Cosplaying in School

[Half-n-Half]

We've all seen it. Those kids in school who wear Naruto headbands and other perephenilia. What is YOUR opinion on the matter? Have anime fans and cosplayers gone too far? Is there no room for cosplaying in a school environment? Or is it just harmless fun and a way for them to express themselves? In my school there has been a small push by the administration to prohibit the headbands, citing them as hats. My personal opinion on the matter is this: School is a place to educate oneself. Seeing anime fanboys cosplaying at my school speaking broken Japanese such as, "That is so kawaii!" has certainly "educated" me in tolerance of other people. I'm sure they are very nice people but there is only so much "BAKA!" and "SUGOI!" one can take. But I digress, I am trying to focus on the cosplay aspect. I don't care what people wear in school, but it just so happens the people wearing the Naruto headbands are usually the ones described above. Discuss.

 

[Kumi-chanmi]

Actually I had worn a Naruto headband to school once, but it was for one day, because in my school we have a dress code. The reason we had done it was for triplet day(there was three of us). But I have never seen a person wear it in school every single day. The purpose of us was to wear it for one day in school for fun. But again, I've never seen people go to school wearing them every single day. I think wearing it all the time is a bit too much.

 

[yukio_michael]

http://www.encyclopediadramatica.com/Wapanese

 

[Clawn]

I've never seen anyone at my school do anything even close to cosplay. (at conventions, yes, but never at school) I think its actually quite unnecessary. Most people cosplay because there is an audience where they're cosplaying. At a school, a large majority of the people won't have any idea what you're doing. As well, its quite silly to cosplay every day. Now, as far as anime/manga paraphernalia go, I'm all for it. If someone wants to wear a T-Shirt or a key chain or put stickers all over their notebooks, I say have fun with it. Headbands might be a bit much, though, and can be classified as hats. (Oddly enough, I learned that first-hand when I was wearing a headband to celebrate some odd holiday) Anywho, I think that if there is a club for such activities in the school, then I wouldn't find it odd if one of that clubs activities includes cosplay. The same way that on the opening day of a play, our entire cast wore their costumes during school hours. (mostly due to not having time to change in time for lunch, but it was still fun to eat pizza in a top hat)

As far as fanboys/girls using some japanese phrases/words in everyday conversations, I think that it may be toeing line a little bit. As many people don't understand one bit of Japanese and may find it confusing/think you're insulting them. However, a few friends and I may sometimes use a word or two in jest or while impersonating a specific character/scene. (my friend Kameron and I like to use a certain quotes when making a "dynamic entry")


To sum it all up - I think that expression, as all things, should be done in moderation. As long as it doesn't distract you or others from learning to the best of their abilities, I think its fine.

 

[Superlevenloos]

In the Netherlands it isn't very common to be an animefan in general, so let alone cosplay (or cosplay at school)

I once did it though, wore my Seras Victoria cosplay outfit to school after loosing a bet and some poeple from my class found out that I cosplayed. I was very ashamed by wearign it at school though after hearing a lot of compliments on how fun it was to see someone dressing up as a cartoon character, I thought it was actually a fun experience.

I have to agree though, some people can go to far. Like Half-n-Half said, people wearing the Naruto headband everyday and saying Japanese words whenever they can is just weird. Then they get pissed because people think they are weird. Well... Even I would think of someone like a freak if they can't talk normally anymore to anyone without saying "Kawaii!" or "ne?" after every sentence -___-;;;

 

[EmperorHirohito]

First of all Thanks to Yukio Michael for the link, I have read it and saved it, it may help me and my wife spot the tell-tell signs of our daughter turning into a Weeaboo at some point in the future.

As to Cosplay within a school envirionment, if a person wants to dress up in some way and see what people think of them, then its up to them. Its all about growing up and learning what other people may think of you, even if its not nice. But to do it at School could actually get the person into a great deal of trouble, not only with the school but with their parents. In the UK most schools have a fairly strict dress code and pupils must stick to it. In the past one school my daughter went to sent her home to change just because she was wearin 3/4 length trousers compared to full length ones.
If my daughter went to school with say a headband on she may well be told to remove it and we her parents would be informed by the school of her actions. Also if she went to school in anything other than school uniform, apart from a non school uniform day, she would be sent home and told to change. If that happened then her punishment by us her parents would be strong.

But if someone is out of a school envirionment then if the want to dress up as a cartoon character or anything else, then thats their choice. People will think whatever they want to think, thats human nature.

 

[mika_r]

xD in my school they don't do cosplay... lol. x(

 

[Mycernius]

I don't think you would see it much in the UK. Most schools, as Hirohito pointed out, have a dress code or a school uniform, so individuals don't dress as they want unless the school has a non-uniform day. The only time you will see students in the UK dress how they want is when they go onto college at 16.

