Oh well. Here is another old anime that has been dug up to be given a sequel. However I am not sure if they waited this long to give it another season. It might just be a big coincidence that Tiger & Bunny S2 came out in the year of the tiger (of the Chinese lunar calendar). Because the first season aired about 11 years ago when it was the year of the rabbit then. Sure a couple of movies between those years (which I didn’t see of course) but I’m still wondering if this was all on purpose. Just wait for a whole cycle before releasing the next season. Or maybe the western style superhero industry is not doing so well in recent years (are we tired of all the shenanigans of the MCU, people?!) and hence we need those Japs to show it how it is done. The irony.
Episode 1
In case you’ve forgotten what this show is about, we see criminals trying to escape after a heist. But soon heroes pop up to chase and apprehend them. Of course all this is broadcasted live as a reality show with hero agencies earning points for certain tasks they accomplished. I believe there are a few new heroes I have never seen before like Magical Cat, He Is Thomas, Mr Black and Golden Ryan. After the successful mission, a party is held to also celebrate this new buddy system implemented thanks to Tiger and Bunny who are the pioneers. However during the party, some sort of disagreement between Kotetsu and Barnaby and just like that they aren’t on talking terms. Although it is pretty much the same between Thomas and Mr Black. They might look like they’re cooperating and that is only for business purposes. Privately, they don’t get along with each other and the feeling is mutual. On another day, the hero alert is sounded. Thomas and Mr Black arrive at the scene first. They have to be careful dealing with this international criminal, Andrzej Hedman because he has this strange power of stopping anything that comes close to him. Including living things. Now that Tiger and Bunny are here, Tiger has a strange and risky suggestion. He tries to throw a fastball using his helmet at Andrzej to see if he can stop it. However he throws it at the wrong direction. This distraction allows Bunny to take him out. Wow. That easy?! Thomas and Mr Black are stumped that they are so coordinated and didn’t hear them say anything to each other. As they explain, they’ve known each other for so long, so they know the other well even without saying. So I guess this means they’re back to being buddies like before.
Episode 2
Subaru Sengoku AKA Mr Black enthusiastically asks the other heroes why they become so. He then mentions about Barnaby doing so out of revenge. Ryan tells him off past reasons don’t matter as Subaru explains he became one to save others. Subaru is then reminded by his agency to do better or he’ll be fired. Kotetsu and Barnaby soon learn Subaru was from a small town and part of a small time hero group. He managed to pass Stern Bild’s superhero exam and that’s how he got here. As for Thomas, he is the opposite. Graduated top from the academy and got in without even taking any hiring exam. This means Mr Black has lots of pressure. When the heroes are deployed to stop some criminal rampaging under some drug’s influence, Mr Black is also called but his alarm isn’t working. The case is solved and they don’t want to hear Subaru’s excuses of why it was somehow not working. They think of making him play a supporting role to Thomas and this doesn’t sit well with him. Plus, he is not amused being a superhero in Stern Bild is like a reality TV. Ratings more important than justice? Too bad he is told off to do a better job first. Then they can talk. Soon all the heroes are called in for a briefing. They have found the drug lord kingpin, Veron Urbano who has been distributing the drugs that has resulted in some deaths. However police are unable to arrest him since the manufacturing equipment he makes those drugs ‘disappear’. This is where the heroes come in as they want them to raid the warehouse where he is based in now. First, Origami will impersonate as his right hand man who got arrested today. He will get close to Veron to get the needed evidence before he uses his powers. As the plan gets underway, Mr Black wants to get ahead of Thomas. Because of that, he makes a mistake that alerts everybody. Veron orders all to be killed and so the heroes bust in and take everyone down. In the end when they apprehend Veron, the equipment is missing. Will he go scot free again? However Barnaby realizes the trick to his power. He did not make the equipment disappear but merely shrunk them. He gets arrested finally. Later the heroes confront Mr Black about his actions. He admits he wanted to get ahead of Thomas. Tiger advises him all that doesn’t matter as long as the person is saved. Mr Black realizes his wrong ways and apologizes. Later Barnaby talks to Yuri of how his life has slowly changed thanks to Kotetsu and others. He is starting to smile more often and although not fully satisfied yet, it could release him from Ouroboros’ spell.
Episode 3
Blue Rose and Ryan don’t get along too? Well, Ryan is being petty so I can’t blame Blue Rose for getting annoyed. Soon, Blue Rose gets a note from a sick girl, Nadia who is her fan. She wants to meet up. Because she is also a fan of Tiger, Blue Rose sees Kotetsu to talk about doing this meet up together. However Ryan sees this and misinterprets that Blue Rose is trying to ditch him and make Tiger her new partner. He talks to Barnaby about this although the latter is not really convinced since Kotetsu will always consult him first. But Ryan is being so pushy that he might be sowing doubts in Barnaby. When Barnaby goes to confirm with Kotetsu about Blue Rose’s visit, Kotetsu thinks he might feel hurt so he brushes it off as nothing. Suspicious… As Kotetsu and Blue Rose plan out their meeting, Ryan goes to secretly record them. Because of the interference and all, without the context, he tries to further convince Barnaby that they are planning their new partnership when it was actually on how to surprise Nadia. On a side note, news of heroes from Ryan’s city where he used to work got attacked. Ryan doesn’t seem to care. Fire Emblem reveals Ryan worked in Stern Bild before getting an offer from a rich guy to work in that city. One day while chasing a criminal whose powers is to make NEXT go out of control, Ryan became a victim. It caused a lot of chaos and the building collapsed on him and he has this hideous scar on his back. However the sad part was that his teammates didn’t even bother to help him and always thought of him as a rival. So when Ryan came back here, he felt glad to be back because he knew these guys won’t betray him. Blue Rose and Tiger go meet Nadia. Turns out to be a creepy stalker of Blue Rose who planned out this whole thing just to hug her! WTF?! Creepy! At the same time, Ryan and Barnaby barge in to catch them in the act. Of course Blue Rose and Tiger are shocked to hear his accusations. In the aftermath, Ryan apologizes for the misunderstanding. Blue Rose assures him that she is still his partner and won’t betray him. After all, it was his power that helped caught that stalker before he escaped.
Episode 4
Fire Emblem is complaining that his partner Sky High is too perfect? Wants to see his shortcomings?! Is this why is bummed out? But recently Sky High seems to be avoiding him too so Fire Emblem talks to others for advice. Soon, Sky High and Fire Emblem are needed for some event. Tiger and Bunny are also roped in. The event is the opening of some sky tower and part of the programme is for the people to ask the superheroes questions. There is a rowdy guy in the bunch. Mr Black wants to tell him off but the rest hold him back since it won’t be very hero-like. Disaster strikes when the structure starts to fall apart. Nobody did any QC?! The superheroes go into action to evacuate the people but since there are too many, Sky High and Fire Emblem combine their powers to just weld the structure back together temporarily. Once that is done, Sky High admits to Fire Emblem that he isn’t the perfect person he thinks. He too has his flaws and dislikes. The reason he was avoiding him was because he was trying to think how they can become better buddies and how to talk to him about this. He views Tiger and Bunny as being the role model for this buddy system and even so, they weren’t perfect in the beginning. Yeah, they’re still having their usual petty arguments.
