The core concept behind Tiger and Bunny isn’t exactly new
and/or original. The superhero as a celebrity aspect has been paraded around
before, most notably in the Iron Man films. Tiger and Bunny simply takes this
to the next conceivable consumer level, the superhero as a reality TV star. As
a self-confessed marvel geek, this very notion is contradictory to what
constitutes as a hero, which is a well-held running theme. What is so
controversial about this premise is the notion that the superheroes fight crime
in order to win brownie points as oppose to their personal sense of moral
justice. In fact the only character that really maintains old skool hero values
is our primary protagonist, Tiger which initially results in his low ranking
and often become more of a hindrance.
The secondary protagonist, Bunny has a tragic backstory
more in keeping with the classic superhero roots, pretty blatantly a Batman
rip. Fortunately the writers have the good sense to spin a new angle and make
the character mainly concerned with solving his parents’ murder as oppose to becoming
a vigilante. However we don’t learn much about the other heroes and when we do
it often exposes their all too human motivations, pressure from parents,
wanting to stand out or in the case of Blue Rose, wanting to become a teen
idol. In the long run it renders the characters human and flawed, which is not
what heroes are supposed to represent. Yet by grounding them in a sense of
reality, it actually gives them a greater depth rather than having them
portrayed as saints taking on societies responsibilities just because they were
born with super powers.
Having said that there are a few minor hiccups, the most
notable is in regards to Tiger and his conflict as both superhero and single
father. While it’s a nice twist to have a single father superhero, in this
particular anime which re-writes the superhero genre, it’s never really
explained why this division is necessary. Since his identity is kept secret and
the rest of his immediate family already know, why hide it from his pre-teen
daughter? Doesn’t he want her know? Wouldn’t that make his life easier?
Wouldn’t she be more sympathetic with his absentee parenting? Or he could just
quit and raise his child full time, which should actually take priority. In all
it seems too contrived and too forced, not to mention almost out of context
with the show.
What really intrigued me about this show was the
collaboration between cultures. The notion of the superhero, the overt
commercialization and especially the setting right down to the dollar currency
system are grounded in western ideologies. Even the genesis of the superheroes
has a lot in common with another popular American franchise, the X-Men. Yet
later on when Tiger leaves to visit his daughter we’re transported to a rural
Japanese backdrop. This element of harmony is made none the more clearer than
between the two protagonists, Tiger is obviously Japanese and Bunny is western,
presumably American. Interestingly there is a similar congruence with the
futuristic technological advances whilst being set in 1978 (according to the
Christmas clock). Overall this blend mingled well with the plot, adding an
extra creative boost along the way.
As everyone should know, every good superhero requires a
nemesis. While Tiger and Bunny did deliver a big bad towards the end of the
series both with an unexpected twist and the potential for a much greater
threat, this paled in comparison to the anti-hero, Lunatic. The character was
introduced in small intervals allowing the audience to connect the dots while
the protagonists remain blissfully unaware. It was almost a shame that Lunatic
wasn’t utilized more. Still, there is
plenty of room for a follow up series and even talk of a movie.
Rating: 8.5/10
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