Cosplay has grown in popularity over the last decade, but it’s still often misunderstood. Cosplayers are often seen as strange and obsessive, a group of people who have too much time on their hands.
But if you ask any cosplayer why they do what they do, most will tell you that it’s about more than just dressing up like your favorite movie character or Anime hero.
It’s about bringing joy to others, making friends, and celebrating all things nerdy!
Cosplay is a form of entertainment that allows you to fully immerse yourself in your favorite character and perform it on stage.
It can be as simple as dressing up as one of your favorite characters from a movie or video game, or it can be as complex and time-consuming as creating a full costume from scratch.
Cosplay is a major part of the Anime fandom. It’s not just an activity for hardcore fans; it’s a way to express yourself and connect with other people who share your love for certain series or characters.
Many people who cosplay are cosplaying characters that they relate to or feel strongly about, whether it be because of their personality traits, the story they come from, or simply because they look cool, and it’s something that has become increasingly popular over the years.
There are many different kinds of cosplay, but most people know it as dressing up like an Anime character or video game character and taking pictures at conventions.
Why is Cosplay so important?
Have you ever worn a shirt with the name or logo of your favorite football team, or have a jersey similar to what your favorite sportsman wears?
Did you ever try a hairstyle or cut your hair like your favorite actor or musician? Perhaps you could have dressed up as your favorite fictional character or a pro wrestler for Halloween.
Even if you never did any of those things, I’m sure you wanted to. What made you desire to do such things? Cosplay is similar, but carried to the next degree, and oftentimes several levels beyond that.
Cosplay transcends clothing and role-playing. It’s a highly social activity that lets cosplayers assume protective identities that create, deepen, and reveal social structures that are both about, and more than, play.
Cosplay enables intimate, public spaces and experiences that are unique and significant. Cosplayers assume malleable identities that are created in these environments where people aren’t themselves but instead are fictional Anime characters.
Then, those altered selves are transferred back into the real, non-cosplay world, raising the possibility that everything in it is a costume that can be donned or taken off whenever one chooses.
You have few chances in the current world to show the world what your creativity is capable of. Cosplay, however, allows you the chance to accomplish that.
You will have the opportunity to imagine a character in any shape you like. Nobody will criticize you for the reimagining you select.
What are the values of Cosplay?
- Friendship
- Craftsmanship
- Accuracy to detail of the character
Friendship And Respecting Each Other
As a cosplayer, the first rule is to give respect to fellow cosplayers and befriend them.
Pop culture and geek fans should look up to conventions in their cities and pay a visit since you can find many like-minded people there who share your interests, value your opinions and help you with your introversion (if you are an introvert).
Many people who had been battling mental health issues like social anxiety, depression, and stress can have a good time there escaping reality for a few hours.
Cosplay is all about making new friends at conventions and opening up to like-minded people.
Craftsmanship
Cosplay is a creative endeavor. Most cosplayers usually combine sewing, craft, and household supplies to build a costume of the character they’ve selected or reinvented from scratch.
To make the most complex and precise costumes possible, they employ a variety of techniques including stitching, molding, forging, machining, and others.
By doing this, cosplayers are able to honor their favorite fictional characters and works of art.
Cosplay, on the other hand, allows creators to join their various fan communities and meet others who share their interests.
Cosplayers like trading not only costume-making tips and instructions but also stories and analyses of their favorite pop culture.
Accuracy To Detail Of The Character
Considering cosplay is all about trying to seem like another character, it stands to reason that you would strive to replicate them accurately. This results in a more realistic replica that others will easily recognize.
That being said, it’s actually quite rare to come across someone whose cosplay is completely true to the original character.
Cosplay outfits do not have to be exact replicas of the original characters. While many people appreciate authenticity in cosplay, it is not a requirement.
Many people will purposely alter a costume to better suit their body shape, money, and costume-making abilities.
What do Cosplayers actually do?
There are numerous reasons why people like cosplaying as a hobby and as a profession. Cosplayers like transforming themselves into a character, much as it is exciting to dress up as a different person on Halloween.
One of the things cosplayers appreciate the most is witnessing the expressions on other people’s faces when they see their favorite character in front of them and want a picture with them.
When a small child sees a favorite character being cosplayed, their face brightens up and they instantly begin talking to the cosplayer as if they were the character before taking a picture.
Cosplayers say that dressing up as someone else gives them power because it boosts their confidence.
They transform into these characters who are really cool to them through cosplay. Because cosplay emphasizes resembling the character, care is taken to create high-quality costumes and realistic roleplaying.
Cosplaying is similar to acting in that performers must get into character and act like them after they put on their costumes.
Nobody will ever start cosplaying to make money. Above all, it is a hobby. However, there are ways to make a living from it.
| Opportunities | Roles |
| Online personality | Cosplayers, like any other Internet celebrity, can generate money from their YouTube Channels, Instagram, Facebook, and other Social Networks. Some even include sponsored posts. |
| Convention guest | invited as a guest to conventions and paid for it |
| Company hired Cosplayer | Some companies (mainly game developers) can hire the top cosplayers to interact with guests at convention booths and events while dressed in cosplay. |
| Teach your craft | If a cosplayer is adept at making their own costumes, they can promote lessons and workshops both in person and online. There are also Twitch and YouTube channels for it. |
| Cosplay making | There is also the opportunity for experienced cosplayers to produce and sell outfits on commission. |
They go to conferences as the official cosplay model for a variety of characters. Sell props and merchandise.
Some well-known cosplayers, such as Jessica Nigri, also sell autographed images of themselves and get paid to make costumes for new video games.
Crystallized as a social phenomenon and entertainment medium, cosplay is a cultural product that shapes the identity and media consumption habits of its performers.
Cosplay is all about letting loose and having fun. It allows you to show that geeky side of yourself that you were afraid to show to anyone else.
As a result, you feel an instant connection with other cosplayers, and many cosplayers even consider each other to be kin.
Cosplay is also a way for people without much social confidence to easily make friends; it’s an activity where you don’t need to worry about standing out because everyone is in the same boat as you.
Conclusion
- Cosplayers come from all walks of life, but they all have one thing in common: their love of a certain character that inspires them to dress up as that character.
- Cosplay is not just a hobby, but a form of personal expression, allowing fans of Anime to express their deepest and most heartfelt feelings.
- Cosplayers can be considered to be artists in their own right, having created these costumes and applied makeup to recreate the person they want to portray.
Other Articles
- Why Was Cosplay Created? (Answered)
- Is Anime More Popular Than Cartoons? (Find Out)
- Is Crunchyroll A Good Website To Watch Anime? (Explore)
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