Tiger & Bunny Part 3 Blu-ray Review

Director: Keiichi Sato

Starring: Hiroaki Hirata, Wally Wingert, Masakazu Morita, Yuri Lowenthal, Minako Kotobuki, Kari Wahlgren, Kenjiro Tsuda, John Eric Bentley, Mariya Ise, Laura Bailey, Go Inoue, Patrick Seitz, Taiten Kusunoki, Travis Willingham,

 Running Time: 175 minutes

Certificate: 12

You would imagine that any show that takes a worn out genre and adds a fresh perspective, would eventually fall back into a routine at some point. TIGER & BUNNY continues to avoid such a fall from grace thanks to the way in which episode arcs are constructed, not just by plot, but by themes and objectives. The first Blu-ray collection focused on introducing us to a world in which superheroes are broadcast on a TV network and sponsored by huge corporations, as well as introducing us to the characters. The second collection was then able to bring about a destructive force in the form of Jake, which gave us an action packed tournament style show. This third collection takes us in the direction of the emotional weight attributed to being a hero.

The whole gang of heroes have different life problems to deal with this time around, whether they are superhero exclusive problems or ones everyone goes through. A change in the superhero league leader board has certain heroes contemplating their place in the world just as the popularity of heroes inspires a second division to be set up. Some of the heroes experience love for the first time, whereas some are juggling problems in their home life. Tiger must face the fact that his powers may not last forever, just as his neglected daughter begins to show signs of a power herself. Meanwhile, Bunny is left debating his role as a hero after his parents’ murderer was defeated.

There is still plenty of action, but it serves as a background for these individual journeys. Developing characters this late into the season’s run shows that the show has a lot of life left. Just as the audience has settled into the world and gotten to know the characters, they evolve in an organic way that makes them feel human. The humour may be reduced, but it isn’t missed thanks to the powerful dramatic moments that also manage to avoid melodramatic nonsense. It also helps that some rather big plot strands are put on hold, without being forgotten about. It means there is plenty to look forward to, but rather than jumping into conclusions and wrapping up stories, we are given a much needed breather to further develop our bonds with the heroes.

TIGER & BUNNY is an exceptional show for the majority of its running time. It avoids many of the esoteric anime tropes that put off new comers, while continuously exploring superheroes in a way that Hollywood blockbusters have yet to capitalize on. The animation is some of the strongest you’ll see in action anime, with every fight scene clear and involving. Faultless vocal work from both Japanese and English speaking teams means you have a well rounded show that continues to grow. The only improvement would be to give us a few more episodes per release.

TIGER & BUNNY Part 3 is released on DVD/Blu-ray combo on 15th July via Manga Entertainment.

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