Beware of the forest, don't stray from the path |
Yangjae Citizen's Forest is a small parcel of land in the south of Seoul hemmed in by a major trunk road, a large flower market and two looming high-rise offices of Hyundai and Kia. Frankly it is very easy to overlook, the forest being altogether too small to attract significant numbers of people.
However with a few grassy areas, some curious looking monuments, lots of leafy tree cover and a stream with bridges, it serves perfectly as an unlikely outdoor photographic studio where cosplayers can pay homage to their favourite comic hero, or perhaps their partner's favourite comic crush. For uninformed dog-walkers a cosplayer is a person who dresses up as a character from an comic series, movie, cartoon or video game.
The background to all of this is Korea's insatiable fascination with anime comics and movies. A quick glimpse around the subway carriage in the morning shows an approx equal split between commuters playing video games, watching TV and those reading a (sometimes too) graphic novel of one genre or another.
A girl in elaborate anime costume poses for photographs on a bridge into Yangjae Citizen's Forest |
However with a few grassy areas, some curious looking monuments, lots of leafy tree cover and a stream with bridges, it serves perfectly as an unlikely outdoor photographic studio where cosplayers can pay homage to their favourite comic hero, or perhaps their partner's favourite comic crush. For uninformed dog-walkers a cosplayer is a person who dresses up as a character from an comic series, movie, cartoon or video game.
As always, Korean cosplayers take their obsessions very seriously. For anime characters there is an ill-defined grey zone between fandom, fetish and role-play |
The background to all of this is Korea's insatiable fascination with anime comics and movies. A quick glimpse around the subway carriage in the morning shows an approx equal split between commuters playing video games, watching TV and those reading a (sometimes too) graphic novel of one genre or another.
While some suggest that anime is helping to support Japan through a time of declining economic influence ...
https://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2010/09/07/reference/anime-makes-japan-superpower/#.WaJmkigjGUk
... others claim that the home-grown Korean animation is finally ready to step into the limelight and define its own place in the market after many years of producing work outsourced from the Japanese animation studios;
https://www.theguardian.com/film/filmblog/2013/jan/22/south-korean-animation-king-pigs
http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=112698
http://www.korea.net/NewsFocus/Culture/view?articleId=112698
Either way, the market for anime is reportedly worth US$ 14bn in Japan and more than twice that in China, so competition is fierce.
http://www.animationcareerreview.com/articles/buzz-about-multibillion-dollar-anime-biz
Consumer interest in Korea is such that Seoul and the southern port city of Busan take it in turns to alternately hold anime comic conventions at least every two months - usually every month during the summer.
Busan Comic World |
These conventions give fans a chance to show show off new costumes and pose as their alter ego in a highly charged, media intense, bustling setting. By comparison the Citizen's Forest at Yangjae allows them to quietly mellow out and enjoy the fun in a quiet, relaxing, semi-secluded environment.
Say "Kimchi" |
It's not unusual to see a group of 3 or more brightly wigged and costumed cosplayers surrounded by a crew of 5 or more taking photos or video, holding lights, reflectors or flash umbrellas, fixing props such as swords and axes and making fine adjustments to make-up, headgear and capes. All in all you could be forgiven for thinking you and your mutt had blindly wandered onto a film rehearsal studio.
Just a final note of interest; while the western fan base of animated material and comic conventions is (stereo-typically at least) nerdy young men - exemplified by Big Bang Theory
By comparison the Asian fan base is, if anything, overwhelmingly female.
PS: Inspirational leaders through the ages
Just a final note of interest; while the western fan base of animated material and comic conventions is (stereo-typically at least) nerdy young men - exemplified by Big Bang Theory
The Big Bang Theory: Flash, Flash, Flash and Flash |
PS: Inspirational leaders through the ages
47BC: I came, I saw, I conquered |
2017 AD: I came, I scored, I squandered, bigly |