Comike just finished last month, and various activities full of otaku culture have provided a reason for homestayers from Japan and around the world to go crazy. AND AMONG THEM, THERE IS NATURALLY NO SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN COSPLAY. I believe that many friends who have watched COS should have this feeling: why is the effect of COS much better than ours for foreigners!? For this reason, the Japan Cosplay Photo Association invited some girls from Russia who love COS during this year's Comike. It was featured in a Japanese media outlet.

■We hold a related event in Moscow once a month

While participating in otaku cultural events, Russian beauties also did not forget to check out the traditional Japanese style of "yakatabune" (a Japanese-style ship on which banquets and other events are held). In the evening of the same day, they appeared in colorful yukata and were interviewed in front of the sunset that was about to enter the sea.

Moscow is almost 8,000 kilometers from Japan. There are very obvious differences, both geographically and culturally. SO WHY DO THESE GIRLS CHOOSE COSPLAY?

A girl named Alina replied, "My dad loved watching anime, so I've been in touch with Japanese anime since I was a child. As for the opportunity to start playing cosplay, I thought I could find a friend through guò. "In terms of time, she should have been interested in Japanese anime through works such as "Britney" and "Sailor Moon".

Cosplay started in order to find like-minded friends, which is the same as many Japanese otaku. But will there be a lot of people involved in cosplay in Russia?

Nascha, a Russian girl who speaks Japanese very well, told reporters: "There are cosplay events of different sizes in Moscow, and they are still very lively. Almost once a month. Some events with a large number of participants can even attract about 1,000 people. ”

IT SEEMS THAT COSPLAY EVENTS IN RUSSIA ARE EVEN MORE EXCITING THAN WE THOUGHT. Especially for large-scale events, there are some Japanese-style shops such as pù to create a festival-like atmosphere. Just imagining it makes people feel funny.

■Some of the COS behaviors are known to the company!?

In Japan, cosplay has become a common phenomenon in society, but it is still common to suffer from colored glasses. So will there be a similar phenomenon in Russia?

Janet, who has a large figure, said calmly, "Cosplay is nothing, my mother was very happy to see it, and then took a lot of photos of my cos." ”

However, there are also other sounds of zài. Tees, who has a pair of seductive eyes, admits: "The first time I showed my friends what I looked like, I scared them. Not only that, but she also encountered a lot of misunderstandings: "My grandmother even said, 'Are you joining some strange religion?' Hurry up and quit me! But lately, it seems to be getting to be understood.

It seems that the family of the Russian COSER is also divided into those who understand and those who do not understand. So what would happen if the company knew about my COS? In response, Florsel tells his story:

"I'm also very open in the company. And I explained to my colleagues: it's an art. And I played it out of interest, so there's no need to explain it in particular. After all, I'm still working hard! ”

Looking at her unrestrained attitude, it is indeed very different from the COSER we are familiar with. Especially in Japan, there are few people who can carry out COS activities with such confidence. But does this statement represent everyone's opinion? Not really.

Alina, for example, said, "I didn't show any interest in this at the company." Because people may complain, 'You're not an actress, why do you have to dress up like this?' 'Oh, after all, I've been a lawyer for a year, and sometimes I'm seen by my colleagues......"

There was another message from Alina's words: a lawyer. It should be said that being a lawyer is also a very high-end profession. In addition, Floser is an analyst at a pharmaceutical company, and Nascha works at a bank. Of course, although there are many white-collar and above professional types among the girls who play COS in Russia, there are also students like Zhu Ke who are still in school, and there are also some people who are engaged in beauty. There are many different classifications of occupations.

But while everyone's profession is different, what they all have in common is that they have a strong sense of curiosity. Japan is a country far away from Russia, and in order to obtain information about anime, they even had to resort to English to obtain information. You can really see the curiosity of these girls.

■ What is the fun of cosplay?

But when it comes to interest, we can think of many kinds of content, such as sports and reading. SO WHY DID THEY CHOOSE COSPLAY? What is the fun of COS?

Tis explains his motivations: "I really like Glenn Gülen from Macross F. Her ability to stay optimistic even in the face of adversity resonated with me. So I imitated her dress. ”

Because I like the work and the characters, I want to imitate this aspect of the content. This sentiment is probably the common sentiment of COSERS all over the world.

