Monday, January 16, 2012
Tokyo Game Show 2009: Cosplay
The event is the Tokyo Game Show and the Cosplay is a side-note at this rather large event. The Cosplayers (or Cosers) dress up as their favorite fantasy characters and compete for the spotlight. The photographers will take pictures of these Cosers who will wait in line for upwards of an hour. Those in the costumes spend time and money perfecting the look of their inspiration. The devotion to the event shows how serious it is to those involved. Why is this so popular in Japan and thought of as odd here? Is there a sense of becoming someone else in dressing-up? Is this a competition between the Cosers or just a way to show off their costumes? Do the Cosers show a different level of dedication to their pastimes in suiting-up as characters?
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The only true socially acceptable time to dress up is for halloween i feel like. Then again we have seen how many people spend tons of money and time to make intricate "costumes" for sporting events, which people feel is normal. It is hypocritical to judge them on wearing costumes for something they love when we do it all the time in America. I am sure that this event is completely normal in Japan.
ReplyDeleteLike western people have Halloween to dress themselves as some virtual characters, Asian people enjoy wearing unusual costumes in cosplay show. Tho out-of-date recognition of otakus causes people to judge animation fans. Well, as we can see in the video, the group of animation fans has developed into a level that both genders and different ages of people join it.It is no longer a "weird" group but a branch of people who bravely seek happiness in the virtual world. Is it matter that you spend time and money on cosplay or on sports ticket if you are really fan of it? It may seeming weird at the beginning, but if such subculture of animation keep developing and finally it may be a normal part of people life as a hobby.
ReplyDeleteThis isn't a weird concept to all Americans. There are some conventions, like Comic-Con, that involve dressing up like characters from video games. This does seem like a serious competition that is important to everyone involved in it. Everyone who dresses up wears a costume that means something to them and I think they obviously care a lot about that subject.
ReplyDeleteThe reason it is so popular there is probably just the culture in Japan. The Costers I think are just showing off their costumes and basically playing pretend. They are becoming their favorite characters cause it is fun to pretend and forget the troubles of the real world.
ReplyDeleteI feel that since anime is so popular in Japan, that this is perfectly normal. In America, we have Comic-Con and other events as such, but most Americans don't find that to be weird. The reason people go to Comic-Con is because they enjoy comics a lot. The reasoning is the same for the Tokyo Game Show.
ReplyDeleteAs stated in a comment above, anime is a very popular concept in Japan. Here, it is not nearly as popular. I believe that when i comes to these costumes and these characters it is more than just being someone else. Most of these characters have some special power or are "more cool" than their average selves. It gives these people a chance to be someone better than themselves. I feel like their dedication is equal to if not less than some of the more extravagant costumes at other conventions such as Gen-Con.
ReplyDeleteI don't think that the cosers dressing up is thought of as any more odd than people dressing up to go to a gaming convention here. Japan just happens to have a different culture than us so they end up dressing up like different things than we do. As far as competing vs. showing off, I think it's probably human nature to want to have the best when you put time and effort into something you care that much about.
ReplyDeleteLike others have posted, I too feel that the culture differences between Japan and the United States play a large part in how conventions like these are viewed. Even trying to view the video open-mindedly I still felt that it seemed strange. But it all comes back to the location and culture you live in. Just as it is okay in the U.S. for people to dress up for sporting events or holidays, it may be more normal for people in Japan to dress this way. You just have to take a step outside of your own shoes and try to view things from a different perspective when you run into something you don't immediately understand.
ReplyDeleteI feel like this is a cultural concept that American's don't understand. Its like religion - everyone has their own celebrations and beliefs. To outsiders, it is different. In their culture this is completely acceptable. While it may seem silly to spend lots of money and effort just for this, it obviously means a lot to them and they are proud of it. It's just like dressing up to go see a Harry Potter premiere, except with anime.
ReplyDeleteWith anime being such a big part of Japanese culture, we see them dressing up as these characters just like we see people in America dress up as Star Wars characters or other characters that are more famous here in the states. I do not think we find it weird, its just a different culture over there.
ReplyDeleteThis is another weird event. Why do people find it necessary to try to get a picture of themselves taken when they are dressing up as somebody else? They should try to get their picture out there for something they accomplish in life instead.
ReplyDeleteI understand the fun in dressing up as a character, especially one whom you are familiar with from anime or a video game. I don't see anything wrong with people who do this, although i wouldn't myself.
ReplyDeletethis is interesting. japanese has their own culture. off course this culture is different. actually, i like it. because it has something to do with animation.
ReplyDeleteI like cosplay because I am a fan of Japanese video games.I think this is both a competition between the cosers and a way to show off their costumes.People here think this is weird is because of the cultural difference. In contrast,this activity is very popular in my country.
ReplyDeleteI think its so popular in Japan because its a different culture over there and so there's different interests, this being one of them. But I also think that these people are using this event as a vehicle of escape from their lives. Their level of dedication to their passion is admirable as well, since they're willing to do this in front of a large audience.
ReplyDelete