[2013-01] WINK UP

Interviewer: This time the topic is “Cosplay”. Also lately Halloween is also becoming more popular in Japan.

Tora: This year I also got fired up for Halloween and did cosplay. (laugh) I tried dressing up as a soldier. I walked the streets like that and everyone immediately bowed to me. (laugh) I enjoyed it a lot!

Interviewer: Oh really? So if everyone did cosplay who do you want to dress up as?

Hiroto: Vampire.

Shou: Isn't that good? It seems like dressing up as a female vampire would also suit Hiroto. He’d look good as Morrigan Aensland for example.

Nao: I want to become a McDonald’s or Sagawa Express* employee. I want to try doing a cosplay of someone familiar. I want to experience a feeling of smiling while sweating.

Saga: I already decided who I want to be! I want to be Joker from “Dark Knight”

Everyone: Ooo! It’ll suit you!

Saga: I really admire this character.

Shou: For me I think someone like a butler would be good.

Hiroto: That would also suit you. (smile)

Interviewer: What about dressing up as a girl? Looks like Saga-sama would make a good Maetel.

Shou: Ahahaha. He would! He could really look similar. I would also want to see Tora in female clothes. It would suit him well, wouldn't it?

Tora: No, aren't I way too big?

Shou: But isn't that good?

Saga: Actually seems like it would also suit Hiroto. He looks similar to Ayame Goriki.

Hiroto: Is that even cosplay?

Nao: He does! He does! He looks like her!

Interviewer: Talking about cosplay, what about the state of mind (reason for doing it)?

Shou: Isn't it about the desire to change one’s appearance?

Saga: Like wanting to become the person you like.

Tora: Isn’t that right? Liking someone too much that you want to become them? On top of that, people who do cosplay of other gender, like men who cosplay as girls and girls who cosplay as men, must have strong feelings.

Shou: There are also people who cosplay us. So there’s a kid who did Saga cosplay for years and recently they showed her on TV and she said “I want to become Saga-san”.

Hiroto: So that is really what they want.

Interviewer: Normally, if she likes that person, wouldn't she want to look similar to that person’s preferred type of woman?

Nao: No, it exceeds that level and so she wants to become that person.

Tora: That’s right.

Saga: No, that girl who does cosplay is a normal girl. But when she does cosplay she does look a bit like me. Looks like she has been doing it for quite some time.

Tora: Isn’t it cool? It’s so hardcore!

Shou: Of course. Obviously it’s also about the desire to change one’s appearance. Isn’t it good to become a different version of yourself? On occasions such as Halloween it is officially allowed, nobody‘s going to think you’re weird so you can fit in with the crowd. As expected guys also have the desire to use make-up. In other words, compared to the make-up used on an ordinary stage, they don’t have an interest in the visual style. Like, “If we can’t sell our CDs, what should we do then ?” (angry tone)

Everyone: The character has changed! (laugh)

Hiroto: It seems like when you transform (your appearance) your character also changes. Maybe it’s good. But though I can understand wanting to become more similar to the type the person you like prefers, I can also understand wanting to become the person you like.

Tora: Of course. Before it was an epoch when people would only cosplay Kimura Takuya-san or Amuro Namie-san.

Interviewer: Is that also cosplay?

Tora: It is, isn’t it? Imitating the make-up of people you admire, wearing the clothes they wear. Isn’t that what cosplay is?

Hiroto: Yup, yup. It’s the same thing.

Interviewer: If you look at it this way it’s easy to understand.

Tora: Right. Thus the kid who cosplays Saga-kun likes him too much to the point of wanting to become him. In addition to that, her state of mind also becomes a bit similar to a male’s.

Shou: Yeah. That’s right. That is to say that perhaps rather than becoming more feminine her desire is to become a boy.

Interviewer: So cosplay has a deep meaning, doesn’t it?

Nao: I think it’s quite deep. It goes to the point of being psychological.

Interviewer: Nao-san wants to experience the feelings of a McDonald’s or Sagawa Express employee.

Nao: Ahahaha. Right, right. (laugh) Also I want to become Hoshi Hyuuma from “Star of the Giants”, I want to become a high school baseball player.

Tora: It would be good if you could.

Everyone: (roaring laughter)

Shou: Yeah. It would be good if you could. (laugh)

Interviewer: That’s fine, but it’s too normal, the cosplay that Nao-san wants to do. I would like him to think of something a bit more striking.

Shou: But wearing uniforms gets really good response so it might be good. As expected wearing a high school uniform gets a really good response. We also did it for Wink Up in the past.

Hiroto: We did! The high school uniform. We became high school delinquents! Surely the response that time seemed good.

Nao: You see. As I said, familiar things are good. (laugh)

Shou: That might be so. (laugh) What kind of cosplay we’re going to show from next month? Please look forward to it!



*Sagawa Express - parcel delivery company.



Creditos: swoon21@LJ