Cosplayers to Watch: Hijab Cosplayer Miisa (Photos and Interview)

If you enjoy cosplay or have been following anime-related or even fashion-related news, there's a good chance you've seen Miisa before. As one of the leading figures in the hijab cosplay movement, the 22-year-old native of Kangar, Malaysia, has not only appeared in local media such as the New Straits Times but also cosplay-specific media like Cosplay News Network and Goboiano, more general media like Buzzfeed, Nerdist and Nextshark, Japanese media like YouPouch and WithNews and even Elle. Thanks in large part to her love of the characters, her passion for cosplay, her makeup skills and her innovations in using the hijab in ways that remain faithful to the characters' look, she has helped to put hijab cosplay on the map and inspired a new generation of cosplayers in the process.

Interview

grape Japan (gJ): Since when have you been cosplaying?

Miisa: I started showing interest in cosplay in December 2015. Then, I slowly started cosplaying around 2016, and I've been more active from 2017 until now.

gJ: Why do you cosplay?

Miisa: Cosplay is something I thought was very new and weird when I first learned about it. It's so common to see cosplayers on the internet wearing wigs, so I thought: "Why not cosplay with hijab?" That's when I got started. Also, I love the characters. I think it's great that anyone can be their favorite character and that makes me want to cosplay. And, of course, I want to bring the character alive. I imagine I'd love to be the person/character I cosplay. Then, there's also the fact that the costumes and clothes are beautiful and sometimes looks so cool. Finally, I love experimenting with new makeup looks. Thanks to all those things, it just naturally happened and I decided to do hijab cosplay.

gJ: Do you have a particularly memorable cosplay experience?

Miisa: I have a few memorable experiences that I would like to share with you. First, I was featured in a local Malaysian newspaper in a story about hijab cosplayers. I was also exclusively interviewed along with a few hijab cosplayer friends in 2017. It was so overwhelming. I was also being featured in lots of online articles across the internet. Not long after that, I was invited to an overseas events as a guest cosplayer but I declined because my parents didn’t allow me to go.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

Second, in 2018, I was a guest judge cosplayer at a small local toy and hobby event, the Kulim Collector Hobbies Fest.

And the third one is very recent. On April 13th, I participated in the Cosplay Competition at Cosplay Stories in Kedah, Malaysia, doing a skit performance from Cardcaptor Sakura. I never expected to win and just enjoyed the moment performing on stage, so I was so happy when I actually won the competition! If I have the chance, I would like to have more experience participating in such events in the future.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Do you make your own cosplay outfits?

Miisa: For most of the costumes I own, I bought them online. Some of them I tailored and customized the design to make it more proper for me to wear. I've designed my own costumes and made my own hair accessories/props like a katana, too. I’m still learning how to make things in my free time.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: What unique challenges are there in cosplaying in hijab?

Miisa: The first challenge for me is choosing the character I'll cosplay. I have to be careful what kind of character I’m going for. It must not be associated with anything sensitive or related to religion or deities. Of course, the costume also needs to look proper, not too sexy or revealing. Then, the hijab styling is quite challenging and I’m still struggling with it. It's especially hard when I want to try out a new styling that I've never done before.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Do all the characters you cosplay have something in common? If so, what is it?

Miisa: I think I cosplay many blonde characters! Aside from that, they all have different background stories and personalities, and I love them all!

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Is there anything you particularly pay attention to when you cosplay?

Miisa: That would be the accuracy of the hijab's color, which should be similar to the character’s hair color. I also pay a lot of attention to makeup. These are so important in cosplay. As a hijab cosplayer, making your hijab styling similar to the character's hair shape and style is optional but if your hijab's color is different, it will be hard for people to know what character you're cosplaying. Makeup also plays a big role in cosplay, so I put so much effort into doing eye makeup and putting in colored contact lenses. I love doing makeup. It’s like a passion to me because I want to be just like the character that I cosplay.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Have you participated in cosplay events outside of Malaysia?

Miisa: No, but I wish that one day I'll be able to attend a Western cosplay event. Actually, I really want to cosplay at BlizzCon since I’m a huge fan of Overwatch!

gJ: What do you think about your role in promoting hijab cosplay?

Miisa: Since hijab cosplay gets so much exposure on local TV shows here in Malaysia and in online media, I believe there are many girls out there who want to try it out for themselves. I always encourage them, advise them on how to get started and try to inspire them to be more creative with their hijab styling. I’m so proud of them. Many of them have turned into really unique cosplayers who are creative in their own wonderful ways.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Do you have hobbies apart from cosplaying?

Miisa: When I have free time, I play video games, do makeup look videos on Youtube, and enjoy crafting such as making felt dolls.

Photo courtesy of Miisa

gJ: Finally, would you like to say anything to grape Japan readers?

Miisa: Hello, everyone. Thank you so much for reading! I hope you've learned about me and how hijab cosplay is a unique way to cosplay. Please shower me with lots of love and support! I will continue cosplaying in hijab, improving myself, and hopefully, I'll have the opportunity to visit Japan one day!