Meet Four Cosplayers Embodying Their Best Selves at Anime NYC
Cosplayers are to conventions what butter is to bread. Dressed in elaborate costumes, cosplayers are a lifeline to the culture of anime conventions. Both online and offline, these communities have deeply passionate fans who have forever changed the cultural zeitgeist. Cosplay – built off the words costume and play – has been part of anime, comic, and gaming communities for decades. And at Anime NYC, cosplayers are certainly the highlight. This year, EnVi sat down with four cosplayers who are embodying their best selves.
Stardust Megu
Based in New York City, Stardust Megu has been at the center of the city’s cosplay scene. A crafter and content creator, she’s had quite the impressive tenure within the community. Her journey started over fifteen years ago, during a time when cosplay, anime, and “nerd” culture was generally taboo. These were the ol’ days of 360p anime videos, printed merch in notebooks, and fan meetups in Central Park. In a conversation with EnVi, Megu recalled her start with cosplay.
Dressed in an ornate self-made cosplay of the character Lucia from Mermaid Melody Pichi Pichi Pichi, she enthusiastically dove into her journey over the years. “I knew of cosplay for many years since, like, 2002. As I was googling my favorite characters, I stumbled across people dressing up as my favorite characters.” Like many Black cosplayers in the early aughts, Stardust Megu didn’t see many cosplayers who looked like her. The internet can be arduous for any Black cosplayer – particularly multiply marginalized cosplayers who are Darkskin, LGBTQIA, disabled, or plus-sized. It was her high school friends who eventually convinced her to attend New York Comic Con for the first time as Haruhi Suzumiya from The Melancholy of Haruhi Suzumiya.
Like a child in a candy store, this experience was foundational. She’s since taken time to improve at cosplay by learning how to make cosplays by herself, a major step from her beginner days of buying pre-made costumes. During this conversation, she told EnVi that she would “slowly begin making accessories,” recommending that entry level cosplayers turn to entry level materials with craft foam, mod podge, and scrap fabrics. Leaning into accessibility, affordability, and care, Megu discussed in great detail the impacts of fast fashion within cosplay. “I feel like people should realize it’s okay to re-wear your cosplay.” For any cosplayer looking to rehouse their cosplays, Megu mentioned the BIPOC reseller platform Lumikha Cosplay to engage in sustainable practices.
“Cosplay is however you want it,” Megu said, and with such an impactful platform, she continues to be a role model within the community. It comes to no surprise that cosplay has had a massive boom following the COVID-19 pandemic. As a masked cosplayer, she tries to “think of others… Because I have family and friends who are immune compromised because I love them and want them to be safe.”
And with how key social media has been, creators now (more than ever) are incredibly impactful in shaping the narrative online. Megu made it known that there is room for everyone in the community. “We need to see more Black cosplayers, more plus-sized cosplayers… you can be LGBTQ and still look amazing.” Cosplay has become more accessible than it’s ever been, and for Stardust Megu – she’s going at her own pace. Recounting her journey as a cosplayer, she left parting advice for fans looking to get into the hobby: “Cosplay is all about having fun.”
hhaethere
With an emerging platform, South Korean American cosplayer Haebin (hhaethere) proves that anything can be done if you put your mind to it. Despite cosplaying since her early high school days, she’s since flourished – putting her all into cosplaying characters across popular Asian media. “I really wanted to feel like a character from a show I loved… and even before that, I would wear like Yuri On Ice jackets to school.” Her lips curled into a smile as she remembered her first cosplay. Sitting in the bustling food court of Anime NYC, she revealed her first cosplay was Mikasa from the hit anime Attack on Titan.
For many cosplayers, the hobby serves as a means to become someone else, to escape, and sometimes, even find their confidence. For Haebin, cosplay has allowed her to explore new sides of herself – shedding her more shy and reserved personality for bold expression. “When I am in a character, I kinda feel like I can forget reality… and become a person I admire.”
