Open Forum: Are There Any Cosplayers Left?
by otaking on Aug.25, 2009, under Open Forum
What?! Over 9000?!
Holy crap. Despite Ashley Gosiengfiao’s assertions to the contrary, it seems that based on the comments to yesterday’s Otaku Taiki post, there aren’t actually any real cosplayers anywhere. Or at the very least, cosplay seems to be a very fragile state of being that can be disrupted by the presence of money, professional photographers, or Parokya Ni Edgar, or the absence of competitive spirit, skits, love for the character being portrayed, or by playing a character no one actually knows.
So now we have a dizzying minefield of terms to add to the vocabulary of any unwary newbie (like myself) taking the plunge into the messed-up world of cosplay (which, as previously mentioned, doesn’t appear to actually exist):
- Cosplayer
- Costrippper
- Registered Costripper
- Cosplay Fan
- Cosplay Mafia
- Modeling
- Actor
And let’s not forget Gay, Whore, and DOM, apparently an integral part of any cosplay observer’s repertoire when writing hard-hitting, telling-it-like-it-is reports in the name of Truth™.
What the hell people. Are we so eager to label people differently from ourselves just to proclaim our uniqueness? Maybe it’s human nature for any group to naturally splinter off into factions, but I don’t have to like it.
Someone should send a memo to all those kids in costume, although I think that since some people cosplay as a way to define their unique identities, telling them that they don’t know who they really are will probably just make things worse. 
Are there any cosplayers left out there? Who the heck are you people, really? Do you agree with Ashley’s statement?
“As long as you’re wearing a costume to play a certain character from a game or anime or whatever, then it’s cosplay. That’s all there is to it.”
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August 25th, 2009 on 9:29 pm
I do agree with Ashley’s point there and I am a cosplayer *waves like a retard* There are still REAL cosplayers out there, it is just these terms, “costrippers”, “cosplay fan” etc. etc. makes the division destroying what COSPLAY really means.
Sad but true.
And I just wish, we grow up from all of this labeling. What are we? High Schoolers?
August 25th, 2009 on 9:30 pm
Yes.
August 25th, 2009 on 9:34 pm
*facepalm* let me go into a corner and mourn
August 25th, 2009 on 9:37 pm
I think he meant ‘yes there are still cosplayers’ or ‘yes he agrees’.
August 25th, 2009 on 9:54 pm
“Yes.”
August 26th, 2009 on 12:28 am
Let me rephrase. “Yes, there are cosplayers left.”
…
And “Yes, I agree with Ashley.”
August 26th, 2009 on 9:18 am
Thanks for the clarification o>
August 26th, 2009 on 12:44 am
I don’t feel it’s really that complicated. It’s not as if the terms are mutually exclusive. Can’t a Cosplayer be a cosplay fan AND a model AND a photographer AND an actor?
If a person is an actor, does it make it so that they can’t be a director, a singer, a model, song-writer or even a cosplayer?
It’s sort of like saying you cease to be a writer once you’re a journalist.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:00 am
As per this post, it was actually Robert Wong who introduced such mutual exclusivity. To wit:
“…the point he was making was plain: If you cosplay for its own sake, it’s cosplay. If you cosplay for money, it’s modelling.“
In this comment, he even went so far as to say he was not a cosplayer, but an actor.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:15 am
I’m asking because I want to know. Does Robert Wong represent a significant chunk of the cosplay community, and would they agree with what he just said?
August 26th, 2009 on 1:18 am
Based on many of the comments in that thread, my guess would be no.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:25 am
You can see it this way also:
When you’re singing, you’re a singer. When you’re acting, you’re an actor. When you’re directing, you’re a director.
Does it necessarily mean that you stop being a singer once you’re acting or directing? It could simply mean that’s your role for the event.
I feel the distinction could be for more practical reasons as well. How would other Cosplayers feel, for instance, if a paid model wore a costume financed by a big company then won a Cosplay contest? Perhaps Cosplay contests could be decided simply by who can hire the prettier model and has the funds to finance the most elaborate costume?
