Animal Shapeshifters

This is an universe where people are able to shapeshift into animals at will. At one point during their teens (or, less commonly, when they’re kids), each person realized what animal they will learn how to shapeshift into (they can shapeshift into that animal only). That animal then becomes that person's "symbol" of sorts.

Discovering your animal is considered extremely important, and those who don’t find theirs are considered outcasts.

The kind of animal a person gets MAY be influenced by external factors, like living in a village where everyone has the same kind of animal. Otherwise, it's random.

A transformed person can be told apart from a normal animal due to the colored halo they get around their head when they shapeshift.

It's extremely rare, but some people may be able to turn into mythical beasts such as griffins and nekomatas. Those people are considered extremely special, tend to get a lot of media coverage on them and are regarded as "divine" by some.