Conventions like Anime NYC see crowds upwards of 100,000 patrons, giving cosplayers like Haebin the opportunity to get facetime with anime fans and fellow cosplayers. These spaces have allowed her to become more outgoing, challenging her with fresh experiences through the years. Since 2020, she has been tackling not only conventions, but social media as well. And as a Gen Z creator, the digital space is like somewhat of a second home. It still does not make putting oneself out there any easier, though. Despite it all, community has been key for Haebin’s journey as a cosplayer. “I’ve always thought like not many people cosplay… Being at Anime NYC or New York Comic Con, you see like thousands and thousands of people who do this as a hobby… or professionally.”
And when she isn’t at a convention, Haebin serves her followers immersive photography and witty short form content. With this content, comes refreshing experiences in countries like China where cosplay is quite accessible. Leaning into overseas communities, Haebin has taken videos and learnings from platforms like RedNote (also known as Xiaohongshu) to grow as a cosplayer. Since she does not craft, she elevates her work through makeup and wig styling. And though many cosplayers navigate cosplay differently by incorporating elements of their culture, changing up hair, and taking liberties with their costumes, Haebin makes it her mission “to look like the character.”
Working closely with Chinese photographers and makeup artists, she gave EnVi the scoop on content creation in Shanghai. For those unfamiliar with cosplay across the states, dedicated studios for cosplay can be quite far and few between, leaving cosplayers with the need to use public spaces for content creation. The same cannot be said about the Shanghai cosplay scene. “I saw cosplayers just like casually… in the subways, in the malls, and a lot of the malls in Shanghai have anime stores… Nobody bats an eye.” With access to a large number of service providers who offer studio shoots, Haebin was able to find studios that allowed her to photograph near four cosplays within $300. “The cosplay studio I went to had over 10 sets in their space; 2-3 designated makeup artists, an in-house wig stylist, and they had an in-house photographer, plus editing.”
As the cosplay community becomes more globalized, pop culture fans are leaning into global creators who are offering high level content. This is a motif throughout Haebin’s persona online – opening up the conversation of accessibility to third spaces for cosplayers to truly express themselves and create.
RJ Hooks
EnVi first got to chat with RJ Hooks in 2023 to discuss convention survival tips – and in 2025, we’re exploring his journey as a cosplayer. Sitting in the bustling River Pavilion, RJ Hooks was dressed as Mr. Terrific – and it was quite hard not to get lost in awe. And for those who are unfamiliar with his impressive work, he’s best known for cosplaying characters like Nanami Kento, Hakari, and Loid Forger. His journey began during the COVID-19 pandemic, at a time where cosplayers were forced inside.
Cinematic videos, in-depth talking head reels, and fashion all play a role in his continued journey. For anyone scrolling through his rich content across his social media channels, it’s quite clear that he possesses great skill that makes him unlike any cosplay creator. Of course, this conversation cannot be had without the inclusion of fashion. It so profoundly dictates what cosplayers wear and how they interpret their cosplays. We engage with characters due to the fashion choices within their source material, and for RJ Hooks, fashion is the backbone to his cosplays.
Reminiscing on his past, RJ noted that he wasn’t always fashionable. The fun thing about cosplay, though, is that it has the power to push you out of your comfort zone. “Cosplay for me is not just dressing up. It’s always like I’m doing research, I’m learning history, I’m learning about art techniques.” Talking to RJ, it becomes incredibly clear just how much care goes into his work. Though many of his cosplays can be seen as simple, there is complexity within every detail. During this process, he meticulously sourced the correct suits, studied poses, and put his all into bringing these characters to life. He didn’t always know how to do this, though. He leaned into friends, into YouTube, and self-teaching — something that many emerging cosplayers can lean into.
Mixing his many interests into one formula that works for him, he’s since become a beacon within the cosplay community. The cosplay space can certainly be an interesting one for Black cosplayers like RJ Hooks. As Black cosplayers, it becomes quite clear that you can’t truly escape the perils of an anti-Black world. Like Stardust Megu, RJ intimately knows what it means to exist as a Black person within this community while being perceived online. 2025 has been a particularly arduous year for cosplayers of color, particularly Black cosplayers. Yet when he looked back on his time within, and the friends he’d made (the budding Black cosplayers who look up to him), he mentioned, “That’s what keeps me going. I come to meet people – because most of the time I work in a vacuum. The community is the reason why I get motivated.”