The rules might say it’s fine, but I feel it destroys the spirit of Cosplay. I might not agree 100% with Robert Wong, but I can see where he’s coming from – just like I can see where Ashley and Alodia are coming from with their statements.
In the end, I feel that’s the most important thing: to try to see where everyone’s coming from even if you don’t necessarily agree with their opinions.
August 26th, 2009 on 4:01 am
“How would other Cosplayers feel, for instance, if a paid model wore a costume financed by a big company then won a Cosplay contest? Perhaps Cosplay contests could be decided simply by who can hire the prettier model and has the funds to finance the most elaborate costume?”
If she didn’t internalize her character, if her portrayal didn’t ring true, then she probably wouldn’t win. That’s the play in cosplay.
August 26th, 2009 on 10:11 am
I agree with Mike fully. Let Me give you and example. If Jessica Alba were to join a cosplay competition and not project the character than she is cosplaying well. She really doesn’t deserve to win.
However if she does do a great job and the judges award her first. Then by all means she deserves it.
A competition is reliant on the panel of judges they have chosen. I have seen most cosplay events and the judges are usually able.
My Point: Everybody can join a cosplay event, in the end the most well rounded cosplayer wins. If this is not the case then the fault lies with the judging or factors of judging. =)
August 26th, 2009 on 11:15 am
Mmm… Jessica Alba cosplaying. Thanks for that wonderful image, Richie.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:27 pm
So theoretically, if I hire Angelina Jolie to cosplay Lara Croft, she’d floor everyone and win most cosplay competitions out there. She is very well-rounded, after all. XD
Seriously though, wouldn’t one indication of your cosplay being successful (or at least deserving of a popular victory) is when people actually forget for a few moments who you are and they see the character you are portraying?
“Uy, si Alodia!” would be replaced by “Uy, si Rikku!” in this case?
August 26th, 2009 on 1:35 pm
No matter how well she plays the role, you can’t watch Angelina Jolie’s Lara Croft and forget that she’s Angelina Jolie.
August 28th, 2009 on 3:24 pm
You’d be surprised at some people. “Uy, si Lara Croft!”
August 26th, 2009 on 9:17 am
Holy crap. Despite Ashley Gosiengfiao’s assertions to the contrary, it seems that based on the comments to yesterday’s Otaku Taiki post, there aren’t actually any real cosplayers anywhere. Or at the very least, cosplay seems to be a very fragile state of being that can be disrupted by the presence of money, professional photographers, or Parokya Ni Edgar, or the absence of competitive spirit, skits, love for the character being portrayed, or by playing a character no one actually knows.
Nah, it’s just the pro/anti-Alodia and pro/anti-Cosplay.ph debate/people rearing its ugly head. Again.
So now we have a dizzying minefield of terms to add to the vocabulary of any unwary newbie (like myself) taking the plunge into the messed-up world of cosplay (which, as previously mentioned, doesn’t appear to actually exist):
…
What the hell people. Are we so eager to label people differently from ourselves just to proclaim our uniqueness? Maybe it’s human nature for any group to naturally splinter off into factions, but I don’t have to like it.
Different people, different interpretations, different meanings.
C’mon people, you are otaku. Your hobby is filled with terms and concepts that do not have a singular meaning.
For example, “anime”: is it limited to the technical definition “animation made by Japanese for Japanese”? Or could it refer to Japanese animation as a whole? Or could it refer to animation with art style similar to manga? Or can we just stick to the Japanese people’s definition of anime as animation as a whole, eastern or western (as “anime” is just a contraction of the word “animation”)?
The same ambiguity happens in the terms “manga”, “otaku”, and yes, “cosplay”.
Can’t we all just accept that there are many definitions of the the term and agree to disagree on definitions, instead of getting caught up with all this pro/anti-XXXX drama?
(Since this is the internet, I guess the answer is no. =/)
August 26th, 2009 on 9:21 am
Can’t we all just accept that there are many definitions of the the term and agree to disagree on definitions, instead of getting caught up with all this pro/anti-XXXX drama?
