Danmachi

Cosplay is all about slipping into a costume in order to assume the identity of a fictional character. But what do you do when the costume itself has become more famous than the character who wears it?

That was the problem faced by one attendee of the recent Comiket dojinshi event, who wanted to show his support not so much for the goddess Hestia from light novel and anime franchise Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, but for the boob-lifting string and impressive bust that the character is so closely associated with.

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Hestia reappears at Anime North in Canada, we realize how much we missed her

Earlier this spring, the Internet was endlessly entertained by cosplayers dressing up as Hestia from the anime Danmachi (Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?). The character’s signature bust-accentuating, blue ribbon caused quite the stir and countless real-life (unsuccessful) attempts to get the same voluptuousness. Although she’s been getting less attention recently, one brave fan brought Hestia back at the Anime North 2015 festival in Toronto, and she’s better than ever.

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This convention attendee’s Hestia outfit takes cosplay to new, unparalleled heights

At Niconico Chokaigi, the annual convention held near Tokyo last weekend, one cosplaying attendee was gaining more attention than most. This particular enthusiast’s glorious Hestia costume – with, of course, the magical blue ribbon we’ve heard so much about recently – has won its owner followers, fans, and the love and respect of Hestia fans everywhere. Kind of.

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Anime series Is It Wrong to Try to Pick Up Girls in a Dungeon?, also known by its Japanese nickname Danmachi, looks like the breakout hit of this TV season. What’s the secret to its success? Well, it could be the way it fuses video game conventions onto its fantasy setting, or the popularity pump-priming light novels and manga that preceded the animated adaptation.

Or it could be the outfit of female lead Hestia, which is inventive even by the already outlandishly sexy standards of anime costume design with its boob-lifting ribbon that’s become known as rei no himo, or “The String” among fans in Japan.

It’s already making inroads into the cosplay world, with anime shops selling replicas, or sometimes handing them out for free. So strong is The String’s appeal that it’s also serving as muse for talented otaku costume crafters, and even helping foster international friendship on the streets of Tokyo.

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It’s been almost a month since we witnessed the “Extreme Swiss Otaku” breaking the Internet. If you thought his last crazy “Poi! Poi! Poi!” antics of plastering a men’s restroom with posters of Yudachi Kai Ni from Kantai Collection was nuts, just wait until you see his latest tomfoolery.

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