Presentation is key, and for RJ, he dished out his start in content creation. And that was with lighting. “My journey was that I basically… got a gift, I got a ring light one day and I just started using it.” There’s a saying within the photo community: “Gear doesn’t matter.” And while this may have mixed weight within professional spaces, as a cosplayer there is no need for the latest and greatest gear. You can get started with content creation by simply using what you have. “I literally just did what I could. People always think that they have to have something to get started. You just start. And then you try and figure out how you can get better.”
For cosplayers looking to get started with the hobby, he left some parting advice: “Always try to have fun. Once you start cosplaying, you’ll notice a lot of people try to focus on getting views. I don’t allow that to determine my value. When you actually enjoy something, that’s when you’ll do your best.”
allthepotsnpans
Lively cosplay streams on twitch, to fabulous cosplay videos of the internet’s favorite characters – Gale (allthepotsnpans) is the cosplayer that everyone should certainly keep eyes on. With a long catalog of instantly iconic cosplays from Leon Kennedy, to Sephiroth, or even Gojo, his work has landed him in the hearts of many pop-culture fans. On the last day of Anime NYC, he sat down with EnVi to chat about his experiences.
“I started because my younger sister loves cosplay, but I didn’t really know much about it… I wanted to get closer with her, so I was like – ‘You know what? What’s your favorite character? Like, I’ll cosplay them.’”
Like many cosplayers who were just getting started, Gale was using whatever was in his closet to closet cosplay. He first cosplayed Shigaraki from My Hero Academia. Growing up in Los Angeles, he reminisced on his process of finding cosplays, while putting all the bells and whistles on his costumes. Of course, his first cosplay had some room for growth, but that’s become somewhat of a canon event for all budding participants of this hobby.
However, for many cosplayers who got their start during the pandemic or even started taking it more seriously since the start of the pandemic, there’s an accessibility to sourcing costumes that simply didn’t exist even a decade ago. Standing at Anime NYC, it becomes quite clear that the scene has exploded since the early aughts. “Even compared to when I first started cosplaying, it has become so much more popular and so much more accessible,” Gale mused.
And as a cosplayer with a major platform, he makes it known that he doesn’t take it for granted. He dives into the sustainability and accessibility of cosplay, a growing issue as cosplay retailers on Amazon, AliExpress, and other retailers churn out fast cosplays that can get to fans quickly. It is no secret that trends are a massive factor into the somewhat fast-fashionification of cosplay, which is a continued sentiment that permeates through the community discourse. But for Gale, he takes this as a journey to engage in cosplay with purpose. “I never throw away my cosplays when I get them, I don’t like throwing away my clothes… I kinda have a trade system with my friends.”
The River Pavilion at the Javits Center was lively with cosplayers gracing its halls. And as New York City-based cosplayer Gale made his way through the convention hall, countless fans approached him for photos. Dressed as James from Pokémon, his cosplay just felt like the character came to life. It was a start and stop of fans, endlessly excited to get to meet him given his expansive journey throughout the years as a cosplayer.
Leaning into the community, he talked intimately about the scene that he’s come to influence over the years. “It’s underlying everything as a cosplayer… I wouldn’t have continued to cosplay if I hadn’t made friends at cons.” There’s nothing like a convention, where people with a shared interest can come together and share their love for something. Drawing over 148,000 fans, thousands of people are able to come together and learn from each other, meet new people, and find their next best friends. “I’m no different than any other cosplayer here. I’ll always chat with everyone… I wanna talk with everyone as much as I can. [It’s] super important to me as a content creator.”
As we continued to talk, Gale drove home diversity, acceptance, and care towards one another as community members. “I hate that culture that’s growing of like, ‘oh, to be a cosplayer, it’s like a beauty competition…’ The whole point of cosplay is to have fun.” To Gale, everyone has a perfect cosplay face. And what we see online is completely flipped in reality when attending in-person events. This even becomes more true at events like cosplay lookalike contests where fans are there to support and engage with their favorite characters. “The biggest thing is to have as much fun as you can with it.”
