Anime Anime Global

When you think of annual events in October, you think of Halloween.

“Ikebukuro Halloween Cosplay Fes 2021” has been held on site for the first time in 2 years on October 30 and 31. Many of the Anime!Anime! readers may want to cosplay as characters in anime and games.

Therefore, Anime!Anime! conducted a reader survey titled “Who would you like to try cosplaying as?”. During the survey period from October 17 – 24, a total of 56 responses were received. For the gender ratio, the females were the majority with about 70% while the males were about 30%. For the age distribution, we received the majority of responses from the young readers: about 50% were from teens, and 35% were from those in their 20s.

We will introduce the results for the male characters edition in this article.

■The titles released in 2021 enjoyed popularity!

In this survey, many characters from the titles released in 2021 have been voted for.

From “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”, Kamado Tanjiro, Tomioka Giyu, Rengoku Kyojuro, and Iguro Obanai received votes.
For Rengoku Kyojuro, who is taking a major role in “Mugen Train”, a reader commented “As the gradation of his hair is so unique that it would be difficult to cosplay as him, it would also be worth trying.” He became a popular character that everyone knows as “Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba the Movie: Mugen Train” became the highest-grossing Japanese film of all time. It will draw much attention if you cosplay as him.

From “Tokyo Revengers”, one of the successful titles in 2021, Sano Manjiro, Ryuguji Ken, Baji Keisuke, and Hanma Shuji received votes. In addition to the unique hairstyles of the “To-Reve” characters, the characters mentioned the team uniform, saying “I want to get dressed in Tokkofuku and walk around the city at least once!”.

Speaking of uniforms, the Survey Corps from “Attack on Titan” received a good rating. For the main character Levi, a reader commented, “Everyone should have longed for the vertical maneuvering equipment. Levi is a relatively small guy, so it would be easy for girls to cosplay as him” to act like the most powerful soldier of humankind.

The characters with dark charms are also popular for Halloween.
Lelouch Lamperouge “Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”
“He is willing to go in for crime to achieve what he wants. His costumes and posture is showy, which will stand out even more for cosplaying”.

Riddle Roseheart “Disney: Twisted-Wonderland”
“She is a queen with a heart motif. Her crown is super cool!”
Akutagawa Ryunosuke “Bungo Stray Dogs”
“I don’t normally have any chance to wear things like his below-the-knee black overcoat and white jabot on his neck. I want to try posing with my hand on my face.”

The characters related to ghosts and monsters also won some votes.
Hozuki “Hozuki’s Coolheadedness”
“He is typically dressed in kimono, which is very Japanese! I want to show the appeal of Oni and Jigoku that are unique to Japanese culture among Western demons.”
Sesshomaru “Inuyasha”
“His short-sleeved kimono, armor, and fluffy ornament on his shoulders are gorgeous and beautiful.”

We listed the titles with the characters winning multiple votes. The titles featuring characters with unique costumes are standing out.

■Works with the characters that won multiple votes.

－Who would you like to try cosplaying as? Male characters edition－
“Demon Slayer: Kimetsu no Yaiba”
“The Disastrous Life of Saiki K.”
“Gintama”
“Tokyo Revengers”
“Hakuoki”
“Detective Conan”
“Bungo Stray Dogs”
“Heaven Official’s Blessing”
“Code Geass: Lelouch of the Rebellion”
“Disney: Twisted-Wonderland”

（Survey Period: October 17 – 24, 2021）

*This survey is intended to research the readers’ “interest in anime and characters today”. It is not intended to discuss the relative merits of each character nor work. I would be glad if this article can help you develop an understanding and interest in anime and characters.