For the life of a costume player, spending hours of work and a sizeable amount of money on entry fees, special passes, props, and costumes is a must. Costume players, or cosplayers, from around the globe gather at anime conventions to meet other fans of their favorite shows and show off their months of hard work. Among them is sophomore Zoe Jones.

Zoe’s love for cosplaying began only a year ago, and she now displays her costumes at conventions such as the Anime Matsuri.

“I don’t know if I can pinpoint exactly what makes it so fun, but some of the best parts are getting asked to take pictures and at least looking like a hero, if only for a little while,” Zoe said.

The novelty of stepping out of her body and into someone else’s has always been appealing to Zoe, according to her mother, Lynn Jones.

“Zoe has always been a huge fan of the fantasy of costumes and dressing up,” Lynn said. “Halloween was always one of her favorite holidays.”

The process of cosplaying can be both challenging and expensive. Her current cosplay costs roughly $75 to $80, and took several late nights and three trips to various fabric stores.

“It is a bonding time for Zoe and me,” Lynn said.  “We laugh a lot while I am trying to figure out how to fit the pieces together. When I see how happy I have made her, it makes it all worth while.”

In one particular instance, a young girl went up to Zoe while she was dressed as Pikachu and hesitantly asked if Zoe would take a picture with her.

“It was so cute,” Zoe said. “It’s moments like that that make me really proud.”