Every cosplayer has heard it: the Japanese are superior in all things cosplay. Some even argue that we Americans shouldn’t even bother with cosplay since we will never be able to live up to Japanese cosplayers. But is that assumption actually true? I’ve been to a Japanese convention, and here’s my take on it.
(DISCLAIMER: I don’t know everything there is to know about cosplay, or Japan, but I do have some experience with both, so take this for what it’s worth)
The short answer, in my opinion, is no, the Japanese are not superior cosplayers.
The slightly longer answer is that they sometimes are. But there are a ton of problems with the assumption that they always are. I can break them down into two big concepts though:
1. The assumption that the Japanese are better at cosplay seems to hinge on the idea that there is something about being Japanese that makes you a good cosplayer. Or something about being Asian that does. This is assumption is not only wrong, but insulting to everyone. I don’t personally hold race, or even gender, as a significant factor when it comes to whether a cosplay is good or bad.
2. Japanese conventions work very differently from the ones we’re probably all used to.
I too saw all those pretty pictures of amazing Japanese cosplayers and half thought that that was all I was going to get at the Tokyo Game Show. But once I was actually at the convention and understood how it works, I saw the bigger picture.
First, you don’t just cosplay like we do. You don’t show up in cosplay and stroll around doing what you want. There are special cosplay changing and photo areas. You bring your cosplay, change into it, go to the photo area, take some pictures and change back to your street clothes to go home.
This changes things significantly. It also probably deters a lot of casual cosplaying. People putting together an L or Raito from clothes in their closet are not going to go display that at a Japanese convention. It’s not worth the trouble.
And the differences extend outside of the convention as well. Cosplay stores full of beautifully
-made costumes, styled wigs and all the accessories you could need aren’t uncommon in big cities. In Japan, you don’t need to order a costume from China if you don’t want to make it. You can go to a store in a city and buy it used for around $60 or $70 (on the cheaper end. There are a lot of more expensive costumes available as well). That’s not to say no one makes their costumes. But even the tools for doing that are sometimes easier to find there (for example, a product called Lionboard, which is great for things like armor, is only available there or online).
There are a lot more reasons, but I’ll stop myself here.
The point is that no one is superior based on where they live or what race they are. That assumption is based on a ridiculous premise. I don’t think I even needed to go into the differences in how conventions are run to prove my point, but I did anyway just to make it stronger. But at the base of it, the assumption that anyone is superior at anything because of where they come from is almost always going to be wrong.
So I guess I spoke too soon. In this case, even the long answer is simply, flatly: no.
February 26th, 2009 at 9:29 pm
Very interesting — I didn’t know that about how Japanese cons operate. To me, that takes a lot of the fun out of cosplay if I go, change, take photos, change, and then leave. I love walking around, getting stopped, and just being in character.
The idea that just because you’re Asian makes you a better cosplayer is just ridiculous. Personally, most of the characters being cosplayed look Western. So I don’t see how this makes a difference.
Good argument!
February 27th, 2009 at 1:18 am
Well said hun! seriously I hear this too and I agree its a big fat NO!
Yes they have exquisite cosplayers who have the most amazing cosplays.
SO do everyone else! yes they may have some stuff that we don’t have here in the states but we can handle it without it.
I been told that I’m lucky cus I’m asain and that I can cosplay just about anything and look good. Then they tell me that they look bad as they don’t look asain….I just facepalm at that comment and tell them anyone can cosplay any character.
February 27th, 2009 at 2:09 am
It’s hard to compare Japanese conventions to American ones, let alone European ones, because aside from some of the the exhibits, little is the same. There will always be great cosplayers from every corner of the Earth.
Not to mention that good cosplay is subjective; one person may think you are amazing, while another judges you only so-so =)
February 27th, 2009 at 6:40 am
Heh, sounds like they even have it a little easier.
Phrases like “always are” hardly holds up, anyway—especially when they involve generalization.
February 27th, 2009 at 10:30 am
But if people who live in Japan, Japanese people, have shops dedicated to amazing cosplay and some pretty awesome cosplay material like Lionboard as apposed to us that don’t. Doesn’t it makes sense that the Japanese are hailed as being better? If you compare them to British cosplayers, for example, who need to import damn near everything, I’d say that Japanese cospaly is better. But maybe that is just due to an unfair advantage. Also you can’t really blame the lay out of a con as a reason why they aren’t as good as others say. We have lots of different convention styles over here to. Expos aren’t a great place for elaborate costumes but Conventions where you stay on site like Ayacon are perfect. get changed, take photos, change back.
