My thoughts on cosplay at Comiket 75 (winter)
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> I was just about to say that. I wonder, > though, does Comiket have bad cosplayers as > well or do we just not get to see them > because no one bothers taking pictures of > them?
I speak only about what I saw this time at C75, I reckon the proportion of "fucken awesome" cosplay is very high.
The boys’ changing room (I can’t speak for the girls) is basically a big open carpeted space, the sort of thing you’d use for a dinner function at a hotel. Just with no barriers, no tables, nothing. Some random observations:
There are a lot of boys crossplaying, it could be as high as 50% of them (guessing). It’s naturally harder to call them "really good cosplays", but it’s evident that there’s lots of love for what they’re doing in either case.
A lot bring a big suitcase along with all their gear. You simply can’t travel there in your outfit, so this suitcase is like a treasure chest.
- Despite whatever reservations Japanese have about strangers, the atmosphere is very jovial and camaraderie is evident; I had people offer to help with the zipper on my dress four times. People are here to have *fun*.
- I don’t believe I saw any "gag" cosplays. Nothing silly, no 5 minute jobs, no duct tape. They’re here to have fun, but they take their fun very seriously (if you’ve ever visited an arcade in Akiba then you’ll understand precisely).
Other thoughts: I’m still not sure how I feel about photographers. I may not be privy to a lot of background, history and convention, but a lot of it feels clinical, emotionless and like an unequal power relationship.
This guy’s wearing mil-type camo gear all over, carrying a big DSLR camera with a secondary battery grip and dedicated flash unit. The thing on his waist is a camera bag, large enough to accomodate pretty much the whole camera at once, with extra lenses off to the sides. The camera makes a fluttering noise as it takes several pictures a second.
I guess this suits the desires of the cosplayer and photographer alike, but I can’t help but feel like there should be more to it. There’s no apparent effort to get to know anyone or learn more about them, and the process seems akin to shooting catalogue photos with a mannequin.