Tiger & Bunny - Episode 25 (Completed)

It might be game over for Kotetsu after his rash but brave actions to assist in bringing down H-01 at the end of last week's episode, but there's little time for crying over spilt blood as the remaining heroes turn their attention towards Maverick.

Although it might seem that they have this old man cornered, they've reckoned without the existence of yet more androids - a veritable army of H-01 models which Maverick wastes no time in unleashing upon his opponents, with obvious consequences.  Just as it looks as if it's game over for our heroes however, Saito's work in the background finally pays dividends by deactivating the machines, before Maverick's final desperate attempts to escape seem him first outed on Hero TV as a villain while an attempt to use Kaede as a hostage is quickly put to bed by the return of a fast-returning phoenix from the proverbial flames.

So, the day is saved, and it's decision time for some of the heroes of the day as to their futures before we fast forward a year to see if and how the city of Stern Bild has changed.  Needless to say, there are still criminals to be apprehended, while the second-string heroes find themselves with at least one new addition to their family.  But what of Maverick, and perhaps more importantly what of the Ouroboros organisation he created?  While the former is relegated to a dribbling old man in his final attempt to avoid justice before arguably finding it ultimately at the hands of Lunatic, Ouroboros' future still appears to be woven into the city's everyday life...

I mentioned last week (and I'm sure it isn't the first time I've said it) that Tiger & Bunny has frequently been greater than the sum of its parts, and that trend rings true all the way through to its final episode, which sports some ridiculous twists and turns yet never really suffers because of them.  Anime fans are often loathe to call the subject of their passion "cartoons", but in a sense Tiger & Bunny deserves just such a label, and not even slightly in a derogatory way - its characters, scenarios, heroes and villains are all preposterously larger than life, while many of them are simultaneously so likeable that it doesn't really matter that their predicaments defy belief, because we still love them no matter what.  This is, perhaps, animated entertainment in its purest form - it doesn't claim to be highbrow, but nor does it pander to the lowest common denominator.  Instead, it focuses every ounce of its energy upon entertainment value, be it via humour, drama or action, and quite often through a combination of the three.  That it has managed to blend these elements into a single package so effortlessly is worthy of the highest praise, and surely there can be no higher plaudit than this - I want to see a second season of Tiger & Bunny, and I know I'm not the only one.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 24

With most of our heroes locked away with explosives strapped to their necks and Wild Tiger and Barnaby facing off against the ridiculously powerful (if unimaginatively named) H-01 robot, times are looking tough as we enter this penultimate episode of Tiger & Bunny.

While Kotetsu and Barnaby are preoccupied with simply staying alive for long enough to allow their powers to recharge, the other heroes find themselves questioning one another's intentions as they know that any one of them could choose to release themselves from death at any time, thus sacrificing the rest of them.  While Rock Bison seems the most likely to crack, some clever manipulation of the video feeds makes it look to the others as though Sky High is about to push the button, although of course little do they all know that their captor is planning on killing all of them anyway.

Eventually, Wild Tiger and Barnaby's powers return, but it still looks as though it won't be enough to fend off their opponent - their last-ditch strategy succeeds only in depriving H-01 of one of his weapons, leading him to unleash another on both of them.  Just as it seems as if all hope is lost, Kotetsu manages to grab hold of H-01, leaving Barnaby to use that previously discarded weapon to finish off their opponent... but at what cost?  As Kaede makes use of her own abilities as a NEXT to do her part in saving the other heroes, it seems as though the day has been won - but what of Maverick?  What's more, what of Kotetsu?

After Kami-sama no Memou-chou yesterday, today it seems that it's Tiger & Bunny's turn to shock us and tug at our heartstrings as its brings an episode to a seemingly morbid conclusion after yet another instalment of this series proves to be greater than the sum of its parts - despite the daft mind games played against the other heroes (surely they aren't dim enough to believe that Maverick would let one of them survive?) and the clichéd ending to the fight against H-01, this was still pretty compelling, energetic and entertaining stuff.  Indeed, it's probably a lesson in simple but effective story-telling that other, lesser, series would do well to learn - and what's more we still have plenty in store for the show's finale next week.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 23

Although his other NEXT comrades (and plenty of other people) have been freed from the clutches of Maverick's mind-altering powers, there's still no sign of Barnaby regaining his memory of Kotetsu as the pair of them continue to face off against one another.

