Manga-inspired cosplay is nothing unusual for Japanese otakus or even here in the United States (see, for instance, our post about the Comic Con 2010 costumes)
But in China, cosplay has taken a weird twist:
Japan’s TBS news visits a gathering of otaku in China to report on how there is now a “boom” in the number of male fans who dress up like female anime and manga characters.
The cross-dressers were apparently influenced by television shows about otaku who do the same kind of thing in Japan. The publication of a Chinese cross-dressing cosplay manual is cited as evidence of this being a trend. It is also mentioned that a lot of Chinese netizens have criticized the weird activities of these otaku.
The Carroll High School Chargers powder puff cheerleaders perform a halftime routine for the crowd in Fort Wayne, Indiana. -via YesButNoButYes
The Kids In The Hall were probably most successful at pulling off the female disguise, although they weren’t trying to fool anyone. Their skits occasionally needed women characters, and their delivery was a perfect blend of self-awareness and application.
Many times in movies and other forms of entertainment, the contriving plot demands someone dress like a woman and fool other people, ostensibly people who aren’t blind. OMG Lists compiled ten of the worst offenders, from White Chicks to Bosom Buddies. It’s a pretty accurate list, despite my affection for Tootsie.
If you think the Somali pirate had a bad case of mistaken identity, check this one out: when two thugs decided to attack a pair of transvestites, they found out the hard way that their intended victims were cross-dressing cage fighters!
The Daily Mail has the story:
Dean Gardener, 19, and Jason Fender, 22, singled out the two men walking along a street in wigs, short skirts and high heels.
Bare-chested Gardener was caught on CCTV confronting one of the men in a pink wig, black skirt and boob tube – then seen swinging a punch, a court heard.
But the other cage fighter, wearing a sparkling black dress and matching long wig, sprang to his friend’s help, delivering two lightning-quick punches to the two stunned yobs.
The defense attorney for the two remarked:
Mark Davies, defending, said: ‘You know it cannot have been a good night when you get into a fight with two cross-dressing men.
No words on why the cage fighters were out wearing such lovely dresses in the first place: Link (CCTV still image: Wales News Service)
