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[*Shiva*]

At Anime Boston last year, a group of Italian tourists asked to get their photos taken with myself, Natalie, and LyddieGal as Shiva, Pheonix, and Shiva respectively. They had NO idea what was going on (nor did we share a common language with which to properly explain it) but they loved it.

So on somebody's refridgerator in Italy somewhere there is a family trip photo with us in it. xD

Two years ago at the Pru's food court, I was wearing my Amano Rinoa when this really adorable little girl came up to me absolutely enthralled with my wings. I asked her how old she was but she was too shy to tell me she was 5. I had a great conversation with her Mom, and she thought it was so neat she dragged her daughter to the con to check out the other costumes. LOL.

In general, most people I've met think its actually pretty neat.

AWA 2007. My friends and I went across the street to the mall to eat on Friday dressed in our Bleach costumes. We had four or five people ask us what was going on, and I'd say "Oh, there's a Japanese Animation Convention going on across the street." Most people were nice, two actually knew what I was talking about, but the last guy was like, "What's with all this ninja-samurai stuff?" and I started to explain that there was a convention going on and he just looked at us like we were crazy and walked off without letting me finish.

u_u Some people.

[Dream-chan]

Originally Posted by stardust462

I got some weird looks at ConnectiCon when I went through the hotel dressed as a Moogle girl, right near the conference rooms for a school superintendent (or maybe it was principal) meeting.

Principal: "I still don't see why we must have a dress code for our students!
*group of cosplayers run by*
Superintendent: "Thats why.."

xD

[mirrorsaber]

*At a Waffle House last year at Sugoicon*

man *stares at TJ*- *in a redneck accent* Hey, sugarnipples, what are you doing?

TJ, me and the rest of us-* has no clue who this guy is*

We all explained what it was, and left immediatly.

*while I'm walkingby in my Yamcha cosplay* man-Look, MOON BOOTS!!!!

This is exactly why I want to move out of this state.XD

[kitee]

I was eating outside of the actual con, and someone asked me why there were so many people in costume. I guess they asked me because I looked the most normal, cosplaying as Dawn from Pokemon. I got scared though, and my friend had to explain. I'm really shy. ><

I had a bit of a run in with is what I guess we could call a "reverse reaction".

I was escorting several characters to Main Events for their rehearsals for Opening Ceremonies at Janicon. It was a dress rehearsal, but I had already had someone take my coat and hat downstairs so no one would see Carmen walking around the building ahead of time before the big "heist" (scavenger hunt intro) took place. So, I was wearing the under part of the outfit, but that's just a black mock turtleneck and black cargo pants with black high heel boots. Without the coat over top it just looks like normal clothes.. or perhaps a stage tech's uniform. Nothing "strange".

After I took Kefka, Harley, Waldo, Link, and Gannon down, I realized I forgot something and told them I'd meet them up, and hopped back in the elevator. While I was resting up against the elevators back glass wall thing, I finally had a few moments to take in my surroundings. The entire time we had been going down the elevator, and making stops for other people on their floors (who were all cosplayers as well tyring to get to the bottom floor where all the events were taking place) an elderly couple had been watching and listening to all of us. My stop was all the way up on the 14th or 15th floor (I don't remember.. I just know it was high up and it was a sllooowww elevator) so after making stops for 3 more groups of cosplayers and con staff who all said something along the lines of...

"Hey Steph.. so and so wants to talk to you.." or "Don't forget you need to do ect. for Opening.." or just "hi" and bye" The various con attendees with their cat ears and tails and wonderland hats and costumes came and went. The elderly couple who had been staring at all the cosplayers coming in and out of the elevator and adressing me for some reason or other, stopped staring at them and started staring at me instead. They squinted at me. Why were they squinting at my chest? Oh! They were squinting at my badge! I looked at them like "Why are you looking at me like that?" and so they stopped.. and as soon as I looked away they did it again.... and again... and again, and finally spoke up in a joking manner....


"Soooo... Aren't you a little under dressed compared to all your friends?"


I laughed. So, That is why they had been staring at me the entire time. For the first time ever, I was being looked at wierd because I WASN'T in costume.

I love cons in hotels. Mainly because of all the people who are staying at the hotel that ARE NOT going for the convention, and have no idea what they're in for.

[dreamoflife02]

Ha, the Italian tourist thing reminded me of something that I forgot happened: at AB this past year, a friend and I were at the food court, and a woman with a very heavy French accent asked us what was going on... she was really surprised when we responded in French. Both my friend and I took seven years of it in school, and we had had enough 'tell the class about your hobbies' projects that we could explain it all fairly well, and we had a very nice conversation with the woman, us practicing our French and her practicing her English.

[AlphaNinn]

Oh, just variations of the "what's going on?" "Why are you dressed like that"

The best was at the 2006 Atlanta Fan Faire. The banquet/costume contest had just finished, and a youth church group was returning to the hotel. Now, there are not a lot of cosplayers at Fan Faire, so we really stood out. They strike up a conversation with the group of people I was standing with,when one of them looked around and commented "This looks fun, what is it?"

