Hmmm, lets’ approach this with my personal pros of cosplaying first:

• I’d get to dress up in an awesome costume and have adoring fans want their picture taken with me.
• I’d meet new people.
• The ol’ creative muscle will get flexed.
• I’d get to sew a challenging costume.

Let’s look at the cons of cosplaying:

• Fans wouldn’t want their picture with me, they’d want their picture with the character.
• I’d meet new people.
• To do a costume justice would potentially cost hundreds of dollars and hundreds of hours.
• The ol’ creative muscle might get torn.
• I might get glomped, which might lead to a ripped costume, which would then lead to me behind bars for beating someone to death with a cosplay prop.

The number one reason I don’t cosplay, however is:

• I look nothing like my favorite characters.

What gets me, is some people dress up as cool looking characters they have zero connection with. They’ve never even watched the anime their cosplay’s in. It’s like wearing a band shirt and you don’t own any of the band’s albums or listen to their music. Posers. If I were to dress up as a character, it’d be a proper homage to one I like.

I like good cosplay, don’t get me wrong, but one of the reasons some cosplays just don’t work out is because the person wearing it doesn’t go the extra mile. If you’re not ripped and you’re playing a ripped character, maybe choose a costume the character wears which hides your unripped-ness. Finagle with the hair or buy a really good wig. Dressing like the character is only a part of the cosplay. Frankly, I just don’t look good in costumes, which, ahem, hug curves.

Those are my reasons I don’t cosplay. I like cosplay, though. It’s fun and something which fans of it bond over. That’s gotta be a good thing. If you don’t cosplay, what’s keeping you? Do you think it’s stupid and a waste of time and energy? Do you just like to gawk at the lovely and scantily clad ladies? Are you wanting to cosplay but can’t sew? Is shyness your issue? C’mon, dish: What’s keeping you from cosplaying?

Please share your reasons, in the comments below, for not dressing up as your fave character! (Even the “lame” ones.)