Complex Age 1

コンプレックス・エイジ [Complex Age] #1

by Yui Sakuma, 佐久間結衣

26歳の派遣社員・片浦渚にとって、「コスプレ」は人生のすべてだった。目標は「小さくて可愛いキャラに少しでも近付くこと」。だが、「私はもう、少女という年齢ではない」という現実に直面する。そんな渚に、"事件"は起きた。 [収録内容]「ゴスロリ趣味と加齢」の読み切り版。

Genres: Manga, Graphic Novels, Slice Of Life, Josei, Comics, Fiction, Contemporary

Comic

First published August 1, 2014

About the author

佐久間結衣

Reviews

[Amber · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga centers around the world of cosplay. We follow around our main character Nagisa who is living a double life in the cosplay world. She is trying to balance her work and love for cosplay, growing worried about her age and what others may think of her. Although Nagisa is a bit of a perfectionist and she wasn't always relatable because she is beautiful, a role model for other cosplayers, and extremely gifted in making cosplaying- she still had a certain charm to her.

I had no idea going into this book that it would be about cosplay, so I was pleasantly surprised. As a big anime fan I frequent conventions and see lots of cosplay. The amount of work put into cosplay is depicted nicely-- in terms of precise costume making, posing, money. At times though, Nagisa can be a bit snobbish towards other novice cosplayers. Often being nit-picky if they don't remain in character or their costume is not 100% accurate.

Yet, because of the seriousness of Nagisa compared to the more relaxed nature of her cosplay friends I think the reader gets a look at both sides of cosplay. Some may see cosplay as just fun while others take it very seriously, you will see both types at conventions. The references to anime characters I could recognize was also a nice touch to make it feel more realistic.



I will be checking out the next volume, especially since I can find it so relatable. The idea of adulthood challenging your passions is something I can definitely relate to. I am hoping the next volume will dive more into the world of cosplay and some of the minor character's lives. I would recommend this manga for lovers of cosplay or adults who have felt the pressures of society telling them to let go of their "childish whims."

[Estrella · Rating 4 out of 5]

Me ha gustado mucho, me encanta igual que a la protagonista el anime, el manga y aunque solo tengo un cosplay, me encanta ver los concursos, ver las creaciones de otros, y si tuviese dinero o supiese coser creo que me encantaría ir con ropa gothic lolita a las convenciones la verdad.
A veces me pasa como a la protagonista, te preguntas, soy demasiado mayor? Quién no lo ha ocultado en el trabajo o con gente de su clase, ahora esta como más aceptado es más mainstream pero cuando empecé a ir a salones y a interesarme por el manga era una afición de raritos😂. Claro está que gracias a esta afición he conocido a gente fabulosa.
Este año iré al salón del manga de Barcelona, y tengo unas ganas tremendas, fui hace unos años y ya era hora de volver. Aún no decidí que cosplay llevar. Durante un tiempo iba siempre de Gogo Yubari de kill Bill vol 1, pero como dicen las protagonistas de este manga, puede aburrirte ir siempre del mismo personaje.

[kimberly_rose · Rating 1 out of 5]

This story was originally published as a oneshot; I adored it. It was poignant, emotionally powerful and rare, starring an older, married lady. The ending was magnificent and heartfelt, so beautiful I teared up.

I assumed this series would begin where that oneshot left off, or even expand on it. There was potential.

Instead, volume one went back almost ten years in time! That made it a completely different story. She was now 26 instead of the original 34. She was still working as an OL but lived at home, with her mom a large part of the story. In the original oneshot, she was a 2-years-married lady with a husband who was a large part of the story.

I was bored by this new story line: many pages were spent on the details of cosplaying (which I am not interested in) and several new girls were introduced, all of whom I was not interested in. The theme was still the same--her struggle with her place in the cosplaying world--but it was meandering and repetitive instead of punchy and riveting as the original was.

I skimmed volume 3 (the latest available volume in English), and I see a man is introduced, perhaps her future husband? But I was so drooling-bored by volume one, I will not be continuing this series.

Recommended if you have an avid interest in cosplay and were not originally attracted by your love of the oneshot.

