Today's blog post is brought to you by Oona Sura, a Virginia/NYC cosplayer I've had the pleasure of working with on several occasions. She has offered to share her experience in cosplay and conventions.
I’ve been consistently attending various anime and comic conventions for about 5 years, and the one thing these events all proved was that nerds love to dress up. The creativity of the costumes, and the love put into each bead and pearl truly shows in the numerous pictures and videos that pop up all over the internet. It’s even more uplifting to see it in person.
I’ve been extraordinarily blessed to be granted the opportunity to work a convention as a press member. I write for a fabulous publication that allows me to explore and report on my personal thoughts and feelings about the experiences I’ve had in the convention circuit.
What has stood out to me at the conventions I’ve attended is that they are full of heart. There is much that goes in to putting on a successful, fun, and safe anime convention. For volunteers to come together like I’ve seen is a remarkable testament to the love that so many people have towards this community and to the art, music, craftsmanship, and just pure nerdiness that encompasses the entire extravaganza.
I am often able to interview voice actors and cosplayers - it’s fun and exciting to hear about the stuff that goes on behind the scenes, and they often share advice on how to break into the voice acting industry or what inspires a cosplayer to take on an ambitious project.
As a South Asian woman in the cosplay community, I often become aware that the mainstream cosplay media often doesn’t showcase black or brown bodies as often as they do white bodies. It’s an unfortunate part of this community, that there is a Eurocentric standard even within a hobby that is supposed to be all-inclusive and all about fun. However, I am fortunate to have found so many POC cosplayers that uplift and support each other, despite the many setbacks that they face.
Nerds are nerds, and I’m glad so many people are able to celebrate with others who share their love of 2D sweeties and Final Fantasy summons.