The Other Side of Cosplay

While cosplay may be a lot of fun and all, there is another side to it, a darker one.

Believe it or not, cosplay has its fair share in drama. Not that I have been through too much of it, but it is definitely around. Here are a few issues that float around the cosplay community.

Not the Right Body Type
People sometimes choose characters according to their body types. What if someone who is pretty big wants to cosplay some character from one of Clamp's series, i.e. CardCaptor Sakura, xxxHolic, Code Geass, etc.? Clamp's character designs tend are very skinny. Some think they shouldn't cosplay a character they like just because they don't look like them.

That's not true. It is very stereotypical to do such a thing. People should just enjoy cosplay as as it was meant to be, and that is to just have fun with it. It makes me upset to think that you are not able to cosplay who you like just because of what you look like, in general. Reality check? As close as a person can get to a character, you're still not that character.

Competition
Another thing that gets me is people think too highly of themselves. I know this is not the case with a number of people, but it does get to the point where someone thinks they are so much better than another. There are situations where people would sabotage another person's costume and/or costume pieces in order to get on top. Now, mind you this does not happen too often, but it is very possible. The number of awards someone gets does not make you "super special awesome" and think you can say that you're the best in the world. It just boosts your ego further to where you start to believe and take on that egotistical attitude.

Friendly competition, however, is a little better in the sense where someone who may not have won an award of some sort that said person can ask another for advice on how to become better at the craft. I'm okay with that, but, if you start acting all snob-like, then why are you cosplaying in the first place?

Society and Cultural Norms
Then, we have the norms of society and culture of the public. Why can't everyone be equal? What cosplayers do is not just fun and games. They put so much hard work, effort, and time into making their costumes, and yet we get ridiculed. Something happened at a recent con where a cosplayer's costume was, literally, ripped right off that person's body by little kids. What is it that makes them think they could do that so openly as to humiliate him or her? It's possible that it may be a culture thing, but it is still improper to do such a thing after the cosplayer has worked so hard to put the costume together.

Another thing is the typical person would think this is nothing but a waste of precious time. In our minds, we think of it as a way to express our creativity. Cosplay is an art form just like any other artist out there, past, present, and future. The only difference is, unless you're marketing yourself, you're not earning a single penny. That's how much dedication people put into their costumes. They don't expect anything except for appreciation from a passerby or a fan of the series the costume is from.



Now, I know not everything is true, but this is from my point of view. It's how I think things are being perceived. This is also just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the dark side of cosplay. Like everything else in the world, there are bound to be pros and cons.

Definitely going to cover a lighter subject next time, so stay tuned!

More Meeting Grounds

CONVENTIONS!!! Part 2

It's another installment of conventions! Now, I will be covering two more conventions that I have gone to.

 Anime Matsuri - Houston, Tx

(Source: Anime Matsuri)

The first time I went to this convention was for one day in 2010 when it was at the Woodlands, a little north of Houston. It originally started in 2007. A fairly young con, compared to most, but it does pack a punch. They've had big-name guests, like Japanese bands FLOW and Back-On. Matt Mercer, gracious host and awesome voice actor,  There's even a major car show, known as Import Reactor, where people submit their custom-built cars to put on display. This year, it's going to get crazy. First off, it's going to be in the heart of Downtown Houston. Second, Marvel Entertainment and the World Cosplay Summit are coming, so expect a large amount of super awesome cosplayers. Finally, all of the awesome shopping you can do in the Dealers Room with about 50 vendors! Make sure to prep and save up money because this is one convention you don't want to miss. Don't believe me? Watch the promo.

(Source: YouTube)

ACGHK - Hong Kong, China

(Source: AniSong)

Talk about lucky. I was overseas, visiting family on the week this convention happened to be going on. ACGHK stands for Animation-Comic-Game Hong Kong. This is my first, and probably only, convention OUTSIDE of the US. Unlike the conventions held here in the states, their con floor's setup is completely different. Instead of having rooms and panels with guests from the industry and voice actors, the convention is divided into three different areas of one GIANT convention center: Cosplay/Photographer section, Dealers/Artist Alley, and the main stage. Also, be prepared to feel like a sardine in a can because, for this five-day event, it's going to be like that every day. Held during the last week of July, this is THE most crowded convention I have ever been to. It's more of an exhibition than a convention, really. Conventions tend to imply panels, which is not present at ACGHK. Either way, attending ACGHK is an experience. It's a whole other world compared to the US. If you happen to get the chance, stop by and see what it's all about.

