Tiger & Bunny, Vol. 1 Paperback – April 9, 2013

Tiger & Bunny is an interesting concept for an anime (and now manga). Though having some typical anime/manga tropes, in general it is to non-Japanese Western style super-hero comics what Avatar: The Last Airbender and later shows are to anime and manga. In other words, it is an affectionate parody, deconstruction-reconstruction, and homage all wrapped up in one.The story takes place in an alternate future thirty years after some wierd genetic mutation (think of Marvel Comics's mutants or DC Comic's meta-humans) has begun given certain folks born every year super-powers. Some of these folks turn to crime, while others turn to heroism. In this world, the story deconstructs the idea of "hero insurance" as The Incredibles did, but along a different route. The heroes really are employees of private companies who cover the costs of the destruction they do for the publicity they bring the company. There is even a corresponding television show Heroes TV (no, seriously, and it actually doesn't come across as corny) that they "compete" on for points to get the prestigious prize of the "Hero of the Year".Of course, this is where the main conflict comes in since the "competition" is each hero being awarded points for how they do their crime-fighting, people-saving, so on, on the camera for the audience. The newer heroes are only concerned with points, while the older breed, including one of the two main characters, Kotetsu (the titular "Tiger") doesn't get as many points as he cares more about doing what is right than racking up points or minimizing property damage. Needless to say, this causes a clash of beliefs between Kotetsu's idealism, and the cynicism of others, including Kotetsu's new partner, Barnaby. It is, in fact, this same annoying (and costly to his corporate sponsor) idealism that causes them to order him to pair up with Barnaby (against both their wishes, amusingly enough). They both also share the same powers, which helped to create a nice contrast between the two men.Make no mistake, though, that the story is very much Kotetsu's and Barnaby's, as the titular duo, and that in the end, it makes the point beautifully, with both men having good and bad point. Though, to be honest, Kotetsu's idealism is the winning philosophy.In fact, for much of the narrative, there is a back and forth between showing that Tiger's idealism can be foolish and unhelpful at times, while also taking apart cynicism by showing it in all it's negative implications. Not to give away too many spoilers, but the back-and-forth will continue for much of the series, given how the anime the manga is adapted from went. Heroism and idealism are eventually shown to be better than cynicism, but they can't solve everything, and sometimes being more cynical is necessary. Sometimes it never can turn out well.I really thought this type of decon-recon effort was interesting. The typical tropes of American super-hero comics were torn apart, but then reassembled again. In the end, the story takes the point of view that neither the idealism of some comics, nor the cynicism and supposed "realism" of other comics, would work out in many situations. BOTH are needed, though idealism is the best go-to position since you want your heroes (those who fight for us) to truly be the best of us and truly care.The artwork wasn't the best I've seen, but it was very good. It doesn't have the beautiful panels of Sailor Moon or Ah My Goddess, but it does have better, crisper, and more pleasing depictions than most manga. I think it's about the quality of Rurouni Kenshin in that it isn't the best ever, but is quite good.All in all, this was a great comic that really captures the American super-hero mythos better than any other non-American comic, and even many American ones. A really effort, as I said, at parody, homage, and so much more.Highly Recommended.

This book is action packed and well drawn. Personally, it has to be one of the best I've ever bought~ I'm proud to say I own this book.It mainly follows Kotetsu T. Kaburagi (the man on the front of the book) and his adventures as a super hero. He meets Barnaby (his partner) and has to stop a whole bunch of bad guys. The story line is really riveting with twists and turns! It doesn't get super in depth until the later books though. Still, it's worth a read! I'm sure you'll eat this book up in one sitting.

It has beautiful art. It follows the anime storyline exactly, although a few things are changed for the better. You also get to see the side of things the anime might not have shown.

I like the concept, and the characters are very interesting. Nice read and good Anime. Plus, it's way cooler than the powerangers.

Tiger & Bunny is one of my favorite animes due to its characters, animation, and theme. It is not based on a manga, however, as is fairly common in the anime world. Most manga adaptations on anime that I've read have been a huge letdown, with either the artwork not staying true to the anime, or the mangaka felt the need to write their own plot. Another setback can be that the manga leaves out some of the flair or some enjoyable moments.After reading the first volume of the manga, I was pleasantly surprised. Let's start with the artwork. It truly is outstanding. Very good when compared to other manga. Second, the characters all feel like they did in the anime, which is important since the anime relied on its strong ensemble cast of characters. All the major points from the first two episodes of the anime were hit upon in the volume, as well. The only downside for me was that the story seemed slightly rushed to fit into a certain number of pages, but this is barely noticeable. Another minor issue is the fact that the first two episodes of the anime are an introduction to the concept of the series (sponsored superheroes), and the real action/plot starts later in the series. Since this volume is based on the first two episodes, its only just scratching the surface of the series, but if the manga stays true to the anime, like it seems it will, I have high hopes.One extra little thing in the manga adaption that I enjoyed was the inclusion of thought bubbles for the characters. There are a few funny moments there that weren't in the anime.Overall, this series is off to a promising start. If it stays true to the anime, their is much more to come. If you're a fan of the anime, you'll likely not be disappointed here.

As a massive fan of the original anime this manga sticks close to the original show while adding new elements

Great book

ペーパーバックですから本にカバーがかかっていません。そして、角川書店から出ているコミックス版より少しだけ大きいです。表紙･裏表紙が折れるのが嫌な方は、自前でカバーをかけることをオススメします。中はアニメのテレビシリーズやコミックスを知っていれば、分からない英単語が出てきても雰囲気で読めてしまいます。辞書を片手に、ではなく、敢えてコミックスを片手に読むと日常レベルの英語が理解できるようになってしまいそうです。「こんな表現するんだ！」と英語が苦手な人でも感嘆すること間違いなし！コミックス版収録のカラー４ページもそのまま掲載されています。最後の最後に「貴方のマンガの読み方は間違っている！」という日本のマンガの読み方コーナーがあって笑わせてもらいました。