This show might be called "Tiger & Bunny", but honestly, this is Tiger's show. A middle aged, single father, Tiger is our lead character. He's a bumbling, honest, hard working guy and at first I was a bit dismayed. All the other heroes in the show are so much more visually interesting or have cooler powers. Tiger gets increased strength, speed, and endurance when he activates his powers - but only for 5 minutes. Wow. But the power fits his personality so well. And it also puts him into a unique position amongst the rest of the heroes, whose abilities last forever. Tiger's powers give him a time limit and that makes any situation he gets into that much more intense. Outside of his powers, it's Tiger's relationships with his partner, Bunny, the other heroes, and his family that push the show forward, and that focus makes for a united narrative.
Naturally, Bunny plays a large role. When watching the first few episodes, I figured we'd get a series of episodes featuring the extended cast - setting up the world - and then we'd go into a Tiger based story and a Bunny based story. But interestingly, the show uses Bunny's quest to kind of frame the entire show. You see, Bunny is the Batman of this world, seeking justice/vengeance for the death of his parents. I thought this was going to be the over-arching plot for the WHOLE show, but no, the writer's actually end this plotline relatively quickly. I was totally taken off my feet and after that, it was near impossible to guess how the show would move forward. I loved it.
Artistically, T&B is a VERY well executed show. The city in which it's set, Sternbuild, has this amazing design to it, evoking the urban landscapes that I've come to know reading Marvel Comics, but also the over-the-top architecture of Batman & Robin-era Gotham City. ENORMOUS statues litter the city and are worked into buildings or support columns, creating an very interesting visual. All of the characters have very unique designs, both in costume and out, which also helps ground the show. Tiger looks like an older guy when he stands next to Bunny, enhancing the fact that he's supposed to be middle aged.
Rather than being all animated though, the heroes are CG models when in costume. At first it was a bit jarring - especially when Tiger lifts his facemask and there's an animated face combined with a CG body. But that quickly moves into the background as you move further into the show and pretty soon you don't even notice it.
I have only 3 complaints that I can think of, so I'll make this simple.
1) The initial fight with the first "BIG" villain. When he's introduced, we're unsure of the Villains powers or plan, but he challenges ALL of the heroes while holding the city hostage. I was absolutely impressed by not only his chutzpah, but the idea that he would take on all the heroes at once! Or even more interesting, how all of these rivals would work together to take down such a powerful foe. Instead, he proposes the classic anime tournament and I had to sigh.
2) Fire Emblem. Give the gay guy flame powers. HOW VERY CLEVER. I couldn't tell if I was supposed to laugh at this or cringe. Emblem is actually a pretty cool character in show, I loved how much he teased the rest of the cast while still keeping a "den mother" type feel.
3) The fact that Lunatic's plotline wasn't further addressed. I got a bit giddy when they introduced this Punisher-esque character and I love how he was used in the show. However, we never got any real plot for him. I understand that there is only so much the writers can fit in without sacrificing SOMETHING and I'm happy with the show as is. I just wish that this story could - or will? - be told somewhere.
This show looks good, has excellent pacing, and is incredibly well written. Tiger & Bunny manages to focus on it's characters without sacrificing it's plot movement or vice versa. Well executed acting helps sell the characters drama and modern, clean visuals convey both the drama and actions scenes well. Absolutely a show worth watching.
