Commercialize Heroism

Written by marvizgam on November 28, 2011 at 6:46 AM

Tiger & Bunny bring something new to the concept of modern heroism and that is blending heroic deeds with business and entertainment. The idea of Hero TV is indeed fresh and you don’t see it often on hero shows and that what makes this anime unique is that it was able to portray that kind of genre quite effectively complete with live broadcast, commercial sponsorship, even utilizing a point-rank system that monitors each hero’s achievement giving a new meaning to the idea “pure” live entertainment. The animation is lively and colourful with a mix of 3D and each of the hero’s costume are great to look at and you can even see “popular” brands like “BANDAI, SHIFiguarts, and even Pepsi” printed on their costumes adding to the uniqueness of the series.

Unfortunately, the show is plague with poor plots and weak hero characters while the constant shift from action, comedy to just plain goofy sometimes makes you wonder if this is an action “hero” series or just a comedic anime “parody” on western comic heroes. Wild Tiger is a likable character and your typical idealistic hero selfless, good nature and optimistic, however, his constant blunder, clumsiness and wacky remarks make you wonder if he really is a hero or the series comedian. Barnaby/Bunny started out as interesting character cool, serious and charismatic with a tragic past but as the series progress his obsession in finding out the truth about his parent murder made him sloppy and reckless as the other heroes making him a bit of a disappointment. If there is a hero in the series that peak my interest that would be Lunatic mainly due the fact that his tragic past validates his action as an “anti-hero” with his own brand of justice and the fact that he work in the justice bureau makes his involvement in the series something to look forwards to, unfortunately, it was never explored fully.

I think what saved the series are the last few episodes which really highlights what the show is all about. The revelation of the mastermind behind HeroTV and Tiger’s suddenly becoming a wanted criminal pursue by all the heroes including his own partner, Bunny, was riveting and effectively showcase the “dark-side” of Hero worship and fandom. The heroes’ anxiety and dilemma on whether or not they really are cut out to be “celebrity heroes” while facing annihilation has shown that the show can pull of off a more serious and thrilling scenes. Tiger & Bunny may not be the best comic-hero series and is a far cry from that of western comic book heroes but it certainly has potential and if ever it sprouts a sequel I just hope it concentrate more on the “hero celebrity” angle and much more serious tone rather than a comedic one.