As the world gets increasingly tense, cosplay nerds in Taiwan have it all figured it out: there's no better diplomacy than cosplay diplomacy. Bless them.
These photos are from the recent Petit Fancy and the Comic World events, which were held near the prestigious National Taiwan University. Many of the cosplayers enjoyed dressing up as their favorite Japanese anime, manga, or video game character.
One dude stood out for going with an American icon, instead: Batman. Bravo, Dark Knight.
Granted, tensions have been running way hotter in neighboring China than in Taiwan (Taiwan is traditionally less anti-Japan, but the sentiment does exist). And even in China, cosplay and anime fan events are still going on. Cosplay is bringing people together! Well, sorta.
This kind of stuff—namely, dressing up in silly outfits—might seem trivial. It's not. Appreciation for another country's pop culture does help build bridges, even if those bridges are wearing hot pants. Make that especially.
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