annoying cosplayers

Confound · 25th January 2003, 10:37 PM

Am I the only one who gets really upset by these annoying little anime freaks who dress up in costumes like their favourite sword weilding, animated samurai? It burns me up whenever I run across their angsty photos, holding fake swords (in fact, fake swords get me hot under thr collar too) in ways that no one would ever even think of holding a real piece of live steel.

Then again, I'm also sick of hearing from those dorky otaku that my truthful answers to their questions about Japan are lies, because they 'saw it in an anime'. ("No! I saw it in Evangelion! You're lying!")

You know what they say, tapes never lie... poor old Nixon.

c

Kingu · 25th January 2003, 11:21 PM

Originally posted by Confound
Then again, I'm also sick of hearing from those dorky otaku that my truthful answers to their questions about Japan are lies, because they 'saw it in an anime'. ("No! I saw it in Evangelion! You're lying!")c

I guess it must be irritating, another kind of alarming people is those guys who try to imitate what they saw in films. The other day, one of them to the aikido class where I train, it was his first contact ever with a bokken.

When I told him he should not turn his back to me and hold his weapon the (odd) way he was, he just answered me:"that's something I saw in Star wars/Highlander" and kept doing so till the end of the lesson

.

I guess these guys have the right to have fun, but the disturbing point is they think they know how to fight with a sword wich is obviously not the case.

**mingshi** · 26th January 2003, 06:40 AM

Not surprisingly, people are drawn to Kendo (or any other Oriental Martial Arts) simply because of what they've seen on Manga/Anime/Movies.

Best examples include:
1. Star Wars
- Notice how many people signed up for the new beginner's course every time the new one comes up?

2. Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon
- Based on interview of a beginner last year, who it now gone... Still haven't figured out why he didn't ended up finding Chinese Swordworks?

3. Kenshin
- Apart from those in this forum... this Manga/Anime is evidently phenomenal in Hong Kong when I was there. As there isn't a Iaidojo, most teenagers turned to Kendo.

I used to make Doujinji (homemade self-published Manga) and sell them at Manga fairs, which has a LARGE poportion of Cosplay. Main reason is that 1) Cosplayers gain free entry and 2) the so-called Doujin Matsui has now turned into the Annual Cosplay Competition. In fact there are so many of them... blocking my unpopular Doujin stall.

I lost count of how many Kenshin I saw there... But some of them are rich kids who can actually afford steel swords. You know it is quite competitive when it's a Cosplay Competition going on. Those with fake ones were performing fake fights between them on the main stage.

Next time if opportunites arrive, I would like to have the guts and wear my Gi, Hakama and/or Bogu there... Probably the REAL stuff wouldn't win me anything, but at least I still gain free entry

**stinkyKote** · 26th January 2003, 07:28 AM

Ok, you guys really need to stop being such 'budo snobs' ... sure it's geeky, but if some kid(or older, fatter, middled aged kid) wants to dress up like mickey mouse or kenshin or lord knows who, why don't you just leave them be? They're just dressing up! They're not pretending to know budo or how to fight, they're just having a little fun-- don't any of you grinches ever dress up for hallowe'en? ...now you want people to make fun of, check out these sorry bastards:

http://www.shinai.org/

**aru-ma** · 26th January 2003, 08:36 AM

I've seen that link before, what the hell are they up yo anyways? one guess is that they did kendo at one point or another and didnt really like it so they decided to make they're own stuff up, bunch of sorry 'tards.

As far as cosplaying goes, I dont mind them really, I've seen someone looked really good in one actually, its the shinai/bokuto/shinken that they use is what I feel sorry for, I cant belive how many shinai/bokuto are bought for cosplay purpose only, they should just donate those to a kendo club for a good use.

As for those people who joined a kendo club after watching such'n'such show its not really that bad, its the ones who quit because kendo is not like whatever show/comics they watch/read that gets into my nerves. On this note if you can, pick up this/last weeks shonen magazine there's a comic called "chanbara" in it, now thats something you can flame on (think slam dunk but with kendo instead of b-ball).

**James** · 26th January 2003, 09:46 AM

Originally posted by Confound
Am I the only one who gets really upset by these annoying little anime freaks who dress up in costumes like their favourite sword weilding, animated samurai?
c

I doubt if you are the only one who gets annoyed, but I would agree with Stinky and say it is time (for you) to chill out.

