Cosplay is SRS BSNS

Is cosplay serious business?

Why yes. Yes it is.

Should everyone on this little blue planet treat cosplay as serious business?

Why no. Not at all.

In almost every hobby, sport, or recreation, there tends to be two types of people: those who are very serious and dedicated their art, and those who just want to have fun and enjoy themselves. You are going to find these two classes of people wherever you go - from horse showing, to ballet, to scrap booking, to sports, to model making, to cooking, to art. Cosplay is no exception. However, since cosplay tends to have a relatively young demographic, there seems to be a lot of people who are having trouble accepting the “elite” side of cosplaying. Yes, there are people who are going to pour their hearts and souls into their hobby and make it more than a hobby. Yes, there are people who are going to rethink cosplay and strive to be bigger and better than the rest. No one chides the young ballerina who works till she drops in order to be the best. No one looks down upon the horseback rider who trains everyday, and spends money on only the best for her horse prospect. However, some people seem to have problems with cosplayers who are more than just casual.

*I’m not going to lie. I want to be better than you. I want to stand out, I want to shine, I want to excel. There are many more like me. They may not be as honest, but they exist.

But do I talk down to beginner cosplayers, or think less of a player who does not put a lot of effort into a costume? No. I don’t. I don’t bash their pictures behind their backs or think of them as “lesser people”. Do I believe other advanced cosplayers should tear them apart for their own good? Absolutely not. All cosplayers should be friendly and civil to each other, regardless of skill level.

But I do believe in helpful, constructive criticism. Not: “You suck. You shouldn’t be cosplaying this character at all. Your wig is the wrong shade, the blazer is the wrong blue, those pants make you look like a decaying whale, he wasn’t wearing that tie, and you’re too short”. That’s not helpful at all, and anybody who “critiques” like that is rude and in need of manners. When I give critique, I try to keep it polite and within the cosplayers means. Something like: “You know, I think white Reebok sneakers might not be the best choice for an Ouran outfit - why not some black dress shoes? You know, you have a nice figure, so why not some better fitting pants to show it off?”

But people seem hesitant of giving or receiving crits. It happens all the time in the art communities - when people try to advise a budding anime artist to study some real human anatomy to get a better handle on drawing the body, the artist always replies: “Well, that’s just my style”. Badly drawn anatomy is not style. It’s just inexperience. Does that mean we should laugh those artists out of the park? No. But should we force them to study realism and anatomy everyday? No. That’s their own choice. You can remain at the level you are at, or you can choose to try to set the bar higher.

People who only cosplay casually or don’t really care about how they look -are fine-. They are not the bane of the convention world, and they don’t elicit a strong response in me when I see them. (However, I do have strong urges occasionally to whip out my comb and give their wig a good brush.) They are having fun.

People who treat cosplay as serious business -are fine-. They are not evil, elitist bastards who want nothing more than to make you feel horrible about yourself. They are having fun too, believe it or not. They just put in a lot of work before they play. And usually that work is a lot of fun.

Now, what is NOT OKAY are advanced cosplayers who are demeaning, nasty, and unsupportive. They give cosplay a bad name and have no excuse for acting the way they do.

Is cosplay serious business?

Why yes. Yes it is.





(*The reader should notice that nowhere in this article do I claim to be the best, or better than anyone else. Wanting to be the best and actually being the best are two different things.)