Tiger and Bunny [Anime Review]

This poster is from the movie, which will not be reviewed here. Deal with it.

I started writing this post several days ago, but due to life I failed to finish it. I've decided to rewrite the introduction to explain this tiny fact. I would love to go back to writing three days a week on this blog, but I do not expect to be able to do that for some time. If I ever can. I will maintain this blog for as long as possible, reviewing films and anime and books and games.

Bunny (left) and Tiger (right).
Actually Barnaby Brooks Jr and Wild Tiger.

Barnaby Brookes Jr, out of his costume.

So... Tiger and Bunny.
The series actually has a pretty stupid name. It is not any better in Japanese either. Why?

4 out of 5 stars

Kotetsu T. Kabaragi, aka: Wild Tiger, out of his costume.

Because in Japanese the title is this: タイガー＆バニー ...yeah, that's right. Taiga and Banii. It's the anglophonic katakana of Tiger and Bunny. I was hopping for something like Tora to Usagi. But nope... 

The anime takes place in NC1977 & 1978, in a city called Sternbild City. The world is populated by normal people and a few rare indididuals called NEXTs (Noted Entities with eXtraordinary Talents). I suppose that is better than calling them NEETs. I've already reviewed an anime based around those... Eden of the East.

Reality TV... the bane of this world and that world.

This is a superhero anime... so yeah, I've been on a Superhero bender recently. Steelheart, Firefight, and now this. Heck I've been watching Arrow and Flash recently too... so provided that I can make the time, you can expect some reviews for those in the future. (Doctor Who has just started up again... I really wish I was doing three reviews a week...)

I'll admit that the first half the series is not quite as  interesting as the second half. It is an important build up to the second half.

Okay so here's how the series kinda goes.

Blue Rose, a teenage singer, and Fire Emblem... the
really really gay super hero. Which is just so
stereotypical. C'mon anime, shake things up some!

In the City of Sternbild (aka: New York City) there are heroes, they star on a contest show called Hero TV. It's a live action crime show, sort of in the vein of Cops, only with Super Heroes. They compete against one another and earn points by capturing the criminals and by rescuing people. Sky High, the flying wind user, is the top of the ranking boards. Our titular hero, Wild tiger is rocking the bottom of the ranking board.

Things are not looking good for him. Then he gets a partner, Barnaby Brooks Jr. The only super hero to not have a code name.

So, the series begins like something of a buddy cop drama. You know the kind where the older guy is grumpy-ish and the younger guy is all cocky.

There are lots of genres mixed in. The big ones are Buddy Cop and Super Hero. There's a touch of mystery as well.

If you enjoy the super hero genre, this is a worthwhile anime series to watch.  It has a better second half than first, but both are watchable. You just have to get past the stupid title.

Oh yeah, there's a couple of movies but I've yet to see them.

Gee... the Mayor of Sternbild looks sorta familiar.