Hi! I was going to an anime convention and i was wondering what type of cosplays are aloud. I'm not too much of a fan of anime, but my friends are....

As far as whats aloud, do you see VideoGames? Movies? Furries? Comic books? Homestruck?

I know people cosplay as theses, but are they common at anime conventions even though they are not anime? Is it frowned upon to dress up as ironman or something?

Also.....How do you get people to take pictures of you? I seen people having photoshoots....uhh

I live in scandinavia so I am not sure if things are different here, but I've been to anime conventions with more homestuck cosplayers than actual anime cosplayers. Video game cosplays are also common even though it's mostly stuff like final fantasy, legend of zelda, kingdom hearts and such. Deadpools are also common regardless of convention, so I don't think cosplaying as something not anime is an issue at all. Anything is allowed, and generally the only thing that is frowned upon is when you obviously put no effort into your costume. If your costume is well made it doesn't matter weither you're ironman, naruto or whatever I think.

As for getting people to take pictures of you, I haven't personally cosplayed but I think you just find people you want to take photos with and ask? And if the person you're cosplaying is well known and so people are likely to ask to take pictures of you as well. I think there are also professional photographers that you can hire, but that isn't really a thing where I live.

Do you have any idea of who you'd want to cosplay?

At an anime convention, you typically find all kinds, including the ones you listed. Nothing I've seen is really frowned upon (so long as it isn't inherently offensive or crude). It's gaming conventions, comic, etc. conventions where deviating from the con's basis might be side-eyed? I don't see many homestuck trolls and Hatsune Mikus at dragoncon, for instance.

An exception is Comic Con. Because it's so massive, it's just as all-inclusive as an anime convention. The larger the convention, the broader range of cosplay genres.

People will pop up and ask to take a photo if they want to. Most are polite about it, some not so polite. Be aware of your boundaries. Check out public photoshoots if they interest you, most of the time you can hop in.

Like , I'm from Scandinavia and thus the cons I go to might differentiate a bit from US/UK conventions. At least here though, you can cosplay/dress up as anything you want as long as it's not offensive or otherwise harmful or dangerous - but other than that, there's no restrictions as to what you can cosplay, unless the con is specified as 'only for X fans'. A good indicator is to check what kind of panels and other programs the con has to offer - usually they range from video games to anime to western tv shows and generic geek culture, in which case I'd say that it's definitely safe to cosplay as whatever you want!

From what I've seen, each year there's more western series cosplays, anything from tv shows and movies to cartoons and comics (and Homestuck). Anime cosplays of course still appear, as do fursuits, so I'd say it's up to you and what interests you personally.

At least in Finland, larger props such as massive weapons / other things that might get in the way of other people in cramped spaces should be left in safekeeping/cloakroom if you are not taking photos or doing something else that requires said props. I don't think sharp weapons are permitted at all unless they are made from a material that cannot be used for an actual weapon (ie. no metal swords etc), and any realistic-looking gun props require checking before you are allowed on the event grounds, and must be marked by staff.

What comes to photographing, usually fellow con-goers might ask for a photo of your costume, but there's most likely also an actual photographing area / booth for more professional-looking photos. The ones I've seen have been free, but I wouldn't say it's impossible for them to charge a small fee for taking your photo, either. At least here there's also random photographers mingling in the crowd and you might ask them to take your photo / set up a photoshoot, but tbh I've got no clue how that works and how expensive it might be. Another option is to arrange shoots with your friends, if any of you have any camera equipment.

Good luck though, and have fun! :D

I attend Sakura-con every year, and I always see a wide range of cosplay from anime/manga to video games to comics/webcomics and sci-fi shows. I've never seen any problems with dressing up from something that isn't anime at an anime convention, but Sakura-con's also large enough that there's a wide range of interests among the attendees and it shows in the panel variety.

There's usually a photo booth set up if you would like to pay for photos, and con-goers may also ask to take a photo. Larger conventions will have photoshoots organized by some cosplay groups, although each convention handles photoshoots differently. A lot of people arrange photos with friends, to make it easier.

Most importantly, if you're attending a con, have fun!

