Blah Blah Blah

Creature: Sea Drake

The waters churned angrily, bubbles rising to the surface, and dark scales glid along the undertow. A finned ridge raised out of the water, and Neya just had enough time to duck out of the way as it slashed towards her. Finally, the creature's head raised from the waves, and its crocodilian maw grinned darkly.

Sea guardians. Sea drakes are not true dragons, but an offshoot of the drake subtype that has adapted well to underwater dwellings. Sea drakes are rarely seen in fresh water, as they prefer the crashing waves and nutritious fish of larger seas. Sea drakes are solitary creatures, but their mating season can last up to two years, during which young sea drakes look for a partner, and raise their young together for the first year or two, so it is not unlikely to see two sea drakes, plus possibly a gaggle of wyrmlings, in a group.

Draconic intelligence. Sea drakes are not as intelligent as the winged serpents of the land, but boast enough intelligence to know when they are being deceived, humiliated or undermined. They make quick work of any creature that dare wander into its lair, which is often a cave on the shore that has both an entry through the water, and a dry one. Sea drakes collect items from shipwrecks, and each has its own collection of things it finds most fascinating, whether that be flags, ships' wheels, or even human bones. Its careful organization of its hoard makes it evident to it immediately when something is missing - and any creature courageous enough to steal from it will be hunted and punished with a breath of lightning.

Did you know that there are arboreal rainfrogs‽

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Meet the genus Callulina, from the rainforests of Tanzania and Kenya

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Who said you had to be lithe to take to the trees?

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Tiger Mask W made its premiere last anime season much to the delete of this pro-wrestling semi-anime watching nerd. Unfortunately, the series soared under the radar of many other anime fans who probably think a squared circle is nothing more than a geometry quagmire.

While everyone else was focused on Yuri On Ice, Tiger Mask W was blazing a path of cool wrestling matches, and a guest star list of characters that made this seem more like a New Japan Pro Wrestling’s Greatest Hits list.

You want a reason why you should be watching Tiger Mask W. No worries, like Booker T’s WCW Heavyweight Title Reigns, I’ll give you five.

It’s Perfect For Fans Of Shonen Jump Shows

Tiger Mask W stars Naoto Azumi, an orphan who later grows up into a young man and dons the title of Tiger Mask after the notorious Yellow Devil obliterates his mentor in the ring and his budding wrestling organization he called home.

A plucky young man training to get revenge on someone who took away everything he holds dear?

A secret identity?

High octane fights and cool training segments for rad new abilities?

This isn’t just the basic blueprint for a fun new Shonen Jump hit but the world of Tiger Mask W.

It’s got all of the above plus the standard pretty boy rival/villain who isn’t entirely evil, so you feel justified in cheering him too.

Yes, Takumi Fuji is the Sasuke to main character Naoto, and while part of you will anticipate their eventual showdown, you’ll also hope for an eventual tag-team.

While Tiger Mask W has all the staples of a typical Shonen Jump type of anime, this also isn’t that thematically different from most of the story-telling you find in pro-wrestling.

This brings us to out next reason.

2.) It Actually Gives A Great Behind The Scenes Look At The Wrestling Business

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I’’m not saying that Tiger Mask W is a full-on realistic biography on the wrestling business. After all I don’t really know of any pro-wrestlers that train with a giant mechanical dummy or grizzly bears. Ok maybe Daniel Bryan on the bear thing…it’s a long story.

For the most part Tiger Mask isn’t the most realistic portrayal of the biz, but there are subtle nods to backstage contract negotiations, rising indie wrestling leagues against monolithic corporate entities and even the simple act of producing and selling merchandise.

Tiger Mask W sprinkles these snapshots of the business throughout the show, giving viewers a great idea of the interesting, yet challenging complexity of the wrestling business. And as someone who scours the Reddit Wrestling Forums frequently, let me tell you that what happens backstage is sometimes much more interesting than what happens in ring.

3.) It Features Real-Life NJPW Stars

The real-life invasion doesn’t end there. Tiger Mask W also features real wrestlers, mostly from New Japan Pro Wrestling. Has your Tumblr Dashboard been chock full of pictures of some dudes named Kazuchika Okada, Hiroshi Tanahashi, or Kenny Omega? Wondering why something called Wrestle Kingdom 11 was trending on Twitter earlier this month? Then you should check out Tiger Mask W as much of the roster from NJPW features prominently on the show. And some of them aren’t even minor characters, as you get to see some of them stick around throughout several episodes.

Heck two of NJPW top stars, Okada and Tanahashi, help the main character through numerous important jams.

Tranquillo! Just Calm Down, my friends and enjoy the real-life cameos. And for the seasoned pro-wrestling fans, if you look or listen closely, you can also spot a few stars from the U.S. You might be more familiar with.

4.) Tiger Mask Is A Legit Wrestler

Okay, so Tiger Mask W features real wrestlers in the show, but Tiger Mask is still just an anime/manga character right?

Wrong!

Tiger Mask is real my friends, and has actually not only been wrestling recently, but has a long history in the real ring. Just like in the anime, the actual Tiger Mask is an identity taken up by different people with main character Naoto, serving as the current wrestler in the anime. And this is no different today, as there is someone taking up the mantle in real life.

 Many sources point to Japanese Wrestler Kota Ibushi as the man who is currently taking up the mantle of Tiger Mask, and besides having the mainstream good looks of a J-Pop artist, he is all sorts of beast in the ring.

 The man has marked his career as a the Ryu of pro-wrestling calling his own shots and wrestling for the sake of becoming the best at his craft. That last part is scary as the man is already uber talented.

Anyway look up some of his work, then definitely watch some of his work as Tiger Mask.

5.) It Has A Legacy

Legacy isn’t just just a six-letter word. It was also a heel stable featuring the likes of Cody Rhodes, Ted Debiase Jr., and Randy Orton.

Pretty decent actually.

It’s also a great word to describe Tiger Mask. I’ve already alluded that this isn’t the first series. Tiger Mask has been around for quite some time, making its manga debut back in 1968.

Since then, it’s now had live action and anime films, and with W, is now on its third anime series.

The legacy doesn’t just end there. In real life, Tiger Mask has had six high caliber wrestlers portray the character, with a variety of other top wrestlers as some of Tiger Mask’s rivals.

Tiger Mask has even led to a legacy of giving. It was reported back in 2011 that numerous children’s homes and social services in Japan received anonymous donations in the name of Naoto Dante, the original character who was none other Tiger Mask.

And finally, if the idea of a cat-masked pro-wrestler who cares about orphans, seems familiar for Tekken fans, that’s no coincidence. King, the Jaguar-clad grappler is based off of ole Tiger Mask.

Once again GREAT inclusive fashion by designer Kei Hirabayashi.