Cat[girl]urday would not exist without catgirl and kemonomimi characters. Many anime series include kemonomimi girls in them and they are a well-established part of pop culture. Traces of kemonomimi culture can be seen from ancient Egypt to Playboy bunnies. In my ten years of running C[G]D I have covered several series that do not just include animal girls but puts them in starring roles. Here are a few of the most memorable shows I have covered in the past 10 years.
Centaur’s Worries
This show just started airing but has a lot of potential. It takes place in a fictional world where creates with six limbs evolved into humans instead of four. I have only seen the first episode but under the slice of life style lies dark undertones. Kemonomimi characters are used as an analogy for different races and cultures. I look forward to seeing how this series handles such sensitive subjects.
Dog Days
Sadly this is not a series I was able to complete. The Dog Days series is a little bland with nothing major going on under the surface. The first season has a decent plot but after that, it becomes very episodic. You get a world with several kemonomimi kingdoms competing for fun and random adventures. That is about it. That said for you love cute characters and light hearted fun check it out.
Etotama
Fourth wall? Where we are going we do not need the fourth wall! Etotama is a anime full of meta humor and insane comedy. It is a story about the Chinese zodiac and one catgirl’s battle to join the other 12 signs. It is a little too crazy for most and the CGI battles were also not popular. Personally, I loved it and it and helped me grow a soft spot for blue haired bird girls.
Nyanko Days
Short, sweet, and adorable. Nyanko Days is a collection of shorts about a shy girl and her cats. It is about as cute as catgirls can get. There is little depth but cat and catgirl lovers will want to take this detour.
Monster Musume
Are… are monster girls kemonomimi? I am not sure but this harem is hard to ignore. It is crazy, zany, and even tries to break a few harem stereotypes. Sadly the anime starts to fall back on fanservice over plot. Although there are no catgirls you do get many other animal like girls to love. This includes a special blue haired bird girl…
Kemono Friends
Despite bad CGI, a failed smartphone game, and a strong kiddy show vibe Kemono Friends has become a big hit. The show honestly feels like something you would see on Nick Jr with a plot that centers around a young human girl solving simple problems for her new animal friends. There is a decent on going plot with dark undertones but I do not think that is why this show got popular. It is the amazing character designs and diverse cast. It is the Touhou of kemonomimi. Also THICC animal girls.
Despite bad CGI, a failed smartphone game, and a strong kiddy show vibe Kemono Friends has become a big hit. The show honestly feels like something you would see on Nick Jr with a plot that centers around a young human girl solving simple problems for her new animal friends. There is a decent on going plot with dark undertones but I do not think that is why this show got popular. It is the amazing character designs and diverse cast. It is the Touhou of kemonomimi. Also THICC animal girls.
Strike Witches
If you ever wanted to watch pantsless kemonomimi girls fight aliens in an alternative WWII this is your anime! As crazy and questionable as Strike Witches it does have a lot of hidden depth. Each girl is based on a real WWII ace. Their Striker Units are based on real WWII air crafts. Even their weapons try to be authentic to some extent. That said most of these facts are not evident in the show which is more about them taking baths… I only know these things because I have read a lot of bios while working on blog posts.
Spice and Wolf
This is your thinking person’s anime. It is a fantasy series that does not follow wizards and knights but merchants. The very lucky merchant Kraft Lawrence gets to take the wolf goddess Holo on a trip to her old home land. Holo is not called the wise wolf for nothing and is constantly able get the better of her partner. The slow pace puts off some people but the mind games are one of a kind.
Asobi ni Iku yo
Known as Cat Planet Cuties in the US this anime has no shortage of cute catgirls. By that I mean sexy. Do not let the 80s porn name fool you as there is just as much 80s action as there is fanservice. Picture Miami Vice meets Men in Black with catgirls. How could you pawssibly go wrong?
Show by Rock!!
It is time to save the world… With music! Show by Rock!! Is all about making friends and playing in a band. Somewhere down the line, there is a save the world plot but an action series this is not. It is based on a rhythm game for smart phones but unlike Kemono Friends it has taken off. Show by Rock!! Currently has two seasons and even a stage play. By the way, the music is not that bad either!
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NEKOPARA
I can still remember my first Cat[girl]urday panel. The audience went nuts when I showed them Sayori’s famous catgirls. Her work is held in high regards to catgirl fans worldwide. The NEKOPARA games brought these catgirls to a bigger audience. By the end of the year, we will finally have a NEKOPARA anime! This is enough to bring tears to a catgirl blogger’s eyes!