Tiger & Bunny - AbsoluteAstronomy.com

is a 2011 Japanese anime

Anime

is the Japanese abbreviated pronunciation of "animation". The definition sometimes changes depending on the context. In English-speaking countries, the term most commonly refers to Japanese animated cartoons....

television series produced by Sunrise

Sunrise (company)

is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...

under the direction of Keiichi Satou. The screenplay was written by Masafumi Nishida, with original character design by Masakazu Katsura

Masakazu Katsura

is a Japanese manga artist who is best known for several works of manga, including Dream Fighter Wingman, Shadow Lady, DNA², Video Girl Ai, I"s, and Zetman. He has also worked on the character designs for Iria: Zeiram the Animation, which was based on the movie Zeiram.-History:He was born in the...

. The series began its broadcast run in Japan on April 3, 2011 on Tokyo MX, followed by rebroadcasts on BS11 Digital and MBS

Mainichi Broadcasting System

is a broadcasting station in Osaka, Japan, affiliated with Japan Radio Network , National Radio Network , Japan News Network and TBS Network, serving in the Kansai region. MBS is also one of the major stockholders of Tokyo Broadcasting System Holdings, Inc...

, and ended on September 17, 2011. Viz Media

VIZ Media

VIZ Media, LLC, headquartered in San Francisco, is an anime, manga, and Japanese entertainment company. It was founded in 1986 as VIZ LLC. In 2005, VIZ LLC and ShoPro Entertainment merged to form the current VIZ Media LLC, which is jointly owned by Japanese publishers Shogakukan and Shueisha, and...

are also simulcasting the series, streaming on Hulu

Hulu

Hulu is a website and over-the-top subscription service offering ad-supported on-demand streaming video of TV shows, movies, webisodes and other new media, trailers, clips, and behind-the-scenes footage from NBC, Fox, ABC, and Obstacle on October 20th 2011 Nickelodeon and CBS and many other...

and Anime News Network

Anime News Network

Anime News Network is an anime industry news website that reports on the status of anime, manga, Japanese popular music and other otaku-related culture within North America, Australia and Japan. Additionally, it sometimes features similar happenings throughout the Anglosphere and elsewhere in the...

. It is set in a futuristic city where two superheroes, the old-fashioned "Wild Tiger" and the rookie hero Barnaby Brooks Jr. are forced by their employers to work together.

A one-shot manga

Manga

Manga is the Japanese word for "comics" and consists of comics and print cartoons . In the West, the term "manga" has been appropriated to refer specifically to comics created in Japan, or by Japanese authors, in the Japanese language and conforming to the style developed in Japan in the late 19th...

drawn by Masakazu Katsura

Masakazu Katsura

was published in Shueisha

Shueisha

is a major publisher in Japan. The company was founded in 1925 as the entertainment-related publishing division of Japanese publisher Shogakukan. The following year, Shueisha became a separate, independent company. Magazines published by Shueisha include Weekly Shōnen Jump, Weekly Young Jump,...

's Weekly Young Jump
Weekly Young Jump
, launched in 1979, is a weekly Japanese magazine that publishes various seinen manga in each issue. It is published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines.- History :...

magazine on August 4, 2011 and the production of two films based on the series was announced during a special event on November, 2011. The first film is expected to be released on 2012.

Plot

The series takes place in the year "NC 1978" in a fictional, re-imagined version of New York City called Sternbild City, where 45 years before, superpowered individuals known as "NEXT" started appearing and some of them became superheroes. Each of the city's most famous superheroes work for a sponsor company and their uniforms also contain advertising for real-life companies. Their heroic activity is broadcast on the popular television show "Hero TV", where they accumulate points for each heroic feat accomplished (arresting criminals or saving civilians, for example) and the best ranked hero of the season is crowned "King of Heroes".

The story mainly focuses on veteran hero Kotetsu T. Kaburagi aka Wild Tiger who is assigned with a new partner, a young man named Barnaby Brooks Jr. However, Barnaby and Kotetsu usually have trouble working together as they have conflicting opinions on how a superhero should act while at the same time trying to crack the mystery of the murder of Barnaby's parents. In addition, the appearance of a homicidal vigilante NEXT named "Lunatic" stirs up the public and makes them question the meaning of heroes.

