Informative Essay About Cosplay

When referring to cosplay, most who are unaware of the art or the community see it as a sort of dress up. To the unaware world, it’s odd to see a grown adult dressed up as an anime character, a superhero or a character from a video game. It’s easy to just explain it as getting dressed in a costume and attending events with thousands of others who do the same. But within the community, within the person, cosplay is more than just a costume, it’s an art form, and for some it’s their life. Whether it is simply a hobby or a profession, each cosplayer brings a different energy into the community. Some have a persona they step into when they cosplay, and others feel more like themselves within the community. Shelby Swilley, a wonderful cosplayer, and performer, had mentioned, “It’s fun to

They become the persona that they want to be, someone different or perhaps similar to themselves. In her article, “What Art Educators Can Learn from the Fan-based Artmaking of Adolescents and Young Adults”, Marjorie Cohee Manifold explains how cosplayers seek other’s advice, stating that “Whether they created exact copies or adaptations of an original artist’s work, fanartists and cosplayers turned to peers in real life or online fandom for advice about composition, shading, sewing, and special effects” (265). From this, a cosplayer learns and grows both as an artist and as a person. Cosplay, as well as the community, can transform a cosplayer. As a friend, Nallely Mosher, had said, “I think I’m more myself when I’m cosplaying, I get to do the things that I like and be surrounded [by] people with the same interests that I have…” and she couldn’t be more correct. The cosplay community is a safe place for anyone and everyone to be creative and have fun with what they love.

As for the community itself, it’s a loving, welcoming place for those who feel outcast