Whether it's a slap in the face or appealing to his memories of the time they've spent together, the mixture of Maverick's power and Barnaby's anger makes it impossible for Kotetsu to get through to his partner in crime-fighting, leaving him to tough it out on account of his strength alone.  Needless to say, this isn't exactly easy going, and once Kotetsu is out of options it seems as though he's done for as Barnaby shapes up to finish him off... or is he?

Rather cheaply, it's a single word that brings Barnaby around and allows him to regain his memories of Kotetsu - the nickname "Bunny".  So, after some momentary confusion Tiger and Bunny are partners once again, and not a moment too soon, as a call from their new nemesis reveals that things are only going to get more difficult from here.  With the rest of the heroes captured by the Wild Tiger imposter along with Kaede, Kotetsu and Barnaby have little choice but to follow Maverick's instructions - instructions which lead them right into the midst of his lair, and a face off against what Maverick believes will be the future of heroes - the android who defeated their colleagues, while those heroes themselves have a test of their own strength and wills to face up to.

I have to admit, I cringed during this episode at the clunky way in which Barnaby was brought around and had his memories restored (if it was that easy, the whole thing could have been settled in five seconds flat), and there some other rather contrived plot points coming together here to boot if we're being picky.  Thankfully, all of this leads us to a tasty and frankly tantalising scenario that broadly allows me to forgive any such shortcuts, as we can now look forward to  a hefty slice of android-battling action offset against a little slither of psychological drama of which something like Saw would be proud.  It's this ability to create these grandstand moments that make Tiger & Bunny what it is, and (coupled with its strong, lovable characters) it's why we tune in every week - thanks to that, we can ignore the occasional eyebrow-raising moment here and there, right?

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 22

Whenever Kotetsu claims that he "has a plan", it's usually best not to expect too much of it - but has he really got what it takes to prove his innocence to his fellow heroes to turn around his current predicament?

Despite turning up in his old hero suit in a bid to jog the memories of his comrades, it seems that Kotetsu's plan is simply to make them remember their old friend before its too late by proving his knowledge of their personal secrets and quirks right in front of them - it isn't the most all-encompassing of plans, and all in all it really doesn't work too well as glimmers of recognition from the other heroes are soon replaced with yet more doubt and determination to catch this most shameful of criminals.

At this point, enter Kaede, who thanks to the most ridiculous of coincidences is now the only person with the power to unlock the buried memories of all those who came into contact with Maverick - something that she duly (if unwittingly) does to save the day.  Thus, the heroes suddenly find themselves confused as to why they were hunting down Wild Tiger before Kotetsu fills them all in on the details.... all of them except Barnaby however, who happened to be elsewhere at the time.  This means that Kotetsu's trials and tribulations are still far from over, as Barnaby refuses to listen to anybody has he seeks to wreak revenge upon who he believes to be Samantha's murderer while Kotetsu again has to try and prove his true identity to this former friend.  As for the other heroes, it seems that they have a new problem of their own to deal with...

By rights, this episode really shouldn't be any good - some of its major points of plot development are contrived almost to the point of being ridiculous.  Note the use of the word "almost" however - for all of its slightly ham-fisted way of forcing the story forward, this turned out to be another expertly concocted blend of action and humour that was hugely entertaining to watch, largely on account of Kotetsu himself, although the entire cast did their part to add to proceedings.  From beginning to end, you could argue that Tiger & Bunny is a show which utilises elements which shouldn't work together without descending into an embarrassing lump of cheese - it's borderline alchemy that the show continues to work so well, remaining as it does a firm favourite amongst the offerings currently being broadcast.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 21

To say that Kotetsu was in a tight spot come the end of the previous episode of Tiger & Bunny would be to put it mildly - framed as a wanted man by Maverick and with none of his hero colleagues or those related to his work able to remember him thanks to Maverick's NEXT powers, where does our protagonist turn next?