Heroes

One of the main protagonists and a veteran superhero past his prime whose total disregard for private property when fighting against crime earned him the nickname "Crusher for Justice". Originally, he was the least popular among the heroes of Sternbild City and his company (a fictional publication known as "TopMag") had been taken over thanks to the high costs of his collateral damage. He was then forced by his new employers, "Apollon Media", to become Barnaby's partner. His wife died from a disease five years prior to the series, and his daughter Kaede lives with his mother in "Oriental Town" out in the country. Like most people outside of Hero TV, Kaede is initially unaware of her father's secret identity. Kotetsu possesses the power to increase his physical abilities hundredfold for five minutes (known as the "Hundred Power"), requiring an hour-long cooldown period before using it again. Later on in the series his ability starts to change, at first becoming more potent at the cost of a shorter time limit, signified by red-orange eyes and an orange aura instead of the normal blue. Tiger's old employer Ben Jackson, working as a cab driver, finds out about Tiger's power boost and informs him that it is actually a precursor to his powers fading away for good, a rare condition among NEXT. The Hundred Power's potency then returns to its original strength, and its time limit grows shorter with each activation, lasting about three minutes and 45 seconds by the end of the series. Kotetsu keeps a journal to track his decreasing power, each entry showing a decrease of two to five seconds per use. After defeating Albert Maverick, Kotetsu retires from heroics, but returns a year later now calling himself "Wild Tiger 1 Minute" and working with the "B-Team" heroes, vowing to continue being a hero even after his powers disappear for good.

His Apollon Media suit includes advertisements for Bandai

Bandai

is a Japanese toy making and video game company, as well as the producer of a large number of plastic model kits. It is the world's third-largest producer of toys . Some ex-Bandai group companies produce anime and tokusatsu programs...

's S.H. Figuarts toy line and telecommunications company SoftBank

SoftBank

is a Japanese telecommunications and internet corporation, with operations in broadband, fixed-line telecommunications, e-Commerce, Internet, broadmedia, technology services, finance, media and marketing, and other businesses....

. Tiger also possesses a motorcycle called the "Lonely Chaser", which is able to combine with Barnaby's own bike as a sidecar. Tiger's suit also includes a pair of wire guns known as the "Wild Shot". Having been inspired by a hero named Mr. Legend, who helped him to accept his powers, Kotetsu has traditional ideals of justice, always relying on his instincts, putting lives over ratings, and prioritizing hero work over publicity stunts. After helping Barnaby defeat Jake Martinez and finally earning his partner's trust, Kotetsu becomes far more popular and gains much more respect from the public, his employers, and his fellow heroes. In the first Drama CD for the series, it is revealed that Kotetsu and Antonio "Rock Bison" Lopez were punks in their high school days, and it was Kotetsu's class representative Tomoe (who later became his wife) who came up with the name "Wild Tiger".

The other protagonist, known as the "Super Rookie", who is nicknamed "Bunny" by Kotetsu because of his armor's earpieces and his penchant for long jumps and kicks. Barnaby is a 25 year old rookie hero who does not conceal his appearance or identity and is the newest addition to Hero TV. Partnered with Wild Tiger, he has the same power, though Barnaby relies more on strategy than outright brute force, saving his Hundred Power for the most dire of circumstances. His powered suit displays advertising for Amazon.co.jp

Amazon.com

Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...

as well as Bandai

Bandai

and its "Crusade System" Card Series. He is also equipped with a motorcycle called the "Lonely Chaser" that is able to use Tiger's own bike as a sidecar. When he was four years old, his parents, robotics engineers and the inventors of "nano-metal", were assassinated by someone originally thought to be Jake Martinez of the crime syndicate "Ouroboros". Barnaby was taken in by Albert Maverick and dedicated his life to investigating Ouroboros and its connection with the death of his family. The trauma of seeing his parents murdered hardened Barnaby's heart and consumed him with thoughts of revenge, making it impossible for him to trust anyone until he began his partnership with Kotetsu. It is eventually revealed that Barnaby took his real name, also his father's, as his hero name as a declaration of war against Ouroboros. After defeating Albert Maverick, Barnaby retires from heroics thinking his entire career was for nothing, but when Kotetsu returns as "Wild Tiger 1 Minute" a year later, Barnaby returns as well to assist his partner.

