Tiger & Bunny Discussion Thread

[Westlo]

Surprisingly good take on the Superhero genre.

ANN Entry (http://www.animenewsnetwork.com.au/encyclopedia/anime.php?id=12198)
Official website (http://www.tigerandbunny.net/)

As usual, please try to follow these three easy forum courtesy habits when replying:
1) If you're the first person to post about an episode in any given week, please respond to the root post (this post) and indicate in the subject line which episode you're posting about.
2) If someone has already posted about an episode before you, please respond to that post (or a relevant reply to that post). Keep in the right subthread.
3) Don't use the blue "Post Reply" button because it causes your reply not to correctly inherit the subject line of the post you're replying to. Just click "Quote" to the post you want to reply to.

[Classical]

I wanted to give this show a shot as it seemed interesting, but I had to slap myself around a bit to get myself to watch it because of what seemed like a lack of chicks (I only recall seeing one in the preview) :sweat:.

Anyway, I was very happy with the first episode. I feel really bad for Wild Tiger as he seems like a really nice guy who actually puts saving people first vs. trying to be flashy and get ratings. Unfortunately, that doesn't make him very popular :sweat:. I find it really interesting that Wild Tiger shares the same power as his new partner.

Anyway, Blue Rose isn't much of a heroine, heh :sweat:. Sky High seems pretty cool but for some reason I imagine that he's probably some really big jerk inside that costume. I don't really have much to say on the other heroes at this point, but it's fun seeing them compete in capturing the bad guys.

I had a lot of fun watching the action sequences and I'm really curious to see where this show is going to go so I'm going to stick with it for now.

[HitokiriShadow]

I didn't know anything about this show going in, except that it had something to do with superheroes, but I had no idea what the concept was. And I have to say, its a pretty interesting concept: the commercialization of super heroes. Their exploits are turned into a TV phenomenon in which they earn points, and their costumes have sponsor logos like race cars. At least some of them are real companies, like Softbank and Pepsi.

And Blue Rose doubles as an idol.

So, my impression of this before hand was, for some reason, that it was going to be some sort of comedy, probably one that wasn't really my kind of thing. But while this is completely lacking in the kinds of things that usually draw me in (other than Dragon Kid and Blue Rose), I really like the concept here. I was expecting to drop this almost immediately, but I'm very interested in seeing where this goes.

My main issue is it goes overboard with the CG, and its especially bad with Fire Emblem since his face is partially visible.

[Ashyukun]

My main issue is it goes overboard with the CG, and its especially bad with Fire Emblem since his face is partially visible.
Yeah, this is my biggest gripe too... I'd hope that the CG gets a bit less annoying, but unfortunately it seems like it's intentionally as obvious as it is so isn't likely to get toned down.

Otherwise, I think it has a good bit of potential. I hope they put it up YouTube though and not just on their own player, since my media computer still hates Hulu's player with a passion...

[William K]

I have to confess I lol'ed hard at Dragon Kid being sponsored by DMM.com (definitely NSFW!)
And I believe this is the first show with Kotobuki Minako as the 'sole' female lead though of course this show is more testosterone-laden than most anime :)

But it's an interesting take on superheroes and reality TV so I'll give it at least a couple more episodes

[Buckeye]

I checked out this anime last night after hearing great things about this title and it was a very nice take on the superhero genre. Combining superheroes with reality TV makes for a nice piece of work. I can definitely see Viz getting a TV deal for this series sometime within the next year or so.

[Shiroi Hane]

I have to confess I lol'ed hard at Dragon Kid being sponsored by DMM.com (definitely NSFW!)
And I believe this is the first show with Kotobuki Minako as the 'sole' female lead though of course this show is more testosterone-laden than most anime :)
Dragon Kid is a girl. Now you put doubt in my mind I looked up her alter ego and she's definitely female (although apparently a bokukko)
http://www.tigerandbunny.net/character/02.html#i

[William K]

I have to confess I lol'ed hard at Dragon Kid being sponsored by DMM.com (definitely NSFW!)
And I believe this is the first show with Kotobuki Minako as the 'sole' female lead though of course this show is more testosterone-laden than most anime :)
Dragon Kid is a girl. Now you put doubt in my mind I looked up her alter ego and she's definitely female (although apparently a bokukko)
http://www.tigerandbunny.net/character/02.html#i

Yeah, I know, but I view her more as a support character than a lead

[Shiroi Hane]

Right. I'd been afraid I had a bridget dropped on me there.

[Buckeye]

Right. I'd been afraid I had a bridget dropped on me there.
She definitely looks more like a Bride than a Bridget.

[Kouji Tamino]

I watched the first episode yesterday and really enjoyed it. One thing I really like about the concept is how optimistic the world is on the surface, with superpowered humans being embraced by society and even idolized, but underneath there's a cynical, money driven angle that leaves decent guys like Kotetsu/Wild Tiger left behind and forgotten when they're no longer a 'hot property'. I visibly winced when the kid gave him his Wild Tiger card because he "didn't need it". :sweat:

Despite that, I'm expecting Wild Tiger's fortunes turn around for him now that he's been given a shiny state-of-the-art suit and teamed up with the new young hot shot. One thing I'm not looking forward to, however, is a repeat of the same-old "daddy wasn't there" subplot with his daughter. The preview and foreshadowing might be misleading though, so I'll have to wait and see where they go with it.

[Kouji Tamino]

After opening with a strong first episode, this show keeps the momentum going with an equally awesome follow-up!

I still can't believe Blue Rose made such a... bold entrance, to put it politely as possible. :sweat: When the cab of that truck started opening, I almost muttered to myself "Please don't tell she's going to... Oh no, she is." I'm still not sure what my feelings on the character are since she's just been eye candy so far but she's rather... interesting.

It looks like we have an idealistic, hot blooded older gentlemen vs. cool, calm, jaded youngster dynamic going on. There were certainly hints of it in the first episode, but here we see it play out in full. This will certainly be fun to watch as they work together.

We finally learn where the "Bunny" in Tiger and Bunny comes from: Wild Tiger gives his new partner the nickname "Lil' Bunny" because, in addition to it sound similar to "Barnaby", he also hops around like one and his helmet looks like it has bunny ears. We also find out in this scene that Barnaby's not quite as cool headed as he'd like to make others think. He's very easily flustered, which Kotetsu quickly takes advantage of as he mercilessly mocks the rookie. :bigsmile:

As I feared, Wild Tiger/Kotetsu didn't make it to his daughter's event, but they thankfully took it in the often taken alternate direction: the show/competition gets interrupted by the villain of the week. Speaking of which, I thought the handling of the episode's antagonist was handled superbly. They created a sympathetic child antagonist and even managed to connect it to Kotestu's own back story. The flashback of Kotestu as a young boy who despises his own powers because of the reaction he gets from others, only to be inspired by a superhero to become one himself is nothing new. However, the show executed it so well that I completely bought into it. Watching Kotetsu/Wild Tiger reach out to the kid the same way Mr. Legend reached out to him was incredibly heartwarming. I even got a little choked up at moments, especially when Wild Tiger gave the kid an opportunity to do good with his ability to make statues move.

As we also learn in his episode, not everyone has embraced the NEXT. Even 45 years after they first appeared, they still face discrimination. As cheesy as it was, the sentimental sap in me couldn't help but smile when the former bully reached out to Statue Boy (whose name I unfortunately can't recall at the moment) after he saves his life.

At the end of the episode, Kotetsu appears to still be on good terms with his daughter, but she's quickly become a fan of Barnaby, who saved her life earlier that day. :sweat: Poor Kotetsu.

A scene that I really liked, from early on in the episode, was the one where Wild Tiger gets a quick run-down on how sturdy his new suit is compared to his old one. This is a scene that just has to be seen to be believed and really hilarious from beginning to end: Wild Tiger has some outrageous facial expressions when he sees numerous pairs of his old costume get pulverized.

It looks like Barnaby Brooks Jr. has some skeletons in his closet. Here's hoping for an interesting plot to come out of this and whatever Ouroboros is.

This episode was quite formulaic, but oh so much fun. While it would be nice to see this series do some serious superhero deconstruction/reconstruction or go in an unexpected direction, I'm totally okay with them goofing off and exploring the show's world and characters for a good several episodes. The premise alone of a superhero reality show has tons of potential of just being an awesome ride. We especially need some more focus on the other superheroes, which I'm hoping for and expecting once they get the leads' back stories out of the way.

Despite being rather cliche, one of the reasons the episode really worked for me was Kotetsu's big heart. One of the show's best elements so far is the Wild Tiger's ideals and honor vs. the business mentality of being a superhero in his world. While everyone else is obsessing over ratings, their flashy entrances, and getting the most 'points', Wild Tiger is the only one willing to reach out to this kid and give him a chance. He's been there before, and he wants the kid to know he's not alone. Kotetsu is simply in it to do the right thing. To "keep the peace in the city" as he'd put it.

[Buckeye]

I just watched this episode this morning, and it continues to be great. Here we have a conflict of interests with Wild Tiger wanting to do what a superhero is supposed to do and Lil' Bunny who only cares about showing himself off. At least for one time, they get along when the Bunny saves the Tiger's daughter, but working together continues to be a problem.

[ibby]

I thought that episode two was a good second episode. My favourite superhero besides the main duo is Origami Cyclone. I personally can't wait to see more of this hero, or his alter ego.

[HitokiriShadow]

The "Father can't make it to child's events because of work" kind of thing can be kind of annoying to watch. I don't have anything against it and there's nothing inherently wrong with it. I think its just irritating to watch because of what's happening (the dad getting screwed over by work and the relationship strain that results) rather than anything particularly wrong with actual plot. I've seen this kind of thing dozens of times in American movies, but its been a long time since I've seen any of them and I don't think I've ever seen it in anime. Hopefully the show can resist the urge to push this sub-plot too hard and have him get screwed over by work every other episode (or more).

That's more of an issue with me than the show, but I do think the episode was a bit hamfisted with kid's issues. Particularly with the one guy being a complete douchebag about the whole thing, even in that situation, and then instantly being cool with it after the kid uses his power to stop the building from falling.

Not a bad episode though. I enjoyed it and I'm still interested in seeing where things go. Oh, and Kaede is awesome. I'm hoping she'll get an episode or two with a decent amount of screentime.

