You might have made up your mind to get into cosplay. Cosplay is a fun hobby, a lifestyle for some, wherein you dress up like a character in anime, video games, or manga. This first challenge to deal with in cosplay is to think of a character to cosplay. “Who should I cosplay as?” defines how you will do your cosplay costume.
To help you decide which character you are, this article lists tips in selecting the right character, as well as tips on cosplaying in general.
Who should I cosplay as? Essential tips
- Especially if you are a beginner, always remember that cosplaying is for everyone regardless of age, sex, color, body type, etc. The purpose of cosplaying is to have fun and express your admiration of the character. Not everybody has the perfect porcelain skin or a perfect body.
- You should accept the fact that cosplaying is expensive. Be sure you have the right budget for the character that you want to cosplay as. However, you don’t have to spend all your money to look realistic.
- You should know about the character you want to cosplay as. Choose a character that’s easy for you to explain or something that you adore the most. Don’t cosplay the character just because you like its outfit or the color of its hair.
- Your character should fit your personality. Do not go for the character that’s villain like or sad if you are happy and bouncy type of personality. If you have a shy personality, do not cosplay something that is an outgoing, happy-go-lucky character.
- Another tip is to ask your fellow cosplayers about the character you want to cosplay as. Cosplayers are always open to one another and support each other.
Essential cosplay tips
If you have been to cosplay conventions or have been thinking of joining a group of cosplayers, you might think how arduous cosplaying is—and those cosplayers make it look easy and fun.
But in reality, you have to think about the time required to create your costume, the budget that you need, and other efforts it takes to transform yourself into the character you want to cosplay as.
Here are some essential tips to help you out with your character and cosplaying in general:
Use lightweight materials for your props
There are certain rules of conventions about props perceived as weapons—real weapons are banned on site. And you wonder how cosplayers get around all day with all those massive props. Experienced cosplayers suggest the use of light materials when creating weapons. Light plastics and foams are much easy to transport and won’t hurt anybody.
Don’t be intimidated
Especially if you are a beginner and you see all those fancy, realistic cosplay costumes, it can make it easy to be intimidated. Some cosplayers have even completely transformed into almost real anime/video game characters with all these detailed costumes, including hair and makeup.
But not all people have turned to this level of intensity. So, do not get intimidated. Aside from those realistic cosplay costumes, you will also see simple, homemade costumes. It is all just a matter of preference. Remember that cosplaying is a way to have fun and not doing it for anyone.
Bring some essentials
You don’t anticipate a disaster happening with your costume, but it is a good idea to be ready if and when it does happen. Bring essential kits such as glue, sewing materials, etc. with you. Also, wear the right undergarments that fit your costume. Inserting sweat guards help keep the funk at bay and freshen up your costume.
Pack smart
You spend a lot of effort and time to make your costume and props close to perfection. But now that the convention is fast approaching, your main problem is getting your costume and props to the site without ruining them.
Pack smart and efficiently. Large pieces of costumes can be broken down to pack them easily. Learn to use the small pockets in your car or the space above the seat backs.
If you are flying to the site, it is convenient and safe to have an extra budget for checked-in luggage where you can put your costumes and props. Pack them with bubble wrap to secure them even more.
