I found so many adorable pictures of raccoon dogs, I needed one as a character! Actually, I've been developing one for almost a year (I think ever since I saw a family of raccoon dogs in a zoo my mind was set). I could never decide on the markings and colours, which resulted in many tanuki sketches, all with different markings. But this one is the final design! I present Tobikuma, a Japanese raccoon dog/ tanuki who only wants to have fun, or else sleep! I think this yawning position is pretty characteristic :D

I have this little idea that he and Akiko (my red panda shapeshifter) would be very good friends! Both are fun-loving, optimistic creatures, and although red pandas are not commonly shapeshifters in lores, tanuki are! So the both of them could play tricks on those around them and each other! I think Tobi would be better at it, and may be able to teach Akiko some tricks, but both are young and would need guidance to prefect their skills. Maybe there's some old tanuki who will teach them? I dunno yet, I'm kinda just rambling here, getting some ideas down before I forget them! I also think Tobikuma really wants to be able to fly (his name means 'flying cloud', if the baby name websites are correct) and Akiko would be very agile in trees already, so maybe he'd make up for it in all sorts of ways. Who knows! I just want to be able to draw these two together :D If I'm not mistaken red pandas and raccoon dogs are roughly the same size too, aren't they? That's just perfect :)

(yeah I just copy-pasted the description from my Deviantart submission. That is my main art site anyway)

Art and character are © to me, Avanii

Please do not use or repost, thank you!