effort can overwrite skin color but only if you pick a character that you look good as. If you pick one with hair colors that clash with your skin or the outfit doesn't flatter your body then the skin color will just stand out as another thing wrong with the costume.

But if you pick one that you look amazing in no one will care if your a bit darker then the character

Sometimes, some characters just don't look good outside of White/Asian. The roster of black characters in anime is tragically thin, I agree. But a well crafted costume and perhaps some creative alterations can make for a unique and interesting cosplay

i have the same problem. it all depends on how confident and comfortable you are with yourself. i know of a black guy who cosplays axel; calls himself blaxel. people love him. he's comfortable with himself

>>4751789
This.

>>4751777
>If you pick one with hair colors that clash with your skin or the outfit doesn't flatter your body then the skin color will just stand out as another thing wrong with the costume.

This. So much this. It doesn't matter what your skin colour. I'm so pale white myself that I can't wear darker wigs without looking like something from a horror movie.

The color of your skin shouldn't limit your choice of cosplay. The only people who are going to criticize for not having the 'accurate' skin color are mouth-breathing racists and racists in denial (this includes people who treat black people cosplaying well-known white characters as some kind of a joke).

>>4751766
You better be damn good looking or have an awesome costume because otherwise your skin color is just going to attract (bad) attention/look even more inaccurate

/cgl/ isn't the place where you should ask this question because most of the time this will turn into some sort of race wank fest.

You should dress up in whatever costume you want to and just screw whatever people say. You're cosplay because you like the character and wanna have fun. Just have fun with it and be on your merry way.

>>4751829
This. Do what you want. You know what is funny? Its crazy how a lot of people on /cgl/ see a black person or a fat person cosplaying and say "GTFO of my fandom, you ruined my favorite character, you are a disgrace to the series, etc." That shit is the most weaboo shit I've ever heard. How can you hold a fictional character up to such high regards? I mean come on.

Every celebrates their fandom differently, and everyone has a right to show their appreciation for the character regardless of what they look like.

There is one thing I can say about black cosplayers for the most part that runs true most of the times. You know that whatever they're cosplaying they actually like and appreciate. Not because they look like them.

Best Squall is still black squall. Just saiyan.

OP here

Thanks for the advice, everyone. I normally chicken out and cosplay with a mask, but I think I'll try something different this time around. I'll choose my next cosplay carefully and try to be less self-conscious about how I look.

>simply boil down to the effort you put into your costume

>how confident and comfortable you are with yourself

pretty much this. Nobody would be making retarded demotivators about Black Link there if he had better fabric and a more detailed prop.

Pick something you look badass in, make it and yourself look as good as you can, then get out there like a boss and fuck the haters

>>4752206
Oh, you know what else is cool? Alt Colors.

One of the best I-Nos I saw was black. And she did a silver costume, like an alternate palette. It looked fucking incredible. It helps that she was hot as hell, but still, the contrast and the "something different" factor was striking. People like seeing new shiny things.

cosplay is viewed through 2 aspects
personal attractiveness
and
costume attractiveness
basically, if you have a good outfit and physically appealing, you'll make a great cosplay.
However, alot of people dont take to ethnic diversity among cosplay. But if you want to overcome peoples arrogant standards, you'll need to wow them with your outfit. Then race is overlooked (for most characters)
I would like to say that people are not that pretentious buuuut...

Anyone can be a good cosplayer, focus on your costume and how you present it. Take PT for example, she wouldn't get half the BS she gets if she made flattering poses, and worse costumes that complimented her figure.
Dont limit yourself based on your race, just choose your cosplay wisley. Just because you like a certain character doesn't mean it will fit you.
but cosplay is about being someone else, so if you feel comfortable cosplaying who ever you want, then I say GO FOR IT!!!!!!!! ^_^
....but thats just my 2 cents on cosplay ;)

Wow, as a black cosplayer that's seen cgl talk a lot about negative things in cosplay, im very surprised that cosplaying whatever we want, regardless of race, is accepted here!

Feels good!

>>4752295
Seriously, cosplay whoever you want and if anyone tires to give you shit about it tell them to fuck off.

>>4752295
I'll tell you a secret, little pink pony image macro

and I'm only telling you this because I'm drunk and talking to my 4chan

this is only because it's nighttime. flee, flee during the day, when the others come.

I know this isn't what you want to hear, but have you looked into finding darker skinned characters that you like?

There are a ton of great characters that don't get cosplayed enough and/or well because of their skin tone (pic very related), and I'm sure I'm not the only one who would be all over a cosplayer who did them.

This definitely doesn't mean that you shouldn't cosplay whoever you want, it's just a suggestion. If you have your heart set on a character, cosplay them!

