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 Posted: Sun Dec 16, 2012 11:01 pm
Today was yet another cosplay day for Caitlyn Masters. Today was a bit less fantastical than some of her others, but she was still receiving the usual number of stares - because she was out as Ai Enma, meaning a full kimono and rather nice black wig. It wasn't quite the sight that some characters could be, but it was definitely enough that there were plenty of eyes on her.
She was meandering down the outside of a strip mall, doing a bit of window shopping. She'd even managed to find a flower shop with an outdoor display, and she was casually examining some of the ones set out. Flowers were always lovely!
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 1:29 am
After what Sailor Irene had been up to, Lydia Sfakianos was in dim spirits. Her problem was still a problem, and she was no closer to solving it than she had been the night before. Still, she reassured herself, at least she knew it was a problem now. That meant that she would be able to find the solution if she worked at it hard enough. Without meaning to, Lydia slipped into her pattern of self-reassurance, not noticing that it had contributed in no small part to her bad behavior. It felt so much better to be confident, and hopeful, and she couldn't do anything if she was totally gloomy and filled with self-loathing.
Besides, being confident and hopeful and filled with self-loathing was apparently possible, since she was pretty sure that all of those applied to her, whether she wanted or deserved those labels or not.
Days like this called for lunch at Maize Maizier. In Lydia's mind, days like test days or bad hair days or Tuesdays called for lunch at Maize Maizier. Rather than take a cab all the way there, she got out a few blocks away, intending to do some window shopping. The windows, decked out for the holidays, went sadly ignored in favor of what Lydia saw in the street: a girl wearing one of the most beautiful kimono she had ever seen.
Her own clothing was rather tame that day: a pink ruffled skirt with white tights and a white blouse. Over the blouse she wore a Spanish shawl embroidered with brightly colored flowers, and around her waist was a knotted woolen sash from Mexico. Usually Lydia liked to incorporate even more cultures into her wardrobe, but she hadn't put a lot of effort in that day, unlike some people. She all but ran over to the girl in the kimono, panting for breath when she got close enough to speak.
The silence didn't last long. "That is gorgeous! Are you from Japan? Where did you get your kimono? Nihongo o hanashimasu ka?"
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 11:42 am
Cait was used to getting accosted in the street, one way or another, for wearing cosplay. It was fun, it was entertaining, and it was sometimes a good way to meet new people. She preferred cheerful, enthusiastic reactions to the meaner ones, but it was a rare day when her cosplay got a reaction such as the one it was getting then.
She stood up and laughed, a wide and welcoming smile on her face. "Thank you very much!" She said, answering the inquiries once at a time, "you look quite lovely yourself! No, I'm not from Japan; I got it online, and I'm probably lucky it fits as nicely as it does, all things considered; hai, sukoshi nihongo ga hanaseru!" She'd taken Japanese in school and picked up some more from subtitled anime, and it had ended with a rudimentary but useful grasp of the language. Nowhere near as good as she would have liked, but it was enough.
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Posted: Mon Dec 17, 2012 9:40 pm
Lovely was not a word usually used to describe Lydia's taste in clothing. Odd, unusual, and eccentric were all descriptors she'd heard before, but being called lovely was quite rare, and made her smile even wider and more excited. "Thank you very much!"
That this girl wasn't from Japan was a bit disappointing, but Lydia didn't let it get her down for long. She couldn't realistically expect everyone wearing fantastic outfits to be from foreign countries. And if this kimono came from an e-tailer, then maybe she would be able to get her hands on one as well. Not in the same design, since she didn't want to copy, but something similarly spectacular would be nice.
"Where did you get it, if I may ask? The pattern is stunning, and it really suits you!" The bright patterns stood out against the black backdrop and her black pair, looking especially dramatic. Lydia doubted she could achieve that kind of effect herself, but didn't mind much. "Ah! Sugoi desu ne!" Her knowledge of Japanese came from Rosetta Stone and the internet, and while she had focused more on this language than some more obscure ones, her grasp of it was elementary at best. In fact, one guide she had used placed her at about a second grade level, which considering she was entirely self-taught, was something she felt rather proud of.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 11:31 am
Cait nodded cheerily. "You're welcome!" She was fond of slightly eclectic outfits, and this girl's was especially well put together.
