Cosplayers—the lifeblood of every event. Normal people most days but some of your favorite characters for a weekend, this hobby is like a walking performance art, as people dress up as everything from brave knights to assassin housewives.
Over at Nijigen Expo 2024 MIECC, we caught up with some of the denizens of Cosplay Alley—a space for cosplayers to sell merch and hang out with other like-minded hobbyists, put together by Gank.
With so many up-and-coming talent, it’s easy to wonder what kind of careful consideration goes into Cosplay—after all, for a lot of cosplayers it’s not just a hobby, it’s also a career.
Here’s what some of the denizens of Cosplay Alley had to say:
Ristelle（@ristelle）
1. When and what was your first cosplay?
Ristelle: I started cosplaying in 2011, when I cosplayed Kirino Kousaka from OreImo.
2. What’s your MBTI?
Ristelle: I used to be an extrovert but now I’m ISTP.
3. When did you start monetizing your content?
Ristelle: It began in 2012 with me selling art merch, for online monetization I started using Patreon in 2018 if I recall correctly.
4. What kind of support do you seek to further your cosplay journey?
Ristelle: For me, it’s mostly connection and networking.
5. Any cosplay-related content that you wish to do in the future?
Ristelle: I really want to do ACG related funny and comical content, like funny reels and stuff.
6. Cosplayer(s) that you admire and/or wish to collab with?
Ristelle: I really admire @ameliakhor0116 for her professionalism; she never fails to deliver great content even when she’s extremely busy.
Cyerripaws（@cyerripaws）
1. When and what was your first cosplay?
Cyerripaws: My first casual cosplay was in 2020 when I cosplayed a character from Kakegurui. But I would say my first official cosplay was Rei Ayanami from Evangelion in November 2022.
2. What’s your MBTI?
Cyerripaws: I can’t really recall my MBTI but I am no doubt an introvert. (Update: Just redid my MBTI. I’m ISFP.)
3. When did you start monetizing your content?
Cyerripaws: I began earning from my first batch of merch in May 2023. Shortly after, I ventured into online monetization through Gank, where monthly subscriptions have provided me a steady income. This event (Nijigen Expo 2024 MIECC) marks my first venture into boothing!
4. What kind of support do you seek to further your cosplay journey?
Cyerripaws: I’m trying to build more connections to improve my content, such as by connecting with professional photographers, finding great venues, and all that. It’s tough renting out good spots when you’re a solo cosplayer. Sometimes it’s about trust so it’s also better to get advice from people I trust.
5. Any cosplay-related content that you wish to do in the future?
Cyerripaws: I understand that viral reels can really boost exposure, and I’ll definitely try to create some. However, I will prioritize quality over quantity, so I’ll only make them when I think the content is truly engaging. Right now, I’m really into outdoor photoshoots, like the one I did for my Violet Evergarden cosplay, and I hope to do more in the future.
6. Cosplayer(s) that you admire and/or wish to collab with?
Cyerripaws: I love @rikkablurhound. I think she’s very underrated and deserves more recognition. @ameliakhor0116 is really good at performing too.
Stella（@stella.c02）
1. When and what was your first cosplay?
Stella: I started around the beginning of 2023, but didn’t get down to it until later that year when I started visiting events more frequently. My first cosplay was Yumeko Jabami from Kakegurui.
2. What’s your MBTI?
Stella: ENFP. Watch out, introverts!
3. When did you start monetizing your content?
Stella: I first started selling my merch by boothing at Cos-Mic 2023. As for online platforms, I am currently only receiving donations but I am planning to make more online listings as well.
4. What kind of support do you seek to further your cosplay journey?
Stella: For me I think it’s platforms and exposure. From my experience, Instagram’s algorithm is not very cosplayer-friendly. My account’s reach was also limited due to spam comments, and that’s not what I could control, so I think social media platforms need to sort out how to actually discern genuine interactions to promote organic engagement effectively.
5. Any cosplay-related content that you wish to do in the future?
Stella: I wish to do more atmospheric cosplays that focus on capturing the essence of a scene rather than simply portraying a character.
6. Cosplayer(s) that you admire and/or wish to collab with?
Stella: My favourite cosplayer is @_hakkencoser_. By the way, I am also planning a CP (collaboration) with @tiffenny_cos. I think people who work hard on producing quality content should work together more often to elevate the quality and diversity of content in the cosplay community.
Justine Qing（@justineqing）
1. When and what was your first cosplay?
Justine: I first started cosplay in February 2013, so it has been more than 10 years. I should have started at 2012’s Comic Fiesta but my costumes couldn’t arrive on time, so my debut cosplay shooting happened in February 2013 as Kuroshitsuji’s Ciel Phantomhive.
2. What’s your MBTI?
Justine: INFJ.
3. When did you start monetizing your content?
Justine: I started selling my first batch of merch in 2019 when I was boothing in an event.
4. What kind of support do you seek to further your cosplay journey?
Justine: I would say money because cosplay is really expensive hobby, and so far I can only support this hobby by working.
5. Any cosplay-related content that you wish to do in the future?
Justine: I’m preparing to cosplay Honkai: Star Rail’s Ruan Mei, so stay tuned! Other than that, I haven’t make much plans yet as I simply couldn’t deliver as frequent as other full-timers. I also wouldn’t want to take my cosplay too lightly as I prefer quality over quantity.
6. Have you tried collaborating with brands?
Justine: Not yet, but if there’s a chance I will take it. I feel like collaboratiing with cosmetic brands would be really cool as I often see such content on Douyin.
7. Cosplayer(s) that you admire and/or wish to collab with?
Justine: @_hakkencoser_, because they are so handsome.
