Are Kigurumi Considered Cosplay?

(featured image credit by Hey咻 via Pixiv)

This question pops up in our community pretty regularly, and it is time that we once again ask the question as per tradition. After all, wearing kigurumi and sometimes dabbling in traditional cosplay long enough would let you start pondering on the subject. Depending on the series and character, the lines just keep getting blurrier.

If you've been in the kigurumi scene for a while like most of us have, you probably think this question is kind of missing the point. We already know there are so many different ways people wear and enjoy kigurumi, from casual loungewear to serious character representation. But it is probably better tackled today than ever as we see these worlds overlap more and more at cons.

(Image credit by しろうさぎ via Pixiv)

Back when the more classic conventions were a thing, the cosplay community was WAY more gatekeepy about what "counted" as real cosplay. Nobody would ever speak against anyone simply enjoying their store-bought Sailor Moon costume. But when specific classification is pushed as a subject, the answer will always be so much more nuanced. Never a total rejection, but you will never ever get a unanimous “yes” either.

Of course, the worldwide kigurumi community kind of grew up alongside mainstream cosplay since then, albeit with different vibes and priorities. Comfort, as intended, remains HUGE. Anyone who's worn a traditional cosplay with armor parts digging into their sides all day and then switched to a kigurumi knows exactly what this is about. There is also the natural tendency to embrace that slightly disproportionate, super-cute aesthetic with big heads and simplified features. It's not trying to be 100% accurate, and that's actually part of the charm.

What's really weird is how inconsistent conventions themselves are about this. Some places totally welcome kigurumi in their cosplay contests and photo gatherings, even if not specifically themed on a character that wore a kigurumi lore-wise. Others... not so much. Part of the confusion comes from how these practices evolved differently in Japan versus how we interpret them in Western con culture. In Japan, cosplay is just directly that, a portmanteau of “costume” and “play”, similar to how anime is pretty much anything animated for them, including Pixar movies.

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Traditional cosplay is just one thing, by the way. We’ve got various types of “kigurumi” too outside the onesie type we always talk about here, from the typical theme park mascots, to those creepier, uncanny valley-inducing "animegao" that recreates the true anime look.

When these concepts got imported to Western cons, a lot of the nuance got lost in translation. We kind of jumbled everything together and then tried to sort it out later, which is probably why we're still having these discussions today.

Regardless of definition, however, one thing I really love about kigurumi is how accessible they are. Not everyone has the time, skills, or money to create those elaborate handmade costumes. Some people have physical disabilities that make traditional cosplay uncomfortable or impossible. Kigurumi lets more people participate in character representation without those barriers.

(Image credit by しげお via X)

There's also parents who want to match their cosplaying kids but need something they can actually move around in all day. Or people with sensory issues who find the soft fabric of kigurumi much more manageable than wigs, makeup and complex outfit pieces.

When people try to dismiss kigurumi as "lazy cosplay," I think they're missing what makes convention culture so special in the first place - it's about expressing your love for characters and connecting with others who share that love. How you do that should be up to you.

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My personal take? After all these years and countless conventions, we should consider character kigurumi to be a form of mild cosplay, with its own distinct style, priorities, and maybe classification. It's cosplay that puts comfort and accessibility first, embraces a cute aesthetic, and doesn't get too hung up on perfect accuracy.

When someone asks if cosplaying in a Rilakkuma kigurumi is a thing, you can technically say "of course, in kigurumi style." Because honestly, it is a representation of a specific character that would otherwise not immediately be translatable through the same form and shape. We are just doing it in a way that lets someone actually enjoy the convention without wanting to collapse from exhaustion by three in the afternoon!

(Image credit by むい via X)

What do you all think about this? Everyone has different takes, of course. Some of you definitely consider yourselves cosplayers in a kigurumi, others feel like we're our own separate but related thing. Has your thinking on this changed over time?

The cool thing is, conventions have gotten WAY more chill over the years. We are virtually everywhere, and are generally accepted as part of the scene. So, ultimately... it may not even matter in the first place. What counts is that we're all finding joy in representing characters we love, connecting with fellow fans, and having a good time doing it. The labels are way less important than the experiences we create and the communities we build... that's the ideal, at least.