ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 1 vw ANIMASIA DISCOVER THE NEW WORLD L E A R N T H E N E W C U L T U R E O F YOUTH B R I N G Y O U R C H A R A C T E R I N THE REAL WORLD G E T I N S P I R A T I O N FROM YOUR IDOL THE WORLD OF 2.5 DIMENSIONAL
PAGE 2 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION CLOTHES MAKE A STATEMENT, COSTUMES TELL A STORY
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 3 4 INTRODUCTION 6 WALK THROUGH THE HISTORY 8 HOW DID IT GET SO POPULAR? 9 HOBBY TO CAREER 10 VARIOUS OF LOOKS ! 16 MALAYSIA NEW YOUTH ERA 12 WORLD ENTERTAIMEnT 17 CREATIVITY OF MALAYSIA 18 MEET YOUR IDOL 23 EDITOR STORY TABLE OF CONTENTS TIME
PAGE 4 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF COSPLAY A portmanteau of “costume play,” is a performance art practise in which participants, known as cosplayers, dress in costumes and fashion accessories to portray a particular character. A larger definition of the term “cosplay” includes any costumed role-playing in settings other than the stage and refers to the subculture that cosplayers frequently engage to establish. Any subject that lends itself to dramatic interpretation is acceptable. Anime, cartoons, comic books, manga, television shows, and video games are some of the most popular sources. The words “costume” and “role play” are the two counterparts that were described earlier.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 5 WELCOME TO THE WORLD OF COSPLAY “ The costumes you make yourself are the greatest. Superheroes, villains, and fandoms of every kind join together for a fun-filled evening! ”
PAGE 6 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION START FROM THE BEGINNING I n the 15th century, masquerade balls were a common part of the Carnival season. These festivities included triumphal processions honouring marriages and other dynastic events of late mediaeval court life, as well as increasingly complex allegorical Royal Entries, pageants, and celebrations commemorating these events. During the Italian Renaissance of the 16th century, they were expanded into extravagant dances given for members of the higher classes and were especially well-liked in Venice. At a spectacular costume party that Jules Verne hosted in April 1877, he sent out approximately 700 invitations, and several of the guests showed up dressed as Verne’s invented persons. From the 19th century onward, fancy dress parties or costume parties (American English) were common. The majority of the costumes in historical costuming manuals, such as Samuel Miller’s Male Character Costumes (1884)and Ardern Holt’s Fancy Dresses Described (1887), are generic and represent historical eras, nations, items, or abstract ideas like “Autumn” or “Night.” Although some of the costumes there are taken from fiction, such as The Three Musketeers or Shakespeare characters, the majority of them are for actual persons. Forrest J. Ackerman and Myrtle R. Douglas, better known as Morojo in the fandom, were the first science fiction fans to attend a conference dressed as characters. They donned “futuristicostumes,” such as a green cape and breeches, for the 1939 1st World Science Fiction Convention (Nycon or 1st Worldcon), which was held in the Caravan Hall in New York, USA. These outfits were inspired by the 1936 film Things to Come, which was designed and produced by Douglas, and pulp magazine artwork by Frank R. Paul. However, fan costuming gained popularity, and the 2nd Worldcon (1940) featured both an official masquerade and an unofficial masquerade that took place in Douglas’ room. Leslie Perri’s Ming the Merciless costume that David Kyle wore to win the masquerade beat Robert A. W. Lowndes’ Bar Senestro outfit for second place (from the novel The Blind Spot by Austin Hall and Homer Eon Flint). After that, masquerades and costume balls remained a staple of the World Science Fiction Conventiou.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 7 Since 1998, a number of cosplay eateries have popped up in Tokyo’s Akihabara neighbourhood, catering to die-hard fans of anime and cosplay. The waiters at these cafés dress as anime or video game characters; maid cafés are especially well-liked. In Japan, the Harajuku neighbourhood of Tokyo is the go-to area for unofficial gatherings and in-public cosplay. Cosplayers attend events in Akihabara in large numbers. Cosplay is popular throughout several East Asian nations. As an illustration, it plays a significant role in the Comic World events that are held frequently in South Korea, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. The historical origins of dressing up as fictional characters can be found in late Ming Dynasty China in the 17th century. Ishoku-hada is a type of Japanese cosplay in which participants paint their bodies to match the colour of the figure they are portraying. This enables them to depict characters from anime or video games with skin tones that aren’t human. HOW DID THE WORD COSPLAY CREATED? COSPLAY WORLD THROUGH ASIA In 1984, the word “cosplay” (kosupure in Japanese) was first used. Since the 1990s, there has been a sharp increase in the number of cosplayers as a hobby, making the phenomenon an important component of popular culture not just in Japan but also in other East Asian countries and the West. Fan conventions frequently include cosplay events, and today there are many conventions and competitions specifically for cosplay as well as social networks, websites, and other media. All genders find cosplay to be quite popular, and crossplay, or gender bending, is frequently observed.
