The cosplayers, known by their stage names “Chihiro”, “Liui”, and “Hikarin”, who are from Taiwan, the Philippines, and Canada respectively, were among the featured guests at Comic Fiesta (CF) 2017, Malaysia’s largest anime, comics, and video games (ACG) convention, which was held at the Kuala Lumpur Convention Centre.
The three of them have all amassed large fan followings, combining for almost 600,000 likes on Facebook, and just over 550,000 followers on Instagram.
In a press conference during CF on Sunday, the three cosplayers spoke about various experiences and memories from their time cosplaying.
When asked about how they choose which characters to cosplay, Liui said: “We cosplay what we want. No one should decide for anyone which character to cosplay.”
Hikarin added: “When I do cosplay, I love doing it. So when I choose a character, I’m really not affected by what other people want to see from me.”
Nevertheless, she also said that it was fortunate that her fans tend to enjoy the same type of characters.
Chihiro said cosplay was her way of expressing herself.
“Cosplay is not stressful, cosplay is very fun. It’s how I share my happiness of being in the cosplay community,” she said.
Chihiro also said that this was her fourth time in Malaysia for an ACG event, with her first time having been in 2015. The 2015 event was her first time abroad for an ACG event as a featured cosplayer. She considers the fans in Malaysia to be very friendly and welcoming.
Hikarin was also extremely impressed with how the event was run. “CF 2017 is one of the best events I’ve been to. What I’m truly impressed with is how the guests are treated,” she said, adding that the staff were quick to respond to requests.
Finally, Liui made it clear that he, as well as the other two cosplayers, were not in cosplay for financial gain, but for the sheer love of cosplay.
“The best memories of every convention are seeing your achievements, as your hard work pays off,” he said.
“It’s not about material gains, it’s about being with friends.”