[Brett · Rating 3 out of 5]

Complex Age is a manga that revolves around Nagisa Katura, a 26 year-old woman who works a relatively normal office job as a temp worker on the weekdays, but secretly enjoys the world of cosplay and, to a seemingly lesser extent, anime. However, as both of these aspects of her life begin to increasingly come into conflict with one another, she will have to decide what she's willing to give up in order to be happy...her cosplay, or her "normal" life.

This is basically the story as presented by the back cover, and in most synopses online. However, I find that the story is a bit more psychological in nature and tone.

Nagisa is what I would call a very flawed, yet sympathetic character. Within the first page or two, we witness her looking at photos of herself (in cosplay, of course) and reading the comments - to which she says to herself "It's true...I *am* perfect." This, along with many other moments throughout the volume, says to me that Nagisa is just a bit of a narcissist.

We also see that her cosplay hobby is a bit on an otaku level - she's a massive perfectionist, being incredibly detailed in her costume designs, posing, and characterization, to the point where she's overly critical of others when they don't quite meet her standards (a flaw which we see her working on throughout this volume). She's not just into dressing as her favorite character - she essentially wants to *be* her favorite character.

And all of that seems to come about because, despite being what may appear to be a bit of an annoying character, Nagisa is also very human - though she's well-renowned for her talent in cosplay, she's also quite a bit unconfident in herself, fretting over body image issues, such as being too tall, too old, or just not as good as the others. We really get a glimpse into this last point when a younger woman joins her cosplay group and attempts to play the same character as her - Nagisa is dreadfully worried about being overthrown, but not in a vengeful way; she's simply frightened and saddened at the thought that she might not be the end-all-be-all that she believed she was to her chosen cosplay character, and that she might not be able to hide her true self behind the character that she cosplays as anymore.

We also have the conflict mentioned earlier - Nagisa doesn't tell her coworkers or family about her cosplay hobby, going so far as to hide it, for they, according to her, wouldn't understand and would think her some kind of bizarre weirdo. While there is room for this to be varying degrees of true, we're never really shown any proof of her claims (not in this volume, anyways). In fact, a fellow cosplayer is surprised that Nagisa doesn't share her cosplay obsession with others - the cosplayer has shared her hobby with others before and it has only ever been a positive experience or not a big deal, so she's not sure why Nagisa is so secretive. Perhaps cosplay really is looked down upon harshly in Japan, where the story takes place, as admittedly I am an outsider to it - but regardless, Nagisa's hiding it comes across again as her being slightly unconfident and unwilling to open up about herself to others.

That's the thing about Nagisa throughout this volume, as well - she remains a pretty quiet and introspective character by all means, except for when she goes on about cosplay - but thankfully we do see a few cracks in her shell towards the end, pointing towards what I hope is a hopeful future for the story.

However, that is also where I have to bring up a little criticism with Complex Age thus far (I am giving it a 3 out of 5, after all) - Nagisa is relatively quiet, even in her introspection...and though there are other characters as well, they are sometimes too into their cosplay to reveal their true selves (they *are* playing another character, after all), and no one really gets a chance to shine through much. Because of this, the volume has a bit of a bland flavor...not a bad flavor, mind you, but just a tad bit bland. It's above average, but only a little.

I also have to take issue a little bit with the length of the volume - though the page count is about 200, only 150 or so are the meat of the story, which feels short to me; it clocks in at 6 chapters, with the rest of the pages being the usual glossary of terms, translation notes, ads...but also a surprising inclusion of the one-off version of Complex Age, which of course inspired this story. It's a little bit different from the main story, but the themes are the same and it's pretty interesting...but with that being said, I hope the manga doesn't end up following the events of the one-off entirely, both for personal reasons, and because I feel like its inclusion would thus slightly spoil the story of the longer-form manga.

Ultimately, Volume 1 of Complex Age feels like it's mostly just setting up the story for later - and at this point, the story seems to be moving along a little slowly. You couldn't really do without this volume...but you could do this volume better, I think. Most of all, I think Complex Age is a uniquely interesting storyline that has potential. I would recommend it if you are into the complex psychological underpinnings of a character who is slightly narcissistic, very perfectionist, yet also sympathetic and unconfident, who is just trying to learn how to find herself and how to best to live her life while balancing things out with an obsessive hobby. I understand why that description wouldn't fit well or be marketable on a back cover...but I feel that that is really what I got out of this volume.