Episode 5
Antonio is worried that his partnership with Origami is over and might split up. Talking to Kotetsu about this, it seems during a drinking session he got drunk and belittled his name. Because of that, Ivan is not pleased and avoids him as much as possible. Although they still work as a pair as professionals, apart from this Ivan avoids the man like a plague although Antonio feels sorry about it and wants to make up. Barnaby talks to Ivan who then tells him about his name being an origin story. When he was young, he showed a couple of kids his powers. However they soon ostracize him to a point where he didn’t even exist in their lives. One day while on a school trip, a heavy storm occurred. Ivan then used his powers to save the day. That is how his hero name came to be. Antonio with Barnaby and Kotetsu try to brainstorm on what to do. You mean a simple apology won’t do? Yeah, making it more complicated. Even Subaru chips in and suggests complimenting his name instead. Here comes Ivan so Subaru does the complimenting. Because he sounded unsure, Ivan thinks Antonio put him up to this. Antonio tries to deny but with the wrong choice of words, the suspicions only get worse. To a point Ivan thinks of changing his hero name to Toilet Paper Soft Wind?! Antonio goes after an upset Ivan but looks like they stumble into a robbery in progress. Their quick thinking and teamwork allow them to take down the robbers without any casualties (although Tiger and Bunny got the best part in dealing the final blow). Because Antonio now truly compliments how he lived up to his name, just like that their animosity is gone. They’re back to being partners and friends.
Episode 6
Lara Tchaikoskaya (Cat) has her mom who is her personal trainer too. However her biggest concern over her daughter’s growth is Dragon Kid. She believes her partner is deliberating trying to keep her from the spotlight and make herself stand out more. She wants Lara to view her as a rival and not her partner. This stems from mom’s bitter experience in which she got betrayed by her partner. During a robbery, Dragon Kid wants Cat to evacuate the people while she herself goes after the criminals. Cat disagrees and wants to come along too but Dragon Kids refuses. Eventually Cat disobeys and tries to catch a fleeing robber. She gets spooked when his shot misses. Worse, she falls off the ledge but Tiger is there to save her. Due to minor injuries, Cat is hospitalized. Mother visits and speaks her mind to Dragon Kid that all this is her fault. See Cat sheepishly agreeing with her. Mom accuses Dragon Kid of trying to hog the spotlight. Since her daughter is good enough to fight crime, she wants Dragon Kid to be her support. Of course she won’t do that and is willing to do it all by herself. After Cat is discharged, Dragon Kid teaches her some yoga? Then another crime scene. An arsonist. When Cat confronts him, her powers cannot work. Dragon Kid saves her and as they hide, time for Dragon Kid to reveal the truth. She apologizes for everything. She knows Cat’s powers are strongly related to her emotions. The more nervous it is, the power won’t come out. Dragon Kid initially did what she had to do so as not to pressure her. She thought of letting her follow from behind and get used to it little by little. Now it’s back to deal with the arsonist. Dragon Kid suggests Tiger and Bunny block his fire since their suits are fireproof. Cat will finish him off. At first Cat is nervous but with Dragon Kid having confidence in her, Cat’s power soon blast the arsonist away. Dragon Kid also admits the mistake of side-lining her that made her lose her confidence and should have relied on her powers. Lara goes home to tell mom that Dragon Kid isn’t the kind of person she is. But mom insists she is being nice to let her guard down. Trust mom on this. Okay. Whatever.
Episode 7
Kotetsu and Barnaby are supposed to go out drinking today. The former forgot his wallet so as he returns home to get it, he thinks someone has broken in. Turns out to be his daughter, Kaede and her friend, Saroja. I guess they want to get some autographs from Barnaby since Saroja is a Bunny fan. Barnaby lets Kotetsu spend time with his daughter since she rarely comes by. Hence Barnaby hangs out with his old school friend, Mattia Ingram who is working on some new experimental drug that would change the world. Then there is some law session for kids hosted by Yuri. Damn those kids say the darnest thing because they ask if it’s wrong to kill to protect someone. Long answer short, no. This means they view Lunatic who kills murderers means he is protecting them. The way they casually say all that… Elsewhere, Barnaby brings Kaede and Saroja to tour Mattia’s lab. It seems Saroja’s NEXT powers is awakening and she fears people will laugh at it. Mattia gives her hope that his new drug will tear down the wall between NEXT and normal humans so no one will have to go through what she’s going through. Back home, the real reason of Kaede’s visit is revealed. She wants to go to a superhero academy. But she thinks dad will not allow her. He points out it’s a dangerous job and she’s already saying I-told-you-so. She accuses him of being one but neglects her. She runs away. Time to go look for her. Kotetsu calls his brother about Kaede and learns his daughter is always worried while seeing him on TV. Barnaby finds the girls and advises Kaede to talk things out with Kotetsu. When Barnaby saves a boy from a speeding truck, this sets a chain reaction of accidents. Saroja fears to use her power so Kaede uses hers to copy hers to go save the dangling construction workers. However she runs out of power and all could have fallen to their death had not Kotetsu rescued them in time. Then they go to the superhero academy in which the principal is happy to see his old students again. Saroja feels she has no right to be here after freezing at the scene. The principal has her look around to decide what she wants to do because at this place they’ll teach her how to live with her powers. Back home, Kotetsu talks to Kaede again. He is not against her being a superhero but currently there is a superhero serial killer going around. He is happy she wants to be a superhero and will support her 100% but he needs time to think what it means to be a superhero and to do that, he needs to do his job.
Episode 8
When Thomas and Mr Black corner a robber, he gives up. This lets their guard down as the robber sneakily whips out his pistol and shoots. However he misses and hits the leg of a random lady. This makes Thomas mad as he beats him to a pulp! In the aftermath, Thomas receives 3 days suspension as Yuri claims this incident is similar with the one with his sister. Thomas denies it is and storms off. This incident poses the question if the people wants Thomas a superhero anymore. As the rest try to find out what happened with his sister, Thomas will not tell. How can they help if they don’t know? Trust is important. That is when Thomas says he doesn’t need trust. He has worked alone in his entire life and will go somewhere else as a hero if needed. When Thomas is nowhere to be found, the rest learn from his manager about his past. When his parents died in an accident, Thomas and his sister, Ruby were put into an orphanage. The director assured them they will be together but ultimately betrayed Thomas when somebody wanted to just adopt Ruby. Thomas took her and run but came into thugs who then fought back and she got shot in the leg. The shooter was arrested but Ruby was soon adopted and her whereabouts after that unknown. Thomas might seem like a rich prodigy kid but all that was just invented for marketing strategy. In reality, he worked hard and paid for his own stuffs. Life was hard. The rest are resolved to help Thomas but doing so might send a wrong message to the public they support his actions. Barnaby knows a way they can do it via actions. After Thomas visits the museum of a powerful NEXT, L. L. Audun, an old couple seeks his help to drive them back home for medications. He does so and in return, they make him stay for dinner and even stay for the night. Fun times. Then he sees on TV his hero pals all using teamwork to help save trapped construction workers. This is all part of Barnaby’s plan to send him a message. Then he calls his manager who tells him about everything. Basically the public wants him back as a superhero so don’t go believing those fake news that he is fired. Just when he is back into trusting others, the old couple turns out to be thieves who rob unsuspecting others into houses they rob by copying their fingerprints. Thomas beats them up and he is back to being an untrusting loner again.
