Commendation for Cosplay Basics

Particularly since English-speaking fans began to recognize and adopt Japanese anime culture and since American comic culture permeated mainstream culture roughly in the early 2000s, the Japanese fascination with “costume play” has spread globally. Anime and comic book conventions in America are now hotspots for enthusiastic individuals to garb themselves in the elaborate costumes of fantasy and comic characters. The hobby has emerged with such passionate vehemence that it’s even spawned a cable television show. Recognizing the intense & widespread interest in this immersive, interactive facet of comic culture, One Peace Books has translated Cosplay Basics: A Beginners Guide to the Art of Costume Play (Hajimete Demo Anshin Cosplay Nyuumon). True to its title, the book is a thorough and informative walkthrough that introduces seemingly every aspect of “cosplay” to readers who are intrigued but inexperienced with the hobby.

Written and illustrated by veteran Japanese cosplayers Yuki Takasou and Rumine, the 200 page book comes from an experienced insider’s perspective, written from the world’s heart of costume play practice. The thorough “bible” to cosplay begins with explaining motivations to enter the realm of costume play then proceeds to provide advice on specific topics including varieties of cosplay (fantasy characters, uniforms, social fashions), purchasing or making costumes and props, applying makeup, selecting and participating in appropriate conventions, joining the online cosplay fan community, and even self-promotion. The text is composed in a friendly, encouraging voice that focuses on introductory basics yet provides detailed, precise do’s and don’ts including lists of ideal and non-ideal fabrics for costume construction, correct lengths for trimming wigs, body positioning for ideal poses and photography, effective methods of transporting costumes, and etiquette for interpersonal interaction. Detailed, illustrated step-by-step instructions range from designing and sewing a dress to using Adobe Photoshop Elements to retouch photo portraits.

The book begins with an eight-page glossy color introduction. Each of the book’s seven chapters begins with a portion of a cute original manga story about character Reia Kaso’s first steps into the cosplaying community. Rumine’s manga inserts are beautiful; the translation is translated & typeset well with original sound effects retained and unobtrusively translated. The book is published in Western left-to-right format, seemingly as the original Japanese publication was. The book’s instructions and advice reference “uniform” and “fashion” cosplay but focus on “character” costuming primarily for females, although the book does include suggestions for male costumers. Some of the etiquette rules, such as “no cosplaying as police” are more relevant to Japanese culture than American society, but specific references to online resources and stores have been updated to reflect English-speaking resources.

Although a multitude of books about cosplaying are available to consumers, Cosplay Basics inherits an extra degree of credibility and authority due to its Japanese origins. The Japanese are universally regarded as the experts in exceptional amateur-level costuming. The book is clearly targeted at readers who are intrigued by the costuming hobby – both individuals who wish to costume and photographers that appreciate observing cosplayers. However, the book’s 67-pages of original manga and the fact that the book is more comprehensive than just being a dry “how-to” handbook of fabric patterns and step-by-step instructions make the book interesting to all casual readers. The book’s introduction of the psychology and philosophy of cosplay, the motivations and benefits of cosplay, are enlightening even for readers that aren’t interested in participating in cosplay but are instead just curious about the practice of cosplaying.