BOOK OF THE WEEK
 Cosplay
Girls: Japan's Live Animation Heroines. (2003.) Tokyo: Cocoro
Books.
I
must admit I was very skeptical when I was
asked to review this book. Looking at the
information on the publisher’s
website, it seemed like it might be a
collection of photos of scantily clad young
women in anime costumes, a piece of fluff
designed solely for its titillation value. I
figured I would just take a look at it,
though, and at the very least I could
gleefully rip it to shreds. Alas, it was not
to be. Although the book does present images
of the aforementioned women in skimpy
costumes, it does so it a way that is more
entertaining and informative than prurient.
While I don’t get to trash the book, it
makes me feel much better that I don’t have
to do so.
Cosplay
Girls is a book of photos of young women
participating in cosplay, short for “costume
play,” or dressing up like one’s favorite
character from anime, manga, or video games.
After a short but intelligent introduction by
Jennifer Cahill, the book moves into the bulk
of its content – pictures of sometimes
freakishly costumed women. Roughly divided
into nine themed sections (such as “School
Spirit,” “Sci Fi,” and “Stranger Than
Fashion”), the book presents a variety of
images of women posing at conventions in the
guise of their alter-ego characters.
Additionally, there are layouts highlighting
specific characters (like Lum, Cutie Honey,
and Rei Ayanami), shorter features on a
cosplay related coffee shop and a boutique,
and glimpses of the everyday lives of the
individual cosplayers.
In
spite of my initial biases, my overall
impression of Cosplay Girls is much
more favorable than I thought it would be. In
compiling the photographs, the editors of the
book lessen the emphasis on viewing the
cosplay women in a voyeuristic manner, and
seem to be honestly trying to portray the
motivations behind their chosen manner of
expression. This is not to say that there are
not sufficient amounts of young flesh on
display throughout the book – all manner of
bare arms, legs, and midriffs are showcased
across the various sections. The pictures are
presented in such a straightforward manner,
however, that it does not seem like their
intention is to exploit, but rather to amuse
the viewer. (And besides, a little sexiness
never really hurt anyone.)
While
the book succeeds as a pictorial presentation
of these girls engaging in cosplay, I wish
there are been more of an emphasis on the
practice of cosplay rather than the costumes
themselves. I found the most interesting
sections of the book to be those focusing on
the lives and motivations of the individual
cosplayers, as well as the information on the
cameko, the amateur photographers who take
pictures of the cosplayers at events. Although
the book hints at the codified relationship
between the cosplayers and the cameko, I wish
it had gone into more detail on this
fascinating aspect of the cosplay phenomenon.
Filled
with full-color photographs of young women engaging in cosplay,
Cosplay Girls fills a unique niche in English-language
publications on anime and anime. It will be interesting to compare
this book to the forthcoming "Fan's
View" book on cosplay in American fan circles. In the
end, Cosplay Girls is a fascinating glimpse of a unique
part of anime fan subculture.
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