Being TOO in-character..?

[chobits_chii123]

Now, there's a topic for "Do you cosplay in-character?", but I thought this to be different enough that it could deserve its own topic.

There seems to be levels for cosplaying in character: Not at all; a little, or only for special events; enough to really make your character pop out; and "Omfg, did that Kakashi REALLY just put a thousand years of pain on that Naruto!?!"

I've always wondered about being "TOO in-character". I mean, if your character's a jerk and you're being a jerk to everyone around you, that's no fun. But I've seen stories around like, Team Rocket takes an Ash's Pokemon plushie, or a No Face follows a Chihiro from a distance to give her a bath token.

Here's a personal experience:
My friends took me to a Hetalia panel at Youmacon last year, and there was this Sealand guy who kept interjecting, "I AM SO A COUNTRY!" to anyone who denied such. It was a little annoying, yes, but it made the panel extra fun and he was being in character from what I understand (I've never actually seen Hetalia...ehe). I thought it was just enough to where is wasn't too much, y'know?

Opinions? Discussion?
Is being full-out in character rude, creepy, annoying? Does it make things more fun, spice up the convention?
Is there a line between being "too in-character" and "overdoing it"?
Do you have any stories you wanna share, personal or passed through the grape vine?  

[ll dell Orso ll]

Hmm... I'm only "in-Character" during situations.
But~

Past Experience:
Had a Carrot ((Sorcerer Hunters)) flirt with me and propose once. He also went around doing the same with other girls. Since, Carrot is a ladies man.

Future Experience:
A friend of ours is going to the upcoming convention as Pokemon Gold/Silver's Youngster Joey. IF anyone has played the DS game then you know he asks for your number and never stops calling you to talk about his Top Percentage Rattata. Our friend plans on asking people for their numbers. If they give it to him,... yes... he fully intends to call about the Rattata.  

[Maruul]

rofl I would so give him my number.

Yes, you can be too in-character. If your character would do something that could potentially hurt someone, don't do it. Like say, if you're a ninja from Naruto, DON'T run up and shove a kunai in someone's face! I almost lost an eye to that. And if your character's pervy, tone it down a bit. There are most likely children about, and you could get in trouble for sexual harassment.
Some characters are fine to be fully in-character though. I cosplay Kantarou from Tactics, and I'm usually fully in-character. The only thing I have to keep in mind is to not actually sell my friends' belongings. Not that he usually gets away with that anyway.  

[MisaMaiValentine]

In some instances being too in character is a bit annoying but depending on who you are it's fun. For example, I have a friend cosplaying Chii from Chobits and she was not always in character around us but around other people she was. It was really cute and funny! Me, I'm only in character when people refer to me as my character. When I was Kabuto I went on a whole ninja info cards rant and people seemed to enjoy it. However, being in character all the time, even around your friends, could be annoying if you're an emo kid or something. What I think is really fun is when people perform little skits around the con. It really adds to it and makes cons a little more fun! smile  

[chobits_chii123]

Charmful: XD That Rattata idea sounds epic. I'd give him my number too.

Maruul: I agree, the sexual harassment issue sounds problematic. But...isn't it common sense to not attack people with kunais? gonk

Mai: I agree, skits are always fun! I was at Youmacon last year and a bunch of Alice in Wonderland cosplayers set up a tea party. Being in character for special situations like that seems to be the norm, eh?  

[methuselah.alchemist]

Charmful: lol that is an awesome idea. XD He's gonna be getting so many numbers!


As for me, I'm really shy, so I find being in character to be difficult. I go as Edward Elric, and serious mode is fine, but people like to make short comments, and Ed and I deal with that differently; I just glare and walk away, as I usually do out of costume. And they're all "What, no short rant?" XP So then I might say one if not many people are around. I don't like attention, and usually avoid it at all costs. >.<

But my friend whom I go to cons with gets VERY in character. It's almost weird. lol Like actually hanging out with that character. Once she came to my house to pick me up for some reason, and she was L. I opened the door and was like "... O.o" Totally wasn't expecting it. lol And at conventions, she roleplays with like anyone who'll join her. I kinda don't like it when she's Sasuke or Kaname or someone unfriendly, cuz then she's got their personality the whole time she's in costume, and they're not too fun to hang out with. XP  

[Extreme Cuddler]

I cosplay Absol from Pokemon both a hoodie version and a ginjika version. At Anime Expo 2010 (just ended 2day) I had my Absol Tail, Pikachu slippers, a Mexachu (Mexican Pikachu) we call it Jesus (read the name in Spanish) and a Ash hat and a Piplup back pack and a bit of candy (raver beads)
So I was just walking around the con Dancing doing a few slides and what not and I even made up a Mexachu song.
I think there is such a thing as being in 2 much in character. But, it can make things really fun most of the time.  

