På San Diego Comic-Con Málaga reflekterede den legendariske cosplayer Yaya Han over, hvor langt cosplay-kunsten er kommet, og opfordrede forældre til at støtte deres børns kreative passion og nysgerrighed.
"When I first started, it was considered a very freaky part of fandom," fortalte Han til Gamereactor. "We were sort of the freaks among the fans. A lot of people didn't understand cosplayers and thought what we did was juvenile, or they misunderstood it as a sexual fetish or something."
Mere end to årtier senere er billedet heldigvis et helt andet. "Now cosplay is celebrated as a form of art. Thanks to conventions giving cosplayers the opportunity to show up, and thanks to social media, where you can share your whole progress and tell people why you love a character, people finally see it for what it is."
Han, der har skabt imponerende kostumer i over 20 år, tog også fat på en udfordring, som mange unge cosplayere stadig kæmper med - at få deres forældre til at forstå, at cosplay faktisk er en meningsfuld og kreativ hobby. "My own parents didn't understand why I cosplayed, and it took me taking them to a convention for them to get it," forklarede hun. "As soon as they saw the reaction I got, they realized — this is a thing. You actually inspire people with your creativity."
Hendes budskab til forældre er tydeligt: "Cosplay is something creative. I'm learning skills - some that are traditionally passed down, like embroidery and gold work. It's a very healthy, creative pastime. And when I go to conventions, it's wholesome. Everybody's looking out for each other."
Ifølge Han kan cosplay endda være med til at styrke unge menneskers selvtillid og sociale kompetencer. "It builds your social skills and gives you confidence because you're dressing up as larger-than-life characters. That actually helps build your own character," sagde hun, før hun sendte en direkte opfordring til forældre: "Come to a convention with your kid. Support them, cosplay with them, make costumes together. See what it's all about."
Du kan se vores fulde, eksklusive interview med Han nedenfor: