Tiger and Bunny

By: Robert Murphy

In the vast metropolitan city of Sterbild, there are many different people who call this place home but none are more amazing than the superhuman people that live here and have abilities that the people refer to as “NEXT.” These people started to pop up more and more throughout the city over the years and now some of the best of them are featured on a television program called “Hero TV” where they all compete for points earned while they stop various crimes throughout the city. Our story focuses around these heroes but two in particular who become the first ever hero team to be fighting crime, the veteran hero named “Wild Tiger” and his partner who just made his debut Barnaby, doubly named “Bunny” by his partner for the large ear like shapes on his costume. The two are horribly mismatched but must work together to fight crime and save the city from the various crimes that occur, sometimes by other NEXT users like themselves, all in order to be crowned “King of Heroes.”

Now I started watching “Tiger and Bunny” for the pure humor I saw and got by watching commercials for it and got a lot more out of it than just that. The show is one of those animes that does take a little time to break through at the beginning while establishing some ground work for the rest of the show but you’ll be happy once you get through it. The show offers a very interesting concept in which super heroes not only fight to stop crime and save people but they also become incredibly popular television stars as well. But this isn’t what it’s all about for one of the heroes, Wild Tiger who is probably the most deserving of praise and admiration is the least popular among all the heroes which stings a little for him but doesn’t stop him from giving it his all and saving the day more often than not. In fact just one time I’d love for him to rub in the faces of those who criticize his abilities as a hero but he isn’t like that but his actions do affect those around him especially his partner Barnaby and the other heroes. This really good for Barnaby because he is initially a butt munch of a character that I didn’t like but he truly changes being partnered with Wild Tiger.    

For me what really sells the how is the characters themselves, all have their own unique motives for why they became heroes in the first place and the show does an excellent job of telling their stories as they grow throughout the show. The show gets effectively stronger as it goes on and digs into the characters personalities and what they’re all about while throwing in some crime fighting here and there. The crime fighting almost takes a back seat for the most part in some episodes and you know I don’t really mind it because the story I was watching was great. However when there was action it was great to watch as well, each hero has their own unique power except for Barnaby and Wild Tiger who have the same ability which makes their dynamic partnership even better once it finally kicks in. The show builds up right till the end when our heroes and they say their “goodbyes” pretty much which felt a little flat but it was the end after all but it could have been handled a little better.

Overall “Tiger and Bunny” was one of those shows that I received more than I had expected from watching it, I thought it’d be good for a few laughs and maybe some action but it turned out to have more of a story to it than I expected. The characters in the show are really what drive it home, Wild Tiger is such a good main character and he makes all the others even better throughout the show especially his partner Barnaby. The stories idea too was very interesting as characters compete for points as they save the lives of innocent men and woman throughout the city Sterbild with unique powers and big name sponsors on their bodies.

Good:

-Strong characters and character development through the show

-Plenty of laughs along with action

-A story that catches you by surprise

Bad:

-Takes some build up at the start like 5 episodes or so to get into it but you’ll be happy you stuck with it

-The ending could have been done much better

Scully Rating: 8.8 out of 10