Episode 9
While dealing with a museum on fire, an explosion occurs and it took out Bunny! Now he lies in comatose state. Flashback shows he saw a girl surrounded by fire. He went to help her but as she tried to save this artefact, it was going to blow up. Bunny took it and ran but got caught in the explosion. The perpetrator behind this is Vincent Carl whose power is to turn things he touches into bombs. Kotetsu acts like normal but he is going down on the ground to investigate. He is soon summoned by Yuri for this since superheroes have no jurisdiction doing investigations. This is a police’s job. Kotetsu replies he’ll do it on his own time. This has Yuri fearing the downside of this buddy system. Whether it is a rift between them or their partner clouding their judgment, Yuri has plans to dissolute this system in the near future. Meanwhile Mattia is in hospital after he injected himself too many of his experimental drugs. His partner, Randle Upton visits him to warn him that they are doomed for. Their sponsors are coming tomorrow to check for results and they might be pulling the plug on their funding. When Sigourney Rosicky arrives and sees no results, she calls off the funding. Randle panics and accidentally injects himself with the serum. Soon, she goes to see Nicolai Brahe who is the one backing the superhero hunt (both of them are from Ouroboros). She claims she has a drug that could make that easier. For years she has been trying to make a drug to give non-NEXT powers like NEXT. She has found that solution and is willing to give it to him. After all, their bosses want them to work together. Kotetsu responds to a crime scene that has Vincent wanting to steal something. Tiger arrives in time to take him down but bomb distractions allow Vincent to escape. Tiger goes after him but when he turns the corner, he sees Vincent beaten to a pulp. Who did this? Yeah, those crazy twins, Fugan and Mugan.
Episode 10
Yuri confirms with the heroes that none of them especially Thomas or Kotetsu did that to Vincent. Now all that’s left is to find the perpetrators and that is the police’s job. As Kotetsu visits Barnaby in hospital, he sees creepy dolls resembling the heroes hanging above. Before he knows it, Sky High and Fire Emblem get done in. They are in a frozen state. Back at base, it is revealed that there is somebody targeting superheroes but this is kept a secret seeing they don’t want to cause the public to panic. Based on Fire Emblem and Sky High’s cam, they see Fugan and Mugan mocking and playing around with them before knocking them out with a single punch. This has the heroes on the edge but they think they’re okay for those who have not revealed their real faces and name to the public. On another visit to the hospital, Kotetsu once again sees those creepy dolls. Who could have entered the room when the guards did not let anybody in? He calls his pals to warn them the perpetrators are still in the hospital. But before anything else could happen, Dragon Kid and Origami get kidnapped by those twins. In some subway, the twins argue about those dumb creepy dolls while letting the duo wait. In the end, Mugan tells Fugan to sit this out as he will handle them. Mugan says his power is to turn invisible. So he mainly fights Dragon Kid but obviously he is just fooling around. Dragon Kid then knocks out the power that causes the subway to blackout for a while before backup power comes back on. This is to signal to her pals where they are. So, everybody was just so sitting and waiting around except Thomas who was scrolling the internet to see if there are any power outages. Lucky him. Well, he says that if they stop and think about it, it is obvious this would be Dragon Kid’s next move. As they rush there, Dragon Kid calls them because with Origami, they manage to zap Mugan while he was distracted. Yeah, this dude is crying because he hates being zapped. But of course this is all a ruse. Mugan was once again fooling them. By the time they arrive, he reveals his true power is not invisibility but warping. So he wrests Dragon Kid and Origami and disappears to somewhere else, leaving everyone else frustrated.
Episode 11
Origami and Dragon Kid are found frozen. Since the enemies know their faces, the heroes have to start living together. Lara is feeling down and guilty for not having enough guts to go with Dragon Kid to visit Barnaby. That’s why Origami went in her stead. Antonio has got it worse. He was at the hospital but yet his partner got kidnapped. Can’t change the past but they have to look forward. Randle tells Mattia their experiment is a success. Their sponsors are pleased and will be continuing the funding. They’ll be rich and famous. Kotetsu as talking to Yuri about taking affirmative action. Yuri is against it since they are not sure the kind of powers they are dealing with. Meanwhile Fugan and Mugan warps into the hero’s base and attacks everyone. It’s a game of hide and seek as they also tease and taunt the heroes. In fact, they reveal their powers. Fugan can absorb any attack and return it as a stronger attack while Mugan does the warping. So, who does the petrification? While Karina and Ryan is keeping them busy, Antonio takes Lara, Thomas and Subaru to escape to call for help (the twins have a jamming device). This is successful as the rest return to fight the twins. Fugan gets injured so Mugan panics and warps back to the lab. Nicolai wants them to regroup but they are in a haste to finish the fight. Sigourney has the perfect present for them. This serum can boost their NEXT. Nicolai is against them using it but since the twins want to become stronger and surpass all the adults they hate, they take it. By the time Kotetsu and Yuri rush back, the place is decimated. Kotetsu having that I-told-you-so tone because are they going to wait like sitting ducks anymore? Antonio, Ryan and Karina have been defeated. The twins are super amazed with their enhanced powers. Finally, Barnaby wakes up.
Episode 12
The cat’s out of the bag. Fugan and Mugan making a public announcement how they have taken out several heroes. Well, if the media won’t cover them, they’ll do it themselves! Although Barnaby is back, no time for any reunion as the remaining heroes need to work together to put a stop to this. It seems the twins’ goal is to surpass Audun who defeated 17 superheroes. They plan to defeat 36 of them and our remaining heroes would reach that magic number. We see the heroes drawing up a plan to handle the twins’ troublesome power. Barnaby will be their trump card since they don’t know he is back in action. He will surprise them with an attack and also their plan hinges on blindfolding Mugan since he has to look where he needs to warp. At an empty stadium, Mr Black mocks the twins to come out and fight. As expected, the duo pops up. However they don’t like this place and want to change. If the heroes don’t like it, they can fight another day. Since this is jeopardizing the plan, Bunny then makes himself known. So everybody is going to warp somewhere else to fight. At some town’s intersection, there are lots of people who are whipping out their phones to snap pics and take videos but Tiger tells everyone to escape since this can turn nasty. Once everyone does so, the fight begins. The twins own everybody. Too fast, too furious for our heroes to see. But they aren’t giving up yet. Meanwhile Mattia is doing his own investigation as he snoops around the lab to see Sigourney and Nicolai continuing to conduct those drug experiments. Tiger somehow lands an attack that temporarily knocks out Fugan. It is deduced he cannot absorb attacks while attacking them. So is this where the tables turn? Maybe not yet. He gets back up and with all the absorbed attacks, he is even more powerful. They unleash it all on Tiger and the way he is sent flying through, this one could be fatal.
