Animal ears in anime and manga can be part of a costume or naturally occurring.
Costume ears will be distinguishable by a headband, necessary to keep them in place.
Naturally occurring animal ears are a sign of otherworldly or magical elements to the character or story, such as in the cases of
Strike Witches and
Spice and Wolf.
Sometimes, artwork will appear with characters who do not normally have animal ears now sporting them. This is usually to make the character seem "cute" or highlight aspects of their personality.
