Enako says there’s a deep, meaningful reason behind the choice.

Enako has been dubbed “Japan’s number-one cosplayer” by the otaku community and media, and while it’s an honorary title, it’s also one that’s hard to argue with. Between her abilities to draw crowds of hundreds to outdoor fan photo shoots and earn 10 million yen (US$92,100) in a single day of spokesmodeling and merchandise sales, she’s really on a level all her own in terms of popularity and success.

▼ Enako

Since fans have shown an endless desire to see more of the 25-year-old Nagoya native, Enako recently announced she’ll be releasing her first-ever physical photo album from a major publisher. Titled Enako cosplayer, the album will feature Enako modelling cosplay outfits for characters from a number of manga/anime series from publisher Shueisha, such as One Piece and Dragon Ball. However, the most surprising wardrobe choice is the one for the book’s front cover, where she’ll be wearing nothing at all.

Enako will appear in the nude on both the book’s standard version (pictured on the left in the above tweet) as well as the limited-edition which is only being sold through online marketplace Seven Net (seen on the right).

However, in her tweet previewing the covers, Enako says the decision to use naked photos doesn’t stem from a desire to titillate. Instead, she says the intended message is “Before she gets dressed, Japan’s number-one cosplayer, Enako, is an ordinary woman, and just by wearing different costumes, she can transform.”

▼ Enako, dressed as a mermaid for a separate photo shoot for Japan’s Weekly Playboy magazine, in which she does not appear nude.

https://twitter.com/yokyu_n/status/1099997400205127680

Still, it’s hard to imagine Enako and Shueisha are completely oblivious to the simple sexy appeal the covers are likely to have with many of her fans, and it’s also a little hard to swallow the claim that the eminently photogenic and undeniably attractive Enako is any way “ordinary,” at least in the looks department.

Regardless of what buyers’ primary motivation is in purchasing the book, Enako cosplayer goes on sale March 28, and is priced at 2,800 yen (US$25), and can be preordered here through Amazon.

Source: Twitter/@enako_cosplayer via Otakomu
Featured image: Twitter/@enako_cos
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