I love this essay !!! I hate those cosplayers that make bad comments on others. I have never heard them myself, but I know somewhere they were talking about me. I am over 200 Ib. and I cosplay but I don't see a reason for anyone to be rude about my cosplaying. I have started losing weight for my new cosplay so I hope to make it ^^

This is amazing! I myself totaly hate when people make fun of cosplays to. It's so freaking annoying! And the thing is,you don't see the people making fun,even IN a cosplay!! Or there's is a hand-made one themselves that's not the greatest looking one either! Conventions are for fun!!!! People these days...Geez! (lol,ranting a bit! ^.^" Love your article!! Got me a bit riled up there!!! Now my mom's wondering why I was talking to my computer! @.@ )

I love this essay! I am so going to print this off and take it to the next con with me! I have a friend who is a bigger girl and she did a great sailor uranus cosplay last year. It fit her perfectly but people made fun of her...it made me sad that people were so rude to her about it, she has never done another cosplay since.

I remember you! you were like 1 out of 2 people at the convention who actually knew my character =D http://www.cosplaylab.com/cosplayers/detail.asp?memberid=11354

That was kinda of rude of people, I didn't hear anyone making any comment about my costume. One of the judges made a bit of a fuss though. It was kind of frustrating how they were debating on letting me go on stage or not. It really made me not want to go back to that convention. If you actually look at the costume most of my body is covered. The underside of my boobs, part of my stomach, upper thights, and a little cheeky part of my butt were showing XO I was so embarrased but my whole goal in wearing that costume was actually to surprize a friend who'd been looking for someone to cosplay from that manga for years. I wanted to find and and hug him with a Surprize! Sadly he wasn't even at the con.

I actually did weight a little over 200 lbs when I wore that costume. Since then though I've lost several inches and about 10 lbs. The key is weight lifting :D

I've been cosplaying since 2002 and I must say I've personally come a long way. I've criticized some peoples costumes in the past because it wasn't just right or something didn't fit them like it fit the character. That was some years ago and since then reality has slapped me in the face with a helping of This isn't as easy as you think, that character must have an anti gravity outfit 'cause I had to tape and down and glue that on >.> I dunno, I guess once you start making you own costumes it's different. You can better appreciate the hard work that people put into an outfit.

For me nowdays when I look at someone cosplaying I look for the quality of there costume vs. are they big, or is there skin the same a the characters. There's something about seeing the seams all neatly sewn and the costume pressed that makes my mouth water. Also! when I see someone, even if they're really big, make a costume that fits I just nerd-out. It turns into !OMGTHATSSOOOOCOOLROCKTOTALLYYEYAWSOME

Indeed you make some good points in your essay. I think some more elaboration is necessary, especially considering the opposite arguements being made in these comments (some of which I agree, others I don't. Though all are pretty well argued). When you first wrote it you probably hadn't considered some of these points, but as I stated, you make some good points yourself.

The only point I'm going to comment on is the "why" people cosplay. I don't think it's right to criticize, but you have to realize some people are out looking for it. That is, cosplaying for them isn't primarily for the fun but for the craftmanship. In Japan for example, cosplay is normally taken much more seriously and less "just for fun". Please don't misunderstand me though--I'm talking about the craftmanship of the cosplay, not the person and their bodies. Cuz let's face it, pretty much none of us are as flawless and good-looking or irregularly balanced assests...ahem... in any case, just consider that point in your arguments and I've got no other qualms. :)

I enjoyed your essay and your strong voice. It is indeed admireable.

hiya, well i'm planning on going to a con this year.... may to be exact, and i am going as kairi form kingdom hearts 2, and either kisa from fruits basket, karin from naruto, winry from fullmetal alchemist or i might be a chick zabuza..... it all depends on whiich essential piece of clothing i can find first..... or if i can actaully buys that zabuza sword off ebay.... but anywho.... i cant wait to go to animzament, to see all those others crazy obsessed fan girls like me, and to buy all the crap i really want but don't really need, and then to battle my way through naruto ultimate ninja 2, but the one thing i'm really exicted about is the cosplay.... i can't wait to cosplay.

hey if you really need some idea to go as, if your blonde try tsunade from naruto, or if you have redissh orange try orihime or rengiku from bleach..... they have big boobs like you said you do....

well ahywho.... ttfn

@Fasteriskhead:

Cosplay is only, in my mind, considered 'performing' or 'performance' if they are competing in a masquerade. When they are asking to be judged on craftsmanship, elaborateness of the costume, and other issues, then yes. They are openly asking people to criticise their work. Professionals know this. But if it's just some kid who wants nothing more than to walk around and have fun, I don't think regular joe schmoes have any right to criticize them for it as long as the kid in question is 1. not hurting anyone and being obnoxious or 2. not insulting anybody.

