First cosplay experience!
I think I can safely say that everyone has a memorable moment when they cosplay for the first time. I know I certainly did! And today I’m going to share that story and experience with you.
If you are reading this post, then you may be nervous about your first cosplay experience. Well, don’t be! It’s totally fun and awesome, even if your cosplay isn’t perfect or marvelous.
I’ll show you how my first cosplay experiences that happened a long time ago. You’ll see how fun this hobby is!
Here we go…
It all started at Fan Expo
Fan Expo wasn’t actually my first convention. It was Anime North. But I didn’t cosplay at my first Anime North; I just tagged along with my friend who was already familiar with Anime North and geek culture in general.
So when Fan Expo was around the corner, I decided it was time to put on a cosplay for the first time.
Who did I cosplay as?
Sora from Kingdom Hearts!
So I went on some random cosplay websites and ordered a Sora cosplay online. At that time, I didn’t even care about cosplay accuracy.
All I literally did was put on the costume. I didn’t even bother getting the big shoes that Sora has. Or get a proper wig for Sora. Or not even his Keyblade weapon!
My cosplay was so bad!
Looking back at my Sora cosplay, it was really really bad! Even one of my online friends blatantly told me, “You fail at cosplay.”
But it’s all good. You should know that while your first cosplay will probably be bad, your first cosplay experience will totally be awesome!
With my Sora cosplay, it was definitely terrible but I still had an awesome time at Fan Expo! It was incredibly fun wearing a cosplay for the first time. In fact, my good vibes may have rubbed off on others at Fan Expo. Because even though my cosplay was bad, I STILL had tons of people asking for my cosplay photo. Although cosplay back then was more casual and not mainstream, I think the attendees appreciated that I was representing their favorite character from Kingdom Hearts.
They always say that you should cosplay for fun. And in this case for your first cosplay experience, I completely agree. No matter how good or bad your cosplay may or will be, if you’re having fun doing it, then that’s all that matters.
I enjoyed cosplaying Sora and I didn’t have to wear a heavy wig, big shoes or a big weapon prop. 🙂
Magical feeling putting on a costume
If I could go back to this time period when I put on that Sora cosplay for the first time, I would be so happy. It was just so magical dressing up as someone else. Being able to be someone else for a day was incredibly awesome. I still remember that smell of the fake leather when putting on that brand new costume.
Although cosplaying at a convention is a great experience that you can do anytime, you will always remember the first time that it happened. When I cosplayed at Fan Expo for the first time, it felt like unlike any other thing I’ve experienced. I was so happy and joyful. It’s like going to Disneyland for the first time; you just can’t comprehend what’s going on. You live in the moment and enjoy it.
I also had fun as Sora for other reasons:
- Talking to people about Kingdom Hearts
- Taking photos with other Kingdom Hearts cosplayers
- Meeting other video gamers at the con
Put simply, cosplay is so addictive! And that’s why I (and many others) still cosplay to this day. Nothing beats going to an Anime convention and living that cosplay experience walking around as a character.
How should you prepare for your first cosplay experience?
If you’re wondering how you can prepare for your first cosplay experience…you don’t! You just go ahead and try it out.
Like I mention in my cosplay budgeting post, you shouldn’t try to compare yourself to professional cosplayers, or aspire to look as good as them…especially for your first time. Not only do professional cosplayers have far more experience, but they likely have a larger budget as well. If I was playing basketball, I wouldn’t try to compare myself to LeBron James or Michael Jordan. I’m just trying to have fun putting the ball through the hoop; I’m not trying to make the NBA!
So when you cosplay for the first time at a convention, forget the expectations or trying to impress anyone. You’re just there to have fun and ultimately have your first cosplay experience!
Will your first cosplay experience be bad?
I highly doubt you will have a bad cosplay experience when you try it out for the first time. Most people in the community are friendly and more than willing to help you out, especially if you’re new. It’s like with any hobby; you won’t be perfect the first time, but you’ll absolutely have fun, make mistakes and enjoy the moments doing so.
Summary
Overall, my bad Sora cosplay made for a memorable and wonderful first cosplay experience. I still remember it for probably being my worst cosplay of all time, and yet having so much fun wearing a crappy cosplay I bought for cheap online.
I honestly miss the old days of conventions where the cosplays were more casual, where everything wasn’t a competition and people dressed up in less appealing costumes and didn’t care; we were all there to just have fun, enjoy and appreciate our fandoms.
Although those old days are long gone, the magic of cosplaying is still there. So if you haven’t gotten to have your first cosplay experience yet…what are you waiting for?! Get yourself a cosplay and attend a convention whenever you can!
If you are a cosplayer and still remember your first cosplay experience, I’d love to hear about it. Share in the comments below!
My name is Roger Senpai. I’m a cosplayer that’s been in the community for well over a decade now. I’ve traveled all over the world to Anime and Comic conventions and hosted my own cosplay events. Now I’m writing articles for new and experienced cosplayers like you to help inspire, save you money and improve your cosplays!
