KUALA LUMPUR – Behind the dramatic costumes, lively conventions and photoshoots, cosplayers pour sweat and tears into bringing fictional characters to life with elaborate handmade costumes, making cosplaying more than just a hobby.
Speaking to Scoop, two cosplayers shared how they started their journey in cosplaying and the process of making their costumes.
Shah Nursyimiraiman Noor Jalaini, 22, from Sungai Petani, Kedah, said cosplaying is “just for fun”. In the beginning, it helped him make a little money at competitions where he sold some merchandise.
The Universiti Utara Malaysia (UUM) student said he started exploring the hobby in 2016 by setting up a booth to sell cosplay items, but this was not as lucrative as he had hoped.
In 2019, a friend urged him to enter a cosplay competition but he was reluctant, never having tried making his own costume or performing on stage.
Despite his reluctance, he borrowed his friend’s costume and surprised himself by winning second place as Katana from DC Comics.
“The costume was simple, a bodysuit, some accessories and a sword,” he told Scoop, which met him at the recent Comic Fiesta 2023 in Kuala Lumpur.
Just as he caught the cosplay bug, Covid-19 lockdowns in 2020 were imposed, shutting him off from embarking further on his newfound interest.
In the time spent under lockdown, Shah improved his cosplay skills in makeup, sewing and performing.
When competitions were allowed again in 2022, Shah said this was his “golden era”.
“I was winning every single one I joined until a lot of event organisers were surprised.
“I then decided to get serious and enter a big stage competition that offered a RM20,000 prize and a ticket to Japan.”
Shah entered the competition as Kolin from Street Fighter with fully handmade clothes, including weapon, fur and faux diamonds. The outfit cost a total of RM300.
“Unfortunately I didn’t win because the competition also had international participants,” he said.
Nevertheless it was a stepping stone for Shah to learn and upgrade his skills for future competitions.
Now, he makes up to four different costumes a month, spending just under RM1,000. The costumes are typically of figures from the worlds of anime and video games.
Since his foray into cosplay, Shah has also joined a competition in Japan, improved his knowledge and skills, and moved on to other events where he has won first and second place.
In 2022, however, he was disqualified from Comic Fiesta, as he entered as Bela Dimitrescu from Resident Evil 8 (aka Resident Evil Village). The character was banned due to characteristics the competition organisers deemed extreme, which depicted the blood of Christ, a cross and special effects that involved blood, open wounds and vomit.
In October of this year, Shah reprised as Bela Dimitrescu in a cosplay competition in conjunction with Halloween at the Red Velvet in Solaris. Subsequently, he entered other competitions as Bela Dimitrescu, where he won a spot in top three.
Shah advised cosplay beginners to do homework about the character they want to portray. There’s also no need to stress out about costumes which do not necessarily need to be handmade as they can be assembled creatively from ready-bought items.
Another cosplayer who asked to be known as Koi, 23, said new cosplayers should find a circle of friends that support them so they can grow together while having fun.
Newbies should also avoid comparing themselves with others and enjoy the journey, added Koi, who works as a full-time fashion designer.
She said she was first inspired by cosplayers when she attended her first-ever event, the Anime, Comic and Games (ACG) convention in 2014.
In 2015, she managed to convince her parents to buy her a sewing machine to make her own costume, and created her first outfit, Eto Yoshimura from Tokyo Ghoul.
“I sew costumes and make props whenever time and budget allow me, and I like to put my take on transforming concept designs into actual costumes in real life.
“The projects depend on the complexity of cosplay and can range from three days to half a year.
“An example would be my Erza Heaven’s Wheel Armor from Fairy Tail cosplay that costs me RM1,000, which I planned a year before and did within three months,” she told Scoop.
Koi’s 2024 resolution is to enter smaller competitions to improve her skills, and to enjoy the feeling of sharing her cosplay passion with like-minded friends. – January 1, 2024