When is Cosplay Not Cosplay.

There have been a lot of people debating what is cosplay, and what is not. Whether original character cosplay is cosplay/ Gender bending is cosplay etc. And the simple answer is, when it comes to judging cosplays, I don't think there is a good answer. As a former cosplay coordinator, and judge, here's my two bits.

Jrock "Inspired" Cosplay - There has been a lot of debate with the onset of Jpop/Rock into the Anime convention culture wether or not this is or belongs in the cosplay. My answer is no. While I believe that you can cosplay specific outfits from specific bands, making something that is inspired by a mulitudes of artist or the music themselves is a costume/ or a fashion design, Not cosplay. To me the simple act of combining multiple peoples out fits or creating something that is your own personal twist inspired by harajuku fashions takes away the cosplay aspect of this and makes it completely unfair to judge in a competition where other people are graded on the skill and likeness to a character. Note,again,  that this does not include people that find the actual costumes worn in videos and concerts and reproduce them, only the people that feel the need to produce "Inspired material".

Original Cosplay: My Answer...Sorta.  Again, though skillmanship and other things can be judge on a original character we cannot judge them with people that are trying to make something look like something else. For me the actual cosplay is a harder task and a harder bar to meet up with for the simple reason that if it is your own original character and something dosen't look right, you can merely pass it off as "being part of the costume" Where a cosplay of a specific character doesn't have those alotments. You know what every seam is supposed to look like and what you represented.
However, some original characters are created from marketting and other things that allow them to have a visual representation, and to me, that gives the original character more of a foot to stand on and a consistancy of the creation. Something that can be created from a 2d/3d animation or illustration or a game that you are recreating but also put input in holds more of a footing for me then you throwing on what you have in your house and calling it an "original character".  I believe they should be required to provide that reference for judging, as in a print out of their world of warcraft character or marketting materials, as otherwise we do not know what to compare it to.

Gender Bending: Result....Kinda. While Gender bending a costume is taking it out of the exact representation of the costume certain elements are required to create that illusion, and thus I think they are sticking with the spirit of cosplay, and something I feel that the J-Rock "inspired" costumers lack. A female Dante would still have his large leather jacket, just below the black band on his chest would be tits. A female Wolfwood still caries his cross and is still in a business suit, it just has a skirt instead of pants. I think that people that find a way to make a costume the same but different, have some skill even though I feel it would be hard to judge them "Best in show" or other things that create a high competition in a cosplay.

Sexy Cosplay: For me...this is just  "titsfest"  You cant call a wig and some lines on your face "Sexy girl Naruto" or a white lingere with a bit of fur trim "Felicia" . A love hina cosplay should involve more then leaves and a towel. You can't call a guy with black hair and no shirt "sasuke" These are just for attention. They are not skillful, they are not even true attempts at anything but swaying the camera men and the attentions of the pubescent men around them (okay,..okay ..women too!) Also..if you dress like this..don't bitch that dirty old men are taking pictures of you. You can't pick your photographers or the attention you attract.

Animal interpretations: This is another grey area since most people have to be creative with their costumes. No human will be shaped like a chocobo, and not everyone has the skill to make the large creations that we see on the professional cosplay forums. I think for these you are stuck looking at whether the cosplay is identifyable and if you can see the original creation in what was created.

In wrap up. I don't envy the judges of today's cosplay or even the cosplayers themselves (there is some tough competition!). But we do it because we love it, we do it because making fantasy a reality is something that is a grand idea. And for those that judge it we love to see what other people can accomplish with their skill and talent. But hey, that doesn't mean they can all be winners.

Lolli/Hostess Cafes

Okay, first let me talk about a few things I am fine with before I offend the masses with what I am not (and probably what I am) for. Lets face it, if you made it past my first post you should realize that I am not one to shy away from subjects. I am for porn, all types of legal porn. You got a fetish, wave your freak flag proud. Costumes, Feet, Maid, Lolitas, Gay Smut. Straight Smut, Transvestites, Gender Queer, Butts, Boobs, Cream Pie, the "O" Face..... I am for the swingers, the fetishist, the professionals. You all, I tip my hat to and embrace the ideas of you enjoying your life.  Even if you like the stuff I don't, More power to you. But for me its about being an adult that can make your own decisions and the ideas that represent it.

