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44-450: Tom Nook is based on the tanuki , the raccoon dog. Rich Amtower and Reiko Ninomiya, members of Nintendo's Treehouse localization team, described him as "that first boss you ever had", adding that, "despite him being all business and not always having the time for pleasantries, Nook isn't a bad person; because he hired someone new to town. Due to that involving risk, it shows generosity". Ninomiya agreed, and both felt that Nook's perceived greed

88-450: A criminal organization . A crime boss has absolute or nearly absolute control over the other members of the organization and is often greatly feared or respected for their cunning, strategy, and/or ruthlessness and willingness to take lives to exert their influence and profits from the criminal endeavors in which the organization engages. Some groups may only have as little as two ranks (a crime boss and their soldiers). Other groups have

132-508: A bad person. IGN listed him among the top 100 video game villains, suggesting that Tom Nook has a nice face, but the "cold, dead heart of a megalomaniac whose sole desire is to make a quick bell". Fellow IGN editor Patrick Kolan described Nook as the Animal Crossing equivalent of Al Swearengen , a pimp from the 1800s, due to his business sense, as well as both the character's position and disposition. Tom Nook has also been personified as

176-402: A breeding pair, but individual Japanese raccoon dogs may stay in a group of non-paired individuals until they find a mate. The species is predominantly monogamous. The breeding period for the species is synchronized between females and males and lasts between February and April. A litter (typically with 4–6 pups) is born after a gestation period of 9 weeks. The parents look after their pups at

220-540: A den for around a month, and then for another month after the pups leave the den. Japanese raccoon dogs live for 7–8 years in the wild and have reached the age of 13 in captivity. They have been observed to climb trees to forage for fruits and berries, using their curved claws to climb. The Japanese raccoon dog is sometimes classified as its own distinct species due to unique chromosomal , behavioral , and morphological characteristics absent in mainland raccoon dogs. Researchers have suggested that they be considered

264-435: A devious character, as well as a gangster, including an issue of the web comic VG Cats , which depicts him roughing up the player's character for his rent money. He has also appeared in the web comic PvP , in which Tom and Rowan threaten to destroy the player's home for owing 500,000 bells. In a satirical article written by GamesRadar , they suggest that the cast of Animal Crossing , most importantly Tom Nook, were setting

308-669: A distinct species). This taxon is synonymized with N. p. viverrinus in Mammal Species of the World , but comparative morphometric analysis supports recognizing the Hokkaido population as a distinct subspecific unit. The IUCN places the raccoon dog at " least concern " status due to the animal's wide distribution in Japan and abundant population, including as an introduced species throughout northeastern Europe. In many European countries, it

352-457: A face that looks like that of the animal, or a person's facial expression of feigned ignorance. By contrast, kitsune gao ("fox face") refers to people with narrow faces, close-set eyes, thin eyebrows, and high cheekbones. A dish called tanukijiru  [ ja ] (" tanuki soup") ceased to contain actual tanuki meat, but some rural stews do use tanuki. Of Japanese noodles, the words "tanuki" and "kitsune" designate two varieties of

396-484: A few cases. Tanuki (or their folklore version ) are a recurring theme in Japanese popular culture. The first exposure of non-Japanese to tanuki usually comes through exported Japanese media. However, they are often described as "raccoons" in translation or assumed as such if no species is given. Notable appearances of tanuki in popular culture include: In Japanese slang, tanuki gao ("raccoon dog face") can refer to

440-402: A long history in Japanese legend and folklore. Bake-danuki are a kind of supernatural beings found in the classics and in the folklore and legends of various places in Japan. Although the tanuki is a real, extant animal, the bake-danuki that appears in literature has always been depicted as a strange, even supernatural animal. The earliest appearance of the bake-danuki in literature, in

484-463: A more complex, structured organization with many ranks, and structure may vary with cultural background. Organized crime enterprises originating in Sicily differ in structure from those in mainland Italy. American groups may be structured differently from their European counterparts and Latino and African American gangs often have structures that vary from European gangs. The size of the criminal organization

