I would say they have to either refer to themselves as human or make it clear that the species they are designed after isn't the same as that species in-universe.
It doesn't help that the description is less than clear, with an opening sentence that comes off as an example of the trope but ends up being the closest it comes to an actual definition. Original YKTTW
.
Edited by MorganWick on May 5th 2022 at 4:52:18 AM
You'll never find out who I am
What's the difference between this and Furry Lens? Take the page image on Furry Denial, for example. Why is that "The ducks don't realize they're not humans" and not "They're humans, and just look like ducks to the audience"?
Check out my forum game: Rate the above YMMV.
The animals in Furry Lens really aren't. They're humans portrayed as different creatures for symbolism.
You'll never find out who I am
![[up]](https://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/smiles/arrow_up.png "[up]"){kind=icon}
But what's the functional difference? It seems I'm not the only troper who doesn't know the difference, since several examples are listed on both Furry Denial and Furry Lens.
The way I see it, the two serve different narrative functions. Furry Denial happens when an explicitly non-human character nevertheless identifies itself as human, for whatever reason. A character who does this would still be non-human. Furry Lens refers to characters who appear non-human for stylistic or allegorical reasons but are intended to be human in-universe.
Edited by ElSquibbonator on Jun 4th 2022 at 1:40:06 PM
Lost in Space
The use of the word "Furry" in the title will invariably create confusion with actual furries, and is therefore misleading. Characters subject to this trope are animals, not humans dressed up like animals. If I read the title without reading the description, I would think that it's something like Armored Closet Gay for furries.
At a minimum it needs a rename.
Edited by Fighteer on Jun 1st 2022 at 4:05:13 AM
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Logic Girl
Animal Denial? Species Denial?
For every low there is a high.
Plakis Morakis
To be honest, I don't really get that arguement. In my experience at least, I've seen the word "furry" to be used to refer to the idea of anthromorphic animals in of itself as much as the subcultures surrounding them.
Lost in Space
Maybe we swim in different circles, because unless I'm describing my cats to a child (or an extremely ignorant person), the word "furry" is always used in the context of people, not animals.
Edited by Fighteer on Jun 2nd 2022 at 8:08:16 AM
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Big Catch, Sparkle Edition
Basically, "Furries" are actually more accurately called "Furry fans". The type of anthropomorphic animal art they like is the "Furry" part.
Currently Working On: Incorruptible Pure Pureness
Lost in Space
Which is why the trope title is confusing, since it is not about anthropomorphic animals, nor people's attraction to them (platonic or otherwise).
Edited by Fighteer on Jun 2nd 2022 at 8:35:01 AM
"It's Occam's Shuriken! If the answer is elusive, never rule out ninjas!"
Now a lurker. Thanks for everything. | he/him
This sounds like a TRS issue if the title is confusing. Should I add it to Tropes Needing TRS?
TRS Queue | Works That Require Cleanup of Complaining | Troper Wall
The name of Furry Denial implies that it's about an animal denying they're an animal. However, a lot of examples are just "anthropomorphic animal is never characterized as or referred to as an animal". Are these allowed?