Tiger & Bunny - Episode 6

While Barnaby is strutting his stuff on yet another photo shoot, leaving his partner in crime-fighting bored, more important things appear to be afoot in the city of Stern Bild - or, more importantly, within its prison, where reports emerge that three inmates (and incidentally the first criminals captured by Barnaby) were flame grilled within their cells the night before.

Given the weapon of choice for this triple murder, Fire Emblem finds himself as the prime suspect in this case, although rather than arrest him he's simply suspended from Hero TV while tests are run on his flame-creating abilities in comparison to the inferno which killed the prisoners - tests which Wild Tiger has to unwillingly participate in.  Even as these tests are going on yet another inmate receives a literal grilling, clearing Fire Emblem's name but raising the question of who is actually responsible for these incidents?

While those involved mull things over, Wild Tiger finds what could be the answer to this question as he's faced by a mecha who seems to have a score to settle with him before running off when reinforcements arrive, although not before Kotetsu gets a glimpse of the pilot's face and recognises him as the faux lift technician who was responsible for the bombing incident earlier in the series.  Eventually they track down and corner the man in question as he attempts to wipe out anyone who saw him at the time of the bombing, but a mixture of superhero incompetence and a mysterious NEXT user from on far puts paid to any hope of arresting or extracting information from him as he, too, is set aflame... a bigger deal for Barnaby than his cohorts, as it appeared that this person might have just had some answers about those responsible for his parents deaths.

It's really the information about Barnaby's past and what drives him that stands out within this episode of Tiger & Bunny, as we finally get the full picture about what happened to his parents and some clues as to those responsible - a question that clearly still vexes Barnaby as he continues to search for anyone who might recognise the Ouroboros tattoo sported by their murderer.  That aside, this was another solid episode of the series which is welcome above all else for finally putting some meat upon its on-going story thread - there have been hints of something along these lines previously, but now we're actually starting to see the pieces of the puzzle come together.  If it can continue to do so with the vein of fun and occasional humour that this episode certainly didn't forget, then so much the better.