For many, cosplay is one of the only opportunities someone gets to really express themselves. Not only is it a creative outlet to do so, but it can also be incredibly beneficial to the health and wellbeing of the creator, which is a sentiment I've heard a number of content creators express over the years. But to get more of a sense of the impact cosplaying for social media and events has on a person, I spoke to Kaho Shibuya, author, contest host, and avid cosplayer with over 1.2 million followers on Instagram alone, to understand how she started her cosplay journey, what it's like to be so involved in the community, and any impact it's made over the years.
"I became Kaho Shibuya back in November 2014," Shibuya tells me. "Initially, I was still not sure about social media, but I think I started with blogging. I don't have a blog anymore, but I moved to Twitter—X—now, and then Instagram, where it's more about photos and selfies. I kind of got tired of having the same look.
