Kigurumi

Kigurumi ( Jap. 着 ぐ る み ; from Jap. Носить る - to wear + ぬ い ぐ мяг み - soft toy) is an abbreviation for Dzintai tyukyo nuigurumi ( Jap. 人体 着 用 ぬ い ぐ る み dzintai tyukyuo: nu уру челове - игрушка челове - носить челове ; that is, literally translated as "soft toy to be worn on a human body."

Shimakaze and Destroyer Asuka Langley Soryu

The kigurumi anime gained great popularity in otaku - and cosplay circles. The actor is called animegao ( ア ニ メ 顔 from the words "anime" and "kao" - face. That is, a life-size doll with a face from an anime) or "doller" (from the English doll, doll). The set of clothes includes a mask, a wig, sometimes a headpiece to emphasize the character’s image, jumpsuit (known in Japan as Hidatai, usually of flesh-colored lycra , with a cutout for the face), in combination with accessories of a corresponding nature. The mask is solid-state, fiberglass is the material, so the face of the mask is static. Dollers in Japan often perform on stage, in promotions , in films and on television shows (e.g. Tokyo Mew Mew , programs for children). This cosplay style has become very popular in Asia since 1980 and has attracted interest in Canada, the USA and Europe.

In 1994, the first website, dollhouse.jp, was opened, on which the first well-known layman puts his work. In 1999, the Sigma studio was created, setting the tone for all animega-aesthetics, the absolute leader in the number of masks in Japan. In 2003, Yury Tsukino appeared on the English stage, having a strong influence on the early American and European dollars, and in 2005 Wuy Ri came into cosplay circles, who created a number of popular masks and is currently developing this area in terms of technology, as well as being the leader of the non-Japanese kigurumi movement around the world. If Sigma Kigurumi is the most common in Japan, then Wuy Kigurumi is the most common outside the Land of the Rising Sun. Since 2008, this direction has been developed in Russia by the efforts of the doller Hikarinaki.

The Animegao community has a number of fairly stringent rules similar to those at the Venice Carnivals . In the process of introducing the doller, the person responsible for the actor’s health, integrity and neatness of the costume should always accompany him.

• A kigurumi actor never speaks. Performance should remain full pantomime , from the first to the last second. At the same time, it is possible to use a tablet (mechanical or computer ), on which kigurumi can write something - depends on the role.
• A kigurumi actor never takes off his mask in public, so as not to destroy the image. The existence of this rule has led to the fact that the real identity of most dollars is a secret. The only possible idea of ​​appearance, in this case, are the images that they create in their masks.
• The kigurumi actor stays in the role all the time. The facilitator should carefully monitor this.
• The leader is obliged to monitor the malfunctions of the kigurumi costume and correct them in time.
• The leader should protect the kigurumi from molesting outsiders.
• The leader should prompt the kigurumi about obstacles in the way and help them overcome.
• The host must remain with the kigurumi for the duration of the performance; he has no right to leave. An exception can be made only if there is a backup leader who will be with the kigurumi during the absence of the main one.

Probably, they were also significantly influenced by the costumes, masks and details of the No theater. The Japanese mask was endowed with magical properties and gave a mysterious appeal, charisma, turning into a living sculpture decorated with beautiful clothes.

The cost of an animegao kigurumi kit is quite high - from hundreds to several thousand dollars. However, in order to enter the community, it is not necessary to have a lot of money - you can order a blank with a significant discount or make a mask from scratch under the guidance of masters. This situation is supported by both masters and ordinary members of the community: often dollars are located in different countries of the world, but they share common values.

Masks are open and closed. Open is easy to put on and take off. Closed ones are additionally equipped with a back cover, which is fastened with special locks. A closed mask cannot be removed from the head until the back cover is detached. Inside the mask, on the entire inner surface, they are laid with inserts of soft material (for example, foam rubber ). The area of ​​the eyes and mouth remains uncovered so that the mask does not rub the head and the person’s face and head are correctly placed - the eyes should look directly into the viewing holes. It is worth noting that the review is very limited. Viewing openings can be located in the pupils, upper part of the eyes, eyebrows, folds of the upper eyelid.

Another type of kigurumi called “disguise pajamas” has non-commercial use and is part of Japanese street fashion. The carriers of these pajamas are called kigurumin in Japan. Such clothes are not a full-fledged suit. These kigurumi are made of thin material and correspond to the proportions of man. Hoods or caps do not cover the face.

In English-speaking countries, the word kigurumi refers exclusively to costume characters in anime and manga . Animal costumes, mascot costumes and costumes in amusement parks such as Disneyland , depending on the context, are called mascot or fursuit . Fursuits are costumes that represent animals and cartoon characters in accordance with established styles in the furry fandom , including Disney characters, Looney Tunes and antro (animals with human proportions). Such costumes can completely cover the body of the performer and are often soft. Mascots are professional costumes and mascots (in a broader sense, any mascot image is called the mascot), for example, life-size puppets are symbols of sports teams. The difference is that anime kigurumi for unprepared viewers look strange and incomprehensible, in contrast to what most people are used to ^[1] .

To avoid confusion over the relatively large number of kigurumi subspecies, the Japanese community uses используется ぐ ぐ 絵 along with the 着 ぐ る み tag.

Bjd kigurumi

A relatively independent subspecies of animegao kigurumi is the version in which the image of the articulated doll is used as the original for the mask. For the first time among lay people, he appeared in March 2011, at the Otakufest festival.

In 2014, Nukopan began to produce molds for masks in the style of articulated dolls.

In July 2016, designer Hitomi Komaki created the character Lulu Hashimoto, whose image in 2018 became famous far beyond the community of dollars and cosplayers.

• Sigma Studio
• Kigurumi Cosplay Society
• Fashion for fun // The Hindu
• What's with all the animal onesies? // Daily Life
• Inside This Girly Bodysuit, There's a Lady // Kotaku
• Japan costumes bring out Aussie 'wild side' // The Japan Times
• A Doll's Life: Laurie Simmons Explores Kigurumi // The Daily Beast
• How I made a million from animal onesies // London Loves Business
• Popularity As Judged Through Edgy Porn And Fake Goods // Kotaku Australia
• FEATURE: Kyoto International Manga Anime Fair 2014 Photo Report 3: “HappinessCharge PreCure!” Show // Crunchyroll
• List of studios and artists animegao kigurumi // Google Docs