Cosplaying around

Nice bellybutton on the left.

Like the one in the Red Dress to the right of Takahashi.

Found japanese costume are better done than overseas ones but than many are bought from pro dress-makers at a high price.

I hope the police officer has her underwear on.

lets be honest, the fareng on the left is the hottest

Takahashi-san...don't have a cow dude. And what's with suit?

tokyotom

lets be honest, the fareng on the left is the hottest

Lets be really honest, that thing has a pirates face. look at the smile its ugly.

I hope they do not eat any contaminated food while they are there.

I'm in agreement with Zenny on this one, especially in reference to the red dress.

Photo title should be: "Another day at the office."

I think psychiatrists should investigate why somebody would like to be dressed like an anime character and copy comic books content: is it a desperate request for attention, escape from reality, stalled development, lack of maturity, a sign of a society that does not nurture creativity, individuality, aesthetics, real art? And what is a vice minister doing standing next to somebody dressed like a porn star (the blue costume), why should government even support such events full of otakus that know nothing more the manga and anime and most probably have never read a real book?

LoveNot.

Does your definition also include people that like to dress up as Star Wars, Star Trek, Avatar, etc characters? How about people that dress up for Halloween or as Super-heroes, etc?

I think you are on a slippery slope there with your argument.

@steve

You seem obsessed with the idea that women should stay at home with their kids.... anyone would think you had personal issues here. Perhaps an absent mother.... ;)

Does your definition also include people that like to dress up as Star Wars, Star Trek, Avatar, etc characters?

Star Wars and Star Trek are okay, but I draw the line at grown-ups dressing up as Smurfs.

http://popculturehasaids.files.wordpress.com/2010/08/smurfs.jpg

This is one of their hobbies, their nothing bad about cosplay as long they enjoy it.

Why should the Japanese government support anime and manga..... Well, the anime Sailor Moon in 1995 was translated into 65 languages and made over $5 billion. So I would think that the government of Japan would be supportive of they most successful cultural export.

**mackemackAug. 04, 2011 - 09:17AM JST

Takahashi-san...don't have a cow dude. And what's with suit?**

I know, he looks utterly ridiculous wearing that thing among "cosplayers" Business suits turn me OFF big time! YUCK~~

@Zenny

I'm totally with you on this, let me check my inventory and see if I can wear my beloved "MAID" outfit with its white tight-high socks and head-dress, before Mr. BlueWitch gets home... I might get "something" in return tonight.. lol

I have no problems with people having fun in costumes. Life is short, enjoy yourselves. But....

In Japan this is a lot more than simply having fun. For a lot of people here, the manga world IS their reality. Or at the very least an escape from it.

Zenny, you and Lovenot are both right. We cannot lump all costume activities together. There is clearly a line out there between healthy fun and obsession.

But Lovenot is also right about this obsession with anime and characters as symptoms of greater social issues in Japan including the lack of support for genuine and original creativity, self expression and individuality.

tkoind2.

Of you think those same obsessions and lack of so called support don't exist in the west. I got some prime ocean property for you in the gobe desert for sale.

Check the attendance figures for shows in the USA, west(europe) and asia as they will dwarf the ones in Japan.

Few shows just finished in the US and more upcoming, check the figures. Not going to link as the figures are readily available.

We cannot lump all costume activities together. There is clearly a line out there between healthy fun and obsession.

Right, just because I have a small collection of outfits inside my wardrobe doesn't make me a freak per se. I have collected some items and costumes over the years since I got married in order to add some spice and break the routine. It's been a little over 10 years already since I bought the first one and you know what? It's been working pretty good. =) Sexy Maid and Naughty Nurse are always on demand~~

I like the uniform of the guy holding the cow...............

Modern day trainspotters, yawn.....

BlueWitch, your husband is a lucky guy!

As to the photo - what a shame that police uniform isn't standard for female police in Japan. At least in Akihabara!

Zenny, you and Lovenot are both right.

Tkoind2 -- agreed. While there is certainly nothing inherently wrong with amine or manga and fans dressing up like the characters, the Vice Foreign Minister should also be out making a big deal about young folks who have mastered a foreign langauge, like Chinese for example. Japan desperately needs to improve in its foreign langauge skills to remain competitive internationally. That will ultimately contribute more to Japan's continued well-being than this will. He needs to be working just as hard to over come Japan's historical inward focus.

what is it with Japanese Oyajis and their refusal to show a genuine unabashed toothy smile? Takahashi looks like he's counting the seconds till he can run to the nearest toilet.

@hoserfella:

what is it with Japanese Oyajis and their refusal to show a genuine unabashed toothy smile? Takahashi looks like he's counting the seconds till he can run to the nearest toilet.