 

[tida]

say what, not even school, even out there
almost no one in my country do cosplay
and at school we don't have any free uniform-day
so we have to use our school uniform everyday

when there is an event, only some show up.
i like to see cosplay, but too bad i can only look in the internet

i hope doing cosplay will be popular in my country

 

[SushiShin]

i don't do cosplay but i want to it once because i never did it, but i think its more for little children, i will only do it for my little japanese nephew but he is 8 years and is a small fan of DBZ and Cowboy Bebop and of Rurouni Kenshin.

but in personal Wapanese guys are stupid they think actually then can learn japanese with watching anime, here is an example you cannot do it and its stupid to learn japanese like that.

(here is a videocomment of a collegue of mine who lives in America) :

 

[ASIAN Hero]

Here a great cosplay site that displays many cosplayers from deferent countries doing their best to look like the Anime characters they were cosplaying as www . cosplay . com

I have to put that way since I'm still not allowed to put link.

 

[Haruspex]

Well there aren't people cosplaying in Hungary so i only experienced all this stuff in my mind, but to tell the truth i don't find headbands a problem, after all its just a cloth, the problem is when they feel themselves a different person while wearing the headband, as long as its a cloth allow it, when it becomes a fetish just prohibit it. In my opinion its not a problem if they do it for one or two days a year, i mean its just one or two times, let them feel like heroes for a day and if they can't cool down that means its bad for them so better prevent them for doing it.

 

[GregoryMcGlothern]

Thats a very odd thing to discuss. I've kinda wanted to cosplay at school, but never found anything to wear. I do plan on doing it, and I've seen a few students doing it as well. Our school has a loose at best dress code. So I figure do it while I can. As for my opinion on the other students, I approve because it seems fun.

 

[Haruspex]

Well thats nice and stuff, but you PLAN on doing it cause its FUN and not cause it has became a life form and you have a split personality and a recessive anime personality who either claims to be Naruto, Sakura, Ichigo, Renji, Yusuke, D, or anyone else.

 

[kidtokyo]

When I was in high school, in the mid-late 90's, hardly anyone even knew what anime was, much less cosplaying. I didnt cosplay, but I sure wore my share of bizzare Japanese-inspired clothings.

 

[maushan3]

Well thats nice and stuff, but you PLAN on doing it cause its FUN and not cause it has became a life form and you have a split personality and a recessive anime personality who either claims to be Naruto, Sakura, Ichigo, Renji, Yusuke, D, or anyone else.

That is the point. I don`t like it at all, I would just rather wear conventional clothes, with no offense. But if you like it, sure why not, that`s what America enforces, freedom of speech, or clothes, and people generally find their clique regarding their interests.

Mauricio

 

[Haruspex]

Would you ban it? IF you did you could just ban anime as well, ban computer graphics, ban games... and when you banned all these, go Oliver Cromwell mode and ban pubs, ban theaters, ban every kind of entertainment. You would stop at banning cosplaying, but there surely are people who would say: "Oh we banned cosplaying, but there are thousands of threats that are plaguing our society... they watch their soaps, they live their boring lives, they get married, they raise children, they live in the slums, they watch the tv 24/7, jerk off to Big Brother and other reality shows. Now, before worrying about cosplaying, we should do something with the trash and scum that plagues us so much that we don't even notice it. People keep pointing at hentai, when in reality shows REAL PEOPLE do the same humiliating things, and thats no problem, cause they're real, and its so fun to to watch Jane suck off Melvin under the towel from some impossible angle LIVE, its okay, there's nothing wrong with it. Yeah, while this is the case, i say we should forget about cosplaying.

 

[White-Hexe]

Haha, Reminds me of last year. This group of Narutards sat in the hall by my locker everyday. Well, they all had naruto armbands, headbands, and manga on/with tham at all times.
They also seen me take a anime magazine I was borrowing from a class friend out of my locker and assumed I was a big fan of anime (thou I was using it for a report for class) and they started rambling on about all these anime I had never heard of... I just grabed my bags and got away as fast as I could. I have not seen them since.

Oh and this one grade 10... I met her when she was in grade 8, I was grade 9 and She was nice; but half was through the year the anime fans took her away and brainwashed her. Al of a sudden she would come to school dressed as various things ie: School girl, cat, naruto-person, and many other things. I still talk to her because that would just be mean otherwise... But I still think it is strange.

 

[Haruspex]

You just don't know how much anime owns i say : D you say brainwashed... but in truth enlightened is way more correct! : D