Cosplay attracts more and more participants and spectators: “It looks like theater but gives a sense of competition”

This weekend, the brightest representatives of “cosplay” from the Baltic states and other European countries will gather in Vilnius. The “cosplay” art form, enchanting with unique handmade costumes and energetic performances, attracts not only artists, dancers, theater enthusiasts, or amateurs who want to try themselves but also spectators who simply want to enjoy a good show.

In the largest “cosplay” competition in the Baltic states, which will take place this weekend, on May 25-26, at the “Comic Con Baltics 2024 powered by Samsung” event (“LITEXPO”, Vilnius), 140 performers will appear on stage, whose performances will be judged by an international jury from Lithuania, Latvia, Poland, Germany, and France. Everyone who wants to discover an art form inspired by popular culture characters is invited to watch the engaging show. The winner of the competition will travel to France to represent Lithuania at the “Europa Cosplay Cup”.

“Cosplay” – from behind the scenes to self-discovery

While for some it is a way of life, a form of creative expression, and a way to spend leisure time, for others it is still a relatively unheard of and new art form. What is “cosplay”, what does preparation for performances look like, and what place does this activity hold in contemporary culture? One of the brightest representatives of Lithuanian “cosplay”, known under the pseudonym “PonPon Cosplay” Adrian Ter-Simon, agreed to tell us.

From idea conception to implementation – what does preparation for a “cosplay” performance look like? How long does it usually take?

Preparation for performances and idea searching is one of the processes that gives me the most motivation: to create and eagerly await the final result. Generating ideas gives the brain so much dopamine that you immediately want to grab, run, do.

Although everything usually starts with the choice of character, sometimes a good musical track can also bring a burst of ideas. Once you find the character you want to impersonate, you immediately feel a lot of energy and happiness, you want to delve deeper, discover the smallest details related to the character, delve into the character’s personality: from movements or mannerisms to personality traits or character’s story details. In this stage, I do detective work, and then the puzzle of creating the performance begins.

As an artist, I choose to convey performances through dance. Since I love the art of dance very much and believe that through movement, music, body language, emotions, everything can be conveyed, at the same time fitting within the time frames allocated for the performance.

When creating choreography, I try to add as many character-revealing elements as possible, to create a story using the information provided by the music and the character’s story. You analyze the choreography and think about how the chosen character would perform such a movement.

The costume sewing process becomes quite complicated, as my performances usually require complex dance movements. The costume needs to be adapted for this: making sure that its elements do not interfere with movement. Every detail is thought out in the context of movement. The more detailed the costume, the more activity for the brain.

Overall, based on my personal experience, the costume and performance creation processes can range from 2 weeks to 3 months. And then comes the time to combine everything: the character with the costume, movement, emotion, music, and enjoy the final result.

What are the biggest challenges in preparing? Which part do you enjoy the most?

Each performance has its challenges, but usually, it’s the costume. I always think about how to sew or prepare the costume so that it does not restrict freedom of movement too much during the performance and is durable enough to withstand it.

Personally, my favorite part is creating the costume. You are like a designer – creating an image inspired by a specific character from scratch. Searching for materials, combining, buying, integrating different details and accents. This process is very enjoyable. True, the sewing work itself is often called the hell period among cosplayers. Although thanks to those so-called hellish sufferings, we learn a lot each time, and the final result compensates for it all.

Why did you become fascinated with this activity? How many years ago did it happen?

“Cosplay” found me quite unexpectedly. I have always been a theater child, an artistic soul. Since childhood, my dream was fashion design. I am pleased to say that I obtained a Fashion Designer diploma and created several collections: I even had an exhibition in the windows of a popular dessert shop in central Vilnius.

“Cosplay” found me at the end of 2017, and I am very happy that our paths crossed. I thank my former girlfriend who encouraged me to watch my first “anime” – “Black Butler”. I fell in love with this form of media at first sight. It inspired me to dress up in a character-inspired look and even dye my hair. It also inspired me to draw and create.