PAGE 8 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION Most people begin cosplaying as a way to demonstrate how much they adore a certain character, series, or video game. Cosplay is still practised today as a means of self-expression, escapism, and community involvement. Even though cosplay may appear to adults as a form of fun dress-up, it has many deeper and more significant meanings for the community’s members. People work very hard and adore their costumes. You can’t truly understand something until you’ve experienced it. Cosplayers will have a tonne of fun using the costume to essentially demonstrate their devotion and root for their favourite game, anime, TV programme, etc., in the same way that sports fans will enjoy donning the jersey of their favourite team to express their support at a game. In the end, people start cosplaying because it’s entertaining, even though it takes a little more work to get into full costume. The charisma and confidence that the character represents can sometimes be embodied by dressed as the person you aspire to be. It’s far simpler to portray the poise of a princess when you’re dressed elegantly, the unwavering optimism of a shonen protagonist when you’re sporting their hero costume, or the carefree attitude of a roguish character when you look the part. POPULARITY OF COSPLAY When participating in a fandom, cosplay is a way to express who you are and your interests. It’s not always particularly lucrative to cosplay. But some individuals have been successful in gaining enough notoriety to make a life doing this. It is simpler to act someone else by cosplaying. It’s excellent if you want to become an actress. However, even if you’re not, you can still get the experience of looking for traits in fictional characters that will help you become a better version of yourself.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 9 HOBBY CAREER TO If you do develop into a professional cosplayer, you could earn enough money to support yourself. You may be able to earn $50k to $75k per year. Only the best cosplayers can make more than this, and some of them may even make more than $50,000 per appearance. There are several endeavours you can pursue to earn money, whether you want to become a professional cosplayer or you simply want to generate enough money to support the pricey habit. The popularity of social media and websites like Instagram and TikTok has increased the availability of modelling, commissions, and sponsorship opportunities. Selling items, making commissioned costumes, or working as an online content provider are all ways to monetize your cosplay. You can make money with cosplay if you gain a large social media following. Few people, though, are able to make their pastime their fulltime job. In actuality, few cosplayers who aim to earn money accomplish so significantly. Generally speaking, you can consider yourself fortunate if your earnings are sufficient to pay for the costumes you design. That’s big for an expensive pastime like cosplay. But it also won’t cover the costs.
