Anime Review: Tiger & Bunny

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Hero, Supernatural
Episodes: 25
Aired: 2011

Producers: Sunrise, Viz Media

This title brings to mind some macho chavinistic pig (MCP) and his sexy sidekick, which probably isn't too far from the truth. Although the MCP is a clumsy, bumbling middle-aged man with a 10-year-old daughter and the sidekick is a young, good-looking newcomer breaking into the Heroes scene.

Wild Tiger is a veteran Hero in the city of Sternbild, where people with superhero powers, also known as 'Next' are masked, stamped on with sponsor brands and put on live TV as the most popular entertainment reality series. The idea is quite intriguing really, that heroic duties can become like a sport and be commercialised in this manner, and heroes themselves are commodities that advertisers buy.

Tiger and Bunny is a good old superhero story where its characters shine through. This is one of the few animes I have come across where the main protagonist really steals the show. Wild Tiger, Kaburagi Kotetsu, is genuinely likeable as a papa bear kind of guy who thinks of others before himself. He's touted as an 'old man' in the show because his comradaries, or rivals, are all young adults, but really, he looks to be just in his mid 30s.

Here - papa Kotetsu.

His dream is to save people with his Hundred powers, which is a burst of extra strength and speed for 5 minutes (after which he has to recharge for an hour).

He starts off in an ugly blue spandex hero outfit but changes into a cool-looking armour into the series.

When the show opens, he's at the bottom of the ranking, as he tends to destroy buildings and other property more than arrest criminals or protect citizens. Each good deed comes tagged with points - 200 points for each bad guy arrested and 100 points for each citizen saved. Their activities are documented on the popular programme known as Hero TV, which ranks the Heroes according to the points scored, and crowns a 'King of Heroes' annually.

The current King of Heroes is Sky High, who wields the power to control wind. In reality, Sky High is like the kind-hearted and polite popular jock, and a little of an airhead. He often repeats himself as he wants to make sure that everyone understands him, his catchphrase being "Thank you... and thank you!" which is really quite funny as it tends to annoy Kotetsu.

Barnaby Brooks Jr is the newcomer who takes over as King of Heroes as the series continue. His powers are the same as Kotetsu, and their boss teams them up together as the city's first Superhero pair. Unlike Kotetsu, Barnaby has an agenda in becoming a Hero - he's looking for his parents' murderer, and he's bent on raking in the points to take over as King of Heroes. He starts off on the wrong foot with Kotetsu and, in relation to his name Barnaby, and the fact that his Hero suit has two long protruding ears, Kotetsu calls him Bunny.

In the 25 episodes, much of the storyline revolves around Barnaby's history and his search for the killer. During which, the relationships between the Heroes play out. Kotetsu and Rock Bison, who has the strength of an ox as his name suggests, are good friends outside of their suits. Bison is another veteran who is strong and good-natured, but is usually in the background otherwise.

Fire Emblem is a flamboyant guy who thinks himself as one of the girls, and has the ability to create flames. He's constantly flirting with the guys and is the one to relieve the tension and put out the fire in most heated situations, ironically. His cape is amazingly depicted though, it looks alive as though it is really made of his flames.

Blue Rose casts ice and initially we see her doing the lightest of Hero work and staying out of harm's way. Her dream is actually to become a singing idol, but her sponsoring company has used that as a negotiating tool to make her a Hero first and Idol second. She gradually falls for Tiger and his caring ways, and begins to take her Hero responsibilities seriously. The only beef I have with her is the two 'tentacles' that protrude from her back as part of her costume. They are ugly,  useless and do not value-add in any way.

The other real girl among the Heroes is Dragon Kid, who is supposedly of Chinese descent and possesses lightning ability as well as kung-fu fighting skills. She helps Tiger understand his own daughter better, given the similarity of their age. The 2 round Mickey Mouse signboards on her head are the epitome of advertising. She's practically a walking billboard for Calbees and DMM.com.

Lastly is Origami Cyclone, who initially does nothing but show up in the background when other Heroes are being interviewed on Hero TV, in a bid to raise the profiles of his sponsors. We soon find out why: his ability is being able to transform himself into others. Given that their duties are to arrest bad guys and save people, it's not a skill that comes in handy often. One wonders how he came to be part of the Heroes in the first place.

Overall, an interesting cast led by a strong protagonist. The only oddity is probably Barnaby's 180 degree change in attitude towards Tiger in the middle of he series, without an in-depth explanation why, which would have been a boon given that this series is centred around their relationship as partners.

Still, enjoyed it very much and wish there are more animes like this.

Rating: 9/10

Anime Review: Blood Lad

Genre: Action, Comedy, Drama, Supernatural
Episodes: 10
Aired: 2013

Producers: Brains Base, Kadokawa Shoten, Viz Media, The Klock Worx, flying DOG

 

 

 

 

 

 

Vampire otaku meets Tokyo girl who died and now, his sole mission is to resurrect her so he can continue his obsession with Japanese humans. That pretty much sums up this series.

Staz Charlie Blood is the eccentric vampire boss of the Eastern territory of the demon world, and comes from a line of noble purebloods. He has little interest in human blood, or any blood for that matter, as he spends his days obsessing over Japanese culture. In fact, he looks like a NEET instead of the powerful triad boss that he is.

Then he meets Yanagi Fuyumi, who wanders into the demon world by accident and suddenly, he thinks he may be interested in human blood after all. Then she got eaten up by a demon plant in his apartment and becomes a ghost. So he vows to bring her back to life.

In their quest to resurrect Fuyumi, a whole cast of characters appear as side-kicks to push the plot along. There's Bell, a powerful magician that casts dimensional spells, who later falls for Staz and becomes accessory to his plans. Wolf, his childhood friend, is a werewolf (big surprise) and the boss of the Western territories. He, too, falls for Fuyumi and ends up helping the pair.

Then we meet Staz's older brother, Braz, and younger sister, Liz. And suddenly, another plot runs parallel - Braz's secret plan of revenge. The high society of the demon world, Acropolis, is ruled by Wolf Daddy. It is later revealed that he stole the throne by killing the Blood's father a decade ago. Since then, Braz has been experimenting ways to bring his father back to life to reclaim the throne.

Actually, that doesn't seem too have anything to do with the main story, other than Staz had to approach Braz for advice on the resurrection process, as he seems to have conveniently written a book on how to resurrect a human, which he researched into because of his father.

Oh, and we also find out that Bell is actually Fuyumi's step sister. Their mothers are dopplegangers from their respective worlds and when the demon mum met the earth mum, they fused into one person. That's how Fuyumi lost her mother. This is another plot thrown into the mix that the series could have done without, not with only 10 episodes anyway. Towards the end, the plot thickens and the finale leaves one hanging. Seems like one big-ass trailer for the second season, id there is one. Hopefully it's in the works, because this is an enjoyable lighthearted comedy that deserves to run a longer course.

The characters are fun to root for and the fight scenes are animated quite well, although if they allowed for more episodes, it would have been nice to witness the epic BFF battle between Staz and Wolf.

The interesting twist is that the demon world is fashioned after our real world - it's set in a metropolis city rather than the mountains and caves that usually surface in other underworld animes. The demons here wear clothes - T-shirts, jeans, hooded jackets, the works. If not for some of their deformed features, such as horns and claws, one can be forgiven for forgetting that it is the demon world. 

I like that the characters are not overly flamboyantly-designed or dressed in odd costumes just to stand out from the crowd in today's sea of anime characters. In fact, Staz's character design can be easily forgotten or confused with the many look alikes out there. His only distinguishing features are probably his dark undereye circles and his ashen complexion. Seems more realistic this way.

There are multiple references to manga culture that one may recognise peppered in the episodes. It's the kind where you will pat yourself on the back for catching the reference or high-five your neighbour for recognising another anime's character.

The thing that is most wrong with this series is probably the lack of desire for blood, which is the staple characteristic of a vampire, wouldn't you say? But noooo... Not Staz, his brother or sister craves blood. In fact, it seems to be a non-issue at all. They all get the vampire super powers without the defects. Even though the entire story is centred around a vampire's desire to ressurect a human girl, possibly so he could taste her blood.

Rating: 6/10

Anime Review: Hataraku Maou-sama!

Genre: Comedy, Supernatural, Fantasy

Episodes: 13

Aired: 2013

Producers: FUNimation Entertainment, Lantis, Pony Canyon, White Fox

 

Dark Overlord, Sadao, is only one step away from conquering the world known as Ente Isla, when he is beaten by Hero Emilia and forced to escape to modern-day Tokyo.

 

What starts off as a dark, demon-filled tale reminiscent of Berserk! soon transforms into a light-hearted, slice-of-life comedy.