[Tsuki Nushi]

You need to have an off-switch for being in-character, otherwise you're just going to get on people's nerves or in trouble.

Take Maes Hughes cosplayers for example; the one's who walk around and shout things about Elisia through a mega phone, carry around a huge oil painting of her, hand out pictures, carry a wallet full of pics, or dress their actual daughter like Elisia. All that is just fine, it's even pretty darn awesome at times and makes for great photos and stories. But if they don't have that off switch, it can get pretty annoying being around them.

Another good example is the Miroku cosplayers. If they want to wander around and ask girls if they want to bear their children, fine. But if they start actually stalking girls, or touching them then there's a problem.  

[Glacirus]

Personally, I feel that if it gets to the point where people (friends or otherwise) start saying, "Dude, STFU and be serious" then you've gone a little too far...

But until then, do as much as you want. half the fun of cosPLAY is playing the part!


p.s. I'd probably give the rattata guy my FRIEND'S number... so as to be extra evil razz  

[PandaTeddy]

Being in character is great, but once the cosplayer is no longer able to distinguish between their character and reality, then it becomes a problem. I think Tsuki Nushi hit the nail on the head exactly, as long as they have that "on/off" switch and know when to stop, then being in character can make for some very funny and memorable con experiences.
 

[TigerLilyChick]

There is such thing as being "too in-character" and when people are in-character, they need to be really careful about doing that. Some actions that characters perform can cause a cosplayer who does those certain actions to get kicked out of the convention. For example, when chobits_chii123 heard stories about a Team Rocket group cosplay taking an Ash cosplayer's Pokemon cosplay, that's an offense that will at the least earn a reprimand.

Besides, younger cosplayers (like elementary school kids) won't know the difference between a person acting in-character and the person actually being like that in real life. If your character is a jerk and you act like a jerk to or in front of a little kid, they won't be happy and are too young to realize that someone is being in-character.  

[#1Dokuro-chan]

The on/off switch is HUGE deal breaker.

At a past con with my sister and friends, we cosplayed from Pokemon. I was Ash and they were Team Rocket grunts. For pictures, we were all against each other, in certain conversations the same happened. And, to make things a little interesting, they stole my Pikachu plushie every once in a while claiming that they won. But, I always got it back.

Though, outside of all this, we were all laughing and having a good time together. Otherwise, the con wouldn't have been fun.


CON MEMORY: I remember at one of my first conventions I ran into a Natsuo cosplayer while I was cosplaying Youji (both from Loveless). She was real sweet and was her normal self when we first met, though, after a while of talking and meeting the Loveless group, she and I actually started acting like the characters with everyone else.

Reason mentioned is because it's fun to be in character, but don't overdo it, and never force your character on someone, even if they know who it is. Like above mentioned Natsuo, be polite and nice until you get the know the other person. -nod-  

[exdraghunt]

Knowing when to stop is always a good thing, but there are some people that want to take it too far. And not just cosplayers, there are some fans that can go overboard. I knew someone (not exactly a freind) who declared that she was going to go and find every Edward Elric cosplayer in the convention just so she could mock them about being short. (not just call them short, mock them at length. There's a reason I don't associate with her)

I've encountered someone that was a little too into it before while in costume, too.

I was wearing a Fursuit of a personal fox character who's a construction worker. Well, another con-goer seemed to think I looked alot a fox version of one of the Engineers from Red vs Blue. (IDK which one, don't know much about the game) and every time he saw me in the hall he yelled (really loudly) "Engineer is Spy!!!" It got annoying real fast. He even tickle-attacked me, which sent me to the floor wheezing. So yes, fan or cosplayer, there are limits.  

[l337squerrel]

I think that being in character depends on the character itself. For instance, I cosplay as Ryohei all the time. Why? We are both alike. We both box, yell alot, support our friends, and conduct activities that are labeled, "extreme." Infact, I was able to win a cosplay competition with Ryohei especially for being in character.  

[l krysta l]

~I think it would be cool if cosplayers be in-character, but I also understand those situations when a person over does it and can be trouble-some.
I think that if a cosplayer wants to be in-character, he/she should keep in mind "others" personal space and business. smile but of course being in-character is always an enjoyable thing to do.