Anime Cosplayer Wins Government Seat Overseas

Cosplay has been a part of nearly every convention, anime or otherwise, when it comes to pop culture. With fans wanting to show off their love of their favorite characters, and/or their ability to create costumes of them, the artistic expression isn't going anywhere anytime soon. One fan actually managed to leverage her popularity through her cosplay photos to become a politician in Taiwan, and in fact, becoming the youngest seated official in history in the country. At 27 years old, the passionate cosplayer is hoping to make a difference in her country via her new position!

Anime News Network broke down the story of Lai Pin-yu and her dream of changing the world around her, not just through the medium of anime cosplay, but by making effective changes by joining the world of politics, getting herself elected as a lawmaker in New Taipei City's 12th District, and seeing where the future takes her!

From the article, Lai's back story is broken down wherein she incorporate her amazing cosplay into her dream of entering politics:

"Lai first gained attention as an activist during the Sunflower Student Movement of 2014, protesting the Cross-Strait Service Trade Agreement with China. She joined politics in September 2019, campaigning on a platform calling for Taiwan's independence and opposing unification with China. During the election campaign, she performed speeches while dressed as Evangelion's Asuka. The 27-year-old has become the youngest member of the Legislative Yuan."

Numerous anime characters have been brought into the real world thanks to cosplay, with an untold number of interpretations of classic protagonists and antagonists hitting conventions and the internet. Aside from helping someone to become a politician, cosplay has also given fans the opportunity to work on entertainment productions and various other avenues in Hollywood!

What do you think of this cosplayer managing to become a politician in the country of Taiwan? What's your favorite example of anime cosplay that we've featured in the past? Feel free to let us know in the comments or hit me up directly on Twitter @EVComedy to talk all things comics, anime, and cosplay!