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528-521: A mortgage payment is completed, Nook will upgrade or add on to the player's house, each time putting the player into greater debt to Nook, with the last addition being the most costly. Nook's store also goes through four upgrades and changes throughout the game. The time of the upgrade depends on how many bells are spent in the store. Eventually his humble "Nook's Cranny" shack-like store with basic tools and very little objects to buy will become "Nookington's Department Store"—a large, three story building with

572-408: A separate species, N. viverrinus , or that raccoon dogs of Japan could be further divisible into separate subspecies as N. p. procyonoides and N. p. albus , but both views were controversial. However, following morphological and genetic analysis across multiple studies, all of which indicated that N. viverrinus was a distinct species, it was later classified as such by

616-524: A separate species, but its status is still disputed, based on its elastic genome. The karyotype of Japanese raccoon dogs is different from that of the mainland raccoon dogs. Though it is unknown whether mainland raccoon dogs and Japanese raccoon dogs can produce fertile offspring, it is assumed that the chromosomal differences between them would have deleterious effects on the fertility of the potential offspring and this would be indicative of speciation . Aggregators on mammal taxonomy are inconsistent: Like

660-401: A significant role since ancient times. They are reputed to be mischievous and jolly, masters of disguise and shapeshifting but somewhat gullible and absent-minded. The animals have also been common in Japanese art, particularly as subjects for statues. While Japanese raccoon dogs are prominent in Japanese folklore and proverbs, they were not always clearly distinguished from other animals with

704-567: A similar appearance. Japanese raccoon dogs are often mistakenly translated into English as " badger " or " raccoon " (as used in the English translation of the film Pom Poko and outlined in Tom Robbins ' book Villa Incognito ), two unrelated types of animals with superficially similar appearances. Traditionally, different areas of Japan had different names for raccoon dogs as animals, which would be used to denote different animals in other parts of

748-434: A video game without any fighting, they would enjoy seeing him get beaten up. Another article by IGN compares a talking baton given to the protagonist of Major Minor's Majestic March to Nook, calling it the second only to Nook in annoyance. GameSpy listed Tom Nook as one of their favourite bosses; editor Brian Altano specified that he passionately loves to hate Nook, stating that while he provides appreciated services to

792-413: A wide variety of items for purchase. It is in this expansion that the player meets his two apprentices, Tommy and Timmy, who run the second floor of the store. In every game, no matter what upgrade the store is on, the items in the store will be changed every day. This means that theoretically, no two days will ever have the exact combination of items for sale. Tom Nook has made several minor appearances in

836-493: Is a species of canid endemic to Japan. It is one of two species in the genus Nyctereutes , alongside the common raccoon dog ( N. procyonoides ), of which it was traditionally thought to be a subspecies ( Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus ). The Japanese raccoon dog has a smaller stomach and shorter fur of lesser insulation value than mainland raccoon dogs. A rare, white colour type can also be found. In Japanese folklore , Japanese raccoon dogs ( tanuki ) have had

880-500: Is also important, as regional or national gangs have much more complex hierarchies. The boss in the Sicilian and Italian-American Mafia is the head of the crime family and the top decision maker. Only the boss can initiate an associate into the family, however, the boss can give permission to an underboss , consigliere or a captain , allowing them to become a made man . The boss can promote or demote family members at will, and has

924-513: Is diminished by the city's price index compared to that of his shop. Amtower jokingly alludes to an "anti-Nook bias" several times throughout an interview with 1UP.com . Tom Nook first appears in the Nintendo 64 title Dōbutsu no Mori (ported to the GameCube as Animal Crossing in non-Japanese regions) as the town's main shop owner, and continues his job in the next two installments. Nook's role in

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968-464: Is generally put into place to act ostensibly as the boss while drawing police attention away from the actual official boss operating behind the scenes. A "street boss" is often informally appointed or regarded by the official boss or by subordinates as the "hands-on", street-level, actively engaged proxy or stand-in for the official boss, usually coordinating, controlling, and managing street operations on behalf of an official boss who prefers to stay behind

