not GIP
After a bumpy beginning*, Tiger&Bunny has eaten most of my life. Everything is so well thought-out! And entertaining! OMG!
*the characters had layers that were very much not apparent from the start, the story had layers that worked out much better in the long run, and I formed my opinion after watching episode four, which, even after falling head over heels for this show, I still dread to watch again because it's just that boring
But really I'm here to talk about my favourite character. Whom I love as I haven't loved a character since Amano Maya. Dangerous levels of love, if you will. Also I may have written this around episodes 12-13 but failed to post it back then, so the contents reflect that.
Kotetsu?
NOPE.
LET ME COUNT THE WAYS
1. That's disgusting
i.e. prissy preferences and behaviour i.e. the preview bits are the best
He's all HIGH CLASS HOBBIES, OPERA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC, WINES, AUSTERE YET CLASSY ROOM DESIGN and then it goes to "I use two tissues at once while blowing my nose because otherwise I might get snot on my hands and ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" and oh god what was that about hairstylists in episode 16?
So, all the above ticks + super competent ass-kicking in a graceful yet not in a restrained way = GAP MOE. Also I've never found rampant keigo this appealing before, just saying.
...Witnessing sardonic verbal smackdown from someone intelligent and eloquent enough to deliver is hot.
2. Yet not really high-strung just...
unsocial
And reckless at times.
Silently disapproves in the background while facepalming quietly.
would rather leave to your own devices than confront you actually
can I go home now please
also hilarious(ly depressing) loss of control re: the tragedy
3. It's business.
Ain't a fake smile if it's fanservice.
All the official pictures of him looking like a cover guy for a gay magazine (how many pictures of him touching his own ass again?) = totally a marketing gig. He has a goal, and if that goal involves whoring himself to the public in A MYRIAD OF WAYS he will ENJOY IT GODDAMMIT
AND SO WILL YOU
I'M LOOKING AT YOU, KARINA
disclaimer: Karina's feelings and motivations are the most relatable out of all the Heroes, this is not dissing in any way
4. My glasses aren't pastede on yay
Behaves and reacts like an actual, real-life glasses-wearing person might. (Really though, this is true for all the character whatever their tics and all. Unique to the way they run. Tip of my hat, animators.)
5. Things that are not tsundere:
- "You fuck everything up and it affects my work."
- "You disappoint me and I'd rather if I didn't have to spend my free time with you."
- "I keep telling you to stop bothering me, yet you never do."
- "Being taken care of feels kind of nice, but we're not actually that close and you're pushing my limits."
- "Changing my approach to you feels a bit awkward. Still, I don't feel that I've been unfair to you before, and you don't seem to mind either way, so I'm just going to roll with it. Heh."
- "Apologies for my earlier emotional outburst. It's not your fault, the topic is just sensitive to me."
- "I have very real reasons to be angry with you and you're going to have to make an effort if you want this relationship to continue."
- "Also screw you for proving to be a disappointment after luring me with you sweet words of camaraderie."
- "You have faith in me enough to risk losing everything? I um. ♥?"
- Barnaby Brooks Jr.
I know we were all making those jokes back in episode 5, but we've gotten TONS AND TONS AND TONS of updates on the character since then. Personally I can't take (most) tsundere characters seriously; it's impossible to respect a character whose every reaction can be dismissed as being dishonest to themselves. As such, reading a character who has very real reasons behind his reactions as... having no such things makes me sad.
...And actually even in episode 5: "I-I'm not smiling!!" versus "I'm not smiling." Oh the latter is still lying, but that full stop makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
Update: also some magazine interviews say that Kotetsu pushed right into his DANGER ZONE by being too familiar too fast too soon which made Barnaby doubt it's genuine. Considering the most recent episodes.... he was actually completely right to be alarmed.
6. I love you guys
(That first screen? It's from episode three. THREE.)
7. I'm saying this only to get a reaction out of you
Things that are not tsundere: being completely in control of you well-meaning emotional trolling.
Control and/or understanding of others/certain features of others on an emotional level, purposefully exploited to evoke a certain reaction. Trolling, if you may, but not always malicious in intent. This might look familiar:
Barnaby: Oh, looks like next week's guest will be Wild Tiger.
Karina: WHAT, REALLY?!!
Barnaby: (whispers) I'm lying.