[Westlo]

You forget that guy who become cool with it was in the building at the top and otherwise would've died.

[Kouji Tamino]

Yeah, even if he ends up turning back into a bigoted asshole the next day, one can argue that at that moment he was just feeling very grateful. :P

[TnAdct1]

A scene that I really liked, from early on in the episode, was the one where Wild Tiger gets a quick run-down on how sturdy his new suit is compared to his old one. This is a scene that just has to be seen to be believed and really hilarious from beginning to end: Wild Tiger has some outrageous facial expressions when he sees numerous pairs of his old costume get pulverized.
Speaking of that, did that scene remind anyone else of the scene in The Incredibles where Edna Mode is showing Elastigirl the outfits she designed for her family?

[Kouji Tamino]

A scene that I really liked, from early on in the episode, was the one where Wild Tiger gets a quick run-down on how sturdy his new suit is compared to his old one. This is a scene that just has to be seen to be believed and really hilarious from beginning to end: Wild Tiger has some outrageous facial expressions when he sees numerous pairs of his old costume get pulverized.
Speaking of that, did that scene remind anyone else of the scene in The Incredibles where Edna Mode is showing Elastigirl the outfits she designed for her family?

Hmm, kind of. It didn't really stick out in my mind though since it's already an often used visual gag.

[TAS]

After opening with a strong first episode, this show keeps the momentum going with an equally awesome follow-up! I thought the first episode was kind of weak, but I liked the second one a lot more now that we are getting some background.

It's full of real companies acting as sponsors, I wonder if they worked out a deal to keep them in the show for international release. Product placements in other shows have often disappeared when they are released here.

[FUNiOP]

I haven't said anything about the first 2 episodes, since I wasn't caught up until now, but let me say that they were among the best episodes of anime I've seen in a while. Hanasaku Iroha may have tied in with the first episode, but after 2 episodes of each, this definitely took my top spot. Plus, they're both originals, and it makes me even happier to see originals that are so great. Both of the noitaminA shows this season are originals too, right? Hopefully the second one gets a simulcast announced soon (although it won't really be a simulcast), because both of those have the potential to take that spot, too. Four originals and the two so far are the best shows of the season. I haven't been this happy with a new season in quite a while.

So on to episode 3. Honestly, I didn't feel that this episode quite reached the level of perfection the first 2 did, but I may have just elevated my hopes too high after such an unexpectedly amazing start to the series. I'll probably watch it a few times before the next one is out. Being an original, there's no telling what will happen next, and I'm really happy about that. I love the story they're telling, they keep the level of quality up, and it's looking like it will keep being good each episode. I love its sense of humor and how it applies it to things like reading the next episode title. I wonder how that will be handled in the hopefully inevitable dub. The actual advertising in the show fits with its sense of humor and even though it's kind of what they're parodying (not that they don't do it well), if it helps the production values stay this wonderful, I'm happy to take it. I can't wait for more!

[TnAdct1]

I agree that Tiger and Bunny is another show that falls victim of the "third episode slump" (in which a show, after two great episodes, has a so-so third episode). I think the problem can be contributed to the whole plot line in which the producer, as part of a documentary about Tiger and Barnaby's partnership, makes them do a "day in the life" thing. The end result: something that feels very much forced in Wild Tiger's opinion. However, that doesn't mean the episode is without stuff worth commenting about.

-We get more information about Barnaby's past here, as it appears that he has a Batman complex (i.e. becoming a superhero due to his parents death). The only difference: he actually reveals his identity (and lives in an apartment room that's lacking furniture).

-More proof that the producer is more interested in ratings than actual heroics: while filming at the recently opened hi-rise, she more interested in filming Barnaby than actually paying attention to the statue of the original hero of Sternbild City, Mr. Legend.

-This episode does confirm something that I had a hunch since episode 1: that Rock Bison is good friends with Tiger (with him probably being a long-time hero himself), and that he has some understanding of the type of person he is.

-Given the epilogue bit, with Tiger not giving away too much details about the bomber (could he have recognized him), and him and Rock Bison discussing how the bomber was able to get his hands on such a powerful explosive way too easily, the fan-speculated theory that some big conspiracy is going on in Sternbild City (with Hero TV possibly being connected to it) is definitely expanding.

-Another epilogue note (along with the next episode preview): Blue Rose seems to have some Lady Gaga vibes coming from her (in that she really is talented as a musician, with her adapting a "persona" due to how today's audiences don't seem to prefer "contemporary" female musicians). Also, given who else Blue Rose's seiyuu voices, I wonder how long it will be before certain "seiyuu joke" fanart involving her begin to pop up (I haven't noticed any on Pixiv yet).

[Ashyukun]

-Given the epilogue bit, with Tiger not giving away too much details about the bomber (could he have recognized him), and him and Rock Bison discussing how the bomber was able to get his hands on such a powerful explosive way too easily, the fan-speculated theory that some big conspiracy is going on in Sternbild City (with Hero TV possibly being connected to it) is definitely expanding.

Yeah, I definitely get the impression that there's some shady stuff going on with Hero TV and some of the crime at least- but it did seem that the Producer at least wasn't aware of the whole bomb thing here. I was actually more thinking that their employer had something to do with it, since both Kotetsu and Barnaby had both said they couldn't really shine unless they were facing something real...

[Kouji Tamino]

-Given the epilogue bit, with Tiger not giving away too much details about the bomber (could he have recognized him), and him and Rock Bison discussing how the bomber was able to get his hands on such a powerful explosive way too easily, the fan-speculated theory that some big conspiracy is going on in Sternbild City (with Hero TV possibly being connected to it) is definitely expanding.

Yeah, I definitely get the impression that there's some shady stuff going on with Hero TV and some of the crime at least- but it did seKarina Lyleem that the Producer at least wasn't aware of the whole bomb thing here. I was actually more thinking that their employer had something to do with it, since both Kotetsu and Barnaby had both said they couldn't really shine unless they were facing something real...

Ah good, so I wasn't the only one who was getting those vibes. Yeah, something feels off about the whole situation.

I rather liked this episode, even if it was a bit average. I do enjoy a good teamwork episode. As much as they'd hate to admit it, Wild Tiger and "Bunny" were pretty in sync near the end there. :)

Gotta love Kotetsu's flimsy secret identity. His 'super hero street clothes' are the same as his civilian clothes! It's no wonder Karina Lyle aka Blue Rose seemed to recognize him at the bar.

I'm looking forward to Blue Rose's focus episode next week. Should give her a bit more depth other than 'the hot one'.

[ibby]

My thoughts regarding this episode was that this was an average episode, after a very good first two episodes. I thought that there wasn't much tension as that their could of been, regarding the climax of this episode, though the last few minutes of this episode IMO was good. Can't wait to see the next episode, and where the series is going.

[bobma]

The series does so many things to my liking, it's kind of frightening. An extremely likable main cast, interesting setting, nifty production values, attractive visual design and pretty solid directing (IMO). The staff seems to know what they're doing. Probably my favorite out of the season so far. Please Sunrise, keep this up.

Something that surprised me, is how different the humor feels in this series. I can't quite put my finger on it, but it differs from what I've come to expect from anime comedy. Feels more like something I'd expect from a live action movie.

It appears they're not going to waste much time before letting some kind of main story creep in. Ouroboros, ominous flashbacks, mysterious well-supplied terrorists, our main duo is already learning to work together... I'm really looking forward to see where the series is going to take all this, considering they've 24 or more episodes to work with. And please more Agnes. Ep3 had plenty of her, but I need more!

[Suwako Moriya]

If not for some of the scenes later in the episode, the entire thing would have come off as 100% ridiculous. Instead, it's hovering around 70%.

Given the whole "TV Show" nature, I can't help but wonder if some of the crimes are staged. Wait, I'd be shocked if they weren't.

[Suwako Moriya]

I think the main thing this episode told me is that I like the "Tiger" half much better than the "Bunny" half.

Not that Bunny hasn't done any good. Saving a cute and pretty young girl is always a plus.

However his general attitude rubs me the wrong way.

Also, is it just me or is Tiger one of the few Heroes who actually cares about the err I don't know the part about being a hero? As opposed to just being a commercial.

[Suwako Moriya]

So far this is turning out to be better than expected. Although I'm not sure I have much to say on the episode aside from that. Ah, well.

[TnAdct1]

Also, is it just me or is Tiger one of the few Heroes who actually cares about the err I don't know the part about being a hero? As opposed to just being a commercial.
That can be contributed towards a couple of things:

1. How, as a child, he met the original NEXT superhero, and inspired by him, decided to become a hero himself.

2. The fact that he's been a superhero for at least a decade (with him probably predating Hero TV and the usage of product placement on heroes).

[Kouji Tamino]

Now that is what I'm talking about! I was looking forward to this episode and it didn't disappoint. It successfully fleshed out Karina Lyle/Blue Rose while also continuing the developing partnership between Wild Tiger and Barnaby.

After spending the past three episodes as mere eye candy, we finally get a look at Karina Kyle the person rather than Blue Rose the superhero idol. I have to say I like her quite a bit. She's a bit abrasive, but that seems to stem from being prematurely cynical. She starts off not caring one iota about being a hero, using it as a stepping stone towards becoming a singer. I liked her interactions with Kotetsu, and they managed to make her change of heart feel natural and not forced. You could tell that Kotetsu's words were starting to rub off on her.

Hmm, no epilogue this week? Also, I was hoping for another character episode, this time focusing on Dragon Kid, but next week's episode looks fun, too. It should allow for a lot of back and forth between the other heroes.

P.S. Blue Rose can't stand it when people make bets.

[EmperorBrandon]

Ah, I didn't know Karina was a high school girl. She's kind of seemed like she was older to me before this point. The focus on her was pretty interesting.

[Kouji Tamino]

Ah, I didn't know Karina was a high school girl. She's kind of seemed like she was older to me before this point. The focus on her was pretty interesting.

It doesn't help that when she's in costume, she seems to physically age by about 5-10 years.

[ibby]

I thought that in genral this episode was rather good. Hopefully the other superheroes that appear in the series, will also get some screen time, and develop them also.