PAGE 10 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION STANDARD COSPLAY CASUAL COSPLAY When you hear the phrase “cosplay,” your first thought is probably of standard cosplay. This is the time when you attempt to dress as faithfully as you can like a beloved figure. Although modest costume modifications may be made to increase comfort and reduce expenses, the cosplayer will typically be identifiable while donning the character’s official attire. Cosplayers will either create their own costumes, buy costumes, or get specially made outfits for their cosplay. Whatever the approach, the goal is to dress as nearly as possible to your favourite character. Of course, you can also decide to wear a less well-known attire from your character. In spite of the fact that the character in the concluding song sequence never wears the costume during the anime’s timeframe, I’ve seen people cosplay with it. Casual cosplay is quite different and frequently cannot be distinguished as cosplay. Instead than trying to replicate a character’s appearance exactly, the goal is to wear an outfit that was inspired by a favourite character. The cosplayer creates a costume that mimics the hues, designs, or traits of their chosen character. It allows you to incorporate a character’s bravery, kindness, etc. into your own actions. This is a way to covertly cosplay in public, whether at work or school, without anyone noticing. You can dress nerdily without anyone noticing, or you can be as forthright as you like about the source of your outfit’s influence.m VARIOUS KIND OF LOOKS
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 11 ORIGINAL CHARACTER CROSSPLAY Since there is no concern for authenticity, it is much simpler to create a comfy outfit for an original character. Alternatively, you can create a fantastic and complicated costume to test your costume making abilities. The design and production of them may be a lot of fun. The main drawback is that no one will know your character, thus getting images at a convention will probably require you to work directly with a photographer. When cosplayers dress in a costume that does not reflect their own gender identity, this is known as crossplay. Here, you want to change your appearance such that it resembles that of a different gender. This entails applying makeup to your face to make it appear more masculine or feminine in accordance with the role. It also entails changing the way the rest of your body is shaped. In order to add curves to the breast and hips, a male crossplayer would dress as a female avatar. Chest binders are frequently used by female crossplayers to help smooth out their curves. VARIOUS KIND OF LOOKS
PAGE 12 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION WORLDS ENTERTAINMENT A 2.5 dimensional musical, commonly referred to as an anime musical, is a style of contemporary Japanese musical theatre that is based solely on well-known Japanese anime, manga, or video games (Japanese: 2.5, Hepburn: nitengo jigen myujikaru, shortened 2.5D musical). A two-dimensional story being brought to life in three dimensions is referred to as a “2.5D musical.” A total of 70 2.5D musicals were produced in 2013, drawing at least 1.6 million viewers, the majority of whom were young women in their twenties. In Japan, 2.5D musicals are frequently regarded as the launching pad for many aspiring actors.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 13 DEMON SLAYER LIVE STAGE JUJUTSU KAISEN LIVE STAGE NARUTO LIVE SPECTACLE NARUTO Raibu Supekutakuru debuted in Tokyo in March 2015. Live Spectacle Naruto, a component of the Naruto Project, includes scenes from volumes 1 through 27 of the manga. Akiko Kodama wrote the script and is the director. Jujutsu Kaisen the Stage is scheduled to debut on July 15 at Tokyo’s The Galaxy Theatre and run there through July 31. At Mielparque Hall Osaka, it will thereafter run from August 4 to August 14. Kouhei Kiyasu wrote the play, which is directed by Kensaku Kobayashi (The Laughing Salesman, Patalliro!) (The Shawshank Redemption, Hajime no Ippo stage director and scriptwriter). Four movie theatres in Fukuoka Prefecture will display the show! “Kimetsu no Yaiba,” a manga by Gotouge Koyoharu, is serialised in “Weekly Shonen Jump” (published in Japan by Shueisha). In addition to a full-length film titled “Kimetsu no Yaiba” Mugen Ressha-hen, the TV anime adaptation of the narrative was broadcast in 2019! The stage production has a who’s who of illustrious names. The script and staging of the show were under the direction of Suemitsu Kenichi, who previously worked on the stage adaptation of “Touken Ranbu” and numerous other works.
