BOOK REVIEW: Otacool 2 - Worldwide Cosplayers

[JeffSaylor]

It's a cosplay world after all...

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How well do you know cosplay? If your answer is "very," then you might already own Otacool 2 – Worldwide Cosplayers. If your answer is "not a lot," then this book will answer most of your questions about what it is, why it is, and open your mind to just how BIG it is in Japan and worldwide.

First as a preface, the term "Otaku" is a Japanese word used to refer to people with obsessive interests, particularly anime, manga, and video games. Otacool is a series of books produced by Kotobukiya that celebrates this obsession. Their first book featured images of various rooms of obsessive fans while this second book is about the world of "costume play," or cosplay for short.

Otacool 2 is 128 pages and filled cover to cover with color photography submitted by cosplayers all over the world, mostly gorgeous female cosplayers at that. The book contains both Japanese and English text and gives a thorough background of cosplay, the industry, even how to become a cosplayer yourself. Some sections feature small Q&A with many of the cosplayers themselves. And if you're a part of the cosplay community, their "Cure ID numbers" are included.

I've only been exposed to the various costumes worn at comic conventions and the like but this book shows that there's a lot more than just the conventions. Some people borderline LIVE in this world. This book may not be the ultimate cosplayers guide or pictorial, but it's a fascinating start if you're interested.

This small paperback can be found for about $19.99 at your favorite bookstore.

Review by David Yeh
Photos Courtesy of Amazon
Review Sample Courtesy of Kotobukiya

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