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Articles - Page 2 What is Cosplay? What are the Elegant Gothic Lolita styles?  The answers to questions such as these are answered here!  If you would like to submit an article that you feel is appropriate for this site . . . contact us!  If accepted, we'll give you credit for authorship.

Cosplay trends A recent trend at Japanese cosplay events is an increase in the popularity of non-Japanese fantasy and science fiction movie characters, perhaps due to the international success of such films as The Matrix and Lord of the Rings. Characters from the Harry Potter films have a particularly high number of female fans in Japan, with female cosplayers playing either male or female characters, with Draco Malfoy an extremely popular choice. The act of cosplaying as characters of the opposite sex is called "crossplay" (cross-dressing cosplay). A small niche group in this field are dollers, a subset of kigurumi cosplayers. Usually male, they wear bodysuits and masks to fully transform into female characters. Another recent trend in cosplay is a blurring of the distinction between costumes based on characters from games and anime, and "original" costumes based upon a general theme or existing fashions. In particular, the Tokyo teen-fashion trend of gothic lolita has attracted some cosplayers who might not have the inclination (or possibly courage) to wear such distinctive clothes around town, but who would like to dress in such a manner on some occasions. ____________________________________________________________________________ International cosplay All aspects of cosplay have spread across the world, joining with costuming at science fiction conventions in North America and Europe. It is also a common sight at anime conventions. Cosplayers at anime conventions in North America often find themselves on the receiving ends of glomps, a type of high-powered hug. Cosplay in the United States and Europe differs from Japanese cosplay culture in some ways. Cosplay concerning Star Trek, Star Wars, Renaissance-era characters, and historical re- enactments (i.e. Civil War battles), especially at science fiction conventions, are far more popular in the West than they are in Japan. Alternatively, some costumes that might be seen as in bad taste in the west (such as Nazi uniforms from certain comics or games) may be seen at events in Japan. Western cosplayers are stereotypically lampooned as being overweight or otherwise unsuited to the characters they attempt to portray. An issue with cosplaying anime and manga characters is that these characters generally do not have bodily proportions that can easily be mimicked by many typical cosplayers (i.e. gargantuan muscles or giant breasts), and there is debate among fans about how important or not this element is when cosplaying. In Australia, the trend mirrors the American and European in that the subject costumes may be selected from sources other than Manga or Anime. Sources include western comics, computer games, science fiction/fantasy movies and TV shows, animation shorts or features, period drama, novels - any source that provides vivid and graphic inspiration of a character and their costume.  Usually the term "Cosplay" is not used to cover historical recreation as the focus is on representational accuracy, not historical accuracy. In general, Australian Cosplay is most commonly seen in the larger population centres such as the capital cities and major regional centres, as these have the population base to support the diversity among fringe interests. The display of the costumes is not limited to conventions, although it is not unusual for dedicated Cosplayers to travel extensively throughout Australia following the convention trail during the year. In addition to the social convening at conventions, many smaller social groupings exist, hosting their own local events. In the Philippines, cosplay is often done within an anime, manga, gaming, or sci-fi convention.   It is seen, as of this writing, only in Metropolitan Manila, for the same reason that it is limited to large population centers in Australia. More often than not, these conventions and events are sponsored, and debates have raged on whether or not judges' perspectives are influenced by the organizers of a cosplay event. ______________________________________________________________________________ Cosplay in North America Convention activity in the United States and Canada has become a much larger and much more popular trend within the past decade. Larger conventions such as Anime Expo and Otakon have become renowned internationally. With the added public attention coming from such popular animated cartoons imported from Japan (see anime) including Dragonball Z, Inuyasha, and now the ever-popular Naruto, cosplayers and the anime world have peeked their heads into the world of mainstream pop-culture, on at least a relatively underground scale. More and more convention goers cosplay as their favorite characters from their favorite animes, and thus, the cosplay and anime subcultures have been able to have enough influence to further the creation of conventions to accommodate for the increasing number of cosplayers. Conventions in America often include both Cosplay and Costume contests. The Cosplay or "Masque" (masquerade) is a skit contest done in cosplay costume. This can range from a single person quoting a character's famous line (i.e: Spike Spiegel from Cowboy Bebop: "Bang") to a 10-member cast singing and dancing to the theme of Sailor Moon while in proper attire. The costume contest is often a test of skill, design, and audience reaction. The contestants are judged either before hand or on stage and then walk across said stage while the audience cheers.  Winners of both contests often receive prizes such as gift cards, trophies, and anime DVDs. Competition has lead to the development of many cosplay groups that plan for conventions months in advance.

 

 

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