Enako’s appeal is on a whole other level.
As Japan’s largest biannual indie manga, anime, game, and cosplay convention, Comiket draws thousands of cosplayers from around the country twice a year, but none of them are as popular as the iconic Enako.
Commonly referred to as “Japan’s number-one cosplayer”, Enako has said that she earns more than one million yen (US$9,481) a month through cosplay. And one of her biggest income-earners is Comiket, which netted her around 10 million yen in just one day at last summer’s iteration.
This year, Enako returned to Summer Comiket once again, and when she graced everyone with her presence yesterday, on day three of the four-day convention, this is what happened:
▼ When Enako appeared, fans at the convention rushed to see her.
Unlike other cosplayers, who let you get up close for photos, Enako’s appeal is on a whole other level, with thousands of admirers jostling to take a shot of her. This means there has to be more of a distance between her and her fans, to ensure everyone’s safety.
While the physical distance between Enako and her fans during the open-air photo shoot may have been great, her admirers were well-prepared with long-lens cameras, which brought her into focus and up close and personal for their photo collections.
▼ Enako knows how to turn and pose to ensure she gives everyone in the ring around her some attention.
These days, the crowd of onlookers with long lenses surrounding Enako is almost as much of a spectacle as the cosplayer herself.
▼ “What the heck is this? A racing paddock? (lol)”
While the onlookers surrounding the 25-year-old cosplayer do actually resemble something from a sporting event, it’s a scenario that Enako has now become used to, and to express her thanks, she sent out this tweet on her official Twitter account.
“I took part in the third day of Summer Comiket in REM (Re:Zero) cosplay! To everyone who took photos of me while it was hot, thank you very much!”
Fans were thrilled with Enako’s message of thanks, sending it viral with over 131,000 likes and 32,000 retweets. For many, though, the best is yet to come today, on the final day of the event, when her booth will no doubt be inundated with admirers, who’ll be lining up to score one of her goody bags filled with photos, posters and badges, all adorned with images of their number one cosplayer.
Source: Hachima Kikou
Featured image: Twitter/@doldd
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