[Mark · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nagisa is 26 and loves cosplay. She works a temp job and funnels all her cash into making designs and costumes for her favourite character. She keeps this all very hidden from the “real world”, but even her beloved cosplay is starting to turn on her because of her age. Is it the end of her dreams and the start of a buttoned-down adult life?

An interesting take on the world of cosplay, which reminded me of nothing so much as Lethal Weapon, as our lead is clearly starting to chafe at the idea that she’s “too old for this shit”. Or pays too much attention to what people say, both might be true.

I’m not sure if it’s intentional or not, but Nagisa’s a little TOO hardcore about what she does. Her disdain for people who aren’t putting in the work and her commitment to her craft can be pretty harsh and I don’t think she’s the most likeable lead ever.

Then again, she’s up against a world that thinks she’s too ancient to do this, people who comment ‘hey, this again’, and jerks taking upskirt shots, so she’d have to be really hardcore (or a masochist) to keep doing this at all.

And her friend is equally as bad - they befriend a young girl who is the spitting image of the character Nagisa usually cosplays as, which bums her out, so her friend goes to ridiculous methods to show Nagisa that she’s still better at playing the character.

I think the book’s perspective on what you do when you start to be older than is considered acceptable for a given hobby is certainly worth pursuing (says a guy in his 40s who reads manga incessantly). I’m just surprised they went after it with a lead who’s also a bit much. I’m intrigued to see if they mellow her out more, so I can’t argue that it was ineffective anyway.

It’s definitely a treasure trove of cosplay terminology and information as well. This is certainly ground I’ve seen trod before, but that doesn’t make the effort the book is putting in any less valid and I like the perspective of a more professional type of cosplayer as opposed to a pure hobbyist.

Interestingly the last part of this book is devoted to the one shot that lead to the series. I very recently went off about a one-shot in a different book that was totally unrelated to the main story, but this one shows the seeds of the actual manga and is markedly different enough that I quite enjoyed it.

3 stars. A good book, to be sure, but it doesn’t quite mesh together as well as I think it should. It’s an interesting look at cosplay from a unique perspective, but it’s not quite the equal of other books in this space I’ve read. Still, I’ll certainly grab the rest of these at some point.

[Ally · Rating 2 out of 5]

2.5

This would be 3 stars since I love the concept, but I didn't like Nagisa that much. I understand why she feels the way she does though.

I felt more for the one shot that inspired this series than the actual series, but this is only the first volume after all.

[Dani · Rating 3 out of 5]

the moral of the story is when you start to age you should burn everything you love and give up on your dreams

[Susan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A love letter to cosplay and the surrounding culture, I learned a lot from this first volume, but as a mere enthusiast, not a true insider, I'm not sure if there's enough to sustain me over the course of a full series. Nagisa lives a double-life. Solitary office drone during the workday, gifted seamstress, cosplay designer and "layer" (cosplayer) the rest of the time. One of the big things she's starting to wrestle with is her age and what this means for her lifestyle, and what will be interesting for the series is whether she ends up sticking her ground or switching gears and becoming more of a mentor and guide to younger girls. I think it would be most interesting (and less of a bummer) to explore a little of both, but I fear from the cautionary-tale-feeling insert piece about a young woman immersed in the Gothic Lolita look, Yui Sakuma may be leaning into the latter.

All in all an interesting glimpse of the behind-the-scenes logistics and hard work that goes into truly committed cosplay, while dancing around the concept of how much is too much? When does a look take over and become an identity and what does that mean?

[Selena Pigoni · Rating 4 out of 5]

As an aging anime fan and cosplayer, this one hit uncomfortably close to home. When I go to anime conventions and see the general attendee age hasn't shifted a bit from high school/college age, and here I am as a working stiff, I can't help but feel old and that these young-ins look better in all the cosplay than I do. How Nagisa feels, and Sawako in the one shot at the end feels, is all too familiar for me.

Complex Age is about a woman named Nagisa, who is 100% devoted to cosplay. She works to look as if she walked right out of the anime and into real life. She's twenty-six and tall, and is beginning to feel down on herself for her hobby and inability to do it "right" due to age and height. Sawako in the one-shot is essentially the same, but with different age and does goth loli rather than anime.

