Dress to Impress: Myanmar slowly opening up to cosplay

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For well-over a decade, cosplay has been a popular activity for many Asians in their teens and twenties. But it's only become popular in Myanmar in recent years. It seems the conservative culture is opening up to hobbies from other countries. CGTN's Dave Grunebaum explains.

At a recent event in Yangon, Cosplayers got made up and suited up to become their favorite characters.

WENDY HANN WIN YANGON "It's all about creativity and art."

Cosplayers try to bring to life fantasies from manga, animated movies and video games. Wendy Hann Win draws sketches of her favorite character Carina.

Wendy works as a tailor and made her own costume so she could become Carina.

WENDY HANN WIN YANGON "It was really challenging to create something that's so similar exactly."

DAVE GRUNEBAUM YANGON "Cosplay has been popular in some Asian countries for close to two decades, but it just started taking off in Myanmar in the past five, six years. Myanmar was a closed country for a long time. But as it has started to open up and the people here have had access to the internet and social media particularly Facebook, they've started adopting some of the trends from other countries."

13-year-old Thaw Dar Wint Thu says she loves trying to bring fantasy to life through Cosplay.

THAW DAR WINT THU YANGON "I feel like I'm in their place whenever I dress like the characters that I like and I love that feeling."

Many Cosplayers here said their parents needed time to warm up to Cosplay, but originally objected to it because it's so untraditional for this culture. But Thaw Dar Win Thu's mother says she's fully behind her daughter's involvement.

MYA KAY THI HTUN MOTHER OF THAW DAR WINT THU "I allow her to do it because it makes her happy. So I support her doing this."

Cosplayers share the fun and carve out a little space to mix the imaginary world with the real one. Dave Grunebaum, CGTN, Yangon, Myanmar.