And when The Week heard about a cosplay being organized even in Kathmandu, we sought out the organizers and had a chat with one of them about the upcoming event.
“Nepal hasn’t really hit it off in terms of cosplay till now. But we just didn’t want Nepal to lag behind in this worldwide phenomenon, and it’s always been a dream of mine to take part in or host an event such as this in Nepal,” says Miki Tanaka, one of the organizers of the event.
“It’s not necessary that you have to be an anime character when you cosplay; it could even be an actor or actress, music artists to Lolita fashion, or even your own concept.”
We asked about what their expectations were for the event, and Miki told us that they weren’t really sure of how many cosplayers would show up, but they have high expectations.
“We personally know of a few cosplayers, and those interested have come forth to us at out Facebook group, Cosplay Nepal,” Miki adds. The FB group, as of now, boasts 310 members, and their recent newspost reads, News: Wigs rumored to be available at the Suraj Arcade.”
“We realized that we really couldn’t do a full on cosplay convention because our people aren’t really that comfortable with having to dress up as characters. More than once, we’ve had people come up to us and tell us their insecurities about having to walk around in costumes for the fear of being made fun out of, or getting dirty looks, and so on. But as we’ve been telling people, it’s about having fun, and one shouldn’t be worried about that. We’ll have other cosplayers there, too, and we’ll be doing our best to promote the idea and lessen, if not erase, the misconceptions that surround the concept in our society.”
Miki, however, shares with us her other worries about the cosplay event, and tells us that the first thing is that there are no cosplay shops right now in Nepal. So, one has to make one’s own costumes from scratch. This may be a hassle if one is gunning for more complex costumes such as those from Vampire Knight, or Trinity Blood. But if one chooses a simpler costume, it shouldn’t be a problem. One can go to boutiques like Innovate, which is located at Nag Pokhari near Taxxi, or shop in and around Ason for the fabrics, because boutiques usually charge more for materials. For the accessories right now, it must be made by hand. So googling it up on Internet or YouTube is a good idea. One can also check it out with costume shops that cater to schools and theatrical troupes.
“Cosplay showcases creativity and imagination. So most cosplayers abroad make their own costumes. Meanwhile, our society is another hurdle, as well, because as we all know when someone follows a certain style that’s not really conventional, they have a hard time. Even the police will bother today’s boys and girls if they have a different hairstyle, or if the style they follow isn’t “proper.” And since cosplay usually features outrageous styles that aren’t, well, normal and proper in our society, that may discourage our cosplayers a bit,” Miki tells us.
She also hopes that the cosplay culture will grow because there are a lot of people who watch anime and the like, but they can’t properly cosplay to show their love of the characters because it’s socially awkward right now. She also shared with us that she wanted to open up a cosplay shop here in Nepal in the near future.
“I’m currently looking for potential investors,” jokes Miki. She hopes that there will be more cosplay events, and Nepal will take up the trend.
The cosplay-themed party is scheduled for Feb 6 at Club Platinum at 1 pm with the entrance fee of Rs 399. But cosplay isn’t compulsory if one simply wants to join the party.
“However, cosplayers get a special discount,” Miki says.
Miki’s tips for potential cosplayers:
- Don’t be afraid or get embarrassed when you cosplay. People might try criticize you, but remember there’s nothing there to feel that way about.
- If it’s your first time cosplaying, stick to simple costumes.
- Boys, don’t be afraid to use makeup.
- Portray a realistic image of the character when you cosplay.
- Above all else, enjoy cosplaying.
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