Welcome to the first Entrance-d blog post, where we take an aesthetic, cultural, and semantic look at some of the best entrances in pro wrestling. To me, there’s nothing more important than a wrestler’s entrance. It’s the first time you see him (or her), and the entrance establishes a wrestler’s character and how the match will play out.
For my first blog, we’re going to take a look at the beguiling, enchanting entrance of the Empress of Tomorrow, the holder of the longest undefeated streak in WWE history, Asuka! Nobody may be ready for Asuka, but you better be ready for a lesson in Japanese drama.
Before we get into the actual entrance itself, though, can we all agree that the low warbling note when her mask first illuminates on the tron is probably the most terrifying thing ever? In an age with even-Steven booking and generic metalcore theme songs, Asuka’s entrance music has that "oh sh#@" factor few other themes have. You know what to expect when it hits...and if you’re standing across from her in the ring, you know it isn’t going to be pretty.
As the vocals drop, Asuka appears, garbed in traditional kimono and donning a rather creepy mask. One doesn’t need a bachelor’s in Japanese culture to understand the kimono...but what’s up with that demonic mask? Why is she swaggering? Why is she flailing her arms around like a drunk?
In order to truly understand Asuka’s entrance, one must have a good understanding of Japanese culture. First, let’s discuss the mask. Masks are an extremely important part of Japanese culture and history: the samurai wore masks for protection and to balance the weight of their heavy kabuto helmets, while performers and dancers wore masks during festivals to praise Japanese deities, such as the goddess of good fortune Okame, and the female demon Hannya.
A traditional Noh performance. That mask sure seems familiar...
The mask Asuka sports to the ring borrows elements from several types of traditional masks, though it’s most akin to a Noh mask. Noh is a type of traditional Japanese performance, a combination of western musicals and religious ceremonies. If you’ve ever played the Lickitung minigame from Pokemon Stadium, you’ve heard the "yooOOOOOOOOOooooo" that’s often associated with Noh performances. Noh masks are unique, in that they are designed to take on different expressions depending on the angle they are viewed from. How many different expressions have you seen Asuka’s mask make?
Noh theatre also invokes characters from Japanese mythology, which explains the way Asuka moves as she makes her way to the ring. When she has the mask on, Asuka isn’t a wrestler; she’s a performer. The same could be said of pro wrestling itself: is it a performance, or a sport? If you notice, most of her masks have blank expressions...which only adds to her mystique. She moves rather like a child, perhaps a young, precocious spirit, more curious than dangerous. I suppose it's true that Noh-body is ready for Asuka...sorry.
The tengu and a buddhist monk. Who would you rather face: Asuka, or this thing?
What kind of deity is she portraying? While it’s hard to ascertain exactly what myth she’s drawing from, her movements are reminiscent of the tengu. The tengu are a species of Japanese yokai, or spirits, that control the wind, and are based on birds of prey. In modern pop culture, they are usually depicted as having fans and getas on their feet, which gives them a strange movement cycle (if you’ve ever played Dead or Alive, you know what I mean). Asuka’s swaying hands and swagger may be her way of portraying the wind spirit. She could also merely be a ghost, flailing about carelessly since nobody can see her (figuratively).
When she enters the ring, she removes the mask to reveal her trademark smile. One that can cut its own promo without having to emit any words. She’s not the demon anymore...though once the bell rings, her opponent wishes she was.
Who would you rather meet in a dark alley, Asuka or a Japanese spirit? I’d say neither...or should I say, Noh-ther?
I'll show myself out now.
Previously published on Cageside Seats