For much of this episode, Kotetsu's thoughts are trained solely on surviving the next five minutes without capture as his former hero friends set out to catch Stern Bild's "most wanted" man - a trick but not impossible task, even as the realisation dawns that none of his new-found foes even remember his name or face.  The one possible exception to this is Blue Rose, who wavers as Kotetsu recounts stories that stir memories in her mind that nobody else but the real Wild Tiger would know - sadly, such progress is soon ruined by the appearance of the "real" Wild Tiger, complete with upgraded power suit.  If you can't figure out the secret behind the new-look Wild Tiger, then you've either missed or forgotten about episode fifteen...

As an aside to all of this, Kotetsu's daughter Kaede is finally told the truth about her dad's real job and identity - a major shock to her of course, and one that sends her shuffling through her back catalogue of magazines in an attempt to find understanding in what she's been told.  Not only does she find this, but it also spurs her decision on what to do next, as she takes off for the city in an attempt to help and protect her father as he has always sworn to do for those close to him.  As for Kotetsu himself, the appearance of his old friend Ben sets a plan of his own into motion, while he's also found himself with another unlikely friend in the form of Lunatic...

Clumsy though reaching this point might have been in places, and predictable thought it undoubtedly is, you can't deny the entertainment value of Tiger & Bunny during an episode like this, which makes top-notch use of everything available to it while stringing together its plot and characters expertly before topping it off with a helping of Kotetsu's inimitable personality.  I am still hooked to this series, foibles be damned?  You bet I am.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 20

Thanks to the previous episode of Tiger & Bunny, we finally learned the real, unadulterated truth about the killer of Barnaby's parents - indeed, Barnaby also learned this very same truth, although sadly it seems that he isn't going to be able to remember it for long...

With the truth about Mr. Maverick briefly out in the open before a little mind-altering NEXT ability ensured that Barnaby wouldn't be able to hold on to the truth for more than a fleeting moment, Maverick turns his attentions to the only other person who might know more than would be comfortable for him - that being Kotetsu.  Thus, with Barnaby supposedly missing to the minds of the other heroes, Kotetsu is called to Maverick's office with the intention of rewriting his memories as well - a plan which quickly goes awry as his attempts to drug Kotetsu's coffee goes flat (he should swap notes with the science teacher from Nichijou) before he's called away by Barnaby's housekeeper Samantha on account of the information she holds which could pin down the true killer's identity.

From here, it's left to Maverick to pull the strings in an even more grandiose fashion, as he uses his subordinates to engineer a terrorist incident  to keep Tiger and company busy, and while this goes on he kidnaps Samantha to prevent her from talking.  With Kotetsu deciding to look for Samantha after his impromptu mission is finished, Maverick has ample time for the most dastardly part of his plan - wiping the other heroes of their memory of Kotetsu, and framing him as Samantha's killer, leaving him as nothing other than a fugitive.

Although I'm still decidedly lukewarm on this sudden revelation surrounding the killer of Barnaby's parents and the "inside job" going on within Hero TV, I can't help but put that to one side and admit that it's led to the delivery of a pretty intriguing and fast developing plot.  Maverick's machinations make for compelling stuff in and of themselves, but once you factor in Kotetsu's precarious position and the question of whether a well-known hero can suddenly be wiped off the map (even if almost everyone who knows his secret identity have had their memories altered) and you have some exciting times ahead for Tiger & Bunny.  I always look forward to catching this series every week, but on this particular occasion I'm not sure I can actually wait a week for another instalment (especially given that I'll be away next weekend and probably unable to watch it for a while).

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 19

After the shock of finding out that everything he thought he knew about his parent's murder was wrong, I think it's fair to say that Barnaby is in a place that even Kotetsu's cooking won't help him out of - not that this stops him trying, mind you...

Despite his own problems however, Kotetsu still seems determined to help Barnaby overcome his current predicament, suggesting that they try and retrace his steps on that fateful day to see if it helps to jog his memory.  Thus, off they set to a nearby skating rink in the hope that this, and its Christmas ambience, will trigger some long-forgotten memories for Barnaby - ultimately though, all this does is to cause his mental breakdown to proceed yet further until he collapses from exhaustion.

