A popular hobby among devotees of anime and manga, cosplay — costume combined with play — pays tribute to fans’ favorite characters. Donning a costume offers shy geeks an anonymous mode of self-expression and fun. Traditionally homemade, cosplay attire is now easy to find in shops catering to otaku. From roots in Japan, the phenomenon has gone international: The world’s largest cosplay event, Comic-Con, takes place in San Diego. But the center of the cosplay universe remains Tokyo’s Akihabara district, the vast high tech mall where teams of enthusiasts perform spectacularly choreographed dances set to manga theme songs.
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That’s Wired Geekipedia’s definition of Cosplay.
Personally, I’m not a fan of it. But yeah, a couple of quick/simple thoughts.
Firstly, I find it a bit odd that they find their self-expression in pretending to be someone else. That kind of takes the “self” out of “self-expression” doesn’t it?
Secondly, and more importantly, I think it shows that all of us need self-expression. Even the “shy geeks” need to express themselves sometimes.
What about you? What is your form of self-expression?
