They gathered in the basement of Alliance Comics and Games on Fenton Street in Silver Spring, make-up on their faces, wigs on their heads and superhero capes attached.
Some performed dance routines from popular Japanese anime shows, others discussed where they got materials for their costumes and many played video games. But the group of about 40 people who showed up Saturday to the DC Anime Club’s Third Annual Cosplay Party all had one thing in common — their love for anime.
‘‘Anime people are always open towards other anime people,” said Christopher Wanamaker, president of the DC Anime Club. ‘‘It’s always good to meet face to face with people who like anime like you do, because others might look at you kind of strangely.”
Cosplay, short for ‘‘costume play,” is an activity that involves dressing as a favorite character from Japanese anime or other forms of popular culture. Anime is Japanese animation seen in comic books, television shows and video games.
While there are many anime styles, the genre is associated with topics more mature in nature than a typical American cartoon show or comic book. Anime conventions with hundreds of fans dressed as their favorite characters have become commonplace around the world.
‘‘Anime almost becomes a way of life for some people. They are like groupies but instead of for a rock band, it’s for an anime show,” said Val Penascino, information officer with the Japan Information and Culture Center at the Embassy of Japan in Washington D.C. ‘‘There are definitely more mature, deeper themes. One of the major parts is that American cartoons tend to be each week a different story. Anime always has flowing stories where the consequences of one show reflect upon the next.”
While participants acknowledged a basement of people dressed as comic book characters might seem bizarre to outsiders, they said there is a purpose behind cosplay.
‘‘Everybody here chooses their costume for a certain reason, because it tells you something about them,” said Jonathan Gross of Silver Spring, the Cosplay coordinator for the club.
Gross was dressed as Gene Starwind, a popular character from the Japanese comic book series ‘‘Outlaw Star.” His costume included a red wig, black Spandex pants, a cape with shoulder pads and sparkling silver boots.
‘‘I chose this character because he’s kind of laid back and plays everything by ear,” Gross said. ‘‘I’m like that, so I relate to the character.”
While there were a variety of anime figures represented, there were also more familiar characters, such as Phoenix from the popular ‘‘X-Men” superhero series, Mario of video game fame and the Incredible Hulk, portrayed by Elliot Rice of Washington, D.C., without the green skin and oversized muscles.
‘‘I wanted a costume that was kind of funny and extremely cheap,” said Rice, who came to the event in a pair of tattered purple shorts, without shoes or a shirt. ‘‘It spans the gamut. You can have people spend seven bucks on a costume or people who spend tons of hours, painstakingly embroidering designs.”
Tina Bsugrakul of Gaithersburg dressed as a schoolgirl with a skirt and stockings, a style she said is popular among cosplayers in Southeast Asia.
‘‘It’s kind of a hobby. I like the creativity involved because you can create your own costume,” said Bsugrakul, who was attending her first cosplay event in the United States after growing up with the tradition in her native Thailand, where cosplay was something she did weekly.
Anime is popular among the county’s younger residents. The county’s public libraries have built up their own anime collections, and often host anime-themed activities such as movie viewings or drawing workshops.
‘‘Kids are taking that next natural step from comic books to anime,” said Carol Legarreta, public services administrator for community engagement and development with the Montgomery County Public Libraries. ‘‘We have to be where the kids are, and a lot of them are with anime.”
The DC Anime Club currently has 50 members, all in search of other people to share their passion of anime, something the Saturday event provided, according to Arlington, Va., resident Kyo Chen.
‘‘Cosplay is the only place where you can find other people like you, who like anime and like to talk about it,” Chen said. ‘‘It lets you get away from reality.”
