Tiger & Bunny - Episode 8

The heroes of Stern Build now have a new force to worry about - a self-proclaimed champion of justice who metes out punishments by killing criminals and murderers to make them pay for their sins.  So, just what does the appearance of Light... sorry, Lunatic, mean for the future of Hero TV and its stars?

With public opinion seemingly turning against them in deference to the hard-line but inarguably effective policies of Lunatic, and with the sponsors of our heroes worried about the decline of interest and enthusiasm towards Hero TV, it's decided that what is needed is some good PR out in the community.  But is picking up litter and helping old ladies cross the street really going to be effective in the face of a criminal killer?

In the case of Wild Tiger, Barnaby and Origami Cyclone, their part in the PR offensive is to help train some wannabe heroes of the future - while all three of them are reluctant to do this (unsurprisingly; these aren't exactly the brightest future heroes of the bunch in their charge), Origami Cyclone is particularly down in the dumps as he questions whether he should even be a hero at all.  The reasoning behind this is eventually revealed, citing Ivan's friendship with a former superstar pupil at the very same academy which ended with a rescue attempt gone horribly wrong, with Ivan watching his friend accidentally murder an innocent woman in the process.  Rather predictably, this event has led to the friend in question choosing to seek revenge on Origami Cyclone for the perceived injustice of the situation - and speaking of which, it seems Lunatic is more than happy to serve out some justice on this case himself, making life even more difficult for Tiger and Bunny.

It seems to be almost a weekly event that I mention the predictability of aspects of Tiger & Bunny's story, yet by the same token it seems that just as frequently I really don't mind as whatever "seen it all before" tale the show serves up is presented with verve and just the right tone to make it eminently watchable.  While this particular instalment isn't the best encapsulation of that, it is still pretty fun to watch, while also advancing the story as it pertains to both Lunatic and Barnaby somewhat.  What's more, we now have a better handle on another one of the show's heroes, and it looks as though next week's episode will be more of the same - definitely a worthwhile furrow to plough given the potential for interesting stories to spring from its characters.  My only hope is that this whole Lunatic saga manages to find a different path to walk down than that of the blatant Death Note rip-off, but given its superhero elements I'm more than a little hopeful it will do just that.