the Protocol and Etiquette Guide of Cosplay Book III - Cosplayer to Fellow Cosplayer

^I still can NOT believe that there are a lot of people, who do not know how to conduct themselves properly.
/sigh
Honestly, a vein in my temple pulses violently when I witness these unacceptable behavior.
I still have patience in me, so here's me again trying my best to give out reminders because I do NOT want to believe that people are downright mindless.

When it comes to niceties, there are no hard rules but RESPECT should always be kept in mind.

I've talked about how cosplayers should behave in public comfort rooms and how cosplayers should deal with the general public, now, I think we should tackle how cosplayers should treat other cosplayers.

As per usual, we must not forget our niceties.


I cosplay, too. I am not saying that ALL cosplayers are manner-less beings, If some of you get hurt, I am sorry, I did not mean to offend. I simply wish to open your eyes to some reality and give you a wake up call. If you get offended it is probably because you are guilty of some of the things I mentioned. I am not washing my hands as I have committed some of these crimes myself. The things I mention here are based from my experiences, my thoughts, observations and the things I get on my lurking expeditions.


Hopefully crimes and unwanted drama will decrease.

Other cosplayers refer friends, acquaintances, friends of friends, people on Facebook, people you do not know, people you see in cons, who ever as long they are not you and they cosplay.

Ok, let's go.

Liu Shan x Xing Cai cosplay

*COSPLAYERS ARE PEOPLE WITH DIFFERENT BACKGROUNDS, PERSONALITIES, LIVES and PRIORITIES


No matter how similar your tastes and fandoms are, you can not assume that every cosplayer is absolutely the same (as you).

People are people, they are unique, they come from different places, they have different backgrounds, they have different responsibilities, they have different beliefs and personalities. Each is a person with a life but the wonderful thing is, even though there are a lot of differences, we are still able to connect thru cosplay.

I hope you do not forget this as this applies to a lot of things.

Regardless of how you do your cosplays and what your beliefs are regarding the hobby, respect others and do NOT shove your opinions down other cosplayers' throats. The best one can do is share / remind and hope that it gets absorbed.

Not all cosplayers enjoy competing or going to conventions, some like photo shoots but that doesn't make one superior to the other.

I'm sure that cosplayers enjoy the hobby, otherwise they won't be doing it but not everyone has the same priorities and cosplay may not be as high up the ladder as compared to other things in their life. So just because you have time for cosplay, don't assume that every one else does, too.

Setsugetsuka Gakupo cosplay~

*COSPLAYERS HAVE NO RIGHT TO CLAIM THE CHARACTERS THEY COSPLAY AS THEIR OWN

You are just a fan, need I remind you that no matter how good your cosplay is or how much you love that character, unless you created that character, you can not claim said character as your own.
If you have the time/ effort/ money, please go ahead and secure the intellectual property rights for said character, but even if you do that, you still can't stop cosplayers for cosing that character.

All those (character name) of the (place/ country), e.g. Miku Hatsune of the Philippines, can be flattering but honestly, I think it's a big bad joke. Why? It's just too silly to explain any further but still some cosplayers tend to be so in to these "titles", as how we would locally say it "F na F nila" or "feel na feel nila"  hehehehe

If you truly are a fan then I do not see why you have to be so butthurt ahem pardon my French, I meant, if you truly are a fan then I do not see why you have to be so sore about another person cosplaying a character you cosplayed, too. Aren't you glad to find someone who might have love for the character/ series as much as you do?


*COSPLAYERS ARE DIFFERENT BUT ALL ARE EQUAL

There is no such thing as levels. There are no classes of cosplayers, everyone is simply a hobbyist with varying degrees of addiction hehe (at least that's how I see it hehe).

It's not bad to have people/ cosplayers that you look up to but please do not segregate yourselves. I don't get why we have to have titles and such.
If you put up that wall that you are just a "fan" and you think your "idols" are unreachable, then you never will.

If you can't get over that "idol on a pedestal" syndrome, you will always feel embarrassed when you see them and this will hinder a friendship that could have possibly blossomed.

These "idols" are people, you should respect them and treat them like normal human beings. I actually think that the people who are worth idolizing are those that are humble and don't feel like they are celebrities. Most often than not, these people get recognized because they just have fun in what they are doing.



*COSPLAYERS HAVE NO RIGHT TO BELITTLE OTHER COSPLAYERS OR MAKE THEM FEEL INFERIOR IN ANY WAY

Let's just hope that no one does this intentionally.

Again, people love to do it, we all know it's wrong but people still do it for some reason or another (I am not an exception to this but I try to keep it down). Ego boost? Maybe.

If you are gonna do it, please make sure that the object of your "insults" would not know what you are doing.
If you are gonna commit a crime, don't leave traces behind.

It's not talking behind someone's back, it's common decency.

No matter how many awards, recognition or accomplishment you have achieved in this hobby, you don't get the right to belittle other people because at the end of the day, to people outside of the hobby, you are the same as the person you try to bring down, a weird costume wearing freak. The truth hurts, don't it?

So don't give me the years you've been cosplaying or the number of your wins because I honestly don't care, even if you have the most brilliant costumes, if your personality is as rotten as it comes, I don't like you.

