What is this?

CosPlay? Thats short for Costume Play, and since the bloom of the internet, its really taken off, with some people even making their own websites about their own Costumes! Of course, CosPlay has been around for years. Its hard to say when it really took off, but as long as there have been films and video games, there have been fans who like to dress up as their favourite characters from films and video games. Most of all, are those trekkies, who love to go to every convention across the world and dress up as a cheesy looking vulcan or lame klingon, when we all know a HUnewearl would walk all over them!

Of course, being Ragol.co.uk, a website about Phantasy Star Online, we're focusing on the PSO CosPlayers who love to dress up and go to events dressed up as those HU's, FO's, or RA's. You know, maybe for a change, someone should go as a Hildebear or something?

Any anime or fantasy based game gets their CosPlayers, its like a law or something, especially in Japan, where there are even shops that sell specially made costumes to budding fans of the games series in question. When Phantasy Star Online was first released on the SEGA Dreamcast in the year of 2000, so were the costumes!

You will most likely see them at trade shows such as E3, but you're most likely to find them at japanese games events such as the Tokyo Game Show. Unfortunately i've never been, but if i was to go, i'd expect there to be queue's dedicated to people who dress up especially for the occasion, with there being so many.

There are also specially made CosPlay events nowadays, although my lack of knowledge starts to shwo when you ask me to name some. No, i don't go to work in an Soul Barrier! Besides, maybe its just me, but from any CosPlay costume i've ever seen, they work wonders better on the gals to the guys, if you know what i'm saying ;)

In this edition of the Hunters Gazette, i've taken a trip to 3 websites, from big on CosPlay, to a more personal website, and of course one inbetween to balance the scales.

http://www5.kcn.ne.jp/~sioux/costitle.html

Phantasy Star Online is just one of a few games that this female CosPlayer likes to take the series role of. Dressed in her loyal, and fairly well made FOnewearl costume, she travels to various local exhibitions, and shows it off in style.

In some of the images on her, what must be a small personal website, we can see her take on the role in various locations, some with fellow PSO friends, including the likes of Rufina from Episode III: C.A.R.D. Revolution if i'm not mistaken. Hmm... Branch or Handgun, decisions, decisions!

Shes obviously very knowledgable, covering the basics, with appropriate weapons, her little PURPLENUM ID tag around her neck, and to round it all off, shes even got a little Chao, to cover the SEGA bit! Who doesn't love a good little Chao? In another picture we've got on display here, she's also got her own Chu Chu, which is more then i can say for the skirt XD Mmm, Chu Chu!

http://sweety.jp/pso/cosplay/characters/

This website seems to cover a party of friends, all mad about Phantasy Star Online CosPlay! Some feature men, some feature women, and looking at them all, i think my earlier statement about which sex fits better in CosPlay (PSO at least) is backed up here with the ladies looking a lot better then the guys. Then again, im a guy, what would you expect me to say ^_^

This website covers not just PSO CosPlay, but a fair few other titles aswell, which really shows how these crazy japs love their video games, and anime! In these images, many different races of PSO are covered, the android ones looking a lot more difficult to be comfortable in then the plain material costumes. However, the white android featured in one of these snaps has done a good job with their black Sato MAG!

Of course, i cant leave without saying it, but the ladies in these photo's have done a particularly good job with their goods on display!

http://www.classicgaming.com

A much bigger website now, with Classic Gaming playing host to MANY CosPlay images from pratically millions of various games and their fellow fans in disguise. Final Fantasy to Street Fighter, they're all covered, which shows you just how popular this is in the land of the rising sun.

In the PSO image base over there, its pratically all the ladies in the costumes, and that aint no bad thing, sham-own! There's many lovely pictures on display here, it was truely hard to pick them out for this Hunters Gazette!

Covering all games in the Phantasy Star Online series, from Episodes I, II, & III, the gals have got their kits off, and taken up the role of their favourite HU's, RA's and FO's, just for their own pleasure. The images seen have been taken from events all over the world, whether independant CosPlay events, or trade events such as the earlier mentioned Tokyo Game Show.

Some coming with their weapons, including sabers and guns, they again take on the role of their favourite PSO characters, and looking at all of these photo's, they like to do a accurate job at portraying their characters in question. Again there are many ID tags to be seen, aswell as accurate designs from the game's character creation system.

I could go on, but i dont really want to. Writing more seems to want to make me perve closer and closer... no, must resist - However, i'd highly rate giving this website a glance if you're interested in any games, not just Phantasy Star Online, to see how Japanese fans have taken matters into their own hands - Literally!

Conclusions

Links