Cosplay.
When one thinks about it, the majority would think of this act as nothing but a play instead of something serious.
While Nifuji didn't say anything, he had never thought that this wasn't something for a serious person, but he also knew that as the market of cosplay grew, it would become something else, a social phenomenon, or become one of the branches of arts.
It was also because of this that he didn't say anything and simply observed everything, yet he had to acknowledge that Eli's words contained some truth, especially after seeing everything at the Cosplay Festa.
First and foremost, it would be this building used for the event, as it is located in the special hall of the Modern Urban Plaza.
"Is it only for a day?"
"Of course, if it's more than that, the organizer won't be able to pay."
"How much is it?"
"Er... it isn't that expensive, I think, since it is about 700,000 to 1,000,000 yen."
"That's expensive, you know!"
While Eli thought of the renting from the perspective of the organizer, Mayuri thought of the price as an individual.
"Well, there are a lot of people who have an income of more than a million monthly." Nifuji rubbed his chin as if he were in deep thought. "If a person wants to, he can organize this type of event once a month."
"..." Mayuri.
When Mayuri thought of Nifuji's words, organizing this type of event wasn't as expensive as she thought. After all, given how generous Nifuji was, she gained more than a million for monthly expenses, leaving her helpless as she was treated like a sugar daughter, but she did not refuse it, as she used the money for a gacha, making Eli and Nifuji feel helpless.
A woman who spent 70,000$ on a gacha game.
Somehow, in the near future, there will be a story about Mayuri that will be recorded, as her story will be uploaded on YouTube.
"I think the only problem will be the permission."
Inwardly, Nifuji was thinking of creating a gacha game, as it would make money, and would also attract Mayuri's hobby, since if Mayuri spent her money on his game, it would make him comfortable.
Still, fortunately, Mayuri's hobby could be controlled.
"Oh, right!" Mayuri quickly patted her forehead. "Since it is indoor, it should be more expensive, right?"
"Is it?" It was the first time Nifuji had heard of it.
"Oh, that's right." Eli only remembered. "The outdoor is cheaper, as I have told you, but the indoor is quite expensive, since the minimum you need to spend is ¥1,200,000, and I have heard that for a two-day event, you need to spend ¥3,500,000 ($23,500 USD). It also doesn't include hidden costs, such as AC, lighting, or security. If we count all of that, the cost to make this kind of event is kind of high."
"Why is there such a difference?" Nifuji wondered.
"You can see that massive glass dome ceiling above, right?" Mayuri pointed at the ceiling.
"Yes." Nifuji nodded and asked, "It isn't a normal light?"
"No, this is diffused natural light that will create soft, "beauty" lighting that is perfect for cosplayers who want to look ethereal (like angels) without the harsh shadows of the sun."
"Ah, I see!" Nifuji nodded, quickly caught up in the logic. "Outside, the sun is harsh, so you need to edit the photo, but inside, since the light is natural, you don't have to edit the photo, right?"
"That's right!" 2x
Eli and Mayuri nodded in agreement, feeling excited that Nifuji understood them!
Yes, photo editing (retouching) is considered extremely troublesome and is arguably the most time-consuming part of modern cosplay.
Taking the photo is only 50% of the work; the other 50% is "developing" the raw data to match the perfection of a 2D character.
"A single high-quality photo for a ROM or photobook can take 30 minutes to 3 hours to edit, you know?"
"...seriously?" Nifuji was speechless. "Why did it take so long?"
"There are several reasons, but let me explain to you several factors:
1. Skin Smoothing: Real human skin has texture, pores, and sweat (especially at hot events). Retouching aims to give the skin a "porcelain" look like an anime character.
2. Wig Correction: Wigs often have loose strands or "lace fronts" showing. These must be digitally erased.
3. Body Reshaping: In the "2.5D" world, cosplayers often slightly tweak jawlines, waistlines, or eyes to match the impossible proportions of the character design.
4. Background Removal: If they shot in a crowded hall, the editor has to blur out or remove the hundreds of random people in the background."
Eri looked at Nifuji and said, "In the past, we often never slept for an event."
"...."
Nifuji was silent, then looked at the indoor area and said, "This indoor area is great."
"Yeah." 2x
If one compared the editing hell that came from the outdoor area, the indoor area, even if it was slightly expensive, was nice.