1012-561: Is legal to hunt raccoon dogs, as they are considered a harmful and invasive species . In Japan the species is hunted mainly to prevent them from damaging crops; however, their fur is desired for use in calligraphy brushes and was exported chiefly to the United States before the outbreak of World War II . The animal is a common victim of vehicle accidents, with conservative estimates of up to 370,000 Japanese raccoon dogs being killed by vehicles each year in Japan. Japanese raccoon dogs have

1056-453: Is usually as follows: A boss will typically put up layers of insulation between himself and his men to hinder police efforts to connect his orders to him. Whenever he issues orders, he does so either to his underboss, consigliere or capos. The orders are then passed down the line to the soldiers. This makes it difficult under most circumstances for the police to directly implicate a boss in a crime, since he almost never directly gives orders to

1100-475: The Animal Crossing animated film , and has been featured in several promotional items, including plush toys. Tom Nook has received mixed reception since his appearance in Animal Crossing . IGN listed him as the ninth most-wanted character to appear in Super Smash Bros. Brawl . They describe him as devious, diabolical, and sinister, commenting that while he may not be a good fighter due to being from

1144-531: The Super Smash Bros. series of video games , appearing as various collectibles in Super Smash Bros. Melee , Super Smash Bros. Brawl and Super Smash Bros. Ultimate , as well as a background character on the Smashville stage, which is based on the Animal Crossing series. Tom Nook's shop music also features in Super Smash Bros. Brawl as part of "Town Hall and Tom Nook's Store". Tom Nook also appears in

1188-531: The American Society of Mammalogists . Genetic analysis has confirmed unique sequences of mtDNA , classifying the Japanese raccoon dog as a distinct isolation species , based on evidence of eight Robertsonian translocations . The International Union for Conservation of Nature Canid Group 's Canid Biology and Conservation Conference in September 2001 rejected the classification of the Japanese raccoon dog as

1232-694: The Sado Islands of Niigata Prefecture and in Shikoku , and among them, like the Danzaburou-danuki of Sado, the Kinchō-tanuki and Rokuemon-tanuki of Awa Province ( Tokushima Prefecture ), and the Yashima no Hage-tanuki of Kagawa Prefecture , the tanuki that possessed special abilities were given names, and even became the subject of rituals. Apart from these places, tanuki are treated with special regard in

1276-402: The udon or soba dishes. Neither contain any of those meats. Tanuki udon/soba contains flakes of fried tempura batter (" tenkasu "), while kitsune udon/soba contains fried tofu (" abura-age "). Crime boss A crime boss , also known as a crime lord , mafia don , gang lord , gang boss , mob boss , kingpin , godfather , crime mentor , or criminal mastermind is the leader of

1320-472: The 25 best new characters of the decade, stating that he has earned his place amongst the hearts of gamers and people on the Internet as both a viral meme and a deceptively devious character. In 2012, GamesRadar ranked Tom Nook as the 80th best villain in video games in their 2013 "Top 100", saying although raccoons are "stripy, furry and cute", "Tom Nook can go to Hell." That same year, Complex placed him as

1364-482: The 49th coolest video game villain of all time. Game-studies scholar Ian Bogost described Nook as central to Animal Crossing ' s effective depiction of the economics of consumption and debt: None of the townsfolk ever appear in Tom Nook's shop... In contrast, the player participates in a full consumer regimen; he pays off debt, buys goods, and sells goods. Tom Nook buys goods, which he converts to wealth. ... While

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1408-552: The IUCN, Mammal Species of the World (2005) considers the Japanese raccoon dog to be a subspecies, whereas the American Society of Mammalogists include N. viverrinus as a valid species in their Mammal Diversity Database. The raccoon dogs from Hokkaido are sometimes recognized as a different subspecies from the mainland tanuki as Nyctereutes procyonoides albus (Hornaday, 1904) (or N. viverrinus albus if recognized as

1452-774: The chapter about Empress Suiko in the Nihon Shoki written during the Nara period , there are such passages as "in two months of spring, there are tanuki in the country of Mutsu, they turn into humans and sing songs." Bake-danuki subsequently appear in such classics as the Nihon Ryōiki and the Uji Shūi Monogatari . In some regions of Japan, bake-danuki are reputed to have abilities similar to those attributed to foxes: they can shapeshift into other things or people, and can possess human beings. Many legends of tanuki exist in

1496-514: The country, including badgers and wild cats. The Japanese raccoon dog is mainly nocturnal, but they are known to be active during daylight. They vocalize by growling or with groans that have pitches resembling those of domesticated cats . Like cats, the Japanese raccoon dog arches its back when it is trying to intimidate other animals; however, they assume a defensive posture similar to that of other canids, lowering their bodies and showing their bellies to submit. Usually, social groups are limited to

1540-434: The franchise, and arguing that his personal qualities are not as important as the intrinsically exploitative system he represents and benefits from. Tom Nook has received some positive reception as well. In author Katherine Isbister's book, "Better game characters by design: a psychological approach", she cites Tom Nook as an example of a mentor character, one who indirectly helps players. GamesRadar also listed him as one of

1584-404: The main series), Nook will request that the player work in his shop for a bit to pay off some of the debt. The chores Nook assigns the player to do are meant to help them get used to the controls of the game. After planting flowers, writing letters, and talking to villagers, the player is sent off to do whatever they want, but have to pay the remaining amount of their mortgage on their own. Each time

1628-421: The player spends more, Nook makes more. By condensing all of the environment's financial transactions into one flow between the player and Tom Nook, the game proceduralizes the redistribution of wealth in a manner even young children can understand. Tom Nook is a kind of condensation of the corporate bourgeoisie. Tom Nook has been satirized in several articles, often compared to a mob boss , kingpin or otherwise

1672-450: The player up into a "furry cult". GameSpy listed Tom Nook as a video game character who would be disliked in real life, stating that he is annoying in the video games, and would be terrifying if he were a landlord in real life. 1UP.com editor Jeremy Parish, in his review of Animal Crossing: Wild World , makes a parody documentary of the in-game world. In it, he suggests that Tom Nook's keen business sense allows him to effectively control

1716-521: The scenes (either by choice or to avoid police scrutiny). "Street bosses" are often particularly influential or powerful caporegimes or underbosses , and the term is sometimes used interchangeably with "acting boss" or "front boss" depending on the circumstances. When a boss dies, the crime family members choose a new boss from inside the organization. The typical structure within the Mafia in Sicily and America

1760-459: The series remained virtually unchanged from 2001 until 2012 with the release of Animal Crossing: New Leaf . In addition to being the main shop owner, Nook will also sell the player a house at the beginning of the game for around 19,800 Bells (the in-game currency). Because the player will only have 1,000 Bells in their pocket in Dōbutsu no Mori and Animal Crossing (and no Bells at all in the rest of

1804-505: The small village, he keeps his reality grounded in that he lives in Nook's town, not his own. UGO.com ranked him the fifth best Animal Crossing character, stating that while Mr. Resetti was an irritant, Tom Nook was a jerk. They added that they love to hate him, jokingly suggesting that he was a " kingpin ". Junkee also offers a fairly negative assessment of Tom Nook's personality, while also pointing out his transformation over different games in

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1848-431: The soldiers. The term Mr. Big is used within the underworld , and additionally during media reportings of persons associated with criminal activities, to refer to a leader of a body of persons functioning in the capacities of roles within organised crime. Sometimes bosses of the so-called gangland are referred to as being Mr Big , as for example when he could not be named for legal reasons. The term implicitly indicates

1892-439: The sole power to sanction murders inside and outside the family. If the boss is incarcerated or incapacitated, he usually retains the title of "boss" but may appoint an acting boss who is responsible for running the crime family in his stead or on a more daily basis. In addition to "boss" and "acting boss", some families have at times officially or unofficially utilized the positions of front boss and street boss . A "front boss"

1936-456: The village. In the TV show Robot Chicken , Tom Nook is parodied in the sketch The Raccoon of Wall Street , where he is portrayed as a business tycoon who made trillions of bells by using illegal practices. Japanese raccoon dog Nyctereutes procyonoides viverrinus The Japanese raccoon dog ( Nyctereutes viverrinus ), also known by its Japanese name tanuki ( Japanese : 狸, タヌキ ),

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