Real life professional wrestler Toji Manabe is joining the cast of Tiger Mask W, an upcoming TV anime that serves as a sequel to the classic Tiger Mask manga and TV anime of the late Sixties and early Seventies. Manabe will be appearing as himself in animated form, and he provides his own voice for the character.

Fellow pro-wrestlers Hiroshi Tanahashi and Kazuchika Okada will also be appearing in Tiger Mask W, although their voices will be provided by voice actors Kenichi Suzumura and Masakazu Morita, respectively.

The story of Tiger Mask W follows Naoto Azuma and Takuma Fujii, a pair of young professional wrestlers who assume masked identities after their small wrestling company, Zipang Prowrestling, is destroyed by the evil Global Wrestling Monopoly. Naoto takes on the mantle of the heroic Tiger Mask, while Takuma trains as the villainous Tiger the Dark in order to seek revenge on their common foe.

Tiger Mask W is directed by Toshiaki Komura and features animation by Toei Animation.

Sources:

Anime! Anime!

Official Tiger Mask W TV anime home page

Paul Chapman is the host of The Greatest Movie EVER! Podcast and GME! Anime Fun Time.