You know Nekomimi or Kemonomimi? These are ears of cats or other animals that are quite successful in anime. In this article, we will delve into the origin behind the countless animal-eared characters in anime and Japan.
Nowadays it is common to find these items to sell, and any character can have a kitten ear. Nekomimi [猫耳] literally means ears [耳] of cats [猫], not much to talk about the meaning of the word.
The ears of cats are present in anime as accessories or as half-animal characters. Nekomimi is categorized as a MOE element and is often used by Maids in their cafes and in various cosplays.
A Catgirl is a character that has mainly human characteristics (hair, skin and body type), but she has some physical characteristics of a cat, usually ears, tail, eyes and sometimes claws or even a natural bikini.
What differentiates a cat from an anthropomorphic one is that she only looks superficially feline. Catgirl is female stereotyped, although there are Catboys. (They are usually found in Yaoi) or are depicted effeminate in anime.
Cat girls generally follow the stereotypes of feline animals associated with cats, specifically females. Cats generally tend to be sexualized and or follow Moe's traits to better attract audiences.
Most hot girls have biological characteristics, but characters who do not have these characteristics can have a hair band with cat ears, a fake cat tail, fluffy fangs, fake cat paws, claw-like nails.
In order to imitate a cat, they start hitting a moving object with their fingers folded inward to mimic the rounded appearance of a cat's paw. As a bonus, some lick their fake paw.
How did the Cat Ears come about?
Cats are a passion of Japan, the most beloved animals in the world and the country. There are even cat shrines mirrored by Japan, in their culture cats are also instruments of luck.
The first example of the female-cat hybrid is Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats, of protection, joy, dance, music and love. In Japanese culture, some animals have a tendency to turn into humans or vice versa, such as the famous Kitsune.
In Japan, yokai cats they were mentioned in the Kamakura era in descriptions such as Fujiwara Sadaie's diary, "Meigetsuki". Cat characters appeared in Kagura and Kyogen. In the Edo period a cat is mentioned in Tokudo Nakago 53.
The first reports of cat ears in humans in modern Japanese literature were published in 1924 by Kenji MIyazawa as The Snow Ears Cat [Yukibango] in "The fourth of the month of Narcissus".
They say that the first girl with cat ears in Japanese manga was drawn in “Cotton no Kunisei”, serialized in 1978, but one theory is that the first nekomimi dos manga is an heiress to “Cavaleiro da Fita” by Osamu Tezuka in 1963.
There are examples of Irish legends like the fairy Kett Shee or movies like “Cat in Boots”, that cats speak human language. Also, anthropomorphic cats have appeared in movies like “Galaxy Railroad Night”.
Sometimes prostitutes in the Edo period were portrayed as a cat character, like a feline cat prostitute. In fact, what brought about the popularity of cat ears in anime was the hentai game and anime genre.
In 1976, a Japanese translation of the SF tale “Never Return Ku Mel's Ballad” (written by Code Weiner Smith) was published. This was the catalyst for the cat ear character to be recognized and popularized in Japan.
Kemonomimi - Animal Ears
Known in Japan as “kemonomimi”[獣耳] are the most dramatically anthropomorphized characters, who look virtually human, but have the additional characteristics of an animal's ears and tail.
A little bestial but not hairy, soft or scaly, and must still have human skin, a human face, a completely human nose and a human skull and trunk structure. Essentially, they look like you putting on fake rabbit ears.
Additional features such as claws, horns, animal eyes, fluffy fangs or special abilities such as that animal's instincts may also be present. In the universe, they exhibit the same mannerisms as humans, like wearing clothes.
They are generally considered to be a distinct species in their own right. Notably, the hair tends to cover the sides of the head where human ears would normally be located, thus avoiding some dilemmas.
Why Animal Ears?
In Fiction and Mythology, it's not surprising to see characters with non-standard ears. Having non-human ears is a common way of indicating that a character is not completely human, be it an alien, supernatural or modified being.
Pointed ears are by far the most common type, having been associated with everything from demons, elves, magical fairies and even Vulcans. In Japan, the ability to hear very well is called jigokumimi, which translates as “ears of hell”.
Animal ears, including cat ears, are easy to spread, because the animal's characteristics can be easily transmitted simply by drawing the ears. Enabling the creation of races, aliens and magical creatures.
Like time, even cat-related characters originally drawn without cat ears have come to have cat ears. This includes even historical characters like yokais of cats mentioned at the beginning of the article.
With the popularization of cat ears characters, more and more characters simply put cat ears on young women. Children also get various products like clothes and sweatshirts related to animal ears.
In addition to the ears, the term neko or catgirl has spread in such a way that it is common for characters to have cats' paws and tails. Rarely do anime characters have a more animal than human appearance, limiting themselves to just those details.
Nekomimi, Catgirls and Kemonomimi anime
We’ve previously written about animal anime and anthropomorphic monster girl anime, most of them have moe characters with cat ears or Kemonomimi. Check out my Nekomimi anime recommendation now:
Dog Days - Full of Kemonomimi
In the magical land of Flonyard, inhabitants with animal ears fight each other for resources in harmless war games. One region, Biscotti, fought bravely, but is on the verge of financial ruin when his princess, Millhiore, summons Shinku, a high school student.
Millhiore and Shinku make a terrible discovery: those who are summoned cannot return home! Now, while Shinku continues to train and fight for Biscotti, he and the others must also try to find a way for the boy to return one day to his loving friends and family.
Kamisama Kiss
Kamisama Kiss is a mythological anime romance shoujo and comedy. Anime tells the story of Nanami, a girl who was evicted from her home because of her gambling father, who abandoned her and ran away with many debts.
