Many young Cosplayers these days choose the character they want to dress as on a whim. This is the biggest mistake you should always avoid! Cosplaying is more than just dressing up as a fictional character. It’s also about emulating said character in every essence of their personality. Before you start on your cosplay costumes, you should always learn everything you can about the character before you decide to dress up as them.
cosplay
Never choose a character just because you like their outfits. It’s unwise to pretend to be someone you know nothing about as it will only make you look like a fool.
As mentioned above, Cosplaying is more than just looking the part of the character; you must also act the part. If you want to Cosplay a dark, moody character, make sure you yourself are capable of convincing others that you’re dark and moody, as well.
The best thing to do is to either choose a character with a personality that’s similar to your own, or practice on acting like the character. Many die-hard fans become outraged when the character they like are Cosplayed by people who act nothing like them.
Remember, when you Cosplay, you are not only dressing up as someone else, you are also representing them. Acting out of character of your chosen persona is equivalent to blasphemy, in fan terms.
You should never choose to Cosplay someone with an outfit that’s so complicated, it would cost a fortune. Unless money is not an object, you should always consider your budget and choose an outfit wisely.
Most Cosplayers save money by sewing their own clothes, so you could try this as an alternative. It’s cheaper to just buy the material
and make the clothes yourself. You could also make ‘weapons’ or accessories with papier- mâché, which work just as well unless you’re planning on getting into a real fight.
Cosplaying is a wonderful hobby, but it doesn’t mean you should go broke when you do it.
Never say no when someone requests to take a picture of you! Cosplayers in countries other than Japan are still regarded with weary acceptance. People look at you with the patronizing amusement a parent would regard an errant child with.
It’s easy for them to use any excuse in order to look down on you. Therefore, you should always be polite and courteous no matter what. It’s difficult to smile and pose when you’ve been doing so for five hours straight, but it’s part of the job description, so don’t complain.
This is especially important if the person who requests a picture or asks you inane questions are people who are not as anime-wise as you are. As Cosplayers, you need to show the best side of you so that people aren’t put off and get the wrong impression about anime cosplay lovers.