[TnAdct1]

Finally got a chance to watch episode 4 tonight. Here's my comments about it:

-As people have already mentioned, this episode provides plenty of insight on Blue Rose's character. As I mention last week, there's some Lady Gaga vibes coming from her (in that she's a talented musician who has to use a hero persona to be a success). However, we also understand more about her (i.e. how she's still in high school, how her parents are aware of her true identity) and the frustrations of some things that celebrities have to do in order to become big (in her case, utilize her freezing powers to become a company sponsored hero).

-For those who are keeping track of the possible idea that some big conspiracy is going on in Sternbild City: note the headline on the newspaper that Blue Rose's father is reading in the prologue.

-This episode, I'm now getting a better understanding of how the Hero TV competition works. Basically, our heroes are on call so that way they know when a crime is taking place, with them arriving and (in some cases) setting up for their showdown. The rest is based on their own skill and abilities (in this case, while Wild Tiger/Barnaby and Blue Rose show up first, Dragon Kid gets the capture thanks to Wild Tiger's "Leeroy Jenkins" approach in the fighting crime and Blue Rose, being someone who didn't become a hero by choice, not being able to handle armed crooks).

-Two nitpick points when it comes to Blue Rose mentioning Wild Tiger having zero points in the standings:

1. If I remember correctly, the heroes receive points for when they arrive (with those who arrive earlier getting points). Hence, I'm sure that Wild Tiger would have a few points at the start of the new season for being the second to arrive in the "moving statue" situation.

2. Unless he and Barnaby are getting points separately, I thought that the two, as a team, share points (with the team easily gaining some points for saving civilians).

-We receive some more info concerning Fire Emblem, as it's revealed that he's the owner of the company that he represents on Hero TV.

-I think it's safe to say that Tiger and Bunny, even with the references to Japanese companies, is set somewhere in America (or at least a future where Japanese and American cutures have blended together), as the money that appears in the bar looks like American money (only with Sternbild City on the bills).

[Kouji Tamino]

Also, am I the only one who's loving this show's music? It's so hot blooded. It's like an awesome cross between 70's mecha music and superhero action themes.

[LKK]

-I think it's safe to say that Tiger and Bunny, even with the references to Japanese companies, is set somewhere in America (or at least a future where Japanese and American cutures have blended together), as the money that appears in the bar looks like American money (only with Sternbild City on the bills).
I think it's set in New York City to be precise. The distant ariel views of the city on its peninsula look remarkably like the geography of lower Manhatten.

[Magewolf]

Does anyone else think that tiger used to date the show directer ?There seems to be something personal between them.

[Ashyukun]

Does anyone else think that tiger used to date the show directer ?There seems to be something personal between them.
Hmmm. I was figuring it was just that he's been around a while and gotten on her nerves a lot for not playing along with what they want.

I am curious about his overall situation- we know about his daughter, who apparently lives with his mother and doesn't know he's a hero. They've also rather prominently shown that he's wearing a wedding ring (it's really obvious in the scene at the top of the tower in episode 3 when they're sitting at the table) but haven't seen or heard anything about a wife...

[Buckeye]

-I think it's safe to say that Tiger and Bunny, even with the references to Japanese companies, is set somewhere in America (or at least a future where Japanese and American cutures have blended together), as the money that appears in the bar looks like American money (only with Sternbild City on the bills).
I think it's set in New York City to be precise. The distant ariel views of the city on its peninsula look remarkably like the geography of lower Manhatten.

Not to mention, there are lots of nationalities represented by the characters:
Wild Tiger - Japanese
Bunny - Australia?
Blue Rose - British?
Dragon Kid - Chinese
Origami Cyclone - Russian
Rock Bison - Hispanic
Fire Emblem - African
Anges Joubert - French

With such diversity that it is happening in America.

[Magewolf]

Does anyone else think that tiger used to date the show directer ?There seems to be something personal between them.
Hmmm. I was figuring it was just that he's been around a while and gotten on her nerves a lot for not playing along with what they want.

I am curious about his overall situation- we know about his daughter, who apparently lives with his mother and doesn't know he's a hero. They've also rather prominently shown that he's wearing a wedding ring (it's really obvious in the scene at the top of the tower in episode 3 when they're sitting at the table) but haven't seen or heard anything about a wife...

Yes I saw the ring and with his daughter I was figuring that his wife was dead since if he was divorced from the directer the girl would stay with her.But the interplay between them at documentary was more personal it seemed.And the way she was worried about him at the end was more emotion then we have seen from her up to now.

[Kouji Tamino]

Ha ha, this was a really fun episode. The beginning was rather embarrassing for Kotetsu. I love how that scene was so pathetic that it still makes Barnaby sad to think about it the next day.

...And of course, Kotetsu completely misreads him and assumes he sad because it's his birthday and he has no plans. :sweat: The heroes' plan for surprising Barnaby with a birthday party was ridiculous with the staged theft. Even more amusing was Barnaby's reluctance to even get involved.

I can't believe Kotetsu actually followed Barnaby around all day, asking for his 'input' on fashion. He couldn't be anymore obvious. I was surprised Barnaby didn't find anything out sooner.

I thought it was a nice touch that they followed up on Kotetsu and Karina's bond of sorts. Him patting her on the head was adorable. Kotetsu seems to see himself as a big brother to the next generation of heroes, giving support and praise when he feels it's needed.

This episode we finally get an evil NEXT antagonist. He isn't much more than a nuisance, but his diamond powers prove quite formidable and at the end of the episode we get our first glimpse at what might be the first major villain in the series.

The ending was hilarious, with the "Good Luck Mode" upgrade they got being nothing but a bit of useless spectacle. It sure looked cool, though. And wow... Doc Saito is loud over the loudspeaker. I felt sorry for poor Antonio/Rock Bison getting arrested because he was still in his "thief" costume. He must have gotten caught when he went into the alley, which is why he didn't show up after disappearing.

Next episode should be interesting. The ending and preview seem to be setting up for the fire based NEXT from the episode's final scene. I wonder if Barnaby's insistence that they work alone from here on will carry over. It mostly likely will, which will have repercussions coming up.

[Kouji Tamino]

Wow, I can't believe I didn't make a connection between this episode's fire based villain and Fire Emblem. I bet we'll get a little more focus on the latter this episode.

Huh, can't believe I forgot about those guys from the first episode. So now they're all dead? Wow, shit just got real.

Whoa, Fire Emblem's flames are ridiculous. All the metal in the vicinity are melting like butter! Wild Tiger's costume can take a lot of punishment.

Ah, yeah. I had a feeling Fire Emblem would end up a suspect.

Oh geez, Saito and his mumbling. Can't hear a damn thing, but that is the point, after all. Those Japanese subtitles aren't for show.

First modeling, and now an interview. Huh, Barnaby must have some business with a magazine. Yikes, he looks like he nearly had a break down there. Doesn't like fire, huh? I wonder?...

You've never heard of a NEXT capable of producing flames more powerful than yours, Fire Emblem? Probably because you've never met one with blue flames. Speaking of which, it looks like our fiery friend is back...

Wow, pretty high body count this episode so far.

Oh hey, the guy from the bomber episode? Looks like the bombing was a conspiracy, but not one we were expecting...

Hmm, so Barnaby has been researching Ouroboros since he was a child.

Glad to see Fire Emblem's innocence proved already. They could have dragged it out and made it a typical "clear your name" story. It looks like not being able to save the fourth victim's life has had a real affect on Kotetsu, though.

Whoa, what the hell?! Where'd that mech come from?!

Yikes, Barnaby saw his parents gunned down and then burned in the fire?

Oh geez, now Barnaby can't take Kotetsu seriously because of all the hijinks he's pulled lately. Confronting him about the goofy photo he left on his phone was really funny.

Wait, what? A villain's gun actually runs out of bullets? This has got to be too good to be true...

...Yep, blue flamethrower. And Fire Emblem's powers are useless against it. He is not pleased.

Well damn, he got away. and just as the calvary was arriving. And was that the suspicious guy again?

Ha, Fire Emblem's snort when Barnaby tells him he didn't even know he was there.

And Kotetsu's inability to remember people's faces becomes a plot point. I bet Barnaby would be a lot more interested if he knew they guy in the mech was the same one at the building that had the bomb threat.

Wow, they actually heard Saito from a distance? This must be serious.

Ah ha, he finally made the connection! I knew Saito mentioning elevators would jog Kotetsu's memory!

Oh SHIT. The guy has an Ourobros tattoo! And Barnaby wants to know everything about what it means, no matter what the cost.

Oooh! This guy had nothing to do with the prison murders! So yes indeed, there is someone out there with the power of blue flame.

And there he is! Holy crap, this guy's powers are unreal. It's not just blue flame, his powers seem to have some other properties to them. The elevator bomber was burnt to a crisp within seconds, and this new guy can form his flame into shapes. It looks like we have our first supervillain, costume and all.

Things look like they are starting to pick up. This was a really good episode that raised a lot of questions. Why were those four inmates and the bomber killed, who is this new crazy flame villain, what in the world is Ouroboros, and how are all these people connected, if at all?

Actually, now that I think about it, the blue flame guy seems more like a violent vigilante. It's implied that he's the judge from episode 5, and he's only targeted criminals so far. This should be really interesting...

[FUNiOP]

Yep, full-on plot now.

After the NEXT escapes and Barnaby reveals why he needs to catch that guy and then refuses to talk to anyone and even skips out on a job, leading to a humorous team-up of Tiger and Blue Rose, they get a nice rematch, and the NEXT, who calls himself Lunatic, thoroughly kicks everyone's ass and even succeeds in killing all but one of the people he was trying to, while saying that he was carrying out true justice, then takes his leave.

These criminals didn't have Ouroboros tattoos, so after remembering a kid complaining to him about the heroes not killing criminals, Tiger seems to realize that this guy really is just a violent vigilante.

Lunatic got away, so now all they have is one living criminal to question in hopes of discovering his identity. In an unrelated matter, that judge sure does seem like a strange fellow. But hey, at least he's all for justice. Yep, completely unrelated.

[Buckeye]

So we have our supervillain Lunatic, whose role is equivalent to that of Joker, and it feels like it is turning into something seen in the Dark Knight. I have a feeling that he must be the ringleader of the Ouroboros trying to plot something, and subordinates who fail must be executed.

