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Did the Governor of Tokyo just cosplay as Buzz Lightyear to talk about coronavirus?

Oona McGee Dec 21, 2020
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People can’t work out whether she looks more like a character from Toy Story or Neon Genesis Evangelion.

With coronavirus cases in Tokyo hitting a record high of over 800 in one day recently, people in the capital are becoming more and more concerned over what might lie ahead for the current third wave that’s gripped a hold of the city.

Tokyo Governor Yuriko Koike has been making more frequent appearances in front of the press to help disseminate advice and information to the city’s residents during these worrying times, and it looks like she’s working to allay everyone’s fears not only with her words, but with her outfits as well.

In Japan, it’s common for politicians to swap their business suits for worker’s outfits to symbolise that they’re “in the trenches” working on the frontlines during times of crisis, and that’s what Koike has been doing in recent weeks. However, during one of her most recent press conferences to discuss issues relating to coronavirus, she appeared to take this fighting spirit one step further by adding a purple turtleneck to her attire, making her look uncannily like…Buzz Lightyear from Toy Story.

俺がついてるぜ pic.twitter.com/21sX53W9Rt

— S@*C / しらんがな (@ultrasaw) December 17, 2020

On the other hand, fans of the Evangelion franchise drew similarities between her outfit and that of Unit-01. Although, if she was drawing inspiration from Eva, surely she would’ve added a dash of orange to her attire?

https://twitter.com/owayon_siroi/status/1339908941279449088

The Buzz Lightyear overtones in Koike’s outfit choice may very well have been intentional, given her well-known love of cosplay. Koike has previously dressed up for the Ikebukuro Halloween cosplay Festival in 2015, as Sally from the anime Sally the Witch, in 2016, as Sapphire from the anime Princess Knight, and in 2018, as Maetel from Galaxy Express 999.

▼ Left to right: Sapphire, Sally and Maetel.

小池都知事はコスプレ好きらしいですヨｗ😅 pic.twitter.com/uhNslrBprH

— aitora😊🤝🐱愛寅 (@aotora3000) December 18, 2020

While it wouldn’t be fitting for the Governor of Tokyo to dress in cosplay in the office on a workday, eagle-eyed anime fans have previously seen some hat-tips to other well-known characters in some of her “sensible” wardrobe choices.

▼ Commenters online were quick to remember that time Kamen Rider Faiz from Kamen Rider 555 was in charge of Tokyo.

小池都知事、仮面ライダーの次はトイ・ストーリーかw pic.twitter.com/Yn8C206Flc

— タイプ・あ～る (@hitasuraeiga) December 18, 2020

And we can’t forget her posing beside a purported Banksy artwork in a 2020 Tokyo Olympics jacket for volunteers, which looks similar to the check jacket worn by Tanjiro Kamado in Demon Slayer.

pic.twitter.com/ot3v4COV6H

— 桜かりゅーの良質な鱗 (@vgAH2s8oCsor2nL) December 18, 2020

Given Koike’s love of cosplay, the similarities between her purple, grey and green worker’s outfit and the one worn by Buzz Lightyear in Toy Story do seem to be too similar to have just been a coincidence.

pic.twitter.com/Lln1JuUKpY

— しょこらbb𓁪🍿 (@tears_hiro) December 18, 2020

Either way, unprecedented times call for unprecedented actions, and if dressing like Buzz Lightyear is going to send a message out into the universe that we’re ready to defeat coronavirus, then we’re all for it.

Source: Niconico News
Featured image: Pakutaso
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