Before I begin my comment and opinion on the subject itself, I feel I must first comment on the first thing that came to my mind when I read the subject line
(because that is just how my mind works).
It seems to be implied and assumed in the phrasing of the subject line itself that everyone who reads it (and in effect the whole forum community) DOES like Animal Characters, and they DO appeal to them.
Although it is clear, and I do not deny that this is true of most (if not all) of our members that I have seen do share this fandom or fondness to some extent or another, I feel that it must be mentioned that
not all Werewolf Fans are Anthro-Wolf fans, and thus the assumption itself may actually be somewhat alienating to those of us whom Animal Characters are NOT so appealing to.
This may be a moot point, as I've had the distinct feeling from the beginning that the predominantly Fur-Friendly atmosphere of "The Pack" has discouraged if not frightened away all of
those kind of Werewolf fans from the site completely ... but it is a point I had to get off my mind anyway.
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On the actual subject...
I really have very little to add to what has already been said. I am personally fond of such characters for a multitude of reasons, but most of them fit nicely under the category "Variety".
Supplementing the possible variety of visual appearance and distinction between characters by expanding the options beyond merely the handful of distinct races of humanity ( skin/hair/eye colors, etc.) and including all manner of Animal Species allows for potentially much more visually stunning casts of characters.
Likewise, the potential variety of variant personality types (both realistic and stereotypical) that can be used to greater extremes, while still having the characters appear reasonably "Sane" ( ... a character with a taste for raw meat, a tendency towards dramatically aggressive behavior, and a habit of snarling at the people he/she doesn't like would be considered a
psycho if it were Human, but make it an Anthro Lion or Wolf or Bear, and suddenly they seem almost balanced and normal that way, and more acceptable within a story ... ) is bolstered considerably when Non-Human characters are used.
As I think someone else (OutwardDoodles) implied to some extent, I think another part of the facination, appeal is born into us. As children, we naturally bond and identify with animals (and inanimate objects) with almost equal significance as the other humans around us. We talk to the Birds in the Trees, we talk to our Neighbors Dog, we talk to our Dolls and Stuffed Animals and Action Figures, and somewhere in the backs of our minds, we expect them to talk back to us. Parents and Educators picked up on this common activity and phenomenon a long time ago, and so began putting these things in the books and stories they present to us at that age to maintain our attention while they try to
teach us something in the process ... a behavior that only further reinforces the idea of conversing with non-human characters (and such characters communing with one another) in our minds, and very often sticks with some of us well into adulthood.
Even if you didn't grow up being read books like "Spot the Dog in Alphabet Land", or other such things, one could also point towards "Equality" movements as possible sparks for putting the idea in our minds as something that should be considered "Good".
We hear about "Equality of Race" and "Equality of Gender", and "Equality of Religion" and how all is meant to remain in balance, like the balance of nature ... so what about "Equality of Species"? If one ever bothers to wonder and ask themself if other animals deserve the same amount of respect as Human Beings, then the thought may also slip into ones mind, "Should Animals be treated like People? ...
Are Animals People? ... or if not, what if they WERE?".
... at least ... that is how
I think.
I think there may also be a level of Human/Non-Human ENVY that is woven into Popular Human culture that most shrug off or ignore. The sheer demand and desire to wear Animal skins, like Fur Coats, and Feathered hats when Men and Women want to look Beautiful and Impressive I think is a clear sign that much of Humanity feels at least some level of Inferiority to or Envy of other members of the Animal kingdom ... an attitude that most will deny (but I think is true none the less).
...why else would a Human wear decorative clothing made from Animal Skin if not because they consider it to be more attractive and appealing than their own. (Even Fur or Down-Feather lined coats made for warmth rather than fashion are an admission, intentional or not, of inferior capacity to weather the cold vs. the animals they are made from.)
In that respect, just as most Comic Books and Movies include characters that are Stronger, more Courageous, and More Handsome/Beautiful than they are, because people enjoy stories about characters who are like what they would LIKE to be, or people they can look up to and aspire to be like ... stories with Animal Characters are often appealing to those who admire the qualities many species possess which they themselves lack.
( ... I guess I had more to add than I thought ...
)
I do like most dogs over most kids.