So that being said I couldn't help but notice that one of the anime conventions coming up here in Dallas had a "Host/ess Maid cafe." And I was thinking , awesome. I am aware of what they are in Japan and that sounds like an awesome idea for a con to make some money and its a cute little gimmick/fetish. For those of yu that don't know....A Maid cafe...well they wear maid suits. And a host/ess cafe is a place where you go to have like a little mini date. The Host/ess of your choice comes and sits with you, drinks tea with you, talks with you..its sort of like the boy/girlfriend experience. There is no sex involved, and no even real touching. These cafes in Japan are popular with people in power positions that just want that sort of company for a night and they have been made popular as an idea in the US thanks to some Animes and Life action dramas that revolve around such thing.

But what they are is a fantasy. And while I have NO problem with the people over eighteen doing this, (and I mean absolutely none) I feel that as this is similar in the US to a hooters or something of the like. There shouldn't be any reason to have anyone under the age of 18 participating in this fantasy. No matter how cute you make it, No matter how sweet the girls look and how innocent the idea was in your head it comes down to the other side of the coin. These are grown men/women, coming into a shop, picking out the girl they find the most cute on and spending time with them.
Even on their own website they feel the need to put -  

"However, much like the cafes and clubs that our group is inspired by; there is a line that must be drawn. Touching, fishing for personal information, flirting or any other sort of inappropriate affection will not be tolerated. The club is here to allow visitors to relax and enjoy themselves, not to find a date."

To me this means that they know that not all  these people are coming in with cute intentions. I am sure some people will take this as a cute little idea and just have fun. But what about the people that don't. And Again, I say that over 18 is fine. Yaoi-Con has a bishie auction I am all for becuase all of their participates are awesome tidbits of over age eye candy.

However, In this case. I find it all a bit disturbing.  Not to mention I find it disturbing that con's that are so paranoid about signs in the lobby or people showing off their midriff (or Man nips!). That a con that decided that homosexuality in pictures needed to be marked as adult only no matter the context, would be okay with selling off time with underage girls, no matter the intentions.









 
 
 

Why would you fuck a vampire?

With the epidemic of teenage girls loosing their panties over the idea of a vampire lover, Twilight, multiple Vampire Animes etc...), the timeless question now in place is team Edward or team...that other guy. But lets face it, why would you want to screw any of these guys. Why would anyone want to fuck a vampire?

Logistics:
Cold: Vampires..they are cold. Not just cold. ICE Cold. the fact that you would even want one near you boggles the mind before anyone else. Did you ever look to your lover and say..."Hey baby , let's do it, but not where its warm...lets do it on Ice." Unless you work for a meat packaging company or the ice capades odds are this particular level of fetish has never come up for you.  Past that. Imagine the frost bite.

Biting: Look I have enjoyed a good nip here and there, but I can't see a valentines day card with "I want to suck your blood" Being quite the romance that most girls desire. I just can't see in the middle of a hard core passionate affair , your guy leaning over and removing a large chunk of your shoulder and slowly bleeding you out being that awesome experience. Not to be fair, depending on the lore, some say it add pleasure, some say that the vampire can heal it right afterwards..but.....Next time you hurt yourself...I mean really hurt yourself sit and ponder..Would this be fun during sex?

Hygene: Vampires, you know..No one talks about their cleaning habits. They don't eat, so they don't poo or anything else I suppose. Many of them live in dusty places with cobwebs everywere.  But doesn't this mean since they don't "Live" they don't really mantain? You don't see a lot of shower scenes in vampire flicks...he never takes the time to brush his teeth and go to the dentist does he? What about other things that might grow to live on a body like that? Does a vampire have to Manscape?

Jizz?:What exactly comes out when they are "enjoying themselves" As a lot of lore says blood is their tears..I really don't want to think of what horrible concoction might come out of the undead in the midst of orgasm.

All and all I think that I would not want to do a vampire, and when it comes down to why would anyone else. Even though Hollywood is teaching us to glamourize these teenage blood-sucking bastards of the undead....I really think you should take the immortal words of our generation and "Just say no." If you don't, as twilight teaches us, you end up a married undead chick with a baby that a werewolf "marks" as his own right after highschool. You really don't want that do you?