Do you know Nekomimi or Kemonomimi? They are cat ears or other animal ears that are quite popular in anime. In this article, we will delve into the origin behind the numerous characters with animal ears in anime and in Japan.
Nowadays, it is common to find these items for sale, and any character can have cat ears. Nekomimi [猫耳] literally means ears [耳] of cats [猫], there isn’t much to say about the meaning of the word.
Cat ears are present in anime as accessories or as characters that are part animal. Nekomimi is categorized as a MOE element and is often used by Maids in their cafes and in various cosplays.
Table of Contents
What are Cat Girls?
A Catgirl is a character that primarily has 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 character is that she only appears superficially feline. The Catgirl is stereotypically feminine, although there are Catboys. (They are usually found in Yaoi) or are represented as effeminate in anime.
Cat girls generally follow the stereotypes of feline animals associated with cats, specifically the feminine ones. Cat girls tend to be sexualized and/or follow Moe traits to better attract the audience.
Most cat girls have biological characteristics, but characters that do not possess these characteristics may have a headband with cat ears, a fake cat tail, cute fangs, fake cat paws, claw-like nails.
In order to imitate a cat, they start to hit a moving object with their fingers curled inward to mimic the rounded appearance of a cat paw. As a bonus, some lick the fake paw.
How did Cat Ears originate?
Cats are a passion in Japan, the most loved animals in the world and in the country. There are even cat sanctuaries scattered throughout Japan, and in its culture, cats are also instruments of luck.
The first example of the female-cat hybrid is Bastet, the Egyptian goddess of cats, protection, joy, dance, music, and love. In Japanese culture, some animals have tendencies to transform into humans or vice versa, like the famous Kitsune.
In Japan, yokai cats were mentioned in the Kamakura era in descriptions such as the diary of Fujiwara Sadaie, “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 on humans in modern Japanese literature were published in 1924 by Kenji Miyazawa as The Cat with Snow Ears [Yukibango] in “The Narcissus Month Room”.
It is said 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 in manga is an heir of “Ribbon Knight” by Osamu Tezuka in 1963.
There are examples from Irish legends like the fairy Kett Shee or movies like “Cat in Boots”, where cats speak human language. Additionally, anthropomorphic cats appeared in films like “Galaxy Railroad Night”.
Sometimes prostitutes in the Edo period were portrayed as cat characters, like feline cat prostitutes. In fact, what brought the popularity of cat ears in anime was the genre of hentai games and anime.
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], they are the most dramatically anthropomorphized characters, who appear virtually human but have the additional characteristics of animal ears and tails.
A bit beastly but not furry, soft, or scaly, and still must have human skin, human face, completely human nose, and human skull and torso structure. Essentially, they look like you put on a pair of fake rabbit ears.
Additional features like claws, horns, animal eyes, cute fangs, or special abilities, like instincts of that animal may also be present. In the universe, they exhibit the same mannerisms as humans, such as wearing clothes.
They are generally considered a distinct species with their own rights. 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 is not surprising to see characters with non-standard ears. Having non-human ears is a common way to indicate that a character is not completely human, whether an alien, supernatural being, or modified.
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 characteristics of the animal can be easily conveyed simply by drawing the ears. Allowing the creation of races, aliens, and magical creatures.
Over time, even cat-related characters originally drawn without cat ears have come to have cat ears. This even includes historical characters like yokai cats mentioned at the beginning of the article.
With the popularization of cat ear characters, more and more characters simply put cat ears on young women. Children also receive various products like clothing and sweatshirts related to animal ears.
Besides the ears, the term neko or catgirl has spread in such a way that it is common for characters to have paws and tails of cats. Rarely do anime characters have a more animal than human appearance, limiting themselves only to these details.
Animes of Nekomimi, Catgirls, and Kemonomimi
We have previously written about animal animes and animes of anthropomorphic monster girls, most of them have moe characters with cat ears or Kemonomimi. Now see my recommendations for Nekomimi animes:
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 brink of financial ruin when its 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 training and fighting 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 shoujo romance and comedy anime. The anime tells the story of Nanami, a girl who was evicted from her home because of her gambling-addicted father, who abandoned her and ran away with many debts.
While wandering the streets, Nanami meets a man who, upon hearing her story, offers her his home to live in, which is actually an abandoned temple where she becomes the deity of that place.
Monogatari Series
A confusing and very popular series that is divided into several different anime, we even need to make a guide to watch Monogatari. Among the characters, we have a half-crab girl, cat, medusa, vampire, and some other not-so-normal ones.
Spice and Wolf – Ookami to Koushinryou
A young man finds in his cart 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 harvest of Pasloe, she reveals that she has been responsible for blessing the village with abundant wheat harvests for many years, after having made a promise to a villager from there in the past.
The villagers are increasingly losing their faith in Holo and developing their own cultivation methods, becoming independent. With this, Holo finds herself isolated and falls into loneliness, as she feels that the villagers no longer need her.
List of Nekomimi and Kemonomimi Animes
| Name of Animal Girls Anime | 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 |
| Hora, Mimi ga Mieteru yo! | 2018 |
| Seton Academy: Join the Pack! | 2020 |
| Dog Days’ | 2012 |
| Omamori Himari | 2010 |
| Uma Musume: Pretty Derby | 2018 |
| Potemayo | 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 |
| A 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 Cat Ears
Who 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:
| Name of Neko | Name of Anime |
| 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 |
| Ai | 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 Cat Ears?
If you want to buy accessories that look like cat ears such as headsets and hairbands, you can find these products at our partner Amazon. I will conclude the article with an extensive list of cat ears:
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