PAGE 14 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION COSPLAY IS NOT A CONTEST OF WHO CAN BE THE BEST OF A CERTAIN CHARACTER. “ “
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 15 COSPLAY IS A COLLABORATION OF THOSE WHO CAN HAVE THE MOST FUN CELEBRATING THAT CHARACTER
PAGE 16 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION MALAYSIA INTO THE NEW WORLD When “Otakus,” or lovers of Japanese animation, congregate to buy anime and manga books and goods, compete in costume contests, and see their favourite seiyuu (celebrity cosplayers), celebrity cosplayers, and Japanese singers, they are participating in a cosplay convention. According to Napier, the word “otaku,” which roughly translates to “obsessive fan” or “technogeek,” is a Japanese term. In Kuala Lumpur in 2002, a modest exhibition called Comic Fiesta was held in the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. With the site shifted to the Impiana Hotel, also in Kuala Lumpur, Comic Fiesta 2003 performed well. The standing capacity was increased to 300, which is double what it was with the smaller room. At the National Visual Art Gallery of Malaysia, Comic Fiesta 2004 took place. The famous Sekolah Sri Sedaya became home to Comic Fiesta for the following two years. In Malaysia, the cosplay subculture is slowly but gradually growing. Cosplay is done in “different metropolitan places as well,” in addition to conventions . In order to inform Malaysians about the growing Anime, Comics and Games (ACG) community in Malaysia, Sequential Arts Youth Society (SAYS Youth Society), a non-profit organisation, set out to organise an event that would help local and foreign artists and talents advance Malaysia’s creative sector. As a result, since 2002, Comic Fiesta has become Malaysia’s longestrunning ACG event. With barely 200 to 300 visitors, Comic Fiesta debuted as a tiny exhibition at the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall in Kuala Lumpur. Since its inception in 2002, Malaysia’s largest animation, comics, and games (ACG) event, Comic Fiesta, has expanded into one of the largest events of its kind in SouthEast Asia and has become a must-attend event for Malaysian illustrators, comic artists, cosplayers, and fans, according to star2.com. Because they are so passionate about their hobby, cosplayers of all races, ages, and nations congregate in Malaysia every December. When the first major anime event, Comics Fiesta, was organised in Malaysia in 2002, cosplay really took off there. The longest-running conference in Malaysia has a concentration on animation, comics, and gaming called Comic Fiesta, or CF for short (ACG). The celebration of all forms of artistic expression is its main goal (and the ever popular ACG culture). The Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre in KLCC is one of the venues where Comic Fiesta is typically hosted in December. The first and largest non-profit ACG convention in Malaysia is now hosted there under the tagline “event by fans for fans,” and it is run by a group of volunteers who want to introduce Malaysians to the excitement of comic cons. Many people thought that the event had finally found its home because of the event’s advantageous location. It didn’t, but in 2006 it did become the site of the invention of Cosplay Chess. The following year, Comic Fiesta was relocated to Berjaya Times Square in Bukit Bintang.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 17 MALAYSIA INTO THE NEW WORLD CREATIVITY OF MALAYSIAN In Kuala Lumpur in 2002, a modest exhibition called Comic Fiesta was held in the Selangor Chinese Assembly Hall. With the site shifted to the Impiana Hotel, also in Kuala Lumpur, Comic Fiesta 2003 performed well. The standing capacity was increased to 300, which is double what it was with the smaller room. At the National Visual Art Gallery of Malaysia, Comic Fiesta 2004 took place. The famous Sekolah Sri Sedaya became home to Comic Fiesta for the following two years. The Malaysia International Exhibition & Convention Centre in Mines Wellness City became the new home of Comic Fiesta in 2015. 45,000 people came to Comic Fiesta 2015 over the course of two days. Flow, Majiko from Exit Tunes, Inc., Reika, Jin (behindinfinity), and special guests Danny Choo, Hajime Tabata, and Wan Hazmer from Square Enix are among the guests who will be performing. Malaysia is a very conservative nation despite having a wide variety of religions, races, and cultures because 60% of the population is Muslim. Although Chinese people predominate the cosplay community, it is common to find Muslim people seeking to take up cosplay as a hobby. The majority of Muslim women in Malaysia don a headscarf after they reach adolescence. They make this decision on their own as a way to uphold God’s mandate on modesty and to outwardly demonstrate their Muslim identity. Additionally, wearing loose, non-revealing clothing is frequently done when wearing the hijab. Despite being a conservative nation, Malaysians are surprisingly receptive to the idea of this Japanese culture and are gradually coming to terms with the fact that this new interest is here to stay. The growth in ACG events every two weeks makes this clear. Comic Fiesta was then relocated to Putra World Trade Center in 2016. Despite the fact that transportation was much simpler, the venue was still thought to be too small for the high number of participants. The venue changed back to KLCC for Comic Fiesta 2017 in order to accommodate the growing number of visitors.
