A group of “animals” have gathered in a Beijing apartment for the same reason — to celebrate the birthday of their mutual friend, Hu Laien.
In the living room, birthday boy Laien and his tiger friend are watching TV on the sofa. The tiger has been running around the room and is sticking his tongue out close to the breeze from the air conditioning.
Wolf-dragon hybrids in biker suits and cute doe-eyed foxes are dashing from one room to the next, just like kids having fun on a playground.
Turning a corner out of the living room, a tall wolf with heterochromatic eyes blocks the doorway. He utters politely, "Am I in your way? Please."
A tiny black and white wolf quietly grooms a tuft of fur on the tip of her ear in front of the large bathroom mirror. "I thought this house was quite big, but now with a dozen “animals” packed here, it suddenly feels small," says of the “humans” at the party says as she hugs a large cat welcoming her with open arms.
This is not a zoo, and they are not real beasts. These are furries, members of a subcultural fandom who identify with anthropomorphized animals, meaning animals with human characteristics.
It finds its roots in the underground comix movement of 70s America. Although there is no agreement on exactly when furry culture was introduced to China, organized fandom activities multiplied thanks to regular furry gatherings each year.
In recent years, domestic furry fandom has grown rapidly. As of August 2021, the “Furry Forum” on Baidu Post Bar "furry bar" had over 25,000 followers and nearly 42,000 posts. Literature, comics, and games based on furry culture are becoming more visible to the public eye.
But as a subculture, furry fandom is not well known to the general public and even suffers from long-term misunderstanding.
What is a furry? Non-furries aren’t the only ones asking this question.
Even furries are confused, and this blurred sense of identity has become a constant problem in the community.
According to Wikipedia, “furry” refers to a member of the furry fandom, a subculture interested in animal characters that share human traits.
But every furry may have their own understanding and definition.
For 24-year-old Simone, furry is full of imagination and creativity, and furry fandom is a place to meet people from all walks of life with different stories.
In Zhong Yu's opinion, anyone who likes anthropomorphic animals can call themselves furry.
Furries often create a "fursona", an animal alter ego that they use to interact with other furries.
Creating a fursona is one of the most universal behaviors in the furry fandom.
Fursonas are entirely created by the owner, each involving an element of personal creation and fantasy that reflect distinct personalities and unique stories.
"Furries can have more than one fursona," Zhong Yu said. "I have four, with each one having a separate personality.
These four combine to form the ideal character in my mind. Each fursona is a part of me and represents a better extension of my real-life personality." Furries generally create fursonas that are better and more idealized versions of themselves — more
attractive, more confident, and calmer, rather than shy, introverted, and irritable. "I used to be an irritable, grumpy person with low self-esteem. I cared a lot about what people thought of me," Laien said. He then created a dominant,protective, and helpful fursona.
Fursuit studios open irregularly, meaning furries have to queue for orders.
Zhong Yu had been waiting for the fursuit studio to line up his order since last year. He’s been saving up for months, cutting back on as many unnecessary expenses as possible.
" I could never resist spending on fursuits. Once I had some money in my wallet, it would go to the fursuit maker. I often joke that at least this helps me avoid spending money on something I shouldn't." At the end of July this year, Zhong Yu finally receives his fursuit which cost him 5,000 RMB.
It usually takes a few months to go from modeling to the finished product, with prices ranging from a few thousand to 10,000 RMB for a full fursuit (including a head, paws, torso, and tail).
Higher-priced studios are also available. Partial fursuits (at least two or three of the above items), or furry paraphernalia (ears, tail, paws, clothes, wings, etc) can also be customized.
It's a commonly held view that owning a fursuit is not a requirement for being a furry. "There are many furries who wish to own a fursuit but haven't succeeded yet.
Also, there are many who simply do not have the desire to wear a fursuit," Zhong Yu states. "Not all furries are all fursuiters. In fact, furries with fursuits are the minority, both at home and abroad."
Furry fandom allows a person to interact with others in a self-created fursona without being labeled by species, age group, or gender. "Furry fandom is a tolerant and inclusive group. It's very friendly to sexual minorities. It accepts all people who feel ambivalent or distressed about their gender identity. I am also in the process of exploring," Laien commented.
"Some non-furries may have the perception that 'nine out of ten furries are gay'...but this is not the case. It’s just that this part is deliberately magnified." In Laien's view, the furry community is actually a microcosm of the real world.
Once Laien bought a bunch of homosexual picture books with two male tigers, which he thought was shameful at the time. But it happened to be his mother who signed for express and opened them to read.
"I couldn't say a word, oh my goodness, I can't describe how scared and ashamed I was at that time." But to his surprise, his mother said he didn't have to hide anything, and that it was perfectly natural. "It's human nature," she said.
"We put on our animal coats in search of a safe haven. What kind of people need a haven? Cubs, because they need to feel safe. That's why I think it's normal for there to be a lot of younger 'critters' in the fandom. Adults can be cubs too — as long as they feel moments of vulnerability and the need for comfort and warmth, they can also become a cub in the furry family." Laien said.
Zhongyu's furry friends, most of them are at 18.
There are numerous reasons to be a part of the furry fandom. "It allows me to escape the routine of everyday life. Furry fandom is a place where I can stop thinking about my mortgage, work, and kids for a moment," Xiao Yao admits.
According to the Summary of Five Years of Research from the International Anthropomorphic Research Project, sex, as a motivator, was far lower for furries compared with a sense of belonging or entertainment. This suggests that while sex is certainly a motivating factor for some furries, it is not the primary driver for most.
"In many cases, the so-called 'furries' discussed by non-furries is only a sliver of the community. The fandom is too broad to be defined by any of its subgroups," remarks Laien.
Simone claims, "It's not that people choose to be furries. It’s more about the subtle influences in their lives that 'make' them realize they are one. Stopping a furry from being a furry is as absurd as stopping a heterosexual from being a heterosexual."
Simone with his fursuit
Simone "came out" to his family as a furry in 2017. He and his mother together made his first fursuit. In the summer of 2020, Simone graduated with his undergraduate degree and was asked to move out of campus within two weeks. Because he had to prepare for an internship and pursue further studies in Shanghai, he desperately needed a place to stay.
"A kind furry soon rented me a room. My mother was happy that I can meet so many reliable friends in the community."
Currently, Simone is sharing an apartment in Shanghai with his furry friends, his mother sometimes comes from Liaoning to visit and cook a meal for Simone and his friends.
Furry fandom is not always viewed in the most friendly light by non-furries. But for those who have “come out” to their family and friends as a furry, are usually more oblivious to the misunderstandings of non-furries.
Laien's mother thinks her son is getting more mature. She is glad that he's made many good friends as a furry. "I think all people should have a hobby of their own. It's not easy for someone to focus on one thing and stick with it for a long time," she said.
Xiao Yao's wife thinks it's good that he can be a carefree child in his own world. "Though I don't understand what he likes about it, we have to agree to disagree. Sometimes that distance creates more beauty."
