Rabbit Ears and Silver-Haired Wigs
Me and my friends had begun to discover the interesting sub-culture of cosplay about two years ago. Until now, it still does not fail to raise a few eyebrows to hear that someone "cosplays" for various reasons: 1. it's a unique hobby, 2. it costs a lot of money, 3. it is not THAT popular yet.
Sure, cosplay has gained enough attention for people to know that there exist groups and yearly (if not monthly) conventions to promote it. In the span of time that me and my friends had begun to immerse ourselves in the world of cosplay, we've realized how popular the "hobby" has become.
The reasons for the growing popularity of cosplay could be owed to the following:
1. Succesful cosplayers who have gained enough popularity to inspire others to try cosplaying as well.
2. The fun of dressing up as your favorite character... period.
3. the opportunity to meet other people who share the same interest. Cosplaying, afterall, stems out to other interests-- be it gaming, anime or manga.
One cannot deny that cosplay also tends to unnerve "ordinary" people.. a.k.a. "those who don't know what's going on and why there are people dressed funny walking around". Perhaps that could be counted as another reason for some cosplayers.
Nevertheless, cosplay has always been scrutinized not only for its unorthodox appeal but also because of how some aspring cosplayers sometimes forget that they have to do their best to look like the characters they portray. For this reason, cosplay can become a "popularity contest" based on the person's looks rather than how they can effectively copy their chosen character.
Also, there have been some who unwittingly publish harsh criticisms on cosplayers as well, such as GamerTotoy. A number of websites have also made their lists of cosplayers who have not only missed the point of cosplaying, but have done it poorly... on that note, they cannot be blamed for their negative reactions.
But there is a difference between trying to improve the hobby of Cosplay (in the sense that more people can enjoy the events and learn a thing or two about this subculture) and bluntly criticizing every single negative aspect it has.
Cosplay could become an art, really... the problem is the lack of objective writers who can effectively and frankly critique cosplayers, and therefore give them points for improvement as well as praise those who have achieved something noteworthy; constructive criticism could also serve as reference for aspiring cosplayers! Moreover, we also need cosplayers who are actually willing to be critiqued... but in most cases, cosplayers just join for the fun of it and not to actually perfect their skills in acting out as a fictional character.
It seems that until cosplayers and cosplay "critics" want to remove the fun out of the event, and replace it with a cold seriousness which belongs to the realm of art, we can only remain distant observers of this pop-sub-culture.
Disclaimer: I used these cosplay photos for the reason that I don't know who the people cosplaying are.... precisely because I haven't asked their permission to post their pics. If YOU are the cosplayer and want to be mentioned in this post, feel free to tell me by replying. :)