[ibby]

I thought that the action sequence in the air, was amazing using odd camera angles to heighten the excitiment of the battle between Bunny and Lunatic. I'm hoping to see some more interactions between the superheroes, as the viewer has only so far really has gotten an insight into Blue Rose, Bunny and Tiger so far. I also thought that comedy in this series is really great. Sign me up so far for the DVD/Blue Ray combo.

[Buckeye]

Lunatic got away, so now all they have is one living criminal to question in hopes of discovering his identity. In an unrelated matter, that judge sure does seem like a strange fellow. But hey, at least he's all for justice. Yep, completely unrelated.
I have a feeling that this judge is Lunatic, and it should be obvious why. In the next episode, the superheroes will find out about it. Lunatic is all about his justice, which is what a judge is all about.

[Kouji Tamino]

Uh oh. Barnaby lost his only lead to finding out who or what Ouroboros is. He's pissed.

Huh. I don't know if Barnaby's refusing help because he's angry or just being stubborn and prideful.

Haha, oh wow. That Barnaby's fill in is rather pathetic looking. Thank goodness Blue Rose made it in time. ...On the other hand, she doesn't seem very interested in being a team player. :P

Oh man, she made him finish off her catchphrase...

Heh, I love how Wild Tiger likes to rib on his fellow heroes every once in a while. Acting kind of tsundere there aren't you, Blue Rose?

Wow, Tiger just can't catch a break. That kid is sort of a wierd mix between cynical and idealistic. Ow, and kicked right in the same spot Blue Rose got him just a couple minutes ago!

...It's more than just exhaustion that's got Barnaby all in a huff, Mr. Maverick.

Holy crap, it's like Saito has no indoor voice! He can either mumble inaudibly or scream obnoxiously at the top of his lungs!

...Hm, maybe exhaustion was a factor. He's angry about losing a lead, yes, but being tired only enhanced his grumpiness and frustration. He seems pretty chill right now in the oxygen chamber.

Yikes, what a nightmare. If he has dreams like that all the time, it's no wonder he's so obsessively driven.

Ah, so Hero TV has a plan to trap this crime syndicate they've been trailing. Too bad Barnaby doesn't know and is getting ticked off by their supposed lack of action. I get a feeling he's going to let his anger get the best of him and rui--

Oh, okay, now they're letting everyone know the plan. Thank goodness they avoided that typicial plot device.

"As always, you're not very cute." ...Ha ha, this show just doesn't let up on the Tiger/Barnaby ship teasing, does it?

Well, the NEXT with the blue flame sure tossed a wrench into things. Hero TV just rolls with the punches, though.

...Yikes, what a creepy mask.

"My fellow heroes", huh? Yeah, looks like he's a violent vigilante frustrated with the lack of 'proper justice'.

Wow, Lunatic, huh? How appropriate. And of course, Tiger has a big problem with him and his methods.

Now I'm wondering if their Good Luck Mode is going to activate every single time they're about to run out of power from now on. It's certainly a flashy way to go out.

Oh boy, it's that judge again. Obvious identity of Lunatic is obvious. And it looks like Lunatic is going to be a constant foil from this point on. Should be fun. This was an awesome episode, and both it and the previous one are a great turning point in the show.

[FUNiOP]

I have a feeling that this judge is Lunatic

That's what I was getting at. :P

[ndm]

Holy crap, it's like Saito has no indoor voice! He can either mumble inaudibly or scream obnoxiously at the top of his lungs!

I'm pretty sure they showed in an earlier episode that he actually always speaks at the same volume, it's just that when he speaks through a microphone he turns up the volume so it sounds like he's shouting. I guess that means when we think he's mumbling he's actually screaming at the top of his voice. :sdsmiley:

[FUNiOP]

Surprisingly, this one actually didn't end up being all about the plot progressing. They did eventually get their fight of the week in with Lunatic, but for the most part, it was all about Origami Cyclone. I guess he really never does anything, because I never realized that he doesn't actually have any powers that would help in their line of work. I wonder how he plans on making use of it from now on, especially if he plans to keep wearing one of the only suits that actually completely disguises him. They did manage to connect it in with the Lunatic plot, though (and the whole story was a result of Lunatic's previous exploits anyway), and at the end we get our confirmation as to who our villain (or anti-hero?) really is, in case you hadn't figured it out by that point. The beginning really reminded me of Death Note, where the public starts to support the idea of someone simply killing criminals, instead of just arresting them. The big difference is that instead of the carrier of questionable justice being the protagonist, he's the antagonist here, although from what little we've heard of his ideals, he definitely seems to think of what he's doing as the right thing. I'm surprised they didn't touch on the criminal they were going to interrogate from last time. It looks like the next episode will be another seemingly episodic tale that I suspect will end up connecting to our running plot, just like this one was.

[nakimushi]

Well, overall it wasn't bad - Kotetsu (Wild Tiger) is a very likeable character and carries this show for me - but the first part of the fight with Lunatic (before Kotetsu and Barnaby show up) was idiotic IMO.

Lunatic is after a guy who has the power to effortlessly pass through solid objects like walls, the ground, etc... by apparently temporarily loosening its structure to a sand like substance. He doesn't seem to have the exact same power as Kitty Pryde (of the X-Men), in that it doesn't seem to make him intangible, but his power does allow him to pass through solid objects anyway.

So, when Lunatic starts shooting at him, does he get away by sinking below the pavement of the parking lot, where he can't possibly be hit by Lunatic's bolts of fire?

No, he decides to just run around the parking lot and occasionally try and hide behind a car. He does not use his power at all, which makes him a sitting duck for Lunatic. :sweat:

Sorry, it just bugs me because they spent plenty of time displaying the effectiveness of his power, and and then for him not to use it when it is obvious that he should, makes no sense.

I understand plot-wise that they wanted Ivan to try and save him, but they made a point of showing how easily this guy could escape by sinking into the ground. In fact he just did exactly that in the previous scene.

[MeggieMay]

I kept wondering why Edward didn't dissolve either (then again, just how did they keep in him prison to begin with? ;) ). While it most likely was a plot contrivance, there is a outside possibility that he has a limit to how long his powers last before he has to take a break. We know Tiger and Bunny both have limits of five minutes and that is implied that it is not the norm but the show hasn't gotten into whether they are the only one with limits or if they are simply the only ones in the Hero biz with limits that short. The show did give the impression early on that the five minute limit is unusual, so theoretically either most of the NEXT either don't have a time limit or it's a lot longer than five minutes.

One thing I'm really liking in T&B is the fact it seems to have a thought out world going on in it. Someone seems to have done some world building with a thought out history of what is going on here and I'm enjoying that they took the time to do it. Also, I can't remember if anyone on this forum has mentioned it but has anyone else noticed we have some un-named recurring characters in this show? In particular there is a girl in a folky looking dress* who keeps popping u (she's on a train in the first episode, Tiger knocks into her in the Bunny Birthday ep, last week she was the girl Tiger and Blue Rose saved at the public event and this week she's helping out cleaning up at another event). Another board I've been reading noticed her and few others and I'm wondering if they'll ever gain a name or backstory at some point?


*folky = Early to mid 1970 style of dress worn by folk singer types (well the dress reminds of that, at least). Actually quite a bit of T&B's costuming reminds me of the 1970's though there are other era clothing styles that are being used, as well.

[bobma]

Sorry, it just bugs me because they spent plenty of time displaying the effectiveness of his power, and and then for him not to use it when it is obvious that he should, makes no sense.

That line of thought didn't really occur to me. Apart from the obvious reason, ("because the plot demands it"), I took it as a general lack of grace under pressure. He already forgot to use his powers back when the second goon assaulted him and instead kept yelling for Ivan to do something, and here's now a full fledged murderous vigilante with the power and intent to burn people to a crisp, aiming to kill him. For another example, remember Blue Rose and her "cutie escape" in episode 1? If you need a different reason why he didn't use his power, just look how long it takes him to sink into the pavement. Lunatic can shoot faster that Sandboy can make a complete getaway.

[nakimushi]

Sorry, it just bugs me because they spent plenty of time displaying the effectiveness of his power, and and then for him not to use it when it is obvious that he should, makes no sense.

That line of thought didn't really occur to me. Apart from the obvious reason, ("because the plot demands it"), I took it as a general lack of grace under pressure. He already forgot to use his powers back when the second goon assaulted him and instead kept yelling for Ivan to do something, and here's now a full fledged murderous vigilante with the power and intent to burn people to a crisp, aiming to kill him. For another example, remember Blue Rose and her "cutie escape" in episode 1? If you need a different reason why he didn't use his power, just look how long it takes him to sink into the pavement. Lunatic can shoot faster that Sandboy can make a complete getaway.

Well, I figured that he couldn't get away from the goons, because his power does not actually make him intangible, and they were both grabbing him. Since he isn't the only one that passes through the newly porous surface (as demonstrated when he was attacking Ivan in the previous scene), sinking into the ground with the two goons grabbing him tightly would probably not have freed him from their grasp. Although it might have saved the life of the woman who ended up getting shot if they all ended up below sidewalk level.

As for the second point, while I agree that he probably would not have been able to sink below ground fast enough when Lunatic was aiming right at him, he did appear to have plenty of time before that to sink into the ground, when he was hidden behind the car, at which point Lunatic did not have a clear shot to hit him.

I don't know, I personally find it difficult to believe that he just completely forgot to use his power to escape. Although he was rattled, it did not appear as if he was completely frozen with fear. He had the presence of mind to try and run away and take cover from Lunatic. It just seems uncharacteristic to me that he did not use the power that he had been using repeatedly, to get away once he had bought some time by finding some cover.

[ibby]

I thought that this episode was very good as it gave more information about the world of Tiger & Bunny. I thought it was humourous seeing Tiger watching students of the superhero academy showing him their powers. I also thought it was about time that Bunny warned up ever so slightly that even though he is unwelcoming towards Tiger, that he is accepting of him. I can't wait next week to see more about the character Dragon Kid.

[Kouji Tamino]

Oh boy, the public seems to be embracing Lunatic and his "brand" of justice, to the point of questioning whether or not the other heroes are even relevant anymore.

Hmm, so a bunch of company CEOs are worried about what this all means for Hero TV, of course.

