My thoughts on crossplaying

What are the similarities between crossplaying and heavy metal music?

My answer is:

-Both are stereotyped and easily dismissed by the public
-Controversial
-People outside the scene just don't get it
-The proponents and fans could easily get too carried away
-There's a surprisingly strong circles and communities for both scenes
-I don't know the exact words in English, but in Bahasa Malaysia, we call them 'bajet ganas' - the rough translation would be the projection of an image to scare or disgust the public, whereas their actual personalities are the exact opposite
-To the principal upholders, it is awesome

Obligatory shuuzou picture

This post has actually been sitting in my draft since early this year, from what started out halfheartedly from 'le fffffuuuuuuuuu'. Somewhere along a couple of posts later, it moved along to a 'OK now that's just horribly wrong', and eventually reaching the 'yea I'm okay with this'. So this post have the whole of seven months for the thoughts to evolve. Cool.

And if you think I'm here to condemn or condone the practice, then you'd be mistaken. 'cause the only side I'm from is that of an active observer, right?

Right then.

And the beginning of thisl goes as such: Way back when I had more free times, I've been looking at some cosplay pictures, and not surprisingly, one theme kept on repeating every now and then: crossplaying.

I know that feels, Kogasa

And when you speak of these crossplayers, it basically come down to these two:

#1: Those that doesn't really hide the fact (or simply failed to do so) that they're guys who wear girls' costume (female to male crossplayers also counts, but they're not discussed here for obvious reason);
#2: Those who, to some extent, manage to fool us to think otherwise.

You know the ones.

There is actually a few reasons why I decided to resurrect this post from stagnancy.

The biggest one would be from what started as some random late night chat with a few fellow crossplayers. I couldn't remember exactly how we got the whole thing started, but pretty soon we were discussing about traps, crossplay experience (from their side, mind), tips, and a load of other unrelated topics. Of course, being the cat (read: curious) I was, I did some other background readings - cause I was too curious for my own good - and I found out that, hey, these stuff actually goes more than meets the eyes.

Take the thing itself in the first place. Get a guy who looks more on the feminine side, give him a dress, and you get a convincing (or at least passable) crossplaying, yes? So I thought - until I'm reminded that there are other items such as makeup, specialized clothes, facial expressions, and gestures to be considered about.

So, it's more than just putting on some frilly dresses - as someone put it, 'it's a physical activity'. There is surprisingly a lot that goes before all that: Pretty usual, normal stuff. Some pretty otherwise embarrassing things for the uninitiated. Some quite painful stuff. The show of creativity to solve some problems - I mean, rice? Pudding? (if you get what I meant there, it means you've been reading through some materials. Or probably experienced).

The overall effect of knowing all this is... well, a more understanding of some knowledge in which I'm not so sure of the long-term practical application from my side, I guess. Still, it ain't too bad getting some new information, eh?

I feel enlightened.



And that is for the what of crossplay. And as for the who - what of the crossplayers?

Sure, it's no big surprise that they receives more discrimination and sideway glances than the opposite gender counterparts (some have come to call it 'the rare occasion where society double standard works against men'), and this is without a doubt the place where the whole controversy of the subject originate - but it's not that there's much that could be done about this in the first place, isn't it? Then, why did they go ahead with it?

You might be interested to read this forum topic here, if you want to get some perspective from their side. Pretty interesting read; and besides, it's better than making wild guess on what goes on in their mind. Goes on to show the whole thing isn't as straightforward as some would make it to be.

Whatever it is, I don't think it's that easy for someone to actually be converted into crossplaying on their own accord. Some suggestions, coaxing, and encouraging words must have been included somewhere along the line.

Because some might eventually say, 'OK, so what's about your own experience on this?', my side of story is this: on the first anime convention that I've been to, I had the chance of seeing a crossplayer right smack in front of me (or perhaps two - on the account of an almost similar experience with Kogasa there). It was perhaps something to be expected, sure, no surprise about that -what I'm more surprised was how accepting the crowd was at that time. Of course there's the occasional 'hey, that's a dude!' and 'dude, don't be flashing your armpits like that!', but that's it.

It changed my perception on how onlookers view those crossplayers. Of course, for the not so good ones...

I'm... okay with this (up to a point anyway)

What I failed to mention so far on why I've taken so much interest in the subject in the first place is because of the nature of the Touhou series. Well, nothing to really be surprised about there, since, well, practically all the characters are girls, with the exception of a shopkeeper, a fist-throwing cloud, turtle, swordman, cat, catfish, and some nameless faeries and random enemies (unless if I missed someone/thing there).

So for the opposite gender, when it comes to cosplaying the characters, it's either a) pick any of the exceptions; b) genderswap; or c) crossplay.

Very tricky, the third option. You've seen worse pictures than the above, perhaps. So bad that it made this one looks pretty acceptable:


Of course, you'd very much find this happening in other series too, but you'll have to be foolhardy (or just unlucky) if you really want to come across them.


In my opinion, the Japanese are probably still the best when it comes to get the job done well. Case in point: this Alice. You'd best believe it's a guy, no kidding!

Her- I mean, his Curecos page

Although personally, if you want to see something more amazing, there's the Byakuren cosplay. OH YE GOD DAT BYAKUREN. OHHH.

Meanwhile, elsewhere you get those... well, you know. I don't wanna vomit blood by forcing myself to find those pictures. It's there in the 'net for you to relish. Ohoho yes.

Well, what is there to say about them at the end of it all? That they got the balls to do it? (I apologize for this horrible pun, but it's just inevitable) That you should be highly suspicious whenever you saw what appears to be a girl cosplaying? That whenever you go to cons, mindfuck are mandatory?

Um. I'm actually out of coherent thoughts to go on about this, except that the whole thing gives me the hebejebes while at the same time amaze me. Like so:

my faces when I see crossplay pictures

So then. Have a nonomy while you're at it. Most probably a coincidence, but doesn't the pose remind you of a certain overused fad off the 'net? (except that she's - screw it, the gender is a lie! - too elegant to be conceited, eheh)