History of Nekomimi (Cat Ear)

[giko]

Nekomimi Mode in Japanese history!


Choujuugiga Koukan(鳥獣戯画甲巻)
Artist:Toba Soujou Kakuyuu(鳥羽僧正覚猷)
Era:AD1100-1301



Neko no Suzumi(猫のすずみ)
Artist:Utagawa, Kuniyoshi(歌川国芳)
Era:AD1814-1860



Yakushamitate Toukaidou Gojuusantsugi Shirasuka Nekoduka(役者見立東海道五十三駅　白須賀　猫塚)
Artist:Ichiyousai, Toyokuni(一陽斎豊国)
Era:AD1852-



Kikugorou no Furuneko(菊五郎の古猫)
Artist:Youshuu, Chikanobu(楊洲周延)
Era:AD1887

[giko]

And Today in Japan....

[VidelCoolGirl]

This thread wins.

[cris]

ネコマタ　Nekomata

[animeotaku99]

even the trains......

[Starchild]

They are not bishoujo. A kind of caricature.

Why do you attempt to compare them to the contemporary pop culture without any thought? It's like a Susan Napier's stupid book. Good grief.














ひょっとして私、釣られてる？

[cris]

FYI calling ネコマタ Nekomata a ネコミミ　Nekomimi is wrong. They aren't the same thing.

[Kstyle]

Lol, a few days ago was nekoday or something like that.

Weird but funny.

[cris]

yeah, I think it was last friday or saturday

[Dark_Shiki]

I don't know everything about how the cat-ears came to be so popular, but I would think it may be tied to japanese mythology. I do know some of myths about kitsune are mainly about fox spirits mascarading as humans in one way or another, but I don't know if they're are similar myths about cats.

The fascination with cat-girls and cat-boys may be due to the animal's playful sides, including their sexuality. Hence why cat-girls are so popular with men. Hope someone else can find a clearer answer.~Angela

[cris]

I don't think ネコマタ、狐、狸、妖子　(Nekomata, Kitsune, Tanuki、Youko<Nine Tail>) has anything to do with today's fetishes.

In fact, all of them were treated as a monster that eats men, even Kitsune and Tanuki, although they are real living things. It probably started because of some dojin or anime of some sort, simple as that.

[giko]

Originally Posted by cris

FYI calling ネコマタ Nekomata a ネコミミ　Nekomimi is wrong. They aren't the same thing.

Wait! Wait!
There is only one "Nekomata" picture in my post!
Choujuugiga Koukan(鳥獣戯画甲巻) and Neko no Suzumi(猫のすずみ) are just comical caricatures.
And then, Yakushamitate Toukaidou Gojuusantsugi Shirasuka Nekoduka(役者見立東海道五十三駅　白須賀　猫塚) is a picture of "Bakeneko", but "Nekomata".
Where did you get that "Nekomata" idea?


The cat day was this Friday. Feb 22nd.

[Dark_Shiki]

Well, you may be right, but don't dismiss the possibility that the origins of such things may be from past influences. Maybe some artist decided to put a twist on one of those myths and ta-da!, you'll eventually have the cute characters that we have now. Actually, not all the kitsune myths are about man eaters. They aren't many, but I did read one that involved a female kitsune that married a human man, bore his children even, and then when she was discovered to be kitsune, she ran away. But if I remember correctly, he went after her, because he still loved her. The ending isn't clear in my memory.

While it may not seem relevant to cat-ears, still myth concerning certain animals might have some link in explaining it.

[cris]

they all look ネコマタ to me. Anything cat that can stand up and behave like man = ネコマタ (and other factors like being 10 years old or older)

[cris]

Dark Shiki,

I know which folk tale you're talking about (to an extent), it also ended sadly. There's somewhat of a revizioned version done by Tezuka Osamu in one of the Hino Tori stories