Ha, so now they've got the heroes out doing a bunch of community service for good PR. And it turns out there's actually a Hero Academy. That makes sense, or else any NEXT could just go out and try to become a hero without knowing how to properly utilize their powers. And it looks like Origami Cyclone went there.

Uh oh, NEXT with corrosive powers?

So we finally see Origami Cyclone without his mask in-show. After several episodes of him just showing up in the background everywhere, he gets his own focus episode. Huh. He's starting to have doubts about whether or not he has what it takes.

Ah, so Barnaby went there too.

Ouch, "ex-star hero"...

Okay, so they are there to lecture the heroes-in-training. Ha ha, they're all ingraining their own personal philosophies. It looks like they aren't buying Origami Cyclone's tips, though. :sweat:

Wow, the students all have fairly lame powers... All Tiger can do is compliment their smiles. I'm trying to decide which is more pathetic: sweating a lot or shedding hair. And I love how a handful of students basically have different types of stretching powers.

So OC/Ivan had a friend and classmate that was highly supportive... I wonder what happened to them?

Whoa! Oh right, we had never seen what Origami Cyclone's powers were, did we? He was always just content to show up in the background of other people's heroics. So, he can perfectly copy the appearance of others. I can think of at least one way his powers could be useful. He could impersonate hostages to help them escape, for one.

Ha, Barnaby getting all modest and flustered by all the attention and praise. I wonder how much of that is his outward persona, though?

Yikes, so Edward accidentally killed a civilian. And he's escaped from prison... and he's pissed. So Ivan blames himself for what happened, and Edward blames him as well. Poor guy.

Whoops, and there goes Lunatic. Right, Edward is a murderer. Accident or not, he escape from jail, which makes him a full-on criminal now and a target.

So Ivan tried to take on Edward's "punishment" by impersonating him, but Lunatic didn't go for it.

Aha. Now don't you feel petty, Edward?

Okay. So it looks like Origami Cyclone stayed in the background because he thought that was all he was worthy of. Now that he feels better about his status as a hero, no more of that.

So even though it couldn't have been more obvious, we get confirmation that the judge is Lunatic, which make his comments from earlier in the episode rather amusing.

Next episode, we focus on Dragon Kid!

[FUNiOP]

This episode is another one that focuses on another hero in their own little side-story while also moving the plot along. The hero this time is Dragon Kid, who learns to be more feminine and appreciate her parents more. Unlike the previous episode, where this led directly to a confrontation with the antagonist (or one of them, as it now seems), the action is self-contained in this story, but other parts have to do with the main plot. Specifically, after all is said and done, Barnaby's memory is jogged and now he knows who killed his parents. This is getting interesting...

[Ashyukun]

As I kind of expected would be the case, I really liked Dragon Kid- she's a lot of fun as a super-powered tomboy. Thought the best part had to be Blue Rose freaking out at learning Tiger has a daughter (who's what, only 7-8 years younger than she is?) and was married.

Looks like we'll be meeting the guy Bunny's been after next episode. That's kind of surprising- IIRC this is a 2-cour show, so I wouldn't expect that to happen for some time now, unless it's not the 'endgame' that I was expecting that plot point to be...

[Kouji Tamino]

No, Dragon Kid! Don't let them make you more stereotypically feminine! You're fine just the way you are! If people can't appreciate, your tomboyish charms then that's their own fault!

...Why do I get the feeling they're leaving the baby with Tiger because he's already a parent?

Heh, so the others finally learn that he has a daughter. I wonder why Blue Rose was so surprised? We also get confirmation that his wife passed away, so he's a single dad.

Holy shit, the baby's a NEXT! And a powerful one at that! The producer could have warned them, first! Oh, now she tells them!

Ha ha ha, Fire Emblem's eyes lit up when Barnaby suggested a "woman" would be better. I'm getting Hana vibes from him this episode.

Whoa, what's wrong with Blue Rose? :P What, you had a crush on Wild Tiger, or something? It can't be that shocking that he's a family man, can it?

Heh, Dragon Kid proclaiming that she's not girly enough while using the pronoun "boku". She's a tomboy to the max. And yet the baby is most comfortable around her.

Ha ha, Tiger he took them all to Barnaby's expensive looking place to avoid all his things from getting damaged.

Heh. Unexpectedly, Barnavy went straight for the toy when the baby's powers sent his possesions into the air, rather than the computer. And he lets his vulnerable side out for a brief moment. Ha ha, and he won't let the kid hold that toy for too long...

Hmm, these women seem suspicious...

Heh, it looks like Dragon Kid is growing attached.

Hm, so now Tiger has an inkling of what his partner's up to... But Barnaby won't have him getting any deeper into his business.

Ha ha, Barnaby's lost his bed for the night. He doesn't seem too upset, though, just a little annoyed.

Okay, so he is willing to share his data. That's a testament to the trust they've built up as partners.

Oh ho ho, Dragon Kid walks back into the living room only to see the two adults passed out and drunk. I don't think going out for a walk is such a good idea...

Ah, the women from earlier. I wonder what their deal is? I'd guess they're either looking for a particular baby or, from the way they're talking, a baby from a rich family.

Uh oh, Agnes the Producer is here... Wow, that's a lot of toys.

Yep, they're looking for ransom from the family's of rich kids. What in the world is up with those costumes, though? o_O Oh, it seems they have sense of smell based powers, I guess? These NEXT powers keep getting stranger and stranger...

Agnes is swept up in the moment of being rescued by the handsome Barnaby... only to revert to her usual self when she realizes her favorite skirt's been ruined. :P

...Well ain't that a perfect storm of danger? I nearly forgot about the baby's powers.

...Dragon Kid is so awesome. <3

Heh, yeah. Wild Tiger and Barnaby didn't get to do much this episode, did they?

Uh oh, wielding a gun in a fire probably isn't the best idea, Tiger. Poor Barnaby went nuts from the imagery.

I was a little worried that Dragon Kid would become more 'girly' by the end of the episode, but it simply looks like she's appreciating her parents' gift a little more. She didn't even know the meaning behind the flower hair clip until the end of the episode!

Ha ha, poor Tiger... His gift to his daughter worn by someone else.

Oh! So that incident at the burning warehouse jogged Barnaby's memory a bit. Now he remembers the face of the murderer.

[Kouji Tamino]

Huh, haven't seen Kaede in a while. She seems to be in a bad mood, though...

Wow, what a creepy doll.

Ha ha, you're so gullible and easy to manipulate, Kotetsu.

Wow, Karina, way to be conspicuous, singing to your own Blue Rose song...

Oh boy, it looks like Barnaby's finally found out who it is he's looking for.

Ew, that's a lot of armpir hair.

Ha ha, she doesn't like the Mad Bear enough to tell him pre-emptively not to get one.

God damn it. Kotetsu just can't catch a break. I knew he wouldn't get a chance to go home.

Oh shit! The mech's are piloted by living Mad Bears?!

Ha ha, Wild Tiger chasing that toy down is one of the silliest things I've ever seen.

Oh damn. It looks like the reason Mad Bears are selling well is because someone's buying them up to wreak havoc with them.

Wait, Tiger ran out of energy without going into Good Luck Mode?

Those mechs are causing trouble everywhere. It's like a city wide crisis.

Ha, Barnaby came to Wild Tiger's rescue. "It's been a while since I've carried you like this." Oh god, the slash ship teasing continues.

Oh damn. It looks like Ouroboros is finally making a move. That's a twist. I wasn't expecting them to be involved in all this.

And we close on a cliffhanger as Ouroboros holds the entire city hostage over the release of Jake Martinez, the man that murdered Barnaby's parents.

I wasn't expecting Ourobros to actually show up this early, but this seems to be a first strike that will create a public awareness of the group and just might end up changing the face of the series.

I'm also a little worried about Kotetsu's relationship with his daughter. Whereas in the past she was somewhat wary but understanding, her patience with her father's broken promises seems to be wearing thin.

[TnAdct1]

Wait, Tiger ran out of energy without going into Good Luck Mode? The arm is there after Wild Tiger runs out of energy and has to continue fighting with his regular strength.

[Kouji Tamino]

Wait, Tiger ran out of energy without going into Good Luck Mode? The arm is there after Wild Tiger runs out of energy and has to continue fighting with his regular strength.

Yeah, I saw it afterwards. The countdown with a new female voice threw me off.

[Buckeye]

And so, the die has been cast.

- Previously, the Ouroboros have been causing a string of terrorist attacks and demand that Jake Martinez be released from prison. Kriem uses these freaky bear plushies to control the mechs.
- Decisions, decisions, decisions. What will the higher-ups decide?
- In the meantime, the Mad Bear mechs are destroying the pillars that hold up the city.
- Sky High and Blue Rose go out to save the citizens, but Tiger is up to something.
- So Tiger says release that monster and we heroes will put him out of his misery.
- Then another one of the henchmen appear. It's Hans Chuckman, who was sent by the Ouroboros to negotiate.
- Add one more victim to Jake's long criminal history. 'Cuz I'm Jake and you're not.
- Onto a chopper he goes, piloted by Chuckman. Or so we think.
- The real Chuckman is beaten up and being held. Origami Cyclone is the Chuckman in the chopper.
- In the meantime, Jake makes an appearance, saying "You're still my hostages."
- To keep the spirits of the city up, Maverick decides that Bunny needs to give a pep talk and spilling the beans about his past is the plan.
- Turns out Barnaby Brooks Jr. is not his real name. His father is Barnaby Brooks, and Bunny assumed that name to declare war.
- After the credits, it looks like Jake knows that it is Origami Cyclone who is posing as Chuckman.

[FUNiOP]

Not the storm I expected yet, and in fact it may have been more calm than the previous episode. But the end of the episode definitely leaves you wondering what will happen next, and we all know this is all building up to something pretty epic. Was Origami's power public knowledge and none of the other heroes just ever bothered to check it out, or does Jake just know everything? Nice to see him finally be useful in a situation not completely built around making him useful, but hopefully it won't be the last time he ever gets the chance...

[MeggieMay]

You know, it is possible that only Tiger didn't know what Origami's power was. He doesn't hit me as the type who reads his own, or other heroes, press. Then again, it's also possible that the magazine was see Jake reading is the newest one and that Origami's powers are mentioned in it because of his recent run in with Lunatic. It was a bad turn of events no matter what happened.

