What is UP with the ears?!?

[Agent S7]

OK, this is important.

Me and a friend of mine are working on a manga-style comic. He drew a girl with cat ears because it's popular in a lot of anime. But it occured to me: does it have any meaning?

I like the sketch, but I think it could do without the ears. Plus, I don't want any negative conotations on an otherwise cool character. I like anime myself, I just prefer to rent movies.

So, I am asking you, my fellow otaku TZers: What do the cat ears mean? Especially on a girl?

Thanks!
~s7

[Andrew T. Hingson]

Cat girls are typically mischevious, cunning, sly, and well... horny. At least from what I've seen.

They can also just be cute and sometimes shy with a hint of innocense.

[Jave]

Sez the guy with the VGCats avatar. :p

Guess it's just... tradition at this point. Even shows with no actual catgirls use them as sight gags at some point.

[Artimus Gigan]

OK, this is important.

Me and a friend of mine are working on a manga-style comic. He drew a girl with cat ears because it's popular in a lot of anime. But it occured to me: does it have any meaning?

I like the sketch, but I think it could do without the ears. Plus, I don't want any negative conotations on an otherwise cool character. I like anime myself, I just prefer to rent movies.

So, I am asking you, my fellow otaku TZers: What do the cat ears mean? Especially on a girl?

Thanks!
~s7
In terms of expressions

Normal human characters who develope cat ears or other cat-like physical properties suddenly are usualy in situations where they are schemeing or are taking advantage of something.

[Hordesman]

Sez the guy with the VGCats avatar. :p

Guess it's just... tradition at this point. Even shows with no actual catgirls use them as sight gags at some point.

*cough* Hari Pota *cough*

[pinsher6]

cat girl? in my mind cat girl is very seductively charming...
of course it's just my personal idea...:anime:

[Weatherman]

It's purely fetish. There's always been a certain level of sexuality associated with cats, or other small furry mammals with similar gaits. On a girl especially it's fullfilling a fantasy of a sort. There are cat boys to, but they're not as prevalent.

[Karl Olson]

It's purely fetish. There's always been a certain level of sexuality associated with cats, or other small furry mammals with similar gaits. On a girl especially it's fullfilling a fantasy of a sort. There are cat boys to, but they're not as prevalent.

However, Loveless aims to change that. ;)

[Dr. Daedalus]

However, Loveless aims to change that. And in that show, the catboys' cat ears are a sign of their virginity. :sweat:

[Anyone00]

Well, your friend could expand his horizons and try bunny girls :D



http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2451/wakuwaku7170mg.gif (http://www.emugifs.emuita.it/wakuwaku71.htm) http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/545/ww7ari072vm.gif (http://www.vgmuseum.com/end/neogeo/b/waku7ari.htm) http://img64.imageshack.us/img64/2451/wakuwaku7170mg.gif (http://www.emugifs.emuita.it/wakuwaku71.htm)

[Conekiller]

There are cat boys to, but they're not as prevalent.

I think Dog boys are the replacement, just watch Inuyasha, Negima (is Kotato in the anime version?) Naruto, Wolf's Rain etc.

[TnAdct1]

Negima (is Kotato in the anime version?) Nope. As part of Xebec's way of cutting the Kyoto Arc down to two episodes, they decided not to include Kotarou among the group of mercinaries (which, as a result, deprives the anime of both Nodoka receiving her Pactio properly (compared to the "everyone Pactios with Negi in the final episode" crap that ends up happening to her, Setsuna, and Konoka) and the character of Chibi-Setsuna).

[D.Shaffer]

All praise Wikipedia.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Catgirl

[Temple Fugate]

Cat ears mean nothing to me unless there's a tail to go with it. =^_^=

They're either mischevous/hot-tempered (Aisha KlanKlan on Outlaw Star), or they're just innocent and cute. Megumi from Kenshin is given fox ears whenever she starts plotting to steal Kenshin away from Kaoru. It's the same thing.

The more pressing question is, why do a lot of anime girls with cat ears also have human ears? That's just redundant.