While wandering the streets, Nanami encounters a man who, learning about his history, offers his home to her to live in, which is actually an abandoned temple in which she becomes a deity of this place.
Monogatari Series
A confusing and very popular series that is divided into several different anime, we need to do even one guide to watch monogatari. Among the characters we have a girl half crab, cat, jellyfish, vampire and some other unusual.
Spice and Wolf - Ookami to Koushinryou
A young man finds in his wagon a goddess named Holo, who is over 600 years old. Holo appears to be a young human, except for having a pair of ears and a tail that are similar to those of a wolf.
Presenting herself as the goddess of the harvests of Pasloe, she reveals that she was responsible for blessing the village with abundant wheat crops for many years, after making a promise to a villager there in the past.
Villagers are increasingly losing their faith in Holo and developing their farming methods, becoming independent. As a result, Holo finds himself isolated and falls into solitude, as he feels that the residents no longer need her.
List of Anime by Nekomimi and Kemonomimi
Responsive Table: Roll the table sideways with your finger >>
Animal Girls Anime Name
Date
The Rising of the Shield Hero
2019
Kamisama Kiss
2012
Spice and Wolf
2008
InuYasha: The Final Act
2009
Miss Kobayashi's Dragon Maid
2017
Poco's Udon World
2016
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits
2018
Utawarerumono
2006
Otome Youkai Zakuro
2010
InuYasha
2000
The Helpful Fox Senko-san
2019
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
2014
Konohana Kitan
2017
Time, Mimi ga Mieteru yo!
2018
Seton Academy: Join the Pack!
2020
Dog Days'
2012
Omamori Himari
2010
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby
2018
Pototeyo
2007
Our Home's Fox Deity
2008
The Diary of a Crazed Family
2008
Show By Rock !! #
2016
Kemono Michi: Rise Up
2019
Dog Days
2011
Dragon Crisis!
2011
Cat Planet Cuties
2010
Hyper Police
1997
Show By Rock !! Mashumairesh !!
2020
NEKOPARA TV
2020
Show By Rock !!
2015
Loveless
2005
Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity-
2009
Cuticle Detective Inaba
2013
Kanokon
2008
Uchitama ?! Have you seen my Tama?
2020
Mysteria Friends
2019
Nyanko Days
2017
Tokyo Mew Mew
2002
Etotama
2015
Centaur's Life
2017
Nekogami Yaoyorozu
2011
Umayon
2020
Sengoku Night Blood
2017
Leviathan: The Last Defense
2013
Magical Meow Meow Taruto
2001
Waresho! Warera! Shoudoubutsu Aigo Iinkai
2019
Hentatsu (2020)
2020
Nyamen
2014
Anime characters with cats ears
What are the most popular anime characters with cat ears? Most are women, but there are some male characters. below we will display a list of characters with nekomimi in order of popularity:
Responsive Table: Roll the table sideways with your finger >>
Neko's name
Anime Name
Holo
Space and Wolf
Inuyasha
InuYasha
Tomoe
Kamisama Kiss
Jibril
No game No life
Raphtalia
The Rising of the Shield Hero
Black Rabbit
Problem Children Are Coming From Another World, Aren't They?
Izuna Hatsune
No game No life
Tsugumi
Guilty Crown
Himari Noihara
Omamori Himari
Millianna
fairy tail
Nanachi
Made in Abyss
Felix Argyle
Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-
Ritsuka Aoyagi
Loveless
Shizuka Nekonome
Rosario + Vampire
Alicia Rue
Sword Art Online
Haineko
Bleach
Cerea
Monster Musume no Iru Nichijou
Ichigo Momomiya
Tokyo Mew Mew
Eris
Cat Planet Cuties
Kon
Tokyo Ravens
Shrine Priestess
No game No life
Kokkuri-San
Gugure! Kokkuri-san
Rem Galeu
How NOT to Summon a Demon Lord
Nozomi Kiriya
Mayoi Neko Overrun!
Leonmitchelli Galette Des Rois
Dog Days
Kogitsune
Natsume’s Book of Friends
Millhiore Firianno Biscotti
Dog Days
Schrodinger
Hellsing Ultimate
There
Dragon Crisis!
Tabane Shinonono
Infinite Stratos
Eclair Martinozzi
Dog Days
Aisha Clanclan
Outlaw Star
Nakuru Narumi
Mayo Chiki!
Anya Flomer
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Senko
The Helpful Fox Senko-san
Yukikaze Panettone
Dog Days
Rito Tsukimi
Absolute Duo
Eruru
Utawarerumono
Dorm Mistress
Maria Holic
Kirara Bernstein
GJ-bu
Karura
Utawarerumono
Zakuro
Otome Youkai Zakuro
Aruru
Utawarerumono
Toby
fairy tail
Mimi Pearlbaton
Re: ZERO -Starting Life in Another World-
Ricotta Elmar
Dog Days
Elbia Hernaiman
Outbreak Company
Ginji
Kakuriyo: Bed & Breakfast for Spirits
Bete Loga
Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?
Boris Airay
Alice in the Country of Hearts: Wonderful Wonder World
Meroko Yui
Full Moon wo Sagashite
Touka
Utawarerumono
Kuune
Cat Planet Cuties
Brioche D’Arquien
Cat Planet Cuties: Come Drop By
Noir Vinocacao
Dog Days
Michiru Kagemori
Brand New Animal
Chaika
Cat Planet Cuties
Shea Haulia
Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest
Tama
Death March to the Parallel World Rhapsody
Susukihotaru
Otome Youkai Zakuro
Where to buy Nekomimi Cats ears?
If you want to buy accessories that look like cat ears like Headsets and hair bands, you can find these products on our Amazon Partner. I’ll end the article with an extensive list of cat ears:
