Catgirl

From Free net encyclopedia

This article deals with the Catgirl in popular culture. For information of historical interest on the mythical creature, see Nekomusume.
See Carrie Kelly for the sidekick Catgirl in Batman: The Dark Knight Strikes Again. For BDSM petplay, see human animal roleplay.

Image:Dejiko.jpg

A catgirl is a woman or girl with cat ears and a cat tail, but an otherwise human body; they are found semi-commonly in anime and manga either as a form of cosplay or actual body parts, as well as in a few video games (Dark Cloud, for example). Catgirls wishing to look especially cute will wear over-sized mittens and shoes that look like paws. "Catgirl" can sometimes be modified to refer to other woman/animal combinations that are sometimes found, usually mammals like bunnygirls, foxgirls and (more rarely) doggirls; see kemonomimi.

Catgirls are typically not considered furry because they resemble humans with cat-like embellishments rather than being an anthropomorphic cat. This even includes characters such as Escaflowne's Merle, the Puma Twins from Dominion: Tank Police, or Aisha Clan-Clan from Outlaw Star, who are more catlike than usual.

Ordinary humans, such as Hikaru Shidou from Magic Knight Rayearth, will sometimes sprout cat ears or a tail in order to illustrate their excitable personalities. This is similar to the phenomenon of becoming chibiTemplate:Fact and is mostly a stylistic quirk from manga artists. 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.

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 (InuYasha being a popular example) 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. However, in certain anime and manga series, such as Loveless, a boy may be compared to a cat in a similar way catgirls are. In those occasions, they are sometimes referred to as catbois (or catboys). Understandably, Bishōnen catboys are typically associated with Shōjo and yaoi.

In some circles, catgirl is a disparaging term for a stereotypical hyperactive and obnoxious fangirl, who might wear cat ears as an accessory while at conventions.

List of catgirl characters

Image:Mewichigo.jpg

Image:Tsukuyomi.jpg

Image:Koboshi.jpg


See also

External links

ja:猫耳 zh:貓耳-->