 

While Sadao and his general, Alsiel, figure out life in the modern world without magic, they realise that they are now in one of the most expensive cities in the world - and must earn money to survive.

And where else is most befitting for a demon lord to work at than... MgRonald's!

 

Yes, imagine from this: a bloodthirsty overlord with soul-crushing power and a harem of manical monsters...








To this!

And so begins their journey to earn a living as normal human beings whilst trying to find their way back home to Ente Isla. Sadao brings home the bacon whilst Alsiel takes on the housewife role, taking care of their daily needs while researching ways to recharge their magic.

At this point, I ought to mention Alsiel is a notable character that brings life to the series with his unwavering loyalty and comedic antics.

Just when you think life is getting mundane, Hero Emilia appears in modern Tokyo to finish off Sadao. She stalks and chases but mainly conserves her energy for when she gets her powers back to deliver the final blow. Yet she, too, has to take on a job to stay in Tokyo. Even heroes get no breaks.

As time passes, we find that Sadao's priorities shift. Instead of looking for ways to regain his magical powers and returning home, he begins to enjoy life at McRonald's and focuses his energy into climbing the corporate ladder under the guise of "world domination".  

The one big flaw in this series is the haphazard turning point from a tyrannical ruler into an enthusiastic part-timer (and eventually, full-timer). Nowhere does the story explain Sadao's reason for abandoning Ente Isla or his demonic nature.

Plot takes a backseat in this series so leave reason and logic behind when you watch. If you don't dwell on the big picture, then the various hilarious situations will have you enjoying each episode.

Rating: 6.5/10



Anime Review: Nagi no Asukara

Genre: Drama, Romance, School, Fantasy

Episodes: 26

Aired: 2013-14

Producers: Geneon Universal Entertainment, P.A Works, Rondo Robe, NIS America, Inc

Do you remember your puppy love days? This is a heart-warming story that will bring you back, set in a unique circumstance.

First let's introduce the four friends who are integral to this story: Hikari Sakishima the daring leader, Manaka Mukaido the crybaby, Chisaki Hiradaira the mature babe, and Kaname the gentleman.

They are childhood friends and are children that belong to the sea. So therein lies the unique setting: there are people who live in the sea, also known as Shioshishio, and those who have chosen to live on the surface.

At the start of the story, these four friends are on their way to a new middle school on the surface, because their underwater school had closed down. Interestingly, there is only this one village in the vast ocean ruled by the Sea God, but let's not pick on that flaw.

Due to some past events, there is tension between the folks on land and undersea. The four friends had to adjust to life on the surface as well as handle the discrimination thrown their way. Despite the odds, they became friends with surface-boy, Tsumugu Kihara, whom Manaka started to have a crush on. From here, grew the love hexagon. Manaka liked Kihara, but Hikari had a crush on Manaka, even though Chisaki had always been admiring Hikari, and Kaname had liked Chisaki forever.

Who did Tsumugu had his eyes on then?

It'd be a spoiler to reveal it now, wouldn't it? You'll know when the anime is about to come to its epic conclusion.

The light-hearted, slice-of-life mood turns dark when the story takes a dramatic turn. A catastrophe is prophesized when the Sea God became angered, one which would turn the surface into a frozen wasteland. To save the undersea village, it inhabitants have to go into hibernation until the danger has passed.

Due to a certain turn of events, Manaka becomes the sacrifice offering and both Hikari and Kaname fall into slumber along with the rest of the Shioshishio village. Five years later, Hikari and Kaname awaken to find that while time had been standing still for them, Chisaki and Tsumugu have progressed on with their lives. Along with their struggles to embrace the new reality, they seek to awaken Manaka and save both surface and undersea folks.

In general, the story is compelling even though it starts off pretty slow, and the artwork is top-notch. The only thing I don't get is Manaka's indecisive, little-girl character. Hikari falling for her feels more like sister complex than love. The rest of the cast, in my opinion, is quite strong. As a character-driven story, this hits all the right notes.

Rating: 8/10

Long Hiatus

"So what are some good animes?"

Someone asked me that recently and for the life of me, I couldn't answer without sounding like I'd been frozen in time. After all, the last review I did on this blog was in 2012!

Even though I have continued to watch animes all through these years, there were so many that I couldn't remember the names cos they were in Japanese. And I didn't want to trawl through MyAnimeList.net not remembering if I had watched this or that before.

Hence I'm back here.

Be happy.