| Catgirl |
Website Links For Catgirl |
Information AboutCatgirl |
| CATEGORIES ABOUT CATGIRL | |
| anime and manga terminology | |
| anime and manga characters | |
| cats in popular culture | |
| fictional hybrids | |
| kemonomimi | |
| stock characters | |
See . For a similarly named superhero, see Catwoman . For BDSM petplay, see Human Animal Roleplay . A catgirl is a female with Cat ears, a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human-shaped body. Catgirls are found occasionally in Anime and Manga either as a form of Cosplay or actual body parts, as well as in a few Video Game s. Catgirls may wear over-sized mittens and shoes that look like paws. In Japanese, catgirls are usually called ''nekomimi'' (猫耳) — literally, "cat ears" — rather than the literal term '' Nekomusume '' (猫娘). Sometimes characters do not actually feature cat-like ears or such an accessory but their hair sticks out and resembles cat ears. Such characters do not fit the definition of catgirls. Other animal combinations, usually Mammal s like bunnygirls, Foxgirls and (more rarely) doggirls; are referred to as '' Kemonomimi ''. Eastern catgirls are usually depicted as having minimal feline characteristics, such as eyes with vertical pupils, tails, and ears (with different color ear-fur than their hair). Western catgirls are more often portrayed as more animal-like in appearance, with full body fur and claws being their most prominent aspects, though not true for all cases. PERSONALITY TRAITS Ordinary human characters will sometimes sprout cat ears or a tail in order to illustrate their excitable personalities. This is similar to the phenomenon of becoming '' Super Deformed '' and is mostly a stylistic quirk from Manga artists. Characters in anime and manga may momentarily develop a catlike mouth. This is usually used to emphasize mischievous thoughts or comments by a character. Rebellious boys are more often compared to dogs or wolves. The "lone-wolf" characterization is very common for brooding, aggressive, socially isolated males, while comparisons to dogs usually refer to adorably rebellious but ultimately harmless boys. In certain anime and manga series, a boy may be compared to a cat in a similar way catgirls are. They are referred to as catboys. Bishōnen catboys are typically associated with Shōjo Manga and Yaoi . In Shōnen series, a (usually villainous) catgirl may be portrayed as the leader of a band of anthropomorphic animals. WESTERN Catgirl characters are also found outside of anime, manga, and video games. Often, such catgirls are more like '''s Mirri and Purraj and the cat girl monster in the D20 Munchkin Monster Manual . Some live-action shows and movies, as well as Western comics and animation, have featured various cat-like characters. In addition, catgirls make occasional appearances in Western science-fiction, like Cordwainer Smith 's cat-derived Underperson C'Mell (who appears in '' Norstrilia '' and '' The Rediscovery Of Man ''). However, catgirls that adhere strictly to the catgirl stereotype are far outnumbered in Western culture by those that are better defined as Werecat s, because they are Shapeshifters who only sometimes have a cat-humanoid appearance, analogous to Werewolves and other Lycanthropes . Like Asian catgirls, these creatures are portrayed as predominantly female and often have the stereotypical catgirl personality and habits. They tend to appear in more realistic settings in the fantasy or horror genres, not in the anime world of typical catgirls. SEE ALSO
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