Men
and women enjoy the hobby of making outfits of their favorite anime, manga
and game characters and wearing them at conventions, but the women often
get the most attention. So it was a couple of female cosplayers who spoke
to fans on the first evening of Anime Expo. Meg, on the left, was an active
costumer in the late 1990's, dropped out of the hobby for a couple of years,
then decided she couldn't stay from conventions any longer and returned
in 2001. Gina, on the right, is a member of the Sailor Jamboree costuming
group, which has created their versions of the Sailor Moon musicals that
are staged in Japan.
Both
women said they're drawn to costuming because they like the look of the
characters they portray, more than liking the characters themselves. 'I
look at the design and I say `That's a really cool character, I have to
do that,' " Meg noted. Added Gina, "I'm not really cosplaying as Rinoa
(Heartlily) because I like her character. I thought I could pull it off."
Yes, both ladies say they enjoy the attention they receive from fans at
anime conventions. All of the picture-taking and kind comments leads them
to make more costumes and travel to more events. "It's fun," said Meg.
"The accomplishment of the costumes is good, but you have to look inside
yourself and see if you're missing something and looking for it in the
right places."
The
conversation turned to the question of women who dress in scanty costumes.
To Meg, that's a way that some costumers make progress in the hobby - and
draw more attention. "When you first put on a Ranma costume, the attention
is neat, so you look for another costume that will get you more attention.
Some girls take it to the extreme and dress as sexy as possible. It's not
bad, but you have to watch what you're doing," said Meg. Added Gina, "I'm
more conservative because of my personality, but I say you should go for
it." Both noted that the slimmer cosplayers have an easier time with those
costumes - and that those who aren't slim are going to have to deal with
some criticism. And yes, there are some costumers (and fans) who get too
wrapped up in the hobby, and that can lead to catty comments.
Men
and women enjoy the hobby of making outfits of their favorite anime, manga
and game characters and wearing them at conventions, but the women often
get the most attention. So it was a couple of female cosplayers who spoke
to fans on the first evening of Anime Expo. Meg, on the left, was an active
costumer in the late 1990's, dropped out of the hobby for a couple of years,
then decided she couldn't stay from conventions any longer and returned
in 2001. Gina, on the right, is a member of the Sailor Jamboree costuming
group, which has created their versions of the Sailor Moon musicals that
are staged in Japan.
Both
women said they're drawn to costuming because they like the look of the
characters they portray, more than liking the characters themselves. 'I
look at the design and I say `That's a really cool character, I have to
do that,' " Meg noted. Added Gina, "I'm not really cosplaying as Rinoa
(Heartlily) because I like her character. I thought I could pull it off."
Yes, both ladies say they enjoy the attention they receive from fans at
anime conventions. All of the picture-taking and kind comments leads them
to make more costumes and travel to more events. "It's fun," said Meg.
"The accomplishment of the costumes is good, but you have to look inside
yourself and see if you're missing something and looking for it in the
right places."
The
conversation turned to the question of women who dress in scanty costumes.
To Meg, that's a way that some costumers make progress in the hobby - and
draw more attention. "When you first put on a Ranma costume, the attention
is neat, so you look for another costume that will get you more attention.
Some girls take it to the extreme and dress as sexy as possible. It's not
bad, but you have to watch what you're doing," said Meg. Added Gina, "I'm
more conservative because of my personality, but I say you should go for
it." Both noted that the slimmer cosplayers have an easier time with those
costumes - and that those who aren't slim are going to have to deal with
some criticism. And yes, there are some costumers (and fans) who get too
wrapped up in the hobby, and that can lead to catty comments.
