An eight-year-old with orange hair, and blue jacket was brandishing a fan, made from an old newspaper. “Is that a Naruto?” My bemused friend asked, as we waded through a sea of anime cosplayers at the Animenia fest, in Abu Dhabi. “No, no. It’s Tasuki,” I said, overjoyed, as I had finally seen a cosplayer from a rather obscure anime, Curious Play or Fushigi Yuugi, that I had rather obsessively watched as a 16-year-old. I had harboured an intense admiration for the character Tasuki from the show, a bright-orange haired warrior, with an acidic sense of humour, who shot fire from his ‘tessen’ (a fan). It was just for him, that I read through the manga, watched the show and the OVA’s, or original video animations that are special episodes of a series made specially for release in home video formats.
I didn’t think that anyone knew about it, let alone cosplay a character who wasn’t even the main lead, but there we were, watching an eight-year-old pretending he was a Japanese warrior spitting fire, while his mother went to get some tea for herself. Shyly, he whispered to me that he had watched only bits and pieces of the show, just for the fighting scenes and he had no interest in the storyline. The orange hair was a wig that his mother had bought from online stores, and she had used an old blue jacket and sewn a few shiny buttons on it, so it could resemble the character. It was his first cosplay, and he vouched stoutly that he wanted to do it every year. “It’s fun,” he said, before hurrying away.
A family outing: For the love of anime
‘It’s fun’ was the general sentiment for many of the cosplayers present. It was also the first time that many anime lovers got a chance to cosplay, for instance Joshua Kieser, who dressed up as Tengzen Uzui, a character from the anime Demon Slayer. Dressed in a black buttoned shirt, tucked in pants, with bandanas around his arm and head, resembling the ‘golden rings’ of the character, he also showed his ‘weapons’ that were made from entirely cardboard. “I’ve been into anime ever since I was a child. And as I’m growing older, it’s even more interesting as you can transition from childhood into adulthood and still find stories for you. I just love the storytelling style and how they delve into the characters’ lives,” he said. “Cosplay is something that I’ve always wanted to get into, but never really had the means. So, I’m glad for many community events where people can cosplay, because it’s like watching your favourite shows come to life.” Explaining more about his character, “Tengzen Uzui is all about being flashy, and I wanted to look cool and flash as well.”
Moreover, Keiser’s entire family of eight was dressed as different characters, sporting differently coloured robes and wigs. His younger brother had cosplayed as Rengoku Kyojuri from the same show and was quite proud of his red and white cape. As his mother explained, “We don’t know a thing about anime, but the children wanted to dress up and so we just went along with it to have fun.”
Anime and manga
Once you’re into anime, there’s no going back, say the fans. For the unversed, anime, which is the name given specifically to Japanese animated TV shows, films, and web series, is addictive. For Ashish Jha, a Dubai-based marketing professional, it’s a form of catharsis for him. “I’ve been watching anime since I was a child, and reading all the manga too,” he says, referring to the style of comic or graphic novel that originated in Japan and is known for its distinct artistic style and storytelling format. “Sometimes the show is just the beginning; it’s the manga that takes you forward and straight into the heart of the storytelling. Quite often, the shows don’t capture the backstories, the intertwined tales in the manga,” he says.
Manga refers to two Kanji words: ‘Man’ which stands for ‘entertaining’, ‘exaggerated’ and ‘Ga’ which can be interpreted as ‘drawing’ or ‘image’. Hence, the name Manga can be defined as a ‘quick sketch’, ‘rough drawing’, explains Roman Rosenbaum, in his book, Manga and the Representation of Japanese History. The manga has graphic codes including the use of black and white as well as panels. Compared to western books, the Japanese reading direction is reversed. Often, these are serialised in weekly or monthly magazines before being compiled into volumes called tankobon. This format also allows creators to adapt the story based on reader feedback. Later, these serialisations are compiled into volumes, which are easy for new fans to pick up and enjoy from start to finish. These series are then adapted into anime, which further boosts the popularity and discourse. And so, begins, a wide range of discussions and debate, as fans go back and read the original manga after watching the anime.
