kemono

Kemono (ケモノ) is a style of anthropomorphic art associated best with Japan, but may also be found in China, Taiwan, Korea, Thailand and other Asian countries and regions. "Kemono" is Japanese for "beast" or "animal" (獣, けもの).

Characters portrayed are usually very "anime" in style, especially for eyes and facial expressions, though this can vary. Some mainstream media examples are Sajin Komamura from Bleach, or Merveille Million from Solatorobo.

Not to be confused with kimono, a Japanese garment.

Kemono art is similar in concept to, but distinct from kemonomimi, a different Japanese term used to describe human characters with animal characteristics.
The popular anime Kemono Friends, uses the word "kemono" to mean "animal", and is about kemonomimi characters.

Some consistent stylistic choices include:

• Large, box-shaped head and snout (often rounded), with more realistic proportions; common with masculine characters and/or canids, dragons, and big cats.
• Triangular faces with a prominent muzzle, similar to the box-faced variant; common with canids, feminine characters, and slim male characters.
• Faces with a simple muzzle and a humanlike head shape. Mostly seen with feminine characters.
• Circular, flatter/blunter face that have exaggerated facial details (eyes, etc); common with cutesy or chibi characters and also domestic cats.

Examples

See also

• anime_style
• japanese