The second half of Heroes of Cosplay season one returns to the SyFy channel by starting out with the new Stan Lee Comikaze competition in Los Angeles. There are two categories at the event, individual and group.
The season’s first episode follows Holly Conrad, Chloe Dykstra, Jessica Merizan, Yaya Han, Jessie Lagers and Indra Rojas who create their costumes and then pose in them in front of an appreciative crowd and judging panel.
Cosplay has been around since the 1980’s and it was only a matter of time before some network developed a reality television show around this artistic, enthusiastic and passionate pastime. Cosplayer participants dress as iconic characters from video games, comics, anime, manga et al.
Apparently the term was coined after Nobuyuki Takahashi attended the 1983 sci fi convention (Worldcon) in LA and being very impressed by the fans who dressed up for the event went on to invent the term of cosplay which is an amalgamation of costume and play.
SyFy’s Heroes of Cosplay focusses on 11 different cosplay participants and in the return of the second half of season one, six members are shown either getting ready for the Stan Lee show or interacting with one another.
Indra Rojas has gotten back into competing after a long hiatus and she seeks advice from her cosplay idol Yaya Han. Holly Conrad and Jessica Merizan ask Chloe Dykstra to join forces with them to compete as a group. She agrees to help if they join her risque “burlesque” style “ladies of the Internet” group. While both Holly and Jessica are outside their comfort zone by posing “half-naked” they agree.
Jesse Lagers seeks inspiration for his entry in the Stan Lee competition by hitting a retro gaming arcade. The three girls will be recreating characters from Pokemon Y, and Jesse’s trip to the arcade inspires him to go as Mega Man. Indra has decided to recreate her childhood hero She-Ra Masters of the Universe for the Comikaze event.
Yaya takes time to help Indra get back into competing. The famous cosplayer is generous and passes on what she has learned over the years. Han will not be participating at the Stan Lee competition as she has been invited to Argentina as a guest in the international cosplay event, Artec Cosplay.
Chloe, Jessica, and Holly have their work cut out as they must create from scratch, as most cosplayers do when making their costumes, a giant “flying” Yvetal Pokemon puppet costume. The other two Pokemon Y characters will be the French Poketrainer and a Fennekin (human style).
Indra works on her She-Ra chestplate with her boyfriend John who helps her to add a glowing jewel to the costume. Jesse rushes to finish his Mega Man helmet before flying down to Los Angeles.
Yaya is overwhelmed by the enthusiastic welcome she gets from the Artec Cosplay participants and press. Her time is spent doing a panel interview, posing for pictures and signing autographs.
This reality show is quite different from the usual fare on television. This group of people who give the art of dressing up as heroes in the comic book, video and pop culture world their all look fun and intense.
Best line of the episode award goes to Jessica who says, very seriously, that the cosplay experience is not “Bugs Bunny, it’s the real world.”
SyFy with the return of Heroes of Cosplay second half of season one, ends up at the Stan Lee Comikaze competition in LA and visits Artec Cosplay in Argentina. The network continues to deliver a fun reality, and great looking, show. The participants all seem likeable, fun and very focussed. This is a look at a growing pastime that participants appear to take very seriously and have a great time doing.
By Michael Smith
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