>>6820996This in turn provides the structure of the match with moments of levity which allow Mizuki to manipulate her opponents with Misao growing wiser to her and their shared mischief derailing everything and without knowing it allowing Rika to get the win when Misao's blinding cold spray is brought into the match.
(My description doesn't do it justice),
Whatever we may say of the problems surrounding Koda's booking style. A match such as this isn't just a reminder of how lightly fun TJPW can be, but how fully realised his characters are to build engaging narratives that logically follow character motivation and psychology to not just give a great match but a memorable one.
For the fan that is aware of TJPW, it's important to see this match to realize that just as much there is a discussion of the brilliance of the character work of the promotion it is fully realized well inside the ring to give a good worked match. TJPW might be the character promotion, but the wrestlers are no slouches.
Similarly for those who weirdly believe that wrestling character and storytelling only comes across in promos and "skits" backstage, a match like this highlights how wrestling itself is the storytelling.
Now I'm not saying this is unique by any measure, or that it is anyway not seen in any other promotion but TJPW has this rich and well contained lore that is simplified in the action of the wrestling in a way that continues to make it such a consistently great, fun, dynamic promotion and world it exists in.
It's deep without losing the simple formula of wrestling storytelling. It's the thing that I feel so many modern promotions have forgotten about pro wrestling. It's sports entertaining.
