There’s nothing in the least wrong with it. It’s just that many of the posts in this thread have the air of “this thing is super popular and if you don’t participate in it you’re really out of touch.” Until I started reading this thread I never heard of any of it.
I’m a geek of sorts – majored in physics, doing computer programming for a living – yet somehow missed the entire Japanophile part of “geek culture”. And I’ve even been to Tokyo several times.
ETA: Although I’m a geek, I’m NOT a science fiction or fantasy fan. That probably explains a lot.
Yeah, cosplay is definitely not “super popular”. People who have ever dressed up as an anime character must be a minority within the broader group of people who enjoy watching anime, and even that’s kind of a niche group. Although I’ve known people who did cosplay, like I said before they only wore their costumes to fan-related events or costume parties. The only times I’ve ever seen people out on the street in cosplay gear was when a convention was in town. Oddly enough, this happened while I was visiting Munich. I was pretty surprised to see two German girls in anime costumes right outside the Hauptbahnhof!
Cosplay may be popular among people who attend fan conventions, but if you’re not one of these people you’re rarely going to encounter it. While living in Japan I don’t believe I ever once saw a cosplayer, not even in the big street fashion areas of Tokyo and Osaka. There must be some out there somewhere, but although I saw Lolitas, Ganguros, and even some '80s style hair metal types, I never saw anyone wearing anything that looked like an anime or video game inspired costume.
“Many”? I see AClockworkMelon (and those were just jokes… hopefully!) and… that’s it. My own comments were a response to a couple of folks who seemed gobsmacked by the idea.
As far as “if you don’t participate in it you’re out of touch,” the funny thing is, I don’t see anyone in the thread who actually participates in it themselves. So apparently we’re all out of touch!
And how young some of you are… I don’t see cosplay as being a “serious” (meaning significant) part of American culture in the slightest. I dunno 'bout Japan–IME, anime is much more popular there than here.
It seems harmless and fun. It’s not my thing (obviously). And as with anything, I’m sure there is that segment who take it waaaaaay too seriously.
Yeah, nothing new here. I went to SF conventions when I was an adolescent, did the Rocky Horror thing when I was a teen and hung with safety-pinned punks as a young adult.
Now that I’d like to see, especially if all the conversations between her characters had to be in her vernacular.
The various regional chapters of the Jane Austen Society of North America (JASNA) host special events like lectures, outings, tea parties, dinners, and dances, and the dances at least do often involve dressing in period costumes. See Event Calendar » JASNA for more info.
Please understand that in starting this thread I wasn’t mocking cosplay. I was trying to understand it, because to me it (or rather, the specifically Japanese elements of it) seems to have significant differences from other similar behaviour like Trekkie conventioneers and Goths. Those differences made it (for me) difficult to get inside the heads of the participants.
I was just saying that a lot of people (myself included) don’t get the whole idea, in general, that dressing up in costumes is itself a fun activity.
So, predictably, my response to your pictures is just “Yes, those people, too, I just don’t get.”
Not a criticism, I was just registering the bemused puzzlement I’ve always felt towards people who find it natural to think dressing up in a costume is, in and of itself, fun.
“Cosplay” is a word of Japanese origin, which is itself composed of parts of two English words. “Costume” is English in origin, “Play” is as well, but “Cosplay” was first uttered by Japanese people. (Well anyway, so I assume. My point is more to point out that there’s nothing absurd about this as you seemed to think.)
I have to dispute the idea that “Cosplay” covers any time someone dresses up in a costume or fancy dress for any reason at all. It’s always appeared to me to have a more specific connotation than that, usually involving obscure (to the lay person) anime or manga, and hanging around either at conventions or in public largely with the intention of “Being Seen”.
You’d be wrong then. Cosplay refers to any kind of science fiction/superhero/video game/anime costuming related to a con.
It’s getting dressed up, it amazes me that even after dozens of people have explained that, there are still people coming into this thread saying “I don’t get it”.
Bolding mine. How is he wrong, when you compare what he described to what you described? 'Cause I’m not seeing much distinction there. And a couple people upthread describe much broader definitions than either of yours, requiring none of the genres mentioned, or cons. So we’re clearly not getting a simple answer. Do you really wonder how people get confused?
To be pedantically specific, is any kind of dressing up in a costume cosplay, or is it generally considered to mean costumes from certain sci-fi/anime/videogame genres and/or going to a convention? I dress up in my Doctor costume and go to a sci-fi con; that’s cosplay. If I’m just going to the neighborhood Halloween party, is that still cosplay? Say I wrap myself in toilet paper and call myself a mummy and hand out Halloween candy in my own home; is that cosplay? How about the kid who ties a blanket around his neck and is Superman jumping off the couch? Is there any distinction at all between “engaging in cosplay” and “putting on a costume for whatever reason you want”? That’s the question. And even if you would say there isn’t, are there people who would turn up their nose and say of course there is, it’s more specific than that? THAT’s where the confusion is, not about the fact that it means dressing up or why people would have fun dressing up. Who doesn’t have fun dressing up? (Except for Frylock, apparently.)
I don’t see cosplay as being a “serious” (meaning significant) part of American culture in the slightest. I dunno 'bout Japan–IME, anime is much more popular there than here.
