Cosplay 101: Indecisive Character Choosing

Cosplay 101: For Newbies

Cosplay 101: Indecisive Character Choosing:

So, I go on to the internet and in the cosplay community, I constantly see forum topics with titles saying "I Need Help Choosing A Character", "I Want To Cosplay, But I Don't Know Who To Cosplay", or my personal favorite "What Character Do I Look Like?" then they list what they look like by typing in weight, measurements for bust, waist, and hips, occasionally skin color, and then asks "what do you suggest?"

First off, I'm not condemning anyone with being indecisive because I can be just as indecisive as the next person, but something as simple as choosing a character to cosplay as is not that difficult. Here's why I say so.

If you're having a hard time choosing your very first cosplay character, take these into considerations: 

1. What genre do you like?:

• Anime
• Manga
• Comic Books
• Video Games
• Other (non 'anime' cartoons [i.e. MLP, Steven Universe, Gravity Falls, etc.], fandoms like Steampunk)

2. Out of the 4, what type of "insert choice here" do you like?:

• Action
• Romance
• Slice-of-Life/Drama
• Mecha/Giant Robots ("Anime" category)
• Super Heros 
• Giant Monsters ("Anime" category)
• Magical Girls ("Anime" category)
• Fantasy
• Other

3. Out of the 9, what type of anime/shows do you like?:

• Marvel ("Comic Books" category)
• DC ("Comic Books" category)
• Studio Ghibli ("Anime" category)
• MLP (My Little Pony)
• Disney
• Other Cartoons (Like "Steven Universe" and "Gravity Falls")
• RPG games ("Video Games" category)
• Name Brand video games ("Sega Genesis", "Nintendo", PlayStation", etc.)

4. Out of the 7, list your favorite characters out of each anime/show/video game/etc.

Example: My Little Pony

• Twilight Sparkle (regular & princess)
• Fluttershy
• Rainbow Dash
• Rarity
• Applejack
• Pinkie Pie
• Princess Celestia
• Princess Luna
• Princess Cadince
• Zecora the Zebra
• Spike the baby dragon
• Applebloom (with or without cutie mark)
• Scootaloo (with or without cutie mark)
• Sweeti Bell (with our without cutie mark)

5. Out of all of the characters that you've listed in your personal list, decide which one(s) you like the most. Meaning, which is your most favorite character?

If somehow you have 3 or more, then decided which personality you like the most in terms of the character. 

You don't need a strangers advice on choosing a character to cosplay. It just boils down to what you enjoy the most and go from there. There are so many characters out there today, it's very overwhelming to choose from. I guarantee you that if you follow these steps, your character indecisiveness will go away, but if you're the type that forgets what you like, keep your special lists in a special place to where you can always reference it when you feel stuck or overwhelmed with choosing a character. 

I hope this helps get you started on what character to choose from. It's not rocket science, it's a hobby called cosplay. Don't make something complicated when it doesn't need to be. Just have fun.