That's about it for this time. Stay tuned!

THE Place for Geeks, Nerds, Otakus, and Average Alike

CONVENTIONS!!! Part 1

Yup! Time to talk about conventions! Lots and lots of them happen all over the world at any time of the year! =D How about I cover a couple of the ones I've gone to right now?

A-Kon - Dallas, Tx

(Source: Phoenix Entertainment)

The longest-running anime convention in North America, A-Kon has been going and going since 1990. It is also the largest in Texas. Did you know it started out with merely 380 attendees way back when? Look at the size of it now! Over 20,000 attendees! It's gotten so big to the point where a new location has been appointed for this year, the Hilton Anatole. Lots of voice actors, and music and industry guests, along with many artists, come to gather at this magnificent convention. Did I mention that A-Kon is also one of the top ten largest anime conventions in North America for 2012? According to AnimeCons.com, A-Kon is number 6 with 21,982 participants. You're talking about super cramped space if the numbers keep growing, and it stayed at the Sheraton in Downtown Dallas. ^^; For more information about A-Kon, visit www.a-kon.com.

Oni-Con - Galveston, Tx

(Source: ArtsHound.com)

Originating in Houston back in 2004, this is one of the smaller conventions here in Texas, with its first year having about 3,000 attendees. The numbers have been growing slightly as each year passes, up to about 7,000 or so attendees as of 2011. Mind you, these numbers are a very rough estimate. Oni-Con was the very first convention I ever attended in my life back when it was at the George R. Brown Convention Center. The year, 2007, to be exact. Boy, was I mind-blown. I've met so many awesome guests and artists here that it has driven me to keep going to more and more conventions afterwards. Now, it's moved to beachy Galveston at the San Luis Convention Center, and it's gorgeous out there! XD The point is Oni-Con is still a convention I recommend going to if it's your first time. Start out small and work up to the bigger ones, like A-Kon. I promise you'll have a lot of fun. For more information, please go to www.oni-con.net. As of now, their website has not been updated with the latest information, but it will be as it gets closer to the dates of the event.

What's in store next? Conventions part 2! More conventions that I've been to... Which there aren't that many. Well, stay tuned in! Until next time! =D

Time to Get Started!

So you want to get into Cosplay? Here are few ways (that I know of) to get you started. :D

Start From Scratch!

What do I mean by that? You're starting from nothing and bringing that something to existence. Every great project starts with a little planning. After the planning is done, time to go shopping for materials! Fabric, embellishments, wood, PVC, duct tape, glue, thread... I can just keep going and going like the Energizer bunny because the various types of materials that people use are endless. From there, all you need is the motivation to drive your creative spirit to putting that project into the works. *cough* Deadlines for conventions *cough cough*

Start

Finish

My Kingdom Key

(Source: Platinum Angel's DeviantART)

Skill levels vary depending on the person, but there is nothing like experience and practice in order to get better and build at your craft. =)

Examples of costumes made by the cosplayers themselves:

Ex-Shadow as Vash the Stampede

(Source: Platinum Angel's DeviantART)

        Ex-Shadow, Score, & Malindachan - Zack, Squall, and Cloud

(Source: Platinum Angel's DeviantART)

Thrift It!

Do you have minimal skills when it comes to putting a costume together? Why not thrift it? In other words, go shopping for pieces of clothing to modify and put together. A good place to go for thrifting is a second-hand store (also known as a thrift store), which is where a lot of people go to in order to find those unique pieces that could work out for them. Definitely a cheaper way to go if you don't have the funds or a lot of time on your hands.

Me as Tokiya Ichinose (Summer Uniform)

 (Source: Platinum Angel Cosplay and Photography)

Construction: pants - Goodwill; shirt - Walmart; 

navy tie - ebay (I modified it with glued red and white ribbons);

school patch - ebay

Buy It Online!

No skills or time whatsoever but have the money? By all means, buy it pre-made or ask someone to commission a cosplay for you. It is perfectly fine to buy your costumes. Sure, there are people who will look down those who do, but don't let that stop you from cosplaying. If you're like me, you cosplay for the fun of it, and it doesn't matter what others think. A lot of people go to Ebay because it's fairly cheap compared to other websites, but there may be just a few that happen to be cheaper. When it comes to buying, look for good quality and accuracy at the lowest price possible. It's what I do. =P

So... What to cover next... Guess you'll just have to stay tuned in until next time. :)