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 Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:07 am
I was actually recently having a thrilling debate with a few friends and family members that are into cosplay discussing what is more important when considering a cosplay...the accuracy of the details and the person wearing the costume, how tasteful the costume is and it's appropriacy in public, and of course how comfortable the costume is to walk around in for several hours at a time. Each of us had our different opinions. I will share some....
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:10 am
~On Accuracy~
My little brother, who I will refer to as Mini Reeper believed that accuracy and attention to detail was the most important. Each and every little detail you can include into a costume may not be very tasteful (such as the Nazi swaztika pendant required to cosplay Rip Van Winkle of Hellsing) or very comfortable, (Such as the metal helmet for the Witch King in Lord of the Rings) but it's these attentions to detail that will make the judges' wow even if the rest of the convention may think they are a bit out of line or they don't feel very comfortable. He's 13, so give it up for a junior cosplayer with a sense of opinion. It's nice to see this.
Although, my own personal response to this was that accuracy may not always be very tasteful and some times can be taken too far. At times it's best to consider your limits when it may make you uncomfortable or distress those around you. For example, though I love the character Rip Van Winkle, I'm aware that her pendant is considreed offensive to a wide group thus I would not wear it if I were to cosplay her. I have seen many people do this. On a more extreme note, if you were to cosplay from a hentai, such as La Blue Girl or Bible Black ,it would be perfectly accurate to come in completely naked covered in a questionable white substance with an appropriate wig, but none of us would do that because not only is it not tasteful or comfortable, it's illegal. So that's another thing to consider with accuracy.
Please feel more than welcome to share you input on accuracy and it's importance in cosplay. Shouls it be the most important, the least? Tell us why you think so.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:17 am
~On Tastefulness~
It is my personal belief that being tasteful is one of the most important things in a costume. It may not be the most accurat costume as a result, but it will flatter a person's figure better if perhaps they lengthen a skirt that may not suit them or opt not to show their mid drift. Even when designing your own costume (Such as your own version of a sexy jutsu) you can can be tasteful and not walk around with a bunch of cotton balls glued t yourself and perhaps include a stylish outfit such as a lolita dress version of a charatcer which tends to be flattering on most any body type.
However, my younger sister, Kibachan, believes that sometimes worrying too much about how tasteful a costume is to the public can take away from the accuracy of the character and I agree with her on this. Some costumes can't really be adjusted for taste without destroying the core bits of a character's design. If a character is supposed ot have a revealing costume, such as Etna from Disgaea, there isn't much you can do to it to make it more tasteful without really taking away fromt he chaarcter to the point where you may nto be recognized.
Please feel free to share your opinions on the importance of how tasteful a costume should be. Whether you thnk it's a good or bad thing to be tasteful and why you feel this way.
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Posted: Mon Mar 01, 2010 10:27 am
~On Comfort~
My good friend DJ Eddie and I were discussing a costume he would like to make the other day, but the costume would essentuially be a fullbody powersuit. This wold of course put his comfort in jeopardy and I'm not so sure I woudl want to walk around for several hours on end at a convention in somethign like that. I often find that people in costumes like that have a hard time walking, manuevering around int he dealer area or artist alley, sitting down when going to see panels or demonstrations and above all else going tot he bathroom. Just because the chaarcter does not need ot pee doesn't mean that we ourselves can turn off our bodily functions. Comfort is very important to me.
However, Eddie brought up a fabulous point. Many of the best in show winners at several conventions were costumes that hardly looked comfortable. Men lumbering about in The Big Daddy from Bioshock and one of many svereal Gundams were more than likely to win an award than the guy dressed as Inuyasha or the girl as Saukra of Naruto. So in the end it was the idea of not being able to have your cake and eat it too.
Please feel free to discuss your thoughts about comfort and it's importance in cosplay with us here.
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