Ask John: Why are Anthropomorphic Characters so Common?

Question:
Why do so many anime girls have animal tails and stuff? For example, Hikaru of Magic Knight Rayearth sometimes has cat ears and a tail. Ryouko from Tenchi Muyo almost always has a cat tail. Usagi Tsukino (Sailor Moon) and Chibi Usa have rabbit ears sometimes. Why is that?

Answer:
There’s actually a lot more background and Japanese culture behind the mixture of anime girls and animals than may at first be guessed, and the trend is not limited to only anime girls. Japanese myth is filled with shape changers including gods, ghosts and foxes. According to Japanese legend, the god Kannon disguised himself as a cat, and became the origin of the Japanese “maneki neko” (lucky cat). Also according to Japanese myth dating back to at least the fourth century A.D., at 50 years of age a fox gains the ability to transform into a human woman. At 100 years a fox can become a beautiful girl or a wizard or a man who seduces women. Thus the human with animal qualities, or animal that appears human is a Japanese concept as old as anything Japanese, and totally ingrained in Japanese culture and the collective Japanese consciousness.

The myth of the shape changing animal or ghost that seduces or assists humans has had a significant influence on Japanese cultural and social relationships. The traditional “yamato nadesico,” the loyal and strong willed yet subservient Japanese feminine ideal is like a fox or cat in the regard that she is pretty and soft and natural, but also wild and potentially deadly. The anime cat-girl and “oni-girl” represent this dichotomy. The anime girl with a cat tail or cat ears represents cuteness, a demure personality, playfulness, but also stealth, sudden aggression, and cat-like fury. In the case of demon girl Lum, the horns represent a devil. Her fangs and tiger-striped bikini represent cat-like qualities. So the “cat girl” is simultaneously attractive and dangerous.

Hybrids of humans and animals aren’t limited to girls, though. Yu Yu Hakusho, Akazukin Cha-Cha, Fruit Basket and Dragonball feature only male shape changers. Ranma Nibunnoichi, while not directly adapting the traditional shape changing motif, feature both male and female shape changers.

The purpose of these shape changers varies with the usage. Hikaru appears occasionally with cat ears to demonstrate her “cuteness.” The already aggressive Ryoko occasionally appears with a cat tail to denote that she’s in a cat-like playful, nuzzling mood. Usagi’s occasional rabbit ears reinforce her personality, after all, “Usagi” means “rabbit.” As already mentioned, the elements of demon and cat in Lum are intended to reveal her jealous and aggressive nature. Haruko’s occasional animal appearance in FLCL is intended to suggest her devious, “wild” mood swings and urges. Dijiko’s cat attire represents her selfish and easily distracted personality.