Cosplayers are Entertainers and Ambassadors of Friendship

Cosplay, an abbreviation for “costume play” in which people dress up in the costumes of their favorite anime, manga or movie characters, is gaining in popularity worldwide. Cosplay was born out of original Japanese otaku (obsessed hobbiest) culture, and now has become so popular that “World Cosplay Summit (WCS) 2006” was sponsored by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport.

Mariko and Chouko, both cram school teachers, are becoming hooked on cosplay. They attended “WCS 2006” dressed as the characters of Oscar and Marie Antoinette from the Japanese animation “The Rose of Versailles.” From among the best cosplayers who had gathered from nine countries and who had produced high-level performances on stage, Mariko and Chouko won the prize for the second best performance.

Mariko and Chouko first met at the opening event of “Star Wars Episode II” in 2002. They instantly hit it off, and have been attending cosplay events together ever since. Now they attend 10 cosplay events a year, but at their cosplaying peak, they used to attend over 50 events a year. Nowadays, they are sometimes invited to cosplay events not only in Japan but also overseas, carrying their costumes and props with them.

At movie opening days when actors and directors are in attendance, Mariko and Chouko often participate after gaining approval from organizers to dress as cosplay characters. This makes the movie cast members happy to know that the pair are big fans of the movie. In Enchou-en, a Chinese garden in Tottori prefecture, “The Chinese Cosplay Project,” which started in 2006, will now be held annually. In a reflection of their popularity, Mariko and Chouko were asked to appear on the poster for the project.

The pair make their own costumes by themselves. Mariko says, “Every time we make costumes, it is essential for us to research the characters and the historical background of the piece in depth.” The pair never give in to the temptation to use cheaper materials for the clothes or props. Surprisingly, they even go abroad to find the things they need for cosplay.

When Chouko attended a Star Wars event, her cosplay charater was Queen Apailana, a character who appeared for only a brief moment in the movie. When researching this character, Chouko could only find a small top-only picture in a related website. But Chouko exercised her imagination to the fullest, thinking “the collars look like this, so the belt should look like this,” and found her own way to make the costume. Thanks to her efforts, she won the third prize for the costume. The actual costume of Queen Apailana, Chouko found out later, looked just like the one she had made.

Mariko says, “I spend most of my salary on the costumes.” She gives herself entirely to sewing and even sometimes forgets to eat her meals. “When I first started sewing, my mother was happy to know her daughter found it interesting. But now, she says that maybe it is time for me to quit and get married.” Mariko says smiling.

Pleasant Feeling Comes from Being Someone Else
What makes the pair so crazy about cosplay? “The next day after I was on TV at the WCS, I heard one of my junior high school students saying, ‘did you see the Rose of Versailles yesterday? It was great!’ He even asked me, ‘Teacher, do you know about cosplay?’ and I said, ‘I do, hmmm, was it so great?’ Usually at cram schools, I wear glasses and no makeup. The students had no idea that the person standing before them was the cosplayer they saw on TV. It is such a pleasant feeling to have a ‘gap’ between being simple and a plain prep school teacher, and being flashy acting as somebody else,” says Mariko.

“Cosplayers overseas have more passion for cosplay and the hobby is hotter abroad,” Mariko and Chouko say about the regional differences in cosplay. “European cosplayers make costumes that shine more under stage lights, but Asian cosplayers on the other hand, are more sensitive to the small details that cannot be seen. They end up creating beautiful stitch work that is invisible without taking a closer look.”

Cindy, a German who lives in Nagoya, is one of these passionate cosplayers who dreamed of coming to Japan when she discovered cosplay. Cindy emphasizes the merits of cosplay when she says, “There are still people around me who do not understand cosplay, but it is a part of my life. I can build a whole network of friends through cosplay.”

In Brazil, the part of South America where cosplay is most popular, the calibre of cosplayers is very high. Maurisio and his younger sister Monica won the top prize at WCS 2006. “Cosplay is one of the most popular forms of entertainment among young people in Brazil now. I made so many friends by going to Japan, which I dreamt of doing through my favorite hobby of cosplay,” Maurisio says about his memories of Japan.

The 2007 summer will see the hosting of the 5th WCS. “Regarding the growing number of international participants, Brazil, China, Thailand, Germany, France, Italy and Spain are among the countries that are expected to advance to high ranks in the competition,” Mariko explains. “In the future, countries such as Australia, England and India will also be expected to make their mark in this popular field. Foreign cosplay participants are more absorbed in stage planning, acting and presentation.”

“Some cosplayers do not care about etiquette – they only want to enjoy themselves. Both of us would like to respect the rules and hope that Japan becomes more loved as a country through cosplaying,” Chouko says. Cosplayers may be asked now to play roles as friendship ambassadors, not merely entertainers.

Photo by: TV Aichi

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