streams.


QUOTE Obviously the show is geared more towards a western audience and so while I am giving this show many chances to prove itself, it has thus far failed to do so to separate itself from a generic superhero show.

I don't see how it's a bad thing. How often do we get a Japanese attempt to do a western-style show? Not very (even if increasingly so, lately), and I must say that thus far this is going a lot better than the silly Heroman, the last attempt I remember.


QUOTE If Kaede had died in episode 2 rather than being saved by Bunny, I would've enjoyed this show some more as it would give Wild Tiger an even greater purpose to protect the people. Unfortunately, Kaede didn't kick the bucket

I think you're asking too much. It's an action show for a teenage audience, not a seinen drama. Shows that fall within that category and still dare to deliberately kill off some of the cast are extremely rare these days, and this one's obviously playing it safe. In fact, I have trouble coming up with any recent shounen action show that consciously depicts human casualties.


QUOTE In fact, Iron Man was more interesting than this so far.

Comparing anything with that ... abomination is a little too much. T&B may be developing slowly, but I'm not sure how it's possible NOT to notice the obvious good effort put into the writing. Not sure why you prefer the "work" of the monkeys with typewriters to whom Ironman was likely outsourced.


Overall I'm surprised that you are trying to present this show as tired and generic while it's in fact the most fresh-feeling shounen show this season (and IMO in quite a while) - if not because it foregos common tropes per se, then at least because it stays clear of those that usually drag down typical shounen. It's not a contender for any "best show" awards, but it deserves to rank in top 10 for the season.
 
QUOTE I don't see how it's a bad thing. How often do we get a Japanese attempt to do a western-style show? Not very (even if increasingly so, lately), and I must say that thus far this is going a lot better than the silly Heroman, the last attempt I remember.

I'm not saying it's a bad thing, but could they at least do something more interesting rather than a generic superhero show? I mean, this is essentially the fifth series already (Heroman, Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men). While this show has at least some potential and some differences with the aforementioned, it lacks originality, which is what many of us are looking for these days.


QUOTE I think you're asking too much. It's an action show for a teenage audience, not a seinen drama. Shows that fall within that category and still dare to deliberately kill off some of the cast are extremely rare these days, and this one's obviously playing it safe. In fact, I have trouble coming up with any recent shounen action show that consciously depicts human casualties.
It's more like, I was asking for them to not do the whole slow-motion bs. And it's funy you say "deliberately kill off some of the cast" because I'm thinking a number of shows that have done that recently....particularly a certain magical Madoka.


QUOTE Comparing anything with that ... abomination is a little too much. T&B may be developing slowly, but I'm not sure how it's possible NOT to notice the obvious good effort put into the writing. Not sure why you prefer the "work" of the monkeys with typewriters to whom Ironman was likely outsourced.
I would say it's a fair comparison. The shows are alike in many ways. Maybe not so much plot-wise but definitely concept wise. Here's the main problem with this show: It's an original work by Sunrise. The last original work they took on was Scryed, which if you ask me is another shounen show like Tiger and Bunny. So it's not like Sunrise is new to this. However, with Sunrise, it's a hit or miss and therefore I'm going to play conservative until Sunrise can seriously wow me with something in this show rather than get excited and eventually miss my expectation.


QUOTE Overall I'm surprised that you are trying to present this show as tired and generic while it's in fact the most fresh-feeling shounen show this season (and IMO in quite a while) - if not because it foregos common tropes per se, then at least because it stays clear of those that usually drag down typical shounen. It's not a contender for any "best show" awards, but it deserves to rank in top 10 for the season.

I'll agree with you that it's the most "fresh-feeling" shounen show this season given the amount we have, but even then it has an okay story at best. I'll wait until episode 6 or 7 to see if it shows its true colors, but I'm not going to get my hopes up about it. If there's anything I really hate in action series, it's plot predictability since there's no fun in an action show if I know what's going to happen.

