I know for a fact that I am not the only person in the world who has struggled to become a successful cosplayers. I may not be widely recognized as others and I hope one day I can make a name for myself in the cosplay community, and I thought I would start by, not only sharing my cosplays, but by sharing my experience growing up as a cosplayers.
I guess a good place to start would be at the very beginning, not at the beginning of cosplaying, but at the very roots in which my love for Japanese culture, animation and games began. Growing up as a toddler, I always played “Super Mario World”, “The Legend of Zelda: A Link to the Past”, “Donkey Kong Country” and others for the Super Nintendo Entertainment System. Even though I had no idea what I was doing, it was always a joy and entertaining for me to play these games. As I grew older and watched the television more, I watched shows such as Sailor Moon and Dragonball and I was extremely devastated when they were no longer aired on the television, in which, I would always play my SNES. A few years went by and I was in middle school when my love for anime resurfaced with Yu Yu Hakusho, Rurouni Kenshin, Yu-Gi-Oh!, Inuyasha, Fushigi Yuugi and others. This was where my passion for cosplaying comes in.
I remember searching on the internet for these different anime shows or even specific characters and finding people dressed up as them. I became curious and then stumbled across the term “cosplay”. Not knowing what it was, I looked it up and that’s where it began. Looking at all of the wonderful, extravagant costumes that people made started to get me dreaming of one day being as great as them. At first I thought they only did it for fun or Halloween, but then I came to realize that these people attended Anime Conventions. I had dreamt of going to conventions and cosplaying but I knew that would never happen. Or so I thought…
Two classmates in my acting classes during middle school were also into anime. We shared manga and talked about what shows we liked and then they told me about an anime convention they were attending that was nearly an hour away from where we lived. I looked it up on the website and asked my mom about it. She was extremely hesitant, but I eventually was able to break her into saying “yes”. She helped me make my very first cosplay ever, Nuriko from Fushigi Yuugi being that I would not attend the convention unless I was cosplaying. My mom had very little sewing skill, so the costume wasn’t remotely good at all, but I really appreciate what she did for me between taking care of my sisters, myself and working. She took me to the convention as well and it was an experience like never before. It is something I will never forget and always hold dear for me.
Every year after that, I would attend the same convention and either my mother or father would take me. They hated it though, claiming that there was nothing for them to do there except take pictures, but they signed up for this the day they decided to be parents. They would have to and will continue to have to do things for their children that they themselves may not like, and I always used this against them and it always worked. One year, however, my parents couldn’t take me and I couldn’t find anyone to go with and that was the worst year of my cosplaying life. I didn’t make any costumes that year, I stayed home and was extremely depressed when my friends who were at the convention called me, asking me where I was. And after that, I stood up for myself and made it a ritual to attend at least one convention a year, mostly because they are very expensive when you make costumes.
For two year in a row, I went with my friends (no parents – this was very difficult for my dad to accept, but my mother was fine with it). I had a blast with them and then the next year I went with some different friends because neither of my friends from the previous years could make it to the convention.
Putting aside conventions for a moment, I would like to talk about my cosplay experience. Excluding the costume my mother made for me (which was the last time she ever helped me with a costume as well), I tried learning to sew by myself from books, online tutorials and videos and nothing seemed to work for me. I looked around for sewing classes (which were very expensive) and I eventually had to settle making my costumes with whatever means I could – hotglue. Though I would like to say these costumes never existed, I can’t because they do, and because of these horribly made costumes, I have strengthened from them.
Around Halloween 2009, I found out that one of my neighbors sews. She sewed my little sister’s friend’s costume (she lives across the street! I wish my friends lived that close…) and I approached her about teaching me how to sew, read patterns and other things. She was more than happy to. In January 2010, we started working on my Princess Garnet cosplay. The most sewing she did on the costume was to show me how to do a stitch, she helped me read the pattern I purchased for it, how to alter the pattern and she taught me how to embroider. Because of this wonderful woman, I am now able to create works of art I never have been able to. I participated in the Masquerade at the convention I attended that year, I simply did a walk on, but I won Best Craftsmanship Novice Division and it was all because of that wonderful woman who taught me so much.
I didn’t write this mini-memoir simply to share my experience with everyone, but because I know a lot of people who are making their first steps into the cosplay community have a lot to deal with, especially with their parents. I wrote this to tell those future cosplayers to never give up hope, keep pushing yourself and you can do wondrous things with your life. If you cannot find any places that give sewing lessons, ask neighbors, friends and family members because you will probably be able to find someone to help you. If you cannot, I will try my best to help those who need it. I know I am not the best cosplayers and I never will be, there will always be those who are greater than I, but I try to do my very best and I will continue to do so.
I hope this mini-memoir will inspire those cosplayers who struggle with themselves and with their family to go to conventions or simply cosplay. If you have any questions, I will answer them to the best of my ability.
Show the world and yourself what you can do, and always look on the bright side of life.
I love you all and good luck!
Love,
Euphoria
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