After defeating Jake Martinez and learning to trust Kotetsu as his partner, Barnaby adopts a positive outlook on life, becoming more open and willing to work with others. He starts addressing Kotetsu by name instead of as "Old Man", and accepts "Bunny" as his nickname. His successful partnership with Kotetsu soon leads Barnaby to rank first in Hero TV's rankings, earning him the "King of Heroes" title in his debut season. Barnaby eventually surpasses Mr. Legend's points-per-season record, and dreams of a "Hero World" envisioned by his surrogate father, Albert Maverick, where all NEXT are accepted and heroes protect the innocent.

Nicknamed the "Super Celebrity of the Heroes", Blue Rose is a highschooler with freezing powers who still lives with her parents and makes use of her heroic feats to boost her career as a singer. She also works as a pianist in bars under her real name. Her revealing costume, which her father disapproves of, includes advertising for Pepsi NEX, a zero calorie Pepsi

Pepsi

Pepsi is a carbonated soft drink that is produced and manufactured by PepsiCo...

available in Japan developed by Suntory

Suntory

is a Japanese brewing and distilling company group. Established in 1899, it is one of the oldest companies in the distribution of alcoholic beverages in Japan. Its business has expanded to other fields, and the company now offers everything from soft drinks to sandwich chains...

, a company who took part in the experiment which successfully produced the first true blue rose

Blue rose

Blue roses, often portrayed in literature and art as a symbol of love and prosperity to those who seek it, do not exist in nature as a result of genetic limitations being imposed upon natural variance. Traditionally, white roses have been dyed blue to produce a blue appearance. In 2004, researchers...

through genetic engineering, hence her alias and rose-themed uniform. She is also equipped with a snowmobile-like vehicle, which she propels using her powers. Despite claiming to dislike Kotetsu, Karina develops feelings for him, which causes her much internal conflict considering the age difference. At the insistence of her sponsor company and to her distaste, Blue Rose always tells criminals "my ice is a little bit cold, but your crime has been put completely on hold!" upon apprehending them. She also has a habit of comically retreating from fights if they get too difficult for her, an act Hero TV's announcer dubs the "Cutie Escape". Her sponsor company is "Titan Industry".

Also known as the "Wind Wizard", Sky High is an enthusiastic and friendly hero who was the most popular hero in the city and longtime consecutive holder of the "King of Heroes" title at the start of the series. His overly dramatic and optimistic personality is actually his main selling point, with his catchphrases being a cheerful "Thank you, and again, thank you!" to his fans and his own name when he launches an attack. Sky High is able to fly with the assistance of a rocket backpack and has the power to control the wind and air currents. His uniform includes advertising for Bandai's subsidiary Tamashii Nations and streaming website Ustream.tv. His sponsor company is "Poseidon Line".

A flamboyant

Effeminacy

Effeminacy describes traits in a human male, that are more often associated with traditional feminine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or gender roles rather than masculine nature, behaviour, mannerisms, style or roles....

hero with flame abilities known as the "Bourgeois Open Flame Broil", equipped with a highly maneuverable race car. He displays an advanced level of control over his abilities, able to shape his flames into many elaborate shapes and sizes with varying levels of intensity. He is also the owner of his sponsor company, "Helios Energy," and his costume contains advertising for FMV of Fujitsu

Fujitsu

is a Japanese multinational information technology equipment and services company headquartered in Tokyo, Japan. It is the world's third-largest IT services provider measured by revenues....

and anime/manga retailer Animate

Animate

is the retailing arm of MOVIC and is the largest retailer of anime, games, and manga in Japan. The first and headquarters store of Animate opened in 1983 and is located in Ikebukuro, a district in Tokyo, Japan. Currently, there are 38 Animate stores in Japan, and two in Taipei, Taiwan...

