Saturday, August 1, 2009

Japanese Cosplay as a Form of Art

By Nichelle Hitomi

Japanese cosplay is simply a term for costume play as westerners call cosplay a masquerade. Cosplay covers virtually everything from uniforms, military, fantasy, science fiction, medieval to ones wildest dreams and imagination.

You become a specified character in order to become a cosplayer. The sky is the limit, if you can dream it you can become it. Cosplaying is about having fun.

In Japan it is now a trend to have cosplay parties as well as going to nightclubs that are dedicated to cosplay. The costumes are specifically designed to the exact detail of the character they are portraying. Cosplaying is a unique form of art, like sculpturing or painting. A popular trend in Japan now is to act out non-Japanese fantasy as well as science fiction. Harry Potter for instance has become exceptionally popular, as well as various other popular films.

Browsing the internet you will find lots of pictures of people from all over the world showing off their creations, as well as contests and even lectures on cosplay. Both adults and children take part in cosplay. There is also cross dressing where men take the role of a female character. The Japanese are known for crossplaying. Body suits and masks are worn by the males and they are fully transformed into female characters.

In Japan there are specialized clubs that cater for the sex industry and these clubs are called image clubs. Staff working at the clubs; also dress up as animation characters. Both males and females cross dress while cosplaying.

There are special Japanese cosplay agencies and video game companies that have models, modelling only cosplay costumes. Many film and video companies are scrambling to hire cosplayers. The cosplayers are seen as fictional characters in flesh. Cosplayers have virtually replaced the agency models, as they have the ability to re-create the character they portray with accuracy, and are able to stand apart from standard models.

Japanese cosplay opens a new world, whatever you desire is on sale, and pleasure is the goal. These sexual services have name brands, from fashion massages providing hand jobs, to houses that provide a full house in any which way you would like it, to cafes providing cosplay as well as fantasy rapes. The sex industry in Japan has high standards in what is offered and cleanliness. The Japanese cosplay sex industry is huge business and has said to be larger than the car manufacturing industry netting gross capital.

However there are costumes worn without any conviction by Japanese cosplayers that westerners would not consider wearing as it would be culturally not correct like a Nazi uniform or any other uniforms worn by dictators in the past. Japanese cosplay does not only cover specified role playing but covers all kinds of obsessive fandom.

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