History Main / BakenekoAndNekomata

* ''TabletopGame/ChangelingTheDreaming'' features East Asian cultural counterparts to Changelings as the Hsien, divided into [[CelestialBureaucracy two ranks]]: Hirayanu (lower-ranking custodians of nature, with animal forms) and Kamuii (intermediaries between the Hirayanu and higher-ranking Celestial Bureaucrats, with element-based forms). The Hirayanu of Fire are the Nyan, who are the origin and inspiration of East Asian magical cats and appear as normal mortal humans to other mortals, a CatFolk ''wani'' form with two tails, and can briefly go full PantheraAwesome via their Mask of Shintai to attempt to supernaturally compel others into submission. Their gifts include bonus dice for making first impressions, AbsurdlySharpClaws, increased Perception and Detexerity, and a free dot in the [[PlayingWithFire Fire Alchemy]], but they must make Willpower saves to avoid [[AttentionDeficitOohShiny being distracted during monotonus tasks]].

* ''Franchise/{{Persona}}'': Nekomata is a recurring mid-level enemy and {{mon}}, represented in most games as a two-tailed CatGirl with extremely long claws.

* ''Anime/StarTwinklePrettyCure'' has Bakenyan, a butler who serves the cyclopean villain Aiwarn. [[spoiler:He is eventually revealed to be Blue Cat, a PhantomThief from the very same planet Aiwarn destroyed, spying on her to gain information.]]

* ''VideoGame/SonicTheHedgehog'': While lacking the signature second tail, Blaze the Cat has more in common with the ''Kasha'', being able to manipulate fire and often wreathing herself in it when attacking.

* ''VideoGame/AyakashiRomanceReborn'': Nachi, who was the heroine’s cat. She called him “Tama” before he revealed his humanoid form, and told her what his real name was.
* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Jubei and [[spoiler:his daughter]] Kokonoe (a CatGirl version of this). Appropriately, the latter does bring people back from the dead, although since magic is commonplace in that world she uses science to keep the mysterious powers theme. The first person she did this for was Iron Tager, who she brought back as a [[HalfHumanHybrid Half]]-{{Oni}} {{Cyborg}}. The second person she brought back was [[AnimatedArmor Hakumen]], who she salvaged from [[EldritchLocation The Boundary]], the space between life and death, after he had been sealed there about a century prior. The third person brought back was Lambda-11 who, being a RobotGirl, she just needed to repair, reinstall and infuse with a soul, so she technically brought back two people for the price of one. The final person Kokonoe brought back was her aunt, Celica Ayatsuki Mercury, who Kokonoe saw fit to bring back as a [[TemporalParadox Chrono Phantasma]]. Hakumen contemptuously calls both Jubei and Kokonoe "bakeneko" (monster/ghost cat), which in Japanese mythology is a general term for any cat Youkai. The video games translated this word as "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimalkin grimalkin]]" in an attempt at a CulturalTranslation (which failed, since "grimalkin" is about as obscure as "bakeneko" to an American audience). Official subtitles for ''Anime/BlazBlueAlterMemory'' use "Goblin Cat" instead (which is more accurate and conveys Hakumen's insulting tone).

* ''Manga/GegegeNoKitaro'' has Nekomusume as one of the main character, based on one of the Bakeneko's forms (specifically, the form of a young girl). Other cat-based Youkai also appear in the series. For example, in the 2018 series, Kasha appears as a cat-like demon with a fiery tail and a taste for human corpses, especially if spiced up by grief and pain.

* ''VideoGame/GenshinImpact'': Kirara is of the nekomata race, with two tails, green eyes with slits, and hind cushioned, furry paws that work as her feet. She works as a courier for a delivery service.

* VideoGame/GenshinImpact: Kirara is of the nekomata race, with two tails, green eyes with slits, and hind cushioned, furry paws that work as her feet. She works as a courier for a delivery service.

* ''Literature/TheGardenOfSinners'': One of the forms of the ''thing'' inside Touko's briefcase is a malevolent, magical cat with two tails.

* In ''LightNovel/HighschoolDxD'', nekomata are a [[CuteMonsterGirl mostly female race]] with the ability to take CatGirl form.

* In ''Fanfic/TheresMoreMagicOutThere'', Tomoe and Kagami Tsurugi are both Nekomatas. Tomoe was originally the guardian spirit of the Tomoe family until she killed Kagami's father for trying to rape her, then gave birth to Kagami and took over the company. As Nekomata, Kagami can turn into a small cat form, can see the dead, and peer slightly into other souls. In an inverse of Nekomata using their human forms to trick humans, Kagami uses her cat form to get close to Marinette.

