SINGAPORE: An unlikely relationship began to form between Maoru and cosplay when she was in secondary school. “(At first), I was actually not a big fan of cosplay,” said the 24-year-old graphic designer who initially found it 'odd' when two-dimensional characters were translated into real life.
SINGAPORE: An unlikely relationship began to form between Maoru and cosplay when she was in secondary school.
Cosplayers like her portray animated, fictional or sometimes historical characters by using costumes and props.Besides connecting her with fellow enthusiasts, some of whom have become close friends, cosplaying has made Maoru interact and talk to people more frequently, which has helped her “gain a lot of confidence”.
Exposed to cosplay in 2013, he began to partake in it more consistently in 2019 “as an outlet for expression” and to keep himself busy to prevent the “worsening of mental state”. “As a group, the cosplay community may also be a very supportive and encouraging space too,” said Mr Kenny Liew, a clinical psychologist from Mind What Matters.
In Singapore, three gatherings deemed as highlights of the cosplay calendar all reported an increase of at least 20 per cent in visitorship last year, compared to the last time they were held in 2019. According to the festival's website, its first edition in 2008 attracted 29,000 attendees, growing steadily to 85,000 in 2013 and 105,000 in 2018.
A spokesperson from Sozo, the organising team behind Anime Festival Asia 2022, said that besides seeing a quantitative growth, “the quality of cosplay has been steadily improving over the years” too, referring to the quality of the costumes being more well made, and a growing number of cosplayers turning professional.
Polytechnic student cosplayers such as Mr El Goh and Narumi, for example, have earned around S$100 from selling physical printouts of their photos at a recent event booth. She told TODAY that she earned a “mid-range, five-figure” revenue last year, the bulk of which came from campaign deals with major brands.
Cosplayer Yosuke Sora said she earned a “mid-range, five-figure” revenue last year, the bulk of which came from campaign deals with major brands. Such rich rewards are, however, the exception rather than the rule, said Mr Tan Zhao Han, director at cosplay talent agency firm Geist Productions, which manages Yosuke and over a dozen other cosplayers based in Singapore and overseas.
“I have an interest in voice acting so I try to do cosplays of characters I can voice to look and feel the part better,” he said.Narumi cosplaying as character Bronya Zaychik from role playing game Honkai Impact. She also finds joy interacting with “wonderful people” in the community who offer her support and encouragement to continuously improve her craft.
“For those who may have felt isolated or excluded, being a part of a community can be empowering and healing.” After becoming interested in cosplay, Ms Goh realised that she “felt comforted by characters that looked more androgynous” and felt incredibly good about the way she looked when she dressed up like them.
Mr Quek the counsellor said that escapism as an occasional reprieve from stressors and problems can be a beneficial coping mechanism. Besides feeling that they are entitled to see cosplayers’ revealing photos as and when they like it, some participants at a cosplay convention may think they are equally entitled to manhandle the costume wearers.
This was partly why half of the cosplayers interviewed by TODAY declined to share their real names or much information about their real lives.“Cosplayers, like other online communities, can be targeted by cyberbullies, trolls, and stalkers,” said Mr Quek of Talk Your Heart Out.
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