A young, tomboyish Chinese girl, known as the "Lightning Bolt Kung-Fu Master", armed with a staff and able to generate strong electrical discharges. Pao-Lin's parents did not go with her to Sternbild City, and stayed behind in China. They did, however, leave her a purple flower hairpin that she was originally against wearing, claiming it was "too girly", despite her caretaker's insistence. However, after learning the flower's symbolic meaning was "thinking of you always", she makes a habit of wearing the hairpin whenever she is in civilian attire. Her Chinese-styled uniform includes advertising for Japanese food company Calbee

Calbee

Calbee Foods Co. is a major Japanese snack food maker. It was founded on April 30, 1949. It launched operations at a new plant in the United States for making its mainstay products "Kappa Ebisen" shrimp chips and "Saya-endo" snow pea crisps on Sept 18, 2007. Its snacks are hugely popular in Asia,...

and Japanese website DMM.com. Her sponsor company is "Odysseus Communication".

A green-armored brute nicknamed the "Bull Tank of the West Coast", and Kotetsu "Wild Tiger" Kaburagi's best friend since high school. His power renders him invulnerable. After ranking last in Hero TV's standings behind Origami Cyclone, he was in danger of losing his job as a hero before helping to catch a backstage thief. His bull-themed costume, which is equipped with large drills on its shoulders, includes advertising for Japanese barbecue restaurant chain Gyu-Kaku

Gyu-Kaku

is a chain of Japanese yakiniku restaurants specializing in barbecued beef.Gyu-Kaku is known for its unique form of dining in which the customers are involved in the cooking process of grilling their own food. Each table has a charcoal brazier built in and is equipped with tongs for cooking....

. His sponsor company is "Kronos Foods".

In the first drama CD for the series, it is revealed that Antonio and Kotetsu were both punks in their high school days. Antonio, then the leader of a different school's gang, had repeatedly challenged Kotetsu to fights because of his reputation, and was turned down until Tomoe, Kotetsu's class representative and future wife, was kidnapped. Kotetsu, believing Antonio to be the kidnapper, finally accepted the challenge and the two fought after discovering their opponent was a NEXT. After the fight, Antonio insisted he did not know of a kidnapping, and the nearby warehouse where Tomoe was being kept burst into flames. Kotetsu, not using his Hundred Power up to this point, activated his powers and saved Tomoe, inspiring Antonio to only use his powers to protect people from that day forward.

The "Hidden Hero", a young hero in a ninja-themed costume who rarely takes action and engages himself more in advertising than in actual crime-fighting, appearing in the background of photos and broadcasts to please his sponsors. His shapeshifting ability allows him to copy the appearance and voice of other people, but not their abilities or powers, and change into various inanimate objects such as a poster on a wall. Ivan is initially a very reluctant hero, only acting as he does because of insecurities regarding his "useless" power and guilt over becoming a hero over his former friend, Edward. After helping Edward (who had broken out of jail to kill Ivan in jealousy) escape Lunatic's judgement, Ivan vows to become a more active hero and move out of the background, quickly rising out of last place in Hero TV's rankings for the first time. However, he still engages in the occasional "photobomb", with a running joke having him appear hidden somewhere in the background of a scene, even ones not broadcast on Hero TV. His sponsor company is "Helperidese Finance". In the epilogue of the series, it is revealed that Ivan regularly visits Edward in prison to tell him about his exploits as Origami Cyclone.

Origami Cyclone's involvement in the Ouroboros incident tremendously boosts his popularity and reputation as a true hero and not just a walking billboard. His costume contains advertising for anime goods website ".ANIME" and eventually gains other sponsors: internet service provider

Internet service provider

An Internet service provider is a company that provides access to the Internet. Access ISPs directly connect customers to the Internet using copper wires, wireless or fiber-optic connections. Hosting ISPs lease server space for smaller businesses and host other people servers...

