Tiger & Bunny 13

[joiedecombat]

Not related to the episode, but I am finding myself so entertained by this. Explanation: basically, from a blink-and-you-miss-it screenshot, someone out there in the fandom concluded that Kotetsu wears Kenzo Pour Homme cologne.

And the fans started buying it.

Apparently in significant numbers.

I'd be entertained by this regardless, but the fact that it's happening in the fandom of a show about corporate-sponsored product placement superheroes - complete with shameless product placement for real-world companies - is cracking me right up. I've heard rumors that the same thing is happening with Brooks Wines.

...Of course, I laugh, but I'm severely tempted to shell out the money for a Wild Tiger t-shirt. And if I could find the Hero TV Staff shirt on a site that had English-language ordering I'd definitely buy one. (It has a tiny hidden Origami Cyclone on it! This is the best thing ever.)

But getting on to the actual episode...

Excuse me for a moment while I do a happy dance about Jake getting a helicopter dropped on him. I am so glad we're not going to have to put up with him as the main villain for the rest of the series. This cements my conviction that Lunatic is the actual Big Bad, though I'm not discounting the possibility that there's more to Ouroboros than we have seen thus far. (In particular, I'm wondering if there's going to be any more to the story of Jake's murder of Mr. and Mrs. Brooks, or if it really is going to be something that there's just no resolution for... I am pretty much okay with this either way.)

Aside from that, my other favorite thing about this episode is that they'd set Kotetsu up as a fuckup effectively enough that it was actually believable that he might have reached the wrong conclusion about Jake's powerset. If it had been anyone else, I would have figured the ploy out immediately, but he's screwed up enough times thus far that I honestly wasn't sure for a bit there. Well-played, Sunrise, well-played.

Getting to see Kotetsu actually being competent was nice too. Although naturally he still gets no recognition from anyone... mostly.

The Hundred Power as a healing factor was a little cheap, but I'm willing to roll with it on the basis that the series has never been all that specific on what all it actually enhances. It also means they're not going to put Kotetsu out of commission for the next several episodes, which I was worried might happen. In retrospect, though, this does make my joke about bandages/Kotetsu being my OTP for the series even funnier: alas, that ship is now sunk.

I enjoyed the interaction between Blue Rose, Fire Emblem, and Dragon Kid this episode, especially the whole "girl power" bit and their obvious glee in revealing that the exosuits were disposed of. Nathan has grown on me significantly since episode one (particularly given the indications that he's more of a straight, if fabulous, transwoman than a campy gay man? will have to rewatch earlier episodes from this perspective and see how it plays), and my suspicion that Karina has a crush on Kotetsu is now confirmed - in fact, I predict that next episode is probably going to deal more with that, which should be comedy gold, especially if Bunny trolls her at all like he does in the one drama CD.

Comments

[elsewhere7.livejournal.com]

Yes, that cologne has been selling like hotcakes. And Sunrise is making Koketsu's Hat! I...think I want it.

I loved this episode, espcially if/since Jake Martinez is dead. He was hitting Villain Sue territory during that fight, and I was getting nervous. Though, if the reason Mr and Mrs Brooks were killed is just dropped, I'll admit to not liking it.

I wonder, still. Koketsu and Barnaby have the Exact Same Power. There's something about that that sets off my 'oh crap' alarms.

[joiedecombat.livejournal.com]

The reason I say I don't think I'll mind if they don't further resolve it is that, well, even if it turns out there's more of a reason, finding it out isn't going to make them less dead. In a way I almost find it more satisfying not to have it tied off with a neat little bow; Barnaby's been determinedly not getting over it for twenty years, now maybe he's going to have to start.

But there probably is more to Ouroboros, so we'll see! I am likewise suspicious of Kotetsu and Barnaby having exactly the same power. (And on a related note, I still find that "high-oxygen relaxation chamber" thing suspicious as well.)

So who knows?

...I really kind of want that hat too.