CosPlay Encyclopedia  (1996)

Theatrical Release Information:
CosPlay Encyclopedia

This documentary looks at the art of "cosplay," short for costume play, a wacky youth phenomenon in Japan where young people dress up like their favorite animé characters and gather at parties, discos, and conventions. Several cosplayers discuss how they design their costumes, how much they spend (sometimes 1,000 dollars), and how many hours or days it took to make. Also included is some talk by younger kids of keeping cosplay secret from parents. There is a visit to a costume shop, and a top ten countdown/fashion show of the most popular cosplay characters for the year. Celebrity cosplayer Barbie Tukino, filmed at Anime Expo 1999, shows off her "Eternal Sailor Moon" costume. Also featured are the costumes of Chocolate Misu, Honey, Magic Knight, and Fushigi Yugi. The program is in Japanese with English subtitles. ~ Elizabeth Smith, All Movie Guide