Looking through the massive crowd, senior Kimberly Nguyen excitedly makes her way through a marketplace with cosplayers buying anime merchandise. Photographers busily take pictures of all the energetic and spirited cosplayers.
Nguyen attended the June 2019 Anime Expo dressed up as Akagi, a fox from the game “Azur Lane.” She wore a long brown wig with ears, and a kimono with black and gold patterns. Dressed in a red skirt adorned with a belt, her long socks and black Japanese sandals complemented her outfit.
“When you cosplay, you’re not ‘you’ anymore,” Nguyen said. “It’s a really fun way to express yourself. You can be someone else that you like and become that person for a day.”
Cosplay is the combination of the words costume and play. It involves dressing up as a fictional character from a wide variety of sources, such as comic books, graphic novels, movies and more.
Nguyen began to cosplay in 2017, when she dressed up as a character for a Pokemon Go meeting event. Over the years, she has created seven cosplays in total. By attending anime conventions and meeting other cosplayers, she learned a variety of makeup techniques for new costumes.
“I am proud of people who cosplay,” Nguyen said. “It’s not easy. You can get judged a lot by others, but people who cosplay don’t care. They’re passionate about what they do and that’s wonderful.”
When Nguyen creates cosplays, she spends a lot of time designing the outer garments. She typically draws a sketch of the costume before using the sewing machine to make them.
“I’d say other cosplayers inspire me to continue,” Nguyen said. “They’re all passionate about cosplay, and I’ve seen so many happy and smiling faces after the many events I’ve been to.”
Nguyen plans to prepare new costumes and try different makeup techniques for the Anime Expo in 2020. There, she will do a group cosplay with her sister and friends.
TCHS School Newspaper