This love of anime, manga, and being so thoroughly absorbed in the characters and storylines, pushes fans forward to embody their characters. “I feel that only when you actually really know your character inside out, only then can you get creative with the cosplay,” adds Jha.
Cosplaying: A creative passion
Some prefer to be simple and make the best of what they have at home for a cosplaying outfit. Others, crank it up by several notches. As Dubai-based Magalie Lindsay, a marketing professional who has cosplayed for the past two years, says cosplaying is a passion. It’s an escape, to just be someone else from your favourite show. Lindsay, who has a strong affinity for anime like Fullmetal Alchemist and Naruto, enjoys cosplaying as Sakura, a character from the latter. “I know there’s such a divided opinion on her, but I really love cosplaying as her. I got a pink wig from online, and spent hours stitching, embroidering one of my old dresses so it could look like her outfit, and wear blue shoes too.”
For her, cosplaying is cathartic. “It’s not just a matter of costumes and makeup. There’s so much creativity and flair involved because you get to give your own touch to the character, too. There’s joy in spending hours on crafting, sewing, and embroidering these costumes. It’s an art form because you are creating something all on your own. It gives me a sense of freedom,” she says.
Indeed, there are no bounds to the creativity when it comes to cosplaying. Zubair Abdul Rahman, an Emirati Abu Dhabi cosplayer, was understandably pleased when he became the centre of attention momentarily at the fest. Deeply immersed in his character as Myrkul, The Lord Of Bones, a rather frightfully evil deity from Baldur’s Gate 3, he glided around in black, with skeletons looming from his shoulders, while holding a staff and a lantern that emitted smoke. “I have been a cosplayer in the UAE for about seven years. I spent around two months working on it. I started with a frame, plastic skeletons, and used my engineering knowledge to put it together. I even added the smoke effect to make it more realistic,” he said waving a staff adorned by skeletons, while the lantern gleamed green and released smoke. Explaining that he cosplays quite often, he says, while giving a child a high-five with his gloved and skulled hand, “I just love being an actor and entertaining people, too.”
Jeannie Jay, an Abu Dhabi-based cosplayer shares the same emotion. Cosplaying as Nekmoiya Mana a character from Zenless Zone, she explains pointing to her hair, “It took two hours to do the wig, three hours to do the face and thirty minutes to get into the costume. I have been cosplaying for around 13 years now, so I feel like I’m really old but anime and cosplay makes me feel so good and it gives me a way to express myself,” she says.
‘I like characters that really inspire me to cosplay’
And then, there are some who enjoy the thrill of cosplaying as powerful and memorable characters. Abu Dhabi-based Trix, who chose to cosplay as Noctis from Final Fantasy 15 and her friend, Devi who chose the character of Vanitas from The Case Study of Vanitas shared their journey from gaming to cosplaying. Devi explained, “I’ve been a big fan of anime since childhood, and that’s what got me into cosplay. I’m currently Noctis, from Final Fantasy 15, which was the first game from 2017 that I got into, and it was the biggest inspiration for most of my characters, in terms of how I style wigs,” she explained. The character Noctis has shades of grey, with both strengths and weaknesses on display. It’s this raw sense of realism that attracts her to such characters. “These kinds of characters really pull me into cosplay and that’s why I embody them.”
On the other hand, Debbie explains that she has always had a real passion for watching people sink deep into their characters. “My first cosplay was one year ago, and that was my first impression of the community, and it encouraged me to do more cosplay. Cosplaying has also taught me a lot of things, for example, I even like to style wigs now, among other things.”