"Ah, well," Cait smoothed the kimono slightly nervously. Here came the awkward part. "It's actually a cosplay piece? Of Ai Enma from the anime Hell Girl." She coughed shyly. Normally she wasn't particularly awkward about her cosplaying, but this girl seemed to be truly convinced that she was wearing a real ethnic kimono, and while Cait was fairly certain the piece was handmade, it really wasn't quite the same. Still, it was a nice outfit and darn it if she didn't look thoroughly good in it.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 3:18 pm
"Oh, I see." There it was again: a brief flicker of disappointment, followed by a quick rallying of spirits. There was still an opportunity here. "I've read a little bit about cosplay, but I'm still not really sure about what goes into it." It was an aspect of Japanese culture that Lydia had read about, but it was a bit modern for her tastes. Still, culture was culture, and she wanted to be well-educated on as much of it as possible. Especially on the tasteful parts. Not that she tried to block out the less tasteful parts, but they were usually less enjoyable to learn about. Lydia knew almost nothing about cosplay other than the term, but the kimono was definitely tasteful, and that was enough to make her want to know more.
The question, then, was what question to begin with. "What made you decide to cosplay?" Wait, that was a personal question, not a cultural one! "I don't mean to pry, I'm just interested in the concept. What makes people decide to do it and that sort of thing. But if you'd rather not say, I understand." Already she was coming up with another question, in case she'd veered into uncomfortable territory with this one.
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Posted: Thu Dec 27, 2012 6:18 pm
Cait felt a little bad to be disappointing this girl, but better she knew now than have Cait lie to her or something. "A lot of time and way more money than my parents appreciate me spending," she joked playfully.
The question itself, however, brought a serious and slightly pensive look to her face. "Well, ah, I was always interested in anime and manga, ever since I was young? And then I went to my first convention and...I wasn't dressed up that time. I was sure I'd look silly no matter who I came as, and that I'd feel sillier. But I saw all these people in amazing costumes and I...I had to try it! So I picked up a costume from a vendor and I wore it the second day, and I was so much comfortable than I'd been before...it was really freeing, to put on a costume and be someone else."
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Posted: Fri Dec 28, 2012 10:00 am
Lydia giggled, glad that she hadn't been inadvertently offensive or nosy. At least, not nosy in an impolite way. "I know how that can be, though I think that parents are like that no matter what the hobby." Her own hobbies were generally considered acceptable since they were also educational, but her father still came and talked to her every so often about all of the clothing she ordered online, or her large tabs at Maize Maizier, even though he could afford them. "Still, it's just clothing, right? It can't be that bad, I would think."
If she'd had a notepad on her, Lydia would have flipped it open and started taking notes right then and there. This was the sort of thing she loved, hearing about cultures (and subcultures) from the people who were part of them. So what if this girl wasn't Japanese? So what if she was only dressing up? That was still a totally valid cultural choice in itself. And what she was hearing was fascinating and, as her questions often did, it led to even more questions.
"Do you remember what first appealed to you about anime and manga, or was that too long ago? That is, I think you're still young, but I know what you mean." She winked, then quickly went on. "When you say convention, what sort of convention do you mean? Was it for anime, or for cosplay, or something else? Do you prefer more traditional costumes, or is this just a coincidence?"
Again, Lydia paused to catch her breath. When she came up with questions, she just had to spit them all out before she forgot any of them. Even though she knew on some level how overwhelming that could be, it didn't stop her from doing that, though she did smile sheepishly and hope, again, that she wasn't being too invasive.
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Posted: Mon Jan 14, 2013 8:40 am
Cait nodded. Parents and hobbies were often a volatile mix. "Well, yes it's clothing, but ah - you're often paying for handcrafted work, of a much higher quality than, you know, the average Halloween costume or anything like that. I've seen outfits, especially the really detailed ones, go for upwards of $200?" She coughed. "So I take good care of the ones I have to make them last."
She tilted her head to the side, thinking back. "Well, really, it started with just watching imported anime - Pokémon, Yu-Gi-Oh, stuff like that, and once I sort of had my...intro series, I found other ones and it sort of...snowballed. Anime and manga are really fun and really diverse and I feel like there's sort of something for everyone. It's not all cat girls and giant robots, obviously." She laughed and gestured at her outfit. "Sorry, rambling a little," she coughed. Cait could talk up her favorite thing for hours, it was often pretty terrible.
"But - ah, it was an anime convention. And this is sort of a coincidence; I've cosplayed all over the place. From traditional Japanese to Victorian. Like I said, anime is all over the place."
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Posted: Fri Jan 18, 2013 6:08 pm
To Lydia, spending $200 on a single outfit wasn't that outrageous. Some of her purchases had come to that amount, or even more, especially when shipping and special requests were factored in. While her father wasn't thrilled about it, her hobby didn't put any undue stress on her family, but she knew that wasn't the case for everyone. So she whistled softly at the number given. "My goodness! Yes, I can see why you'd want to take excellent care of what you have." Though that was also just common sense.
