By Team 8, M350 D4 (Nuramira, Pearly, Shakir, Gu Dian)
Cosplaying - a single hobby or a convergence of multiple hobbies?
When one thinks of hobbies, most people would think of playing sports, playing video games, making arts and crafts, or painting. However, some hobbies go much further, involving a passion that combines not just skills but as well as creativity to capture the eyes of their prospects and earning side income to continue making what they love.
According to the Straits Times, the cosplay community has definitely grown, with the C3 Anime Festival Asia (AFA) saw a significant 9 percent increase since 2017 and are expecting a 10 percent increase in the number of attendees this year. In reference to the C3 AFA website, they have engaged over 1,708,000 people since they began their annual event in 2008.
Cosplay, or “costume roleplaying”, is the art of dressing up oneself as a character from books or shows and it has been a growing activity amongst youngsters today. Many would keep their imaginations to themselves but for cosplayers, it is only natural to act on their imaginations and turn them into their reality. They would not pass up a chance to dress and become their favourite characters. Some would even go as far as to create the whole cosplay outfit themselves. The outfit, wig, and props would be handmade and styled by themselves.
From modelmaking to 3D printing
Muhammad Farhan, 20, an avid cosplay weapon creator, posing with one of his creations, Mistsplitter Reforged, from the game Genshin Impact. PHOTO: GU DIAN
Muhammad Farhan is one example of someone who creates his own cosplay props. He is an avid fan of the cosplay culture and was inspired to cosplay when he found and went to AFA 2018. He started cosplaying in 2019 and has stuck with it ever since. In late 2021, he had the desire to cosplay a character from an anime-style game, Genshin Impact, which prompted him to make the props himself.
After buying himself a 3D printer late last year using the $400 bursary award money, Farhan immersed himself in creating his own collection of props. He was able to make use of the painting skills he got from his hobby as a model maker and put it to use in prop making.
Cinnabar Spindle, the name of the sword, from the game Genshin Impact, was the second sword he 3D printed. PHOTO: PEARLY CHUA YONG CHING
When asked how he goes about making these products, he began by describing how he would go online and visit multiple websites hosting 3D schematic files. That is where he is able to find most of his desired files for free if he is lucky. He then goes on talking about the process of placing the 3D schematic file in a “slicer”, a program meant to prepare the file for the 3D printer by deconstructing it into various parts to print.
When he starts on a project, he spends his day working in his little studio - between supervising his 3D printer in the process of printing the props, and painting the printed props. He expresses how time consuming it is to just print out a single prop. Explaining that printing out the parts could take as long as seven hours to a day.
“Usually I am not really in a rush making props but there was one time where I had to speedrun for the LiHo x Genshin event because I initially thought there wasn’t really an event”, says Farhan. He describes himself as someone who does not like working at the very last minute despite having to complete certain projects by fixed deadlines.
As for paints, Farhan heads down to Bras Basah Complex to buy model making paint and primer. He frequents Artfriend and a model making shop within the shopping centre for his paints.
Farhan has also gone beyond building his own collection of 3D printed props and has taken to accepting commissions from his other cosplayer friends. He typically receives three to four commissions a month, largely in the lead-up to events.
Out of his commissions, he earns between $60 to $100 a month out of his production of cosplay props, with his first commission having earned him $60 for a prop from the videogame Apex Legends, and the highest having been $100 for a sword from Genshin Impact.
However, Farhan’s 3D cosplay prop journey is not without its challenges. In creating the props, Farhan has injured himself in the process. While printing his props and refining them afterwards, Farhan has had to work with sharp tools in order to remove extra material from the 3D print.
Muhammad Farhan’s proudest 3D printed props, swords from Genshin Impact. He has brought them to numerous conventions and events, with the sword on the left having been printed in March this year. PHOTO: SHAKIR ZUFRIN
“With some of my creations, they have supporting pieces that helps the 3D printer print it out easily,” he said. “I have to cut these supports off using sharp tools, and it might give you injury if you aren’t patient or careful,” he advised to people who may want to pursue his path.
While Farhan has established himself in his close friend group as the 3D-printed cosplay prop maker through his experience in model making, some cosplayers have instead risen to their current status despite being previously totally unknown within the cosplay creators’ community.
Exploring a whole new world… and its caveats
Jesse Chan, known in the cosplay community as Chizuru, has been cosplaying for about 7 years now. She recalls her catalyst for joining the cosplaying community - a cosplaying friend from her secondary school’s CCA.