Episode 13
Flashback shows Nicolai brought the twins to his orphanage. However, other kids bullied them so they wanted to live with the old man instead. Ouroboros ordered Nicolai to use the twins to defeat the heroes as part of their plan to show the fearsome powers of NEXT. Nicolai was reluctant because they could die. Of course Ouroboros doesn’t care. There are replacements. All of them are pawns. Hence the twins decided to go ahead with this so as to repay their debt to him. Tiger is still alive but this makes Bunny made as he throws a flurry of punches at Fugan. Although this causes an extreme backlash on Bunny that incapacitates him, Bunny’s plan worked. You see, with so much power absorbed, Fugan’s body cannot take it and now his left arm is broken. However Fugan can still use other body parts as the twins target the remaining heroes. Mr Black is taken out but again, Fugan breaks another limb from all the absorbed power. Meanwhile, something happens in the lab. The experiment has gone awry. The prison whom the experiment is conducted on, Gregory Sunshine has escaped. He has stolen the drugs and killed everyone including Sigourney. Nicolai was in another room when he noticed the commotion and goes after him. With Fugan weakening, Mugan doesn’t want to continue with this but Fugan insists they need to finish them off. As they target Thomas, Cat draws inspiration from Dragon Kid’s words. Uses her power to blast them away. This causes Mugan to be pierced by a structure. Fugan tries to finish the rest but Thomas controls Bunny to send the last twin to his defeat. The heroes need their cooperation but the twins aren’t giving it. Though, they are happy the heroes acknowledge them as the strongest. Mugan with enough strength, together teleports with Mugan back to Nicolai. He is shocked to see them in this state. This distraction has Gregory shoot them all dead. With Nicolai dead, the petrification spell is undone as the heroes in hospital regain consciousness. In the aftermath, Mattia reports the discovery of the twins’ body with Nicolai at the lab. Police are further investigating the matter. The heroes recuperate in hospital and the recent incident has strengthened their bonds. Especially Mr Black and Thomas. Yuri burns away his dissolution proposal.
Episode 14
We see the heroes going about their usual training and job. Barnaby talks to Mattia who feels guilty for the recent events so he is trying to create a drug that will neutralize those effects. Mattia also notes that despite seeing the twins’ body with Nicolai, he did not see Sigourney’s corpse anywhere. There will be a show for fans to meet the heroes. Of course Tiger and Bunny who are in hospital and just recently got discharged, they will me a surprise return. This is kept hugely a secret from anybody. However Origami and Rock Bison accidentally see the secret plan and tell it to the rest. Well, they’re not appreciative of it because it spoils the surprise. Now they have to pretend not to know! Yeah, they’re getting nervous now! Even more nerve wrecking is that those guys will drop in right now as part of the surprise gig! And so the duo arrive, the rest fail in pretending but Kotetsu flubs his whatever lines. Awkward. As the show begins, the moment Tiger and Bunny are announced to make their surprise appearance, suddenly Yuri calls for an emergency dispatch. The show is still salvaged since fans can now watch live the action as the heroes go to do their job. Everyone welcomes back Tiger and Bunny to the job as they admit their pretending didn’t work. Oh, only Tiger actually believed they didn’t know! Anyway, it seems in this area, many NEXT people are going berserk, causing nuisance to others. The heroes quickly rein them in as they wonder what is causing this. Don’t look now because it could be that Gregory dude disappearing into the crowd.
Episode 15
All those rioters are unconscious and in hospital. However the source of their rampage still cannot be determined as all suffered some sort of unexplained seizures before starting their violent act. Meanwhile other heroes are thinking Karina and Kotetsu are dating since both are awfully close and he invited out to dinner. Of course she dismisses that and claims he just wants to thank her for some therapy and mental health care books she recommended. Soon, another call for the heroes to get into action because there is another outbreak of NEXT. This time it is happening at several places. As usual, they manage to handle it but there is one whereby Bunny knows she is faking and putting up and act before restraining her. He could tell since she wasn’t showing typical symptoms of those who went berserk. Apparently she wanted some attention from her lover whom she thinks doesn’t love her anymore. But she went too far and getting others hurt. And then there’s Blue Rose giving her a good piece of advice about love. Is she a love consultant? But why is she looking sad about it? Later Ryan talks to her. Something about this recurring nightmare he always has. A time when he was a hero in another town, the perpetrator used his NEXT power against his and got away. Ryan suffered a back injury. The nightmares are tolerable thanks to her being his partner. This in turn has Karina assuring that she isn’t sad or anything. She admitted she loved Kotetsu and wanted him to see her in a certain way. But that wouldn’t be the man she fell for. Over time, those feelings blurred and she is unsure if she still loves him or not. She also thanks Ryan for being her partner and it helped her focus on her job as a hero instead of always thinking about him. Whoever Karina falls for, Ryan will always be there to support him. Though, she quips he’ll be the last guy she’ll love.
Episode 16
The cause for those people going berserk still cannot be determined so they have been conveniently labelled as X. Of course, more such incidents as we see a happy Gregory doing this make several of such go berserk. The heroes are called in to stop this rampage again. As always, Thomas isn’t a team player and prefers to go solo. Not until Mr Black comes back to say his sister is trapped in the tower! Wait. I thought Ruby was missing?! Did miss something?! Better get your ass there fast. Meanwhile Tiger and Bunny try to apprehend this final X who is shooting beams discriminately. The plan goes awry because Bunny starts to feel a sharp pain in his leg. Thanks to Tiger’s improvising, the X is captured. Thomas manages to clear the debris and save the trapped people including Ruby. Time for an emotional reunion. As the heroes finish up, there is a group of protestors calling for NEXT to be kicked out of town. Gee, that’s the thanks they get? As Thomas and Ruby reunite, the latter knew HIT was him. She wrote letters to him but he never replied. See, that’s what happens when you don’t read your fan mail! In fact, Ruby thanks Subaru because he had arranged plans for them to meet. Yeah, Thomas realizing he has been a dick to him. Subaru claims this is to atone for his shortcomings. A previous mission showed Mr Black was clumsy, not only letting the criminal get away with his mistake but it impeded Thomas too. It was the cause of why their partnership is on bad terms. Hence it was for himself but laments he dragged Ruby into this. On the contrary, she is glad that she managed to see her brother. She tells Thomas not to carry all the burden himself now. WTF Subaru is the one crying the loudest at this touching moment?! Even giving Thomas a big hug! Hope that didn’t rub the wrong way. Barnaby sees the doctor who diagnosed some unknown cause in his leg. As there is no known treatment, he is advised to refrain using his NEXT as that aggravates the pain. Gregory is a happy and drunk man as he returns to meet the real mastermind behind this who is no other than Sigourney. Time to move onto the next phase.