Sometimes you might need to change certain aspects of the costume to make it more flattering (like wearing a different shade of blonde that's nicer on darker skin) but otherwise cosplay whoever the hell you want.. It's just a hobby consisting of nerds dressing up in dorky costumes when it comes down to it.

I'm surprised we haven't had a brown cosplay thread in a while, I remember this one hot Yoko who had orangeish hair instead of the fire engine red and liked it a lot.

>>4752333
This goes beyond just skin tone, really. Aizen is not my favorite character and Bleach is not my favorite anime, but I figured I looked closest to him so I chose him for my cosplay. And I looked pretty nice.

I could have picked another character based solely on my fandom but I wouldn't have looked as good doing it. There's something to be said for physical accuracy but it's not everything. As Aizen, for example, I saw an amazing black couple as Tosen and Yoruichi, looking the part.

But they had GOOD COSTUMES too, as I said.

And what >>4752343 said is totally true. Focus on LOOKING GOOD rather than BEING ACCURATE. When you leave out part of the costume because you can't pull it off properly, that's inaccurate. When you wear something nice-looking that's not what the character precisely has, that's alteration and originality.

Style is everything. Once again I suggest trying a recolor in silvers or purples or oranges if it applies to the character you're considering. Originality turns heads.

Black cosplayer thread is go!

Ill start!

>>4752378
Note the well done makeup, nicely styled hair, outfit in striking, flattering colors

and the expression that knows she's fucking hot and dares you to say shit

>>4752391
face looks shooped. pixels, etc. it's not even a very good shoop.

>>4752401
Regardless of the shop, its composition, positioning and very nice costume is still well put together.

Made for a solid pic, but thats just my opinion

>>4752407
well if you can look that good in person without photoshop you're solid

>>4752407

Only when you're black can you get praise for an incredibly mediocre costume. Dat bias tape man.

>>4752401
Yeah, I was going to say, her face looks like it's painted on.

Spoiler: It doesn't matter what race you are, shitty shops are shitty shops.

>>4751865
Hot damn that squall is hot. Hnnng

>>4751861
She has great legs.

>>4751856
I cosplay as a super pale blond bishone character even though I'm tan. No one really gave a crap cause I was just having fun.

If you want to do a good job cosplaying and be seen by others as being a good cosplayer then you have to take your appearance into account. This includes your skin color. A black guy cosplaying as Cloud looks just as stupid as an asian guy cosplaying as Barret.

Effort doesn't mean anything.

My friend is "dark" she does mostly "white/asian" cosplays. The first time she did a "dark/black" cosplay it looked like shit.
Shes super pretty and even thou she is "black" she pulls off more cosplays than a "white" girl

>>4752333
A lot of characters that don't get cosplayed because of skin tone? Sure. Great characters? AHAHAHAHAHA. A lot of dark skinned characters are not the most interesting characters. Especially when they're the token darkie.

I think that is why you don't see many dark skinned people cosplaying a dark skinned character. The lot of them just aren't as interesting as other characters in the series and it doesn't really have to do with skin tone. People cosplay who they like and that includes the actual character traits. So in that regard there are very few "great" dark skinned characters.

And honestly there is nothing stopping a light skinned person from cosplaying a dark skinned person. Do people think a mob of black people will go after them? All 10 of them in the convention? Really, its not a big deal at all. Cosplay who you like regardless of skin. This goes for everyone.

Cosplay is not a civil rights movement. If you're cosplaying outside your race then you look stupid. Sorry.

Yes, how good you look is meaningful, but it's irrelevant if you look fucking retarded. That's the part you're missing.


And please, stop posting pictures of ugly monkey-nosed blacks with sloped foreheads and shouting "OMG SO BYOOOOTIFUL". You're trying way too fucking hard.

>>4752737
that's fucking stupid considering most anime characters are asian. why is it ok for a white person to cosplay a japanese character under your logic?

Generic and much needed 'glorified dressing up' comment here. I'm with the just-have-fun brigade.
Not to sound like a cheese, but are we seriously talking about skin colour for what is essentially playtime? Jesus.

Minorities do have to be in a comfortable frame of mind before cosplaying zomg white or azn characters because there'll always be the asshat who wants to ruin your day. But there shouldn't be that kind of shit in the first place.

>>4752747
It's been discussed a million times. Most "asian" characters look white, so they're interchangeable between whites and asians.

There's also the fact that both whites and asians look good and most black people dont. So cosplay usually just isn't for them.

>>4752737
This is coming from a skinnyfuck emo jew kid folks. Disregard him.

>>4752761
Anime style was disigned to ridicule whites in a post ww2 era. They look white because they are. Fucking japs.

>>4752761
racist much, faggot?

>>4752787

faggot much, racist?

Why is everyone on this board so "OMG COSPLAY IZ SERIOZ BITNIZ" when it's fucking not. Take a look at yourselves:most of you are fully grown men/women and you are running around dressed up like characters form CARTOONS. Why exclude people from a group that most of society thinks of as freaks?

TL;DR Seriously it's not that deep people let's all just take a Ritalin and chill the fuck out .

>>4752809
If cosplay doesn't matter then it won't matter if you aren't included.

Now go back eating your watermelon.

Race should never stop you from cosplaying, as long as you put effort into your cosplay and you're having fun thats all that matters. Hell i walked around at a con as Konata from Lucky Star and i'm black, did some people look at me like i was ruining their favorite character maybe, but i didnt care I was having fun and even got some pictures taken.

There are so more people at cons who don't care what your race is when you cosplay, if they see that you're havin fun and costume is nice then they'll approach you and chat and if they have a problem with you cosplaying outside your race then that's their problem, not yours OP.

>>4752821
Cosplay is about displaying yourself to others. It's not some kind of holistic internal sense of entitlement.

You want to have fun? Pick a character that suits you and do a good job. I guarantee that the good cosplayers who are getting attention for their awesome cosplays are having more fun than you.

>>4752883
>Cosplay is about displaying yourself to others.
That isn't what cosplay is about at all. AT ALL. You don't even fucking cosplay. GTFO and take Bunny Mage with you.

>>4752883

So was your mom last night.

>>4752883
even the black ones, you racist piece of shit

>>4752883

You just went full retard son, best you get your shit together or gtfo.

If you're very black it might be harder for you but it can work, even then. It's a lot to do with effort but certain characters just need to be white, an aryan like link, as a fitting example.

However, I think characters with implied African ethnicity, such as youroichi, from bleach, can work even if your skin tone is much darker than theirs.

DO ZULA FROM CONAN. Dammit grace jones is hot

>>4753442

I can completely understand where you are coming from, but I hate seeing the exact same dark skin cosplays such as Anthy and Yoruichi all the time. I have dark skin and there are cosplays that I want to do, but most of the dark skin character that I like wear skimpy costumes such as Nadia and Elena. I am too shy for those.

>>4755654
Spoiler: She's white, that's makeup.

>>4755725
I'm TIRED of people thinking there are only like 2 dark girls in the entirety of anime and video games.

22 dark girl cosplays in semi-popular/not-obscure anime
Anthy Himemiya (Utena)
L'Arc (Die Buster)
Kitsurubami (FLCL)
Greenback Jane (Black Lagoon)
Hannah (Kuroshitsuji)
Viletta Nu (Code Geass)
Rakshata (Code Geass)
Maria (Sayonara Zetsubou Sensei)
Maria (Trauma Team)
Aisha Clan Clan (Outlaw Star)
Integra Hellsing (Half-Indian)
Nadia (Nadia: Secret of Blue Water)
Hilda (Eureka Seven)
Gidget (Eureka Seven)
Hallibel (Bleach)
Yoruichi (Bleach)
Merle (Vision of Escaflowne)
Kurai (Angel Sanctuary)
Urd (Ah My Goddess!)
Caska (Berserk)
Edward (Cowboy Bebop)
Mihoshi (Tenchi Muyo)

And random background anime characters, color swaps, or aliens/different unnatural skin colors. I've only watched 30 anime, so this isn't including more recent series or old series (Which would include Kaolla from Love Hina, or some girls from 80's anime).

I'm wondering if said Black girls even bother watching anything other than popular shit because I hear them baww'ing half of the time they can't cosplay there are more than "a handful" reasonably work with a dark skinned character or god forbid, watch a few anime and FIND THEM. It's not that hard. If you're too dark for any of these cosplays/don't think they're right for you, do a color swap, look in vidya, or cosplay from a regular mainstream series. Anime isn't the only thing in the world to cosplay from.

>>4756404
What about dark-skinned males?

>>4756404
There's a difference between being "dark" and being black. Characters like Anthy, Edward, Mihoshi etc do not look like black people.

>>4756404

Woah. I am on your side. I know there are tons of dark skinned characters in anime. That is why I am saying I am tired of seeing the same ones over and over again. I have been Rouge from Power Stone and Xia from Beatmania IIDX.Those are a few obscure dark skinned videogame characters.

What I am saying is, that my two favorite characters that I like, have skimpy outfits, so I don't want to cosplay as them. I like cosplaying as characters as I like. I am attracted to their personalities not their costumes. I guess Nadia's outfit is kind of tolerable but Elena is definitely not. Thank you for the list. Yes, there are a lot more that you didn't mention, but please read carefully first.

