First airing in 2011, Tiger & Bunny made waves in the anime sphere for having characters who actively advertised real-life companies. These companies would pay Sunrise, the production company, for a chance to have their brands represented by superheroes within the series. Pepsi, SoftBank, Domino's Pizza and Bandai were just some of those that had their logos emblazoned on characters' costumes. While these logos would later be removed for streaming on Netflix and in the manga adaptation, the idea of superheroes acting as walking billboards for the companies was highly praised by critics. With Season 2's recent release, here's how newcomers can get started on the series.
Directed by Keiichi Sato, Tiger & Bunny first aired on Tokyo MX on April 3, 2011. The original concept for the series was imagined by producer Masayuki Ozaki. The screenplay was written by Masafumi Nishida, who would go on to work on Re-Main in 2021, and the characters were designed by Masakazu Katsura, a manga artist who has worked on titles like Video Girl Ai, Zetman and the 2019 video game Astral Chain. The series would be picked up by Viz Media for simulcast on Hulu and Anime News Network before Netflix began streaming it.
The Plot of Tiger & Bunny
Set in an alternate version of New York City called Stern Bild City, Tiger & Bunny follows Kotetsu T. Kaburaki, a superhero who goes by the alias Wild Tiger, and his new partner Barnaby Brooks Jr., alias Bunny. The two often butt heads because of their differing personalities and views on how a superhero should conduct themselves, especially when their actions are publicly broadcasted via TV show.
While the two slowly learn to get along and take down evildoers, they also try to unravel the murder of Barnaby's parents. Kotetsu is initially willing to help him solve the mystery, but begins feeling conflicted due to wanting to take care of his own daughter Kaede. As if that weren't enough, a conspiracy against the superhero industry begins taking hold.
Where to Read the Tiger & Bunny Manga
Physical copies of the Tiger & Bunny manga can be bought through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Books-A-Million and Bookshop.org. They can also be picked up from Walmart or local comic shops with a manga selection. The average price for a single volume runs about $9.99, but BookDepository has them for a slightly cheaper $7.88 on average.
There is also a spin-off series called Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning with two volumes, Side A and Side B, also for $9.99. The original series has nine volumes, but anthologies -- two volumes combined into one -- are also available for $12.99. As of writing, there is no digital format available for the spin-off books.
Where to Watch the Tiger & Bunny Anime
The series is currently available on Netflix and Vudu for streaming. Blu-ray discs are available for purchase on Amazon or from Target, Walmart or Best Buy for around $27.99, while the DVDs are about $17.99. Tiger & Bunny is also available there for digital purchase with each episode running about $1.99 for standard definition or $2.99 for HD. The entire first season is $17.99 and $28.99 respectively. iTunes and Google Play also have it available for $28.99.
The franchise has also seen two movies released so far. Tiger & Bunny: The Beginning can be bought from Amazon for around $19.99 for the Blu-ray/DVD combo set, or for $24.98 from Target, Walmart and Best Buy. The DVD runs about $19.98 on average. Prime Video has it available in HD for $3.99 for rental and $12.99 for purchase. The rental costs the same for the standard definition version, but purchasing is slightly cheaper at $9.99.
The second film, Tiger & Bunny: The Rising, costs about $29.99 for the Blu-ray, $19.98 for the DVD, and $12.99 for digital download or $4.99 for rent on iTunes and Google Play. Amazon has the combo set available for $19.99 and the DVD for about $14.98. The movie is only available for purchase in SD on Prime Video for $9.99 or HD for $12.99.