Episode 17
I didn’t know Obama is the mayor of Stern Bild!!! Anyway, he is under various pressure to handle this X incident. Flashback a month ago after Gregory broke out of the lab, it seems he was wasting away himself. He tried to rob an old lady but wrong time, wrong place because the police arrested him. To his horror, coming to see him was Sigourney. However she offered him a deal. Either he can remain in police lockup forever or if he cooperates with her, he’ll get to live the way he wants. She needs his power and those drugs. So now that everything is going as planned, Gregory believes Sigourney is from Ouroboros from her mark. He thought it was just some local gang so Sigourney says the organization has its hands in almost everything. From politicians to the police all around the world. Ouroboros controls everything. As for its goals to make NEXT fight with non-NEXT, one reason is to influence the economy. Because she planned something big, he is not allowed to fail and will follow her orders to a T. She still haven’t forgiven him for shooting her, though. The government has ordered non-NEXT citizens to evacuate for fear that it may spread. Yuri then calls the heroes for a meeting. Because of the rumours, government has also decided to suspend all hero activities for fear X may spread to them and they’ll go wild. This means they cannot apprehend criminals and being normal citizens, it is against the law. Yeah, an explanation there were many cases of such in the past but this led to injuries and deaths. Hence the superhero system was made to protect NEXT. However this means other NEXT are not allowed to act as superheroes. So we see all the heroes returning their suits and having that solemn look as they begin their life as normal citizens. Enjoy your long break. It doesn’t take a genius to see that with no heroes around, crime rate has skyrocketed overnight! Yeah, the police can’t even keep up! Must be so proud, huh? Dumbasses. Sigourney is pleased that no heroes can interfere with her plan now. The party is about to get started as Gregory uses a fake ID to enter the evacuee camp of non-NEXT.
Episode 18
Thomas tells Subaru he is quitting as a hero. At least for Stern Bild. He will be going to another city to be one where they are recruiting. While Subaru accepts his decision, inside his heart he is reeling from this breakup. Gregory causes an X to go berserk at the camp. This in turn leads to more people protesting and the need to segregate. Hence Obama the mayor has no choice but to evacuate NEXT but this is just a pretence to segregate them. Kotetsu and Barnaby bump into an old janitor they now as he has info on the real perpetrator. He saw it with his own eyes how Gregory hugged and turned one into an X. Talking to the rest of this, they think this guy could be the same guy in Ryan’s past. However he brushes it off because such effect doesn’t last long. But what if Gregory has powered up? Barnaby confirms with Mattia a mugshot of Gregory since he has seen that dude in the lab. But isn’t he in lockup now? They have an audience with the mayor but he dismisses them as records show Gregory is still in prison and there have been no breakouts. The heroes decide to go look for Gregory. At the same time they learn of Barnaby’s condition. Don’t worry, we can all count on each other, right? So where to look for Gregory? Ryan knows this guy loves booze so you bet he’ll be in some bar. But so many bars in Stern Bild. Perhaps they should start where X went on a rampage. As they hit the ground, Gregory soon panics because he knows the heroes are looking for him. Sigourney has him relocated. Soon Mattia calls Barnaby to tell him he made a mistake. See this picture of Gregory? Looks close to the psychopath we know. He is a non-NEXT too. But soon a call from Pao Lin that they know where Gregory is. While relocating, he stopped by an alcohol store to have bottles delivered to the real place. The staff recognized him because he was rude. The heroes soon surround and ambush his new place but he is not in. From the looks of it, he knew they were coming and ran. Subaru believes there is a traitor. However it’s not among them. Well, well. Looks like a hypnotized Mattia has been ratting out info to him.
Episode 19
All the heroes suspect Mattia since he is the only one knows about their plan. Barnaby insists he is not a bad guy and it couldn’t be him so he is told about the possibility Mattia befriended him just to deceive him when the time comes. Kotetsu and Barnaby decide to go see Mattia themselves. They find him unconscious in a burning room trying to kill himself. Luckily they save him and in hospital, Mattia has no recollections of what happened. Barnaby talks about the probability of him being controlled by a NEXT. There could be a NEXT who could control others. Indeed. That power belongs to Sigourney was we see her control several people or rather shift her consciousness to others by just touching them. Eventually she got to Mattia and had to do damage control after Gregory slipped up. Gregory and Sigourney end up blaming each other but she can’t kill him because doing so will undo all those he has affected. It couldn’t be worse a timing as Little Aurora has stepped into the picture. She is a NEXT with great psychic powers and has been using her powers to help better the world. It is thanks to her that NEXT and non-NEXT get to coexist. Now she has turn her focus to help Stern Bild. This puts a damper on Sigourney’s plan so she tells Gregory to lie low. The heroes apologize to Mattia for suspecting him. For now, Barnaby will put him at a safe place. Kotetsu manages to get footage of their meeting with Mattia. After they left, they see Mattia talking to someone on the phone. How convenient, Kotetsu using his power to amplify and drown out the noises to hear what Mattia said. Can’t make out most of it but Mission A was mentioned. Mattia knows about this plan as he overheard Sigourney talked about it. Basically it’s to drive a wedge between NEXT and non-NEXT. The heroes go into full force trying to find Gregory. Kotetsu and Barnaby hear the local news that a couple of young punks have been on a robbing spree. Oh look, they just pass them. Both go on the chase. However this does not sit well with the police who think the heroes are trying to steal their glory. WTF. So when police reinforcements come by, our heroes let them continue the chase but WTF they are here to arrest the heroes for violation?! You f*ckers gonna let those robbers go scot free?! Meanwhile Yuri gets a devastating call. Yeah, those robbers shot and killed his mom at her home. There’s her body right there in the morgue.
Episode 20
Yuri visits mom’s caretaker in hospital as she survived the attack. She blames herself for this tragedy but Yuri puts up a strong face, telling her she isn’t and the fault lies with the killers. Kotetsu and Barnaby get off with a warning. They still continue to look for the perpetrators. Speaking of them, they’re going to assault this lone woman who just came out of her home. Unfortunately for them, here comes Lunatic as he burns one of them to death. Before he could do the same for the other, Kotetsu and Bunny drop in. Kotetsu gets wounded saving the culprit as Barnaby pushes himself to fight Lunatic. Ultimately the pain is too great for him to bear. Lunatic finishes off the other killer and then escapes. In the aftermath, all heroes are made to sign a disclosure to not act on their own again or they will lose their licence. This works in Sigourney’s favour as now they are contained and can’t act on their own. Mission A is back in action. After Kotetsu and Barnaby get discharged from hospital, Yuri sees them to sign the disclosure. Kotetsu is frustrated because at times like these, he wants to protect this city as a superhero till the end. This is when Yuri reveals the shocking truth that Mr Legend is his father. He thinks Kotetsu will become like him, a prisoner of his own identity. Troubled by his declining powers, Mr Legend resorted to fixing up crimes to maintain it. Isn’t that why Kotetsu came back even after retiring from his declining powers? His father became so obsessed that he abused mom and Yuri also lived through hell. So with this development, this could be a good chance to take a break from being a hero. Kotetsu thanks him but also shares what he thinks. He is grateful to Mr Legend for saving him and inspiring him to become a hero. Although what he did is unforgivable, if only he had a friend like Barnaby to stop him, things would’ve turned out differently. One day he will lose his powers and not become a hero anymore. But he promised himself to always be himself. Yuri comes home, reminiscing happier family times. He continues to be haunted by Mr Legend’s visions. To his surprise, father admits his wrongs and doesn’t want to be forgiven. His life has been warped thanks to his sins. That’s why he wants him to stay true to his justice no matter what form it takes. Mr Legend vanishes and now Yuri doesn’t want anybody to go. All alone. Poor guy. Must be so heart breaking :’(.
