My Costume Play Manifesto (2026 Edition)
This is a Manifesto as I am going back to Costume Play as a hobby in 2026. You think I am going to just lock myself up and shrink myself? Absolutely not!
This is my raw reaction towards for those who have weaved a false narrative with ill-intent. Mind you, in terms of these kinds of politics, it doesn't have to involve direct bullying in order to convince others: You just have to create a lingering words or sentence up in the air, let it simmer, and people would change an opinion about you. This is a true nature of people in general that is not limited in cosplay.
But that's not the focus on this blog post. What if I can write a Manifesto about it because I can write with fire!
This is a manifesto, to rebel against the idea of that Costume Play should all about attention-seeking. That social media often rewards trends, the rat-race and less about the mindful slow approach of the Play. I cannot control others for sure, so I am the living proof of it.
This will be messy, all-over the place, and even spontaneous in which is the point.
"Do the Costume Play within the budget. Emphasize on the Play, Act so freely as if you are on a School Theatre. Bring out the Character based on the given script - the Character Play is defined first before the costume. Analyze, analyze so deeply about the script, and ask yourself 'What is truly the motivation of this character?'. I can assure you there is so much more to breakdown outside what is the narrator and the character speaking in the script"
As the Equipment and Tools in Entertainment becomes more reachable, so does the outcome of the Arts. But the Act of doing it comes first before the fancy camera, fancy studio, and so on. The act of doing the play comes first, and it should have been part of your lifestyle. You can always make a collage-y outcome of your Play - Collage is a result of using what you already have.
" A magazine is meant to be more curated, filtered in the eyes of gatekeeper. A zine is more DIY, and is not less than a magazine. A zine can provide more than a magazine could, and vice versa. A zine is allowed to exist, and so does your Play. A Play at home should not be only on par with the studio quality of a magazine, it can be like a zine too. If a zine can exist for many decades, so does your Play at Home. Make more Play at Home, take a photo of it, make a collage of it. Who says that you are only allowed to do it in a rented studio? Your Play is allowed to exist in the comfort of your room."
When the idea of someone in costumes wearing masks is being looked down, it made me furious. Just because you don't like what you are seeing, doesn't mean you have to push it to everyone else. This is what the social media rewarding: ragebait.
"Honestly, I'll take it further - Put a sticker/image on top of your face. Oh, people are so uncomfortable that I can exist when I cover the face of my photo with sticker? Let the discomfort crawl into their skin. It is not your job to please everyone's feeling. If it is a hobby, why would you have to please others' way of doing it? It should be based on your own happiness and comfort."
I believe in order to live the way you wanted, you might have to ruffle some feathers. They are an adult in which they had to manage their own emotion, not you as a person. You are, a person with your own individiual.
Live the life you wanted.