Tai Chi Chasers
Tai Chi Chasers (known In Asian territories as Tai Chi Senjimon, lit. 1000 Characters of Tai Chi) Is a children's action-adventure anime (and Saturday Morning Cartoon) co-production by Toei Animation, JM Animation and Korean TV network KBS.
After a strange and devastating attack on his home, a young boy named Rai is shocked to discover that he's a secret descendant of the Tigeroids: an ancient race of peaceful beings locked in a struggle with the ruthless and cunning Dragonoids. In a parallel universe called Suhn, the Tigeroids and Dragonoids are battling furiously to recover 500 lost tai chi characters. Whoever retrieves these precious and potent symbols will possess the ultimate power to rule their realm…and destroy their enemies. As Rai hones his innate tai chi skills to fight the Dragonoids, he must find the lost tai chi and battle to become one of the champion Tai Chi Chasers!
Licensed by 4Kids! Entertainment, it's notable for deviations from the usual Card Games show formula in that the cards (the Tai Chi Characters, which, surprisingly for a 4Kids dub, are kept foreign) act more like spells, weapons and techniques, and that the heroic Tigeroids and the evil Dragonoids fight each other instead of relying on monsters.
- Ambiguously Human:Possibly Finn
- Annoying Younger Sibling: Hannah.
- Brainwashed and Crazy: Both Ave and Jahara under the hideous tai chi card.
- Break the Cutie: Sena gets hit HARD with this, leading to her giving up partial leadership responsibility to Rai.
- Coat, Hat, Mask: Hannah used this once. It didn't fool Rai at all.
- Dangerously Genre Savvy: Mishka, and possibly the Dragonoid Emperor
- Disappeared Dad: Rai's father. Even his mother doesn't know where he is.
- Edutainment Show: Part of the show is to teach kids about Asian adages.
- Facial Markings: When in battle, both Tigeroids and Dragonoids have these.
- Five-Man Band
- Five-Bad Band
- Forbidden Technique: Rai is often warned not to play that card, especially in the next-to-last episode before the Season Finale. Said card is usually a Dragonoid-only ability. Rai's ability to use them leads the Tigeroid forces to accuse him of being a Dragonoid mole.
- Also the Hideous card is forbidden to be used by Dragonoids.
- Gotta Catch Them All: Type A, Searching for the lost Tai Chi symbols.
- Harmful to Minors: Rai watching his mother and home being blown up. Although his mom might still be alive.
- Idiot Hero: Rai.
- Mysterious Protector: The Masked Tigeroid to Rai.
- Not So Different: Luka and Rai
- Plot Based Photograph Obfuscation: Rai's father. His face is covered by a Lens Flare.
- His face is shown in a later episode.
- Taken for Granite: This was meant to be a punishment for Rai.
- The Reveal: Rai can use Dragonoid Tai Chi.
- It's now been stated that Rai is half-Tigeroid half-Dragonoid.
- The Mole: The other Tigeroids believe Rai is one due to being half Dragonoid.
- Redheaded Hero: Rai.
- Tiger Versus Dragon: Um, duh.
- Too Dumb to Live: Rai's Leeroy Jenkins style actions can cause him to appear like this.
- "Well Done, Son" Guy: Female example as team leader Sena has trouble living up to the expectations of her father, a well-regarded Tigeroid general.
- X Meets Y: It's Digimon Tamers meets Bakugan.