As for top 10? I mean I haven't seen 10 shows yet this season (still working on it), but my guess is my top 10 would look something like this at the moment:
1) Ano Hana
2) Hanasaku Iroha
3) C
4) Kaiji 2
5) Steins; Gate
6) Gintama 2011
7) Denpa Onna to Seishun Otoko
8) Deadman Wonderland
9) Maria Holic Alive
10) Yondemasu yo Azazel-san

Tiger and Bunny would likely come in the top 15, but by then most shows in the season will have already been taken up.
 
QUOTE I mean, this is essentially the fifth series already (Heroman, Iron Man, Wolverine, X-Men).

While Heroman seems similar, I'd say that the Madhouse/Marvel collaborations aren't really comparable because they take a completely different approach; they adapt existing Western story and/or characters into anime style rather than trying to create something new that would appeal to Western audiences.


QUOTE And it's funy you say "deliberately kill off some of the cast" because I'm thinking a number of shows that have done that recently....particularly a certain magical Madoka.

Madoka was the one exception, and look at the reaction that produced (which, I'm sure, the studio was counting on). I can't think of any others though.


QUOTE As for top 10? I mean I haven't seen 10 shows yet this season (still working on it), but my guess is my top 10 would look something like this at the moment:

Ugh, tastes differ I suppose. You certainly put a lot of value in first impressions. For example, C is an interesting concept that's bound to devolve into a boring, generic action in an episode or two. At least something like Nichijou isn't on the list, or I would've had to murder you ^__^
 
QUOTE (Ausdoerrt @ Apr 20 2011, 08:56 AM) While Heroman seems similar, I'd say that the Madhouse/Marvel collaborations aren't really comparable because they take a completely different approach; they adapt existing Western story and/or characters into anime style rather than trying to create something new that would appeal to Western audiences.
Heroman was an original Stan Lee comic, so it's "something new" and not to mention that he was the associate executive producer for the other 3 mentioned shows. The other three don't adapt existing stories. What they do is they use the original cast/characters from the franchise and then bring them into Japan for a crisis.


QUOTE Madoka was the one exception, and look at the reaction that produced (which, I'm sure, the studio was counting on). I can't think of any others though.
ef and Cross Game are two recent examples. I'm sure I can name more if I looked through my list, but can't seem to name one more off the top of my head.

QUOTE Ugh, tastes differ I suppose. You certainly put a lot of value in first impressions. For example, C is an interesting concept that's bound to devolve into a boring, generic action in an episode or two. At least something like Nichijou isn't on the list, or I would've had to murder you ^__^
C, is something I have hopes for. It's by Kenji Nakamura, the guy who did Mononoke and Kuuchuu Buranko, both of which were a bit weird and boring at first, but came out to be a very strong series in the end. The composer is Noboru Takagi, the guy behind Koi Kaze, Baccano! and Durarara!! So I'm almost sure we're in for an interesting ride. Whether or not it's successful or simply becomes another Fractale is the other question at the end of the show.

Nichijou is bad. I saw episode 0 and I was like, this is the worst slice-of-life, comedy series I've seen since Lucky Star. It pales in comparison to the likes of K-ON! and Hidamari Sketch and not to mention that the animation is poor for KyoAni. I would've put A-Channel on the list, but I remembered that's its by the guy who did Dragonaut...
 
QUOTE The other three don't adapt existing stories. What they do is they use the original cast/characters from the franchise and then bring them into Japan for a crisis.

Same difference. My point is, the three are a "Japanification" of western-style comics, while T&B and H.m. bridge the gap from the other side.


QUOTE ef and Cross Game are two recent examples.

And neither is a shounen action. Don't know much about the latter, but the former is one of those purposefully teat-jerking melodramas for teenage girld and depressed people.


QUOTE C, is something I have hopes for.

Considering how different this one is shaping out to be from the other two you mentioned, allow me to remain skeptical. The first ep was actually a decent start, but I can just see it fall into one of the many pitfalls of the genre.
 
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