Cosplay: What lies behind the mask?

As Nekibul Hasnat stepped out of his home, he was already getting looks from pedestrians. Hasnat and his brother had done their makeup to cosplay for a convention. They decided it might not be the best day to take the bus. 

As the brothers hopped in a rental car, the driver inquired why the pair were covered in makeup. Hasnat had been through this before. After all, he had been cosplaying since 2016. 

"We're part of a theatre group, bhaiya," is what he replied to the driver— a response he had been providing way too many times for his liking. Somehow, it was a more acceptable answer than the truth — he and his brother would be cosplaying as characters from the anime 'Jojo's Bizarre Adventure'

This practice of celebrating pop culture, particularly Japanese anime, has spread its roots throughout the globe, even in Bangladesh. Even though the cosplay community in the country has seen a huge rise in members and activities over the past decade, outsiders continue to ridicule the hobby as useless and a waste of time to this day.

However, speaking with the cosplayers revealed the amount of skill and effort that goes into this hobby. Taking a good look at their work provides insight into the art of making high-calibre costumes that include makeup, props, sewing, and sometimes even armors. 

More than just a hobby

 The name, 'cosplay' derives from the words, 'costume' and 'play', which was allegedly coined by Japanese publisher and media producer, Noboyuki Takahashi in the 1980s.

Despite regularly facing incidents like the one mentioned above, Hasnat, who is more popularly known as Edriko Rickson in the cosplay community, feels like it is well worth it. 

 "When I go to cons, I can escape from the reality of constant work and studies and meet like-minded people who appreciate my work," he said.

When I attended my first convention two years ago, the venue was filled, wall to wall, with people decked out in costumes. But one of the show-stoppers was a young boy who dressed up as a zombie, limping and groaning around the room. Seeing the child in his element made one thing clear, cosplaying wasn't about just dressing up—you have to bring the character to life. 

 Shazmeen Haq, who also goes by the name Sylwen in the cosplay community, agrees with how dynamic cosplay is. She believes it is a multifaceted craft that lets you explore many hobbies through a single community. 

 "Cosplaying is fun but there is another side to it—you get to explore entirely new hobbies, you learn how to craft, sew, and work with so many materials. Cosplay really is a complex hobby," she said.

 Each of the cosplayers we spoke to emphasised how resourceful the hobby has made them. Faiza Mahbub, another cosplayer who enjoys making her own costumes, mentioned how she learned sewing just for cosplaying so she could perfect each detail of her costume. 

Shazmeen recalls the early days of the cosplay community, around 2013 to 2014, when she first started cosplaying. She would watch tutorials on YouTube to figure out how to make costumes. She would then have to find ways to adapt those tutorials using materials available in Bangladesh at that time. She remembers how, before resin was widely available, she would have to substitute it with clay.

However, the costs of the hobby can quickly add up, making it quite an expensive activity. Preparing a costume can range anywhere from Tk2,000 to Tk20,000. That is why Hasnat has always determined the budget of his cosplay depending on the amount of prize money the convention will offer. 

 A surprising source of income

Hasnat and Shazmeen both took their hobby very seriously, often pulling all-nighters to complete costumes that usually take a whole month. within the span of a few days. 

 Today, the two of them have carried their skills over to their careers. Shazmeen works as a Creative Director of Women's World Ltd. Hasnat is a content writer who also works as a freelancer in graphic design, and occasionally works with prop design. 

 In fact, Shazmeen credits cosplaying for teaching her a lot of the skills that she regularly uses at her job.

 "My work has a creative aspect to it, such as styling models, directing shoots, editing, and so on. I think I'm able to do a lot of these things successfully because of cosplaying," commented Shazmeen. 

Hasnat even recalls his days working as a prop designer for the film, 'Project Omi', which is yet to be released. He also gives insight on another aspect of cosplaying: competitions and commission work. 

Cosplay competitions are by no means a reliable source of income. However, once in a blue moon, a competition offering a hefty sum of prize money will pop up, ranging from Tk10,000 to Tk1,00,000. 

During convention season, many cosplayers look for people who can help make them costumes. During a similarly busy season, Hasnat recalls making eight costumes in one month. 

Among the costumes people commissioned him to make, two participants became finalists and one won third place. And of course, Hasnat took home first place. 

In one such convention called the 'Dhaka Summer Con 2023', Hasnat and his friends participated in a group cosplay competition, dressing up as characters from the anime 'Berserk'.

He had spent around Tk7,000 when preparing for the competition. His efforts did not go to waste, as he and his group won Tk1,00,000 from the competition.

But Shazmeen emphasises that though cosplay can be a good source of money, it is not sustainable.

"If you compete or take commissions for making costumes, there is scope to get money. But from my experience, it is just not enough."

On the other hand, Fatiha Sifati, who was primarily a makeup artist before she joined cosplaying, was able to build her business through the community.

"Before I started cosplaying, I only worked with clients interested in traditional looks such as party makeup or bridal makeup. Now, I do cosplay makeup as well as Halloween looks for clients," commented Sifati.