Foxes and Tanuki

[Clayton_n]

Okay for those unaware a Tanuki is a type of canine found in Japan that has, for many, many years, been mistaken for a raccoon, badger, or other animal by white folks. Also they have enormous magic testicles.


To paraphrase Superman "You will believe a raccoon can fly."

Meanwhile foxes or kitsune (huli jing if you're nasty) are exactly what they sound like. Only with magical powers and more than one tail. These were originally spotted in China and one of the most famous known as "Da Ji" if historically sited as the creator of a torture device, mass murderer, and the reason Chinese woman began binding their feet (she was hiding her fox paws) to the point it became everyday torture, and of course the fall of the Zhou dynasty. .





I realize there are many other yokai in anime, but these are the top. And given their shapeshifting powers and tendency for pranks, they may actually be the root of most Japanese monsters.

So who are your favorite kitsune and tanuki in anime and why?

[PictureGuy]

The only ones I can think of are from Studio Ghibli's Pom Poko:

[Clayton_n]

I'm not 100% sure my copy has that scene... I'll have to check.


Here's a new Tanuki from a recent series "Brand new Animal".




and Koto








Oh and the kaku Ren Bo movie (Turn off the lights before watching this)

[PictureGuy]

I forgot about BNA.



We could have included this in the Baseball in Anime thread.

If we are talking about foxes, may be talk about wolves?

[Clayton_n]

I DID include it in the baseball thread...

[PictureGuy]

I DID include it in the baseball thread...

Did you? OK then.

[Clayton_n]

Shippo and Hatchi




Shadow Fox



Renamon

[Clayton_n]

Infinity Train



In Kanon a fox girl had literally the saddest heart wrenching scene i've ever seen in anime.


See this girl shows up to our main character and doesn't have any memory except that she has a grudge against him. She moves in (anime characters do this sort of thing) and begins being a bit of a brat. After several episodes they get to know and like her and she eventually begins to have some trouble moving and thinking. he investigates and finds out she might be a fox from a nearby hill who sometime take human form. Only the transformation is temporary and in a short time she will revert to anime thinking and die. it turns out on a previous year seven years before when he was apparently making all kinds of friends with cute girls as a little boy, our main character found a fox kit and it was injured so he took it to his aunt's place and nursed to back to health. They were best friends and the fox thought they would be together forever, but he had to go home so he returned her to the wild, even though he didn't want to thinking it was best. She howled and looked for him for seven years, but nothing until he came back to town to go to school while living with his aunt again. So she became human, but lost her memories and of course.... well again few things touch my cold black heart, but this was definitely sniffle worthy.

[Clayton_n]

Hey, a real one got loose! March 5, 2022


https://www.animeforum.com/showthrea...80#post2915380

[erwinwallpaper]

Raphtalia (Tate No Yuusha)

[Clayton_n]

Raphtalia (Tate No Yuusha)

Could you expand on that comment?