"Oh, s/he ruined *insert character name here*!" 
"Ay ang pangit niya! Hindi bagay yung cosplay niya!" (S/he is ugly, the character doesn't suit him/her at all)
"Fail!"

Is that all you have to say? Before you talk shit about other people, check yourself first, and when you talk shit be prepared to take shit back.

Or let's just put it this way, you yap about how someone's cosplay only to find out that that person is also yapping about you. It is unpleasant, right? So don't do unto others what you do not want others to do unto you, simple as that.

It's cosplay, it's a hobby, don't take it too seriously.
If that someone really didn't do such a hot job then why don't you try and help instead?

Offer tips and give constructive criticism, offer help instead of just pointing out errors.
All human beings deserved to be treated nicely.

If you do not like what you see then do NOT look at it.

Lacus Clyne cosplay ~

*COSPLAYERS SHOULD RESPECT OTHER COSPLAYERS

You don't have to be buddy-buddy with everyone but at least respect others. That's just it.

This applies to both people you like and do NOT like.

Cosplayers are people and people deserve to be treated with respect, no matter how weird.

Thing is, matters get complicated when you take it too personally when that shouldn't even be the case.

If you respect others, you would not deceive or scam or do anything to intentionally offend them. In competitions, you do your best and be fair.



*COSPLAYERS SHOULD RESPECT THE PROPERTY OF OTHER COSPLAYERS

How many times have we seen friends / other cosplayers mistreat the stuff that they borrow?
Time and time again, it is getting tiring.

Cosplay items like costume, wigs and props mean a lot to cosplayers. It doesn't matter if these items were commissioned, a gift or where lovingly made my the owner themselves, it still has value to the owner. They may be just material items and can be replaced but the person who loaned you these items also gave you their trust. Think about that when you return the items you borrowed.

When you return borrowed items:

•  *be sure to thank the owner and always give credit. They are the ones who exerted effort to get those items all nice and pretty, don't hog all the glory.

• *make sure that everything is there. Nothing is missing, stained, torn  or permanently damaged. If ever something unfortunate happened, own up to it, do NOT deny or suddenly go on ninja mode. Offer to replace and compensate for it.

• *make sure that it is clean and is in the condition it was handed to you. Or better yet, go the extra mile and give it back in an even better state. ^^V

If you are gonna do some revisions on the item that you borrowed, at least ask permission first, keep in mind that the item is NOT yours to butcher and experiment on.

This is all about trust. It hurts when the item you worked so hard on or saved on months for gets handed back to you in an appalling state.

This will not only mean that you can't borrow again but expect that this may hurt the friendship that you have with the person.

Say you didn't borrow, you were just amazed at how well done another cosplayer's items are. Do not poke, or man-handle the items, specially if it is still on the person. Respect, dude, respect.

If you find an item that is not yours, do NOT keep it, try to find the owner or at least turn it over to the authorities.

Izumi Konata cosplay ~

*COSPLAYERS SHOULD NOT TAKE / STEAL ANYTHING FROM A ANOTHER COSPLAYER

Anyone who has been into cosplay will know that this is not a cheap hobby. You spend money and you don't expect the money to come back.

Not everyone is from a well to do family, not everyone has high paying jobs, most are students who save their allowance so never claim anything as yours unless it really is.

Surprisingly, photos and identities are the top items that are being stolen from cosplayers. Still, if it isn't yours don't take ownership as you are not the one who went through all the trouble. Money, time and effort are not easy to come by.


*WHEN YOU ARE PART OF A GROUP, MAKE SURE TO COMMIT

If you can't, why even agree?

If something really came up then, let your group or partner know. You are part of something, as a group you are supposed to work TOGETHER so don't leave your group mates hanging.

Emergencies happen, some things are just inevitable and we get that but have the sense to inform your group
mates so that everyone can find a solution.

Number is not what makes a team, it's the camaraderie and ability to work together, if you don't have that then most likely that your group will fail.

Don't create a group to bring anyone's hopes up only to crush it.
Be a team player.


*COSPLAYERS SHOULD JUST ENJOY THE HOBBY AS IT IS

Why too much drama? Cosplay is a hobby! It's meant to be fun, a from of recreation. If it doesn't then move on and get another hobby, maybe cosplay isn't just for you.

No need to complicate stuff.

No need to spread ugly rumors, too much truth, sabotage, theft, deception and scams. Can't we all just get along?



*HELP THOSE WHO NEED IT

Be it a helping hand or a piece of advice, instead of dragging others down, why not not just help so that everyone can attain improvement together?

Helping fellow cosplayers will not only be a good way to spread knowledge but in the process, you may even make a friend and you can never have enough friends.

Build bridges, they will always be useful.

On a related note, if you need help, ask politely and search for answers, don't just sit and wait for grace to come.


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I am an advocate of proper manners and respect for others. I seriously want to believe in the best of people.
I am hoping that cosplayers would just have fun and just co-exist with each other peacefully. If there is so much drama in the community and the people in it can't understand each other, how else will people on the outside understand?

Each cosplayer, is a representative of the community so we must all be aware of our actions. How one cosplayers acts can affect another cosplayer. So let's all do our best to make our community better from the inside.

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thanks for reading!

 jaa! visit me again, ne!

     arigatou! (*^3^)/~

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