Anime Cosplay Food Vendors and Officials Once Considered Strange, Now Turnover Increases

The harshness of life in Jakarta compels many people to do whatever it takes to earn money to support their families at home. This is also true for actors in Micro, Small, and Medium Enterprises (UMKM) who must rack their brains to keep their products selling amid fierce competition. Maintaining product quality is often not enough to help UMKM survive and attract buyers. Therefore, some UMKM employ unusual strategies by dressing uniquely to draw the attention of customers. For nearly two years, Budi has chosen to sell jelly while dressing up or cosplaying as characters from the anime One Piece, such as Luffy and Roronoa Zoro. When met by Kompas.com in front of SDN 14 on Wednesday (1/4/2026), Budi was cosplaying in the costume of Roronoa Zoro from his first encounter with Luffy in the One Piece anime series. The father of two children was seen wearing a dark green wig, three sword-shaped earrings on his left ear, a white One Piece T-shirt paired with black jeans, a green belt with black stripes, and three replica swords strapped to the right side of his trousers. “I just use Zoro and Luffy, so I always wear a wig every day. I have three wigs for Zoro and one for Luffy,” Budi revealed when interviewed by Kompas.com at the location on Wednesday (1/4/2026). The father of two admitted that his decision to cosplay as anime characters stemmed from his love for One Piece since the age of 10. In his childhood, he often watched One Piece while eating jelly. This childhood habit inspired Budi to sell jelly while cosplaying as anime characters. However, his decision to earn a living while dressing as anime characters initially faced rejection from his wife. “At first, I was laughed at because it was strange, not like usual. My wife even said, ‘What are you doing like that? It’s just wasting money,’ but I persisted because of the desire to brand while indulging my hobby,” Budi said. Generally, many people cosplay as anime characters at major events in malls or special venues. Nevertheless, Budi stuck with his appearance because he enjoys it and it’s his hobby. Over time, his wife began to accept Budi’s habit of frequently cosplaying as anime characters. In fact, his children now often join in by cosplaying as Sasori, a character from the anime Naruto.