You mentioned the word accept. Hmmm… Acceptance…. To accept is to understand and not to judge…. I guess we all have to learn TRUE ACCEPTANCE first
August 27th, 2009 on 2:25 am
I agree wholeheartedly, in that I prefer the terms we use to be as inclusive as possible, instead of making artificial distinctions that only serve to separate us from each other.
As for the pro-anti drama… I guess I really stepped in it this time. Live and learn
August 26th, 2009 on 10:02 am
Cosplayer
Costrippper
Registered Costripper
Cosplay Fan
Cosplay Mafia
Modeling
Actor
Im kinda enjoying this blog area. There are a lot of level headed people who actually have insightful views.
There really is no need to split those things above, because however way you cut it. All those things are part of the coslaying pie.
If you dont believe me. Just go to a convention and ask anybody who is in costume what he/she is doing. Chances are they will say cosplaying. Cosplaying is so much more than putting on a costume. It is Modeling, Acting, Tripping, and being an all out fan/passionate of what you have chosen to do.
How about instead of drawing lines, We erase all of them and just enjoy the simple joys cosplaying has to offer everybody.
There are already those who ridicule the hobby, must the hobby likewise be split from inside. JMHO
August 26th, 2009 on 11:06 am
well thing is, alodia hates mecha cosplayers, aka the guys in big bulky suits…
still dont care what people say, as long as i can wear the mecha costumes me and my friend designs, we are happy.
just lets not get the government involved in this like that cosplay summit thingy. government = complications
August 26th, 2009 on 12:56 pm
GTFO.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:19 pm
Everyone’s entitled to his or her own opinion. Here’s mine: Your post is retarded, and it casts much doubt on your capacity to think.
So, what else did your bosom buddy Alodia tell you about her likes and dislikes?
August 26th, 2009 on 2:53 pm
@Arogo: HUMANITY THANKS YOU FOR THAT. You have NO idea.
August 26th, 2009 on 8:46 pm
and how is my post retarded?
i based my point on finding some of the tallied excel sheets some of the volunteers got that were assigned to count the points.
what she like and dislike is besides the point and just overcomplicates matters. cant do anything bout that. i like lugging around big bulky costumes, she doesnt like it. besides, i have no contact with her to know that. its just that the scores she gave to the ones with really bulky costumes are kinda low compared to those with that dont.
besides… overthinking the point is what caused these kinds of things to happen. it takes a troll to reply to a troll and yes… i am one. or not
August 28th, 2009 on 11:33 am
“i based my point on finding some of the tallied excel sheets some of the volunteers got that were assigned to count the points.
what she like and dislike is besides the point and just overcomplicates matters. cant do anything bout that. i like lugging around big bulky costumes, she doesnt like it. besides, i have no contact with her to know that. its just that the scores she gave to the ones with really bulky costumes are kinda low compared to those with that dont.”
I gave a lot of cosplayers high scores and that includes mecha cosplayers. I judge accordingly. You mentioned “i have no contact with her to know that.” So please do not fabricate and put things in my mouth if you have no valid evidence. Scoring should be confidential but I am sure that I have no partiality when it comes to mecha vs dressy cosplayers. This can be confirmed through the tally sheets. Just so you know, cosplayers are not only being judged according to the difficulty of their costumes, performance also plays a big role.
August 28th, 2009 on 5:26 pm
If scoring sheets are confidential as you say, why was darkseed implying that he had access to them? In excel sheet form, even? Is there a secret circle that trades in cosplay score sheets?
August 28th, 2009 on 3:21 pm
Oh, forgive me. Your post was not retarded…
It was full of groundless assumptions, dishonesty, faulty logic, and overall, RETARDED. GTFO.
August 26th, 2009 on 1:01 pm
I’ve never seen that mentioned anywhere that Alodia hates Mecha’s. Ive personally never heard her say that.
Anyway cosplaying has a lot of different areas that one may specialize in and the diversity is what makes cosplay great. I personally like the female cosplayers as a photographer because there is so much more emotion to them. Of course they are a lot easier on the eyes.
I would never take away from the work it takes to make a mecha suit. Im sure its a very very daunting and fulfilling task. But, IMHO once the mecha is done anybody can wear it and cosplay it just as good as the last guy. =). In my opinion the mecha category should be in a different class altogether in cosplay judging.
