You know Nekomimi or Kemonomimi? These are the ears of cats or other animals that are very successful in anime. In this article, we'll delve into the origins behind the numerous animal-eared characters in anime and Japan.
These days it is common to find these items for sale, and any character can have a kitty ear. Nekomimi [猫耳] literally means ears [耳] of cats [猫], there's not much to say about the meaning of the word.
Cat ears 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.
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What are Cat Girls?
A Catgirl is a character that has mostly human features (hair, skin, and body type), but she has some cat-like physical features, usually ears, tail, eyes, and sometimes claws, or even a natural bikini.
What sets a cat apart from an anthropomorphic one is that she only looks superficially feline. Catgirl is stereotypically feminine, although there are Catboys. (Usually found in Yaoi) or are represented as effeminate in anime.
Catgirls often follow the stereotypes of feline animals associated with cats, specifically female ones. Cats generally tend to be sexualized and or follow Moe's traits to better appeal to audiences.
Most cat girls have biological traits, but characters who lack these traits may have a headband with cat ears, a fake cat tail, cute fangs, fake cat paws, claw-like nails.
In order to mimic a cat, they begin tapping a moving object with their fingers bent inward to mimic the rounded appearance of a cat's paw. As a bonus, some lick their false paws.
How did Cat Ears come about?
Cats are a passion of Japan, the most beloved animals in the world and the country. There are even cat sanctuaries 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, protection, joy, dance, music and love. In Japanese culture some animals have a tendency to transform into humans or vice versa, such as the famous Kitsune.
In Japan, yokai cats 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 on humans in modern Japanese literature were published in 1924 by Kenji MIyazawa as The Snow Eared Cat [Yukibango] in "The Fourth of the Month of Narcissus".
The first cat-eared girl in Japanese manga is said to have been drawn in "Cotton no Kunisei", serialized in 1978, but one theory is that the first cat ears of the manga is an heiress of "Knight of the Ribbon" by Osamu Tezuka in 1963.
There are examples from Irish legends like the fairy Kett Shee or movies like "Cat in Boots" that cats speak human language. Also, anthropomorphic cats have appeared in films such as "Galaxy Railroad Night".
Sometimes prostitutes in the Edo period were portrayed as a cat character, like a feline cat prostitute. In fact, what brought the popularity of cat ears in anime was the hentai game and anime genre.
In 1976, a Japanese translation of the SF short story “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 feature the additional features of an animal's ears and tail.
A bit beastly but not furry, soft or scaly, and should still have human skin, a human face, a fully human nose, and a human skull and torso structure. Essentially, they look like you putting on a pair of fake bunny ears.
Additional features such as claws, horns, animal eyes, cute fangs, or special abilities such as that animal's instincts may also be present. In-universe, they display the same mannerisms as humans, such as wearing clothes.
They are generally considered 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.
The article is still halfway through, but we recommend also reading:
Why Animal Ears?
In Fiction and Mythology, it's not surprising to see characters with unusual ears. Having non-human ears is a common way of indicating that a character is not fully human, be it an alien, supernatural, or modified being.
Pointy 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 out because the animal's features can be easily conveyed by simply drawing the ears. Enabling the creation of races, aliens and magical creatures.
As time went by, even cat-related characters originally drawn without cat ears came to have cat ears. This even includes historical characters like yokai 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 receive various products such as clothing and hoodies related to animal ears.
In addition to ears, the term neko or catgirl has spread to such an extent that it is common for characters to have cat paws and tails. Rarely anime characters have a more animal than human appearance, being limited only in these details.
Anime by Nekomimi, Catgirls and Kemonomimi
We have previously written about animal anime and anthropomorphic monster girl anime, most of them have moe characters with cat ears or Kemonomimi. See now my Nekomimi anime recommendation:
Dog Days - Full of Kemonomimi
In the magical land of Flonyard, villagers with animal ears fight each other for resources in harmless war games. One region, Biscotti, fought valiantly, 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, as Shinku continues to train and fight for Biscotti, he and the others must also try to find a way for the boy to one day return to his loving friends and family.
Kamisama Kiss
Kamisama Kiss is a mythological anime romance shoujo and comedy. The Anime tells the story of Nanami, a girl who was evicted from her home because of her gambling addict father, who abandoned her and ran away with a lot of debt.
While wandering the streets, Nanami meets a man who, upon learning of her story, offers her his house to live in, which is actually an abandoned temple in which she becomes the deity of this place.
Monogatari Series
A confusing and very popular series that is divided into several different anime, we need to make even one guide to watching monogatari. Among the characters we have a crab-like girl, cat, jellyfish, vampire and a few other not normal ones.
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 that she has a pair of ears and a tail that are similar to a wolf's.
Introducing herself as the goddess of crops Pasloe, she reveals that she was responsible for blessing the village with bountiful crops of wheat for many years, after having made 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 Nekomimi and Kemonomimi Anime
Responsive Table: Scroll 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 |
Gugu! Kokkuri-san | 2014 |
Konohana Kitan | 2017 |
Time, Mimi ga Mieteru yo! | 2018 |
Seton Academy: Junte-se à Matilha! | 2020 |
Dog Days' | 2012 |
Omamori Himari | 2010 |
Uma Musume: Pretty Derby | 2018 |
Potemaya | 2007 |
Our Home's Fox Deity | 2008 |
O Diário de uma Família Enlouquecida | 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 |
NEKOPAR 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
What are the most popular cat-eared anime characters? Most are women, but there are some male characters. below we will display a list of characters with cat ears in order of popularity:
Responsive Table: Scroll the table sideways with your finger >>
Neko's name | Anime Name |
Holo | Space and Wolf |
Inuyasha | InuYasha |
take | 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 |
milianna | 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 |
cereal | "Highschool of the Dead" |
Ichigo Momomiya | Tokyo Mew Mew |
Eris | Cat Planet Cuties |
Kon | Tokyo Ravens |
Shrine Priestess | No Game No Life |
Kokkuri-San | Gugu! Kokkuri-san |
Rem Galeu | Como NÃO Invocar um Senhor Demônio |
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 Clanlan | Outlaw Star |
Nakuru Narumi | Mayo Chiki! |
Anya Flomer | "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" - translated as "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" |
Senko | The Helpful Fox Senko-san |
Yukikaze Panettone | Dog Days |
Tsukimi Rite | 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?" - translated as "Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?" |
Boris Airay | Alice no País das Maravilhas: Wonderful Wonder World |
Meroko Yui | Full Moon wo Sagashite |
Touka | Utawarerumono |
Kuune | Cat Planet Cuties |
Brioche D'Arquien | Cat Planet Cuties: Venha nos fazer uma visita |
Noir Vinocacao | Dog Days |
Michiru Kagemori | Brand New Animal |
Chaika | Cat Planet Cuties |
Shea Haulia | Arifureta: From Commonplace to World's Strongest |
Tama | Morte Marcha para a Rapsódia do Mundo Paralelo |
Susukihotaru | Otome Youkai Zakuro |
Where to buy Nekomimi Cats Ears?
If you want to buy accessories that look like cat ears like Headsets and Hairbands, you can find these products on our Amazon Partner. I will end the article with an extensive list of cat ears: