It can be very intimidating to someone to enter the world of cosplay. Most beginners feel awkward and small when they attend their first-ever convention and see those realistic cosplay costumes.
So, newcomers to cosplay have questions in mind: “Where do I start?” “Who should I cosplay as?” “Where do I get a cosplay costume?” This article tackles important facts on cosplay ideas for beginners.
What is cosplay anyway?
Cosplay is a popular performance art that started as a hobby but has become a lifestyle for some. The term comes from two Japanese words “kosu” which means costume and “pure” which means play. It was coined by Japanese journalist, Nobuyuki Takahashi when he was attending the 1984 World Science Fiction Convention (WorldCon) in Los Angeles.
The participants are called cosplayers. They wear fashion accessories and costumes that correspond to the characters in anime, manga, video games, comic books, television series, movies, and more. It rapidly became a favorite hobby in 1990, and became an important phenomenon in Japan and other parts of Asia, and in the Western countries.
Cosplay ideas for beginners: important things to remember
The very first thing to keep in mind: Don’t get intimidated; this could be your biggest enemy. Fellow cosplayers will understand why you feel this way because they have experienced it. You might see how extravagant other cosplayer’s costumes and props are, but you might also observe that others wear simple, handmade costumes.
The level of intensity of a cosplay costume depends on your personal choice. The most important cosplay ideas for beginners is to have fun—meet new friends, adore your favorite anime/video game characters, learn more about cosplay, etc.
Choosing a cosplay character
The first thing you asked yourself: “Who should I cosplay as?” Actually, you can cosplay as any character you can think of as long as you are comfortable with it, and you can effectively portray it.
Choose a character that fits your personality. It is effective and easy to be your cosplay character when it has the same personality as yours. If you are shy, an outgoing character might not fit you; if you have a bouncy type of personality, do not cosplay something that’s villain like.
One tip in choosing which character you are going to cosplay as is to list each character you think might be fun to cosplay as; do it while you are watching or reading something. It is also fun to cosplay the character you love because it could motivate you to work harder on the cosplay costume.
How to create a cosplay costume
It takes a lot of patience and time to create your own cosplay costume. If you don’t have much time, it is better to buy a ready-to-wear costume, or order a customized one. You can find a lot of websites, commission sites, and personal blogs online that sell pre-loved cosplay costumes or new ones.
Your cosplay costume should be safe not only for you, but for the other convention attendees as well. It should also follow the regulations of the convention. Rules usually pertain to the coverage of the body, cosplay armor, weapons, glitter, flames, wings, and other potential hazards
To effectively create your own cosplay costume, make sure that you have some reference pictures. It will help break down the appearance of the character and work on each detail.
Make sure that you give yourself enough time to create your costume. Rushed costumes will show, and the parts might easily fall apart when it’s convention time.
Popular cosplayers in the world
You might have heard about or seen the pictures of popular cosplayers in the world. Among them are:
- Anna Faith Carlson
- Adrianne Curry
- Alodia Gosiengfiao
- Myrtle Sarrosa
- Yaya Han
- Soiral Cats
- Marie-Claude Bourbonnais
- Crystal Graziano
Conclusion
Cosplay is for everyone regardless of color, race, body type, age, sex, etc. It is a fun way to express your adoration of your favorite characters and meet new friends. It takes a lot of patience, hard work, and time to create your own cosplay costume. It is also challenging in terms of effort and cost but it is very rewarding once you have successfully done it.
So, have fun and welcome to the world of cosplay!
