A is a female

kemonomimi is a form of anthropomorphism in anime and manga where '' moe'' qualities are given to non-human beings (such as animals, plants, supernatural entities and fantastical creatures), objects, concepts, or phenomena. In addition to ''moe'' feature ...

character with feline traits, such as , a cat tail, or other feline characteristics on an otherwise human body. Catgirls are found in various fiction genres and in particular Japanese

anime is Traditional animation, hand-drawn and computer animation, computer-generated animation originating from Japan. Outside of Japan and in English, ''anime'' refers specifically to animation produced in Japan. However, in Japan and in Japane ...

and

manga Manga ( Japanese: 漫画 ) are comics or graphic novels originating from Japan. Most manga conform to a style developed in Japan in the late 19th century, and the form has a long prehistory in earlier Japanese art. The term ''manga'' is ...

. Catboy is a term for a male equivalent of said character type.

History

The oldest mention of the term ''nekomusume'' comes from a 1700s

misemono During the Edo period, , "shows" or "exhibitions", were an important part of Japanese urban culture. Many of the shows were put on hurriedly and were characterized by their crudeness. The term ''misemono'' dates from the Edo period, although plausi ...

in which a cat/woman hybrid was displayed. Stories of shape-shifting

bakeneko The (, "changed cat") is a type of Japanese , or supernatural entity; more specifically, it is a , or supernatural cat. It is often confused with the , another cat-like . The distinction between them is often ambiguous, but the largest difference ...

prostitutes Prostitution is the business or practice of engaging in sexual activity in exchange for payment. The definition of "sexual activity" varies, and is often defined as an activity requiring physical contact (e.g., sexual intercourse, non-penet ...

were popular during the

Edo Period The or is the period between 1603 and 1867 in the history of Japan, when Japan was under the rule of the Tokugawa shogunate and the country's 300 regional '' daimyo''. Emerging from the chaos of the Sengoku period, the Edo period was characteriz ...

. The popularity of the ''nekomusume'' continued throughout the Edo and Shōwa periods, with many tales of cat/woman hybrids appearing in works such as the and . In Kenji Miyazawa's 1924 work, is the first modern day example of a beautiful, cat-eared woman. In 1936, the ''nekomusume'' experienced a revival in ''

kamishibai is a form of Japanese street theater and storytelling that was popular during the Great Depression of the 1930s and the post-war period in Japan until the advent of television during the mid-20th century. were performed by a (" narrator") w ...

''. The first

involving catgirls, titled ''The King’s Tail'' (''Ousama no Shippo''), was made in 1949 by

Mitsuyo Seo was a Japanese animator, screenwriter, and film director, director of animated films who played a central role in the development of Japanese anime. He was born in Himeji, Hyōgo Prefecture. Career Initially working as a sign painter, Seo began ...

. In America, the

DC Comics DC Comics, Inc. (doing business as DC) is an American comic book publisher and the flagship unit of DC Entertainment, a subsidiary of Warner Bros. Discovery. DC Comics is one of the largest and oldest American comic book companies, with thei ...

character

Catwoman Catwoman is a fictional character created by Bill Finger and Bob Kane who appears in American comic books published by DC Comics, commonly in association with the superhero Batman. Debuting as "the Cat" in ''Batman'' #1 (spring 1940), she ...

first appeared in 1940, and

Cheetah The cheetah (''Acinonyx jubatus'') is a large cat native to Africa and central Iran. It is the fastest land animal, estimated to be capable of running at with the fastest reliably recorded speeds being , and as such has evolved specialized ...

first appeared in 1943. Catgirls were further made popular in 1978 manga series ''

The Star of Cottonland is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Yumiko Ōshima. It was serialized by Hakusensha in ''LaLa'' magazine from 1978 to 1987 and collected in seven ''tankōbon'' volumes. The story is about an abandoned kitten called Chibi-ne ...

'', by Yumiko Ōshima. By the 1990s, catgirls were common in Japanese

and

. Catgirls have since been featured in various media worldwide. Enough of a subculture has developed for various themed conventions and events to be held around the world, such as

Nekocon Nekocon is an annual three-day anime convention held traditionally on the first weekend in November at the Hampton Roads Convention Center in Hampton, Virginia. It is Virginia's oldest anime convention. The convention's name comes from the Japane ...

Reception

Japanese philosopher

Hiroki Azuma (born May 9, 1971) is a Japanese cultural critic, novelist, and philosopher. He is the co-founder and former director of Genron, an independent institute in Tokyo, Japan. Biography Azuma was born in Mitaka, Tokyo. Azuma received his PhD in ...

has stated that catgirl characteristics such as cat ears and feline speech patterns are examples of

moe Moe, MOE, MoE or m.o.e. may refer to: In arts and entertainment Characters * Moe Szyslak, from the animated television show ''The Simpsons'' * Moe, leader of The Three Stooges, played by Moe Howard * Moe Higurashi, supporting character in ''Yash ...

-elements. Azuma argued that although some

otaku is a Japanese word that describes people with consuming interests, particularly in anime, manga, video games, or computers. Its contemporary use originated with a 1983 essay by Akio Nakamori in ''Manga Burikko''. may be used as a pejorativ ...

sexual expression involves catgirl imagery, few otaku have the sexual awareness to understand how such imagery can be perceived as perverted. In a 2010 critique of the manga series '' Loveless'', the

feminist Feminism is a range of socio-political movements and ideologies that aim to define and establish the political, economic, personal, and social equality of the sexes. Feminism incorporates the position that society prioritizes the male po ...

writer T. A. Noonan argued that, in Japanese culture, catgirl characteristics have a similar role to that of the

Playboy bunny A Playboy Bunny is a waitress who works at a Playboy Club and selected through standardized training. Their costumes were made up of lingerie, inspired by the tuxedo-wearing Playboy rabbit mascot. This costume consisted of a strapless corset te ...

in western culture, serving as a fetishization of youthful innocence.

References

External links

* * {{Stock characters Anime and manga terminology Catgirls de:Kemonomimi#Katzen

History

Reception

See also

References

External links