Featured imaged credit by kappe (平山寛菜) via Twitter

Happy New Year!

Well actually, belated and advanced Happy New Year. As of this article's publishing, we're at least two weeks away from either the Gregorian calendar New Year, and the Chinese New Year. The other one already passed, while we are still yet to actually welcome the other.

Why mention the Chinese New Year specifically you ask? Because, according to their Zodiac, 2022 is the Year of the Tiger. And you know what this means for Akiba-kei artists around the world.

Image credit by にどね via Pixiv

We're are also kind of celebrating it a bit, by discussing what we have known about tiger kigurumi throughout the material that we have accumulated. May not be as comprehensive as our previous lists, but gather around, and take a gander at what we have collected.

Unmistakable Design, Even if Kind of Monotonous

We already mentioned from time to time just how easily (lazily?) iconic the design of a tiger kigurumi can be. Just slap some uniform stripes on either a yellow or orange background and voila! Instant tiger.

But as monotonous as it seem, this makes tiger kigurumi immediately a signature animal-theme of its own. I know, I know, pretty much the same thing was said many times before. But think about it. Even if your cat kigurumi was supposed to be a regular feline. If you put the same designs, people would at least be divided as to whether it's a cat or tiger kigurumi.

In anime, there is a bit of a tendency for tiger kigurumi wearers to be the timid type. We're pretty sure this is just coincidence, but it kind of gets you curious at how the tiger kigurumi choice (among other possible animal themes) was even formulated in the first place.

Of course, the same goes for other costumes that are tiger themed. It's just that as a kigurumi onesie, we are usually talking about one of the highest level of exposure per square inch among other types of "regularized" costumes worn.

White Tigers are a Thing Too, But...

 

Image credit by きよ蔵 via Pixiv and by あまり via Twitter

Oh sorry, did we say that tiger kigurumi only have one design? We seem to have forgotten the alternative with the complete absence of base color!

Yeah, white tiger kigurumi is also a thing. But the fact is, they're super rare to find. You can't practically design a white tiger kigurumi without adding a whole lot of extra detail. Additional visual cues that would really drive home the fact that this isn't some random white cat kigurumi.

And indeed, as you see in our only specimen here, the overwhelming majority of tiger kigurumi is still mostly yellow or orange.

Fierce and Cute! 

Image credit by おかだアンミツ via Pixiv

Much like wolf kigurumi and other predator-themed onesies, tiger kigurumi are also a very good choice for those who wants a balanced mix of fierceness and cuteness. Fluffy feels and feisty feline sass all around! 

Do we even need to explain this further? I'm pretty sure that with one cursory look, those two keywords would immediately pop into one's head. Though to be fair, the added huggable factor will still ultimately depend on who exactly would wear the kigurumi, of course.

And... no. I'm afraid I have to correct myself with my previous assertion that jaguars and tigers are intrinsically similar.

Itching for a tiger kigurumi of your own? Check out our online store for a good variety of them in stock!