Livedoor

is an Internet service provider based in Tokyo, Japan, that runs a web portal and numerous other businesses. The company was founded and led in its first 10 years by Takafumi Horie, known as "Horiemon" in Japan...

, Namco

Namco

is a Japanese corporation best known as a former video game developer and publisher. Following a merger with Bandai in September 2005, the two companies' game production assets were spun off into Namco Bandai Games on March 31, 2006. Namco Ltd. was re-established to continue domestic operation of...

's NAM-Chara Cheer Squad, and Katsuya Takasu

Katsuya Takasu

is a plastic surgeon based in Tokyo.Takasu studied at Showa University School of Medicine in Tokyo. As a graduate student, Takasu went to Germany and Italy, where he studied plastic and cosmetic surgery....

's beauty clinic, likely because of his newfound popularity. To offset Origami's power being little use in combat, he has various weapons to assist him. The large shuriken

Shuriken

A shuriken is a traditional Japanese concealed weapon that was generally used for throwing, and sometimes stabbing or slashing...

on his back can be thrown and ridden, and he has an arsenal of normal sized shuriken. The swords on his back can also be used, and are able to project energy to use as a shield or distraction.

Antagonists

Sternbild City’s Administration of Justice’s judge as well as the TV heroes' curator. He is also Lunatic, a vigilante NEXT who can generate blue and green flames more powerful than Fire Emblem's and exercises greater control over them, shaping them into arrows that he fires using his crossbow, or using them to propel himself in the air. He can also use his flames to teleport, pass through solid objects, or encircle his target to prevent their escape. Lunatic is obsessed with justice and order; he believes in cleansing the world of evil by murdering criminals and wrongdoers rather than protecting the public, and questions the effectiveness of heroes. Yuri adopted his idea of justice and hatred of heroes after killing his father, Mr. Legend. The handprint design on Lunatic's mask is a reminder of the burn he got in the process, and he covers the disfiguring scars with heavy cosmetics when in public. Yuri cares for his senile mother, who usually believes Mr. Legend is still alive and Yuri is still a child, only to launch into a hateful rage directed towards Yuri when he insists otherwise. Lunatic's appearances are marked by a giant red moon

Lunar eclipse

A lunar eclipse occurs when the Moon passes behind the Earth so that the Earth blocks the Sun's rays from striking the Moon. This can occur only when the Sun, Earth, and Moon are aligned exactly, or very closely so, with the Earth in the middle. Hence, a lunar eclipse can only occur the night of a...

hanging in the sky. Lunatic often tells his victims to "hear the voice of Thanatos

Thanatos

In Greek mythology, Thanatos was the daemon personification of death. He was a minor figure in Greek mythology, often referred to but rarely appearing in person...

" before killing them.

A NEXT who leads a small sub-faction of the Ouroboros criminal organization, Jake is initially thought to be the man who killed Barnaby's parents. He was captured by Legend 15 years before the start of the series and was serving a 250 year long sentence in prison, but in the present day his comrades stage a large scale terrorist attack, threatening to bring down Sternbild City unless he is released. His main objective is to have NEXT take over the world with him as their leader, believing NEXT to be intrinsically superior to normal humans almost to the point of godhood.

He has the ability to produce force fields of various sizes, which he can use both defensively and offensively. It is later discovered that he has a previously unheard of second power, telepathy

Telepathy

Telepathy , is the induction of mental states from one mind to another. The term was coined in 1882 by the classical scholar Fredric W. H. Myers, a founder of the Society for Psychical Research, and has remained more popular than the more-correct expression thought-transference...

. Jake's left leg was lost in an accident at some point in the past, being replaced by a mechanical prosthetic by the present day. He is eventually defeated in his fight with Barnaby thanks to Tiger's help. While trying to escape via helicopter, he is restrained by Tiger. In retaliation, he fires off an offensive barrier, misses, and hits his own getaway helicopter, which falls on him and kills him. Unlike other NEXT, whose eyes and body glow blue when using their powers, Jake's aura and eyes shine orange. Later in the series, Kriem reveals that Jake had kidnapped her on the very day that Barnaby's parents were killed and was with her at the time that the murders took place. Despite Barnaby initially dismissing these claims, Kotetsu later reveals that Jake had no Ouroboros tattoo on the back of his right hand, a feature Barnaby recalled in his memories. The revelation that Jake was not the true murderer of the Brooks family sent Barnaby into a depressed, enraged stupor.

