20 Awesome Cosplay Blogs for Those Who Really Want to Get Their Game On

Was that a Sailor Moon girl you just passed? Or perhaps you’ve seen that guy in the World of Warcraft armor. If so, you’re probably seeing an increasingly popular form of expression called cosplay. Short for “costume roleplay”, the idea is to make yourself as much like a character as possible, both in appearance and in the way you act and interact with others.

While most cosplay is based upon manga or anime characters, there’s also a growing contingent of cosplayers basing their characters around video games. Originally popular in Japan, cosplay has spread around the world, with conventions, parties and contests held so that cosplayers can come and show off their costumes. There are even cosplay championships held at the World Cosplay Summit.

Cosplay can be very creative, and can even be considered performance art. If you’re into cosplay, or are even just flirting with the idea of becoming involved, here are 20 top cosplay blogs to help you learn more about this fascinating subculture. Note: Most are pretty modest, but some of the outfits get a bit skimpy and *may* not be safe for work in some cases, depending on where you work. Just a heads up.

1. Cosplay Holic: Written by Columbia Kho, this cosplay blog is full of photos and information related to cosplay. Columbia is a manga and comic artist, and so has a good view of the arts and cosplay. Help Columbia identify cosplayers and characters that she is having trouble with.
2. Virtualgirl’s blog on Destructoid: The gamer community Destructoid offers a number of blogs, and one of them is Virtualgirl’s blog. Virtualgirl works for Game Informer Online and the Girls Entertainment Network. Her blog has a number of images and information related to cosplay. Most of her posts related to costumes focus on video game cosplay.
3. Triene’s Cosplay Blog: If you are interested in reading about the real-life experiments of a cosplayer, Triene’s blog is a great resource. Learn about the cosplay lifestyle from someone who is living it — while finishing a certificate in 3D. An interesting blog about building costumes and traveling to conventions around the country to show them off.
4. Au-chan’s Cosplay Blog: Get a look at different cosplays, as well as information from different cosplay conventions. There are some great videos from Otakuthon 2009 in Montreal.
5. The Spacetime Dossier: This blog focuses on fantasy and science fiction themes, and features art and cosplay prominently. Great cosplay photos are available, with special emphasis on world class cosplayers. Leave this reality for another, and take pictures to prove it.
6. Nanao’s Cosplay Research: If you’re looking to get information on popular cosplay characters, as well as see related images, this is a great blog. It provides background and helpful information that can help you capture the essence of the characters you wish to emulate in costume.
7. It’s My Fairytale Time: This blog follows the exploits of a girl whose hobby is cosplay. See how she constructs different costumes, step by step, and read about her efforts to create interesting and accurate cosplay.
8. (Halo)²: This blog offers a look at geek culture with an emphasis on anime and cosplay. Some great cosplay images, as well as information on anime and inspiration for costumes and characters.
9. The Banzai Effect: A look at Otaku culture, this blog is run by an I.T. guy from Singapore. While not devoted solely to cosplay, there is plenty of that going on. See interesting pictures, read news updates and get loads of interesting cosplay ideas.
10. Otaku Blogger: If you are interested in Japanese anime and other artforms from that country, Otaku Blogger may be the place for you. There is also cosplay images and information. At the very least, you can get some good ideas for your own character costumes.
11. Mint Cafe: Jo rants about life in general, but she is also very interested in cosplay. She considers cosplay a hobby — something she does when not studying and working on her degree at SUNY Geneseo. Her cosplay photos can be seen on the blog, and many of them are pretty good.
12. Made By Kali: Kali enjoys cosplay, and features it on her blog. Also featured are character skins, artwork and other items of interest to those who take their fiction a little more seriously.
13. alafista.com: A look at Otaku culture, as well as how it fuses with pop culture. Alafista is from Singapore and has an interest in Japanese culture, particularly in anime. The blog features cosplay, including a recent post on the South East Asia Regional Cosplay Championships. News about happenings in cosplay and other items related to Japanese Otaku culture can be found, along with some great images and ideas for your own costumes and characters.
14. Diary of an Otaku Madwoman: The focus of this blog is on anime cosplay. The madwoman provides images and information about cosplay, mostly her own. Some of her costumes are pretty good.
15. Sexy Cosplay Gallery: Despite the name, the cosplay images on this blog look pretty safe for work, and there are quite a few elaborate images of fantastic cosplay. The blog is run by an Indonesian Muslim working on a degree in mathematics and IT.
16. Brass Antlers — Musings: This blog focuses on cosplay and particularly good cosplayers. Miss Etherington is a cosplayer as well, and has personal insights to share about games, life and cosplay.
17. Cosplay-Time: Get interesting commentary on different cosplay efforts. Critiques of cosplay can help you tweak your own costume.
18. Cosplay Classes: Alice provides helpful information on how to build costumes (even on a budget) and tutorials on cosplay. There aren’t a lot of pictures, but the blog is interesting nonetheless, and includes some profiles of well-known cosplayers.
19. Celebrities Costume and Cosplay: Think that cosplay is only for geeks? There are celebrities that get into cosplay as well. From Kate Beckinsale as Little Red Riding Hood to Kim Kardashian as Wonder Woman, this blog serves as a gallery of images featuring celebrities wearing costumes in honor of a variety of characters.
20. Philippines Anime, Cosplay, Toy Collections & eGames Convention blog: This blog for a Philippines convention includes articles on cosplay, news updates and images of particularly good character representations.

Bonus: If you’re looking to join an online cosplay community, you might consider Cosplay.com or A Cosplay Paradise. Both feature forums and image galleries about cosplay. You can learn about other cosplayers and interact with them online. Upload your own cosplays and get feedback. These are great places to go if you want to further immerse yourself in the world of cosplay.

And, of course, Halloween is coming up soon, so be sure to check out our Halloween costumes, costume makeup and costume accessories to help with your own cosplay creations.

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