She listened as the girl continued, nodding where she thought it was appropriate. Clearly Lydia had stumbled upon someone who was as passionate about her hobbies as she was, and though the overlap between the two was small, she was ready to maximize it. "So when you say you started with what has been imported, does that mean that you have since moved on to different things? Do you import it yourself? How do you understand it? I can see that you know some of the language, but you're not fluent, correct?" The comment on cat girls and giant robots made her giggle, but she didn't know enough about anime to venture a meaningful reply.
Then the conversation swung back in a more global direction, where she felt she had some more footing. "Victorian? Really? With a corset and bustle and everything? Or a more simple style? Maybe a hobble skirt- no, that came into fashion after the Victorian Era, didn't it?" She was rambling a bit, but culture was of particular interest to her, and if asked she would have to admit a fondness for clothing. The variety and the way it affected people was just so interesting!
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 1:47 pm
Cait was aware that it might seem weird, given her concern about taking care of them, that she wore her cosplay outfits out in public where one angry person with a drink might ruin them, but she had been very lucky so far and she hoped it would continue.
"Well, to be fair, I still watch a lot of dubbed anime - anime with English voice acting; it's easier, and I can run it while I do other things. And if it's a good dub, like a lot of modern ones, then it's all good!" Cait said. "But oftentimes I watch with subtitles if the dub either hasn't been done yet or isn't very good or faithful to the original. Those do exist, sadly." She sighed. "I watch a lot of anime online; there are a number of places to do so which is lovely!"
She nodded. "Not so much corset and bustle, but full skirts and underskirts and the whole deal. I have a terrible adoration for any sort of wide, full skirt." She sighed affectionately. It had been a beautiful, fun outfit and had won er a number of compliments.
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 3:27 pm
"But why would people translate in such a way that alters the meaning of the text?" This was a more general question, one that Lydia asked on a regular basis whenever she came across inaccuracies in source material. "I'm aware that a perfect translation is often impossible, given the prevalence of idiomatic expressions and cultural differences, but there must be a way to get the point across without changing the essence of it." She sighed and shrugged. "That's one reason I want to learn more languages, but I keep changing my mind about what I should be focused on." During that time period she was alternating between Mandarin Chinese and German.
Then she sighed again, more happily this time, as she pictured the clothing described. "Who doesn't love a full skirt? That's one thing that I enjoy about Ballroom- the costumes are so much fun to dance in! Otherwise I'd stick with Latin, hands down." It was a shame those costumes were often tacky and skimpy, but she knew that long skirts didn't suit those dances, gorgeous though they were.
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 4:45 pm
"Well, it's...for varying reasons." Cait said. "It's mostly older anime that got the treatment, but the main reason for large changes in the dubbed versions is to make them more," she frowned, "acceptable," she included it with air quotes, "for children. Dumb it down, effectively." She sighed. "Thank you, perception of cartoons as being only for children. On the other hand, sometimes the dubs are better or considered a better rendition than the original; it really depends."
"Ohh, yes yes yes. I'm always thrilled to see how many princesses there are in anime and games - gives me an excuse to wear pretty dresses." She giggled. "Long, full skirts, perfect for swooshing." Swooshing, clearly, was the perfect word to describe the behavior of long, pretty skirts.
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:04 pm
Lydia was generally too polite to roll her eyes, but there were times that she wanted to, and this was one of them. "Why would they try to market something to children that wasn't meant for them? Clearly there are more mature people who are interested in this medium, so why present it to a younger audience when it's not really suitable?" Was that a cultural thing that she wasn't grasping, or was it just a silly business tactic?
The topic of dresses was much more her speed. "Oh, I never thought of it that way. I don't have many costumes, but it never occurred to me to base on on an existing historical figure." Possibly because Lydia was more interested in anthropology than in history itself. "Wouldn't that be fun though? To go dancing as a princess?" She began to waltz in place as she spoke, holding an imaginary skirt out to the side with one hand. Even pretending like this was fun!
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Posted: Sat Jan 19, 2013 8:28 pm
"It's a matter of the perception of animation in the West, unfortunately." Cait said. "There's a certain...belief, which is lessening recently thanks both to anime and to some Western cartoons, that anything animated is automatically 'for kids.' It's stupid, but there it is." Her feelings on the subject were very clear. She hated butchered dubs. "I mean, I'll be the first to admit I have pretty bad nostalgia for some of the old stuff, and I find it entertaining, but I'll still prefer the original version."
Cait nodded. "Well, I mean,t hey aren't always historical princesses, but princess-characters within the setting? And sometimes the dresses are just ridiculously gorgeous and elaborate," she said. She looked rather starry-eyed. "Oh, believe me, I've thought on it. I wish they had more ballroom dances at conventions," she said. To dance while dressed as a princess - oh yes, that would be perfect.
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