Do you know Nekomimi or Kemonomimi? It refers to cat ears or other animal ears that are very popular in anime. In this article, we will explore the origin behind the numerous characters with animal ears in anime and in Japan.
Nowadays, it's 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's not much to say about the meaning of the word.
Cat ears are present in anime as accessories or as half-animal character traits. Nekomimi is categorized as a MOE element and is often worn by Maids in their cafes and in various cosplays.
Table of Contents
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 differentiates a gata from an anthropomorphic one 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 animes.
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 ion 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, gatos yokai were mentioned in the Kamakura period 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 in humans in modern Japanese literature were published in 1924 by Kenji Miyazawa as The Cat with Snow Ears [Yukibango] in "The Room of the Narcissus Month."
It is said that the first girl with cat ears in Japanese mangas was drawn in "Cotton no Kunisei", serialized in 1978, but one theory is that the first nekomimi in mangas is an heir of "Cavaleiro da Fita" by Osamu Tezuka in 1963.
There are examples of Irish legends such as the fairy Kett Shee or movies like "Puss in Boots," where cats speak the human language. Additionally, anthropomorphic cats have appeared in films like "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, appearing virtually human but exhibiting the additional features of animal ears and a 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.
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.
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 "hell's ears."
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.
How over time, even characters related to cats originally drawn without cat ears came to have cat ears. This even includes historical characters like yokais 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.
Besides the ears, the term neko or catgirl has spread in such a way that it is common for characters to have cat paws and tails. Rarely do anime characters have a more animal than human appearance, limiting themselves to just these details.
Anime by Nekomimi, Catgirls and Kemonomimi
We have previously written about anthropomorphic monster girl animes, most of them have moe characters with cat ears or Kemonomimi. Now, check out my recommendation for Nekomimi animes:
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 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 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 yet popular series that is divided into several different anime, we need to even make a guide to watch Monogatari. Among the characters, we have a half-crab girl, a cat, a medusa, a vampire, and some other rather unusual ones.
Spice and Wolf - Wolf and Sacred Wind
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.
Presenting herself as the goddess of the harvests of Pasloe, she reveals that she has been responsible for blessing the village with abundant wheat harvests for many years, after making a promise to a villager from 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
| Animal Girls Anime Name | Data |
| O Surgimento do Herói do Escudo | 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 |
| A Raposa Garoa Senko-san | 2019 |
| Gugure! Kokkuri-san | 2014 |
| Konohana Kitan | 2017 |
| Time, Mimi is renting! | 2018 |
| Seton Academy: Junte-se à Matilha! | 2020 |
| Dog Days' | 2012 |
| Omamori Himari | 2010 |
| A Mare: 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 |
| NEKOPAR TV | 2020 |
| Show By Rock!! | 2015 |
| Loveless | 2005 |
| Tayutama -Kiss on my Deity- | 2009 |
| Cuticle Detective Inaba | 2013 |
| Kanokon | 2008 |
| Uchitama?! Já viu a minha 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! Animal Love Committee | 2019 |
| Hentatsu (2020) | 2020 |
| Nyamen | 2014 |
Anime Characters with Cat Ears
Which 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:
| Neko's name | Anime Name |
| Holo | Espaço e Lobo |
| Inuyasha | InuYasha |
| Tomoe | Kamisama Kiss |
| Jibril | No Game No Life |
| Raphtalia | O Surgimento do Herói do Escudo |
| Black Rabbit | Problemas crianças estão vindo de outro mundo, não é? |
| 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 | "Highschool of the Dead" |
| 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 | Como NÃO invocar um Senhor Demônio |
| Nozomi Kiriya | Mayoi Neko Overrun! |
| Leonmitchelli Galette Des Rois | Dog Days |
| Little Fox | 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 | É errado tentar pegar garotas em uma masmorra? |
| Senko | A Raposa Garoa Senko-san |
| Yukikaze Panettone | Dog Days |
| Tsukimi Rite | Absolute Duo |
| Eruru | Utawarerumono |
| Dorm Mistress | Maria Holic |
| Kirara Bernstein | GJ Club |
| 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 | É errado tentar pegar garotas em uma masmorra? |
| Boris Airay | Alice no País das Maravilhas: Wonderful Wonder World |
| Meroko Yui | Searching for the Full Moon |
| Touka | Utawarerumono |
| Kuune | Cat Planet Cuties |
| Brioche D'Arquien | Cat Planet Cuties: Come Visit |
| 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 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:
