Heroes of Cosplay aired on August 13 on SyFy and the show has recently ended it’s first season. There was a lot of speculation about the show before it aired and while it was airing, a lot of cosplayers and fans of cosplay were disappointed with what they saw on the show. The show portrays a group of women (and one man) and their adventures at various conventions. The majority of the cast are huge icons in the cosplay world and some of them sell prints, accessories, and materials pertaining to cosplay and it’s craft. One of the cast members in particular is Yaya Han, a woman who has been cosplaying for over 13 years and seen as “the ambassador of cosplay”. As a fan of cosplay, I was looking forward to learning more about these famous cosplayers, their work, and what it’s like to be a high profile cosplayer. What I got? A show that was full of crafted drama, intense cutting and editing of scenes, and huge egos. This show was not at all what I expected.
Yaya Han cosplaying as Chun Li from Street Fighter.
After watching the first season of Heroes of Cosplay, I came to the realization that Heroes of Cosplay is definitely not a show for cosplayers. So if Heroes of Cosplay isn’t a show for cosplayers, what exactly was the point of the show and why did these prestigious cosplayers risk their images and brand for starring in it? Well, it’s simple. If you’re familiar with cosplay and anime or geek conventions, then you will know what it’s like to walk out of the convention in your costume, go to a local McDonalds, and be wildly stared at by various eyes. Billy Bob and Mary Jane go to McDonalds with their kids and are completely unaware of what exactly an anime convention is and they see you walk in with your gravity defying wig and armor crafted from worbla and you KNOW they’re just thinking, “what in the WORLD!?”. Heroes of Cosplay was made for those people. The people who do not know what it’s like to walk into an anime convention and see your favorite fictional characters walking around in real life, the people who don’t know what anime is, and especially for the people who enjoy watching drama on television.
Some people actually enjoy seeing cosplay in public places.
Now don’t get me wrong. I know of plenty of cosplayers and geeks who actually did enjoy watching Heroes of Cosplay but the show just wasn’t made for us. Heroes of Cosplay was made to sell to those people who don’t understand why we dress up as fictional characters. It focuses on the competition even though a lot of cosplayers know that cosplay isn’t just about competing but about hanging out with your friends, being with people who are just like you, and sharing a love for fandom. We all know that but explaining this to an audience that is completely ignorant to this, well, it just doesn’t sell. The dramatic cuts and editing reminded me of watching a craptastic reality television show which I usually avoid for the sheer fact that most of it is just fabricated for the audience. It’s what modern day television enthusiasts want and watch.
Yaya, Jessica, Riki, and Monika from Heroes of Cosplay.
Whether or not Heroes of Cosplay is good for the cosplay community, it is at least giving some of those that have no idea what cosplay is some insight in our world. I was one of those geeks that looked forward to seeing this show but was extremely disappointed, however, after I realized that this wasn’t a show for me; I began to enjoy the show for what it was to those who know nothing about cosplay. It’s just something to entertain those who don’t understand or aren’t knowledgeable. I’m not sure if Heroes of Cosplay will receive a second season but as a geek and cosplayer, I enjoyed the show even if it was just for the rare moments the cast showed how their costumes were crafted.