Okay, M, so what the hell is Tiger & Bunny?

[mad_madam_m]

So I originally posted this entry on my Tumblr back in January 2018, and figured it was as good a place as any to start moving some of my rambles/not!fics/random meta over here. And besides, more people should know about Tiger & Bunny!

Note: I switched out the original gifs for my own screenshots, because reasons.

I’ve been debating making a post like this since, oh, December 1, but with the holidays I haven’t had the time to sit down and do it. But since:

1) I’ve typed out an explanation to no less than 3 people in the past 24 hours,
2) I’ve got another fic for it waiting to be posted, and
3) a new Tiger & Bunny series was just announced yesterday and I’m still screaming about it,

I figure now’s a good time to talk about my newest obsession. XD

Before we get started: I place the blame for me getting into this squarely on @paintedrecs and @domesticated-chaos. Everything is your fault forever. I love you both.

ANYWAY.


Tiger & Bunny is a superhero anime where heroes are sponsored by companies and they're filmed as they save the city. It's aired as a reality show called Hero TV, and the heroes earn points for things like saving citizens, arresting criminals, and being the first on the scene. The hero with the most points at the end of the season is crowned King of Heroes.

Our main character is Kotetsu Kaburagi, aka Wild Tiger. He's been a hero for several years, but he's not very popular nowadays because he's more concerned with saving people than with getting points. (He also has a tendency not to worry about little things like property damage while he's saving people, much to the chagrin of his sponsors.)



In the first episode of the anime, his sponsor company is bought out, and he ends up being partnered with a new hero, Barnaby Brooks, Jr., who's very logical, by the book, and MUCH more concerned with points, and so is basically the total opposite of Kotetsu (at least, at first glance).



If you are even remotely familiar with tropes, you can guess how happy they are at being forced to work as partners.

So yes. The progression of their partnership—going from rivals to working together to actually coming to trust each other—is the backbone of the series, and it’s absolutely delightful to watch. (Also, like, so much my jam. Jeez.) Both seasons have complete story arcs, too, so you don’t have to worry about cliffhangers or being left unfulfilled.

(Also, you know how shows sometimes go “are you shipping these two yet? No? Okay, wait, hold my beer.”? That’s basically Tiger & Bunny from literally the first second they meet. Not even remotely exaggerating.)


(Pictured: The first second they meet.)

Still not convinced? Here are some other things I loved about the show:

• Kotetsu is a single dad whose 9-year-old daughter has no idea he’s a hero and thus, no idea why he keeps missing out on her stuff. (I can’t believe this show gave me a canonical single dad I mean GOD BLESS.)
• The relationship between Kotetsu and his daughter is delightful. It doesn’t get much screentime in the first season, but in season two? Ho boy. <3 Such a good, especially in the last few episodes.
• The other heroes are fantastic, which was really surprising—I did not expect to love all of them as much as I do but here we are—and we also got quite a few episodes focusing on the other heroes to develop them. (Really hoping that the two who didn’t really get an episode are going to get one in the new series *crosses fingers*).
• “Rivals to friends to partners o…sobbing in each other’s arms because they can’t go on without each other” @paintedrecs with the most accurate description ever that I have pulled out literally every time I talk about this show.
• Seriously, you can read Barnaby and Kotetsu’s relationship however you like, but it makes a lot more sense if you read it as a romance. Not that I’m biased. XD
• Found families! Hopeful storylines! Action! Adventure! Lots of funnies! *twirls around and flings glitter confetti everywhere*

I think that’s just about everything I can say without diving significantly into spoiler territory, but yeah. XD

Tiger & Bunny is great! It’s on Netflix (at least in the US; possibly other countries?? not sure)! Go watch it and come flail with me about anime superhero husbands!