[Kouji Tamino]

Heh. Nathan/Fire Emblem's an insightful one. He doesn't buy Kotetsu's excuse for why Barnaby was so upset at all. Then again, it's a flimsy lie no matter how you look at it. I'm surprised it fooled the others.

So already we have a city under siege story. This is pretty intense, with the fate of Sternbild and its citizens on the line.

Geez, what a spineless mayor. And Kotetsu bursts in with Barnaby in tow to chew all the higher-ups out. But he keeps screwing up his speech. Good thing Barnaby's there to toss him a bone. :P

Huh... I wonder what Judge Yuri/Lunatic has on his mind? He seems either impressed by Tiger or amused.

An Ouroboros member waltzes his way in, named Hans, in order to start negotiations. These guys have some balls of steel, strutting around and making demands like they own the place.

So with no options left... they have no choice but to release Jake Martinez. And yikes. I'm still not sure of what his powers actually are, but they look ridiculous. How was this guy caught in the first place?

Oh ho! Looks like Origami Cyclone finally gets to put his powers to the test. I was wondering for just a moment what was up when it suddenly switched from a beaten up Hans to a perfectly fine Hans piloting the escape helicopter. Understandably, he's nervous.

Ah, so that's Ouroboro's game. They feel that NEXT are the rightful successors to the Earth. So now we have a goal. How they hope to accomplish this is still a mystery, though. It looks like Jake is our Big Bad.

Holy crap, Jake is an asshole. I should have expected Ouroboros to pull something like this. Which is, of course, why they switched Hans with Ivan.

Ah, so Barnaby's name isn't actually his birthname? And now his past is public knowledge.

So the episode comes to an end as Ivan/Origami Cyclone makes his way into Jake's hideout and the other heroes prepare to make their move.

Oh wait, here comes the epilogue... We see Ivan's lines to the other heroes from his point of view, and things aren't looking good. Please don't die, Origami!

Wow, the writers are really letting everything loose a lot quicker than I expected. It makes me wonder what they have planned for the second half of the series.

[LKK]

Wow, the writers are really letting everything loose a lot quicker than I expected. It makes me wonder what they have planned for the second half of the series.
My guess is the second half will deal with Lunatic.

[FUNiOP]

Jake's little game reminded me of the Cell Games a lot. He lets each of the "good guys" come at him one at a time, and if any of them beats him, everyone is saved. This shows how much confidence he has, and it will probably take all the heroes losing but one to beat him. Very similar. I'm wondering how Barnaby will fare though, given that the stakes are pretty high for just his fight. Maybe the signals will have been jammed just in time and Jake will have to threaten to destroy the city on his own before being brought down.

[Buckeye]

- Previously, Origami Cyclone had disguised himself as Chuckman on a mission to stop those mad bear mechs. The episode ended when Jake figured out that it was Cyclone who was disguised as Chuckman piloting the chopper.
- Cyclone's cover has been blown and Jake knew from the start that it was him. Now he has been exposed.
- Bunny says that this is his fight.
- Now the heroes are standing by waiting to infiltrate the hideout.
- But Tiger barges ahead and sees that Jake had been defeated already. Huh?
- The whole plan went down the tubes because of Tiger. That Jake lying on the ground is actually an injured Cyclone. Bunny picks him up before the real Jake could kill him.
- Now Tiger is really hearing it from Bunny whose lack of confidence in Bunny led to all this.
- Another one bites the dust at the hands of Jake. Chuckman is the victim for being weak and useless.
- Now Jake is playing a game of one-on-one. First victim is Sky High.
- Sky High looks like he is blowing away Jake, until another one of his powers is revealed. He has a force field to block all hits.
- Next victim, Rock Bison. Totally owned.
- In the meantime, Cyclone's infiltration mission ended in success. He tells the higher-ups to prepare jamming signals, but the heroes need to hold out until the morning in their one-on-one fights.
- Next, Tiger and Bunny are drawn in unison to be next.
- Tiger goes next and fares no better. At least he manages to land a kick and get Jake all upset. But he still ends up in the ER.
- But before Bunny goes, Agnes asks for Jake to take a break until the next day for better ratings. Jake agrees. Now the higher-ups have a chance to complete the jammer before the next fight.
- Morning is here, and now Bunny is ready to fight. But now, the stakes have been raised so that if Bunny loses, half the city goes down.

[Kouji Tamino]

Hmm, so Origami Cyclone busts out the shuriken, but Jake is so hax he dodges every one.

Ugh. Usually I play devil's advocate for characters that make mistakes, but Wild Tiger really screwed up here. He not only further endangered the city, but he also showed a lack of faith in his partner to do the right thing. No wonder Barnaby's so pissed.

So in Sky High's fight we finally learn what Jake's powers are: force fields that he also uses as projectile attacks. That's creative, and it makes sense that he wouldn't be satisfied with just blocking other people attacks to figure out a way to utilize his powers to cause damage.

Oh man, they didn't even show poor Rock Bison's fight. That's both sad and hilarious.

I get the feeling that Wild Tiger getting that lucky hit in on Jake will be key in beating him somehow. That was too significant to have been a throw away scene.

Yikes, Tiger got pretty messed up in that fight. It actually wouldn't surprise me if he was out for the next episode or two.

EDIT: Oh, right. It almost completely slipped my mind, but seeing Kotetsu's old boss Ben Jackson was a nice surprise.

[FUNiOP]

The first half of Tiger & Bunny is complete, neatly wrapping up the Ouroboros arc with the organization being defeated and the city being saved, thanks to the heroes and some of the other protagonists figuring out how the Ouroboros members are able to do what they do and how they can stop them, and eventually following through and succeeding. Jake does indeed have two powers, the second one is indeed mind reading, and Kotetsu actually figured it out by Jake saying his name after he thought it to himself.

[Buckeye]

Last time, it was Barnaby's turn to battle Jake, and now it is do or die time for the heroes.

- Bunny is having visions of his past. The great time with his parents, and then the murder at the hands of Jake.
- And the battle begins. With an ambush. Now Bunny has his back against the wall from the very start.
- In the meantime, the three healthy heroes go out to destroy the Mad Bear mechs now that Kriem can't control them.
- Tiger wants to join in, but the other injured heroes are trying to keep him in bed.
- Now Blue Rose, Dragon Kid, and Fire Emblem go out to destroy those Mad Bear mechs. But they are not exactly disabled as self-defense mode had been programmed in case of this. Seems like Kriem had prepared for this to happen.
- Back to the fight, it seems like Jake know exactly what Bunny is going to do. Nothing Bunny tries will work. Then Jake gives a hint that he has two powers. Perhaps he doesn't like the fact that his fights were too easy.
- Now that the hint is given out, Tiger seems to have figured it out. He has to tell Bunny himself, somehow.
- He miraculously recovers using his power, though that deep wound is still hurting him.
- Back to the fight, Bunny has just used his power, and he waited until the last minute to stall for time.
- Now Tiger arrives to tell him that Jake's second power is ultrasonic hearing. Good guess, that's not it. Tiger hands him a bomb, but the trust is still an issue.
- The bomb is used to mess with Jake's hearing, but Jake saw through that. Then the bomb turns out to be a flash grenade. Jake is stunned and Bunny goes in for the big blow.
- Bunny now has Jake cornered, but knew better than to kill him out of vengence.
- Now Kriem is making a demand: return Jake or the city is toast. But it is those Mad Bears that are toast, so that's an empty threat.
- Jake is getting away, but not if Tiger has anything to do with it.
- Now Jake is trying to break free, but misses badly. He shot, the chopper.
- Kriem falls out, and the chopper comes crashing onto Jake. Ouroboros is now toast.
- Now Tiger and Bunny have a talk. Turns out Tiger intentionally misled Bunny so that Jake could not read the plan. How did he know the power to read minds? Jake called Tiger by his real name, which he never publicly revealed.
- The threat has been erased, but now Tiger and Bunny are Dumb and Dumber according to the fellow heroes. Bunny is really upset.
- And so, confidence is a plant of slow growth. It definitely is still growing.

[FUNiOP]

After the end of the arc last time, the second half kicks off with new songs and a lighthearted episode. It was mostly about Blue Rose realizing she likes Tiger, but there was some potential plot development along with that character development, as Tiger's powers seemed to work differently than they ever had before, giving him more strength and speed than usual, but running out early. Next time, it looks like Sky High's turn to be in love, and the first episode to focus on him. That just leaves Rock Bison without his own episode, although he was the only hero other than the main three of this episode that had a significant role this time.

[ohtori_akio]

Is no one on here watching this anymore?

[Buckeye]

Is no one on here watching this anymore?
I am still watching this as many others are. It's just that all discussion has moved on to the Fandom Post, where most of the users have migrated to. Some of us are still here as well, but most discussions are happening exclusively there. Here is a link (http://www.fandompost.com/forums/showthread.php?668-Tiger-and-Bunny-Discussion-Thread) to the thread on the new forums.

[MeggieMay]

There are also discussions going on at ANN (in the Anime forum), TVTropes and AnimeSuki, along with a active Live Journal page. I'm not sure what happened over at Toon Zone but the thread seems about as dead there as here :( .

[FUNiOP]

This one's all about Barnaby trying to figure out who actually killed his parents. Kotetsu gets a moment away from him to talk to Kaede, but it only ends up making her more mad and him and making Barnaby overhear that he wants to quit, but not why, and after Kotetsu won't tell him, he assumes that Kotetsu again doesn't trust him and that he's only helping him to make it easier for him to quit. This results in Barnaby basically talking to Kotetsu like he would before he started being nice to him, and on a particularly bad day, too. Then he basically says he doesn't want anything to do with him anymore and leaves. Then the twist! I kind of saw this coming, since they did seem to build up to it for a while beforehand, but I was still a little surprised that the head of the whole hero business and Barnaby's closest thing to a parent for most of his life was pretty much the main villain of the series. And he even has Charles zi Britannia's Geass! I wonder whose face he'll replace his with this time. The preview made it seem like Barnaby manages to tell Kotetsu something about it, so I'm guessing the reason they showed Barnaby's cell phone ringing at the end with Kotetsu's name on it is that Barnaby manages to get a few words to him that way before his memory is rewritten again.

