The Art Art of OF Cosplay Cosplay THe Students cosplayers share their experiences in cosplay, from their original inspirations to the preparations of their costumes BY ALIA GAMEZ, STAFF WRITER AND ISABELLA MORALES, CO-ONLINE EDITOR
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FTER HOURS OF PUTTING ON makeup and meticulously deciding what to include in the perfect outfit, it is finally time. Walking out the door with their costumes, cosplayers are proud to display their passion for dressing up. Cosplay — being a combination of the words “costume” and “play” — is an act of individuals wearing costumes and accessories to represent a certain character of their choice. Although the most common cosplay characters are from the anime and Marvel universe, many
individuals use their individual interests as inspiration for their costumes. The final costume brings a sense of satisfaction to cosplayers because of the overall experience that is brought with it, making their adoration for this activity even stronger. Finding inspiration in elements of life as well as their own personal interests, many cosplayers dedicate time to putting together costumes since it often provides a personal platform to carve their individuality.
Additionally, participating in cosplay brings together a welcoming community of individuals who have similar interests and encourage one another to continue dressing up. Escaping to a world of their own, seniors Carolina Blanco and Emellie Ferrer have developed a passion for cosplaying, where they express their love for portraying their favorite fictional characters by using their inner creativity to create costumes that are uniquely their own.
Rushing to put on a blonde wig, a green dress with white puffy sleeves and a large bow, senior Carolina Blanco no longer looks like herself. Instead, standing in her place is Sonia Nevermind, a character from the multimedia story “Danganronpa.” Fueled by her fascination with Japanese media since her preteen years, Blanco shares her individuality by cosplaying her favorite fictional characters. When Blanco completed her first cosplay as Nevermind — a character she often comes back to — she tried to keep this pastime a secret from those around her. Now a senior, she has mastered the art of disguise, spending the last four years practicing how to better her work; letting cosplay motivate her to push forward. Blanco first picked up a
costume in middle school after seeing it often on social media and thought it would be a fun way to practice her makeup skills and grow her confidence. Labeling herself a “casual cosplayer,” Blanco uses budget-friendly materials to transform herself from a typical student at the school into a selection of characters from all sorts of storylines. “At first I just did it because it looked super fun, but as time passed, I saw myself growing more passionate about cosplay; which has made me slowly gain professionality,” Blanco said. Putting numerous hours into her costumes, she has improved her skills tremendously. She watched dozens of tutorials, interacted with others in the cosplay sphere and practiced consistently. Blanco has promoted her skill set and engaged with the cosplay community through Instagram and by attending conventions. She posts the costumes she puts together on her Instagram @_pastelcaro.jpg_. Her interest in characters is only a part of what motivates her to perform. If a character becomes popular, Blanco will cosplay them if not for herself, for her fans. “Through social media, I am able to share something that has allowed
me to grow into the person I am today; I want to inspire others just like I was inspired years ago,” Blanco said. With dozens of character portrayals under her belt, she can bring to life a more accurate version of her desired persona. She has learned that to not break the bank, she should buy versatile pieces. Whether it be wigs, skirts or shoes, Blanco believes these staples be worn while depicting more than one character. Blanco gets the ideas for which characters she will portray through her many hyperfixations, anime, videogames and Japanese comic books called mangas. Blanco meticulously plans her cosplay weeks ahead. In an action called “cosplans,” she chooses the character that she wants to bring to life and goes on to see what pieces she will need. Blanco searches her closet for accessories similar to the character’s and if she does not have any, she will order from online sellers or ask her friends to borrow pieces. Given that Blanco wants to do the character justice, she searches for the closest copy and is not afraid to experiment with hand-making her pieces. Cosplay may be a portal to another world for Blanco, but that is not its only purpose. The confidence she has garnered through makeup as well as ensembles, originally done by others, have helped Blanco become a person of her own. She plans to continue with her passion as she graduates from the school next year by crossing off cosplays from her dream list.
Carolina Blanco
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