So this is essentially a manga about (it hurts me to say it) aging women with a hobby that judges harshly on youth and looks. The way the one shot ends does not give my little loli heart hope for the ultimate message from this series, but so far the message seems to be "looks don't matter if you don't put effort into embodying the character."

I'll admit, I originally passed on this series because Nagisa struck me as the worst kind of cosplayer: the perfectionist who is a jerk to all others because YOU AREN'T AS PERFECT AS ME. Having dealt with these people IRL, I didn't want to deal with one in my reading. Don't let that turn you off, though! Nagisa is having a bit of a... quarter life crisis that's feeding into her own insecurities. Even in just this one volume, you can feel her struggling to grow and change, which makes her a lot more relate-able than I had originally thought.

I wasn't expecting to like this one as much as I did, but because it hits so close to home, I've begun to feel a kinship with its main characters. Here's hoping they keep up with their hobbies and not abandon it because "I'm too old for this thing I love."

[The Book Dragon · Rating 4 out of 5]

What do you do when the things you love stop loving you back? In other words, when do you become too old for your favorite hobbies?

Hopefully never. Nagisa is determined to cosplay as long as she can, even if it means hiding it from everyone but her other cosplay friends. But for how long can she keep it a secret?

This volume contains the original pilot chapter at the end.

This series has 6 volumes.

[Alice4170 🌙 · Rating 5 out of 5]

5/5 ⭐ this was so good!!!

[Tani · Rating 3 out of 5]

As advertised, this features a women named Nagisa who's very into cosplay, to the point where calling her a complete perfectionist is not at all an exaggeration. She spends large quantities of her spare time and money in perfecting her cosplay of Ururu, a fairly stereotypical magical girl character. However, although she's widely acknowledged as a very skilled cosplayer, she has a lot of insecurities over it. You see, she's a tall woman who's getting a bit older at 26 years old, and if you know magical girls, you'll understand that Ururu is a tiny, cute thing in her teenage years, with impossibly long legs and an adorable face.

This first volume focuses a lot on Nagisa's insecurities, especially as she makes a new friend who is physically so much more of a match for Ururu. She spends a lot of time questioning herself, wondering if she should give up her hobby, or if she's going to be shown up as a fraud. That makes for a pretty slow story, to be honest, as Nagisa isn't very vocal about her insecurities, leaving a lot of the emotional action to be conveyed through meaningful glances, etc.

I did find the details regarding the world of cosplaying to be very interesting. I was aware that there's a lot that goes into it, but seeing the true devotion of these characters was very impressive. I also empathized with Nagisa to a fair extent, being a tall girl myself. It's so easy to feel insecure when the world is obsessed with short and cute. However, this also made me feel a bit sad. It's clear that although Nagisa loves the character of Ururu, she's forgotten some of the joy of her hobby, and although I think there were some positive steps toward her recovering that, this first volume just felt a bit too depressing when I was hoping for more of a light read.

[ara · Rating 4 out of 5]

first chapter was slow and kinda almost made me give up on this manga all together buuut decided to continue to read it and it was amazing 🤍 hope to be able to read the next volume soon

wish the main character grows in the next volumes though, as their perspective seems really childish for a 26 years old

on another note the original story included in the manga in which the manga itself was based on left me with a knot in the stomach, I thought that it was going to end up differently in a more "accepting" way but instead it felt like the character was giving up on a part of themselves
also I hated the fatphobic comments included on it, but hope that's something that's included only on the version of the manga I'm reading (which is the spanish translation by Ivrea)

**********
el primer capítulo fue lento y medio que casi me hace dejar de leer el manga por completo peeero decidí seguir leyéndolo y fue genial 🤍 espero poder leer el siguiente volúmen pronto

igual espero que el personaje principal crezca en los próximos volúmenes, porque su perspectiva me pareció un poco infantil para una persona de 26 años

por otro lado la historia original incluida en el manga en el cuál el manga en sí está basado me dejó con un nudo en el estómago, creí que una a terminar distinto en una forma más de "aceptación" pero en vez de eso se sintió como que el personaje estaba dejando atrás una parte de si misma
además odié los comentarios gordofóbicos incluidos, pero espero que eso sea algo que está incluido solo en la versión del manga que estoy leyendo (la cuál es la traducción a español de Ivrea)

