Cosplaying at an Anime Convention-It's Nothing to be Shy About

If you have ever been to an anime convention but have been too shy to cosplay, this is your wake up call. As a fellow con-goer, I, too, was too shy to cosplay once. What kind of grown adult dresses up and plays pretend in public? I soon realized, however, that anime conventions are all about stepping out of the real world, temporarily, of course, and slipping in to a wonderful world where you really can be Goku from Dragon Ball Z, or Mario from Mario Brothers. So the point of this hub is to inspire you with pictures and videos of some of the past cons I’ve attended.

If this doesn't make you want to attend your next local anime convention, I don't know what will.

In the video above you can see my kids competing in the cosplay contest. The little Goku is my seven year old, and the group of three consisting of Bulma, Yamcha, and Master Roshi are my other kids. Well, actually only Bulma is mine. The other two are close family friends. You see, cons bring friends and family together! And my little one even won $20 for his costume!

Going to con is a family event. As you’ve already seen, my kids dress up, too, and they are even brave enough to compete in the cosplay contest. There is no reason for anyone to let their inhibitions keep them from enjoying a fun filled family event when, as you can see, EVERYONE ELSE IS DOING IT, TOO!

So you see, there is fun to be had by everyone. If you've never been to a con before, and feel pressure to have an awesome cosplay, but don't have one, fear not! Simply wearing a cute or funny hat or even walking around with an awesome plushie can get you high-fives and plenty of thumbs up. The point is, GO. Have fun. Don't feel like you can't attend an anime convention because you are too shy to cosplay. Once there, you might just find that there are just too many interesting people walking around for you to be shy. and the wonderful thing about anime conventions is, they come around every year. So if you missed out on this one, you can start planning for next year, because believe me, it will come around before you know it.

The point is to have fun and to enjoy time with your family and friends, but if you are interested in cosplaying, here are some tips based on personal observations:

1. If you are just dying to cosplay as a character from that new anime that just came out this year, go for it! Chances are it's new enough that most people won't even know about it, and THAT makes for excellent conversation.
2. If you are thinking about going as a character from that anime that EVERYONE has seen and EVERYONE is already talking about on websites and blogs and fan pages, DON'T! Chances are that a dozen other people will have the same idea and there will be like twenty other L's walking around. There are only so many times I can be impressed by the same character. Unless you have a killer kick-ass costume that will blow people's mind, pick another character. I know this tip kind of goes against my earlier statement of just having fun, but this is something to consider once you've decided to go for it. Your first con might be a devastation if you decide to go as Sora from Kingdom Hearts, only to see that there are twenty others just like you.
3. If you want to keep it simple, great! You can even put together a costume there at the con, if you want to spend a little money. In the vending room you will find just about anything you can think of to create a look. Wigs, hats, props, entire costumes even, will be on display and ready for you to purchase. Keep in mind, however, this route will not come by cheap. Venders are there to make money, so be ready to spend if this is what you are planning on doing.
4. With some planning in advance you can create your own costume from scratch. I've done both, create from scratch and buy already made from an online cosplay store or, at some other convention. I found that it was most rewarding to make it myself, though, obviously. I'll leave that up to you.
5. Finally, stay at the hotel. Don't be naïve enough to think you can save money by not booking a room at the hotel where the con is at, and think you are going to get all dressed up at home and then DRIVE in public to the con. Even if you have gotten over your shyness, that won't help you if you get pulled over and on top of explaining why you were speeding, you have to explain why you are wearing a pink wig, cat ears, a furry tail and platforms. Book the room!

So that's it guys. Have fun. Take the kids. Invite friends. Make new ones. Even if you only ever see these guys at con, they will be friends you will never forget.