With only a few remaining days before the first school bell rings, teens are soaking up the last bit of summer fun as carefree summer nights transition into structured school evenings. Ending the summer with teen-centered celebrations, the Cherry Hill library gave teens not only a space to catch up with old friends, but also a chance to make new ones, as adolescents from a wide range of backgrounds came together one late August evening with a common interest: cosplay!
Cosplay, short for “costume play”, is a hobby where people dress up as characters from movies, books, anime, and video games. Fans use these outfits to look like their favorite heroes or villains.
There’s something refreshing about witnessing teenagers step back from their cell phones and engage in the conversations happening all around them. As the Children’s Story Time & Craft Room transformed into Teen Comic-Con, an evening of discussion, laughter, and creativity was had without a phone in sight.
For just over two hours, the space was animated by the glass marble inside the caps of the famous Japanese Ramune Soda bottles that rattled in the air, the on-screen action from the anime Promare, which filled any gaps of silence, and teens who stepped out in their finest renditions of their most beloved cosplays. The evening’s most eye-catching outfits ranged from Sailor Moon, a dramaticized take on a Japanese schoolgirl uniform complete with a white and royal blue ensemble, bright red bows, and accompanying long white gloves, to Deku from My Hero Academia, whose signature look features a green and red hero suit completed by bright green spiky hair.
The creative team behind the evening’s anime festivities included the Cherry Hill Library’s very own Library Page, Ashley Meter, and Teen Librarian, Talie Meza, who were just as enthusiastic about participating in cosplay as the teens that surrounded them. Adorned in their own creative cosplay, the two also share the belief that community spaces like the Cherry Hill Library should include creative events like Cosplay Night as part of their programming.
Though it was the library’s first teen cosplay night since this group of youth became teenagers, Ashley has long been familiar with the cosplay culture in the heart of town before the event returned. While she used to participate in the Cosplay nights before COVID, when the library decided to bring back the event, Ashley experienced a whole new wave of anime-loving teens.
“When I used to go, I did make a lot of friends from it, and that’s why I love this program,” remarked Ashley. “It’s cool to make friends with people who have the same interest as you, and there’s a lot of people that have an interest in this hobby.”
While the origins of cosplay can be traced back to Japanese theater and its range of elaborate costumes and makeup, it wasn’t until the 1980s that the fantasy dress-up world grew in popularity in the Western world alongside the rise of manga and anime. From its culturally rooted origins, cosplay has grown into an inclusive world that people of all ages and backgrounds can enjoy, as people worldwide have built a community around their favorite characters.
For Talie, cosplay has offered more than community; it has given her a hobby that has shaped her as a person. “Cosplay has helped me with my confidence,” the librarian shared, in a costume she built from the ground up using a mix of thrifted and handcrafted material. “As long as you’re having fun, that’s what people care about most. I don’t compete in competitions, so it’s more about enjoying yourself and having fun showing that you love a character creatively.”
Teens left the Aug. 17 event with raffled prizes of discarded manga books and collections of posters.
As teens smiled for group photos, raved about the night’s most popular Japanese snack, and most importantly left with their raffled prizes of discarded manga books and collections of posters, a night of fun unfolded at the Cherry Hill Library. The evening was more than an opportunity for teens to dress up as their favorite characters; it was a chance to create lasting memories for Cherry Hill’s next generation of cosplayers.
September’s calendar at the Cherry Hill Library offers several additional teen-specific events, including Dungeons & Dragons Character Building on Sept. 14 at 7 p.m.; Craft & Sip: Candle Painting on Sept. 21 at 7 p.m.; Crafter Hours: DIY Beaded Plant on Sept. 22 at 7 p.m.; Fall Nail Art for Tweens/Teen on Sept. 29 at 6 p.m.; and Mindful Art for Tweens & Teens on Sept. 30 at 6:30 p.m.
