Enako: Do ​​what you love for a living! I want to make this a job that anime fans can pursue with confidence.

Cosplayers　Enako

■ Profile
She is a globally active cosplayer who also serves as a Cool Japan Public Relations Ambassador for the Cabinet Office. She has expanded her activities to various fields, including television, events, games, and commercials, and has made great strides in gravure modeling, winning the Cover Girl Award for two consecutive years in 2021 and 2022. In June 2023, she released a cosplay photo book in collaboration with "Dragon Ball," "Naruto," "One Piece," and more.

What motivated you to start your current job?

It all started when I was in middle school and a friend invited me to cosplay. At first it was just simple cosplay where I just put on a costume, but as I went on to high school and university, I got more serious about it. I started practicing makeup, which I was not good at, and worked hard on my body shape.
On my days off, I actively participated in cosplay events at Comiket, and that's how I met the president of my current agency.

■What do you keep in mind as a cosplayer?

Cosplayers sometimes hear from viewers that "this character isn't like this," and I've actually thought the same thing myself. When cosplaying as a hobby, you can decide everything yourself, from the material of the costume to the composition of the photo, but when it comes to work, most of those things are already decided. Even if you think "this character's costume should be a one-piece dress," if you're asked to wear pants, you have to wear pants.
On the other hand, my opinions have been reflected more often recently. I was very happy that my opinions about the materials were reflected in the cosplay costume of Hoshino Ai from "Oshi no Ko" included in the recently released "cosplayer2." In order to have my opinions taken into account, I have recently been working hard with the goal of "raising the status of cosplayers."
It's still early days since cosplaying became recognized as a profession. That's why I try to be conscious of not making inappropriate comments on TV or social media, and I try to take on new jobs that other cosplayers haven't tried yet. I want to make cosplaying a profession that people who love anime and want to become cosplayers, like me, can pursue with confidence.

■Message to students

When I was in college, I didn't know what I wanted to do in the future, and I was confused and anxious. But now that I've been able to turn what I love into a job, I've realized that "no matter what kind of failure you make, it won't cost you your life, so don't be afraid of failure." If you fail, I think it's okay to change course immediately. Don't think too much about the future, just enjoy the present!

Student Newspaper, October 1, 2023 Issue, Chuo University, 2nd Year, Maeda Renpo

Filming assistance: Photographer Seita Hirota