As Barnaby recovers, Kotetsu phones home to let Kaede et al know that he won't be home for a while yet - a decision that receives short shrift from his daughter, and one that's also picked up on by a now-conscious Barnaby as he overhears the conversation.  Rather than coming out with the truth about his waning powers, Kotetsu lies about the situation, once again breaching the trust between these partners seemingly irreparably.  It seems as though Barnaby could do with all of the help he can get right now as well, as a recollection by his Aunt leads to some shocking revelations about the day of his parent's murder that reside surprisingly close to home - not that Barnaby looks likely to be able to remember them any time soon....

I'm really not too sure how to feel about this episode of Tiger & Bunny - I expected early on in the series as a whole that there would be some kind of revelation about an inside job to make Hero TV more exciting and popular, only to decide that perhaps I'd been too cynical about the series, yet here we are with that exact plot point called into action complete with the revelation about the killer of Barnaby's parents.  I suppose this plot twist isn't necessarily a bad thing if the series handles it well from this point forth, but right now it feels a little bit like too much of a stretch of the imagination to give it as much credence as it maybe requires.  Given the quality of the series as a whole I'd like to think that Tiger & Bunny hasn't just jumped the proverbial shark, but this is perhaps the closest it's come.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 18

Although making the decision to quit as a hero before his powers dwindle and diminish entirely might have been simple enough for Kotetsu, I think we all knew that actually telling his felling heroes of his plans would be another matter altogether.

So it goes that Wild Tiger's problems are soon pushed into the shade by Barnaby's needs, as Kotetsu's return happens to coincide with Krieme coming out of the coma she had been in ever since the climax of the incident with Jake.  Needless to say, Barnaby is keen to find out more about the death of his parents, but as Krieme relates her tale of Stockholm Syndrome taken to an extreme with regards to her relationship with Jake a shocking revelation closes the conversation permanently - Jake wasn't the killer of Barnaby's parents after all.

While Barnaby refuses to believe this at first, as the evidence mounts that this is indeed the case (and you'd have thought he would have noticed this stuff sooner given all the investigating he'd been doing) so one of our pair of titular heroes is thrown into turmoil as his memories choose to have betrayed him.  So who did kill Barnaby's parents?  Once more than question looms large over the series, elbowing Kotetsu's needs out of the way in the process as his partner looks set to be overwhelmed by the same emotions that caused him so many problems in the first half of the series and then some.

While it was obvious that something was all set to overtake Barnaby's decision to quit, part of me wishes that it wasn't a return to the whole "who killed Barnaby's parents" argument - I was fully expecting something new to come to the fore, so the prospect of more "Bunny angst" doesn't particularly excite me, especially given his irrationality when it comes to both convincing himself that Jake was responsible for his parents death and his sudden descent into madness just because those memories are playing tricks on him.  It all feels a little forced to me at this point in the series, but hopefully Tiger & Bunny will prove me wrong and pull something decent out of things as they stand.  Goodness knows this show has proven me wrong enough times before...

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 17

With nothing but bad news concerning his quickly dwindling NEXT powers, Kotetsu decides that it's time for him to take a break away from being a hero so that he can go back home and visit his family while he figures out what to do in his current situation.

Needless to say, walking back into his family's life after so long away doesn't run entirely smoothly, as he seems to get short shrift from his brother, nothing but concern from his mum, and as for daughter Kaede... let's just say she's in her difficult to handle teenage years rather early.  After rather a lot of prodding and probing, Kotetsu finally reveals his current problem to his brother, who doesn't really have any advice for him per se beyond the obvious reiteration that the loss of his NEXT powers isn't the end of his life.

As Kotetsu continues to fret about his situation, so his worries are soon shifted to other matters as his mother collapses, in turn sending Kaede into her own brand of despair - a turn of events which at least allows him to finally understand his daughter's worries and concerns.  When an incredible stroke of bad luck hits Kaede that same day, it's up to Kotetsu to save the day, bridging the father-daughter gap in the process and giving Kotetsu the platform he needed to see what he has to do next.  Speaking of NEXT, his daughter ends the episode with a bit of a surprise for her old man...

