Shopping Guide
On April 28 of this year, an event called Hinode 2013 was held in Russia with the goal of spreading Japanese culture. At this event, two representatives from Russia were selected to take part in the World Cosplay Summit held each summer in Aichi Prefecture, Japan. Here we speak with a cosplay pair who, though unfortunately not chosen as Russia’s representatives, were given the chance to visit Japan to take part in a separate event, where they gave a well-received pro-wrestling-style performance in Tekken costumes. These two cosplayers are Ekaterina Polygalova, who cosplayed as Jaycee, and Anastasia Glushkova, who cosplayed as Nina Williams.
TOM: What was it that made you think of getting into cosplay?
Anastasia: First, like many other people, I developed an interest in it because I liked anime. Gradually, just watching it is no longer enough, so... Once this happens, people start doing creative things in various areas; people who are good at drawing will illustrate and people who are good at writing will write novels. We were good at sewing, so we started making outfits to do cosplay.
TOM: Your outfits really do show a lot of great care. Do you enjoy making clothing, then?
Anastasia: I love it! Not only do we make outfits for cosplay, we also end up making regular clothes. People like us who are into Japanese culture like manga and anime generally prefer colorful, cute fashions. Most people find out about it through anime, but lately, people who get into it from the looks J-pop artists wear have been increasing.
TOM: Speaking of anime, what series are popular in Russia?
Anastasia: Definitely One Piece! Among cosplayers, Vocaloids, Trinity Blood, and Black Butler are also popular. There is more manga being published these days than there were 10 years ago, but even now, there are more people who are interested in anime than manga.
TOM: Could you tell us a little bit about cosplay in Russia?
Anastasia: There are regular cosplay events held in the big cities. Just like in Japan, you even see popular cosplayers having their pictures taken by a crowd of photographers at these events. We also sometimes have private get togethers with fellow cosplayers we meet over the internet.
Ekaterina: There are different generations of cosplayers in Russia, as well. The older generation take it very seriously, and will not only make costumes, but will really come to understand the source material and bring a new interpretation of their own to it. However, they’re not there to just please themselves by showing off their cosplay, they also want to please visitors, so they put a lot of work into their performance and even make props and stages. In contrast to that, there are lot of people in the younger generation these days who wear their costumes and casually enjoy themselves. I’m glad that this kind of cosplayer has been gaining in numbers, as it helps grow the fandom. Also, the cosplayers you can use as reference are growing, and a new situation is being born where people are inspiring each other.
TOM: What was it like competing in the preliminary round for the World Cosplay Summit?
Ekaterina: Since it’s a competition to participate in a summit held in Japan, we approached it very seriously so as not to embarrass Russia as its representatives. Preparing the outfits took half a year, and we spent another two months practicing in pro-wrestling for the performance. Though, unfortunately we weren’t selected to participate in this year’s World Cosplay Summit, we’re extremely grateful to have been given the chance to take part in another event in Japan. I feel we were able to show Russia’s cosplay culture through our activities in Japan.
TOM: Please share some of your thoughts on next year’s World Cosplay Summit.
Both: Unfortunately, we were unable to become Russia’s representatives at this year’s trials. However, we are very grateful to Japan House and Hinode for giving us this chance to perform in Japan. We we would like to have everyone see us next year after we’ve leveled up, and we hope that we will be able to come to Japan again as Russia’s representatives.
From maid cafes to cosplay events and more, Japanese culture is spreading more and more in Russia. Among these, its cosplay boasts a quality that is receiving high praise even from people in Japan and is gathering momentum. TOM would like to continue to keep an eye on Russian cosplay from here on out.
This is a Tokyo Otaku Mode original article.
