Tiger Mask is returning thanks to Toei Animation! Tiger Mask W is a new take on the character inspired by the stories of Ikki Kajiwara and the art of Naoki Tsuji’s Tiger Mask manga series in late 1960’s to early 70’s. it features two Tiger Mask characters: 21-year-old protagonist Naoto Azuma as New Tiger Mask and his friend Takuma Fujii as Tiger The Dark. The two were trainees at a small organization Zipangu Professional Wrestling, but it was smashed by an evil organization GWM, which is secretly manipulated by Tora no Ana (Tiger’s Cave), the main antagonist in the original series. For vengeance, Naoto becomes “New Tiger Mask” after the hard training at the foot of Mt. Fuji. Meanwhile, Takuma joins Tora no Ana to destroy it from inside, then also becomes “Tiger The Dark.”
The show will premiere on TV Asahi this fall. It will be produced as another 60th anniversary title of the company that was established in 1956.
Tiger Mask is no stranger to the world of animation with Toei Animation produced two Tiger Mask TV anime in the past, 105-episode first series aired from 1969 to 1971, and its 33-episode sequel Tiger Mask II from 1981 to 1982.
New Japan Pro Wrestling debuted the first real Tiger Mask wrestler in 1981, played by Satoru Sayama. Since then the mask has been passed to Mitsuharu Misawa, Koji Kanemoto, Yoshihiro Yamazaki and the current Tiger Mask V: Ikuhisa Minowa. They are expected to collaborate with the new anime series with some of their real wrestlers appearing in the show.
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