A group of cosplayers showcase their painstakingly made outfits and accessories

The popularity of manga and anime has segued into a performance art that allows fans to enter the world of their cartoon characters.

Cosplay, a Japanese word combining “costume” and “play,” has emerged as a popular art, originating in Japan and spreading to other countries and continents.

Cosplay participants, called cosplayers, outfit themselves with elaborate costumes and accessories, portraying a manga or anime character’s personality, behavior and language.

In Vietnam, cosplay has been quickly adopted by local manga and anime fans - or otakus as they are widely known on cosplay Internet forums.

Since 2005, several major cosplay festivals - “AM Festival,” “Stylish Festival,” “Viet Otakus Festival,” “Komikku Festival” and “Duo Cos” have attracted thousands of teenage fans in Hanoi and HCMC.

The most popular characters to be ‘cosplay-ed’ are heroes and anti-heroes from well-known Japanese cartoon serials like “Vampire Knight,” “Sailor Moon,” “Conan,” “Dragon Ball,” and “Mario.”

The ACC Club, a popular Internet-based entertainment channel for otakus and Japanese movie fans, has also seen more participants featuring characters from movies and comic books in its annual cosplay gala called Active Expo.

Comic book publishers like Kim Dong and Vang Anh also organize cosplay shows and contests as a rendezvous point for cosplayers to showcase their hand-made costumes and acting talents.

Costume making

Since most of the characters are imaginary and some are even supernatural, it’s almost impossible to create an exact copy of the character’s costume.

However, cosplayers spare no effort to get close, paying attention to the smallest details like buttons and button holes, and accessories like brooches, necklaces, bracelets, hair pins and earrings.

“An outfit design is normally sketched out from the images in the comic books, either in colors or just black and white, then more details added based on the story or color images found on the Internet,” says cosplayer Dan Tam, a student of the HCMC International University.

An intricate cosplay outfit and accessories can cost a king’s ransom. The Kuroro Lucifer costume which vied for honors at the Kim Dong Summernight Cosplay contest in Hanoi last year is a good example.

The 17-year-old silver medalist, owner of the costume, said he spent VND 26 million (US $1,500) to have the outfit and accessories made by a renowned tailor and jewelry shops in Hanoi.

Several shops in HCMC now offer cosplay fans with ready-to-wear costumes, priced from VND400,000-1,000, 000 (US$23-57) per item.

Cosplayers with deep pockets can also order a yukata – a summer kimono from Japan, for VND 3,000,000-5,000,000 ($171-286).

However, according to Tam, making the costumes is the most exciting part of cosplay since cosplayers have the flexibility to let their own creativity and imagination come into play.

“Cosplay doesn’t mean you have to spend a lot of money as many people may think. We make the accessories from everything available at hand, a Coca Cola can, a used plastic water pipe, cardboard or even an old T-shirt,” says Tam adding that making the costumes also helps cosplayers understand the characters better.

“Shops may have glittery costumes and eye-catching accessories but they are quite expensive for ordinary students like us. Moreover, the weapons are not safe enough I think; you can hurt your friends on the stage. That’s why I prefer making weapons from paper and cardboard and encourage my friends to do the same,” says cosplay enthusiast Son Thach, student at the HCMC University of Natural Sciences.

Not a catwalk

Nowadays, cosplay festivals are also adopting other Japanese fashion trends including lolita-primarily influenced by Victorian era children’s clothing, harajuku – a street fashion style with color-blended costumes, and jrock - a costumed imitation of Japanese rock bands.

However, these unusual-looking styles are quite different from cosplay which also involves some acting.

“A true cosplayer doesn’t just wear an outfit and showcase it to the audience like a fashion model on the catwalk. When you wear a costume, you must be transformed into your character. You must think what your character may think and react in a way that he or she normally would in the story,” says RMIT student Tuan Huy, member of a cosplay group called Type Moon Revolution.

The reaction of adults to cosplay festivals varies. To some, it is an imported culture that goes against traditional values, or an eccentric fashion that encourages materialism and a virtual life.

But for 52-year-old Phan Nguyet Anh, cosplay isn’t just a hobby or a fashion trend for her daughter.

“The kids gather at my house every weekend to make the costumes together. I realize that cosplay helps my daughter make friends and helps her socialize better.

“At first, I was a bit shocked to see what they were wearing, but then I realized cosplay isn’t all about costumes and acting, it also educates the kids to protect the environment by recycling used stuff. As long as they still have time for studying, why not?”

Anh even has a sewing machine at home to help her daughter with costume making.

“It looks like we still don’t have any interesting Vietnamese comics that could inspire Vietnamese cosplayers. Wouldn’t it be good to see a cosplayer wearing a modern Vietnamese ao dai instead of a Japanese kimono?”

Reported by Mai The