Almost anything is allowed. You can goes as video game characters, movie characters, cartoon characters or anything even if its just a anime convention. Sundays tend to be family friendly days and when most people (at least at the cons I've attended) dress in more casual cosplays. Huge props are generally discouraged because they can be damaged as well as cause traffic jams. If the prop is a weapon of some sort it has to be tagged as well. Any real weapons can't be taken. A lot of people will be taking photos, so you'll probably be approached a few times. When I attended Sakura-con last year there where a few photoshoots going around where you can just join if you're part of that series. I went around as Princess Bubblegum from Adventure Time and ran into some AT cosplayers who informed me and my partner of the photoshoot. Sometimes there will be facebook groups going around to inform people of the shoots. Some shoots though are exclusive for a group of friends so it'd be a good idea to ask if its an open photoshoot. It all varies by con too. Also if you're cosplaying someone from a series that has a smaller fanbase or cosplaying a minor character , you'll most likely be stopped less often for photos by people. Either way have fun!

I've only gone to one specific con, but I've gone about 7 times now cosplaying as different characters each time, so I think I can give my two cents.

1. Anything is free game, as long as it follows the guidelines for that specific con's regulations. Check their website, and most of your first time questions should be answered there! There are regulations on certain things like props (no to-human-scale final fantasy weapons that don't fit in the doorway or props that are actual functioning weapons, for example) or costumes (some cons don't allow a certain level of revealing clothing, this has been a problem with my friends cosplaying Free! characters). You really can go as any character; I've gone as videogames (Miss Pauling from TF2), anime (One Piece, RWBY), and homestuck! Just be conscious of your props, makeup, and behavior that it doesn't accidentally bump/rub off/disturb anyone else - a main complaint is that people sometimes get a little too much in character or they see others as that character and harass cosplayers for the things their character has done.

2. The con's website might have a schedule for meetups/photoshoots! These tell the day, time, and location for specific fandom meetups, which are lead and organized by fellow cosplayers! These are really fun, because how it generally works is that the leader calls out characters or groups or pairings to come up for pictures (for example, an ATLA meetup had Amon stealing multiple Korras' bending at once, or Suki and Yue fighting over Sokka). It's fast paced and quick to make sure it all happens in the allotted hour, but it's great fun. Also, check tumblr or facebook for unofficial gatherings if your con doesn't have any official ones (big cons might not, I don't know for sure). Don't be afraid to ask cosplayers from your series around the con if there's a meetup/photoshoot going on that weekend.

3. If you want to take pictures with someone, don't be afraid to ask! Chances are, the cosplayer you want a picture with/of is elated that you want to take one. I'm always happy that people want to take pictures with me because I did a good job on my costume, or people recognize my character since one of my main cosplays isn't one many other people do, so I'm usually the only person cosplaying that character there. I've had a friend make an amazing cosplay and we were stopped every few feet for a picture of her, haha! It's really not a bother to take a picture with or of someone, I love doing it with characters that my own cosplay goes with. As for people taking pictures of you, it kind of just happens when you're not at a meetup. It depends on who/what series you're cosplaying from, so more flashier/popular cosplays sometimes get more pictures (I say this because there are some more professional photographers attending the con as well). Don't go in with this in mind, however, because your first cosplay should be something you want to be because you love the series/character, not for the attention.

I think that's it, but if you have any more questions, feel free to ask! And I hope you have a fun time!

I've been to NYC ComicCon and AnimeNext, and lemme tell you, both conventions had a fair shair of comic book, anime, video game, homestuck, and furry cosplayers.

I saw some people in costume that apparently weren't characters for anything, the person just wanted to dress up weird.

I've seen everything from people cosplaying Battle Toads and Pac-Man to just dressing up like an obscure character out of a Frazetta painting. It seems to me that the bigger the convention, the broader your options. I've been to small cons held in a hotel in Reno to massive ones like Anime Expo in LA, and it seems to me that there aren't so many "rules" as to what you can cosplay, so long as you don't have a live weapon on your costume (or, if you made a very convincing fake to match your cosplay, they make you turn it in for holding or put a bright tag on it depending on the convention rules).

Some people will ask to take a picture, and some people will even help you out and take a picture for you if you'd like one of yourself for a portfolio or just sharing with friends. Most situations I've seen, people are overall very courteous with pictures. The only situations where I've "seen" people being rude is usually on some online blog where an overzealous fanboy/girl had to go on a rant about someone's cosplay design or being sexist or whatever. I've never seen it occur in real life and most of my personal experiences have been pleasant, so I don't know if I'm just oblivious to people being rude or if a lot of it is bred from internet drama.

TL;DR - Cosplay what you want and have fun.

The cons I've been to everyone cosplays what they like--Hey, I have even an Easter Bunny same person every year- Da' Bunny. There are arranged photo shoots, but hey I always have people to and ask for photos even when it's not a main character.

It's all about enjoying yourself.