Episode 21
We see the heroes bumming around and some packing their stuffs ready to head for the evacuation centre. Ryan’s boss tries to talk to him not to cause trouble because by doing so, he might cause trouble for Blue Rose and her family. Lara’s mom will go to the evacuation centre with her to further talk about her future. It seems she is trying to point out she has been right all along. Lara’s ranking has not risen ever since and she’s like playing a supporting role to Dragon Kid. Lara disagrees because she views Pao Lin as her friend. Too bad mom won’t have any of it. Sigourney is glad Mission A is back on track and promises Gregory the life he wants. But behind the scenes, she shows her true snake colours as she tells her subordinates to get rid of him once the mission is over. Soon on the news, the prison that is holding the X is up in flames. Oh, you bet Gregory is behind this as he makes them go berserk and do a prison break. Kotetsu is going to risk being a rogue hero but Barnaby is here to pick him up to meet the other heroes for some special taping. From what I understand, because they are on this special programme, that is just the cover story for them to go into action covertly. Kotetsu talks to Barnaby privately because he knows something is wrong. Looks like the doctor still cannot determine the root of his pain but knows the more power he uses, the more painful it will get. This means he cannot live his life as a superhero anymore. That is why he wants to do this with him as a last chance to bring heroes back. Kotetsu then talks to him about what he just told Kaede about the meaning of being a hero. In the end, Kotetsu has no reason to stop him so it’s his choice to come along. The heroes get ready to go into action.
Episode 22
Lots of dead guards inside Abbas Prison. Yeah, Gregory using his power to make prisoners go berserk and rampage. Hence our heroes think the A in Mission A stands for Abbas. As the heroes go into action to stop the X convicts, this is played live over TV so you bet many are in shock that the heroes are operating instead of being suspended. Especially the police who still think the heroes are out to steal their glory. Therefore it’s a 3 way fight. Heroes vs police vs X criminals. With the heroes here, Gregory is panicking since this isn’t part of the plan. He calls Sigourney for an escape but she tells him to continue his job because if the heroes stop all the X, the mission fails. Gregory tries to make his escape but finds a certain prisoner who might prove useful. The heroes continue stop the rampaging X as some of them possess troublesome abilities like swapping places and swimming through solids. So far so good, not letting any escape outside the perimeter of the facility. Meanwhile Ryan and Blue Rose head into the facility where they believe Gregory is hiding. They find the bugger in the flesh but he isn’t panicking. Because he sends Audun to deal with them. Now we see the real perpetrator, Obama the mayor is getting ready to kill Aurora. That is what Mission A actually stands for.
Episode 23
Ryan and Blue Rose can’t stand up to Audun’s power. Now he is helping Gregory escape and previously Gregory told him these superheroes are the villains in wreaking havoc across town. Being behind bars for 10 years must have taken a toll on Audun as now he thinks he is a superhero who will help save humanity again. Hence we see Audun taking down the heroes one by one. No match for him. The mayor is giving his speech as he waits for Aurora’s arrival. WTF plot convenience because Mattia notices he is a left hander and the one who controlled him. IS HE THE ONLY LEFT HANDER IN TOWN?! Oh right. Those weird glowing eyes. Hence he deduces Mission A is to kill Aurora and he is being controlled by a NEXT to do so in order to drive a gap into both sides to fight forever. The mayor welcomes Aurora on stage before making his shocking proclamation that all NEXT can go to hell. He pulls out a gun but before he can shoot Aurora, here comes Lunatic. He is going to kill the mayor but Tiger steps in. Obviously the one remotely controlling the mayor is Sigourney. Because of the struggle, Lunatic gets cut and this allows Sigourney to control him to go after fleeing Aurora. Lunatic unleashes his blast but Tiger uses his body to protect her. Meanwhile Bunny and Mr Black are the only heroes left to face Audun. Mr Black wants Bunny to go aid Tiger but can Mr Black do it alone? Don’t worry. Thomas is back! Sorry, it’s not to help you but to meet his childhood hero, Audun. Okay. Whatever. At least Bunny is now free to go to Tiger.
Episode 24
Mr Black and Thomas are having a hard time against Audun. So are Tiger and Bunny against a controlled Lunatic. But first, time to delve into Sigourney’s background why she is doing all this. She and her group of friends were all NEXT. However their powers were weak. Only Sigourney’s power was considered somewhat useful as she was approached by Ouroboros. She is one of those Nemo Children. Because her friends were treated like garbage, they cannot take it and took their lives. Sigourney always believed NEXT are just pawns to non-NEXT and promised herself to right the wrongs to save NEXT. That’s why she didn’t hesitate to use her own comrades as pawns to achieve her goals. She worked hard to rise up through the ranks of Ouroboros but that one blunder made her demoted. So she thought of killing Aurora to regain her reputation. Thanks to Aurora, people’s perception that all NEXT can be useful. So, this dumb reason is why she wants to kill the old lady so badly? She also blames the heroes for having a guilty hand in this since their very existence made people think NEXT have to be useful to them. Other fallen heroes get up to help save the injured people. Yeah, time to preach to us why they love being heroes. Thomas once again thinks Mr Black is in the way and that he is best working alone. This causes a rift between them and Audun thinks of using it to his advantage but gets defeated by their last minute combo. Apparently this is a ruse to let his guard down. Yeah, the duo know each other well inside out. However Audun wakes up and smashes them. Tiger and Bunny use all their energy to take down Lunatic. Sigourney transfer her conscious to another subordinate to flee but Tiger and Bunny won’t allow it. Suddenly Gregory shoots and this also effectively kills Sigourney. Wow. That easy? Then he wants Audun to kill the remaining ‘baddies’. However Audun has his doubts. All the ‘villains’ he fought were valiantly acting like heroes. Plus, he needs to go help the ordinary people. Gregory cannot accept this sh*t and injects his serum to make Audun’s powers go berserk. Can Tiger and Bunny do it together? For the first time Lunatic fights side by side with them to take Audun down. Tiger then tries to apprehend Gregory to stop this madness. However he thought Gregory’s power manifests when one is hugged. Apparently it is not. Just a lick and Tiger now goes wild!
Episode 25
Bunny tries to stop a rampaging Tiger and is having a hard time. Other heroes are having their hands full. Oh my, what huge convenience as a report plays over the airwaves as he reveals the heroes were gathering proof that X was created by Gregory instead of being an infectious disease. Yeah, that is enough to get everyone back to root our heroes again. With Lunatic having a hard time fighting Audun, suddenly Tiger regains himself to help. The only possible deduction is that he has lost his entire powers and thus no longer a NEXT and no longer under Gregory’s control. About time the dumb police chief decides to cast away his pride and support the heroes. After all the sabotaging! Bunny is left to deal with Audun but his suit breaks. Kotetsu throws him his as he receives new power to kick the daylights out of Audun. The day is saved. Ryan and Blue Rose corner and escaping Gregory and beat the sh*t out of him. Kotetsu and Barnaby follow Lunatic’s blood trail. Not sure if they realize he is Yuri as he unmasks himself. They claim he is a hero but Lunatic tells them to carry on their brand of justice before burning himself to death. WTF did he just hara-kiri?! Speaking about that, the police transporting Gregory do another hara-kiri as they crash their vehicle off the cliff just to kill him! Holy sh*t! With that, all the X return back to normal. Now all the heroes want to know what Kotetsu will do since he is now a normal human. Basically, without powers he still wants to help others and will continue to think what he can do. Well, you don’t need to be an official superhero to be a hero. As for Barnaby, he still wants to continue being a hero despite his leg still hurts like hell. So he wants to be like Kotetsu? Even if they can’t be together anymore, they’ll still be partners. Lastly, Tiger and Bunny inducted into the hero museum as buddy hero legends.
Unsung Heroes Of Reality TV
Well, will there be any more sequels in the future? Do we have to wait another cycle of the Chinese lunar calendar to get our answer? I don’t know. The way things are shown, it pretty much ended everything or at least for the most part of it. Sure, maybe new heroes will pop up and the rest will continue doing their hero job. I can’t see anything else major happening thereafter. After all, this series was originally written. And sadly, this season was adapted by Netflix. Ugh. I won’t say it is that awful and bad but well, I’m not really impressed either. I thought at least things will be different since Cyberpunk: Edgerunners was well done. Looks like Netflix back to being Netflix again. Not even the heroes can save them.
The stories and plots for this season feels a bit underwhelming. I don’t know, I just don’t feel the excitement watching it over 2 cours and find certain episodes to be draggy and boring. Especially those that try to focus on the superhero pair and character. Oh you know, try to give some limelight and focus on their issues and relationship with each other as a partner and working professional. It was supposed to give us some more insights into that particular character but at the end of the day, it just felt boring. Yeah sure, they all have issues but nothing that is grave enough to effect anything because it is all sugar coated for some feel good factor anyway. Like for example, Lara’s issue with her mom. Lara is too timid to speak her mind to her mom who wants her daughter to be the main star instead of a supporting background character. Uhm, I just don’t feel the intensity of that issue there. And it all got somewhat resolved or at least mom had a more favourable thinking after seeing Lara in action on TV that put her life at risked. Yeah, that actually changed the mind of a stubborn old goat. So to speak. Then you have Thomas who is a non-team player and it’s like his character is written to be a dick because of his lone wolf tendency. And of course, once he gets reunited with his sister, his world view suddenly changes because team work not so bad now. Wow. So easily resolved.
Apart from focusing on the relationships and dynamism of the superheroes and their buddy system, the plot itself isn’t all that exciting. Of course I’m talking about the need to have villains because that is what superhero genres all need, right? Yeah. An important ingredient after all. Anyway, the first half has an interesting crazy pair of twins. Too bad they are as shallow as we know them. No wonder they took half of that first season focusing on our superheroes while they were just being relegated to the background, disposing off non-important heroes in other lesser known towns. I thought the twins could have been better fleshed out but unfortunately they were written in such a way just to play that shallow villain of the day. Since they were crazy and unpredictable enough to give the heroes a run for their money so that had me interested in them for a while. Too bad they got killed off in a pathetic way so that’s that.
Then came the second half which rubs me and many other viewers the wrong way. You heard me right: Racism. While it is nothing new nor it is nothing wrong to have the theme of ordinary powerless people to fear those with superhuman powers (mutants in X-Men, anyone?), it is sad to say that living in an age where wokeness and politically correct has been permeating the media, I can’t help wonder if the series was trying to subtly hammer in some sort of message even though there is a big chance that there was no intention of this. Hence seeing the second half’s plot of puny normal joes and janes trying to protest a bunch of people who possesses something they don’t, are these people dumb or what? You know if you pissed off a NEXT, one can hurt or even kill you with the NEXT power? Sure, liberty, rights, freedom, whatever. I guess it’s just us being humans to find racism in everything even if there is none.
And so that theme for the second half felt somewhat surreal and it’s like the much needed plot to tie one hand in the back for our heroes and not give them a free pass to do as they wish because had they do so, everything would’ve been solved so easily. Yeah. Good guys always play by the rules and end up finishing last. But alas do not fear. There is this thing called plot convenience and cliché that allows all good guys and heroes to always win in the end. Phew. Therefore the second half’s antagonists are so much more boring and pathetic with drunkard Gregory and scheming Sigourney failing to be even half as interesting as the twins. Yeah, it’s a big disappointment seeing Gregory himself is a coward and relies on others, this is only so because we can hate this despicable character with no chance of redemption and all. His death is so WTF but I guess we don’t care. It’s just to tie up loose ends. And what’s this about Sigourney’s past and ideals? We don’t care! That’s why they could easily kill her off like that. Good riddance.
Sure, they want to put in themes which are not so black and white, themes that dwell in very grey areas and its very thin line that separates what constitutes being good or bad. Because people nowadays are so complicated and we can’t have a straight up good vs evil story since that will be so boring. That’s why they’re trying to confuse, uhm, I mean make us think if having superheroes around is a good thing. To put it simply in my opinion, there are 2 sides to a coin and nothing is perfect. While the justice system isn’t all that perfect, superheroes are the closest thing an ordinary joe can have to protect from super extraordinary bad things. So when things are seemingly corrupted and you question the justice system and all, it is fine to do so but you can’t lump everything all together and call it bad. Yeah, it’s tough being human, no? Strangely, Boku No Hero Academia’s current season is also facing such issues… The very great thin line between justice and evil.
Speaking of antagonists, I thought Ouroboros would finally play a more prominent role this season but looks like this worldwide shadowy organization continues to remain in the shadows. Well, maybe they’re working in the shadows and not shown to be in focus so as to keep the mystery on them. After all, it is said they have many well-known people working under their belt so it could be a huge thing. Makes me wonder if the heroes can take them on if they ever decide to go global with their nefarious plans considering how we see them struggle with such low level villains. Yeah, what if Ouroboros doesn’t think our current heroes are not even good enough to stop them! Oh well, controlling the economy and making money sounds good enough for them for now. Otherwise, their presence this season felt paltry since we don’t even hear anything about their goals or whatever. My guts tell me that it could be Ouroboros who had a hand in killing Gregory because that WTF scene, this could be the only plausible action. After all, perhaps Ouroboros aren’t some inelegant crude brutes and even if they are going to do something evil, it must be with class and style! Yeah.
As for the characters and our superheroes more specifically, what more can I say about them? As already said, some episodes focus on some of the pairs but that doesn’t bring anything much to the table. So if you’re fans of Sky High or Fire Emblem, you’d be disappointed that they only have 1 stinking episode they were prominent in and that episode also felt crappy. Otherwise, they’re just reduced to side supporting characters. And to think this pair is the #1 and top rated pair in Stern Bild. This means the other characters, new and old also mainly face this sort of problem. Yeah, that’s the problem when you have quite a number of characters and don’t have enough time to flesh them out. Forgive me since I didn’t watch the few movies that came out before so I am not sure if I missed anything or if any plots were brought over. Because from what I read, that Ryan guy made his debut in one of those movies whereas Cat, Mr Black and Thomas made their debut this season. Sad to say, they hardly made any impact at least in my books. Yeah, noticed how the final arc’s bosses are always somewhat fought by Tiger and Bunny while the other heroes are taken out? Too bad you guys aren’t the main characters. On a side note, noticed how the superheroes’ moniker are either based after animals, colour or elements? Is there a theme they must follow that I am unaware of?
