Furry
Furry is a genre of art featuring anthropomorphic animals, popularly cats, foxes and and dogs. It should be distinguished from kemono, characters with a few animal features (commonly ears and/or tails), which is more widely accepted. While it is most strictly applied to mammalian anthropomorphs, it is often applied more broadly to include reptilians, avians, or fish.
The word can also be used to describe:
- a character who is an anthropomorphic animal
- a person with a fetish for furry characters (also called a "fur")
The level of anthropomorphism may vary, from a kemono character with fur, to almost fully animal characters with human-like breasts or sexual organs.
Lack of social acceptance
Furry is not widely accepted in mainstream society, and frequently tagged as being odd, gay, or perverted. This is due in part to the lack of understanding of the genre, and of the people involved in "Furry Fandom". The myths about furry fandom seem to originate from sensationalist articles published in Vanity Fair and other magazines. However, support for the furries is growing, and in Pittsburgh, USA, where Anthrocon (the largest yearly American meeting of furry fans) is held, shop keeps have done things such as make special t-shirts and draw paw-prints in chalk outside their shop to draw in attendees. Overall, furries do have several characteristics that appear most magnified in group situations, such as social gatherings, parties or conventions. Some of these characteristics are:
- A higher tolerance (than within mainstream culture) for displays of affection or friendliness.
- A higher tolerance for variety in sexual orientation and activity.
These facts show that most furries are generally friendly people, and are not to be feared.
Furry artists and characters
Notable artists who produce furry are:
- Jeremy Bernal
- Dr. Comet
- Adam Wan
Examples of furry characters are:
- Ryo-Ohki (Tenchi Muyo! )
- Sonic, Tails, Amy, ect. (Sonic the Hedgehog)
