Japan's legendary Comic Market ("Comiket") isn't only about unlicensed underground comics. It's also a chance for the cream of Tokyo's cosplaying crop to strut their stuff. Although free to walk around the show floor, the vast majority of the cosplayers congregated in a "photographer's ghetto" of sorts on the rooftop of the convention center. Let me emphasize just how bitterly cold it was up there that day. Most of the cosplayers withstood the wind and chill in little more than thin spandex outfits. What dedication! Still, I couldn't bring myself to prepare yet another run-down of freaks in costumes. Because I actually found myself far more intrigued by the freaks doing the shooting than the players themselves. Observe. (Click to see 'em huge.)
A passable "Noriko" from "Aim for the Top: Gunbuster"....
And her expensively-equipped fan. Digital SLR, external flash... That's easily $1000 worth of gear.
I'm not kidding about the expensive equipment. You should have seen some of the rigs these (amateur!) cameramen were hauling around, all purchased, no doubt, for the express purpose of shooting otaku girls in skin-tight anime outfits. Here's a dynamic duo...
...And their legions of admiring fans.
Smile for the camera, now:
What cosplay event would be complete without autograph-signing (and undoubtedly male) "dollers"?
This dude didn't just have the expensive single-lens reflex camera and external battery rig for his flash, but a customized backpack stuffed full of high-end lenses and other gear.
The hungry crowd closes in:
One more for the road. These two were last spotted boarding a Galaxy Express bound straight for Steve Harrison's house.
That Maetel is pretty good...looks like she struck a good balance between the two vastly different 'concepts' for her outfit..sometimes it seems like all it is is an elaborate coat over a naked body, sometimes it seems like a coat over a dress. Part of the key is that fur capelet...
The Tetsuro suffers from the main problem that you just can't escape with many Matsumoto characters- body proportion to the clothing. A hat with a brim that goes *past* your shoulders just can't look right, and it never works when the hat is fabric over a wire frame (like a plushie) instead of stiffened felt or leather.
Proportion is where so many Yamato cosplay fail. All the colors, the 'this is my penis' arrow, the stripes on the sleeves, the cuffs, it's all proportionate to the character. So many heads tall, so many hands wide, never the same from character to character.
Listen to me, like I know...I haven't dressed up since the '70s....except for my 'casual Tochiro' costume (the SSX version) during the '90s...
Posted by: Steve Harrison | January 05, 2007 at 09:20 PM
Listen to me, like I know...I haven't dressed up since the '70s....except for my 'casual Tochiro' costume (the SSX version) during the '90s...
Steve, it takes a big man to admit that you dressed up once. You get a pardon. ;p
Posted by: Roger | January 06, 2007 at 01:46 AM
Hey, I'm not afraid to say I dabbled in cosplay. I think it might keep me out of political office however...
I believe in 'body shape relevant' costumes, so I'm a bit limited...but right now I could be a killer Sado-sensei if I was 4 feet tall...oh wait, I have all my hair...
Posted by: Steve Harrison | January 06, 2007 at 08:17 AM
Man...you ain't kidding about those guys having major gear. When we were in Akihabara, there were a ton of these guys snapping pics of girls dressed in maid outfits strictly to advertise maid cafes. A good system, really...they get some pics, and then take flyers and listen to the "maid"'s spiel....
Posted by: hillsy | January 06, 2007 at 01:43 PM
I wonder if those maids handing out the flyers and working the ballyhoo give good 'master'.
As in "please try our cafe, master, it would make me so very happy to see you there" and such like.
That's probably enough to brainblast many otaku right there.....
Say, is Maidburger still in business? I understand the mayfly nature of these things.
Posted by: Steve Harrison | January 06, 2007 at 03:28 PM
Matt Murray of Corn Pone Flicks really does have Harlock's body.
Posted by: Carl Horn | January 10, 2007 at 04:42 AM
Seamlessly slipping into otaku mode, I prefer the white rather than yellow accoutrements for Noriko. Also, she doesn't look very genki. Maybe this is the sad Noriko, but in that case let's see some self-doubting tears, which can then be vanquished by hard work and guts.
Posted by: Carl Horn | January 10, 2007 at 04:45 AM
If I may be super picky on the Noriko, the main reason I think her cosplay fails is, she doesn't have proper '80s style legwarmers.
That's kinda sorta key, having the proper floopy droopy legwarmers.
Posted by: Steve Harrison | January 10, 2007 at 06:35 AM
That's true. Even loose socks might have worked.
Posted by: Carl Horn | January 10, 2007 at 08:00 AM
I suspect the lack of genki-ness is at least partly due to the fact that she's wearing what amounts to a bathing suit in subzero temperatures. Hardcore, these Comiketters....
Incidentally, about a bazillion more photos from the event are up on this Japanese blog:
http://eg.nttpub.co.jp/event/comiket06w/index.html
Posted by: Matt Alt | January 10, 2007 at 10:33 AM
As David Letterman once said of the Ice Capades, "Cold air plus thin costumes equals entertainment for Dad."
Posted by: Carl Horn | January 10, 2007 at 02:02 PM