I have to explain cosplay to people that aren’t familiar with the society. They look blankly at me as I attempt to explain it.

Cosplay Is the Art of Dressing up as Fictional Personas, Often from Anime. Cosplay is a hobby that takes time, money and skill. Many cosplayers spend hours designing their costumes. The preparation work starts with researching the most intimate details about your personality. Anyone looking to purchase a pre-made costume online must be careful about their credibility.

This hobby unites people by bringing out their love for anime, manga, and other media. There are many locations in this world where we can be ourselves and run freely in our own environments. One such place is at Anime Weekend Break Atlanta. It’s an annual, four-day Anime Convention. It took place this year from September 28 to October 1.

Cosplay is usually a big element of anime conventions or “disadvantages.” However, it all depends on what group the specific disadvantage is addressed towards, so there will be a range of numbers participating. Visually, there are two types of cons: those who are cosplaying as well as those who not. According to my point of view, individuals who cosplay share a bond because the outfits they are wearing reveal shared experiences. Individuals who do not wear cosplaying clothes might just be walking down the street and aren’t being externally branded.

While disadvantages tend to have a fair mix of “typical Guests,” who don’t participate in cosplay. This year, however, the scene was dominated this year by cosplayers. Some cosplays were inspired from anime, others from video games. It did not matter, the amount of effort they put into creating their costumes was apparent. A cosplayer portrayed the dark magician girl, Yu-Gi-Oh! Her costume, made primarily of craft foam and shaped right into armour pieces, was repainted in blue with pink trimming. It felt like the character existed, with all of the information being from The Spiral-Shaped safety helmet to The handmade boot covers.

I cosplayed on Friday at the Convention. However, by Saturday’s early morning I was too tired to wear another outfit. I was deeply sorry for my error when I got there. I realized that cosplay can help me to unleash a computer-animated, confident part of myself that is usually diminished. However, Cosplay gave me the rare opportunity to see conventional life through the eyes of a regular person.

As an introvert I’m not keen on approaching people I do not know. And, when I wore regular clothing on Saturday, the other guests appeared to be in a similar mind as me. I didn’t engage with any other person, with the exception of asking cosplayers for photos occasionally. It was almost as if I was invisible to the group.

It is a good idea to try cosplay or, at the very minimum, dressing up in a cool outfit for those who are shy. It may seem redundant, but the clothes you choose to put on disadvantages can help other participants see what their rates are. While I do not approach arbitrary individuals in my daily life, these restraints are discoloring when it pertains to cosplay. Individuals whose costumes I admire or who share my affection for a specific fandom instantly no longer look like strangers, but participants of a bigger area.

The Approved, not Cosplaying, Can Also Have Its Own Perks. It’s not always easy to wear a wig or outfit, particularly when it is a distraction. Atlanta’s warm autumn temperatures are not enough to fix this problem. Going costumeless also gives you the liberty to travel wherever you like without being taken by photographers. But I don’t think there is a single cosplayer that doesn’t want their picture taken.

I wore a full-on cosplay Sunday due to the fact that I wanted to avoid repeating my Saturday disadvantage experience. Individuals I hadn’t ever seen or spoken to ran up and asked me for pictures, complimented me on my cosplay, or started talking to me about the Program The Personality Belonged To.

One certain “Heathers”, the Musical Cosplayer. She wore a yellow sports jacket as well as a plaid skirt and called my name. I stopped her team photo shoot to take snazzy picture of them. Just like that, my transition from noncombatant life into cosplay brought me back together with my neighbors, and equally important, gave me the confidence to reach out to others I may not have otherwise.

Many con do not focus on cosplay. Even if your intention is not to cosplay, I recommend spending at least one day with AWA to experience the Cosplay Society and also get a sense of its essence. Cosplay can transform ordinary experiences right into memorable minutes as well as create relationships where none would be possible.