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was feeling the Wotakoi Love is Hard for an otaku mood and I didn't want to reread/watch that right now so I was able to fulfill that void with this volume. It took me awhile to finish because of life but I was able to enjoy it regardless
I loved the discussion it presents with the detail about cosplay and photography with the pros and cons of it and it didn't talk down when they are explaining things.
This is an adult manga because of some minor fanservice shots and the discussion matter (not sex or anything just may be too adult for younger readers read at your descretion).
The art is beautiful and I loved how it again gave me the wotakoi feels but it definitely is formatted alot better for new adult manga readers.
There's a bonus short story that the mangaka presents that discusses what this manga plot could have been instead of what it was and whoever picks this manga up needs to read it because it made this even better to me.
Overall, This volume was a definitely a nice fluffy read with some darker elements as well. I recommend this for all the otakus in the world and it is definitely underrated. Because of these points, I have to give this manga a 4 out of 5 stars.

[Fadhila · Rating 3 out of 5]

I feel as if that story was speaking out of my soul. As an anime fan(not as a cosplayer), I felt the same way that Nagisa felt about being a cosplayer and wanting to be just like your character . During the beginning of the story she felt as if she was Ururu and no one can take that away from her and kinda goes psychical when someone insulted her. Then, Aya comes and basically destroy her dream because she thinks that Aya looks more like Ururu than herself. She then doubts herself and thinks that her dream of being Ururu is crushed. This character holds a lot of traits of the cosplaying and the anime community, like hiding her hobby and constading buying stuff and momently broke after it. Also because of her friends she ends up being encourage to keep on doing it and tells her" If you ask me, I don't think cosplay is about wearing a costume. I think it's about donning the character. No matter how much you look like her, no matter how perfect, it's never complete."

[Shayna Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

Nagisa Kataura (also known as Nagi) is 26 years old, works at a temp job while still living with her parents, and has one secret that she keep carefully hidden from the public: she is a devoted cosplayer with a large following online. In particular, she follows the series Magical Riding Hood Ururu with a passionate fever to make her costumes absolute perfection to the original source. However, she starts to encounter several issues: she is getting older compared the usual crowd especially for her anime of choice, she is terrified of being discovered by her work colleagues, and she meets a new, inexperienced cosplayer who looks absolutely identical to Ururu (main character of the anime) that makes Nagi question her cosplay passion.

Personally, I found Nagisa to be a bit of a frustrating character to empathize with and while I can certainly support many levels of fandom, I was curious if the depiction of Nagi's interest to Magical Riding Hood Ururu was a bit unhealthy. I wanted to enjoy this read particularly because it features an older character remaining true to her interests and not letting age stop one from supporting a passion, but Nagi ended up being largely unlikeable due to her immaturity (especially compared to her friends) and stubborn mannerisms.

Good selection for manga collections looking to featured older characters interested in fandoms, especially for teenagers feeling that they are aging out of their interests. Good for medium to large libraries.

[B. P. Rinehart · Rating 4 out of 5]

This manga is a beginners look guide to cosplay culture. Despite being an anime fan for most of my life, I've never been to a convention or done cosplay and know very little of the finer details, though I know other folks related to it. This book introduces of to a young single 26 year old who does cosplay, but hides it from her parents and co-workers. We learn a lot of not just her struggles, but of how the cosplay culture works in Japan--especially in the early 2010s. This is not usual type of book that I read, but it was interesting enough for me to want to read the next volume. The author of this book was actually one of the manga world's surprise stories of the last decade. She created and self-published a one-shot comic also called Complex Age and it became a hit in the manga indie-world (yeah they have one of those). She took the success of that one-shot (also included in this collection) and made this series which lasted over a year and was collected into six volumes.

[Rowan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I appreciate this story because it may be the only I've come across discussing being a cosplayer and an adult, but reading Nagisa's intense insecurities and anxieties was honestly stressful. Everything sends her into a spiral, from her height to her age, to her job, to how she hides cosplay from her family (somehow, despite living at home), to her friend's general actions.

There's also some weird jumps in dialogue and a few missing translations (they start using the term 'layer' to mean cosplayer, and there's an asterisk the first time it shows up, but no corresponding note like with others).