“I felt that she looked cute and decided to try it out too,” she said.
Looking back, Jesse states that joining the cosplay community has provided her with numerous experiences, new friends, as well as multiple opportunities at learning new skills and making money. She admits that while she has an interest in Japanese culture, she explains that she would never have thought of cosplaying if it was not for her bestfriend who also joined in and went along with her compulsive suggestion after feeling inspired at how cute cosplaying can be.
Jesse began her journey in the cosplay community after finishing her N-level examinations, buying cosplay outfits and wearing them to cosplay conventions. Through those events, she made multiple friends and gained a spot in numerous group chats with like minded people.
It was through her friends that Jesse also managed to hone multiple skills, namely photography, making cosplay costumes, and building cosplay props. Jesse discovered the art of creating and styling cosplay costumes, and eventually becoming proficient in styling wigs for cosplays.
Through her cosplay contacts, Jesse also began offering commissions for wigs, with her wig styling services being known through word-of-mouth.
“People will just see what you have on yourself or styling for your friends,” she explained.
“They kind of know me and when they see your wigs, they know it’s your work,” Jesse added.
In learning new skills through her cosplaying hobby, she learnt that she was able to make some money in creating wigs and working under event-based commissions, from photography to cosplaying for events.
Jesse was excited when she found out she had more opportunities to cosplay through her internship. However, she had to adhere to deadlines and project briefs which she felt stifled her creativity.
“I’m happy I get to cosplay at work,” she commented, “but it was stressful because I could not bring or think of any content to the table even though it was my hobby.”
A Mitternachts Waltz bow from Genshin Impact made out of wood and EVA foam. Designed using gold stickers, black and different shades of purple paint. PHOTO: NURAMIRA BINTE RAMLI
Jesse also learnt to improvise a few cosplay props of her own, buying the wooden base and adding on to it using EVA foam done up by herself. The bow was made for a cosplay event, Impact Playground, that happened on 30th September 2022. The event was specific to a well-loved game Genshin Impact and was able to attract hundreds to cosplay their favourite character from the game.
As a result of her friends' support and her various experiences cosplaying, Jesse has become fairly content with her hobby and her abilities to cosplay. She is now able to create wigs with quality and flair that is unique just to her. She describes her wig recognizable amongst cosplayers within the community but humbles herself by mentioning other wig makers that she looks up to and is inspired by.
Jesse has recently started cosplaying more characters from the game Genshin Impact ever since the Impact Playground event. She has also been styling and creating props that are needed for the characters that she chose. She describes her style of working as someone who tends to be a perfectionist and puts more hours into something that she has more interest in.
When asked to do a quick demonstration, Jesse selected the character Xiao from the video game Genshin Impact and got to work on the character’s wig.
Jesse styling the wig for Xiao, her selected Genshin Impact character. She does it while referencing a picture of the character. PHOTO: NURAMIRA BINTE RAMLI
Armed with a straightening iron, clips, and a pair of scissors for trimming, Jesse works on the wig with the skill of a hairstylist. She worked on the shape of the hair and emphasised that the spikes were really crucial for the character as it was the unique part to his hair. As she combed through the wig, she started gathering groups of hair strands between her fingers to form various pointy tips to form the spikes to the wig.
She began to firm up the spikes into place by ironing using the straightening iron. When asked how long it takes for each spike, she giggled and expressed that there was no way she could give an estimate as she gets lost in her work most of the time.
To further replicate the look of the character, she applied make-up while focusing more on her eyes, drawing her eyeliner thick enough to achieve the results that she had in mind. She then puts on her wig and outfit, completing her cosplay look.
The finished product - Jesse’s cosplay is complete after putting on her jacket and adding make-up, on top of putting on her wig. PHOTO: NURAMIRA BINTE RAMLI
With home-brew cosplay outfit creators like Farhan and Jesse in the cosplay community, it makes it much easier for other cosplayers to get these products and services. As a result, the community is more truly representative of the people that are passionate towards cosplaying.
No matter whether one is completely new to the intricacies of cosplaying or has had experience in hobbies that contribute to their cosplaying journey, they will be able to find success in cosplaying with the right amount of passion.
“Cosplaying can work both ways - either as full-time work or as a side gig. It’s best that you test the waters first before going full-time. For instance, I have a friend who only decided to after trying it out for a few years,” Jesse remarked.
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