Still, Nifuji noted that those photographers appeared to be well-off, as most used Sony Alpha 7-series or Canon EOS R cameras, which cost approximately $1000- $1400 USD, and there were additional models, gear, and accessories that were more expensive.
"Say, how did the organizer make money?"
As the organizer had spent a lot of money, there should be a way for them to recoup the money, right?
After all, if one only relied on passion, it was impossible for them to spend so much money unless their family worked in the oil industry.
"Well..." Eri and Mayuri were in deep thought, seemingly thinking about how the organizer made money.
"First, the ticket."
"Obviously."
"Still, the organizers maximize this by splitting attendees into different "classes" with different price points."
"Oh? How?"
"The first is General Admission (Otaku/Fans). These are the thousands of people coming just to look or buy goods, so the price of their ticket is about ~¥2,000. It might not be much, and even if they don't buy anything inside, their entry fee covers the base rental cost of the hall.
"That's right."
"Second is the Cosplayer Ticket (Premium). It is about ~¥3,500 - ¥4,500."
"Why is it more expensive?"
"It includes the "Service Fee" for the changing room and cloakroom access. Since thousands of cosplayers attend, this is a massive chunk of revenue."
"That's understandable."
"The last one is a Photographer Ticket. It is about ~¥3,000 - ¥4,000."
"There is one?" Nifuji looked weirdly at Mayuri, who gave him that answer.
"Organizers know photographers need to be there to build their portfolios, so they charge a premium for the "right" to bring professional gear (DSLRs/Strobes) into the venue."
"Ah, it is for the permission that you had talked about."
"Yes." Mayuri sighed. "It's permission-hell, you know?"
Nifuji nodded and didn't say anything, since he knew that the image of otaku wasn't good in this country, especially with many crimes happening due to an otaku, but even so, many still loved anime, and the country also relied on this economy, so how could they give it up, right?
However, to make such an event, especially with the photographer, one needed to work so hard, as it was so damn hard to get permission, considering how everything needed permission in this country.
"Still, tickets are just one aspect of the profit. The organizer also profits from the booth.
"Oh, I can see the organizer acting as a landlord, renting out empty floor space for a massive markup."
"You are right!" 2x
"Still, there are generally two types of booths."
"Two types?"
"Yes, the Corporate Booths (The Whales), and the Circle Spaces (The Volume)."
1. Big companies (like Aniplex, Cygames, or Kadokawa) pay millions of yen to set up large booths to promote their new anime or games.
Cost: A standard 3x3 meter corporate booth can cost ¥300,000 - ¥500,000 for the weekend. Large "Island" booths cost significantly more.
2. Circle Spaces (The Volume):
For events like Comiket, where Ririsa sells her ROM:
Cost: Small circles pay ¥8,000 - ¥10,000 for a tiny half-table.
Scale: With 20,000+ circles participating, this adds up to hundreds of millions of yen.
"Hmm..." Nifuji understood why there were many organizers in this world, as it made a lot of money. "Is there anything else?"
Humans' nature is greedy, so they wonder whether there are other ways to make money.
"There are also Operational Fees (the "Micro-Transactions"). Organizers make extra profit on the small necessities that every attendee needs. For example, cloakroom or baggage check services can cost ¥500-¥1,000 per bag."
Mayuri sighed and said, "To be honest, almost every cosplayer and photographer has luggage. If 10,000 people check a bag, that is ¥5,000,000 ($33,000 USD) in cash revenue for a single day."
"This isn't all, since some events sell 'Priority Passes' that let people enter 1 hour early to skip the lines. These cost double the normal ticket price and sell out instantly."
"Capitalists are greedy."
"That's right!" 2x
"Okay, stop looking at me like that." Nifuji sighed and said, "I think there should be one more, right?"
"...." 2x
As expected of a capitalist, they thought as they looked at Nifuji.
"The last one should be a sponsorship."
"That's right."
In reality, you will often see logos on the event pamphlets, tickets, or the backdrops of the main stage. Brands like Red Bull or Monster often sponsor cosplay events (since cosplayers are tired/thirsty). They pay the organizer for the right to be the "Official Drink" and hand out samples. Camera companies (Sony, Canon, Nikon) often sponsor the "Camera Area" or rent booths to let photographers rent lenses for the day.
When Nifuji thought of it, becoming an organizer wasn't a bad job at all, but as he thought so, a group of photographers approached him and asked, "Excuse me, can we take a photo of you?"
"..." Nifuji.