Although breaking away from the goings-on in Stern Bild felt a little odd (especially when things were becoming so deep, dark and engrossing), this week's episode of Tiger & Bunny worked pretty well overall with the exception of the disaster that struck Kaede, which was so overblown as to be bordering dangerously on the hilarious.  That aside, this glimpse into Kotetsu's worries and home life did what was required of it in a solid enough fashion, while also seemingly laying his path out clearly before him, so despite not being one of this show's stronger episodes it's very much a case of job done while continuing to build on one aspect of its story as we progress through its second half.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 16

For all of its light-hearted moments interspersed throughout the series, it appears that darker times are ahead in Tiger & Bunny, with episode sixteen kicking off with a flashback that shows just what happens when domestic violence and NEXT powers come face to face.

As the episode progresses (even though it was pretty clear from the outset), we learn the exact implications of this domestic and to whom it pertains - while this state of affairs goes a long way to explaining Lunatic's work and his particularly twisted and vicious sense of justice, it also adds another layer to Kotetsu's concerns as his superhero powers continue to diminish speedily despite his best efforts to hide it from his comrades.

While Barnaby continues to lap up the plaudits and enjoys the fruits of breaking a point-scoring record established by Mr. Legend, so this much heralded hero of yesteryear's past hangs heavily over much of the proceedings - Wild Tiger's problems catch up with him alongside some depressing revelations about the man he idolises, while this same person continues to haunt Lunatic's decision-making processes.  In short, it's all pretty depressing stuff save for the odd snippet of humour which Kotetsu continues to provide even in these tough times for him.

Certainly, compared to the largely light-hearted nature of Tiger & Bunny up to this point even when its dealing with a city under threat, criminal masterminds and so on, this episode brings us some really heavy stuff rife with alcoholism, domestic abuse, rape and murder.  It's a darker tone that works surprisingly well even in the midst of the garish hero costumes and larger than life action, perhaps because we're now so comfortable in the shoes of its characters that we actually care about this downward turn.  There are some interesting elements at hand and building up for the second half of the series as it progresses apace, and judging by what we have before us this side of the show is going to be as eminently watchable as the first.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 15

The recently born media and marketing juggernaut that is Wild Tiger and Barnaby continues unabated as we enter this latest episode of Tiger & Bunny - in fact, between modelling and interviews and recording advertisements for cleaning products, our dynamic duo really aren't getting much time to do the whole "superhero" thing.

If only the same could be said for Sky High, who is having a tough time having seen himself usurped as both the king of heroes and the king of marketing opportunities to leave him rather out in the cold as he has to look on and view his friends enjoying (in Barnaby's case at least) their success.  Still, it isn't all bad news, as he finds himself falling in love, albeit rather bizarrely, with a woman who does a rather good impression of an automaton...

...or is it an impression?  As an android with a deep-seated hatred for heroes thanks to a malfunction goes on the loose, Sky High is oblivious to the true identity of this robot - probably a good thing too as it would have made slicing it into little bits with his power that much more difficult.  So, the day is saved and Sky High finds new inspiration as a hero, but in the meantime it seems as if it might be Kotetsu's turn to find something rather important to fret about.

In a way, this was rather a tale of two episodes - while some aspects of this week's plot managed to avoid too many huge clichés (I expected Sky High's meeting with the out of control android to be one of those cheesy "I loved you, but now I have to destroy you" moments), other segments felt horribly forced; namely Barnaby's sudden revelation that his parents worked in robotics, which considering he had such a complex about them you would have expected him to mention at least once in the preceding fourteen episodes rather than suddenly bring it up in an interview with some kids about ten minutes before finding himself face to face with an evolution of his parent's work.  Still, it's this odd juxtaposition of old school plot ideas given a fresh lick of paint that often works so well for Tiger & Bunny, and this wasn't a bad episode as it went about wringing a little excitement and humour out of its circumstances.  There are, however, bigger fish to fry in Stern Bild, and it looks as though we're going to be getting back to such important matters in short order thankfully.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 14

With the whole Jake Martinez saga now resolved, the second half of Tiger & Bunny fast forwards us by ten months, bringing us a very different partnership between its two titular characters than we're use to - indeed, you could almost go as far as to call them friends... shocking stuff, eh?