After passing the anime trial, the same girlfriend showed me a then-unknown artistic form of “cosplay” on YouTube. I immediately associated it with my theater skills. I realized that I also wanted to do this. I wanted to embody characters, create, perform on stage, acquire new skills, meet like-minded people. It’s like an escape from the everyday environment. Encouraged by these reasons, I started at my first “cosplay” event.

How many characters have you created?

The world of “cosplay” media is full of characters. The choice is incredibly wide, so I have had experience with quite a lot of characters. Sometimes it is a look based more on makeup, so the shots are more portrait-like. Then there is a different “cosplay” called “closet cosplay”, where you buy, borrow, or find clothes in your wardrobe, modify them a bit, and create a character-like look. I have created quite a few of these looks; it would be hard to count.

However, if we count the costumes created from scratch, there are two types: my work as a designer inspired by the character, and costumes that recreate the entire character image. I have created six of the former and eight of the latter.

How can “cosplay” activity contribute to personality formation? What are your personal experiences, stories, memories?

In the world of “cosplay”, something new is always happening. Let’s start with the fact that we all learn something new when creating our costumes. We willingly share knowledge with each other – within the “cosplay” community. I think it is very beautiful and meaningful.

Every time you meet a new person at “cosplay” events or on social media, you realize how different we are and how much we can learn from each other. It is always nice how easy it is to communicate, get to know each other, and foster friendship within this community. And most importantly, how much we can learn from each other. You feel among like-minded people.

Personally, thanks to “cosplay”, I found my best friend, who is like a brother to me. How much I have learned from him! Also, thanks to this activity, my circle of friends has expanded. I am not lonely, I am understood and always surrounded by new creative ideas and information. Being part of the “cosplay” community, I have a wonderful place to express my creativity and artistic personality.

Sometimes I receive letters from other people that always touch my heart. Reading them, I understand that “cosplay” has helped many to find themselves. It is an art form that helps to relax. Every cosplayer can lift another’s mood or motivate them to create. It can give the courage to try new things. In such moments, you understand that just by doing what you love, you can inspire others to find themselves.

Why would you recommend others to come and watch the competition, or even try to participate themselves? What is enchanting about the world of “cosplay”?

Such contemporary culture events are a wonderful way to escape into a different world – to revive your imagination. To feel as if you have appeared in an animated movie or video game. It is just a wonderful spectacle for the eyes. Especially when so many different activities are offered, as in the upcoming “Comic Con Baltics 2024 powered by Samsung”. You might even find a new hobby and leave feeling reborn – with new ideas and energy. There is so much different culture, tastes, and experiences at such an event!

I recommend everyone not to miss the “cosplay” performance part. It is a unique opportunity to see how much work people put into creating costumes and performances, how much love is in the process. It all looks like theater but at the same time gives a sense of competition due to the energy, support, and reactions on stage and in the audience that people are not afraid to show.

At such events, it is always possible to find new acquaintances, to form a new circle of friends. We all gather for the same reason – to enjoy special experiences and have a good time.

From Hollywood actors to video games

The “Comic Con Baltics 2024 powered by Samsung Galaxy S24” event’s “cosplay” competition will take place this Saturday and Sunday at “LITEXPO”, Vilnius.

The event will also engage visitors with the largest “Baltics Gaming Expo” space dedicated to games and technology.

Visitors will also have a unique opportunity to meet stars from cult Hollywood projects. Among them are actors from the “Harry Potter” films Natalia Tena and Devon Murray, “Marvel” film actor Sean Gunn, “Highlander” lead actor Adrian Paul, actress Natasha Halevi, internet comic stars Rob DenBleyker from “Cyanide&Happiness”, “Natural Habitat Shorts”, “Nobody Sausage” and Nathan W. Pyle, creator of the “Strange Planet” comics.

There will also be presentations of the latest films, announcements and discussions, the “Meet Lithuanian Film Industry” platform inviting participation in conversations with the brightest representatives of the Lithuanian film industry known on a global level, the “Artist Alley” which annually brings together nearly a hundred popular culture artists, a commercial area offering many interesting items, impressive decorations from the most famous films and series in the world, and many other engaging activities.

The project is partially funded by the Vilnius City Municipality.