History Main / TanukiKitsuneContrast

* The requisite ''VideoGame/{{Touhou}}'' example would be Ran Yakumo, the resident kitsune of the series, and Mamizou Futatsuiwa, a tanuki introduced later on who tends to get into mischief. Not surprisingly, the two don't like each other at all.

On one side, you have strange, stout creatures resembling fat raccoons who go about with their ''gigantic'' nads on full display, known as pranksters who like to trick humans in ways such as paying them with leaves disguised as money, or transforming themselves into wine bottles that roll away from people whenever they try to grab it. On the other, you have mystical, elegant, [[EyesAlwaysShut squinty-eyed]] foxes who infiltrate human society, bewitch humans, and even bring down entire kingdoms with illusions and deceit, and have a penchant for [[ShapeshiftingSeducer transforming into gorgeous women]] to seduce men and young boys.

On one side, you have strange, stout creatures resembling fat raccoons who go about with their ''gigantic'' nads on full display, known as pranksters who like to trick humans in ways such as paying them with leaves disguised as money, or transforming themselves into wine bottles that roll away from people whenever they try to grab it. On the other, you have mystical, elegant, [[EyesAlwaysShut squinty-eyed]] foxes who bewitch humans and even bring down entire kingdoms with illusions and deceit, and have a penchant for [[ShapeshiftingSeducer transforming into gorgeous women]] to seduce men and young boys.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in various ways, commonly having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who pranks humans [[ItAmusedMe just because it's funny]]; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, meddling with humans in ways that can change the course of their lives. Ability-wise, the Kitsune may also possess more raw power while the Tanuki is [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]], as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". If either one is portrayed as evil, the tanuki usually gets the sympathetic end of the stick (e.g. LovableRogue tanuki vs TheCorruptor kitsune), but the opposite is not unknown (e.g. ForTheEvulz tanuki vs UndyingLoyalty kitsune).

In Japanese folklore, the {{Tanuki}} (or raccoon dog) and {{Kitsune}} are perhaps the two most recognizable members of the ''henge'', a subset of {{Youkai}} consisting of supernatural, mischievous {{Shapeshifting}} animals with human intelligence.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in various ways, commonly having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who [[TheTrickster pranks humans just because it's funny]]; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, meddling with humans in ways that can change the course of their lives. Ability-wise, the Kitsune may also possess more raw power while the Tanuki is [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]], as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". If one is evil, then ''usually'' the tanuki gets the sympathetic end of the stick (e.g. LovableRogue tanuki vs TheCorruptor kitsune), but the opposite is not unknown (e.g. ForTheEvulz tanuki vs UndyingLoyalty kitsune).

The duo are also used to describe facial features (or as a more general FatAndSkinny {{Animal Motif|s}}), with people being either "tanuki-faced" (square/round) or "kitsune-faced" (inverted triangle/heart-shaped). [[FoxyVixen Naturally, "foxy" features tend to be more popular]], and you can expect the fox to be the Veronica whenever the two appear in a BettyAndVeronica pair.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in various ways, commonly having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who [[TheTrickster pranks humans just because it's funny]]; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, meddling with humans in ways that can change the course of their lives. Ability-wise, the Kitsune may also possess more raw power while the Tanuki is [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]], as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". If one is evil then ''usually'' the tanuki gets the sympathetic end of the stick (e.g. LovableRogue tanuki vs TheCorruptor kitsune), but the opposite is not unknown (e.g. ForTheEvulz tanuki vs UndyingLoyalty kitsune).

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in various ways, commonly having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. (Bonus points if they appear as a FatAndSkinny duo, too). In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

* In some parts of Japan, there are particular variants of udon and soba dishes known [[http://goinjapanesque.com/11347/ "Kitsune udon/soba" and "Tanuki udon/soba"]]. Usually, Kitsune udon is topped with a solid piece of aburaage (fried tofu), as it is said to be the kitsune's favorite food; meanwhile, Tanuki udon is topped with fried drops of batter or sliced fried tofu, and likely got its name because the fried batter's darker color is reminiscent of a racoon dog's fur.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in various forms, but most commonly having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. (Bonus points if they appear as a FatAndSkinny duo, too). In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, often having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. (Bonus points if they appear as a FatAndSkinny duo, too). In this case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

* ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossing'': Tom Nook and [[CunningLikeAFox Crazy Redd]] are a tanuki and a fox respectively who compete for furniture sales, with the former running an ordinary store and at least trying to earn profits honestly, while the latter runs a [[HonestJohnsDealership shady black market]], making a quick buck by swindling his customers. In ''New Leaf'', Nook mentions working with a fox once (implied to be Redd), and makes it ''very'' clear he will never do it again after a NoodleIncident between them.
->'''Tom Nook''': Have you ever worked with a fox? Yes, foxes are never to be trusted, hm? I worked with a fox once in my life. Never again. Not after... the incident.

->''"Have you ever worked with a fox? Yes, foxes are never to be trusted, hm? I worked with a fox once in my life. Never again. Not after... the incident."''
-->-- '''Tom Nook''' ([[ALizardNamedLiz a tanuki]]), ''VideoGame/AnimalCrossingNewLeaf''

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, often having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. (Bonus points if they appear as a FatAndSkinny duo, too). In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and dignified, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, often having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. (Bonus points if they appear as a FatAndSkinny duo, too). In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and elegant, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and elegant, but also more cunning and ambitious, leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

Even if a work that features both ''henge'' doesn't pit them against each other or showcase their conflicting traits, it's still very common for tanuki and kitsune to appear together as a pair; even if one of them shows up by themselves, you can expect the other to not be too far behind.