IIRC, it is historically rude in Japanese culture to show your teeth. It was just a different cultural norm, and it led to Geishas and women to color their teeth black back then so as to try and make their teeth invisible even when talking or singing. That's why many Japanese women put their hands before their mouths when they smile, it's a mannerism adopted because of that cultural norm.

@LoveNot

I think psychiatrists should investigate why somebody would like to be dressed like an anime character and copy comic books content: is it a desperate request for attention, escape from reality, stalled development, lack of maturity, a sign of a society that does not nurture creativity, individuality, aesthetics, real art? And what is a vice minister doing standing next to somebody dressed like a porn star (the blue costume), why should government even support such events full of otakus that know nothing more the manga and anime and most probably have never read a real book?

Why do you seem to assume that there is something wrong with people liking to dress up? It's not like it's limited to "Otakus" either, why do you think Halloween is so popular in North America? Dressing up as someone or something else is a time-honored tradition, a form of game, in many if not most cultures. You may think doing so is useless... but then where do you stop? Playing chess is useless. Watching movies is useless. Listening to music is useless. Why don't we psychanalyze men's and women's habits to do useless things when they have free time? Isn't that a sign of a diseased mind?

Or maybe... they're not useless. People who do it are having fun, it makes their lives more pleasurable. Do they need other reasons to do it?

People who do it are having fun, it makes their lives more pleasurable

Yes, I do it because it brings me so much of the "good stuff". Nothing to do with being a freak/otaku/loser. At home, it brings excitement and spice. I don't have the time to do it everyday, of course, but whenever I get the chance, the only thing that motivates me is "PLEASURE". Of course, I have to admit that the only place I wear them is inside my bedroom. LOL

IIRC, it is historically rude in Japanese culture to show your teeth. It was just a different cultural norm, and it led to Geishas and women to color their teeth black back then so as to try and make their teeth invisible even when talking or singing. That's why many Japanese women put their hands before their mouths when they smile, it's a mannerism adopted because of that cultural norm.

kchoze - thanks for the Japan 101 bit but this isn't 1923 and times have changed. Notice I only implicated Oyajis. anyway I'll take the one in the blue. "Smokin hot whether shes gaijin or not"

kchoze - Halloween is a traditional one day a year festival for children and adults attending parties. Unlike cosplay, it isn't a year-round expression of sexual frustration or cry for help. Still, Ill take the one in the blue (even if she probably getting back at her father for divorcing her mom)

Takahashi cosplay'ing as a bumbling politician??

hoserfella, first, old habits die hard. Maybe the reasons for such mannerism is gone, but children learned the mannerisms from their parents and relatives, as they do most everything else. So if they never saw their parent smile showing their teeth, they may never do so either, even if they don't understand what is the problem with showing their teeth. With the international media showing a lot of people smiling with their teeth showing, this may change for the youngest generations, but for the "oyajis" as you say, they have been taught a certain way and never bothered to change (and why should they?).

You are also quick to make assumptions about people who cosplay. I don't do it personally, though I do dress up for Halloween, but hey, as they say, "whatever floats your boat". Anyway, the cosplay costumes still make more sense, as cartoonish as they are, than most "haute couture" fashion...

Aah, damn overtime work today, so many comments to comment on...starting from the left, she looks hot, but I am missing the belly button piece, most welcomed would be something green sparkling. The second one must be Japanese by looking at her hair color! The police officer does got her underwear, otherwise her fingers would be straight out to cover that something. The far right looks like a nipplegate waiting to happen. And I have to agree with the other commentators about the "modern Geisha", that dress looks awesome in it's east-meets-west design, and the lady wearing it has a nice posture with the straight back . The only thing I don't like about cos'play is that sometimes you don't know whether that person is a "real" woman or not...! So, what am I, a white male, when I wear a kimono with all the fittings in public? A cos'player, a Japan-maniac? Or does it depend on whether I wear a roku-shaku-fundoshi, western pants, or nothing beneath it?

Part of me can't stand cos-play and the other part of me tells me to shut up about what people want to dress up as. Anyways, I do think the Japanese do put a bit more quality into their costumes than cosplay fans in other countries. If Japan could clear up Halloween a bit more then it can have a better place besides the random "I wanna dress up as..." day or local comic convention etc. With the exception of halloween or a dress ball, I wouldn't be caught in any outfit thats out of normal dress. I prefer to cosplay as myself every day I can.

The minister looks the weirdest, if you ask me, as it is known what cosplay can be like. The 'policewoman' is a GUY by the way. uhm, whatever...floats your boat.

The one on the left seems to put the least work into the costume. Even the minister looks like he spent some time with that cool biz suit.

I'm starting to realize that the "policewoman" is actually a GUY like someone else said.....LOL

freak show

hellmaster, watch your mouth.