What is "crossplay"?
It is a term coined from the mix of "cross-(gender)" and "cosplay". It refers to any situation in which a person decides to dress and act like a character (anime, videogame, book, etc.) of the
opposite gender. While it can be used to refer to both male-to-female and female-to-male costume-wearing, it is used more generally to mean the latter. It´s less socially accepted for a man to dress as a woman, than the other way around, and therefore easier to find a female posing as a male than the other way around.
My personal experience is in the realm of female-to-male crossplay, naturally. I don´t have any male friends who have ever been willing to dress like a woman (much less crossplay), to my regret. Hopefully someday.....I would love to have a reverse-pair cosplay: girl cosplaying as guy and guy as girl. Fun!
I´m fascinated by "gender bending"; I really enjoy reading manga that deal with this topic because it´s delightful (and a guaranteed laugh) to see all of the characters scrambling around in awkward situations without knowing that the reason they´re feeling awkward is that the "guy" they think they fancy is actually a girl. Or viceversa.
The one cosplay that I have determined I
will do, without a doubt is even more confusing: I want to crossplay a guy crossplaying a girl. Meaning, essentially, it´s plain cosplay, but not quite, because you have to retain a "male" personality. Where can you find this insaneley strange plot device? Well, it´s a regular boy-as-girl manga, only the reason the main character crossdresses is not because he wants to--it´s because he´s a member of a kabuki troupe, and he´s one of those boys who "plays" a woman. It´s called
KUNISAKI IZUMO NO JIJOU.
Anyhow, it should be obvious--a woman generally doesn´t look like a man. So, when it comes to disguising oneself, you really have to pay attention to, amongst other things:
- Your chest. Chest-binding of some sort, even it it´s just a sports bra over your A-cups, is important.
- Your hips. Boys....don´t have them. So it´s up to you to disguise them. Sometimes padding works, or the place where your pants lie on your hips, or just wearing a looser top. Whatever you can adjust from the character´s outfit.
- Your butt. Ours tend to be curvier. Sometimes you can make them seem less with the cut of your pants.
- Your face. Guys tend to have higher or at least more prominent cheek bones. While you can´t actually change your facial structure without the use of surgery, the clever use of contouring and reflection makeup on your face can make them seem more prominent.
- Your walk. Guys walk differently than girls. They sit differently as well. Observe the nearest guy to you and compare. What does he do when he walks or sits down? What doesn`t he do?
And even then, the differences between a guy and a girl will probably still be obvious:
Do pardon my derpy face and wierd armor bump....it had been a long day and it was my first "real" cosplay. But you get it, right? Our facial structures aren´t that similar. To say the least, my chin is more delicate than his (XD). My face is thinner. Truthfully, when it comes to handsome anime characters, girls usually have the advantage: anime guys are somewhat "girly". To be handsome or beautiful in an anime generally calls for softer features. Some "guys" will be best played by "girls".
To set an example out of the anime and manga sphere.....what did the best elves in the Lord of the Rings movies all have in common?
Legolas.....
Haldir and Co....... (Haldir was a bit of a chubby-face elf, though. XD).
Random elf #4......
And the rest of the elf parade!!
(.....I totally want their robes.)
So, have you seen it yet? All these pretty boys that
every single woman that watched LotR sighed over (you know you did, admit it!!) have in common.....their "ethereal" features! Or, in other words, they´re
girly. Their facial features are generally thin, long, and more towards the rounded edge of things. (No rugged elves. Leave that to the rangers, along with dubious hygiene.).
Basically, elves=effeminate men=good crossplay material.
To generalize: effeminate men=good crossplay material.
Not to say that a woman can´t manage "rugged" or "bearded":
Yep,
both of them are women.
Anyhow, I find this a really interesting phenomenon, and as a part of "cosplay", I will definitely come back to it another day to continue. Meanwhile here is a website that has some interesting tips for crossplayers:
Cosplay Island.
To finish everything off, I leave you a picture of my favorite crossplayer of all time: Pikminlink. Her face will always make my heart
doki-doki, no matter that she´s a
girl, she´s
Link come to life.
