The Coolest Anime Costumes from Youmacon 2009

A group of Final Fantasy Cosplayers at Youmacon 2009.

What happens when you bring together hundreds – even thousands – of Anime fans? There are hundreds of Anime conventions held every year, all across America and around the world. The scope of these conventions has expanded to include aspects of Asian culture and Japanese-inspired culture beyond animation, including video games, fashion, American shows with Anime influences, and traditional culture.

When it comes down to it, though, if you’re going to go to an Anime convention, you’re going to see plenty of cosplayers – people who devote time, money, and loving effort to recreating their favorite characters in costume form. There are even contests and a masquerade – a sort of fashion show combined with skits to show off the cosplayers’ costumes and acting skills.

Many cosplayers purchase their costumes as well, and the costumes aren’t limited to Anime. Don’t be surprised to see young women wearing fancy dresses with lace that look like they belong on Victorian dolls – examples of Elegant Gothic Lolita fashion – or people dressed up as inanimate objects, such as the Companion Cube or a Katamari, two examples from popular video games.

That’s certainly not all there is to a convention – there are panels for fans to discuss or learn about different topics, the dealers’ room to provide merchandise, and Artists’ Alley, where artists of varied skill levels can display and sell their work. Voice actors and others who work in the Anime and Manga fields often attend conventions and give panels or sign autographs. Most of all, the convention is a place where fans can be as weird as they want to be, without worrying about the sort of disapproval they might receive at home.

Want to join in on the convention fun? AnimeCons.com has a comprehensive list of Anime conventions, their dates and locations, and links to official websites. They also have news on the convention world, such as what special guests will be attending which conventions.

The convention which I most recently attended, and where the following photographs were taken, is Youmacon, held annually in the Detroit, Michigan area (click each image to see the full size version).

A cosplayer portraying Hinata from the popular Anime Naruto.	The villain Orochimaru, also from Naruto.	Gordon Freeman from the video game series Half Life
Yoko, from the series Gurren Lagann.	Lina Inverse, heroine of the anime series Slayers.	Cosplay: Not just for kids anymore!
Two of the Turks from the video game Final Fantasy VII.	The convention was held on Halloween, so many con-goers wore Halloween costumes.	Okay, so Ghostbusters technically has nothing to do with Anime or Japan....
But if the costume looks good, who cares?	Two more cosplayers from Youmacon.