People need to worry less about being obnoxious, criticising trolls. Life is too short to sit around bitching about that kid with the duct tape on his head. But thats just my two cents ^_^

I have to disagree with your article on several things, although at times I have a bit of trouble nailing down exactly what you're getting at. One of your points (if I read you correctly) is that cosplayers, because they are simply "having fun and enjoying themselves," ought to be exempt from criticism. I don't think this makes sense - for cosplaying is a kind of performing, and if that's true it can be judged like any other performance. I agree that it's probably unreasonable to criticize or ridicule the cosplayer as a person. But it seems to me perfectly fine (sometimes even necessary) to judge the cosplaying - that is, the performance - that they're doing.

Because the act of cosplaying itself involves a certain use of the person's body it becomes difficult to disentangle these two, but there really is a distinction. If you can disentange the cosplayer from her cosplaying in the same way that you might (for example) find the difference between a musician and her music, then you can reach perfectly good grounds for criticizing others' cosplaying. What do people usually intend when they cosplay? So far ask I can tell, the idea is to create upon their own bodies a resemblance to an anime or video game character. In very special cases this may not be the intent (Man-Faye, for example, is there to shock), but let's take it as the norm. If I think the resemblance fails for some reason, then I am free to say so; I am free to judge that the cosplay doesn't work. So while it is not objectionable in itself for someone to weigh 200 pounds, for example, if they are trying to cosplay as Sailor Mars then perhaps their cosplaying can be questioned. If my cosplaying doesn't work as a performance then it just doesn't work. It is open to criticism no matter how much I enjoy it, no matter how much sweat and blood I may have put into it.

At this point you could object: "While we agree that attacking the cosplayer as a person is wrong, I still think it's also wrong to criticize the cosplaying itself if the cosplayer is having fun doing it." I suppose if the only intent I have in cosplaying is to have fun (and I really don't care how well I resemble the character), then anyone judging me is misinterpreting what I was trying to do. But ultimately such an idea begins to say that we ought not criticize anything someone does if they're enjoying themselves and, I assume, meeting other minimal requirements (e.g. not causing anyone physical harm). For example, "I may have only picked up the guitar last week, but you shouldn't criticize my playing if I'm enjoying it." As an opinion I suppose there's nothing self-contradictory about this, but truth be told, people who venture into the world with such a perspective are in for a shock. Criticism and even ridicule of cosplay is not something anyone can wish away by pointing out that it isn't respectful. So long as there are those willing to dress up in strange clothes inspired by shows and games, there will also be those who find the whole affair ridiculous. And if I can't handle someone criticizing my cosplaying, how am I going to react when I am turned down for a job, rejected by a date, attacked for my moral or political stances? I may not "deserve" these things - but they will happen. And I can only console myself so far by discounting the "narrow minded opinions" of others.

So I suppose I should conclude by again emphasizing that cosplayers and their cosplaying are quite different things, and that to judge one does not mean to judge the other. Critics, perhaps, should better recognize what they're criticizing (not the person but the act) - but they have every right to their opinions. It ought to be remembered that freedom of speech applies always and especially to the people you disagree with.

Interesting article! Hmm...I actually haven't really seen or run into that problem at any of the cons I've gone to before (with me or hearing a comment like that directed to anyone else), but I totally believe that it happens. I can imagine how it'd be awful to overhear someone saying mean things about your weight or outfit after you worked so hard on it TT!

Awesome. And I totally agree with you. Sometimes I just want to slap people who poke fun at cosplayers be it because they're outfit's a little funky, they're not crazy skinny, or (this is the one that really makes me mad) because they're black and they're cosplaying a white character.

A really good friend of mine fits into two of those categories and she does AMAZING cosplay (usually ^-^). She is not uber skinny, has pretty large, um...assets, is not white and does a smashing L. It's awesome!

I really enjoyed reading this. Oh, and about the geeking out over semi-obscure character cosplay. I nearly died two years ago at Naka-Kon when I saw a Gon, from Hunter x Hunter, cosplayer. She was perfect! And we made her day, too. :)

I love your style. Rock on!