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[Fudgepuppy]

http://www.animenewsnetwork.com/interest/2016-10-25/tokyo-comic-con-bans-males-crossplaying/.108082

http://kotaku.com/tokyo-comic-con-bans-men-from-cosplaying-as-women-chara-1788225504

Mod edit:

reading the source.
"【女装につきまして】
委員会で協議いたしました結果、女装禁止を解除させていただく運びとなりました。
なお、禁止解除に伴いまして、当日のコスプレ登録証の発行を男女色別に設定させていただきます。
it says that they're removing the ban on it, not creating one....

 

[John Kowalski]

That's fucking stupid

 

[BronsonLee]

Oh man, my Halloween costume is now totally ruined

 

[captainpat]

What about dudes cosplaying as dudes who crossdress? There's a lot of those in anime.

 

[BY2K]

But of course they'll let woman cosplayer go as male characters.

 

[DarknessTear]

That's bullshit.

 

[Cyanity]

I've been to enough cons to know that 1) this is fucked. and 2) People will break this rule on purpose now.

 

[HMD]

What about all of the non-binary characters in Japanese media? Can't men dress as that cat person from Re:Zero for example?

 

[SliceSabre]

What about all of the non-binary characters in Japanese media? Can't men dress as that cat person from Re:Zero for example?

That's what I'd do.

Come dressed as Ferris just to piss them off.

 

[ISOM]

That is some sexism.

 

[tkscz]

This particular ban, targeting only men dressing as female characters but not vice-versa, is actually surprisingly common at cosplay events in Japan.

Honestly wouldn't think so but I don't know japan that well. I also don't understand why. It's fairly common at conventions here.

 

[captainpat]

I guess they don't want a bunch burly men in dresses.

 

[SpaceWolf]

Tokyo just became Tokno.

 

[BGBW]

Don't cosplay as a character from an anime called Boku.

Otherwise they might have to change their name to the TokYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Comic-Con.

 

[John Kowalski]

Don't cosplay as a character from an anime called Boku.

Otherwise they might have to change their name to the TokYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO Comic-Con.

That's one way to show your age.

 

[Ran rp]

but why

 

[Wiseblade]

Go as Joseph Joestar trying to sneak into a Nazi military base.

YOUR MOVE SUCKERS

 

[TatteredHat]

If they can accurately see who is and isn't a man, they're a better judge than I am. Some of those cosplayers are so effeminate it's impossible to tell once they put the costume on.

 

[StayDead]

What's the problem with Crossplay?

I get the weird feeling it's because they don't want unattractive men crossplaying as women as they feel it might put people off attending the event. At least Comiket haven't put in place stupid rules like this (as far as I'm aware). This sort of event should be a celebration of nerd culture and if men want to crossplay as women and vice versa that should be allowed.

I wonder if there's a thread about this on 2ch. When I'm out of work I'll have a look and see what people are saying about it.

 

[Somnid]

Pure hetero-normative bullshit. It was pretty common in my experience for women to dress as male characters at these types of things the fact the reverse is banned is completely hypocritical and obnoxious.

 

[ponpo]

I wonder if there's a thread about this on 2ch. When I'm out of work I'll have a look and see what people are saying about it.

It's corea's fault / praise Abe

 

[Calm Mind]

About damn time.

 

[Dimmle]

Japan...

 

[meltingparappa]

 

[shanshan310]

Tokyo Comic Con is weird. I was planning on going and checking it out but it's in just over a month and basically no info has been released... they only just announced three guests with crazy expensive autograph tickets.

 

[Ban Puncher]

FREE MAN FAYE

 

[ATXAlchemy]

Event staff are wary of attracting a large number of stereotypically unattractive men dressed as women.

So... if you aren't a woman enough, you can't cosplay girls?

Do they ban women who aren't attractive enough as well?

This particular ban, targeting only men dressing as female characters but not vice-versa, is actually surprisingly common at cosplay events in Japan.

Is there a source for this other than RocketNews? (ANN also seems to have mis-sourced a wrong RocketNews article, although the ban talk seems to come from the sourced RN article).

I was in Japan last year for 3 months due to a business trip. I was in Comiket 88 (all three days) and Magical Mirai 2015. I didn't take pictures, since I was too busy scuffling for lesbian mangoes (I'm talking about the fruit, if anyone is curious. Yes, they have genders.), but I am VERY sure I saw males dressing as females at Comiket, and there sure as fucking hell a lot of male Miku at Magical Mirai.

