Same.

The fact they are American is irrelevant. Comparing the first costume by someone to a professional cosplayer is unfair.

Plus, I'm pretty sure resources for cosplay will be more limited in a America than they are in Japan.

For example:



That's an amazing cosplay. There are plenty of similar quality in western countries. [Not sure if she's american but she's obviously western.]

Those are the type of things that should be compared. Two experienced cosplayers, not a complete newbie to a pro.

Ooohhh o.o きれいです。

Definitely not true. It just depends on how much you're willing to pay.

Be prepared to lay down at least $1000 (500 GBP, E750, ¥100,000) if you're serious about costuming.

It's only called cosplay in the anime/j-influence subcommunities.

Now that's a good Zelda cosplay. :)

I have no idea, since I don't live in America. Unless you've lived in Japan and America, I don't think you'd be able to tell accurately. It's a pretty logical assumption to make considering Japan pioneered cosplay and such. But anyway, I'm not sure so I'll just take your word. $1000 isn't £500 anymore, it's £690 now.

In England, there are basically no resources for cosplay alone. Everything has to come off the internet [unless you make it yourself of course] and you can't always be sure of the quality when stuff comes from the internet. [Wigs/Shoes etc] There might be the odd store at a convention but nowhere near Japan or America.

I don't see the problem in calling it cosplay when that's what it is... especially when the people who take the most interest in it are the 'anime/j-influenced subcommunities.'

The winner for World Cosplay Summit 2008 was Brazil... dig harder, America has awesome cosplayers.

I do live in both and I have costumes from both countries. A simple costume here will still cost you around ¥10,000 (school uniform, gundam uniform, etc) and go up from there for complexity in props. American costumes typically cost more because they are more complicated. Since no one really does costuming for sitcoms/dramas like anime fans do for anime in those genres, the costumes are not as simple.

Eh, for currency, good yardsticks in any case. Once Americans start spending again, the dollar will rise again and things will level out. That's right, people. In a recession, no matter your country, you need to spend MORE, not less. Counterintuitive to the cashstrapped, but it's true.

You're the Brit, so I'll have to take your word on that. I know nothing about England's subcommunities.

Eh... Not true. Costuming started here as soon as people started war reenactments. And what those in the anime/j-influenced communities would consider cosplay started at book/fantasy/SF cons in the 1970s. Those individuals number in the many thousands, just take a look at any World Con, Megacon, or my Fleet's home con, Dragon*Con. You're talking 20,000 people, most of them in costume, few of them anime cosplayers (especially since an Anime specific con is in the same city only a few weeks later).

Now, again, I speak for America. I have no idea, maybe cosplayers do outnumber costumers in England. However my experience in several cities, Dallas, Atlanta, Chicago, etc, say that the cosplayers are still the minority of convention going costumers in America.

Also:

P1090859 on Flickr - Photo Sharing!

Yeah, we're frakkin awesome. SO SAY WE ALL!

It's not just because of the complexity...but seriously depending on what part of the US you are in, it's simply harder to find what you need and it has nothing to do with how vast or lacking your pockets are. I live in the US as well. Some of each time zone, lol. I find that what you want when it comes to import goods or finding more variety is easier on the coastline states than on the inland. Also, if you want to go back to the money subject, that in itself really is a deterrent for some people. It's not so much what you're "willing" to pay so much as what you have "available" period. :)

Why are you talking about paying to buy a costume? True cosplayers MAKE their own costumes. At the conventions I have gone to (in the US) rarely will you see a store-bought costume. They just don't exist here. There are costume shops in Japan, and they are relatively inexpensive, but you get what you pay for.

True cosplayer? I guess you just made it up. Doesn't matter if you make the costume or not, it is still cosplay.

There's no thing such as fake cosplayer. There are only bad and good ones. Good ones obviously make their own costumes to distinguish among the others... that's what makes them unique.