TGS Cosplay Part 2-FUU!!!!
For those who don't follow it, I've posted my TGS and Japanese cosplay report on the ACP Livejournal. I'll just add some additional notes and stuff here so that this post isn't entirely useless:
1. The whole idea of a "cosplay idol" is very much valid there, that there are people who cosplay specifically to garner attention. I mean, I find it very, very far fetched that you would cosplay from a hostess club simulator for any other reason. I'm not saying that it's prevalent - of all the cosplayers I saw there, I'd say it was roughly 70% fans of the series and 30% "idol" types. This is also the only reason I could think of for some cosplayers giving me their business cards without asking. Although I'd like to think it was because they were enamored by my presence
2. Did I mention how awesome MonHun (Monster Hunter) cosplay could be?
3. Of course, everybody is crazy about FFXIII there since it's being released in a couple months - all the Lightnings and Snows started blurring together after a while... :/ (YES, I'M ALLOWED TO MAKE AN "ALL LOOK SAME" COMMENT)
3. They really, REALLY emphasize the makeup over there - this Roxas, while having a PHENOMENAL wig, was kinda overshadowed by her eyeliner - it was a bit much to be honest.
4. I find it hilarious that the first Beatrice cosplayer I would see ANYWHERE would be in Japan...and is not Japanese. The outfit was pretty good though! I just hope I'll have someone to take pictures with when I wear Battler next year...
5. I'm still a little weirded out by how this couple refused to let me take pictures of them individually. It's as if their cosplay powers only worked when they were together XD
6. Even in Japan, the only Touhou cosplay I find are crossplayers more often than not. I give up, I'll just listen to the music only from now on.
7. These Basara cosplayers were really fun - they had all sorts of poses and the Yukimura was quite burning. (And also hot according to my friend)
8. I don't know if it was the lighting, but I think my photography was particularly good for this event in terms of shots. The only other time I've been extra pleased with my pictures were AWA 2008.
9. I only gave a couple business cards to some of the cosplayers - mostly because I was too nervous, but considering the level of English there, I doubt any of them would even know how to use ACP anyway.
10. I wonder what kind of reaction I would get from them if I went next year, only armed with Oppai Tensai business cards instead...
Speaking of next year, I'm on the fence about attending TGS again. Videogames are relevant to my interests, of course, and it IS at a time of the year that doesn't seem to conflict with any major cons. But I think for ACP coverage, it would probably be better to pick something like Comiket or Wonder Festival, so that you get an even more diverse range of costumes (since you get more anime/manga stuff into the mix). The only thing I don't like about Comiket is that their space is even MORE restrictive - from what I remember, there's barely any room to move in the appropriately nicknamed "Cosplay Coral". Summer Comiket is ruled out because it almost always conflicts with the big US cons.
Then again, with the rumors of Eva 3.0 being out in Summer 2010, that may be the factor that overrides everything...
1. The whole idea of a "cosplay idol" is very much valid there, that there are people who cosplay specifically to garner attention. I mean, I find it very, very far fetched that you would cosplay from a hostess club simulator for any other reason. I'm not saying that it's prevalent - of all the cosplayers I saw there, I'd say it was roughly 70% fans of the series and 30% "idol" types. This is also the only reason I could think of for some cosplayers giving me their business cards without asking. Although I'd like to think it was because they were enamored by my presence
2. Did I mention how awesome MonHun (Monster Hunter) cosplay could be?
3. Of course, everybody is crazy about FFXIII there since it's being released in a couple months - all the Lightnings and Snows started blurring together after a while... :/ (YES, I'M ALLOWED TO MAKE AN "ALL LOOK SAME" COMMENT)
3. They really, REALLY emphasize the makeup over there - this Roxas, while having a PHENOMENAL wig, was kinda overshadowed by her eyeliner - it was a bit much to be honest.
4. I find it hilarious that the first Beatrice cosplayer I would see ANYWHERE would be in Japan...and is not Japanese. The outfit was pretty good though! I just hope I'll have someone to take pictures with when I wear Battler next year...
5. I'm still a little weirded out by how this couple refused to let me take pictures of them individually. It's as if their cosplay powers only worked when they were together XD
6. Even in Japan, the only Touhou cosplay I find are crossplayers more often than not. I give up, I'll just listen to the music only from now on.
7. These Basara cosplayers were really fun - they had all sorts of poses and the Yukimura was quite burning. (And also hot according to my friend)
8. I don't know if it was the lighting, but I think my photography was particularly good for this event in terms of shots. The only other time I've been extra pleased with my pictures were AWA 2008.
9. I only gave a couple business cards to some of the cosplayers - mostly because I was too nervous, but considering the level of English there, I doubt any of them would even know how to use ACP anyway.
10. I wonder what kind of reaction I would get from them if I went next year, only armed with Oppai Tensai business cards instead...
Speaking of next year, I'm on the fence about attending TGS again. Videogames are relevant to my interests, of course, and it IS at a time of the year that doesn't seem to conflict with any major cons. But I think for ACP coverage, it would probably be better to pick something like Comiket or Wonder Festival, so that you get an even more diverse range of costumes (since you get more anime/manga stuff into the mix). The only thing I don't like about Comiket is that their space is even MORE restrictive - from what I remember, there's barely any room to move in the appropriately nicknamed "Cosplay Coral". Summer Comiket is ruled out because it almost always conflicts with the big US cons.
Then again, with the rumors of Eva 3.0 being out in Summer 2010, that may be the factor that overrides everything...