I have seen events where a really good cosplayer who projects the character well and looks just like the character he/she is portraying, lose out to a mecha.
When all is said and done itll just be your opinion against mine. All I can say is if makes you happy making mecha suits then do the best ones you can make. Life is short. =)Play as hard as you can..=)
August 26th, 2009 on 2:06 pm
IMO
As i see it, the logic is:
SOME cosplayers are models BUT not all models are cosplayers
So my 2 cents based on the logic i formed is…YES, there are a lot of cosplayers around…
I agree with Ashley but she should clear up what “whatever” means…. lol. Cosplay came from costume play. (am i right?). Regardless if you’re paid to do it or not, one is still a cosplayer if you are in costume and is playing a character. and if you’re paid to do it, you’re both a cosplayer and a model. “As long as you’re wearing a costume to play a certain character from a game or anime or whatever, then it’s cosplay. That’s all there is to it.” 1
But we can’t blame the purists for trying to be unique in their definition. It happens all the time in all aspects of life. Well, I’m open to the idea that “cosplayers” that are being paid are not cosplayers but models… but, i just don’t see the point…
As Chunkybutt said:
“I don’t feel it’s really that complicated. It’s not as if the terms are mutually exclusive. Can’t a Cosplayer be a cosplay fan AND a model AND a photographer AND an actor?
If a person is an actor, does it make it so that they can’t be a director, a singer, a model, song-writer or even a cosplayer?
It’s sort of like saying you cease to be a writer once you’re a journalist.” 2
I guess I have to read more.. to see their point.
1. Ashley
2.Chunkybutt
September 1st, 2009 on 10:04 pm
I think that, in the end, people will always have different views about Cosplaying or what Cosplay really is. It doesn’t necessarily mean that there is an absolute truth, just personal preferences.
In China, Cosplayers might prefer to turn it more into a performing art with acrobatics, singing, and ballet thrown in while in the US, it might be more about making your own costumes as accurately as possible. In the Philippines, it could be something completely different.
Do I believe that a person in a mascot costume who plays the character perfectly is a Cosplayer? Probably not. Why? Simply because if you ask them if they’re Cosplaying they will say ‘no’. Do I believe a LARPer in full costume who acts in character for 24 hours is Cosplaying? Probably not. After all, he’s a LARPer and probably would be insulted if you called him a Cosplayer.
Some people act as if being a Cosplayer is some kind of incredible achievement that carries with it some sort of celebrity status. It shouldn’t be. It should be about emulating your favorite character. It should be about having fun and creating fun for other people – not about marketing yourself.
People should be allowed to be who they want to be. In fact, until they invent professional Cosplayers (like they have professional Beauty Pageant Contestants), it’s not a matter of skill level in construction or even performance, it’s about your enthusiasm for the character and your desire to deliver the ultimate homage.
Do I believe I’m a Cosplayer? Definitely. Do I believe that I’m ONLY a Cosplayer? Definitely not. One facet of me doesn’t define who I am nor does it limit me from doing what I want to do whether that’s modeling, hosting, singing, dancing or whatever.
In the end, what’s important is how you see yourself not how other people see you. We should be the ones to decide what we are and nobody should be able to impose any classification on us – even Cosplay.
So, is a mascot character a Cosplayer? To me, it’s only if he believes he is and he truly wants to be. Is an Impersonator a Cosplayer? Only if he feels he is cosplaying rather than impersonating. Is a LARPer a Cosplayer? Only if he came to Cosplay and not to LARP.
That’s what I believe and it might not be the ultimate truth, but it doesn’t need to be. For me, it’s the only truth that truly matters.
September 1st, 2009 on 11:34 pm
And yet you people lead the first witch hunts whenever anyone dares to hold a different opinion from yours.
People should be allowed to be who they are? Then call your dogs off, you zealots. Or is the slander war you people wage all the time just part of the welcome wagon?
September 2nd, 2009 on 2:49 pm
“It should be about having fun and creating fun for other people – not about marketing yourself.”
Tell that to Shokotan.