Tiger Mask vs. Mr. No

The most bizarre and suggestive episode of the original Tiger Mask cartoon had to be when he wrestled against the mysterious Mr. No.   This strange wrestler had a large, erect shaft rising from his shoulders, with the word “No” written at the base, and a rounded, fleshy area at the top.  Maybe my mind is in the gutter, but I’ve seen Mr. No in some films before — and not the sort of films children should be watching!  You’ve gotta love the strange world of Japanese Anime (and find it a little uncomfortable…)

Tiger Mask attacks his big cocky opponent with gusto, trying to subdue the phallic beast, but finds Mr. No to be rock-hard and coated in a slippery oil, which makes him very hard to handle indeed.  Tiger Mask is suffering from a major case of penis envy at this point.

Mr. No takes control by repeatedly head-butting Tiger Mask like a ram-rod both inside then outside the ring ropes.  This is totally humiliating for our hero because not only is he inferior in size to the hard-headed man, but also he has to receive that right in his face — like a dick-slap.  Meanwhile, the strange beast emits a high-pitched, mocking laugh, almost like the clucking of a rooster, or the sound of slippery fingers on wet rubber.

I wonder why they called this big, hard-headed creature “Mr. No” and wrote “NO” on his neck?  “No” indicates a denial to Tiger Mask — or to us the viewers — as if saying “No, you can’t defeat or harm me,” or “No, you can’t understand me, nor see inside my costume.”  In the context of Mr. No’s suggestive shape, it seems to be a denial of sex — “No, you can’t have me” or “No, you shouldn’t be touching me.”  Or maybe the name “No” is a clue that he isn’t as he appears (as we’ll see below, after the match…)

Compared to Tiger Mask’s other matches, this struggle with Mr. No involves much more slamming and banging, and not as much scientific grappling.  Mr. No rams his head into Tiger Mask, then drives his red boots into his flesh, penetrating with his heel.

These pounding, percussive attacks really bring home the symbolism.  The message is that this is less of a wrestling match and more of a public rape.  Tiger Mask is being violated by the big hard-headed bully.  What is this cartoon rated?  Don’t they have a government office in Japan that censors this sort of material?

Tiger Mask begins humping Mr. No’s head against the corner pad.  The only time Tiger Mask has used this interesting wrestling maneuver is in this match.  He begins rocking in rhythm, grinding back and forth, each thrust pounding Mr. No against the big corner pad.  Is this really a wrestling hold, or more of a sex act?  Streams of green liquid or yellow lightning bolts spray out after each violent thrust.  Tiger Mask has assumed the sexually dominant position over the big phallus between his legs.

After being humped against the corner pad, Mr. No is totally spent, limp as a wet fish.  Is this scene a subliminal (or not so subliminal) reference to masturbation?  Is the viewer perhaps being encouraged to similarly beat and subdue a hard, raging Mr. No of his own?

Mr. No has violated the great Tiger Mask and tried to humiliate him, so clearly he deserves painful retribution.  Tiger Mask is therefore justified in castrating him, twisting and pulling off the big head as the audience squirms uncomfortably (both the ringside audience within the cartoon, and the viewers at home watching this cartoon.)

The dismemberment and disfiguration of Mr. No eliminates his masculine power and leaves Tiger Mask as the only viable male in the ring.  Clearly the Tiger is sexually superior now that Mr. No has had his big iron ball ripped off.  This violent scene plays on the castration anxiety that all men feel — the fear of having it cut off, as well as the fear of being degraded, humiliated, or emasculated.  The scene establishes Tiger Mask as the ultimate Alpha Male, willing to win any dick-measuring contest by destroying the competition.

You can view this unusually explicit match on YouTube.