Also: "Kotetsu-san".
8. Hi! I'm Barnaby, the member of Tiger and Bunny whose faces consist 90% of why.jpg
(I'd call these BEST FACES, but that really depends on what sort of emotional scale you personally find appealing. And Kotetsu's expressions are on par with these, just in a complimentary way (DOHOHOHOHO))
9. Derpity derp
I hope I didn't make it seems like he's Totally In Control Always (aside from a few violent outbursts of straddling&strangling but aren't those just mysteriously manly tee-hee (NO.)) because again (NO.).
...So.
This is all partly a reaction to livejournal for hating Barnaby because ~Kotetsu is the perfectest ever and he hurts my husbando~ (they take jabs at each other, both of them. also emotional vulnerability, I wonder which one has it more), pixiv for writing everything he does as ~so tsundere~ (UM WHAT) and 4chan for... ok /a/ just hates him for not being all bro all the time but I don't know what their problem is, personally I find the occasional ~bro~ behaviour much more entertaining when it comes from a person who's... not like that all the time. It's packs more of a punch, if you will. More unusual! (Note: previous paragraph slightly outdated, but Barnaby still can't catch a break.)
Also the prevailing opinion that while both of the mains are cool dudes, Barnaby is kinda generic to Kotetsu's glorious single father widower middle-aged adorkable self, because nope (unless we're talking about looks only). Seriously, where's the "generic" in this character?
Occasionally it makes me frustrated, but the show itself does enough of "HERE'S YOUR OTHER PROTAGONIST, U MAD?" for there to be a need for me to do it. Mostly it just makes me sad. It's understandable how and why people would form these opinions, and fans always ALWAYS flanderize characters to fit the image they first formed in favor of later character development/revelations (I'm not free of guilt myself). But if you have such a flat understanding of this particular character you're seriously going to miss out on all the best, happiest, most hearwrenching and heartwarming moments and developments and depths that make up the core of Tiger & Bunny Are Stupid and Half-Accidentally Patch Holes in Each Other's Hearts (update: or just break them further. oops). This show is a thousand times better when you love both of them.
All of them.
See ya!
Oh, and I'm in Kyoto at the moment. Might post some updates on that later on as well.
*the characters had layers that were very much not apparent from the start, the story had layers that worked out much better in the long run, and I formed my opinion after watching episode four, which, even after falling head over heels for this show, I still dread to watch again because it's just that boring
But really I'm here to talk about my favourite character. Whom I love as I haven't loved a character since Amano Maya. Dangerous levels of love, if you will. Also I may have written this around episodes 12-13 but failed to post it back then, so the contents reflect that.
Kotetsu?
NOPE.
LET ME COUNT THE WAYS
1. That's disgusting
i.e. prissy preferences and behaviour i.e. the preview bits are the best
He's all HIGH CLASS HOBBIES, OPERA AND CLASSICAL MUSIC, WINES, AUSTERE YET CLASSY ROOM DESIGN and then it goes to "I use two tissues at once while blowing my nose because otherwise I might get snot on my hands and ewwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwwww" and oh god what was that about hairstylists in episode 16?
So, all the above ticks + super competent ass-kicking in a graceful yet not in a restrained way = GAP MOE. Also I've never found rampant keigo this appealing before, just saying.
...Witnessing sardonic verbal smackdown from someone intelligent and eloquent enough to deliver is hot.
2. Yet not really high-strung just...
unsocial
And reckless at times.
Silently disapproves in the background while facepalming quietly.
would rather leave to your own devices than confront you actually
can I go home now please
also hilarious(ly depressing) loss of control re: the tragedy
3. It's business.
Ain't a fake smile if it's fanservice.
All the official pictures of him looking like a cover guy for a gay magazine (how many pictures of him touching his own ass again?) = totally a marketing gig. He has a goal, and if that goal involves whoring himself to the public in A MYRIAD OF WAYS he will ENJOY IT GODDAMMIT
AND SO WILL YOU
I'M LOOKING AT YOU, KARINA
disclaimer: Karina's feelings and motivations are the most relatable out of all the Heroes, this is not dissing in any way
4. My glasses aren't pastede on yay
Behaves and reacts like an actual, real-life glasses-wearing person might. (Really though, this is true for all the character whatever their tics and all. Unique to the way they run. Tip of my hat, animators.)
