When cosplay becomes a serious business in Indonesia
The country's cosplay community is thriving in terms of numbers and variety.
Among the main reasons the Indonesian creative industry can grow is the size of the domestic market.
Indonesian youth – aged between 10 and 24 – comprise 26 per cent of the nation’s population.
Roughly 30 million of them are Internet users who are exposed to comic strips, Japanese animation movies and video games online.
The event organiser of the annual Anime Festival Asia (AFA) said Indonesian visitors had dominated the festivals in Singapore for years until local events appeared in Jakarta.
Festival director Shawn Chin of Singapore-based Sozo said they expected at least 10,000 visitors during the first Indonesia event, but 29,000 came. And the number rose to 53,000 the following year.
Even foriegn cosplayers were amazed about their Indonesian counterparts who, though they don’t travel far for performances, were meticulous about details.
“The community of cosplayers in Indonesia is so large in number and variety,” said a Malaysian named Angie, who attended the AFA in a costume of a character from “Love Life”.
“They take cosplaying very seriously.”
Wenny, a college student, said she started cosplaying 10 years ago, despite being frowned upon by her parents and people on the street.
“But now they are used to it and they even help me with the make-up and costumes,” said Wenny, who made her own costumes.
“It started as a hobby because I love reading manga and anime, but it now has become a part of my life. It would be weird the day I have to let go all of this, which I’m not sure is going to happen,” she said.