PAGE 18 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION IDOL INSPIRATION
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 19 Aichi Prefecture native and SP-1 member Akari Akase is a Japanese singer, cosplayer, gravure idol, online personality, and actress. She began her entertainment career as a cosplayer and rose to fame on TikTok. She made her debut as a gravure model in 2020, showing up in photobooks and magazines like Weekly Playboy. She made her acting debut on television in 2021, and in 2022, she released her first single as a solo artist, “Koi no Yukue,” which served as the theme song for the anime television show My Dress-Up Darling. She developed a passion for anime at a young age, and in high school, she oversaw the volleyball team at her school. She made the decision to start cosplay due to her enthusiasm in anime after retiring as the club’s management. She would also be able to use the money she had made from her part-time jobs to fund her cosplay. She subsequently made the decision to launch a TikTok account, which gained popularity swiftly and had over 900,000 subscribers as of November 2020. She accepted the opportunity since she had always wanted to be an actor and with the blessing of her parents. She made her acting debut on television in 2021 when she appeared in the Fuji TV drama series Mr. Good-looking with Fuju Kamio and Shihori Kanjiya. Akase made her solo music debut in 2022 by releasing her first single, “Koi no Yukue”, on February 23, 2022. AKARI AKASE
HAKKEN RYOU Popular Malaysian cosplayer Hakken Ryou is from Sarawak. With more than 3.8 million Instagram followers since they began their career, they are regarded as “royalty” among anime fans for their exquisite, intricate cosplays of attractive male characters. It has undoubtedly taken them places, having spent half of their life as a cosplayer. Hakken loves to travel, which is not surprising. Hakken creates the ideal scheme to accomplish two goals at once by combining his two hobbies. Hakken believes that social media’s influence has had a significant impact on their work. “Many people wouldn’t be able to view my work or even know who I am without social media. I think it has given my career a boost and opened up chances outside of cosplay that I never would have thought of on my own,” says Hakken. Hakken is in the right spot. They publish editorials about how powerful it is to be true to their artistic expressions and to have the freedom to do what feels right. Hakken emphasises the value of being honest to oneself while discussing having the courage to be realistic. PAGE 20 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION
AI NURUL One of the most well-known hijab cosplayers, Ai Nurul, is the SweetyCon ambassador and has more than 30K Instagram followers. they began cosplaying in 2015, obtaining the innovative hijab fashion concepts that caught people’s attention because to their enthusiasm in anime. Ai Nurul is currently considered as one of our pioneer talented Hijab Cosplayer, because of her unique technique in Hijab arrangement. She currently get invitations to events as a guest to demonstrate the technique in Hijab arrangement. To ensure that the concept will remain the same, they will conduct research before beginning the style. Even though she became a hijab cosplayer, Ai Nurul still continues to emphasize the importance of covering the aurat to other Muslimah cosplayers. As her final wish, she hope that hijab cosplay will brings more beneficial outcomes in the future. ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 21
PAGE 22 ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION COSPLAY IS FUN AND EXCITING AND ITS EASY TO GET WRAPPED UP IN THAT EXTCITEMENT BUT REMEMBER TO TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF.
ELECTRONIC PUBLICATION PAGE 23 EDITORS STORY TIME ‘ Greetings, My name is Alya Natasha, also known as Ashlyn, and I am a student at the University of Selangor (UNISEL). This is the semester ’s final project for the course Electronic Publication. Question: Why did I choose this theme for my project, and where did I acquire the title? I created the title “AnimAsia” by merging the words “anime” and “Asia”. Since anime is a 2D animation that originated in Japan and is viewed by people all over the world, it is growing in popularity. The reason I chose this theme is that cosplay has now become a new culture for all anime enthusiasts. Prior to this, I was puzzled as to what cosplay was and why it had become so popular in Malaysia. After doing some research, I’ve finally come to understand what it really means, and it has also caught my attention. With the MCO outbreak, cosplay culture in Malaysia increased in popularity. Although some individuals believed that cosplay made fashion appear ugly, cosplay is actually one of the ways in which it has improved. So in my opinion, as long as we have a sense of beauty and fashion, cosplay can be fun and create curiosity about our sense of style among other people, even if we are influenced by anime characters. Don’t let others upset you about your fashion; instead, show off your masterpiece and let the world know about it.
It can change someone’s life ; it’s very positive for young teenagers to get into cosplay if they do it with their freinds or with supervision from their parents - it can really foster their social skills.