"Kemono" (JP) is a term for a cute animal character who has human traits.
Etymology
Meaning of the Term
Kemono (ケモノ) comes from the word "kemono" (獣), meaning "animal" or "beast". To differentiate this archetype from the real-life animals it is written exclusively in katakana.[1]
Origin
The term kemono originated in the late 1990s through many self-published fan manga series, most notably of Pokémon and Doraemon. The archetype was created as the Japanese take on the Western "furry" culture.
Localization
This archetype could also be unofficially referred to as "furry" in English since this is the Japanese version of that community, though that term also refers to fans of the archetype as well so it is not as clear. Additionally, it also includes the archetype of juujin as well, unlike kemono where they are generally considered separate but related.
History
The archetype has been very popular in Japan, spawning a dedicated fanbase that is referred to as "kemoner" (JP).[2] Over the years, fans of the genre have held many conventions and events dedicated to kemono characters.[3]
Characteristics
Appearance
Kemono are animal characters with human traits. They are fully capable of speech and displaying human emotion. Some may look entirely like animals, while others may be bipedal and can walk upright on two legs.
They will generally have no need for wearing clothing as they are not considered people, but rather talking animals, however, it's not uncommon for female kemono to wear clothing anyway for the aesthetic.
Kemono are typically small cute characters, with many also falling under the moe archetype. Because of their cute demeanor, many kemono are presented as "mascot characters," which represent their series in promotional media.
Evolution
Kemono evolution chart
In the illustration on the right, the evolution is broadly divided into the following types:
- Kemonomimi - A mostly human character with minimal animal parts and a human face, specifically they only have animals ears and an animal tail.
- Juujin - A humanoid character with a realistic human body shape but a mostly animalistic appearance, including an animalistic face.
- Chibi Kemono - A two-legged bipedal animal character with a slightly realistic human-like body shape and an entirely animalistic appearance.
- Chibi Kemono - A two-legged bipedal animal character with an unrealistic human-like body shape and an entirely animalistic appearance.
- Yotsu Kemono - A four-legged quadrupedal animal character with minimal human traits and an entirely animalistic appearance.
Although still related to a mix of humans and animals, numbers 1 and 2 are considered to be related, but distinctive, archetypes under the broader kemono (animal) genre. As a principal, the main kemono genre focuses on "cute" designs while realistic appearances fall under "kemonomimi" (animal ears), "juujin" (beastman), or simply "beast" (for realistic animals).[1]
Personality
Kemono are typically very cute and kind characters. They are friendly with others and tend to become life-long friends with whoever they become attached to. Smaller kemono can even be seen riding on the shoulders of their human companions.
Sub-Types
Kemono can be broken down into two main types based on their appearance and level of human traits.
Yotsukemo
Diana from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon
"Yotsukemo" (JP), also known as "Four-Legged Type Kemono (JP), are four-legged quadrupedal kemono who most closely resemble the original animals they are based on. They will have facial expressions, intelligence, and the ability to talk from humans, while otherwise appearing to just be normal animals. Because of this, they can often pretend to just be regular animals in public to hide the fact that they can talk from people they don't want to know their secret.[4]
In the Western furry community, this type is known as a "feral".[5]
Chibikemo
Happy from FAIRY TAIL
"Chibikemo" (JP), also known as "Mascot-Type Kemono" (JP), are two-legged bipedal kemono characters who can walk upright and somewhat resemble the general body shape of a human. However unlike beastmen, they do not have a 'realistic' human body shape and are instead based on the concept of a "chibi" character design, being made to appear cute with unrealistic proportions instead of realistic ones. They have heads that make up a sizable portion of their total height (typically between 33% to 50% of their total height is their head) and will be much shorter than humans, usually around one to three feet tall.[6]
Because of their cute designs, they are commonly used as mascot characters in promotional material.
Differences from Other Archetypes
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 kemono archetype is often confused for juujin and kemonomimi.
Characters that have the appearance of being a human fused with an animal are referred to as juujin, or beastman instead as opposed to simply beast. The difference here is that juujin have a realistically proportioned human body, while kemono are either entirely animal in appearance or have a smaller and cuter unproportioned appearance, often having a head that takes up a huge percentage of their total body height. Juujin are the same height as normal humans (or taller), while kemono are generally only a few feet tall. Kemono are still considered to be animal characters as opposed to human characters, while juujin can be thought of as a human character with an animal head (and fur, etc.).
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 they have no distinctive animal features other than these few parts and are otherwise completely human. Kemono can be considered animals with subtle human features, while kemonomimi are the complete inverse and are humans with subtle animal features.
Similar Japanese Archetypes
- Kemonomimi: A term for a human character who has animal ears.
- Juujin: A term for a hybrid humanoid animal character.
- Nyandere: A term for a nekomimi character who expresses their love for their love interest by getting intimate with them in the same way a cat does.
- Wandere: A term for a character that behaves like a dog around their love interest.
List of Characters
Gallery
 Luna, Artemis and Diana from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon  Chopper from ONE PIECE _from_Soul_Eater.png "Blair (Cat) from Soul Eater.png (468 KB)") Blair from Soul Eater  Sticks from Sonic Boom  Tails from Sonic X  Meowth from Pokémon |
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 What is Kemono. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2009/11/10).
- ↑ Kemoner. Wikipedia JP (2005/06/19).
- ↑ Kemono. WikiFur (2005/08/28).
- ↑ What is Yotsukemo. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2013/12/25).
- ↑ Non-anthro. WikiFur (2005/11/09).
- ↑ What is Chibikemo. Pixiv Encyclopedia (2012/10/30).
| v • eHybrid Archetypes | ||
|---|---|---|
| Animal |
Juujin ♡ Kemono ♡ Kemonomimi | |
| Machine | ||
| Monster | ||
| Other | ||