This is definitely not a series I'd recommend to a teen interested in cosplay, but one for other adults (and specifically, manga readers that grew up in the 00s, because there's some nostalgia to this series for me too).

[Jessica · Rating 2 out of 5]

Not Awful, But Kind Of A Bummer

This manga is the story of a woman who is all about cosplay. She's a complex character, sometimes unlikable, but overall sympathetic. She has to deal with judgy people and come to terms with cosplayers who look more like her beloved characters than her. It's not a bad manga, but it's definitely not for me. I feel worse after reading it, feeling bad for the main character who lives in a world where she is judged by her hobby and her age. The short the manga is based on is especially depressing for me, dragging the rating down. I hate when people feel too old for what they love, so this is a no from me, dawg.

[Merenwen · Rating 2 out of 5]

This has been on and off my TBR shelf on Bibliocommons for a little while, so I decided to give it a go even though my library only has the first volume. I figured that if I liked it, I'd put in a purchase request for the rest of the series. But sadly, I won't continue this series. Nagisa came across as an aggressive, bitchy otaku, like the ones at conventions that you hear horror stories about who get pissy when you use the English title of an anime. The one-shot was better, but it seems that the regular series retconned Nagisa to make her a cosplayer instead of a Gothic Lolita.

I think I'll stick to reading Wotakoi.

[Brenda · Rating 4 out of 5]

"... Un cosplay no es algo que "

Este manga tiene un toque de realidad para muchas personas que amamos el anime y el manga y nos envuelve con la edad.

Llegado cierto tiempo, nos cuestionamos si debemos seguir o no con aquello del pasado que nos hace feliz o seguir con la norma y ser simplemente como un "adulto debería de ser"...

La cuestión es que muchas veces nos refugiamos en aquello que nos hace sentir en casa, y por ello, creo que la historia y los sentimientos de Nagisa, hacen que uno como lector pueda empatizar con ella rápidamente.

[sweet orange books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read this book to complete a book challenge with the letter 'Y', and I am glad I found this book. I know very little about the cosplay world and this was a nice introduction to this world. The main character is interesting in how inflexible, perfectionist, and idealist they are, and I enjoyed seeing their journey to a more empathetic relationship with other cosplayers. The volume #2 is not available at my library, or else I would have borrowed it and continued on with the series. Recommended it.

[Natasa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I really disliked the main character here. She obsesses about a character to a creepy level, is a gate keeper regarding cosplay, demeaning people left and right if they don't take it seriously and being quite mean to people who just want to do it for fun.

The characters from the added oneshot aren't much better, being both ageist & misogynistic, in my eyes, at least.

Suffice to say, I won't be continuing on with this manga.

[Amanda Peterson · Rating 4 out of 5]

I would like to file this manga under the genre Fandom as it discusses characters who are fans of massive titles and their lives. Similar to Secret Loves of Geek Girls, or Princess Jellyfish. These brands are humorous with a bit of heart and it is nice to see myself and some friends as characters like this.

[Jillian -always aspiring- · Rating 2 out of 5]

2020 Read #368

I should have loved this, but it’s a bit depressing with how the main theme here is that you will eventually have to give up hobbies you love as you get older. Not the best message to be touting...

[Codepoetz · Rating 4 out of 5]

Nagisa Kataura is a 26-year-old cosplayer living in Japan. As demands in her real-life job and real-life relationships increase, she struggles to rationalize how her cosplay obsession is compatible with an adult lifestyle.

[Michael Gallagher]

The first chapter where they go over the intricacies of cosplay is pretty neat but after that it goes more into the insecurities of the main character loses me. Normally that'd be my thing but this just isn't doing it for me. Doesn't help that I can't tell the two girls apart visually.

[Natalia Hincapié · Rating 3 out of 5]

Es una historia muy de nicho, es un poco aburrida porque no comprendo mucho el mundo del cosplay y tampoco lo entiendo.
Además no veo una historia así tan estructurada, y los personajes se confunden fácilmente

[kaitlphere · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked the look into cosplay culture and passion. I was not into the jealousy subplot. The older characters were ultimately very supportive of the new cosplayer but she seemed to take their efforts for granted a bit.

[Josh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Interesting concept and subject matter.