The Art of Cosplaying

I don’t know a lot about cosplaying but I was really amazed by the time and effort that cospalyers put into their costumes when I accompanied my cousin at the Mindanao Cosplay Summit (MCS) 2012 held at SM City Davao last October 27-28, 2012. I was able to witness the final day of the event. Aside from the registered participants, there were more than 200 walk in cosplayers who joined in during the final day.

Here are some of the cosplayers during the event.

According to Wikipedia.com, Cosplay is short for “costume play.”

Cosplay is a type of performance in which participants don costumes and accessories to represent a specific character or idea. Cosplayers often interact to create a subculture centered on role play. A broader use of the term "cosplay" applies to any costumed role play in venues apart from the stage, regardless of the cultural context. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cosplay). 

How did Cosplay start?

I thought cosplaying is a new form of art. But it has actually been around for more than two decades. The site cosplay-ftw.com said that it was Nov Takahashi who coined the term in 1984.

              

The term “cosplay” was coined by Nov Takahashi in 1984, while attending a sci-fi convention in Los Angeles. He was so impressed by the costume masquerade that he wrote about it in Japanese sci-fi magazines. Word spread quickly through Japan of this new performance art. And the rest is history. Many people believe cosplay originated in Japan, but that’s not necessarily true. Forrest J. Ackerman inspired fan-costuming worldwide when he wore the first futuristic costume, made by Myrtle R. Douglas, to the 1st World Science Fiction Convention in 1939 in Caravan Hall in New York.

Since then cosplay has spread to countries across the globe, like the Philippines, China, Italy, France, Mexico, Brazil, Russia, Canada and the list continues. Despite the many impressive creations that come out of all these places, Japan is the largest exporter of quality cosplay. Why? Because the Japanese have taken cosplay to a new level. They’ve managed to turn it into an art form, inspiring fellow cosplayers worldwide. (Not to mention making something as geeky as dressing up like cartoon characters look pretty cool.) It’s no wonder most cosplayers, who have acquired celebrity status for their creations, hail from Japan. (http://www.cosplay-ftw.com/what-is-cosplay.html)

Cosplaying today:

Cosplayers today are very diverse. Aside from superheroes and favorite animated characters, many are donning costumes of characters from different popular games like Dota and Diablo. What makes the art even more remarkable is not only how creative and imaginative the cosplayers are. They are also great actors and actresses. As soon as they put on their costumes, they are in character. They leave their identities behind and bring their chosen character to life.

One of the well-loved cosplayers in the country is Alodia Gosiengfiao, who graced the event last Sunday. She is believed to have given a face for cosplayers in the country. She is also well known in the international cosplay scene.  She was present not only to show support but also to judge the candidates. Candidates from different parts of Mindanao came. There were participants from General Santos and Cagayan De Oro City.  Participants competed on categories such as: solo, pair, group and walk in.

Two thumbs up to all cosplayers who have dedicated so much to bring their favorite characters to life. This way, the rest of us can have a picture of how these characters would be like if they were alive.

Photos: Courtesy of JR Makiling