Want to Pursue Cosplaying? Eight Cosplayers Share Their Tips

On April 5-6, 2025, cosplayers attended the annual “RE:CON” event at City Mall Iponan, Cagayan de Oro City. The event allowed cosplayers to show off their amazing cosplays and play fun games, as well as for animé and game fans to connect with cosplayers. A program was also held to meet newbie cosplayers.

BlazenWings Corner interviewed some of the cosplayers present at the event and asked them about their cosplay, along with any tips they had for aspiring cosplayers.

Acreo Ashley attended the RE:CON to cosplay as Sound Hashira from Demon Slayer. His costume was given to him by his friend and was improved by adding a bandana and other accessories. He believes that by cosplaying, one can showcase themselves and improve their self-confidence. He advises cosplayers to be themselves and never let anyone bring them down.

Meanwhile, Ace_Lowly, Ryoa, and Denden joined RE:CON together as a group. The trio cosplayed as Nikolai Gogal from Bungo Stray Dogs, Caelus from Honkai Star Rail, and Arlecchino from Genshin Impact. While Denden and Ryoa bought their weapon and costumes, Ace_Lowly crafted her attire by hand.

They advised cosplayers to take their time in acquiring materials as cosplay costumes could be expensive. Cosplayers should do their due diligence to find the materials needed for their cosplay and where to order them. Finally, they urged cosplayers to avoid wearing perfume if they did not take a bath as the perfume could worsen the smell instead of masking it.

In contrast, Francii attended RE:CON alone. She decided to cosplay as .GIFfany from Gravity Falls. She was inspired to attend the convention because cosplayers and congoers welcome her during her first cosplay and allowed her to learn sewing and crafting. RE:CON provides an enviornment for her to freely express herself and let loose because there are people with like interest, she explains.

Francii also noticed that some cosplayers have an issue when seeing ready-made cosplays. She tells cosplayers not to worry about buying ready-made cosplays as long as they have the money for it.

Some cosplayers even form cosduos or even cosgroups, trying to portray various characters in a single franchise. Hoe Lee and Starry Xing-Xing joined the event together to portray MC and Sylus from the game “Love and Deepspace.” The portrayal of the couple captivated audiences with their chemistry during the Cosplay Catwalk.

The duo urges cosplayers to try cosplaying and invite friends with them in conventions. By cosplaying, they will learn how to do makeup and designing clothes, which could then be applied beyond joining cosplaying events.

While most cosplayers prefer to cosplay animé characters, some of them prefer to cosplay military characters. Isboy came all the way from Iligan to join the event as Ghost from Call of Duty. For him, military-style cosplay is a huge financial investment, as he spent a lot of money in making sure his cosplay is as accurate as possible.

He advised cosplayers to not rush when doing military cosplay as it could be costly. He also encourages them to ask for advice from military cosplay experts or do their own research to ensure they get the right materials and to avoid being scammed.

While on the surface, cosplaying a character is an individual effort, cosplayers still need the help of fellow cosplayers in order to accurately portray their favorite characters. One could borrow costumes from a friend, just like how Acreo’s friend gave him a Sound Hashira costume that he used to cosplay the character. Aside from that, cosplayers shouldn’t be afraid to ask help from fellow cosplayers, as cosplaying a character could be expensive. A cosplayer should do their due diligence in researching what materials are used to create their own costumes. If they are not confident in making costumes by themselves, there’s no harm in buying their own costume, as long as they accurately portray the character they want to cosplay.

As the cosplayers shared their advice, one message stood out: whether you’re a seasoned cosplayer or just starting out, there’s always room for you in the world of cosplay, regardless of your preferences. Cosplaying is more than just wearing a costume—it’s an opportunity to express yourself, showcase your talents, and celebrate creativity. And most of all, to have fun and share happiness with others.