Another NEXT member of Ouroboros whose ability is to control inanimate objects (typically dolls) with needles made from her hair. She is Jake Martinez's most loyal follower and is implied to have been romantically involved with him. During Tiger and Barnaby's confrontation with Ouroboros, Jake accidentally shoots down the escape helicopter she is piloting, causing her to fall out onto the stadium roof. After the conflict, she falls into a coma and is hospitalized, her head shaved to prevent her from using her powers should she awaken. Ten months later, Kriem comes out of her coma, only to reveal that Jake had kidnapped her on the day that Barnaby's parents were murdered.

Kriem was harassed by people for being a NEXT throughout her childhood, which made her feel worthless and inferior to humans. When she was kidnapped by Jake, her parents, ashamed and afraid of their daughter, did not bring the ransom. Urging Jake to kill her and end her worthless life, Jake instead taught her that she was superior to humans and that they only ostracized her because they were afraid of her. From that day on, she joined Jake in the fight to create a world where only NEXT existed. Upon revealing her past, she rips out the IVs keeping her alive, telling Barnaby that he would live the rest of his life in doubt as punishment for killing Jake before dying. She also reveals in her final moments that Jake only controlled a small portion of Ouroboros, and the organization is far bigger than anyone could comprehend.

A member of Ouroboros. He has no NEXT powers, but he is a firm believer in the organization's cause. After he is kidnapped by the heroes, he is subsequently killed by Jake.

The President and CEO of Apollon Media, the company responsible for Hero TV and sponsor company for Wild Tiger and Barnaby. He was a good friend of the Brooks family and often took care of young Barnaby when his parents were working. After Barnaby's parents were killed, Maverick took him in and became his adoptive father. It is later revealed that Maverick is a NEXT with the power to alter memory, and is the true murderer of Barnaby's parents. Over the years, he intentionally shaped Barnaby's memories and life to cover his tracks and, seeing great potential in the boy, inspire him to become the perfect hero. In order to get Hero TV's ratings up from their initial slump thanks to public distrust of NEXT, Maverick had worked with Ouroboros to set up extravagant crimes for heroes like Mr. Legend to thwart. Maverick was forced to assassinate Barnaby's parents when Barnaby Sr. threatened to out the whole operation because the family's "nano-metal" hero suit compound was being given to criminals. Eventually, Maverick sets up an elaborate ploy to continue covering his tracks, framing Kotetsu for the murder of Barnaby's Aunt Samantha and wiping the heroes' and Hero TV employees' memories of Kotetsu, but not of Wild Tiger. He also commissions the creation of a new, more advanced black and red hero suit for Barnaby and several androids dressed in a similarly colored version of Tiger's suit. When confronted by all eight heroes, Maverick admits defeat and uses his powers on himself, wiping his memories completely. When being transported via police convoy to prison, Maverick is killed by Lunatic, who tells him that "no one can escape their sins."

Dr. Rotwang

A mad scientist who worked under Barnaby's parents and greatly despises NEXT, believing them to be monsters. He is a genius in robotics, having created a very powerful android by the name of Cis that was capable of overwhelming both Kotetsu and Barnaby with their powers active. He is later employed by Maverick to build a more powerful android, the "H-01", clad in a red and black version of Wild Tiger's armor and armed with a powerful laser rifle. H-01 was constructed to defeat the heroes and eventually replace them with more H-01 model androids, as Maverick believes them to be more useful for Hero TV. Rotwang is a cold man who believes things such as human emotions and relationships to be nonsense, greatly favoring what his androids can do. Rotwang falls to his death from the top of the Apollon Media statue after Maverick claims he has outlived his usefulness.

