J U S T F E E L A L I V Ea c o s p l a y p h o t o b o o k

J U S T F E E L A L I V Ea c o s p l a y p h o t o b o o k

C O S P L A YCosplay, short for “costume play” is a type of performance art in

which part ic ipants don costumes and accessor ies to represent a

specif ic character or idea, and fans typical ly dress up as Japanese

anime and manga characters. However cosplay goes beyond

just dressing up and encompasses the act of making a costume

fai thful to the character. One becomes the character, adopt ing the

personal i ty and manner isms of that character. There is an energy

among cosplayers, an intense and intoxicat ing passion for anime

and manga that is channeled by the costume as the character

comes to l i fe. Cosplay is an art , an exper ience, and a feel ing. An

addict ing adrenal ine rush of energy being surrounded by fr iends

who love and care for the ser ies and craft , and an intense,

exhi l ierat ing convent ion culture. Cosplay is the feel ing of being al ive.

Fly, sway, go al l the way

I ’m in the same fate

with you

I feel your beat

al l around

Wandering in the

ever last ing way

E D W A R D E L R I C / F U L L M E T A L A L C H E M I S TI ’m always f i l led with an intense sense of nostalgia when I watch the ser ies,

remembering when I was 14 and new to anime. Edward and the emotional ,

act ion-f i l led drama that is FMA were what compel led me to cosplay, and I ’ve

never had a series resonate as deeply nor been as fanatical as with Ful lmetal.

Forever. . .

Tears fa l l , vanish

into the night

I f I ’m a s inner. . .

Chivalry, show me

the way to go

Hetal ia combines my love of history

and shounen-ai in one humorous and

intel l igent package. History class

was never the same again. I fe l l in

love instant ly when I discovered the

character Norway, and reconnected

with my Norwegian her i tage. Hetal ia is

fun because of the overwhelming sense

of community I feel within the fandom.

N O R W A Y ( U N I F O R M ) /A X I S P O W E R S H E T A L I A

Rise,

high,

just feel

a l ive

Say a prayer

for you today

I st i l l bel ieve

in your love

This cosplay was created on a whim for drag prom.

I never real ly intended to grow that attached to the

character, but real ized I ’m attracted to the ornate

Victor ian elegance of the ser ies’ artwork and the

chal lenge in translat ing that to a cosplay. Ciel is

always a lot of work, with al l the accessories and fancy

clothes, but i t ’s a chance to be an ar istocrat for a day.

C I E L P H A N T O M H I V E ( F O R M A L ) / K U R O S H I T S U J I ( B L A C K B U T L E R )

“Ciel in Wonderland” was the f i rst t ime

I ’d ever cosplayed a character in more

than one costume. The Wonderland

OVAs are a f r i l ly, but boyish, take on

Al ice. There’s a certain innocence in

this costume that you don’t f ind in Ciel ’s

other, more formal pieces. I don’t know

what i t says about me that I ’m always

playing teenage boys, but I suppose I ’m

paradoxical ly attracted to their strength

but t ragic vulnerabi l i ty, l ike we see in Ciel .

“ C I E L I N W O N D E R L A N D ” /K U R O S H I T S U J I ( B L A C K B U T L E R )

Trace the shadow of t ruth into the dark

Forever. . . Tears fa l l , vanish into the night

S H I O N / N O . 6Usual ly I th ink long and hard about my cosplays, but i t was nice to

pick Shion just because I wanted to cosplay. I was attracted to

the ser ies by the natural–and obvious–romance between Shion

and Nezumi, which isn’t presented as some fanservice ploy.

I f I ’m a s inner. . . Chivalry, show me the way to go

Wandering my

crying soul

Only you can

wipe away

my tears

Forever. . .

Tears fa l l , vanish

into the l ight. . .

N O R W A Y ( V I K I N G ) / A X I S P O W E R S H E T A L I AViking Norway was the f i rst cosplay I sewed ent i re ly on my own,

the f i rst I real ly put my heart in soul into costruct ing. With Hetal ia,

there’s so much freedom you have with which era and costume for

each character, the emphasis real ly is on history and not just costume.

C R E D I T SAl l photographs taken by El izabeth Gross /

El izabeth Gross Photography.

Song used is “Over Night” by Aya from Le

Cheval ier D’Eon

Book designed by Mel issa Frennea. Typeset

in 11pt Helvet ica Neue and 18pt Steel f ish