[Weatherman]

And in that show, the catboys' cat ears are a sign of their virginity. :sweat:

And yet it's still playing to a certain level of sexual fetishism.

Weird that someoen mentioned Outlaw Star. That's been one of the few times that I've seen a character who's anthropomorphic is ashow with regular humans who wasn't just there for fetish value. It does happen, but it's realy rare. Usually it's just there to play on the fetish one way or another without there being much more to the character.

[Nin-Nin69]

Aisha Clan Clan is a furry. She may not have the furry hide, but her design is much closer to a cat than almost any anime character out there. Also she has her beast mode so yeah she's a furry.

[Juu-kuchi]

http://www.animecentral.net/marioman900/gangel/bananamint.jpg

Surprisingly nobody has made the jump to having girls with goat ears. Galaxy Angel is revolutionary like that.

[Artimus Gigan]

http://www.animecentral.net/marioman900/gangel/bananamint.jpg

Surprisingly nobody has made the jump to having girls with goat ears. Galaxy Angel is revolutionary like that.

I think because goats just won't work overall

I mean dog girls are not done at all, because dogs don't have the same allure as cats

[Rabi~en~Rose]

bunny ears are the best :anime: but cat ears are fine too

[Temple Fugate]

Weird that someoen mentioned Outlaw Star. That's been one of the few times that I've seen a character who's anthropomorphic is ashow with regular humans who wasn't just there for fetish value. It does happen, but it's realy rare. Usually it's just there to play on the fetish one way or another without there being much more to the character.That's one of the best examples of objective anthropomorphism in anime. Just putting ears on a girl doesn't take her far enough away from "human" to justify there being any real difference at all and doesn't neccessarily make the character interesting. In Aisha's case, she's a different species entirely, which takes it beyond the "cat ears for the catgirl fans" reasoning and into the realm of substantial characterization.

[Juu-kuchi]

Nope. As part of Xebec's way of cutting the Kyoto Arc down to two episodes, they decided not to include Kotarou among the group of mercinaries (which, as a result, deprives the anime of both Nodoka receiving her Pactio properly (compared to the "everyone Pactios with Negi in the final episode" crap that ends up happening to her, Setsuna, and Konoka) and the character of Chibi-Setsuna). Now I've already seen up to the episodes of Negima on the Kyoto arc and read through that part of the manga but after realizing that ending really is the case for the Negima anime...

Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew. Ew.

Gross.

[Weatherman]

That's one of the best examples of objective anthropomorphism in anime. Just putting ears on a girl doesn't take her far enough away from "human" to justify there being any real difference at all and doesn't neccessarily make the character interesting. In Aisha's case, she's a different species entirely, which takes it beyond the "cat ears for the catgirl fans" reasoning and into the realm of substantial characterization.

And yet, in the end, she's still a cat-girl, albeit one of the best examples there of. Just putting eras on the character is pretty much 100% fetish-pleasing. There usually isn't much of a reason at all for it, it just sorta is. Really distubing in many ways actually.

[Anyone00]

bunny ears are the best :anime: but cat ears are fine too

High Five


And while I'm thinking about it:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8942/arinawgrp006dj.pnghttp://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8853/arinawgrp010yf.pnghttp://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5201/arinawgrp028cn.png

[Rabi~en~Rose]

Aisha is a alien and her race is ctarlctarl not a catgirl or furry or whatver giving her improper labels will only invoke her wrath :p


High Five


And while I'm thinking about it:

http://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8942/arinawgrp006dj.pnghttp://img7.imageshack.us/img7/8853/arinawgrp010yf.pnghttp://img7.imageshack.us/img7/5201/arinawgrp028cn.png

what in the world is that? :confused:

[Temple Fugate]

Aisha is a alien and her race is ctarlctarl not a catgirl or furry or whatver giving her improper labels will only invoke her wrath :pShe's a "catgirl" in the simple fact that she's a girl who has catlike features. Aliens can be girls too.

what in the world is that? :confused:I have no idea, but eerily enough I already want a Bonus-kun plushie.