What made it better though, was not 5 minutes after that, people who were returning to the hotel from the Cable TV convention (Which I would have gone to had it not been that weekend - I had access to it as a student with a professor that did stuff at it) had similar comments, then, I kid you not, people returning from a plumbling expo gave us the "I wish I was at this one instead" line after asking what was going on, and actually seemed disappointed when we told them that it was the final night, events were over, and there was nothing going on the next day. (Fan Faire's a two day con, not counting Thursday badge pick-up/opening party)

Wandering around in Rose Gown, waiting for a Suncoast event to start, a few days before Halloween, a couple of girls are behind me on the escalator, they ask why I'm dressed up (Since I was much older than the kid's mall trick or treating...lol), then where I had bought the dress. They seemed disappointed when I told them I made it.

But yeah, usually, like I said, I get the "what's going on?"

[makotohanabi]

At Katsucon 2003 I tried to explain about anime cons and cosplay to a young man in a UN Peacekeeper's uniform. He was confused when con people complemented him on his "cosplay" and asked for photos. English wasn't his first language so I'm not sure how much he understood. This was back when Katsucon was held in Arlington, VA and fairly near the Pentagon, seeing foreign soldiers in the area is fairly common.

Anime Mid Atlantic 2004 conversation in the elevator
redneck soccer dad: Why are people dressed funny?
me: There's an anime convention this weekend, people dress up as their favorite characters and some enter contests for prizes.
redneck soccer dad: Thought it was a cross dresser's convention.
The elevator arrived at my floor so I got out.

Otakon 2006 at the mall in line for food
yankees fan: I'm seeing people dress crazy. What's going on?
me: It's a Japanese animation convention at the Convention center, people go to panels and workshops. Many make costumes to wear and some enter competitions for prizes. It's a lot like the people who go to Star Trek cons.
yankees fan: Are there any conventions in NY?
me: I know of AnimeNEXT, but I'm from DC so that's the only one I'm familiar with. Do you have a pen?
I wrote down the website for AN and animecons.com for her.

[Zashi]

The most common question hands down for me is: what are you supposed to be? I smile and explain that its from an Anime, and if they still dont understand, then I explain a little bit about Anime, about this time most of them nod their heads and walk away...

[vampirate]

Okay, the whole "us vs. them", "let's freak out the 'normals'" mentality really really bothers me. It seems to me that is why some people outside of the cosplay community think of cosplayers and such as weird perverse freaks who should be shunned by the rest of society. Being polite and actually explaining things rationally is usually a better option. And heck if someone is being rude to you, being super polite back to them will usually actually bug them way more than acting rudely back towards them.

But an encounter with people outside the convention(I'd like to we're all normal and not you know, mutant freaks or something) during Otakon I think um, '99; some of us were walking to a restaurant and ran into a couple of people working for Rice Krispies giving out free samples of the new type of Rice Krispie Treats(peanut butter I think). They asked us what was going on and we told them about the convention. Then we ended up trading Pocky and Rice Krispie Treats.

[Angathol]

I took the TTC (Toronto's subway) at least five times in costume and two more times out of costume carrying Fai staff during Fan Expo this year. One guy asked me if my staff was magic; I think he was catching on that there was a "nerd con" in town, probably because cosplayers were going in and out of Union Station all weekend. Most people just stared at me. A few asked what my staff was for/why I had it, and a few were genuinely interested. Once I was sitting down and waiting for my train when a man sat down next to me and started asking all sorts of questions about my costume and staff and their purpose. I thanked him for doing more than just staring, and he laughed and said that he was more interested in multi-genre cons than other nerdy hobbies (I think he said "Shakespeare cults" or something).

The most amusing reaction I've gotten was when I was standing in one of the skywalk hallways during MTAC this year with a bunch of other cosplayers, and a man from the holistics convention (read: HippieCon) started asking questions like "So you... EMBODY the characters. Man, I really respect that" and such. xD

Fan Expo '07 had the most reactions I've gotten from normies - Anime North is pretty secluded so mundanes don't really wander through there, MTAC is in the basement of a convention centre, and I'd never taken public transit to a con before then.

[HyperrrMouse]

At last AX my friend was exhausted and completely worn out. We were wearing our Final Fantasy Tactic Ovelia and Ramza costumes, and her boots for Ramza were killing her feet. I offered to buy her some bottled water, so she sat and waited not far from the vendor stand. As I was making my purchase the vendor carefully looked me up and down and then said,
"Why is the Princess buying a drink for the prince?" He didn't know the game but decided I looked like a Princess.
I laughed and responded, "Well a Princess must always be gracious to her subjects." he laughed and we chatted a bit longer before I headed back to Darkin, as I walked away he chided loudly, "Next time have the Prince buy the drinks!"

Darkin and I were amused by how much the staff seemed to enjoy seeing all the costumes and meeting the cosplayers.

[Volnixshin]

Originally Posted by dreamoflife02

Although it's especially funny at Anime Boston, when the food court at the Pru is about 50% cosplayers... I've never seen so many people rubbernecking in my life.

Dear God Yes. Just walk around the corner of the mall, and BAM! Cosplayers EVERYWHERE! Taking up everyline of every food place in the court. God its amazing. And funny as hell when you see normal ppl trapped in the middle of all the tables, surrounded by us people. I'd HATE to think of what the Cheesecake Factory down the hall is like!

[Kesra]

At Sugoi '05 I was taking an elevator downstairs. A guy next to me gave me a really odd look. After a moment of silence he said "Dagger from Final Fantasy IX?"

"Yup."

"Rock on."