nekolike

Nekolike is a term used in online fan and design communities to describe characters, art, or products that evoke neko-like traits—human characters with cat-like features. The term combines the Japanese neko, meaning cat, with the English suffix -like. In practice, nekolike design centers on elements such as ears (nekomimi), tails, and cat-like eyes, paired with human anatomy. The aesthetic is a subset of kemonomimi (animal-eared characters) and is often used to categorize fan art, cosplay, and character concepts in games and animation.

Usage and variants: Nekolike works range from subtle hints of feline features to explicit anthropomorphic designs. Some depictions emphasize playful, mischievous, or aloof cat-like behavior, conveyed through expressions, poses, and styling.

Origins and context: The term arises within anime and manga fan cultures, where cat-like traits are common and widely recognized. It is primarily used in informal online discussions, wikis, and databases, rather than in formal scholarship.

Reception: As a label, nekolike is descriptive but not a standardized genre. It can help signal a particular aesthetic in fanworks, but it is also discussed in relation to potential over-sexualization or fetishization of cat-ear tropes in some contexts.

See also: neko; nekomimi; kemonomimi; catgirl.