A sense of colourful, familial community
There’s a comfort and healing joy, cosplaying with other anime lovers, sharing tips, photos on outfits, and learning so much from each other, as many cosplayers explain. For instance, Akira Lin, a 25-year-old Dubai-based sales professional, and a cosplaying novice, found a new world of friends in the anime community in the UAE. “One of my friends introduced me to cosplay last year. It is overwhelming at first, but there are people to help you out with costumes, telling you how to budget it, so you don’t go overboard, informing you about events and competitions, where you can participate,” she says. Admitting that she was rather nervous in the beginning, she is slowly getting more comfortable with dressing up. “I’ve always loved anime and admired whoever could cosplay, believing that I would never be the one to do it. But now, I’ve found friends who really encourage and push me to try different characters, outfits, and wigs, slowly easing me into cosplay.” After starting with characters like Nezuko Kamado from The Demon Slayer, where she wore a pink kimono and carried around a bamboo muzzle, she recently cosplayed as the dangerous and beautiful Makima from the Chainsaw Man, adorning a black suit, white shirt, and black tie. “I’ve had friends, helping me out with wigs, lending me their shirts, or even putting together strange prompts for me or creating shafts of bows and arrows. These small gestures really solidify the sense of community,” she says.
Similarly, Paris, who started her cosplaying journey in the UAE and participates in international events as a judge at different conventions, shares her experiences on the cosplaying community. “It is truly inspiring. It’s not just about the costumes; it’s about the friendships formed and the support shared among cosplayers. Each event becomes a celebration of creativity, where everyone can showcase their unique interpretations of beloved characters. The makeup process is like an art form, allowing cosplayers to express their identity and passion,” she says. Essa Al Bastaki, a passionate Emirati cosplayer, has been actively contributing to the UAE cosplaying scene for the past 14 years and achieving many milestones along the way, including representing the UAE at the World Cosplay Summit in Japan. "I am passionate about inspiring and supporting young cosplayers," he says.
There’s a sense of collaboration between the cosplayers, whether it’s through group photoshoots or sharing tips and techniques, that fosters a spirit of camaraderie. “I feel it's heartwarming to see how everyone uplifts each other, creating a space where both seasoned cosplayers and newcomers feel welcome,” adds Paris.
How to get into cosplay: A few tips
It might be overwhelming and intimidating, but once you sink your teeth into it, you never let go: That’s the consensus of the cosplayers. Faizal Rahman, a Dubai-based cosplayer and Al-Bastaki, have a few tips. First, don’t think so much. Start out small, before going into something intricately detailed and elaborate. When you have a simpler costume, you can focus on the smaller, seemingly insignificant details, and utilise all the resources that you must to make it iconic. Moreover, these simpler costumes give you a chance to furnish your skills, or help you learn something new, like sewing and embroidery. “It helps you practise, before you can move on to more complicated costumes,” says Lindsay.
So, here’s what you can do:
1. Pick a character you’re passionate about
Start by choosing a character you genuinely love. When you feel a connection to a character, you’ll naturally be more motivated to bring their look to life. Go for someone who resonates with you, even if they’re not the most popular or trendy. Your passion for the character will shine through in your cosplay.
2. Dive into the character’s details
Once you’ve picked a character, get to know them on a deeper level. Research their backstory, personality, and outfit. Gather reference images to understand what makes their look iconic. If they have different costumes or a casual version, consider if one of these would make a fun, recognisable “closet cosplay” using items you already own.
3. Plan what to DIY and what to buy
After understanding the costume, break it down into pieces and decide which parts you’ll make and which you’ll purchase. Creating a balance between DIY and store-bought items can help save both time and money.
4. Set a budget and stick to it
To avoid overspending, set a budget early on and prioritise essentials. Cosplay can get costly, so consider alternatives to expensive materials when possible. Remember, your goal is to have a recognisable, fun costume, not necessarily a perfect replica. Start small and keep it manageable so you can enjoy the process.
5. Ask for help
If you know friends or community members who cosplay or craft, don’t hesitate to ask for advice. Collaborating with friends can make the project more enjoyable and help you troubleshoot any challenges. Remember to offer help in return — it’s this spirit of community that makes cosplay such a welcoming hobby.
Ensure a comfortable, snug fit
When your costume is ready, try it on and adjust as needed. Check that it fits comfortably and allows you to move easily. Small tweaks now can save you from wardrobe malfunctions later, so don’t skip this step. A well-fitting costume will make your cosplay experience much more enjoyable and worry-free.
