Cosplay queen just wants to have fun

Yau Wong Siu-lun wants the world to know that underneath the make-up and outrageous costumes, cosplayers are real people, too.

"Most of us are just dressing up for fun," she says. "We don't really think we are these characters, although that is what a lot of people seem to think about us. We know it's not real and we just want to have some fun."

Next week will see Hong Kong's legion of comic, animation and game obsessives dusting off their costumes before the annual Ani-Com & Games fair kicks off at the Hong Kong Convention and Exhibition Centre, which this year runs from July 25 to July 29.

Cosplayers use the occasion to come out and greet the public dressed up in the guise of their heroes (the phrase comes from a combination of the word "costume" and the phrase "role playing") and for the past seven years, Wong has been a shining light of the fair's cosplay competition: last year, she won again, dressed impressively as the Spider Queen from the video game Diablo. This year she'll be using her skills for a greater purpose, says the "20-something" hospital worker. "I've been asked to be a judge this year as I have won the event seven times now. I think it will be more fun letting someone else have a chance and maybe giving them advice."

Cosplayers have had a bit of a tough time in recent years with the more conservative of Hong Kong's thought police questioning the effect that living out such fantasies can have on young, growing minds. And various schools have moved to discourage students from joining cosplaying groups.

While respectful of such concerns, Wong believes people sometimes miss the point when it comes to cosplaying. "It's about getting together with friends. We don't do any harm to anyone. I always tell students that cosplaying is for fun and they shouldn't forget their homework or make it all they do in life. This is important - things like family are important, they come first. You can't make cosplaying your whole life, but it is great to make it a part of your life."

Over the past year, Wong's success as a cosplayer has led to speaking engagements with schools and social groups, and she has been spreading that positive message. "Everybody knows that life is about balancing things," she says. "So I keep telling the students this."

Wong says she has found many like-minded individuals among the student population: the path that has led her towards cosplaying is a common one, she believes. As a child, Wong bought comics and was captivated by animation on television and on the big screen - and now, by the animated imagery that surrounds us.