Does the character see themselves as an animal first, or a person in love? Belonging: Finding someone who accepts your "wild" side.

This topic is popular in young adult fiction and animation, often using animal characters as metaphors for the awkwardness, social hierarchies, and intense emotions of human adolescence. 1. The "Social Hierarchy" Trope

A character who physically transforms or has uncontrollable animal "outbursts" when they are around their crush.

A Golden Retriever "jock" dating a Black Cat "introvert."

Standard teen drama tropes (the jock, the nerd, the prom queen) are assigned to specific animals.