THE HEART OF THE MATTER:
THE THEMES OF NJPW’S BEST TOLD STORIES
By Jasmin Olan
One area where New Japan Pro Wrestling has truly excelled over the years has been story telling. Part of what has made them so successful in this area is the relatability of their stories and the themes they deal with. Over the years, New Japan has earned critical acclaim for its ability to tell complex human stories that anyone can relate to. These dramas are brought to life by NJPW’s incredibly talented wrestlers. These stories deal with everything from from friendship to various forms of inequality, and at least in one case, even love. Fans everywhere can relate to any anyone on the New Japan roster and their respective journeys. When they win, the fans win and celebrate with them, and when they hurt, the fans hurt with them. It is that bond between the wrestlers and the audience that make New Japan’s product so special.
The story of the Golden Lovers has been considered by many to be one of the best told wrestling storylines of its time. The emotional bond between current IWGP Heavyweight Champion, Kenny Omega and the Golden Star, Kota Ibushi has been no secret to fans over the last ten years. New Japan’s approach to telling a a same sex love story was both respectful and truly groundbreaking. This storyline has dealt with everything from self discovery and the power of forgiveness to the dangers of toxic masculinity. Ibushi’s return to NJPW for G1 Climax 27 played a vital role in the evolution of their relationship and Kenny Omega’s in ring character.
The facade of The Cleaner was slowly stripped away after that night. As the leader of the Bullet Club, Kenny had used that facade to mask the guilt and pain he felt after betraying Ibushi at INVASION ATTACK 2015. Their emotional reunion at 2018’s NEW BEGINNING IN SAPPORO also helped make Kenny’s journey to becoming IWGP Heavyweight Champion such a special and satisfying one. At DOMINION 6.9, fans witnessed Kenny apply the lessons he’d learned on his journey and used them to end Kazuchika Okada’s historic title reign.
New Japan was also able to address various other issues with the formation of its two most successful factions, the Bullet Club and Los Ingobernables de Japon. Both groups were born from anger. The story of the Bullet Club began with its original leader, Prince Devitt (Finn Balor) who formed the group out of frustration and disdain toward the Japanese fans who had made him a star in NJPW. Their story has tackled themes like loyalty to many issues regarding race and culture. This has helped the Bullet Club become a great starting point for several of NJPW’s gaijin or foreign born talent and was instrumental in Kenny Omega’s rise to the top of the international wrestling scene as well the success of several others.
The formation Los Ingobernables de Japon played a prominent role in Tetsuya becoming one of NJPW’s greatest anti heroes. The group was born from Naito feeling mistreated by NJPW and abandoned by its fans. Through their story, New Japan has dealt with themes like marginalization and mistreatment by employers and authority figures. As LIJ has evolved of the last couple of years, it has become a kind of haven for misfits, and Tetsuya Naito has become a kind of voice for the misunderstood. Today the group remains a powerful force within New Japan.
These stories and many others continue to make New Japan Pro Wrestling second to none as far as the over all quality of their product. This has also helped the promotion create some of the best rivalries in the industry today. NJPW has truly proven itself to not be afraid to tackle important topics and that they can do it both artfully and respectfully. As NJPW’s finest bring their stories to life with every match, relevant topic and themes will continue to be at the heart of the matter.
