A quartet of young men dressed as the boys of "Saiyuki" look so much the part that a bevy of girls gather around them, snapping shots, chatting excitedly. Japanese cosplayers often costume themselves as characters they resemble slightly, often with dazzling results.

Of course, many dress up as characters from manga or anime particularly popular this year. I think it's a measure of how a title is doing if someone takes the time to make a costume in honor of that show. Several young women and boys dress up as characters from "Naruto," a ninja school/training tale currently running in Shueisha's Shonen Jump.

I find that young women really have a talent for dressing up like anime boys. I guess no young man could look as slender, really. An Inu-Yasha grabs my attention and I once again plunge into the ritual of combing the crowds for cosplayers, losing myself in the fun of photography.

A group of students dressed in khaki uniforms catches my eye before I leave the cosplay area. They look bedraggled and sport bloodstains. I realize with a start that they are dressed as the 42 doomed teens from Japan's shocking tale of survival of the fittest, "Battle Royale." I had heard of the luridly bloody and violent live-action movie before I came to Japan. It's shocking to see teens in bloody, tattered rags, especially standing next to a girl dressed up as Usada Hikaru of "Digi Charat," complete with bunny ears and giant dice in her hair. But then, this convention has been anything but common.

Through the two days at the convention, the doujinshi culture of Japan amazed me. Thinking about the sheer numbers in theory is daunting enough, but to actually witness the hordes of people going through the halls, some dragging carts of manga and doujinshi behind them ... that was breath taking. Having so many people in one place is an invitation for disaster, but nothing tragic happened. Sure, there were no panels of famous guests, no showings, no how to classes, or any of the like. But Comike was more a gathering of equals - fans, artists, fan/artist, all of who love and cherish the form. It seemed to be more than enough.