A little over six years ago, Ann Wong quit her full-time job as a visual merchandiser in Singapore following the birth of her daughter. She wanted to be “just a mother”, staying at home, giving all her time to her first child.
About a year later, depression hit.
“I had let myself go, I put on lots of weight and my confidence began to sink,” Wong recalls. “I used to be so driven when I was working, and I didn’t like what I saw in the mirror. I used to cry all the time.”
It was during this dark phase that Wong, 34, discovered cosplaying while on the internet.
“Because I was in job that was all about clothes and dressing up, I was naturally drawn to it,” she recalls.
Cosplaying, a combination of the words costume and play, is now a globally-recognised art form where people dress up in their favourite characters, from TV to comic books, movies and music. There’s big money involved with competitions held around the world.
And that’s what brings Wong, who adopted the name Yugana Senshi Uon, to the UAE this weekend for the first PopCon, taking place at Dubai Outlet Mall.
She will judge the Cosplay Authority Global Challenge (Cage) competition, with Dh25,000 at stake including an all-expenses-paid trip to the next world Cage competition. Wong, who is now a social media star thanks to her creative costumes, will also conduct a workshop.
She says she didn’t quite expect to become so well-known on the internet.
“It was just an escape for me, a creative outlet to help me regain my confidence,” she says. “But now I get invited to all the pop culture events around the world. It’s crazy.
Her six-year-old daughter, who she prefers to refer to as Mini Me, also cosplays with her now, and is seen in many of her photos.
She still considers cosplaying a hobby, however.
“And it still costs money, depending on how far you want to go, and the kind of details and media you want to use. That’s why I don’t want to encourage it as a career because monetising it is hard.”
While Wong has received many sponsorship deals, she prefers not to be tied down to a brand because it might limit her creativity.
“Cosplaying is all about [setting] your imagination free. If you work with one brand, you will be tied down. And that may not work,” she says. “I sometimes work with a contact lens brand because that’s useful for my costumes. But that’s about it.”
Wong says the best thing about cosplaying is the number of people she’s been able to reach through it.
“Through this I have been able to help so many people dealing with the things I dealt with and suffered quietly,” she says. “And I’ve been able to inspire them and help them gain their confidence back. That’s beautiful.”
Don’t miss it
Entry to PopCon Dubai is free, but meet-and-greets, workshops and signings are chargeable. For packages and tickets, go to platinumlist.net. For timings and a full schedule, go to popcon.com.
What Yugana is looking for
Ready to impress the cosplay judges at PopCon Dubai? Here are some of the things that Ann Wong, aka Yugana Senshi Uon, will be watching out for at the Cosplay Authority Global Challenge (Cage).
How you use make-up
“I am particular about the make-up and the whole look and feel. That’s where the tiny details are and I will look for how much thought has gone into it.”
How much fun you’re having
“Cosplay is all about having fun, to keep the positive, and push away the negative. Don’t let the negatives pull you down. Social media can be very mean and some cosplayers can be very specific. Don’t listen to them and show me you’re here to just enjoy.”
You are creating art
“Cosplaying is your art, it’s how you see things, it’s your vision. And it’s one where your race, religion or political beliefs doesn’t matter. Make sure you understand that and do not limit creativity.”
