Abstract
In 2010, in the English-language kink fanfiction community of the American television show Supernatural (2005–20), the Omegaverse genre emerged. In this universe, humans have canine-like sexual characteristics and society is structured around a sexual hierarchy stratified by whether one is an alpha, a beta or an omega. In the years since, the genre has spread globally, finding particular popularity in Japanese Boys Love (BL) media. The Omegaverse represents one part of a global boom in zoomorphism, the depiction of humans with animal-like characteristics, for representing and understanding human societal norms. Through a textual and discourse analysis of three Japanese Omegaverse BL manga series and associated reviews from BL fan site Chill Chill, this article discusses the appeal of zoomorphism, its boom in popularity and the reasons for its global spread. Drawing on animal studies, I highlight how the Omegaverse provides a space to critique and explore issues surrounding relationships in the real world, arguing that this suggests that the global appeal of zoomorphism is in how the animal can reflect what it means to be human.
Published Version
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