[Nin-Nin69]

what in the world is that? :confused:

Waku Waku 7, one of the most random SNK games of all time.

[Anyone00]

Waku Waku 7, one of the most random SNK games of all time.

Correct; not many other places could you find a bunny girl, an "elf"-eared girl, a monkey girl, and a catgirl with glasses neatly assembled for one screen shot.

Plus, any excuse to show off Bonus-Kun:anime:

[Artimus Gigan]

Correct; not many other places could you find a bunny girl, an "elf"-eared girl, a monkey girl, and a catgirl with glasses neatly assembled for one screen shot.

Plus, any excuse to show off Bonus-Kun:anime:

and yet....why hasn't SNK re-released this game on a compilation set in America?!

UNFAIR TO DENY THE MASSES OF BONUS-KUN!

[G1Ravage]

It's a well-known fact that a girl that playfully goes "mrowww" is more alluring than a girl that goes "woof".

The above isn't something the Japanese invented; it's used in American movies as well. And not just in "adult" ways.

[Nin-Nin69]

UNFAIR TO DENY THE MASSES OF BONUS-KUN!
I was shocked they didn't include Bonus-Kun in Neo Geo Battle Coliseum. Then again SNK made too many Ryu clones.

[Anyone00]

While Waku Waku 7 was on a SNK system the game itself is a Sunsoft creation so they most likely own the rights to Bonus-Kun and other characters from that game not SNK Playmore.

And now to get slightly, but only slightly, back on topic:
Potential problem with being a cat or bunny girl with only one set of ears:

http://img40.imageshack.us/img40/9004/090uq.gif (http://wakuwakuastragalaxy.tripod.com/Doujin.htm)

[Hordesman]

However, Loveless aims to change that. ;)

And Cromartie High... :D

[silvanoir]

Catgirls aren't only an anime thing.... You're forgetting the character of Catwoman in Batman. Or how popular cat costumes aer for women on Halloween. Or the Playboy girls wearing bunny ears.

Catgirls are either cute or sexy or both. I guess it's the way poeple look at cats... from a fluffy kitten being cute to something like a jaguar slinknig through the jungle being... well I don;t want to say sexy, but mysterious?

Whereas "dog" has a more negative connotation ("dog of the military" or "he's such a dog!"). It's just using animal to describe personality. Why people do it, I don't know... I just know it's not exclusive to Japan.

[Waylaid]

Meanwhile, I'm still pondering why demons from the netherworld in current anime looks Deedlit wannabees. I mean, there's too many of them elf-eared demons in Gensomaden Saiyuki & Shuffle!

[Artimus Gigan]

And Cromartie High... :D
but Hiromi Go was a gorilla

and Digi Charat was just in the promos and a 3 second brief cameo in the series

[Weatherman]

Catgirls aren't only an anime thing.... You're forgetting the character of Catwoman in Batman. Or how popular cat costumes aer for women on Halloween. Or the Playboy girls wearing bunny ears.

Catgirls are either cute or sexy or both. I guess it's the way poeple look at cats... from a fluffy kitten being cute to something like a jaguar slinknig through the jungle being... well I don;t want to say sexy, but mysterious?

Whereas "dog" has a more negative connotation ("dog of the military" or "he's such a dog!"). It's just using animal to describe personality. Why people do it, I don't know... I just know it's not exclusive to Japan.

And yet those are just costumes. I think they're talking about girls who have animal-like features directly growing out of their bodies.

But I do see what you mean by the sexual connotations. That's kinda the same point I was making.

[Hordesman]

but Hiromi Go was a gorilla

and Digi Charat was just in the promos and a 3 second brief cameo in the series

I was talking about Maeda's cat ears

[Artimus Gigan]

I was talking about Maeda's cat ears
That was briefly for one episode

[Hordesman]

That was briefly for one episode

But still, it was a Neko-Shonen! For one moment, Cromartie High delved into the cat-ears thing.:D