Comic-cons.XYZ Exclusive is excited to talk to an amazing cosplayer, Maria Pereira. You can find her on Instagram as notagainmaria. Maybe you’ll see her at your next favorite anime convention.
What first got you interested in cosplay?
I’ve always been a big fan of all different types of media from video games to books, movies, anime etc. I wanted a way that I could express my adoration for these characters beyond just seeing them on the screen. I also followed many cosplayers on social media for a long time, and it just looked like a lot of fun! I decided one day to give it a try myself and suddenly I had found my creative outlet!
How many comic/anime conventions do you attend a year?
Despite having wanted to attend conventions for years, my very first one was Anime NYC 2021 almost exactly a year ago! I had such an amazing time and met so many great people that this year I’ve been making up for lost time and attending whatever large conventions I could including KatsuCon, MegaCon, Anime Expo and NYCC. Here’s to many more in the future!
If you could be any superhero or villain, who would it be?
I honestly feel like I’d make a terrible hero or villain- maybe someone in the morally grey area. But if I had to pick, I’d say someone from the Avatar universe. I’d just love to be bender of any element, or maybe the Avatar themself!
Which video game titles do you enjoy playing and which video game cosplay is your favorite?
Video games are definitely the area I’m most new to. Growing up I never had any kind of console or computer so to this day, almost all video game content I consume is through Youtube gameplays and playthroughs. I’ve cosplayed from some game franchises like Resident Evil, but the game I cosplay the most from right now is one that I actually do play- Genshin Impact. I find myself logging in almost daily, and I’m excited to have friends show me different games in the future! I’ve got a whole list of ones I want to try out! My favorite cosplay though has to be my Amber, Mona, or Beidou from Genshin Impact. It’s hard to choose just one because so much goes into them all and I adore all three characters!
Any advice you can give to fellow cosplayers on how to follow their dreams?
I feel like I could talk about this for ages and still find more to say! Remember that cosplay can come in many different forms. Everyone expresses themselves differently through cosplay so don’t feel like you have to do it a certain way to be “successful”. You don’t need the super expensive costumes or the amazing wigs, your passion for what you’re doing will be the thing to shine through in the end. The last thing would be to not measure your success in comparison to anyone else. You’re doing something you enjoy, and you’re progressing at your own rate.There will be other people who may move faster or slower than you and that’s okay! Your time will come just like everyone else. Just keep loving what you’re doing first and foremost.
