Halfadeckshort on April 6, 2011 · in Other Series

Summary:

As the underpaid and meagerly-equipped police force of Stern Bild are about to lose three robbery suspects fleeing the scene of an armored truck robbery with a mountain of cash, the heroes of the popular Hero TV program arrive to assist in the apprehension of the ne’er-do-wells. Smiling for the camera and their fans, these heroes give it their all most somewhat to fight for truth, justice, and the promotional consideration of their generous corporate sponsors and stakeholders. Kotetsu “Wild Tiger” Kaburagi, hero, nice guy, and follower of the classical notions of comic book heroism (dashing flair with a twist of altruistic anonymity and a heaping side of collateral damage), can’t help but be disappointed when his offer to save one of the robbers from a flaming blimp is rejected in favor of a rescue by a more popular hero, the truly enviable Sky High. Falling afoul of his own limitations, and the force of gravity, Kotetsu ends up needing a rescue himself, and is saved by the younger, more handsome, and less restrained Barnaby Brooks Junior.

Wild Tiger’s string of bad luck continues at the seasonal Hero TV awards show, as he comes in just ahead of the perpetually low-scoring Origami Cyclone and has to endure the disappointment of his boss, who takes Kotetsu to firm but gentle task for the damage bill he racked up during his latest “save.” Unable to turn away from the signs of his declining popularity, and surrounded by the evidence of his failures on the home front as well as on the battle lines, Kotetsu goes to work one day to find that his backing company has been bought out and that his new corporate overlord wants him to take on a different image, and a new partner. Reluctant to go on, unable to refuse, and secretly pleased by his new hero attire, Kotetsu accepts the new terms of his employment and goes out on his first assignment….

Reactions:

Halfadeckshort: Okay, so it’s no Watchmen or Ex Machina… yet, but it is a pretty fun imagining of the realistic side of the hero business from the perspective of a down-on-his-luck salaryman, er, superhero, forced to deal with the realities of corporate downsizing. From the promo materials I didn’t expect this to be nearly as cynical and world-weary as it comes across but from Kotetsu’s dissatisfaction with the way his job is going, and his struggle to be even a part-time dad, to Blue Rose’s complaints about her cheesy catch phrase, the characters just hit all the right notes for me. Sure it’s got the textbook setup for a clichéd buddy cop movie, but the creatively goofy moments, like the suspect wanting to be rescued by the more popular Sky High, Blue Rose’s pinky-extended save, or the way that Rock Bison’s (sponsored by Kronos foods) signature horns keep tripping him up, kept me laughing for most of the show.

Funny as it is, the main selling point for me is that Kotetsu’s character comes across as extremely genuine, and I can’t help but sympathize with the “aging” underdog. The show does, of course, have meta-commentary slathered all over it, and you can easily read the first episode as a discourse on the anime industry (or media distribution, or…) even as it lampoons corporate sponsorship and reality TV, but that doesn’t stop it from being fun. I really hope this one doesn’t crash and burn (like most of the Fire Emblem jokes), but as long as it upholds the promise displayed here, this is a definite watch for me this season.

Kabitzin: Man that scoring system was totally wack, although I do appreciate that there is a cap on the points you can rack up from saving bystanders.  For all of Agnes’s acumen, how are there no exclusive interviews or confessional booths?  Those on-screen info things were totally useless.  I need stats!  STATS!!!  It was good to see Pepsi getting in on this advertising action (although I was drinking a Nestlé beverage while watching this), and I’m ready for a live action cosplay version of that commercial to take on the other big players of the drink world.  Like Halfadeckshort, I found the first episode entertaining, but I worry about the other heroes being just shallow one-joke ponies and the story not having any staying power.  Bring on the 5-minute man jokes!

Leenina: Tiger & Bunny is one of the most Western anime I’ve seen in a while. This thing could easily be made into a live-action movie or even an American TV show. But it looks great in animation, so I’m not complaining. I was really impressed by the use of CG in the first episode, where it meshed pretty well with the surroundings. The action scene introducing all the heroes was especially well-made and just a treat to watch. The main concept is original and leaves a lot of room open for exploration of how the hero system has changed the aim of saving people from simply doing good deeds to fame and fortune. They’ve introduced enough characters to portray several different interpretations of the system; I’ll bet we’ll see a hero who passes up saving a citizen in favor of catching a criminal to get that +200 points at least once in the series’ run. While the show’s desire to appeal to Western audiences leaves us with some pretty basic problems for Kotetsu (oh no, his job as a hero means he’ll have to miss his daughter’s dance recital even though he promised he’d go!), it’s still refreshing enough that I’ll stick around. If you passed this one up at first, I suggest you give it another try.

Zyl: Like Halfadeckshort, I was pleasantly surprised by the uncomfortable melding of corporate imperatives and the super hero ethos and found it difficult not to sympathize with Kotetsu, particularly when contrasted with the hero of Astro Fight Sunred (which worked fantastically by overwhelming the superhero vs. villain dynamic within the tedium of ordinary everyday life). Glimpses of the off-screen quibbles of the other Heroes and Heroines also seem promising though I am concerned about how they will balance the new vs old-type hero rivalry with showing us more about the rest of the cast while tying everything together in some sort of grand narrative. In any case, I’m looking forward the next episode.

Tagged as: First Impressions