If you ask someone who plays golf, they would probably think the quote above describes what kendoka do.

We do kendo, and agree to be bound by it's rules and work within it's structure, and for us that framework is a life-long training with its challenges, dissapointments and ultimately rewards.

If some people think curling, dungeons and dragons, tiddly-winks, real ale tasting, or badminton is the framework that they want to use to develop themselves in, that is up to them.
Their enjoyment, frustrations, successes are no less valid than yours.

If they are as passionate/engaged with what they are doing, or just do it sincerely, then I applaude them.

What pisses me off is kendoka, who seem to think that kendo has any relevance in the real world apart from personal challenge and self development.

You seem to believe in a so-called-Chomsky version (not sure if Noam would agree with you) of sport etc. as escapism, but magically exclude budo from this.

Kendo is an artificial activity, predicated on an outmoded, form of warfare.
I believe it has great benefits individually (that's why I do it), but if you are not narrow minded about other activities, it is no more skillfull, challenging or rewarding than, let's say a skilled fly fisherman landing his personal best catch with a hand-made fly, on a river whose every bend and shallow and season he has studied.

You may have decided that budo is the thing for you, but why do you write off others who have found their own ways, and pour their dedication into it?

Following your previous Chomsky debate, what you should do is give up kendo and dedicate all your time to entering the political sphere and changing the planet for real - is your kendo going to help others?.
(not that I am suggesting you are not entering politics).

Doing Kendo is about as Otaku as you can get, in case you hadn't noticed.

Live and let live,
(4 f**ks sake)

James

(also some of those cosplay girls look cute)

**munenmuso** · 26th January 2003, 02:21 PM

The town lunatic is another country's prophet.

**Paburo** · 26th January 2003, 11:10 PM

i don't have anything against kids or adults who dress up in costumes and have fun. actually i'm amazed at how skilful some cosplayers can be, they look just like the real humanised character.

i do, however, have a lot against demented people who go beyond just dressing like a 'superhero' manga/anime/comic/movie character.

i saw in the news a case of a kid who slaughtered his parents with a katana...

less dangerous but equally dishonorable, are some clowns who do ONE year of martial arts, then they dress up in a hakama, buy a sword and FOUND A SCHOOL. Innocent people who are unaware of federations and such join these schools and get miserably ripped off.

now, this kind of freaks i would like to give a good beating.

Kingu · 26th January 2003, 11:51 PM

Originally posted by Paburo
less dangerous but equally dishonorable, are some clowns who do ONE year of martial arts, then they dress up in a hakama, buy a sword and FOUND A SCHOOL. Innocent people who are unaware of federations and such join these schools and get miserably ripped off.

Do these things rereally happen????

I also have nothing against cosplayers/movie fans, what disturbs me is those who think they know how to wield a blade.

**Tato** · 27th January 2003, 02:26 AM

Kingu.

Unfortunately yes, I don't know if Paburo is thinking on the same case I do, but something like two or three years ago a deranged teenager killed is parents and another bystander with a "katana".

Was a famous case at the time. If I remember well it happened in Valencia, that's on the Mediterranean shore for the readers that don't know well the Spanish geography.

Since then, if you said to someone here that you practice kendo (and if you are lucky enough to find someone who knows what kendo is) you have a lot of chances to get jokes about the chances you have to start doing the same thing...

Next time you came to visit Spain, try.

Rei

**Atama** · 28th January 2003, 01:19 AM

Confound,

Different strokes for different folks......I don't watch cartoons but if people wanna dress up like them go for it, they ain't hurtin me or getting in my way. I dressup (in what to a nonkendoist looks like) funky japaneses armour 3 times a week and beat people round the head with a piece of bamboo, some might think thats strange but I couldn't give a rats arse what people think.
Maybe you should have a little bit more tolerence towards others confound.......never judge a book by its cover, coz that just shows ignorance.

**JSchmidt** · 28th January 2003, 01:53 AM

Confound just doesnt like other people having fun...it's that simple. (Unless they're at least 5th dan anyway)

Jakob

**AlexM** · 28th January 2003, 12:30 PM

Confound, you're starting to lose your edge. I mean c'mon, attacking cosplayers. . . why not knock little old ladies down in the street and steal their handbangs.

We all appreciate the effort to say something controversial and get an argument started, but cosplayers? You can find a better target than those poor people can't you.