Cosplay, capitalism, and constipated 14 year olds who judge you
Thaiger’s satirical cultural commentary volume 9: All about the anime and cosplay culture in Thailand
Hey look, another mildly bitter editorial. This one’s for anyone who’s ever wandered into a Bangkok cosplay convention and thought, “Wait, why is this better organised than my government?”
Let’s address something that’s been bothering people (aka the writer): anime and cosplay in Thailand are no longer hobbies. They’re alternate lifestyles. You’re not dressing up as Gojo from Jujutsu Kaisen because it’s fun, you’re doing it because your landlord won’t return your deposit, and fantasy is cheaper than therapy. It also pays well, depending on how far the lolita express you go.
It used to be that conventions were low-budget affairs with sweaty basements, tangled extension cords, and someone selling bootleg Goku figurines next to a squid-on-a-stick cart. Now? Try entering a Thai con without a ring light; you’ll be escorted out by a 14 year old with better eyebrows than you in 6-inch heels.
People would find it hard to believe that you don’t know what an anime convention is but if you are serious, we all envy you. Yes, anime cons have history and the first major anime convention globally was Comiket in Japan (1975), originally just 700 nerds trading doujinshi in a Tokyo hall. Flash forward to now and they are all over the world connecting millions of nerds and the women who date them together.
For Thailand, it started in the early 2000s: local fan groups started holding cosplay meetups in shopping malls and university halls, which slowly mutated into massive air-conditioned arena-scale festivals with corporate sponsors and foam prop regulations. What began as a love letter to Naruto turned into a full-blown body-length pillow economy.
There’s a kind of reverse shame at play. Normies, aka normal people, whisper, “It’s just dress-up,” while these teens are out here constructing functional EVA Units from foam and pure spite. If your cosplay doesn’t need a structural permit, is it even cosplay?
And before you sneer at the guy dressed as a sexy Pikachu Libre while screaming about exchange rates for hentai figures into his phone: he’s a professional. He has sponsors and a Patreon with 5,000 members. You work a 9 to 5 and have a pint on the weekends. Different strokes, different anime folks, as they say.
Don’t waste time gatekeeping. Don’t pretend Western cons invented fandom. Asia is so far beyond that even Thailand alone has had full-blown One Piece themed weddings, themed art galleries of shows such as Naruto and Attack on Titan, idol singing competitions judged by voice actors from their beloved show, and an academic study for how effective a Naruto run is. Stay in your lane.
You can spend a lot of time debating whether anime is art or just smut. But down here, it’s not a debate, it’s a way of life.
FAIR WARNING
If you’re planning to submit your indie manga concept to a publisher:
- Please stop using AI to “draw.”
- If your plot includes the phrase “he was an ordinary schoolboy until…” it’s not new and we’re all tired of it.
- Don’t pitch a comic about a foreigner in a foreign land unless you’re ready to be drawn as the villain.
Here are some of my pitches for some convention activities:
Siam Cosplay Wars #11: Now featuring live, real giant sword fights that are somehow legal. Winner gets a gold key to the BTS SkyTrain (Not functional.)
Anime Idol Deathmatch: 13 contestants. 1 mic. 0 self-awareness. Judged by a cat café manager with a huge TikTok following.
Yaoi Sketch Slam Down Vol. 4: Watch grown adults panic-draw emotionally charged boys’ love scenes under fluorescent lighting.
Maid Café Tournament Arc: Who pours tea best while maintaining eye contact with the biggest sweatiest fan? Find out in the food court next to Auntie Anne’s.
Demon Slayer Budget Showcase: Marvel as ten thousand baht of foam becomes six minutes of sweaty, glorious perfection. Hosted by someone’s dad in Crocs.
That’s all for now. Remember: just because it’s animated doesn’t mean it’s not personal. And just because you wore a wig doesn’t mean you’re not seen. Good luck, stay hydrated and may your foam armour survive Bangkok’s humidity. See you in the artist alley!
Writing this in a Pikachu onesie – Daniel Holmes
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