Original Cosplay!
If you’re bored of always cosplaying popular characters, or having to follow an outline of a real fictional character, then you might want to look into Original Cosplay! While it’s fairly uncommon for cosplayers that go into original cosplay territory, it’s something you should definitely consider for many reasons. It is quite fascinating indeed.
What is Original Cosplay?
Unlike regular cosplays where there is a defined character from an Anime, video game or comic-book series, an original cosplay (or OC for short) is your own imagination. You create the character that you want to cosplay, as well as how simple or complex the costume may or may not be. So if you’re feeling uninspired to cosplay established characters all the time, then OC cosplay can be the real flavor for you.
In this post, I’ll give you 5 things to consider when you’re doing Original Cosplay. That way, you can decide if it’s right for you or not.
Alright, let’s get into it!
Thanks to wisteria_melody_cosplay for helping me out with this post! You can also find her on Facebook as well.
1. You control everything!
When you’re trying out an Original Cosplay, you’re in the driver’s seat. You can control how the character looks, which parts you want to use for the cosplay, how easy or difficult it will be, and lots more. There is no such thing as cosplay accuracy with Original Cosplay (more on cosplay accuracy here).
So if you don’t want to use expensive material like Worbla or embroidery for your cosplay, you definitely don’t have to. If you want to go all casual and only wear a wig for your character, you’re more than welcome to. Or if you want to go all-out with heavy armor without any defined characteristics, you can definitely do that as well. In terms of creativity, the sky is the limit for Original Cosplay!
Some ideas for Original cosplay:
- Just wearing a pink-colored wig with a random shirt and pants
- Having a ninja costume and adding your own accessories to it
- Wearing a plate of armor and carrying a replica sword
See, you can literally do whatever you want with Original Cosplay! That’s what makes it fun.
2. You don’t have to learn how to sew and craft.
You might be thinking that you need some sewing and crafting skills in order to do Original Cosplay. After all, how else will you create a made-up character if cosplay stores only sell costumes of real fictional characters?
While knowing how to make cosplays can definitely help, it’s not mandatory.
To start, you can always take parts from your other costumes and add them into the mix with your Original Cosplay. Many stores, especially Halloween stores, also sell costumes with unnamed characters. So you can always buy costumes, mix-and-match parts and create an Original Cosplay as a combination.
Or if you really want to go for it, you can even commission your own Original Cosplay creation! In my interview with Cosplay Station, the owner mentioned that she gets tons of commissions for OC cosplays.
So no, it’s not a requirement to be proficient in sewing and crafting in order to delve into Original Cosplay. There are many ways you can make one without needing those skills.
3. People won’t know who you are (and that’s okay).
When it comes to Original Cosplay, you’ll have to accept that no one will know who you are. It’s like the complete opposite of cosplaying a popular character; you likely won’t get many people asking for your photo a convention, nor will you get much engagement on social media.
But that’s okay.
Just because an Original Cosplay is obscure, doesn’t mean it’s bad or unlovable. In fact, you may still have tons of people appreciating how you look, especially if your OC cosplay is beautiful! It will also make for interesting conversation. Someone will ask who you’re cosplaying as, and you’ll tell them you’re dressing up as a character you made up.
It’s definitely a different cosplay experience that can be just as enjoyable as cosplaying a real fictional character.
4. Original Cosplays are generally cheaper.
Whether you make or buy your own cosplays, I’m sure at one point you cringed when you looked at the price tag. Things such as embroidery or using expensive Worbla can really drive up the price of a costume.
Well, with Original Cosplays, you can say **** that to those overpriced things! Because if you want to use cheaper materials and designs, then with OC cosplays it’s totally your decision to do so. Unlike most costumes where the design is established and the price point is fairly standard, with OC cosplays you can control if you want your character to be cost-friendly or not.
For example, characters with armor will generally be more expensive because of the armor and elaborate details. But you can customize your own Original Cosplay to make the armor simpler, making it cheaper in the long run.
Having creative control over your character also means you ultimately have control over the budget as well!
5. It’s okay to take inspiration from other characters.
Last but not least; don’t feel compelled to have to create an Original Cosplay completely from scratch. It’s not like you have to stare at a blank page and invent the next Picasso drawing for your next cosplay. Or going to a fabric store to buy a ton of materials and create something from nothing.
It’s definitely okay to take inspiration from a variety of fandoms and characters to nail down your perfect OC cosplay. If anything, it helps to view photos and videos of specific characters from similar genres, so you can get the right theme and vibes for your own original character.
So if you know a bunch of characters with really cool features you like, feel free to add them to create the perfect Original Cosplay!
Summary
And there you have it; 5 things to consider when you’re doing an Original Cosplay!
I hope you found this post useful. If you do an Original Cosplay, please leave a comment below and share it to us here on The Senpai Blog!
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!