In addition, Janet also made this observation:

"Cosplay is not the same as just taking pictures. It's a lot of fun to be able to become one with the character. And through guò is integrated with the character, and you can also have a further understanding of the works in which the characters appear. ”

The other girls also responded with questions such as "I became a different version of myself" and "I am happy to make zuò clothes". Sure enough, cosplay is a culture that knows no borders, and it is a place where all human beings can enjoy it.

■How do I get COS materials?

Looking at the appearance of their COS, in addition to having enough looks and figures, the high quality of the clothes is also impressive. So how did they get these COS materials?

"Basically, it's all handmade," Flossel said. In Moscow, COS materials are also sold in anime stores, but they are too expensive. So I think almost everyone does it themselves. ”

When she participated in this shooting event in Japan, she prepared Elizabeth's costume from the game "BioShock". Vivid blue with a velvety texture creates an alluring curve. It looks as if it was taken straight out of the game, and it reproduces the thick texture of the game's clothing. This kind of manual technique is really superb!

In terms of clothing, it is good to make zuò. But how to deal with wigs, the core link of the COS process? Is this also self-made?

"Although there are some domestic wigs sold in Russia, the quality is too poor. Therefore, most of them are sent from China and Japan in the form of online shopping. Gesha replied with a regretful expression on his face. She is currently working in the beauty sector. Because of this, when she was the commander of COS Levi, she gave herself a very sensual hairstyle.

■ Should I go to sympathize with Russian otaku?

This time, all of them came to Japan as female cosers. DOES THAT MEAN THAT THERE ARE NO MALE COSERS IN RUSSIA? If anything, are they all handsome guys?

Faced with this question, they all laughed. Subsequently, Sophia answered for the reporter:

"If you want to talk about handsome guys, it's estimated that there is only 1 person out of 10 people. And many of the men who participate in COS are uncles. And all muscular men are dressed up. Isn't there a COSER called KANAME in Japan? That's a handsome guy. But although there are such handsome people in Asia, there are very few of us in Russia......"

It seems that when it comes to the problem of handsome guys, they are all very disappointed. RUSSIAN MALE COSER! Being complained about by your own compatriots like this, how can you be embarrassed?

However, during the interview, we also learned a little about the situation in the Russian COS community. In other words, "The girls who came to Japan this time are among the most beautiful people in the Russian COS world. NOT TO SAY THAT ALL FEMALE COSERS ARE AS BEAUTIFUL AS THEY ARE. ”

It seems that although the girls had such and such resentments about Russian otaku before, the female side can be regarded as half a catty. Seeing this, do you readers feel relieved?

For the time being, the issue of COS has been put to rest. In the following interview, we will learn more about the Russian aspects of animation.

Comike just finished last month, and various activities full of otaku culture have provided a reason for homestayers from Japan and around the world to go crazy. AND AMONG THEM, THERE IS NATURALLY NO SHORTAGE OF PEOPLE WHO PARTICIPATE IN COSPLAY. I believe that many friends who have watched COS should have this feeling: why is the effect of COS much better than ours for foreigners!? For this reason, the Japan Cosplay Photo Association invited some girls from Russia who love COS during this year's Comike. It was featured in a Japanese media outlet. In the first part of the report, we learned why they love COS, but what surprises will there be in the second part? Hurry up and read on!

■ Ghibli works are a common sense!

At the end of the day, will Russia broadcast Japanese anime?

Sofia explains: "Russian state television often broadcasts Studio Ghibli productions. There are also Sailor Moon and Naruto. ”

Ghibli's works are also popular in Russia. The COSERS who came to Japan this time also listed a number of works, including "Howl's Moving Castle" and "Spirited Away".

Nowadays, thanks to the Internet, people all over the world can get information about anime at the same time. As a result, some relatively new works have also gained a good popularity in Russia.

"Russians know Attack on Titan. Like Japan, it has sparked a craze in Russia. A girl named Gosha said. She looked exactly like Captain Levi. When she uploaded her picture of the COS commander to the relevant website, it sparked heated discussions in the COS circle around the world.

However, it is not possible to have as many works as in Japan. "Some channels that specialize in anime will arrange events such as Japan Anime Screening Week, Japanese Anime Theatrical Festival, etc. But I don't really broadcast too many works. ”

However, although the number of broadcasts is not large, the works that can appear in front of the audience are bound to be classics. Popular works of the juvenile genre, including "Death", "Death-Notes", and "Fullmetal Alchemist", are also very popular in Russia.

■ Big-eared monkeys are cute......?