Supporting Characters

Tiger's old employer at the very start of the series, the president of a company known as "TopMag". Because of the ever-rising repair costs of Tiger's antics, TopMag goes bankrupt and is bought out, causing Jackson to lose his job. He becomes a cab driver later on the series, and remains a good friend of Kotetsu, having total faith in him as a hero. He later appears to Kotetsu when his powers get a boost, telling him that is a sign that they will eventually fade and that his idol, Mr. Legend, faced the same problem. Jackson appears once more to provide support to Tiger when he is framed for murder by Maverick. He provides Kotetsu with his old TopMag Wild Tiger costume, declaring he was always a big fan and that he will always support Wild Tiger. One year after the events of the series, Jackson becomes president and CEO of Apollon Media.

The producer for Hero TV. Her top priority is to increase the show's ratings and please her boss and the sponsors, regardless of the impact on the heroes' work.

Albert's subordinate on Apollon Media responsible to manage Kotetsu and Barnaby's career. At first, he quiets any protests made by Kotetsu by presenting resignation as an alternative, but after Kotetsu and Barnaby's fame increases thanks to defeating Jake Martinez, his attitude becomes much friendlier.

An engineer working for Apollon Media in charge of developing equipment for the company's superheroes. He normally speaks respectfully in a barely audible voice, but shouts loudly and brazenly over radios and intercoms. He also has a penchant for adding new upgrades to the heroes' suits that have very little usefulness in the field, such as a complicated clock on the left arm of Tiger's suit for checking the time, and "Good Luck Mode". Good Luck Mode consists of flashy add-ons to Tiger and Barnaby's armor that create a giant fist and leg, respectively, when their power is close to running out. Good Luck Mode is initially thought to increase Tiger and Barnaby's strength, but Saito reveals that the parts and their special effects are just for show and it is actually the pair's excellent teamwork that helps them. Saito also develops a special sleep chamber for Barnaby that allows him to access his memories more clearly in his dreams by depriving him of outside stimuli. Saito displays an almost sadistic level of glee whenever tests must be done on Kotetsu or his suit, seemingly making them agonizing for Kotetsu on purpose.

Kotetsu's ten year old daughter, who lives with her grandmother in Oriental Town since her mother died and her father became Wild Tiger and moved to Sternbild. She is initially unaware of her father's life as a hero, and resents and distrusts him for always being tied up with "work" and not understanding her more mature needs and fears of being left alone. Ironically enough, she is a huge fan of Barnaby, her father's partner, since he saved her from falling debris early in his career. She keeps dozens of pictures of Barnaby in her desk drawer, usually cutting out Wild Tiger whenever he is present in them. Kotetsu's one dream in life is to make his daughter think he is "cool", and he tries his hardest to balance his roles as hero and father with varying degrees of success. Kaede eventually awakens as a NEXT, with the power to copy the abilities of any NEXT she comes in physical contact with, usually exhibiting little control over their activation. Kaede treats her new abilities with distaste, as they cause her and her family much stress. After learning of her father's true identity when he is framed for murder, Kaede travels to Sternbild alone to prove her father's innocence, having a run-in with Albert Maverick upon reaching the Apollon Media building and inadvertently copying his power.When she finally meets up with her father, she tries to prove his innocence to the other heroes, and when the try to apprehend him she uses her absorbed memory-alteration power to give them their memories back. Kaede becomes a key player in the final conflict with Maverick, assisting the heroes in escaping Dr. Rotwang.

Barnaby's childhood caretaker and aunt. When Barnaby asks her about what she was doing on the day his parents were murdered, she claims that she was sick in bed that day. However, she then discovers a photo of herself with Barnaby at a Christmas festival instead of Maverick as Barnaby remembered. She plans to reveal it to Kotetsu, but Maverick, using his influence with Ouroboros, orchestrates a crime to keep the heroes occupied and uses the opportunity to kidnap her. Maverick quickly murders Taylor and burns the picture, framing Kotetsu for the crime as he had gone to Taylor's house the night before to meet with her.