On one side, you have strange, stout creatures resembling fat raccoons who go about with their ''gigantic'' nads on full display, known as pranksters who like to trick humans in ways such as paying them with leaves disguised as money, or tranforming themselves into wine bottles that roll away from people whenever they try to grab it. On the other, you have mystical, elegant, [[EyesAlwaysShut squinty-eyed]] foxes who bewitch humans and even bring down entire kingdoms with illusions and deceit, and have a penchant for [[ShapeshiftingSeducer transforming into gorgeous women]] to seduce men and young boys.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'': ''The Dream Hunters'' is kicked off by a wager between a Tanuki[[note]]called a "badger", but that's mostly because Creator/NeilGaiman is [[StylisticSuck deliberately mimicking how a 19th-century British translator would've adapted a Japanese folktale]][[/note]] and a Kitsune over who can drive a local monk off his temple property first. While the Tanuki mostly uses bluster, trying to intimidate the monk with the Emperor's crest or a demon army, the Kitsune uses the age-old DamselInDistress routine, with... [[InLoveWithTheMark unfortunate]] results.

* ''ComicBook/TheSandman'': ''The Dream Hunters'' is kicked off by a wager between a Tanuki[[note]]called a "badger", but that's mostly because Creator/NeilGaiman is [[DeliberateValuesDissonance deliberately mimicking how a 19th-century British translator would've adapted a Japanese folktale]][[/note]] and a Kitsune over who can drive a local monk off his temple property first. While the Tanuki mostly uses bluster, trying to intimidate the monk with the Emperor's crest or a demon army, the Kitsune uses the age-old DamselInDistress routine, with... [[InLoveWithTheMark unfortunate]] results.

* ''Anime/InuYasha'': Shippou -- a young fox youkai -- [[RunningGag tends to be frequently mistaken]] for a tanuki, something which [[BerserkButton riles him up without fail]].

** This trope extended to Kurama and Shukaku's [[PowersViaPossession respective hosts]], the titular Naruto and Gaara before the time skip. While Naruto is indeed more poweful thanks to having the Nine-Tailed Beast sealed within, he can't tap into Kurama's power without risking physical injuries or going berserk. Gaara, however, is able to physically transform into his Tailed Beast (thus unleashing its full power) long before Naruto can do the same, and can do so without any of the aforementioned risks.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and elegant, but also more cunning and ambitious leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki may be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun jollier]] one who is generally more playful than the kitsune, preferring to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm; the Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being much more graceful and elegant, but also more cunning and ambitious leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki can also be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun chummier]] one who generally prefers to [[TheTrickster make you look silly]] than cause any real harm. The Kitsune in turn tends to be depicted as the "snob", being likely to be much more graceful, dignified and proud, but also more malicious and leaning more towards tempting people into outright ruin. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki can also be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, as referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

* ''Anime/PomPoko'': While tanuki and kitsune actually get along just fine in this example, they are shown to be complete opposites in terms of demeanor and methods of dealing with the current situation of their forests [[GaiasLament being torn down]]. The clan of tanuki the plot centers around are simple [[CountryMouse country mice]] who actively resist further human influence in an attempt to save their forest, and have only just begun to rediscover the art of shapeshifting in order to hide among humans. The kitsune, in contrast, are much fewer in numbers and have gone into hiding, but have also been much more successful at blending in with human society in the big city, with one of their members having already risen through the ranks of the social ladder and gotten filthy rich as a result.

On one side, you have strange, stout creatures resembling fat raccoons who go about with their ''gigantic'' nads on full display, known as [[ThePrankster pranksters]] who [[TheTrickster like to trick humans]] in ways such as paying them with leaves disguised as money, or tranforming themselves into wine bottles that roll away from people whenever they try to grab it. On the other, you have mystical, elegant, [[EyesAlwaysShut squinty-eyed]] foxes who bewitch humans and even bring down entire kingdoms with illusions and deceit, and have a penchant for [[ShapeshiftingSeducer transforming into gorgeous women]] to seduce men and young boys.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun chummier]] one who prefer to make you look silly than cause any real harm. The Kitsune in turn may serve as the "snob", being likely to be much more graceful, dignified and proud, but also more malicious and willing to royally screw you over or ''ruin'' you outright. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki can also be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune, referenced by the famous expression "the fox has seven disguises, but the tanuki has eight". In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

These two particular critters are usually portrayed in folklore and media as [[AnimalJingoism rivals]] and {{foil}}s to each other in varying degrees, commonly appearing as a "FatAndSkinny" duo as well as having a SlobsVSSnobs relationship. In the latter case, the Tanuki tends to serve as the "slob" of the dynamic, generally being the simpler, humbler, and [[BigFun chummier]] one who prefer to make you look silly than cause any real harm. The Kitsune in turn may serve as the "snob", being likely to be much more graceful, dignified and proud, but also more malicious and willing to royally screw you over or ''ruin'' you outright. The Kitsune may also possess more raw power and ambition, but the Tanuki can also be [[WeakButSkilled more creative and capable at trickery and disguises]] than the Kitsune. In a BettyAndVeronica setup, the Betty will be the "tanuki-faced" character, while the Veronica will be the "fox-faced" one.

* ''VideoGame/KirbysDreamland3'': Pon & Con serve as the DualBoss of Sand Canyon area, consisting of a tanuki/raccoon and a kitsune/fox respectively.

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!!Indices: DuoTropes, IndexOfFictionalCreatures, JapaneseMediaTropes, ThisIndexBarks, TropeNamesFromOtherLanguages, UsefulNotes.{{Asia}}, UsefulNotes.TheFarEast, {{Youkai}}