I have been a bit more attentive to Comiket news/blog articles since, and there was once a topic (last year, or this year I believe) about the "darkness of the changing room"

Fake edit: A quick "コミケ 女装" google search led me to this, which seems to be the topic I am talking about. http://togetter.com/li/861752

コミケの更衣室はヤバい。 女子更衣室なはずなのに出口からはヒーローやテニスサッカーバスケ少年や新撰組が出てくる。と思うと可愛い人も出てくるからヤバい。 男子更衣室もヤバい。男性だけが入っていったはずなのに巫女とかメイドとか魔法少女やプリキュアが出てくる。 コミケの更衣室はヤバい。

Comiket's changing room is dangerous. It's supposed to be the Female Changing Room but from the exit comes the likes of heroes*, young tennis/soccer(football)/basketball guys, and Shinsengumi. Then again, some really cute ones come out as well so it's dangerous. The Male Changing Room is also dangerous. Only males enter, yet what comes out are miko, maid, magical girls, precure, etc. Comiket's changing rooms are dangerous

*personal note: the term "hero" in Japan has quite a strong association with customed characters - aka power rangers, kamen rider, and ultraman. So I'm guess he's talking about that.

Some even went as far as saying that you have never really fully experienced comiket without being in the changing rooms.

 

[Messofanego]

If they can accurately see who is and isn't a man, they're a better judge than I am. Some of those cosplayers are so effeminate it's impossible to tell once they put the costume on.

Pics?

 

[etrain911]

I feel like that's pretty transphobic as I know at least a couple gender queer folks who aren't allowed to express their gender identity in their daily lives and use cosplay as a way to do so without much scrutiny.

 

[Hierophant]

our sydney cons are always inviting to this sort of thing, i for one love dressing as convincingly as i can as a girl

 

[tolkir]

Sailor moon am cry.

 

[Arkeband]

 

[Kayhan]

 

[TatteredHat]

Pics?

I'll try to find some once I get home from work, lol.

 

[runningjoke]

So uh, how do you enforce this rule?

 

[Misha]

I feel like that's pretty transphobic as I know at least a couple gender queer folks who aren't allowed to express their gender identity in their daily lives and use cosplay as a way to do so without much scrutiny.

Even if they were out it gives the staff an excuse to harass them.

So uh, how do you enforce this rule?

The same way they enforce bathroom bills in the states, poorly and with a lot of collateral damage

 

[Corpekata]

So uh, how do you enforce this rule?

 

[Devilgunman]

If they can accurately see who is and isn't a man, they're a better judge than I am. Some of those cosplayers are so effeminate it's impossible to tell once they put the costume on.

I think they'll let you pass if you're really good at covering up your gender.

Not surprised by this at all. Sexism is alive and well in Japan. It's almost as if it's their culture.

 

[Thelonelykoopa]

This Armstrong cisplay is fine though

right...

 

[Spaghetti]

I know he's (probably) not Japan-based, but shout out to Sailor Bubba for being an OG in this field.

 

[mantidor]

I don't get this, doesn't Japan have a long history with cross dressing? It's not just anime, even their variety shows have sections of male highschool students dressed as girls.

 

[Forkball]

Kabuki actors BTFO

 

[OniBarubary]

Not like I'm going to this but as someone who regularly crossplays this is a really stupid decision.

 

[_Ryo_]

Ugh. This is sexist and transphobic. Really disappointed with this.

 

[Mesoian]

Good luck enforcing this. Looking forward to all of the negative press garnered when someone slips up because, "I COULDN'T TELL MAN! I JUST DON'T KNOW WHAT TO THINK! HE WAS TOO CUTE AND MY MIND COULDN'T HANDLE IT!"

 

[Valkerionseven]

Makes my Halloween costume a bit weird this year. Dressing as a haughty schoolgaru with my girlfriend but seems like I wouldn't be allowed in this place... hmm.

 

[Linkark07]

The irony, considering Japanese animes and mangas have many male crossdressing characters.

Well, time to cosplay as Hideyoshi Kinoshita.

 

[malfcn]

They don't want Lady Beard?

 

[Alanae]

reading the source.
"【女装につきまして】
委員会で協議いたしました結果、女装禁止を解除させていただく運びとなりました。
なお、禁止解除に伴いまして、当日のコスプレ登録証の発行を男女色別に設定させていただきます。
it says that they're removing the ban on it, not creating one....

 

[AcademicSaucer]

reading the source.
"【女装につきまして】
委員会で協議いたしました結果、女装禁止を解除させていただく運びとなりました。
なお、禁止解除に伴いまして、当日のコスプレ登録証の発行を男女色別に設定させていただきます。
it says that they're removing the ban on it, not creating one....

Ayy