>>7273408I like it from a cosplay point of view. The costumes are usually professionally-made so they're accurate and well-sewn, and the masks give the performers proportions similar to the artwork the character is based on. It's like seeing your favourite character step off the page, like when you were a kid and went to Disneyland for the first time.
I first got introduced to kigurumi through the professionally-produced stage shows in Japan (used by companies like Toei to promote their kids' anime), so at least I got shown the best examples first. The quality varies wildly amongst amateur kigs and it's usually the worst, most ugly examples that get shown in the "shock threads" that get posted on websites or blogs. There's also the Uncanny Valley thing, but I just look at them like theme park mascots instead of living dolls or whatever.
Yeah, there's a fetish appeal for some people but you can say that about anything these days. It's certainly not universal and there's actually a strong (in my opinion, too strong, bordering on fanatical) movement within the kigurumi fandom to get rid of the fetish elements and reputation.