* ''LightNovel/TheGardenOfSinners'': One of the forms of the ''thing'' inside Touko's briefcase is a malevolent, magical cat with two tails.

* ''LightNovel/HighSchoolDxD'': Koneko Toujou and her older sister Kuroka are some of the last surviving "Nekoshou", a rare breed of Nekomata capable of using two types of Sage Arts: Senjutsu and Youjutsu. Riser Phenex's peerage also includes twin Nekomata named Ni and Li.

* ''Manga/InuYasha'' has Kirara, Sango's loyal pet nekomata. She usually takes the form of a small two-tailed kitten, but she can transform into a massive feline beast and is also able to fly in that form. A later arc has a spectral Nekomata, along with an horde of smaller ones, haunting a Buddhist temple, who refers to Kirara as a mere kitten compared to him.

* ''Franchise/TouhouProject'': Chen, the shikigami of [[AsianFoxSpirit Ran Yakumo]], and Rin "Orin" Kaenbyou, [[BossSubtitles The Traffic Accident from Hell]], are both two-tailed cats. Orin, though, is actually a [[http://www.catgirls.org.uk/mythology/japan.html#kasha Kasha]].

* In the the SurrealHorror film ''Film/{{Hausu}}'', one of the main characters befriends a beautiful, long-haired white cat that climbs in through her bedroom window. She brings the cat along on a summer break trip with her friends, who comment, "any cat can open a door, but only a witch cat (bakeneko) can close one." And this cat proves fully capable of closing doors. [[spoiler:The cat is a part of a composite haunting which also involves a VengefulGhost that targets unmarried girls and the titular house itself.]]

* In ''Anime/Persona5TheAnimation'', Ryuji accuses Morgana of being a bakeneko when they first meet, even as Morgana insists he's a human suffering from ForcefulTransformation.

* ''VideoGame/BlazBlue'': Jubei and [[spoiler:his daughter]] Kokonoe (a CatGirl version of this). Appropriately, the latter does bring people back from the dead, although since magic is commonplace in that world she uses science to keep the mysterious powers theme. The first person she did this for was Iron Tager, who she brought back as a [[HalfHumanHybrid Half-]]{{Oni}} {{Cyborg}}. The second person she brought back was [[AnimatedArmor Hakumen]], who she salvaged from [[EldritchLocation The Boundary]], the space between life and death, after he had been sealed there about a century prior. The third person brought back was Lambda-11 who, being a RobotGirl, she just needed to repair, reinstall and infuse with a soul, so she technically brought back two people for the price of one. The final person Kokonoe brought back was her aunt, Celica Ayatsuki Mercury, who Kokonoe saw fit to bring back as a [[TemporalParadox Chrono Phantasma]]. Hakumen contemptuously calls both Jubei and Kokonoe "bakeneko" (monster/ghost cat), which in Japanese mythology is a general term for any cat Youkai. The video games translated this word as "[[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grimalkin grimalkin]]" in an attempt at a CulturalTranslation (which failed, since "grimalkin" is about as obscure as "bakeneko" to an American audience). Official subtitles for ''Anime/BlazBlueAlterMemory'' use "Goblin Cat" instead (which is more accurate and conveys Hakumen's insulting tone).

* The ''nekomimi'' in ''{{VideoGame/CoffeeTalk}}'' seem to be based on the ''bakeneko,'' as a race that can shift between average looking cats and [[{{LittleBitbeastly}} people with cat ears.]]

* ''VideoGame/Cyberpunk2077'': The Bakeneko are [[DiscussedTrope the subject of a conversation]] between V and Takemura after the two come across a sphinx cat during a stakeout. Since cats - or animals in general - are extremely rare in Night City, Takemura wonders if the cat is a Bakeneko while giving a short breakdown of the trope. Notably, it is [[MaybeMagicMaybeMundane left unclear]] if the cat was actually a Bakeneko. However, during its brief appearance, it sticks conspicuously close to the spots where Johnny manifests in V's vision.
** Reinforcing the Bakeneko connection, a sphinx cat will occasionally appear in the background shots of pivotal moments. V can also adopt a sphinx cat shortly after they find out that [[YourDaysAreNumbered they are dying]].
** Nekomata is also referenced in the game in the form of the name of a sniper rifle.

* In ''Anime/Persona5TheAnimation'', Ryuji accuses Morgana of being a bakeneko when they first meet, even as Morgana insists he's a human suffering from BalefulPolymorph.

Related to CatsAreMagic, UpliftedAnimal, and GhostlyAnimals. Subtrope of MultipleTailedBeast. See also AsianLionDogs for other feline-like creatures that are prevalent in East Asia.