New laws regulating professional cosplayers?

 

Professional cosplayers in Japan might soon see laws change that involve their line of work. According to Anime News Network, the Japanese government is mulling over “rules that will allow copyright holders to regulate cosplayers for income earned from cosplay activity.”

So far nothing has been decided, and Japanese House of Councillors member Taro Yamada made the point that they’re looking at the issue from both the perspective of the copyright holders and the cosplayers. Japanese people who cosplay just for fun and don’t earn an income would not be impacted if legislation changes.

Famous cosplayer Enako also weighed in:

SoraNews24 supplied this translation for her tweet:

“I think there are some misunderstandings on the information being spread out there about the changes to cosplay copyright, but this article is easy to understand.

I had a discussion with Minister Inoue, and we’re searching for a way to protect copyright without interfering with current cosplay culture.”

She also tweeted this:

SoraNews24 translated:

“Also, I haven’t heard anything about the ban on (cosplay photos being posted to) social media as was written in another article, so I’m anxious to find the truth.

I’m not really in a position to easily give a statement on the issue, but personally I hope that the changes will not regulate social media posts and fan-made activities if they are not for profit.”

And she added this:

“By the way, I’ve said it many times before, but when I’m on TV, at events, or anything else for profit, I take copyright into consideration and do not cosplay characters from published works, but go out in my own original outfits instead.

Whenever I cosplay characters from published works, I do so after obtaining permission from the publisher.”

Source: Anime News Network, SoraNews24

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Japanese mangaka grapple with racism

 The recent launch of a new manga devoted to tennis player Naomi Osaka offers another chance to consider the way Black characters are portrayed in Japanese comics. 

Here's a story I wrote on this topic for the Monitor. 

Let me know what you think about it.

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2021: A year of anime anniversaries

 

Puella Magi Madoka Magica

(10th anniversary)

Has it really been ten years since Gen Urobuchi unleashed his tale of magical girl entropy on the world? This first anniversary hardly seems real, since Puella Magi Madoka Magica hasn’t gone far in the intervening years. But it’s true.  Movies and Magia Record aside, this series is a full decade old as of January 7.

Anniversary festivities are underway for the show, so look forward to new surprises throughout the year.

 

Spirited Away 

(20th anniversary)

Of all the anime anniversaries on this list, Spirited Away is probably the only one that coincided with the anime in question getting surpassed in its own Guinness record. Nonetheless, this Studio Ghibli classic is still the first anime ever to win an Academy Award, and continues to reign as one of the greats.

Celebrate this year on the day of its premiere, July 20.

 

Otaku no Video 

(30th anniversary)

Gainax’s two-part mockumentary about life, love, and otakudom came out back in 1991. The OVA has gone on to become a much-loved anime, offering a tongue-in-cheek perspective on both otaku life and the beginnings of an anime studio.

Relive the magic by celebrating two anime anniversaries in one — on September 27 for Otaku no Video 1982, and December 20 for More Otaku no Video 1985.

 

Adieu Galaxy Express 999 

(40th anniversary)

Leiji Matsumoto’s Galaxy Express 999 was a thoughtful and action-packed tale of humanity and coming of age. But when the series ended, the story wasn’t over. 1981’s Adieu Galaxy Express 999 continues the story after the fallout of the TV series. Tetsuro Hoshino is a teenage freedom fighter, and must board the space train to begin a new adventure.

The film officially hits the big 4-0 on August 1. If you’ve never seen the original series or the 1979 film that came before Adieu, you’ll have plenty to keep you busy.

 

Lupin the 3rd Part I 

(50th anniversary)

Wrapping up our list of anime anniversaries is the master thief himself. Four years after Monkey Punch’s manga debuted, the grandson of Arsène Lupin made the jump to anime. “Part I,” a.k.a. the Green Jacket series, premiered on October 24. It ran for 23 episodes, and it would be four more years until he would get the red-jacketed Part II.

Fortunately, there’s so much Lupin out there, you’ll have no trouble finding as much as you want to watch.

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