5. Things that are not tsundere:
- "You fuck everything up and it affects my work."
- "You disappoint me and I'd rather if I didn't have to spend my free time with you."
- "I keep telling you to stop bothering me, yet you never do."
- "Being taken care of feels kind of nice, but we're not actually that close and you're pushing my limits."
- "Changing my approach to you feels a bit awkward. Still, I don't feel that I've been unfair to you before, and you don't seem to mind either way, so I'm just going to roll with it. Heh."
- "Apologies for my earlier emotional outburst. It's not your fault, the topic is just sensitive to me."
- "I have very real reasons to be angry with you and you're going to have to make an effort if you want this relationship to continue."
- "Also screw you for proving to be a disappointment after luring me with you sweet words of camaraderie."
- "You have faith in me enough to risk losing everything? I um. ♥?"
- Barnaby Brooks Jr.
I know we were all making those jokes back in episode 5, but we've gotten TONS AND TONS AND TONS of updates on the character since then. Personally I can't take (most) tsundere characters seriously; it's impossible to respect a character whose every reaction can be dismissed as being dishonest to themselves. As such, reading a character who has very real reasons behind his reactions as... having no such things makes me sad.
...And actually even in episode 5: "I-I'm not smiling!!" versus "I'm not smiling." Oh the latter is still lying, but that full stop makes ALL THE DIFFERENCE IN THE WORLD
Update: also some magazine interviews say that Kotetsu pushed right into his DANGER ZONE by being too familiar too fast too soon which made Barnaby doubt it's genuine. Considering the most recent episodes.... he was actually completely right to be alarmed.
6. I love you guys
(That first screen? It's from episode three. THREE.)
7. I'm saying this only to get a reaction out of you
Things that are not tsundere: being completely in control of you well-meaning emotional trolling.
Control and/or understanding of others/certain features of others on an emotional level, purposefully exploited to evoke a certain reaction. Trolling, if you may, but not always malicious in intent. This might look familiar:
Barnaby: Oh, looks like next week's guest will be Wild Tiger.
Karina: WHAT, REALLY?!!
Barnaby: (whispers) I'm lying.
Also: "Kotetsu-san".
8. Hi! I'm Barnaby, the member of Tiger and Bunny whose faces consist 90% of why.jpg
(I'd call these BEST FACES, but that really depends on what sort of emotional scale you personally find appealing. And Kotetsu's expressions are on par with these, just in a complimentary way (DOHOHOHOHO))
9. Derpity derp
I hope I didn't make it seems like he's Totally In Control Always (aside from a few violent outbursts of straddling&strangling but aren't those just mysteriously manly tee-hee (NO.)) because again (NO.).
...So.
This is all partly a reaction to livejournal for hating Barnaby because ~Kotetsu is the perfectest ever and he hurts my husbando~ (they take jabs at each other, both of them. also emotional vulnerability, I wonder which one has it more), pixiv for writing everything he does as ~so tsundere~ (UM WHAT) and 4chan for... ok /a/ just hates him for not being all bro all the time but I don't know what their problem is, personally I find the occasional ~bro~ behaviour much more entertaining when it comes from a person who's... not like that all the time. It's packs more of a punch, if you will. More unusual! (Note: previous paragraph slightly outdated, but Barnaby still can't catch a break.)
Also the prevailing opinion that while both of the mains are cool dudes, Barnaby is kinda generic to Kotetsu's glorious single father widower middle-aged adorkable self, because nope (unless we're talking about looks only). Seriously, where's the "generic" in this character?
Occasionally it makes me frustrated, but the show itself does enough of "HERE'S YOUR OTHER PROTAGONIST, U MAD?" for there to be a need for me to do it. Mostly it just makes me sad. It's understandable how and why people would form these opinions, and fans always ALWAYS flanderize characters to fit the image they first formed in favor of later character development/revelations (I'm not free of guilt myself). But if you have such a flat understanding of this particular character you're seriously going to miss out on all the best, happiest, most hearwrenching and heartwarming moments and developments and depths that make up the core of Tiger & Bunny Are Stupid and Half-Accidentally Patch Holes in Each Other's Hearts (update: or just break them further. oops). This show is a thousand times better when you love both of them.
All of them.
See ya!
Oh, and I'm in Kyoto at the moment. Might post some updates on that later on as well.