Winter Comiket is a Tokyo anime-manga-games-otaku convention dedicated to fan-made comics (doujinshi) and merchandise. It’s held at the Tokyo Big Sight on the last three days in December. Cosplay is a huge part of the event too.
However, the location for cosplaying has changed yet again. I thought the garden area was good for photography last year, but very crowded. Using the carpark(!) makes for terrible backgrounds, but it’s easier to navigate.
I think perhaps the oddest cosplayer I met was the Eiga Dorobou. If you’ve ever been to a cinema in Japan, there’s an ad beforehand featuring this prancing guy with a camcorder for a head warning you not to record or download the film. So, that guy. There were also the inevitable and unwelcome Nazi cosplayers. What is it about anime events that make these people go, “Hm, Gamers… maids… butlers… I guess I’ll get my Hitler outfit”?
More tasteful outfits included this rendition of Batsubukuro man, a character often found on NicoNico Douga.
However, I’ve always found the nicest people to be the cosplayers who are doing it for fun. I had a warm welcome from a Kuroshitsuji cosplay group consisting of Ciel, Sebastian and Trancy (from Kuroshitsuji Season Two).
As I mentioned in my last Comiket report (Winter Comiket 2009), cosplaying from older series is less common in Japan. However, there are always a few classic characters whose popularity persists.
The last section of cosplayer types is probably the most popular amongst photographers. These women don’t necessarily have to have chosen a popular character to cosplay.
I had a look around at doujinshi, but nothing really caught my eye, mainly because few of my favourite series are popular right now.
Outside was this anime-themed car to advertise IS: Infinite Stratos. Photos aren’t allowed at Comiket except in the cosplay zone, so it’s a fairly common advertising strategy to leave interesting things to photograph outside the venue. Quick plot of IS, found on Wikipedia, is that special mecha are created that can only be piloted by women, until a boy is found who can pilot them too. He has to attend a mecha training academy as the only boy. Not something I’ll be watching, but nice car.
Afterwards, I decided to walk from the Big Sight to Tokyo Station. What I didn’t know was that you’ve got some amazing views on the way there, with Tokyo Tower and the Tokyo Sky Tree clearly visible either side of you.