As well as harmonising their personal relationship, things are also going well in the superhero business - not just for current "MVP" Barnaby and fourth-places Kotetsu, but also for the industry as a whole as the popularity of Stern Bild's heroes are at an all-time high.  Whilst trying to attach themselves as fully as possible to the ensuing gravy train, Tiger and Barnaby find themselves recruited as unlikely pop idols as they're paired with Blue Rose to create a single and perform a song and dance number as a result.

As for Blue Rose, this pairing gives her plenty of food for thought as she ruminates over her own relationship with Kotetsu and how she feels about him, bringing forth some decidedly tsundere behaviour from her as she tries to come to terms with her emotions.  All of this comes to a head as the trio make their musical début, in an event that is soon overshadowed by the appearance of a NEXT-sporting backstage thief who proves beyond the newly recruited "Second League" superheroes - but can Kotetsu catch the culprit and impress Blue Rose?  Of course not, but somehow everything works out in his favour anyhow, complete with some rather interesting developments regarding his own powers...

After the serious business of Ouroboros and the Jake Martinez saga, it was actually a refreshing change of pace to be served up some light-hearted fun this episode.  Okay, the prospect of a relationship between Wild Tiger and Blue Rose doesn't really fit particularly well, but the character dynamic between the two works pretty well and Kotetsu encompasses everything that the series needs in terms of both slapstick and dynamism to keep things broadly entertaining.  Its first story arc might be over, but Tiger & Bunny looks set to keep on truckin'.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 13

Having taken out three of the city's heroes, it's finally Barnaby's turn to take on Jake and try to avenge his parents... oh, and to save a few million people from certain death, of course.

While Barnaby takes to the stage as the latest opponent to the maniacal Jake, behind the scenes a plan is in action to disable the radio link to the mechanised robots which are in place to destroy the pillars that hold up Stern Bild at the drop of a hat - as the scrambling mechanism for this signal is activated so the remaining fit and healthy heroes set out to do their part to destroy these machines - except, of course, things aren't that simple, as said machines all have a self-defence mechanism in place if their signal to the "boss" of the operation is lost.

With this option seemingly exhausted, attention returns to Barnaby, who is having just as much of a torrid time trying to take on Jake as his counterparts, finding himself unable to land a blow on his rival.  However, as those watching learn that Jake has not one but two special powers, Kotetsu starts to put the pieces together as to what that second power might be, and despite his injuries he sets out to help his partner turn the tide via some subterfuge and the provision of just the weapon required to for Barnaby to win the day.  This he duly does, landing all-important blows upon his nemesis to set off a sequence of events which sees Ouroboros' plans left in tatters, the city safe once more and our group of heroes lauded yet again as Stren Bild's true protectors.

Although aspects of this episode and the way it progressed were blindingly obvious long before they happened, that doesn't stop this instalment from being an eminently satisfying one that delivered a good, old fashioned finale to this story arc which saw the bad guys comprehensively defeated in a slightly rushed but ultimately hugely satisfying manner.  Much like a lot of what Tiger & Bunny has succeeded in doing from the start, it "just works" via a mixture of characters, concepts and plots which are undemanding as they entertain and presented slickly enough to be thoroughly enjoyable.  Overall, this first half of Tiger & Bunny has barely put a foot wrong, and I can only hope that its second half manages to keep things moving along in a similar fashion now that its first major story arc is over and a lot of the immediate tensions surrounding it have dispersed.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 12

Come the end of last week's episode of Tiger & Bunny, Origami Cyclone seemed to be in rather a tight spot as the infiltrator of the recently released Jake Martinez's secret hideout, and this indeed proves to be the case as episode twelve kicks off.

Despite having been found out, his sterling efforts have at least revealed the home of said secret hideout, and while the powers that be wait for a further report from Cyclone (unaware of his current predicament), the other heroes are dispatched to the area on standby, while Barnaby is sent in to check out the layout of the area alone.  At least, that's the plan, except Wild Tiger doesn't trust his colleagues short temper when it comes to the man who killed his parents, and thus his meddling sees the heroes cover blown as Jake makes good his escape.

