Fictional thought exercise

[chipotle]

In a setting that is an alternate version of feudal Japan, with races of anthropomorphic animals instead of humans but no other (overt) magic and myth, what would it mean for a fox-person to be a kitsune?

Comments

[tashiro.livejournal.com]

I respectfully disagree. In a Japanese-like setting, they would most likely be kami, with all the weight and symbolism that such carries.

I've actually dealt with 'werewolves' in a furry setting. Essentially, the person infected goes feral. They get larger, more violent, and get the tools to become killing machines.

A 'were' rabbit would turn into a large, feral rabbit. The claws would become weapons, their bite would be devastating, and they would rabidly attack anything that gets near them. They wouldn't turn into a wolf... they're turn into a killer bunny.

[kynn.livejournal.com]

Well, they're not really like werewolves/lycanthropes then -- they're more like Dr. Jeckyl/Mr. Hyde, right?

[tashiro.livejournal.com]

Except that Hyde was a scawny, thin, figure, smaller than Jeckyl, ugly and mis-shapen. Basically, think of Gollum as Jeckyl's counterpart.