>>4756404
You think Integra Hellsing looks dark enough that all those whiny brown women should just STFU.

You really, actually do.

>>4756422
They don't look like Black people but some people on the list teeter on "can be done by black people" (Aisha Clan Clan, Hilda and Gidget, Hannah). You could also do some color swaps. Many black people I know can reasonably do many of these cosplays if they can wear some red-toned makeup and stay away from the sun.

>>4756415
Dark skinned males? This can vary and also be stretched but there isn't a great amount of dark skinned males. Many tend to be tan at most

Akio (Utena)
Agni and Soma (Kuroshitsuji)
Dudley (SF)
Scar (FMA)
Any Ishbalan (FMA)
Harima (School Rumble)
Kaname Tousen (Bleach)
Chad (Bleach)
Mugen (Samurai Champloo)
Gene (Outlaw Star)
Ron MacDougall (Outlaw Star)
Hank Freebird (Trauma Team)
Sahz (FF 13)
Dutch (Black Lagoon)
Asimov (Cowboy Bebop)
Nemo (Nadia)
Van Fanel (Escaflowne; If you consider him dark enough)

There are more here:

http://www.colorq.org/petsins/2005/9/charas.aspx?x=ag

>>4756500
Suck it up or find something you like. I'm usually conservatively dressed but cosplay is for the love of the character, and if you feel you can reasonably portray a character you like, that should override your feelings about "skimpiness". Nadia isn't skimpy. That's reasonably what a gym outfit would cover. Elena I'd understand but there's more than enough decent somewhat covered outfits out there. If you don't feel FULLY comfortable exposing your legs or something, wear nude stockings. God didn't give you that body to cover it up like a nun.

>>4755738
Why don't black cosplayers wear makeup to look white?

>>4756404
>>4756551

Here's the thing, "tan" isn't dark. Really think about what you're recommending here. How is Gene Starwind less of a jump in skin color for a Black man. Most of your recommendations are, at absolute best, good recommendations for hispanic cosplayers or tan white people.

That said, I don't think that people should be that concerned about skin color when it comes down to it. I understand how it could feel awkward, but as long as your costume is ok and you're enthusiastic I no one will care.

>>4756609
There are some Black people mixed in there too, but I'm not gonna sort out through 50+ possible series for dark skinned men when there's a wide variety of tones and there are other lists for this. That was just a sample list.

>>4756603

Have you ever seen the movie white chicks, when two black agents go under cover as white girls.... Yeah that's why

>>4756404 Caska

HELL YEAH MOTHERFUCKER

Tack Arshes-Nei and Garnet Maclane on that list too, won't you?

I have NO problems with black people cosplaying white characters, the same as I have no problems with white people cosplaying white characters. All I ask is that you put some time and effort into your costume.

Black Kenshin from this year's Acen, I am specifically addressing YOU. Your neon-red wig looked like shit.

Niggers shouldn't cosplay as white/asian characters. Give up.

>>4756603
Because it's about a million times easier to add color than remove it. Why can you dye a white sheet green but not bleach a green sheet white? It's not just the properties of the bleach, it's also due to the way light reflects color.

In the specific case of skin, dark skin requires opaque pigment to look appreciably lighter. But light skin isn't opaque, it's translucent. So you end up with a bizarre plastic face that looks terrible even if it is lighter, and gaps in coverage are glaring the way they're not when you're adding a dark color over a light one.

tl;dr because it's your makeup on hardmode, cracker.

>>4756603
Because it's harder to hide "ethnic features" by paint, and it's harder to hide darker skin in the first place. You end up looking like a zombie if you're in a hot con and you haven't applied it right.

>>4756594

I guess I can give Nadia a shot. My boyfriend is White, so maybe I can convince him to be Jean.

If you can make a spectacular cosplay tailored to the fact your a different race (ie ops pic should have at least got a black/brown wig to stylize like links hair) go for it

You know whats sad, people have yet to mention any WESTERN characters black people can cosplayer, THERE ARE SOOOOO MANY YET EVERYONE ONLY TALKS IN TERM OF ANIME OR MANGA!

I am very dissapoint

>>4756551
I... I guess I could pull off a very skinny Chad or a young Sahz.

I don't think race should limit your choice of character, and I'm not going to limit myself to like 100 characters out of millions. Especially when I don't even like the majority of those 100 characters/ they're insignificant anyway. I think there is like 1 dark skinned character I really want to cosplay from the series I watched. I don't cosplay characters based on looks, and I don't cosplay from things I haven't watched/played/read. I cosplay characters because I actually like them and I want to show that I adore them.That is it.

I know a lot of people probably look at me and go "nigger, nigger, nigger, etc." but I could care less. I have fun and enjoy myself with my friends.