February 27th, 2009 at 5:13 pm
I agree that they aren’t inherently better, but that it is a bit easier to find supplies and manufactured costumes to pick up. It also helps that the hobby is a bit better understood there in my opinion. But creativity and passion knows no boarders! I am impressed by cosplayers from all over the world!
March 9th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
But Japan IS superior. It’s not insulting. God knows America does plenty of things better than Japan. TV and Movies for example, and the visual effects houses that provide their special effects. Should Japanese people be insulted if someone suggested that America does better visual effects work in film? Should the Japanese be insulted if you say that America makes better airplanes or spacecraft or military weapons? Should we be insulted that China is better at manufacturing than us or that Holland makes better chocolate than us or that Germany makes better beer than us? Come on. That’s nonsense.
It’s simple economics. Different countries choose to specialize in certain things and as they get better at it, and a mature industry grows, they develop a competitive advantage. It has nothing to do with being born superior (though geography certainly plays a role oftentimes).
Japan’s cosplay industry is far more mature than ours, hence the ability to buy elaborate costumes and lionboard locally. Whether this is cos they’ve been doing it longer or because of some social differences between the two cultures is irrelevant. The fact is, they’ve got a more mature cosplay industry, and apparently a more enthusiastic population.
They’re better than us at cosplay. So what? Just cos we’re Americans doesn’t mean we have to be best at everything. Guess what . . . they make better cars than us too. And their healthcare system puts ours to shame. Our porn is better, as are our movies and tv shows. Their women are hotter. Our men are.
Who cares?
March 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I agree with shmokse. Japan has been working longer and harder on the whole cosplay industry. Why not compliment their efforts by saying they are the best when it clearly shows? Not to say there arent some awesome American cosplayers out there. I have found a number of crazy good American cosplayers on cosplay.com. Also, I think when people say that Japanese/ Asians are better at cosplay, I think they are mainly talking about pulling off the look and style of characters. Male cosplayers seem to have it easier since male anime/game characters(more for game) tend have more of the western/European look. For American female cosplayers its a little more difficult though.
1. Most FEMALE anime and game characters have rounded faces and features like the japanese/asians, some westerners have this too, but a lot of western female cosplayers tend to have more sharp, defined features that dont always suit the char they are cosplaying as.
2. (this goes for both male and females)Everyone knows America has a weight problem..and that doesnt mix well with cosplaying. I’ve seen my fair share of weight challenged people cosplaying as characters who are thin..sometimes in revealing clothing which is a HUGE no no. Its rare to see an anime/game char that is overweight. Female chars are usually fit/skinny/sometimes ridiculously skinny, and asians have the advantage of being naturally petite and thin (of course there are some that don’t watch their weight too, but living in Japan there aren’t as many temptations for bad health choices as in America so its also easier to stay thin there). Note: I am not saying ALL American cosplayers are overweight. There are a lot that are thin as well, just not as much as in Japan.
3. As mentioned in a prior comment,”Personally, most of the characters being cosplayed look Western.” Some characters may have features like hair and eye color which is more of a western style(i.e blonde hair blue eyes, both which can be easily changed), but the facial features still mainly lean towards how the Japanese look. What I CAN think of that western cosplayers have over eastern is height (for both male and female characters), and also there tends to be more females in America that have the “endowment” that so many anime characters have, lol.
4. Japanese tend to have the same attitude and carry themselves naturally in a way to fit a certain character since creators usually base their anime characters personalities off of how the direct public they live in and see everyday act and go about things.
Lastly, when I hear or read ppl that say Asians are better cosplayers…I usually dont hear “always” in the sentence anywhere. I’m sure everyone can admit that there has been American cosplayers that have pulled off a character better than an Asian. Also a lot of American cosplayers don’t SEEM to try as hard to pull of a character as the Japanese do, but thats probably due to the whole limited availability of cosplay supplies in America.
Anyways, I think American cons would be more fun compared to one in Japan. But as for the actual dressing up and cosplaying, Japanese people pull it off better for the most part. Mind you all this is just pertaining to Japanese created games and anime..I dont think Asians could pull off the look of a DC or Marvel character as well as an American or European. Although I’m sure there are exceptions to that too. =^-~=