I roll from my bedroom into my workroom in the morning and craft-craft-craft.
— Yaya Han
So many of us, we love these things that come from Japan. We play the video games every day, we read the manga, people watch the cartoons, they absolutely love it.
For me, I've such a steady presence throughout the community that I think if anyone can raise up to the challenge of presenting the face of cosplay, it could be me. Not to be vain, but I've had the training to be in this position.
I discovered cosplay because I was going to an anime convention and did some research, and found out people dressed up as characters. I made a very badly put-together costume because I felt this desire to dress up.
I was always the freaky Asian girl who drew these weird-looking Barbie dolls in class.
Cosplayers love Disney princesses. We all grew up with them. We identify with one or more princesses.
Companies are hiring cosplayers to be promotional spokes models for them. There are cosplayers trying to develop a cult following even though they've only been cosplaying for less than a year or two. It's all about the social media or Facebook likes.
It can literally change someone's life; it's very positive for young teenagers to get into cosplay if they do it with their friends or with supervision from their parents - it can really foster their social skills.
Hardcore fans have a vision in their head, and if they look at your cosplay of it, you may not fit their vision.
Before I was a cosplayer, I was a fan artist. I would draw my favorite characters and sell the pieces at art auctions. But once I discovered cosplay, it was like, 'I don't have to draw my favorite characters, I can become my favorite characters.'
I think 'Heroes of Cosplay' will show a lot of the positive things, like how much effort it takes to make a costume. These people on the show aren't taking shortcuts. As long as that effort gets through to the viewers, we will be inspirational. Then there will be people who watch the show that want to get in and hands-on make outfits.
