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Dear The Magic Rain Team,
Hello, I’m a fellow otaku. I actually have a problem with my mom. I cosplay for fun with my friends and go to conventions that we want to go but my mom was actually weirded out because of me cosplaying anime characters. She didn’t like it when I wasted my own money just for cosplay, but she even helped me put on makeup and go for cons with me. She broke my heart when she called cosplayers weird and that includes my friends. I was happy that my dad understood my passion, and he helped me to buy cosplays and support my ideas. How can I convince my mom that cosplaying is not weird. It has made me happy ever since I was a loner in school.
Sincerely,
Heartbroken
Dear Heartbroken,
It’s quite normal for parents to not approve of their children cosplaying because cosplay is an unconventional hobby that not many people are familiar with, especially the older generations. But when you say that she “helped you to put on makeup and go cons with you”, isn’t that a good thing? Many parents simply do not approve of cosplay and may even prevent their kids from going to cosplay conventions. Appreciate your mother’s effort for even doing so.
I think the main issue here has something to do with money. Your mother simply does not see the BENEFIT of buying cosplay costumes. Think about it, each cosplay costume can cost around RM100 to even RM1000 or more. That’s a lot of money spent on “clothes” in your parents eyes. If you are able, try to do part time jobs to get your own money (not from your parents) to buy your cosplays. If you are unable to do so, try to prove to your mother that you are actually getting something out of cosplay. Here are a few examples what you can do/show her:
- If you learn how to make props, you can sell them and earn money
- When you cosplay, you do it for your well-being and your school results aren’t affected by it
- You could even make your own cosplays by learning to sew, effectively showing her that you learnt a new skill and you can help your family with clothes or even tailor for people in the future
- If you’re passionate enough, try and join small competitions, which you might get prizes from and be able to prove to your mother that you are passionate
- Since your father has helped you buy your cosplays, sell your old ones so that you can get some money back in return without asking your mother too much about it.
You see, the only way to persuade your mom is by showing her that you actually BENEFIT from a hobby like this. There are various ways to do it. If you were a loner in school, show her how many friends you’ve made and how that helped you in you being happy and be able to cope with your studies better.
I understand that it’s difficult to explain to the older generation how cosplay is not “weird”, and the only way we can explain it simply to others is… cosplay is an art form. Much like fashion but bringing art to life. It’s not as weird as it seems, people do dress up during Halloween and even when you go Disneyland you can see the actors dressing up. Is that weird? No!
Do your best dear cosplayer. I have faith that you will be able to change her mind. Good luck!
Sincerely,
Ms. Scrumptious
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