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Tiger Mask
Cover of the 2001 re-release of the first manga volume
タイガーマスク
(Taigā Masuku)
GenreSports
Manga
Written byIkki Kajiwara
Illustrated byNaoki Tsuji
Published byKodansha
MagazineBokura Magazine (1968-1969)
Weekly Shōnen Magazine (1970-1971)
DemographicShōnen
Original run1968 – 1971
Volumes14
Anime television series
Directed byTakeshi Tamiya
StudioToei Animation
Original networkYomiuri TV
Original run October 2, 1969 – September 30, 1971
Episodes105
Anime television series
Tiger Mask II
StudioToei Animation
Original networkTV Asahi
Original run April 20, 1981 – January 18, 1982
Episodes33
Anime film
Directed byTakeshi Tamiya
StudioToei Animation
Released1970

Tiger Mask (タイガーマスク, Taigā Masuku) is a Japanese manga series written by Ikki Kajiwara and illustrated by Naoki Tsuji. The series was first published in Kodansha's Bokura Magazine from 1968 to 1969 and was later published in Weekly Shōnen Magazine from 1970 to 1971. It was later adapted into an anime series by Toei Animation which first aired on Yomiuri TV on October 2, 1969 and ended its run on September 30, 1971, airing 105 episodes. In real life, the name has been used by a succession of Japanese professional wrestling characters as a gimmick. The Tiger Mask persona is instantly recognizable by its trademark mask, designed to look like a tiger's head, as well as the combination of high flying attacks and martial arts in the ring.

Story

In the manga and anime, Tiger Mask (whose real name was Naoto Date) was a feared heel wrestler in America who was extremely vicious in the ring. However, he became a face after returning to Japan when a young boy said that he wanted to be a villain like Tiger Mask when he grew up. The boy resided in an orphanage, the same one that Tiger Mask grew up in during his childhood. Feeling that he did not want the boy to idolize a villain, Tiger was inspired to be a heroic wrestler.

The main antagonist in the manga and anime was Tiger's Cave, a mysterious organization that trained young people to be villainous wrestlers on the condition that they gave half of their earnings to the organization. Tiger Mask was once a member of Tiger's Cave under the name "Yellow Devil", but no longer wanted anything to do with them, instead donating his money to the orphanage. This infuriated the leader of the organization and he sent numerous assassins, including other professional wrestlers, to punish him.

Concept

The manga was originally created for the Bokura and Weekly Shōnen Magazine in 1968 by Ikki Kajiwara and Naoki Tsuji. The manga would be reprinted by Kodansha comics, and made available in Hong Kong. Further versions include Sankei Comics and the Kodansha KC Special. The anime would be televised nationally in Japan, while two movies would be constructed from reusing footage of the series.[1] Most of the environment and characters were fictional, but real-life pro wrestlers like Antonio Inoki, Giant Baba, Michiaki Yoshimura, Kintaro Ohki and Seiji Sakaguchi were included in the manga and anime as well.

A continuation of the series was followed by Tiger Mask II in 1981.

Staff

Characters

This section needs expansion. You can help by adding to it. (June 2008)

Tiger Mask and His Comrades

Naoto Date (伊達 直人, Date Naoto)/Tiger Mask (タイガーマスク, Taigā Masuku)
Kentarō Takaoka (高岡 拳太郎, Takaoka Kentarō)/Yellow Devil (イエロー・デビル, Ierō Debiru)
Daigo Daimon (大門 大吾, Daimon Daigo)/Mister Fudo (ミスター不動, Misutā Fudo)
Toranosuke Arashi (嵐 虎之介, Arashi Toranosuke)
The Great Zebra (ザ・グレイト・ゼブラ, Za Gureito Zebura)

Chibikko House

Mr. Wakatsuki (若月先生, Wakatsuki-sensei)
Ruriko Wakatsuki (若月 ルリ子, Wakatsuki Ruriko)
Kenta (健太)
Yoshibō (ヨシ坊)
Chappy (チャッピー, Chappī)
Gaboten (ガボテン)
Mikuro (ミクロ)
Yoko Takaoka (高岡洋子, Takaoka Ykōo)

Tiger's Cave

Mister X (ミスターＸ, Misutā X)
Boss (ボス, Bosu)

The Boss is the leader of the Tiger Cave. He makes his first appearance disguised as the unbelievably strong fighter Miracle 3, the only fighter with total supremacy in the three fundamental abilities (strength, speed and illegal moves). Miracle 3 wins every fight in a clear and correct way, studying Tiger Mask style against some fighters chosen by him. When he finally fights with Tiger Mask, he reassumes his old name: Tiger The Great.

Tiger The Great is too strong even for Naoto. The match rapidly becomes a brutal beatdown, culminating when Tiger The Great rips the mask off Naoto's face with a broken wood board. This act snaps the already fragile mind of Naoto, driving him to an escalation of violence that stops only with the death of Tiger The Great, smashed under the illumination stage.

Big Tiger (ビッグ・タイガー, Biggu Taigā)
Black Tiger (ブラック・タイガー, Burakku Taigā)
King Tiger (キング・タイガー, Kingu Taigā)

The third master of the Tiger Cave. He was considered the strongest fighter ever; he was forced to retire because nobody was capable to fight him on an even basis. Adding to his considerable technique, King Tiger is the absolute master of illegal moves. His fight with Tiger Mask rapidly escalates to a real bloodbath; in the end, King Tiger dies impaling himself on the jagged remains of a table.

Miracle 3 (ミラクル３, Mirakuru 3)
See Boss
Tiger The Great (タイガー・ザ・グレイト, Taigā za Gureito)
See Boss

Japanese Pro Wrestling Promotion

Giant Baba
See The Great Zebra
Antonio Inoki
Kintaro Ohki/Kim Ill (キム・イル, Kimu Iru)

Other

Jack Brisco (ジャック・ブリスコ, Jakku Burisuko)
Mister Kamikaze (ミスター・カミカゼ, Misutā Kamikaze)
Black V (ブラックＶ, Burakku V)
Announcer (アナウンサー, Anaunsā)

Adaptations

The movies were titled as such in English when exported outside Japan. They are by no means actual translations.

Japanese Name English Name Release Date Type
タイガーマスク Tiger Mask 1970 movie
タイガーマスク ふく面リーグ戦 Tiger Mask: War against the League of Masked Wrestlers July 19, 1970 movie

Video games

While the Tiger Mask character has shown up in quite a number of wrestling video games such as Fire Pro Wrestling D, Toukon Retsuden 3, and Virtual Pro Wrestling 64, the video games are not directly based on the story of the manga or anime. Tiger Mask was originally supposed to be a character in Street Fighter II. [citation needed]

The Tekken video game series has a character named King that is an homage of Tiger Mask, except King wears a jaguar mask instead.

Cultural influence

See also

References

  1. ^ Clements, Jonathan. McCarthy Helen. [2006] (2006). The Anime Encyclopedia: Revised & Expanded Edition. Berkeley, CA: Stone Bridge Press. ISBN 978-1-933330-10-5
  2. ^ "Gifts from 'comic heroes' help Japan's orphans." CNN. January 11, 2011. Retrieved on January 12, 2011.
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