Furry or Not?

[Paragon Fury]

So while I was reading the "professional" review for Spice & Wolf box set on Amazon, and one part stuck out at me (http://www.amazon.com/dp/B008D1RDIU/ref=wl_it_dp_o_pd_nS_ttl?_encoding=UTF8&colid=398ACDCE5UTWG&coliid=I2GVQOT74LI9VN):

"Her ears and tail give the fan service nudity an unwholesome tone that suggests Spice and Wolf was designed for adolescent furries."

Besides being wrong, it struck me as odd; so is anything with a tail or cat ears or anything that isn't strictly "perfectly human" a furry or furry bait now? Because this reviewer isn't the only person I've seen make this inference.

It seemed to me the dividing line was always "Attracted to animal parts/actions over the human part". People who like Ahri in League of Legends, or those who found the new Monster Musume manga from this past Halloween get the same kind of reaction it seems.

I feel like there is a big difference between "I like this person, and oh they have a tail" and "I like this person because they have a tail[/i]".

Images for reference:

Spoiler

Holo - Spice and Wolf

Ahri - League of Legends

Miia - Monster Musume

 

[Queen Michael]

I like Monster Musume, but don't think that makes me a furry -- especially considering how few of the girls in that comic have any kind of fur.

 

[JupiterBase]

I knew a girl who was a furry, while a portion of the people do have a sexual fetish for anthropomorphism. I guess a good majority are just REALLY into anthropomorphized animals.

EDIT: I guess what im saying is the reviewer may just have a negative bias.

 

[Elfgore]

I love the whole monster girl craze thing going on, but I would never consider myself a furry. When I think furry, I think a humanized animal. The pictures you presented I would consider animalized humans. I think full-body hair with the face of a wolf or something.

So in summary,

Spoiler

Not a furry.

Furry.

That guy has no idea what he is talking about.

 

[Silvanus]

I wouldn't call those 'furry', really, though they toe the line.

As for 'fan-service', on the other hand... That charge looks like it has some merit to it.

 

[GothmogII]

I wouldn't call those 'furry', really, though they toe the line.

As for 'fan-service', on the other hand... That charge looks like it has some merit to it.

It's kind of funny, the comment seems like he's a-okay with regular 'wholesome' fanservice, but add the ears and tail and woah...not cool. I'm actually wondering if it was tongue in cheek. x)

 

[Eamar]

Eh, people were dressing up as "sexy" cats with ears and tails for Halloween long before most people had heard of furries, so I'd be inclined to say no.

Can't say those pictures do anything for me though. I find the tail on the first one in particular quite off-putting (and yes, I'm into women).

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

I'd say those images are examples of furry. Pretty fan-service-y too.

 

[Vicarious Reality]

I decree that this is indeed furry

Funny that it ''gives the fan service nudity an unwholesome tone''

 

[Sniper Team 4]

Meh. The person has no idea what they're talking about in terms of Spice and Wolf, I'll say that much. That series is about as far removed from Fan Service as you can possibly get--especially given the fact that Holo is the typical character design that is perfect for that. I admit that the art outside of the story is nothing but fan service, but not the story itself. You want fan service, go watch Strike Witches. That's fan service.

As for a furry, I don't know. I always assumed it was a girl (and guy I suppose...) who had animal parts. Usually a tail and/or cat ears or something like this. I suppose there are different levels of that, but to me they're all furry characters, though I don't think of them like that. I just roll with it.

I find the tail on the first one in particular quite off-putting.

Don't say that to Holo's face. She will hurt you. Bad. Her tail is her pride and joy.

 

[Vausch]

I'm gonna say no.

I'm a furry and that really doesn't fit the description most would give. Furry tends to be a bi-pedal plantigrade anthropomorphic animal that wears clothes and acts in almost complete human situations. Yes that has leeway, Loony Toons for EG is more defined as cartoon rather than furry but that's getting into semantics.

Hyper Police is furry, Spice and Wolf is more the concept you see of animal gods taking humanoid appearances.

 

[Silvanus]

I decree that this is indeed furry

Spoiler: Thoth Image

Funny that it ''gives the fan service nudity an unwholesome tone''

That genuinely made me laugh out loud.

Those ancient Egyptians, and their anthropomorphised animals in unrealistic sexual situations! Look at Seth's treatment of Horus, or Hathor's effort to console him. It's like furry fan-fiction.

 

[Asita]

...Do I really need to bring out the chart? I'm going to bring out the chart.

Spoiler

It's always been my understanding that 'furry' was effectively synonymous with 'anthropomorphic animal'. If your first instinct is to describe a character as being human with animal parts, then you aren't talking about a furry. Sly Cooper is furry. Viral...not so much.

 

[The Rogue Wolf]

"Her ears and tail give the fan service nudity an unwholesome tone that suggests Spice and Wolf was designed for adolescent furries."

...as opposed to wholesome fan service nudity, I suppose.

"Furry" occupies the same mental space for the public that anime did back in the 90's- "it's nothing but degenerate porn". The mass media isn't helping things any.

(Also, two of those characters posted for reference are from mythology; the kitsune is Japanese, and the lamia stems from the Greeks. And lemme tell ya, the Greeks made furries look tame- look up what Zeus did to Leda.)

 

[Something Amyss]

It seemed to me the dividing line was always "Attracted to animal parts/actions over the human part". People who like Ahri in League of Legends, or those who found the new Monster Musume manga from this past Halloween get the same kind of reaction it seems.

And yet, if you ask ten people for definitions of "furry," you'll get at least five different answers on average. There's this huge argument even amongst furries as to what defines a furry, and that's fine, but it also inevitably leads to confusion of terms.

 

[Something Amyss]

...Do I really need to bring out the chart? I'm going to bring out the chart.

Spoiler

Oh God, I didn't see that before I posted. That is excellent.

...as opposed to wholesome fan service nudity, I suppose.

In fairness, a lot of people complain about fan service and they get yelled at.

Maybe if you want to keep all your categories on your spreadsheet neat and tidy, technically speaking, it's not furry. But it belongs in a neighboring cel.

Plus, human affinities are a bad thing to keep on a spreadsheet since they're rarely as well-defined as people seem to want them to be.

 

[DementedSheep]

It's my understanding that to be a furry you need to be more on the side of anthropomorphic animals rather than human with few accessory features (ie tail, ears and claws).
Although really even if it was who cares? half the shit you see has fan service is far removed from real anatomy anyway so I don't see furry fan service as any more sick than that.

 

[Shoggoth2588]

I can see it as being a sort of furry fandom but it isn't full-blown. There are degrees of these things just like there are degrees of just about any other fetish, kink, pleasure, flavor, etc. I wouldn't identify as a furry but I love the way cat ears, fox tails, cat tails, etc look on a humanoid body so that would probably make other people see me as a furry anyway. I wouldn't worry about what other people say though...whatever you like is your own business after all.

 

[Terwo]

I don't consider a girl with cat or fox ears/tail to be furry bait, at all. I don't see any difference with the more accepted notion of a girl dressing up as a (playboy) bunny with bunny ears, bow tie and tights.

If enjoying, or even not being put off by, character design as tame as Ahri or Holo makes me a filthy furry, then count me in! Those girls are cute beyond belief ... And I have a soft spot for cuteness!

I do dislike fanservice though; it generally doesn't serve any purpose for the development of the story or its characters. It is just a waste of time and resources and detracts from the overall experience ... Shows don't get better because of fanservce; They get better in spite of fanservice. It just serves as a tease for unfulfilled potential, making me forever wonder "what if ...". Just my opinion though, feel free to disagree.