You might recall a stand alone complex-esque affair that took place in Japan this past December, triggered after someone posing as manga hero, the Tiger Mask, left ten school bags, gift-wrapped, at a welfare society for children.
This act was followed by hundreds of other Tiger Mask copycats, also making various donations to the underprivileged, and resulted in demand for publisher, Kodansha, to reprint the Tiger Mask manga series.
Anime News Network reports that anime producer, Hisao Maki, is establishing a “Naoto Date Foundation” (Naoto Date being the Tiger Mask’s real name), to support disaster relief efforts. Maki is also set to produce a live-action Tiger Mask film for a theatrical release in Japan this November.
The movie is scheduled to begin shooting in May. Meanwhile, the influence of the “Tiger Mask’s” heroic deeds is still being felt as donations to various welfare organizations by Rei Ayanami, Suzumiya Haruhi and the Mario brothers (amongst many others) continue to pour in.
