| dc.description.abstract | ＂Furries＂ originated from the science fiction and anime fandoms in North America during the 1980s, referring to fans fascinated by anthropomorphic animal characters. This subculture has a history of forty years. However, Furries have long been misunderstood or even stigmatized, prompting scholarly attention to the Furry community. Previous research on Furries has primarily focused on clinical psychology, viewing Furry identity as a form of identity disorder or sexual fetishism. However, this paper seeks to transcend the clinical psychology perspective. It adopts an ethnographic methodology and utilizes Teri J. Silvio′s concept of ＂animation＂ as an entry point to comprehend how Taiwanese Furries perceive and interact with the social others (anthropomorphic animal characters) they create.
Furries express their identities through anthropomorphized animal characters, referred to as “Fursonas.” Most Fursonas are not derived from commercial works or representations of real animals. Due to the distant relationship with commercial works, once Furries adopt a Fursona, they continually produce and consume media content related to their characters. I regard this process as an animating practice. The conceptualization of Fursonas varies across different regions. North American Furries tend to view their Fursonas as “alternative selves,” whereas Japanese Furries consider them as “companions” or “family members,” with Taiwanese Furries’ understanding situated between these two perspectives. Additionally, when Furries participate in fan conventions, they interact with other furries through fursuiting, creating an imaginative environment, and constructing an alternative world.
Finally, I discuss how furry′s animating and performative practices contribute to the construction of identity and other possibilities. This paper rethinks the sexuality of furries through the discourse of otaku-queerification, suggesting that furries transcend human-oriented sexualism and sexual normativity frameworks. This study aims to integrate ACG (anime, comic, and game) research into the academic context of the ontological turn, viewing fictional characters as part of the actor network and depicting how Furries imagine themselves becoming anthropomorphic characters and living alongside them. | en_US |