Then again, "escape" isn't really the right word, as Jake Martinez'snext target is too kill his imprisoned henchman Chuck before paying a little visit to the Mayor with his next demands - an opportunity to eradicate the heroes he sees as an embarrassment to the name "NEXT" via a series of one-on-one fights with Jake himself - all broadcast live on television to the whole of Stern Bild of course.  Given the seemingly all-encompassing nature of Jake's powers, it seems impossible that anyone can defeat him, with Sky High, Rock Bison and Wild Tiger all trying and failing.  Next on the list of opponents is Barnaby.... can he really be the man to save the city as the stakes are raised yet higher?

It might use ideas and concepts that feel decidedly old hat and like the cartoons of your youth at its core, but that doesn't stop Tiger & Bunny from being utterly compelling viewing at times like this as it ratchets things up for a tense mid-series climax.  This is helped somehow by the whole concept of everything of note within the series being broadcast live on TV, which adds more to the show's scenario than it perhaps should, adding to the natural tension of these one-on-one battles between heroes and the current villain of the piece.  It's great stuff with plenty of entertaining value, unoriginal or otherwise.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 11

With the Ouroboros revealed via a particularly dastardly plan which literally threatens to collapse Stern Build in upon itself (the designer of which clearly never played Sim City), our batch of superheroes have been stitched up like kippers, unable to do anything with the entire city taken hostage with the leader of the group demanding that the killer of Barnaby's parents (amongst others no doubt) Jake Martinez be released.

So, what to do in this scenario?  After a lot of sitting around waiting, Blue Rose and Sky High at least get to head out and try and protect the citizens as Ouroboros destroy the first structure that holds up the city, whilst an increasingly frustrated Barnaby can do nothing more than impatiently watch.  However, things take a turn for the better as a member of Ouroboros waltzes into the mayor's meeting room to try and hurry things along - at last, our superheroes have a plan...

At the centre of their attempt to turn the situation in their favour is Origami Cyclone, who at last gets to make good use of his abilities to impersonate the captured Ouroboros member, piloting the helicopter which picks up Jake Martinez as the mayor announces his release.  From here, they fly back to their secret base while the mayor looks to regain the support of the people by announcing the full story of Barnaby's plight to the city.  Although Martinez's release hasn't seen the armoured units ready to destroy the city at will retreat just yet, it seems as though the powers of good for Stern Build have the upper hand.... or do they?

After setting up its stall in a reasonable but slightly unsatisfactory way last week, Tiger & Bunny certainly made the most of its setup this time around, meshing Barnaby's personal grudge into the city's wider worries very nicely in a surprising twist, while there's a huge amount still left to be revealed about both Ouroboros and Jake Martinez before what will surely be some kind of showdown between himself and our titular Mr. Bunny.  In short, we're all set up for a rip-roaring climax to the first half of the series.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 10

If it's tough being a superhero, then it's even tougher being a dad - a lesson which Wild Tiger continues to learn as episode ten of Tiger & Bunny opens.  What better time to take some holiday then?

Unfortunately, it seems that the organisers behind our group of superheroes don't really seem to have figured out the best way to organise their rota, meaning that they allow the entire staff of NEXT minus Barnaby take time off at the exact same time - not the smartest idea in itself, and one that becomes even more short-sighted when it appears that Barnaby has finally tracked down the man responsible for killing his parents and rushes off to see him in prison rather than worrying overly about his superhero duties.

Luckily, when the inevitable does happen and a crime does occur, it happens literally in front of Wild Tiger's eyes, with a terrorist act of blowing up a bridge followed by a number of other similar explosions that would push the abilities of our superheroes to come to the limit as it is - things only get worse at each location however as the site of each act is accompanies by a number of mechanised attack vehicles piloted by stuffed toys.  No, I'm not making that up, they really are piloted by children's playthings.  Of course, there's only one mastermind behind this entire terrorist outrage, and the individual in question seems to have one very specific demand - a demand which is of more than a passing interest to Barnaby...

