Young Hanoians decked themselves out in their finest ‘cosplay’ costumes, paying homage to their anime and manga favourites on June 5.
A cosplayer
Cosplay, short for "costume play", originated from Japan, and features participants dressed in their favourite fictional characters from various anime, manga and video games. Other sources of inspiration include, tokusatsu, erotic hentai comics and fantasy movies.
Over the past few years, cosplay has attracted increasing attention from young Vietnamese.
They spend time preparing their costumes down to the most precise details, before competing in contests.
Cosplayers along with Vietnam’s burgeoning hip-hop community have gained strong followings among young people looking for something out of the ordinary.
However, cosplayers and hip-hop b-boys and girls still face a negative reaction, particularly from the old.
"I’d expect a more open and objective attitude from adults in terms of cosplay. However many people don’t understand what we do, and look at us like we’re aliens,” a cosplayer shared.
Cosplay isn’t for everyone however, with most of dresses and accessories imported from Japan. But this hasn’t diminished cosplayer enthusiasm; instead a vibrant community has developed with strong relations between the hobbyists.
Every cosplay event offers a chance to show off their latest creations and encourage new-comers to join in the fun.
