Oh, the world of cosplay is a big one. There is so much time, effort, imagination, and creativity that comes to this task or activity. If you’ve never seen a cosplayer or even heard of the term, you’ve come to the right place! So, the exact definition of cosplay (for those who need a clear description) is:

»The practice of dressing up as a character from a movie, book, or video game, especially one from Japanese genres of manga and anime.

Cosplay is enjoyed not just in Japan, but all around the world! Unfortunately, it’s hard to get that many interviews, so how in the world are you going to know what cosplaying looks like? Well luckily for you, there are hidden cosplayers right here in our school of WCHS that are willing to share some of their cosplay knowledge with you all. What do they think cosplay is? When would a person even cosplay? How does it feel to be dressed up as a whole other character that’s not even a real person?! It’s been known that cosplay takes a lot of effort too, how much effort do they put in?

Surprise Cosplayer #1: Dasha Nueman

“Cosplay is like when you dress up as somebody you’re not. You could be anybody from a movie or show you like. It’s a fun thing to do when you don’t have the money you can make your own cool stuff, or if you do have money, you can take it a step up and go all out. I cosplay like every day, mainly when I get bored. I also go to conventions or other little things. When I’m dressed up, it feels different, like nobody knows who you are, so you can do whatever you want!” She said. It really is a cool feeling!

It’s like you’re a different human. I’m that person who really gets into character, and I will even do the voices. Although I put way too much effort into my outfits, in terms of making them. With that, it depends on what kind of costume you make. Some took me about 2 days, and others take me a year, and I still wouldn’t be done!  All in all, don’t feel like you’re going to be judged because you’re not. No one knows who you are. Just start low and work your way up.”

Anonymous Cosplayer #1:

“Cosplay is a way to express yourself. I cosplay not as much as I would like to, but I’ve cosplayed for special events before. I did one once for a child’s birthday party, and I was a Disney princess! When I’m in cosplay, I feel a lot more confident in myself than I usually do, almost like a boost. I put so much effort into trying to make it look realistic. I’ve made costumes and I’ve bought costumes, and I obviously can’t make a wig, so I have to buy those, it just kind of depends on what it is, and how hard it is to find a costume. For those who aren’t really open about cosplaying, get out there, it’s a lot of fun.”

Anonymous Cosplayer #2:

“Cosplay to me is a way to build my confidence. All the different characters I look up to, and getting a chance to embody them, makes me a lot more confident in my everyday life. I probably cosplay every weekend, usually with friends, at events, going around to different states, and I’ve done this for about 5 years now. When I’m dressed up, I feel the best when I’m with my friends, like at events. When I’m with them, it really feels like a safe space. almost like I’m part of a community, and that I can express my love with people with the same interest. As fun as the hobby is though, It is also very expensive. It really depends on how invested you are into it like if you want to make a profession out of it. like having to pay for stuff like material, or other items you may need to make or buy and it can be so expensive. I had to pay for fabrics and a machine since I sometimes make my own outfits, which is something I’m trying to practice more on. It takes a lot of work, effort, and dedication. But besides all that, don’t care about what other people think. It’s supposed to be fun and an enjoyable hobby. For some people it may be a profession, some it may not it just depends on the person. Just have fun with it, if people try to shoot you down just ignore them because at the end of the day it’s none of their business and it’s you’re life, not theirs.”

Surprise Cosplayer #2: Lee Neal

“Cosplay to me is kind of like an art form, also an expression, and it’s just a really fun hobby. I usually cosplay at least 2 times a week, it’s just really fun and I like uploading it to places. I don’t really do it as a profession, but just having it out there is pretty cool. When I’m in cosplay, I usually feel really excited, and I’m more confident than usual. The amount of effort that I put into my cosplay, really just depends on what kind of cosplay it is. Usually, I put in a lot of effort so I can stand out more. Of course difficult cosplays, I’ll buy more of the materials, and for similar ones, or parts of the outfit, I’ll make myself. Overall, if you cosplay, just be yourself really, just let everything else go, and let your mind be what it wants to be and do what it wants to do, and just have fun with it. If it’s your favorite character, you should be able to enjoy the cosplay.”

Look at these amazing outfits! So much work and dedication go into cosplaying, and just as these cosplayers say, no one should be ashamed about it, period. As said before, the world of cosplay is a big one, with so much creativity and imagination, it’s just a giant work of art and one big community.