AKA: タイガー＆バニー 2

Genre: Superhero/Action/Drama

Length: Television series, 12 episodes, 25 minutes each

Distributor: Currently available streaming on Netflix.

Content Rating: TV-14 (Violence, deaths.)

Related Series: Tiger and Bunny (Series, S1); Tiger and Bunny Movie: The Beginning; Tiger and Bunny Movie: The Rising; Tiger and Bunny S2 (Series, Eps 1-13)

Also Recommended: Re: CREATORS; Ajin: Demi-Human

Notes: Written by Masafumi Nishida

Rating:

Tiger and Bunny Season 2 part 2

Synopsis

NEXT mutants are going mad and causing major devastation, and the normal humans are attributing this to some contagious disease and confining the NEXTs to restricted areas. Of course, that includes our superhero cast as well...

Review

I don't know why everyone in this show is so slow to consider the possibility that, instead of disease, it's some rogue NEXTs who are trying to stir up trouble between NEXTs and humans for their own ends; after all, even Disney's Zootopia explores this sort of scenario. Still, it takes our little cast of temporarily-outcast superheroes some actual detective work to get to this possibility- and the "norms" STILL refuse to listen. AND I don't know why the psychic Little Aurora, a NEXT who EVERYBODY trusts, wasn't asked about this issue in the first place; would have saved a lot of grief. (On the other hand, the fact that two NEXTs- it's only two- are the ultimate cause of all this destruction maybe gives some weight to the humans' fears.)

This installment of Tiger and Bunny should have been called Tiger and Bunny: The Conclusion. Because it IS, for some key members of the cast. As you might expect in a saga's windup, a lot of interpersonal stuff happens. The "partner" setup continues for our superheroes, with those comfortable with each other (like Sky High and Fire Emblem) remaining so, while some of the more rocky partnerships get smoothed out. Subaru Sengoku ("Mr. Black") tries to improve his relationship with bitter loner Thomas Torus ("He Is Thomas") by restoring something precious to him. Ryan Goldsmith ("Golden Ryan") seems more subdued, and much less posturing, than he previously was; I guess being partnered with Karina Lyle ("Blue Rose") has mellowed him out.

By the way, Karina will FINALLY come clean about her feelings toward Kotetsu ("Tiger"), for those of us who have been wondering exactly what was going through her head on that topic. Even Magical Cat's mom may be coming around on her daughter's partnership with Dragon Kid. I did notice that the "sponsors" on Dragon Kid's headboards (I really don't know any other way to describe those things) have changed.

We finally get the remaining pieces of the backstory of Yuri Petrov (AKA murderous vigilante Lunatic), who's arguably the most tormented soul in the whole history of anime. The show's a LITTLE manipulative, in that the criminals Lunatic HAS managed to kill are pretty much ones with no redeeming characteristics at all. (In other words, the ones some viewers may think DESERVE it.)

Of our two villains, I'll only say that one is just gross (and a substance abuser as well); while the other thinks they're superior to their partner-in-crime, but has a power that really leaves them pretty vulnerable.

I fear to say too much, lest I spoil too much, but I WILL make one other observation: I don't know what to think about the continually-varying depiction of HERO TV director Agnes Joubert - her rendition (particularly her weight) seems to vary almost scene to scene. Even yo-yo dieters don't change their appearance THIS quickly.

I've done almost the whole Tiger and Bunny thing (still haven't seen The Beginning movie), and it's been great fun, with great art, and some of the most personable superheroes you'll find anywhere. I might have plotted this a little differently (and would certainly have clarified the future prospects of some characters more than is done here), but it's always hard to say goodbye to characters that you've spent so much time with, and who are so well-defined, that you almost feel you know them as friends. — Allen Moody

Recommended Audience: Netflix rates TV-14. Violence here includes murder by the more popular (?) means such as bullets and knives, as well as more "exotic" means such as flaming arrows. No fanservice (unless you count Blue Rose's outfit as such; I saw a comment somewhere that her costume in essence also incorporates the functions of a push-up bra.)