KUCHING: The Kuching Festival cosplay competition on Saturday (July 25) brought together cosplay enthusiasts who showcased their creativity while highlighting the hobby as a form of self-expression, confidence-building and appreciation for their favourite characters.
Held at the MBKS Theatre in Kuching Park, the competition saw participants portraying characters from popular anime, manga and video games.
Among the participants was 24-year-old Ashley Chai, who portrayed Monkey D. Luffy from One Piece.
Ashley said he chose the character because he admired Luffy’s pursuit of freedom and believed cosplay should be inclusive regardless of a person’s appearance.
“My father introduced me to One Piece when I was young, so the series has sentimental value to me. Luffy represents freedom, and I believe anyone can cosplay him regardless of their appearance,” he said.
He added that his costume, inspired by Netflix’s live-action adaptation of One Piece, took about one to two months to prepare.
Meanwhile, 29-year-old Hanita Afrina, better known as Meko, portrayed Konan from Naruto.
She said she admired the character’s loyalty and charisma, adding that cosplay had helped her become more confident despite being an introvert.
“I was quite an introvert, but as the cosplay community grew, I slowly became part of it. My cousin encouraged me to join my first competition, and now I enjoy participating whenever I can,” she said.
Hanita, who spent about a month preparing her costume and customised parts of it herself, said cosplay has no limitations as anyone should be free to portray characters they love.
Another participant, 19-year-old Ryujin Coser, who portrayed Cyno from Genshin Impact, said cosplay allowed him to express his creativity through handcrafted costumes.
He said his latest costume took around six to seven months to complete, with the biggest challenge being choosing the right materials.
“Cosplay is a way to express yourself, be creative and artistic without holding yourself back,” he said.