Also, this is the first time I've been sure that this is supposed to take place in 1978. Well... NC 1978, anyway. I'm not sure what NC stands for, and it's obviously a different world, but I found that to be an interesting choice. I've always been amused by the old-style phones with video projections and the like.

[Buckeye]

So it turns out that Maverick was actually the mastermind behind not only the murders, but all the crimes in Sternbild, and that Barnaby's parents were obstacles in his plan. Such a shocking development, but one that makes a ton of sense once you think about it.

[Buckeye]

So we now know that Maverick is behind the murder of Barnaby's parents for trying to expose him for being the mastermind behind all of the crimes, and that Maverick is a NEXT who can manipulate memories, which explains why he was able to cover his tracks.

- Barnaby wakes up. He was sleeping with the enemy and doesn't know it.
- Kotetsu asks the heroes about what's happening with Barnaby. Then he gets a call by Maverick and that he is to come in private.
- Now Kotetsu and Maverick are chatting over a cup of coffee. Except that Kotetsu's cup is poisoned.
- Kotetsu is about to drink. But before that, he needs some cream. Now he can drink, but before that, he thinks he dropped a pin he bought for himself and Barnaby. Now he can drink, but he gets a call from Samantha to see her. Gotta run.
- But Maverick says "Not in my house." He orders a crime to keep the heroes busy.
- The heroes save the day again, but in the meantime, Maverick and company kidnap Samantha. Kotetsu comes back only to hear that Samantha got tired of waiting and went home.
- Kotetsu goes to Samantha's home, but finds another pin in his car. That one belongs to him, the other was Barnaby's. Now Kotetsu is on to something.
- In retaliation, Maverick orders Samantha to be killed with the photo burned.
- All the heroes and employees of Hero TV are assembled for an important announcement. But what happens is that everybody ends up drinking Maverick's special potion. Now nobody knows who Wild Tiger is.
- Now Kotetsu is going to work again, but is denied entry. He tries to prove he is Wild Tiger but to no avail. The reason, Kotetsu is a wanted man.
- Everybody is shocked that Kotetsu killed Samantha in cold blood. But none of the Hero TV personnel realize that their memories were manipulated. Perfect setup for Maverick.
- Now Kotetsu is on the run for a crime he did not commit. What's next?

And thus, this episode's developments were full of courtesy and full of crafts, with a strong emphasis of the craft part by Maverick and his ability to change memories. I have a feeling that what will happen next is that Lunatic will come in and save the day. While the heroes don't realize that Hero TV is a sham, Lunatic believes something is fishy about Hero TV, which it is. But through a series of logical deductions (http://antiotaku.files.wordpress.com/2011/05/tigerbunny0806.png), Lunatic will figure out that Kotetsu is indeed innocent. When all is said and done, I have a feeling that Lunatic will join forces with the heroes and Barnaby will be the one who exposes Maverick to the public. Then Agnes will become the new president of Apollon Media and will pull the plug on Hero TV.

[FUNiOP]

Yep, Lunatic is totally going to be the one to save Kotetsu. Not sure how everyone is going to get their memories back, though. I guess it only takes some jogging to get it back enough, and then Kotetsu can jog the rest as need be until everyone has their full memory back. Of course, anyone with common sense could figure out that Kotetsu is in fact Wild Tiger, since that tiny little piece of cloth around his eyes doesn't hide anything, and he looks exactly the same, but I guess it wouldn't work for them to acknowledge that at this point. It seems like there had to be an easier way for Maverick to get what he wanted. Like... just rewrite Kotetsu's memory like he was planning to, since he obviously knew where he was. I guess it's more fun to think of a ridiculously elaborate plan. Even though that could very easily go wrong. And will. Also, you'd think that with that kind of power, both in the sense of his actual powers and his influence in Ouroboros, Maverick would basically be able to rule the world if he wanted to, but I guess he's fine with ruling the hero world. Seems like a weird choice when you can do so much. And why does Ouroboros do whatever he wants anyway? They're basically just getting their own members arrested. I'm sure he pays them, but it doesn't seem like they'd be a very successful organization if they're willing to sacrifice as many members as this guy wants whenever he wants, and it doesn't seem like he should be making enough that it's worth giving away however much money they'd need to do that. I also feel like the animation is getting really lazy in a lot of parts. The CGI still looks relatively the same, and I've never been the biggest fan of using that much CGI in anime, but the traditional animation just seems to be losing it.

[ndm]

Of course, anyone with common sense could figure out that Kotetsu is in fact Wild Tiger, since that tiny little piece of cloth around his eyes doesn't hide anything, and he looks exactly the same, but I guess it wouldn't work for them to acknowledge that at this point.

I don't disagree, but I think they sort of addressed that when the guard didn't believe he was the real Wild Tiger. From memory, didn't the guard say something along the lines of "There have been a lot of imitators around lately". It's not impossible to think everyone might think he's someone going out of their way to look like Wild Tiger and not the actual person himself.

It seems like there had to be an easier way for Maverick to get what he wanted. Like... just rewrite Kotetsu's memory like he was planning to, since he obviously knew where he was. I guess it's more fun to think of a ridiculously elaborate plan. Even though that could very easily go wrong.

It appears his power takes some time to use. Everyone we've seen him use it on so far has either been preoccupied or drugged. After Kotetsu found the pin he probably would have noticed Maverick activating his Next powers and fought back.

[FUNiOP]

I don't disagree, but I think they sort of addressed that when the guard didn't believe he was the real Wild Tiger. From memory, didn't the guard say something along the lines of "There have been a lot of imitators around lately". It's not impossible to think everyone might think he's someone going out of their way to look like Wild Tiger and not the actual person himself.

Yeah, they kind of tried to address it there, but in real life, no one would be able to look that identical to another person, since the "mask" essentially changes nothing.

It appears his power takes some time to use. Everyone we've seen him use it on so far has either been preoccupied or drugged. After Kotetsu found the pin he probably would have noticed Maverick activating his Next powers and fought back.

Well yeah, if people notice, they can try to fight back, but he basically just needs to touch their head or whatever. He seems like a smart enough guy that he could figure out how to do that more often.

[Shiroi Hane]

I don't disagree, but I think they sort of addressed that when the guard didn't believe he was the real Wild Tiger. From memory, didn't the guard say something along the lines of "There have been a lot of imitators around lately". It's not impossible to think everyone might think he's someone going out of their way to look like Wild Tiger and not the actual person himself.
Yeah, they kind of tried to address it there, but in real life, no one would be able to look that identical to another person, since the "mask" essentially changes nothing.
The guard wouldn't expect the real Wild Tiger to have a fake pass.

[FUNiOP]

I don't disagree, but I think they sort of addressed that when the guard didn't believe he was the real Wild Tiger. From memory, didn't the guard say something along the lines of "There have been a lot of imitators around lately". It's not impossible to think everyone might think he's someone going out of their way to look like Wild Tiger and not the actual person himself.
Yeah, they kind of tried to address it there, but in real life, no one would be able to look that identical to another person, since the "mask" essentially changes nothing.
The guard wouldn't expect the real Wild Tiger to have a fake pass.

That's true. However, even in this futuristic 1978, it doesn't seem like it should be impossible to think that an electronic pass card system could malfunction at some point.

[FUNiOP]

Yep, Lunatic saves Kotetsu, although he doesn't fully explain himself yet. Maverick got a fake to stand in for Tiger, and apparently made everyone think that they knew Tiger just as they actually had, but that no one had ever seen Tiger's face or knew his identity. Surely they still have memories of him with just that little mask on though, which is basically the same thing as seeing his face. I guess this was Maverick's only option in his questionable plan, since otherwise he'd either have to erase their memories of Wild Tiger, which wouldn't work, since everyone else in the world remembers him, or they'd know Kotetsu. Also, how would he have had that rope thing if he wasn't really Wild Tiger? I figured Ben would remember him, since he didn't have his memory rewritten, as he was no longer working in the hero industry. It seems like an oversight Maverick should have caught, though. As of when I watched it, Hulu/Viz decided that we only needed subs for every other line or so, so I didn't catch everything, but Kotetsu has figured out that Maverick is behind it all, seemingly just from his information that Barnaby was with him. That's pretty impressive for him. He doesn't know who the fake Tiger is, though. I guess if Hundred Power is common enough for both he and Barnaby to have it in exactly the same way, there's no reason a third NEXT couldn't. It could also be something like Kaede, who can copy powers. He forms a plan with Ben that apparently involves wearing his old suit, which actually shows some of his face, and gathering the other heroes together atop Apollon Media. Actually, one of the other Hero TV employees tells Agnes that he was a man who looked like Kotetsu Kaburagi, even though he was in full hero costume. Do they really not know that he used to wear that suit? In fact, I don't even remember any Hero TV employees other than Agnes having their memory rewritten, although they did know Kotetsu was Tiger.

[Shiroi Hane]

That's true. However, even in this futuristic 1978, it doesn't seem like it should be impossible to think that an electronic pass card system could malfunction at some point.
Normally you would go to security to sort such things out, but there was the little business of the wanted bulletin...

[FUNiOP]

That's true. However, even in this futuristic 1978, it doesn't seem like it should be impossible to think that an electronic pass card system could malfunction at some point.
Normally you would go to security to sort such things out, but there was the little business of the wanted bulletin...

Well the point is there's no way he could actually look that much like Tiger does with his eye "mask" on, and there's no way people wouldn't be able to tell the difference or think that other people could look that much like him. We're obviously just supposed to ignore logic to go along with this plot.

[Funkatron]

Kaede getting patted on the head by Maverick soooo means she has his power now. How she'll use it, I'm not sure. Also, Tiger figuring everything out made sense: I mean everything went to crap right after he talked to Maverick who just so happened to completely lie about the whereabouts of Barnaby. It was smart of Maverick to have another Tiger, though I think he's just a robot. I wonder if Karina has a crush on dark Tiger :p

[FUNiOP]

Kaede getting patted on the head by Maverick soooo means she has his power now. How she'll use it, I'm not sure.

Absolutely.

[Buckeye]

With the way the episode develops, I have a feeling that Kaede will be the one who will cancel out Maverick's power and help the heroes remember everything since Kaede now has his NEXT powers. As for who the fake Tiger is, it is either Barnaby or an android, but I think it is an android.

[WTK]

It's kind of late for Viz Media to do this now, but they have just uploaded a HD capable trailer (2:58): Tiger and Bunny Trailer - Heroes Spotlight (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_JiRgs0I9E).

[FUNiOP]

Everything happened as most of us predicted. But the answer to the questions I had about how they would happen are answered by pure plot convenience. Kaede doesn't even know what she's doing, but she just happens to restore everyone's memories of Kotetsu exactly as they need to be, even though Maverick has never even been shown restoring any actual memories. Well the scenes with Kotetsu trying to make Barnaby remember him by acting just like they used to were really great. Except why the hell is he calling him "Barnaby" instead of "Bunny" now, even though he's never done that before, and calling him "Bunny" would totally fit with this whole "make him remember you" plan?

[Buckeye]

Previously, Kotetsu was on the run after being framed for a crime he did not commit. He is saved by Lunatic, and then runs into Ben who still remembers him and gives him his old suit, which he wears and brings together the other heroes, minus Barnaby, whose memories have been tampered with.

- Kotetsu tries to make the heroes remember the old Wild Tiger. Failed.
- Now Kotetsu tries to expose their secrets. Blue Rose is starting to come back to the truth, but Rock Bison still thinks he's desperate.
- Now Sky High is about to arrest Kotetsu. Until...
- It's Kaede to the rescue, who now lets Kotetsu know that she knows everything.
- Kaede, now with Maverick's power to alter memories, uses her NEXT and everybody remembers. She's desperate to bring clear her father's name.
- By identifying the person who last touched Kaede as Maverick, the heroes now know that Maverick is behind everything and that he must be stopped at all cost.
- With that, Kaede deserves a tap on the shoulders, courtesy of Sky High. Uh, oh!
- Now Barnaby attacks, but he is still Maverick's puppet. Kaede, do your thing.
- Whoops! Kaede now has Sky High's power. What to do now?
- Now Kotetsu and Barnaby have a score to settle. Kotetsu is trying to return Barnaby to his old self, and Barnaby trying to take out his misguided vengeance on Kotetsu. But first, Kotetsu needs to get back his regular suit.
- In the meantime, the fake Tiger attacks the other heroes.
- Now Kotetsu and Barnaby are on a high speed chase on their motorbikes. And that brings the stage to a drawbridge where Good Luck mode is activated. To be continued.

As I would have predicted, Kaede does indeed bring back the memories of the heroes since she had Maverick's powers. And so, bad luck that was Barnaby's memories still being manipulated leads to good luck, where Tiger and Barnaby are battling with Good Luck mode, which as Saito explained earlier, only adds style and no substance to the heroes' attacks.

[FUNiOP]

Oh god. "Bunny" really was the trigger. Even though there's no reason Kotetsu would suddenly be calling him "Barnaby" after always calling him "Bunny". And it worked because it pissed him off. Even though he's had no problem with Kotetsu always calling him "Bunny" since the halfway point of the series. And he calls him "Old Man" back. Even though he hasn't done that since that point. And somehow this not only did this make him remember Kotetsu, it also went back one step to make him remember the truth about Maverick. Whatever you say...

[Buckeye]

Previously, Kaede came to the rescue to turn all the affected heroes minus Barnaby back to normal, and then they were attacked by a fake Wild Tiger, while the real one fights a still-brainwashed Barnaby.

- Good Luck Mode activated.
- Kotetsu tries revealing himself to Barnaby, who loses his helmet. Fail.
- Now Kotetsu slaps him. Another fail.
- Now he goes on telling stories. Fail again, and Barnaby is losing it.
- Fight goes on, but then, he Lil' Bunny is out of the bag.
- Ah, so Barnaby still remembers that he hates being called Bunny. Memories are back to normal.
- Great timing. Ben has a taxi waiting for them.
- Even better, Saito and his armored vehicle full of his innovations.
- Next step is to expose Maverick. But it has to be done the hard way as Agnes is still brainwashed.
- Incoming call from Blue Rose. Except it's not Blue Rose.
- What happened? The other heroes and Kaede lost to a fake. Report to the Justice Tower, Tiger and Barnaby.
- A scene reminiscent of the boat hostage scene in The Dark Knight. The other heroes are trapped in a room wearing a bomb. They can save themselves at the expense of the others or choose to die with the everybody else.
- Tiger and Barnaby at the Justice Tower, meet the fake Wild Tiger, built by none other than the same scientist who built Cis, Dr. Rotwang. And Saito's video bug is allowing him to watch the action from the truck.
- Time for battle, but whoops! The bug gets squished.
- Who needs heroes when cyborgs can do all the crime fighting? Apparently Rotwang only thinks of heroes as killing machines.

And so misfortunes do not come singly as in the fact that five heroes and Kaede were kidnapped by Maverick rather than just one damsel in distress. I had a feeling that Bunny would be the key to Barnaby remembering who he was and that Kaede would have to be kidnapped now that Maverick knows that she is a NEXT.

[Buckeye]

Previously, Kotetsu got a brainwashed Barnaby to remember him by calling him Lil' Bunny, and now, the two are at the Justice Tower while the other heroes are held captive in a scene resembling the boat scene in the Dark Knight.

- It's time for Tiger and Barnaby to fight H-01, the fake Wild Tiger.
- Oh no! They can't use their Hundred Power just yet.
- In the meantime, Saito is trying to hack that machine to shut it down.
- Back at the city council meeting. Maverick has gone missing and the Heroes are not being show.
- In the meantime, it looks like Lunatic won't be of much help hurting his left shoulder in his fight with H-01.
- Now Maverick is in. The heroes are at work and that's that.
- Will one of the heroes lose faith and press the button? Rock Bison, don't even think about it. Sky High, that goes for you, too.
- Now, the Hundred Power can be used. Tiger and Barnaby have a fighting chance.
- Still not enough, time to break out Good Luck Mode.
- The android got whooped. Now, the heroes are saved, except...
- That android won't die. What to do next?
- Blue Rose, great job standing up for the heroes. Now nobody will press the button of death.
- It's Kaede to the rescue, with the help of Blue Rose's NEXT.
- Now Tiger is immobilizing the android and urges Barnaby to shoot the droid.
- Barnaby: But I'll hit you. Kotetsu: I'll get out of the way before it hits.
- Barnaby shoots with the gun that droid carried. Target destroyed, but...
- Now Rotwang says that nobody was going to be saved to begin with, and all will die. But
- It's Kaede to the rescue. Now Rotwang has been put on hold for good and the heroes break out.
- Kotetsu: I'm sorry. My power lasts a minute shorter than usual.
- The heroes are free and only Maverick stands in the way. But Kotetsu...

And so, with nothing ventured, nothing was gained. Kotetsu made the decision to venture with his sacrificial plan, and the heroes have been saved. But with Kotetsu apparently dead, this sets up for the final showdown with Maverick. And the big question remains to be seen: Is Kotetsu dead or alive? The final episode awaits. I personally think there is no way he dies. Not if they want to make a second season that is in the works apparently.

[Buckeye]

Onto the final episode where previously, the H-01, who was standing in as a fake Wild Tiger, was destroyed, but with Kotetsu also taking a huge hit from the blast.

- One H-01 was tough enough. But now, they must fight a whole army of them.
- Luckily for the heroes, the Safety Mode was inserted into these robots. Saito saves the day.
- Maverick: Safety mode. No prob, I will disable it.
- Heroes: Not so fast.
- Rotwang is hanging for dear life. Too bad his usefulness has ended according to Maverick.
- Maverick: You, arrest me? Good luck because the citizens trust me more than they trust you.
- But then, it's Agnes to the rescue, waiting until everybody is watching.
- In a desperate move, Kaede is held at gunpoint. Nice try, but...
- It's Kotetsu, back from the dead, putting Maverick in his place.
- With nowhere to run, what's a criminal gotta do? Erase his own memories en route to prison. But not after letting everybody know that he is not the leader of Ouroboros.
- Kotetsu: My powers have faded so I'm announcing my retirement. Barnaby: If you retire, then I'm also retiring.
- En route to prison, the vehicle a vegetated Maverick is in had been was attacked by, you guessed it, Lunatic. Although he doesn't realize it, Mr. Legend has been avenged.
- Fast forward to one year later. Hero TV is still alive and kicking, but now all crimes are actual crimes. The other five heroes are still going at it.
- And look at who decides to pull a Brett Favre. It's Wild Tiger. Except that he's now Wild Tiger 1 Minute.
- Some things never change, and although his power works for only one minute, Kotetsu is back to his old self.
- And in returning to duty, Barnaby is back.
- Final credits roll, and in the final scene, Ouroboros is still out there. With the seal on the Sternbild dollar revealing its logo when exposed to water, that means they are right around the corner.

And so, the ending wraps up this series nicely. No way Kotetsu dies, as his powers allow him to heal faster than usual like the time he got thrashed by Jake. And then, I have a feeling that Agnes was pretending to still be brainwashed so that she can wait until the ratings go through the roof to expose Maverick, and that Saito tipped her off to it. With hints of a second season, I am fully expecting that to happen considering it's potential with American audiences. It's only fitting that Lunatic kills Maverick since Maverick is the one who triggered all those crimes for his father to thwart, and all that stress caused him to go into depression that led to all those domestic abuse problems, even though Lunatic doesn't realize all that. Seems like the Ouroboros are operating somewhere from within the government if they were able to put a hidden seal on the city's money, which would set up things nicely for a second season, as well as how Kotetsu handles being the one minute guy.

[FUNiOP]

Ah, these last few episodes were much better than many of the earlier episodes. It all wrapped up in quite a satisfying way, while of course leaving room for a sequel. I definitely don't think it's the best show in the last couple of seasons like a lot of people seem to, it was definitely a fun little ride, and I'd be fine with watching another season of it.

[Ingraman]

- Fast forward to one year later.

What? No comment about Karina's bookstore browsing? ^_^;;

- And look at who decides to pull a Brett Favre. It's Wild Tiger. Except that he's now Wild Tiger 1 Minute.
- Some things never change, and although his power works for only one minute, [...]There's a pill for that?

[...] Kotetsu is back to his old self.That was fun, along with his excuse for going back to work. ^_^

I only started watching Tiger & Bunny about a week and a half ago. It's not the greatest show, but it was a lot of fun. It's far too late to bother importing it, but I might pick up a domestic release.