Of course our titular character gets the bulk of the attention. Safe to say that they are really like best friends, which is a far cry from their cold icy relationship when they first started out at the beginning of the first season. It’s good to see them being this close as friends but oh I don’t know, I just felt there was something lacking that would make me want to support them. After all, Tiger being the guy who cares for his pals and everything, at the same time is facing issues of his relationship with his daughter (which was conveniently improved in the second half because of his seemingly winging it answer of being a superhero) while dealing with his own declining powers. For more added drama, Bunny too is having his setback that he might lose his powers forever. What a way to ramp up the drama because if Bunny can’t fully utilize his power to the max, that means our main characters are in danger, no? So will he do self-preservation to stay a hero or will he risk it all and be a hero for the last time? Well, let me say that there are everyday heroes who don’t wear capes… After all, even superheroes are still humans despite all what’s being said and done. See, Kotetsu still being Kotetsu even after completely losing his NEXT. Who says one has to retire as a superhero if you don’t have NEXT? Might be an ojii-san now but he is still a hero in the hearts of many! Like Kaede eventually.
And blurring the lines further between heroes and villains, we need to have Lunatic fighting alongside our titular heroes once. Because that’s how it is. I’m sure we all know at this day and age, most of us sympathize with the villains’ goal and that’s why they make such drastic changes unlike heroes who always want the status quo. However it is only the villains’ methods that we do not tend to agree on that mostly divides our full support. So in Lunatic’s case he became a villain because of a tragic past. But I guess people like him need a chance at redemption and that’s why a temporary alliance with Tiger and Bunny to show that even people on different sides can put aside their differences to work together for a common goal. Yeah, are we tired of hearing this theme already? But shockingly, they decide to kill off his character in the end and I don’t see why they have to do this. Can’t come up with good reasons to pit Lunatic and the heroes anymore? Yeah, this double character persona thingy is perhaps not looking so good so might as well kill him off and call it his redemption. He already had his brand of justice, now it’s time to pass that torch to others.
Then there is this Mattia guy whom I have mixed feelings about. Basically he feels like he is shoehorned in for a lot of plot convenience. It’s like as though the heroes needed an ordinary civilian to help deduce the mystery or at least help them make a decision for their next moves when their hands were tied. Without him, the heroes will still be running around like headless geese trying to find out the source behind X’s rampage. How convenient, right? And to think that he was Barnaby’s old classmate, this makes it easier for the writers to put him in because well, that’s what are friends for, right? So that Barnaby too doesn’t look like some sort of nerd. Because other than his fellow hero colleagues and Kotetsu as his partner-cum-best friend, you do note that all this dude does when he gets home is to water and talk to his plants! Is that sad? Well, not my place to say but to each his own.
Lastly, I need to comment about the police of Stern Bild. Basically they’re the epitome of what a dumb cop is! Especially the big police chief himself. Ugh, see how ugly his fat face is too! Anyway, the police are depicted as dumb here because that is the only way to make superheroes special, right? Especially in the second half when all they could think is to salvage some reputation by taking down criminals themselves, they got owned so badly they don’t even know it. Yeah, why can’t I help think this is yet another politically incorrect theme of hating the authorities? Anyway, these dumb f*ckers are so dumb that they could see nothing but their own selfish greed to get some glory from the public. This also serves to play a subtle plot that our good heroes must play by the book and not break any laws until the plot calls for it. Then it’s okay because by then when the series ends, the people will mostly back them again. So yeah, thanks a bunch you dumb cops for being an idiotic stumbling block. Geez. Too late for trying to support the heroes in the end. Sure, better late than never but with all the dumb sabotages, I’m still not going to have favourable views of the police in this anime.
If there is one thing I want to note about this series, it is the excessive use of CGI apart from the 2D animation. Well, I have to admit that the CGI animation is not bad but it does make the characters look weird. This is mostly employed when our superheroes don their outfits and head into action. While the CGI is smooth and satisfactory quality, sometimes their movements are too smooth and that makes them move in weird ways. At least better than many anime series out there with obviously bad CGI. As for the 2D animation, they still maintain their quality there so it’s good to see they didn’t skimp on it. Okay, now I have to talk about how certain characters resemble certain real life celebrities. The most obvious being the mayor of Stern Bild suspiciously looking like America’s former president, Obama. It couldn’t trigger my suspicions further because Obama is a left hander and the mayor is one too. This cannot be a coincidence, right?! And why does Aurora look like the late Betty White?! What Fugan and Mugan look like visual kei pairs while Gregory is like a love child between Steven Tyler and Mick Jagger on drugs. Yeah.
It’s nice to have all the original seiyuus from the first season reprising their roles. Of course there are new ones joining like Yuuichi Nakamura as Ryan. I thought Mamoru Miyano played both the twins since they sound indistinguishable but apparently it’s only Fugan while Mugan is played by Kensho Ono (Floch in Shingeki No Kyojin). The one that shocked me the most is Takehito Koyasu as Gregory. I should’ve been so familiar with his voice but I guess he sounded gay and different from his usual trademark that it never even crossed my mind it was this guy! Yeah, I’m still surprised as I type this. Woah. The others are Shouya Chiba as Mr Black/Subaru (Rein in Beast Tamer), Nobunaga Shimazaki as Thomas (Shido in Date A Live), Tomori Kusunoki as Cat/Lara (Natsume in Deca-Dence), Takako Honda as Sigourney (Hone Onna in Jigoku Shoujo), Hiroyuki Kinoshita as Nicolai (Doussant in Radiant S2), Shuuhei Sakaguchi as Mattia (Mest in Fairy Tail) and Tetsu Inada as Audun (Gamagoori in Kill La Kill).
Unison Square Garden who sang for the first season, continues to sing the opening theme for this season too, Kaleido Proud Fiesta. If you are familiar with their style of rock music, you can feel very much at home because to me it sounds similar to their other anime songs they sing like Kekkai Sensen and Yozakura Quartet. The first ending theme is Aida by Ano. This song is weird to me. Firstly, the somewhat screeching electric guitar as the background music. Then the song gets really noisy when it picks up. It sounds more like interference than music if you ask me. Lastly, the singer’s voice sounds weird. Sounds like a kid singing a song (singer is about 25 years old, by the way). For the second ending theme, Pilot by Taichi Mukai suddenly becomes a slow hip hop ballad. I guess we need a change of pace. After all the heroic action, sitting back and relax is what Kotetsu and Barnaby need.
Overall, while this season isn’t all that bad, it still misses some mark and fails to stir some excitement in me. Even weirder with the series playing that racism theme card so that set off some weird vibes. Even if it was all just for entertainment purposes. Sad to say, I still feel that the current and sixth season of Boku No Hero Academia is still far more enjoyable than this one in terms of superhero related content and action. Not sure if they are going to make movies, specials or another season down the road but when that happens, looks like our heroes will be called out of retirement to don their superhero outfits again in the name of justice. And save us from the sh*tty entertainment that we are drowning in! Oh well, who are we to blame since we created and consume such mess we are in right now. We are just as guilty.
