BIZCHINA / Weekly Roundup

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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