When it comes to Russian animation, I'm afraid that many people can think of that work. Yes, it's "Big-Eared Monkey". So is this bear-like character with ears as big as his face being welcomed by his native people?

"I think Russians grew up watching Big-Eared Monkeys. However, other domestic Russian animations tend to place more emphasis on the moral aspect...... The description is also not very delicate, so it is not very interesting. ”

From Zhu Ke's words, it can be seen that the key to the success of a work is to "be incredible enough", after all, the big-eared monkey is also an incredible creature. It's just that most of the Russian animations are aimed at children, so they are slightly inferior in this aspect.

So, what's so interesting about Japanese animation?

In this regard, everyone said, "I like Japanese animation so much that I can't describe it all." However, Janet also made this suggestion:

"First of all, the characters, and the story description is more realistic. For example, the so-called fantasy works, it is said that the zuò should be made according to the preferences of the people, right? However, in Japanese animation, there are many depictions of daily life in this genre. This makes the work more interesting. ”

In addition, Alina also believes: "Even the background and some soy sauce characters are portrayed very well, which gives the work a sense of solidity." And Gosha also said: "I think it's great to be able to reflect some social issues from time to time. As for Nascha, she added: "The music is also very good. ”

But when asked about their favorite works, it's also a little exciting. Go! Inaka Billiards Club", "Kiss of Heaven", "Angel Hunting Zone" and "Black Contractor...... There are many works that are not well known to Japanese people, but they regard them as their favorites. It looks like these girls really like Japanese anime.

■Is the everyday department actually a non-everyday department?

It should be said that anime fans all over the world will find popular works such as "Naruto" and "Sailor Moon" very interesting. But what about everyday works? For example, is it interesting to depict ordinary life in Japan, such as "The Girl with a Light Voice"?

To this, Janet replied, "I think Japanese culture is completely different from Russia's, but that's what makes it interesting. The Japanese, unlike the Russians, attach great importance to group activities, as well as to the elderly. ”

It seems that the daily life of Japanese people is very ordinary, but in their eyes, it is full of the charm of a foreign culture.

In addition, the girl-oriented anime works that do not have any flashy action scenes have also been well received.

For Alina, "Ouran High School Men's Public Relations Department" is a work that makes her fall in love with all the characters. In addition, she has recently developed a strong interest in the love animation "Love Complex".

In the United States, some shoujo comics with strong love colors are not very popular. And according to some Russian know-it-alls, many Russian women have a strong self-assertion and are used to dominating love.

Even so, these cosers still talk about shoujo manga, which is surprising!

In addition, there is a tendency to think that in Russia the issue of homosexuality will meet with the cold eyes of the public. So will there be BL-oriented works in Russia as well?

"Rather than saying 'BL,' the term 'YAOI' is more popular in Russia," Alina said. I think the preferences for this area are still different from person to person. However, there are some avid fans. ”

That is, there are also rotten women living in Russia! It seems that the sea of rot is endless, and it has been covered all over the world.

Previously, we tended to think that daily animation could only be supported by a limited audience. But when we talked to the Russian girl, our perception changed. It often resonates with people when they talk about anime, and it also reflects the energy of Japanese animation. It was a truly eye-catching experience. When we think that some works have a limited audience, we don't realize that they are actually global. The power of Japanese animation is really powerful!

■When it comes to holy places, it must be Akihabara

During this visit, the COSERS were given the opportunity to have free time for just one day. So where exactly are they going? And the answer is self-evident - "Akihabara!" ”

"I bought a lot of COS supplies and took them home as souvenirs." (Gosha)

"There are no maid cafes in Russia that are common here. I only do these things when I'm doing activities. That's why I've wanted to come and see it for a long time. (Tish)

Although it was a short time, they still had enough fun in Japan.

Russian women always give the impression of being very strong. However, after contacting it, I realized that it was just prejudice.

They weren't very used to photography. For the pendulum POSE is not too good at the look. However, in the face of the various requests made by the photographers who participated in the photo session, they still tried their best to meet them.

In addition, they maintained a very cordial attitude towards journalists who did not know anything about Russia: "Russians don't eat caviar or anything every day." It's only eaten at festivals. "When I think of my mother's cooking, I think of borscht."

RUSSIAN COSERS LOVE ANIMATION. Everyone was very friendly and gentle. He plans to visit Japan again by the end of this year. I hope that not only this beauty will also deepen international exchange through the interest in otaku culture. This will probably change many people's impression of Japan.