"Juujin" (JP), also known as "Beastman" in Western Media, is a term for a hybrid humanoid animal character with a realistically-shaped human body and the appearance of an animal. They will have an animal face while also be completely covered in fur, scales, feathers, or any other animal features.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Juujin (獣人) is a combination of "juu" (獣), meaning "animal" or "beast", and "jin" (人), meaning "human" or "person".[3][4]
While the kanji is almost always pronounced as "juujin" (じゅうじん), it is also sometimes alternatively read as "kemonobito" (けものびと), though this is less common. Typically when it is read this way it refers to a character who is more human-like in appearance.
Origin
The first use of the word juujin comes from the 1955 live-action movie Juujin Yukiotoko (JP).[1]
Localization
While the term is usually romanized as "juujin", it can also be alternatively romanized as "jūjin".
In official English localization for Japanese media, the term "juujin" is most commonly localized as "beastman".[2][5]
Media originating from the West may use the term "therianthrope" to describe these types of characters instead, but this is not common in anime and manga. In the Western furry community, this type of character is often referred to as an "anthro".[6]
History
Early Influences
This archetype is likely inspired by popular legends of half-man/half-beast creatures, such as werewolves and bigfoot.[citation needed]
Characteristics
Juujin are hybrid humanoid animal characters. They walk upright on two legs with the same body shape as humans and are fully capable of human emotion and speech. Some characters have heads that look completely like an animal, while others may look more like a human. However, if the head is completely human then it does not fall under juujin.
Some juujin may have both a normal human form, as well as a beastman form. This is especially common in werewolf characters who may only turn into a juujin during a full moon and are regular humans the rest of the time.
Differences from Kemono and Kemonomimi
A graphic showing off the visual differences with Luna from Sailor Moon, Shirou Ogami from BNA: Brand New Animal and Cyan from Show by Rock!!.
The juujin archetype is often confused for kemonomimi and kemono.
Characters that are simply humans with minimal animal parts, such as animal ears or tails, are referred to as kemonomimi instead. The difference here is that kemonomimi are almost entirely human in appearance, aside from these few parts, while juujin will have no visible human parts, such as skin, and are completely covered in fur, scales, feathers, etc. Juujin can be thought of as a full hybrid between a human and an animal, while kemonomimi are simply humans with partial animal features.
Characters that are entirely animal in appearance, as well as anthropomorphic animals that don't have the appearance of being a human, are referred to as kemono, or simply beast instead as opposed to beastman. The difference here is that they have no distinctive human features other than having the ability to talk or walk upright. They will typically be much shorter than a human, usually around one to three feet tall, and will have no need for wearing clothing as they are not considered people, but rather talking animals. Juujin will also have a more realistically proportioned human body shape compared to the smaller, cuter unproportioned appearance of kemono. Juujin can be thought of as a human character with an animal head (and fur, etc.), while kemono are still considered to be animal characters as opposed to human characters.[7]
Personality
General Behavior
Unlike kemonomimi, most juujin will rarely actually take after the animal they are based on. While a cat-based kemonomimi will often be seen meowing or batting their paws to mimic a cat, a cat-based juujin will simply act as any normal human would. Because of this, juujin can have a wide range of personality traits. However, it's not uncommon for juujin to take smaller traits from the animals they are based on, such as a cat-based juujin liking to sleep.
Class System
Juujin are often discriminated against for being "less than human" and are the target for a lot of hatred. Even amongst other juujin, this type of discrimination may break out between the differences sub-species. For example, a wolf-based juujin may have a strong hatred for reptilian-based juujin because they think of themselves as being from a higher class, or vice-versa.[8] Because of this, some juujin may even try to hide the fact they even are part animal by covering their face or wearing a cloak.[9]
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Kemono: A term for an animal character that has human traits.
- Kemonomimi: A term for a human character who has animal ears.
- Nyandere: A term for a character that behaves like a cat around their love interest.
- Wandere: A term for a character that behaves like a dog around their love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Nazuna Hiwatashi from BNA: Brand New Animal  Carrot from ONE PIECE  Beerus from Dragon Ball Super  Liquiir from Dragon Ball Super  Sajin Komamura from Bleach  Several characters from Beastars |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Juujin Yukiotoko. Wikipedia JP (2004/02/05).
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 BNA: Brand New Animal. Netflix (2020/03/21). “Morphed into a raccoon beastman, Michiru seeks refuge, and answers, with the aid of wolf beastman Shirou inside the special zone of Anima-City.”
- ↑ Juujin. Tanoshii Japanese.
- ↑ What is Juujin?. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2023/07/18).
- ↑ Beastman. BNA: Brand New Animal (2020/03/24).
- ↑ What is Anthro. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2015/03/05).
- ↑ Juujin Festival Information. Kemo Festa (2012/12/12).
- ↑ Sacrificial Princess and the King of Beasts. Crunchyroll (2023/04/20).
- ↑ Sajin Komamura. WikiFur (2008/08/17).
| v • eHybrid Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Animal |
Juujin ♡ Kemono ♡ Kemonomimi | |
| Machine | ||
| Monster | ||
| Other | ||