i hate making cosplay

I've liked the idea of cosplay for at least 15 years, which marked a half of my life so far. Seeing skilled individuals building replica outfits and props of their favorite characters, participating in contests... it was something I quietly admired from a distance and being content in my passive stance on the matter. Yet a tiny sliver of my timid mind wondered... could I maybe, one day, try it myself? Rational reasoning kept that sentiment suppressed for years, until my mom got me to begrudgingly agree to cosplay as character from Franchise-M, which I was obsessed with at the time. Being decently skilled in sewing and various other crafts, I undertook the task of making the costume, with good results. As I never intended to actually wear the costume, I sold it. My faint interest in actively participating in cosplay lay dormant yet again for a few more years, until I met Friend V. We attended many events together. V has more experience with cosplay, but mostly sticks to those available in commerce, maybe with minor alterations by their own hands. I was content helping V carry their luggage, and not wearing a costume myself. I never understood cosplaying ready-made outfits (not judging), for me it was all about the creative process at that time. But maybe there's a bit of jealousy mixed in, because there are NO ready-made cosplays available from my favorite franchises.

Regarding the crafting aspect, I have decent skills. Not professional, far from it. Passable. I had sewn my own prom dress, I frequently modify clothes of family members and neighbors, small stuff. The cosplay I made was quite a simple robe, done in a single day (including drafting the pattern). I'm also decent with woodworking, as I often help my dad with various projects. I am also decently good at clay sculpting. In general, I have pretty good dexterity and I learn any craft with relative ease.
But I started obsessing over Franchise-W. I ended up in a radical mindset of "If I encounter a Franchise-W cosplay during this event, it was worth attending. Otherwise, it was a waste of time and money." After two consecutive waste of time and money editions of the event, I was raging and decided I needed to be the last resort. If nobody else is going to cosplay from Franchise-W, I will.

Motivation suppressed all rational thought. I no longer cared for the logistics of transporting the elaborate, fragile costume 500 kilometers without a vehicle of my own. Or the cost of the materials. I just wanted to ensure the presence of at least one Franchise-W costume at the event. I drafted the pattern, cut out the pieces from the fabric, seal the fraying edges, sew the multi layered top and skirt with embroidered details in-between, and everything went smoothly. So far, the costume looked amazing, my best work so far... until I got to the sleeves. Too thick to go under the sewing machine presser foot. And there's where all motivation died. The fabrics would be ruined if I were to undo the seams and attempt to do the sleeves in a different order. Nor did I have enough remaining fabric to start over, and the store had run out. Knowing that there would still be countless accessories to make, that would require techniques i am unfamiliar with... I stopped working on it and it's been wasting space, gathering dust in my home for the last months.

Behold Franchise-W's new promotional materials. One trailer betraying the originally dark, violent tone that had dominated the franchise since its infancy, trampling it in childlike cheer. An interview with one of the original developers, an assumed Messiah of "returning Franchise-W to what it used to be"... further mocking us, and his own creation. Yet the person in the interview unintentionally advertised Franchise-K as a proper replacement for a dark, violent fictional world. After these, and two more promotional materials focusing on characters I couldn't care less about, my interest in Franchise-W rapidly started dwindling, leaving space for a budding curiosity for Franchise-K. After reading just one book from Franchise-K's lore, the obsession hit me like a train.

Impulsively, I bought materials to make a costume from Franchise-K. A simpler, more manageable one that could be upgraded in time, gradually. Just that Franchise-K has very unreliable visual references for costuming. Supposedly, OCs are encouraged, they offer parts to mix & match... However, OCs are not allowed in cosplay contests. Thus, a second incomplete cosplay.

Rational thought says that I should force myself to finish them. At the very least sew the Franchise-W cosplay to the end, and sell it to get the cost of the materials back to zero. And use the materials from Franchise-K cosplay as pillowcases or something useful. Rational thought tells me cosplay is NOT for me, and I should give up before I waste any more resources.

On the other hand, V is becoming more and more insistent that I should finish at least one of them. Cosplaying together would be one of those very special moments for our friendship, and I wouldn't want to let down such a good friend.

Now that I've seen how miserable it is to make costumes from scratch, I understand why there are so few people cosplaying characters from Franchise-W. I still love the act of creating, just not in the form of cosplay. I still do not understand those people who buy ready-made costumes, but I am genuinely happy for them, because they don't have to go through the hassle of making them. I would buy a costume from Franchise-K, just so I could fulfill my promise to V of cosplaying together... without being miserable about it.

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anonymous Other March 06, 2026 at 11:45 am 0 0