| A fantasy world becomes reality By Zhao Ziran (China Daily)
 Updated: 2006-07-31 11:52  "There was 
no stage, the place was in poor condition, and I played a tiny role," Lu said, 
almost a little embarrassed. "I think my performance was awful. But to my 
surprise, the audience screamed and applauded."
 He slowly began to believe cosplay was "something that can make people 
happy." 
 "Children or adults, in their hearts people have a kind of admiration for or 
fantasy about fictional figures," Lu said. "As it grows they start to identify 
with that character. Cosplay is like going to a world of fairy tales and making 
these dreams come true." 
 Ren Kenan, a 34-year-old accountant and amateur photographer who started to 
take pictures of cosplay shows in May, said: "Young people always have passion 
and enthusiasm, and they need a way to release it." 
 But converting cosplay dreams to live performances is hard work. Lu said when 
DiDu, the group he leads, was preparing for an event last year, he and his 
girlfriend used all their savings to rent the venue and pay other expenses, and 
DiDu members worked for two days without sleep to make all the accessories. 
 What's more, cosers learn skills. "The stage is a big schoolroom," said Qi 
Yunyu, another DiDu member. "You can learn how to make clothes, props, put on 
makeup, take photos and use software to touch them up." 
 
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