As I scanned the room in my Introduction to Linguistics class, I could not help but notice a girl with the prettiest goddess makeup look. I remember showering the girl with compliments since I was mesmerized by how perfectly blended her orange eyeshadow was. I remember the smile she gave as she proceeded to answer my questions with kindness. We added each other on Facebook and that is when I learned that she is a cosplay queen. That is how I met Natasha Abrams.
Natasha Abrams is a San Germán native who is 19-years-old and studies English Education Elementary level. Trust me when I say that she is the quirkiest and the most fashion-forward dresser; she always sports the CUTEST hairstyles and the hippest outfits. She is an advocate for recycling, and she feels passionate about it since most of her cosplay costumes are made from recycled materials.
– HC: How did you get into Cosplaying?
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NA: It was like seven years, in 2011. I liked to watch a lot of anime and YouTube, so one day I found a video about a convention. This was my first encounter with what a convention was since I did not even know they existed. Once I discovered what they were, I saw people dressed up and I did not feel alone because I thought I was the only person who watched anime. I wanted to be like the people in the video and dress up like my favorite anime character. So, I looked for conventions in Puerto Rico and I found the Puerto Rico Comic Con, which they do every year. My first one was in 2011.
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Natasha shows me pictures of her cosplay and says: I don’t even look like the actual character but that is what I want to show everyone. It doesn’t matter how small you start; the progress will always be there. Just look forward to the future, where you will be fully developed. I still do not consider myself to be fully developed since I have so much to learn.
– HC: How did you get started?
NA: I started out with a small cosplay. It was Liz (Elizabeth Thompson) from Soul Eater. It wasn’t that great to be honest but I was just happy that I got to dress up like a character from one of my favorite animes. Once I arrived at the Con (Puerto Rico Comic Con), I was so nervous but I felt so welcomed. They started taking pictures of me, even if they didn’t recognize who I was. I went crazy for the anime booths and I took so many pictures of the space and the people, I even have a photo album dedicated to it.
-HC: What do you do in these conventions?
NA: When I’m at these conventions, I like to take pictures of other people’s cosplays especially those who are just starting out on their cosplay adventure. I love giving them compliments since I want to make them feel how I felt when I first started. The compliments I received really motivated me to keep going and I wanted to give that back. I like making people happy and I like seeing my progress. Ever since my first Con, Cosplay has become so meaningful to me. I can’t describe the feeling, it’s so big in my life right now.
-HC: How has Cosplay affected your life?
NA: Cosplay is super fun but it helped improve my social skills. I still don’t have many but I’m still growing. It improved my social life since it has given me so many friends, and I appreciate them so much since they have inspired and helped me with my cosplay adventure and to keep going. They started out as strangers but now they are my treasured friends.
-HC: What is your main goal with Cosplay?
NA: A goal right now is to inspire the world. I’m trying to do a cosplay each month since I like to see the happy reaction of others and it makes me happy just doing them. But, my main goal is to go to a convention in the United States since they are HUGE! Once I go there, I hope to improve my cosplay, make more friends and become well-known, like “There goes Natasha!”
-HC: How do you think you can incorporate cosplay as a future teacher?
NA: As a future teacher, I’d like to welcome students to the world of cosplay. Cosplay is so diverse. Whenever you go to conventions, you see different types of people cosplaying and you notice that cosplay is for everyone. This is where I like to be. This is where I’m meant to be. No matter what your body type is, who you are or what you like, you can cosplay. You are free. You feel free. No one is going to judge. The community is a family. It feels like home.
I heard her voice become so passionate towards this topic. Cosplaying is what she is meant to do. That is her happy place and I am so happy to have been able to learn about a community that is made fun by society. Cosplaying is for people to express their love for characters but it is also a place to express who they really are and I am happy this is a community that exists. I am so grateful that Natasha was so happy to tell me all about it. I am happy that I got to learn and write about a topic that means so much to her.