Sternbild City's first superhero and father of Yuri Petrov, better known as the vigilante NEXT Lunatic. He was the one who inspired Kotetsu to accept his powers and become a superhero himself and taught his son to never turn a blind eye to evil. After his death, other NEXT follow his example, leading to society's current acceptance of NEXT and heroes. His power seemed to be increased strength and durability, which contrasted with his out-of-shape appearance. Mr. Legend faced the same fading power problem Tiger faces, and turned to alcohol

Alcoholism

Alcoholism is a broad term for problems with alcohol, and is generally used to mean compulsive and uncontrolled consumption of alcoholic beverages, usually to the detriment of the drinker's health, personal relationships, and social standing...

to drown his sorrows, pressured by the public's expectations. In addition, the other heroes of his time would put up a ruse, apprehending criminals then falsifying police records to give Mr. Legend credit, which kept him at the top of the rankings. Mr. Legend was killed by his son after he beat his wife in a drunken rage

Domestic violence

Domestic violence, also known as domestic abuse, spousal abuse, battering, family violence, and intimate partner violence , is broadly defined as a pattern of abusive behaviors by one or both partners in an intimate relationship such as marriage, dating, family, or cohabitation...

, the emotional strain causing Yuri's powers to awaken for the first time. His spirit continues to torment Yuri many years later, questioning the validity of his actions.

Anime

The anime by Sunrise

Sunrise (company)

is a Japanese animation studio and production enterprise. It is a subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings. Its former name was Nippon Sunrise, and prior to that, Sunrise Studios...

aired in Japan between April 3, 2011 and September 17, 2011. It was also simulcasted with English subtitles on various streaming sites such as Hulu

Hulu

, Viz Media

VIZ Media

and Anime News Network

Anime News Network

. The anime has been licensed by Viz Media

VIZ Media

in North America and Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment

Manga Entertainment is a producer, licensor and distributor of Japanese animation in the United States, United Kingdom, Canada, France, Australia and New Zealand...

in the United Kingdom. For the first thirteen episodes, the opening theme is by Union Square Garden while the ending theme is by Aobouzu. For episodes fourteen onwards, the opening theme is "Missing Link" by Novels while the ending theme is "Mind Game" by Tamaki.

Films

The production of two films based on the series was announced during a special event on November 13, 2011. The first film is expected to be released during 2012.

Manga

A one-shot manga

Manga

drawn by Masakazu Katsura

Masakazu Katsura

was released in Shueisha

Shueisha

's Weekly Young Jump
Weekly Young Jump
, launched in 1979, is a weekly Japanese magazine that publishes various seinen manga in each issue. It is published by Shueisha under the Jump line of magazines.- History :...

magazine on August 4, 2011. This will be followed by a serialized manga series drawn by Hiroshi Ueda which will begin serialization in Miracle Jump magazine from October 2011.

Video game

Sunrise producer Masayuki Ozaki announced on July 31, 2011 that a video game based on the anime is being produced by Namco Bandai Games

Namco Bandai Games

is an arcade, mobile and home video game developer and publisher based in Japan which is the product of a merger between the video game development divisions of Bandai and Namco. Namco Bandai Games is a wholly owned subsidiary of Namco Bandai Holdings and specializes in production and sales of...

. No platforms or release dates have been announced as of yet.

Toys

In September 2011, Tamashii Nations Bandai

Bandai

released a series of figures designed by the S.H. Figuarts division. The first of which was of the Wild Tiger action figure, the figure was an instant success with most Japanese retailers/dealers being caught off guard and the figure selling out quickly. Next up was the Barnaby Brooks Jr. (aka Bunny) action figure and then the Rock Bison action figure. The Wild Tiger and Barnaby Brooks Jr. figures featured sponsor logos printed on the armor, such as Softbank

SoftBank

& Amazon.jp.

Reception

In Anime News Network

Anime News Network

's Spring 2011 preview guide, Zac Bertschy gave the first episode a 5 out of 5. He states that it set up a great and clever superhero premise with some twists. He also said that the show has "the potential to be the kind of smash hit we haven't seen in a long time". While Theron Martin gave it a 4.5 out of 5, he credits Sunrise for their excellent hero designs and CGI animation. He also stated that it had the look and feel of an American animated series.

External links

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