Despite raising my eyes at the whole "stuffed toys piloting robots" angle of the episode (which is a little too ridiculous even for a series about people with superpowers), what looked for a spell to be a diversion from the show's current main story arc surrounding the killer of Barnaby's parents proved to be anything but courtesy of a slick turn-around to well and truly link the two stories together while also introducing us to perhaps the show's biggest villain so far.  This seems to be setting things up quite nicely for the episodes to come, and although I can see where some aspects of this story are going I wouldn't want to wager on whether Barnaby's investigation gets resolved before we move into the second half of the series, or whether it's a plot point that's here to stay for the duration.  Either option is fine by me to be honest as long as the series remains this entertaining, even if it could do with losing those bears...

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 9

Poor old Dragon Kid has had pretty much no exposition over the course of Tiger & Bunny so far - indeed, it feels like every time we've seen her she's been either directing traffic or people to safety.  Still, apparently she's also a rather handy NEXT in her own right complete with the power of electricity, even if she is very much a stubborn tomboy.

Dragon Kid's character slots into our episodic story for the week surrounding the young child of the city's mayor, and with a requirement for someone to babysit him cropping up in the face of a spate of child kidnappings its left to our superheroes to do the job.  The trouble is, the child in question is a NEXT itself, and it seems that he'll only accept Dragon Kid as his surrogate parent for the duration.

Thus, our young Chinese girl and her Kill Bill inspired getup finds herself hanging out with both Tiger and Barnaby on babysitting duty, before both child and babysitter get kidnapped by a trio of NEXT with unusual powers to smell out money, danger and lies between them (which is probably why you never see them hanging out with Ryan Giggs).  Who is going to save the day on this occasion?  Regardless of those final machinations, Dragon Kid learns a little more about how to understand her parents way of thinking while Barnaby's continued hunt for the killer of his parents takes another twist towards the end of the episode.

It feels like I say this every week, but once again we have an episode of Tiger & Bunny based around a concept that is as old as the hills, yet once again it doesn't really matter.  I'm not entirely convinced that Dragon Kid quite got the character-building treatment she deserved here (it certainly pales to that given to Blue Rose and the Origami Cyclone), yet the instalment as a whole pulled off its usual fun blend of action and comedy whilst also weaving some more aspects of its over-arching story as it pertains to Barnaby into the mix.  It's perhaps this ability to mix quick blasts of largely harmless and mindless fun in with something more important and long-term for the series that stands it in good stead, and even when it's plumbing the depths of "seen it all before" story lines it still continues to work its magic to some extent.

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.

Tiger & Bunny - Episode 7

Just as Barnaby looked as though he'd found a lead in the hunt for his parents, so it was cruelly snatched away by a mixture of dilly-dallying and the interference of an unknown fire-brandishing NEXT who literally burned said possibility of evidence to a smouldering crisp.

Needless to say this whole chain of events leaves Barnaby in an emotionally fragile state - a state which he takes out on Wild Tiger before storming off with an insistence that he doesn't need anybody's help.  Come the next day there's still no sign of "Bunny", leaving Kotetsu to team up with Blu Rose for a bit of charity villain-bashing before his partner finally returns at the behest of their company's CEO - an arrival which comes just in time for their next big mission.

This outing arrives in the form of a live Hero TV broadcast, and more importantly the discovery of a hideout used by a criminal gang - with all of our heroes poised to pounce upon the complex, Barnaby is the most fired up of the bunch as he hopes to find some further links to Ouroboros, but once again his bette noir appears at just the right (or wrong) moment to kill virtually all of the criminals present while escaping Tiger and Bunny's attentions and announcing his real intentions - to brandish his own style of "justice" upon Stern Bild.  Put simply - He's Light Yagami in some kind of elaborate cosplay.

Aside from giving away the real identity of Lunatic (with our two titular superheroes not even noticing he's stood right in front of them!) which is actually a pretty disappointing move, there was regardless a rather nice twist in the tale of this episode that moves its current story arc away from being simply Barnaby-centric into something far more all-encompassing.  Okay, so it's basically Death Note with superpowers, but on the plus side... well, it's Death Note with superpowers, and that sounds like a pretty intriguing road to go down for this series as it also continues to show some great glimpses of humour and carries on making some interesting suggestions about Hero TV as it goes.

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.