11 San Diego Comic-Con Attendees Explain Why They Love Cosplay

So why do cosplayers love cosplay so much?

This past weekend, cosplayers from far and wide descended upon Downtown San Diego's convention center for Comic-Con 2019, the wildly-popular annual con that serves as a mecca for all things sci-fi and popular culture! While dressing up as your favorite hero/character from a movie, TV show, or comic book sounds like a simple feat, cosplay lovers know that it takes a lot of time, love, and energy into creating amazing and incredibly realistic outfits, and that made us wonder what it is about cosplay that makes fans so passionate...So we walked around Comic-Con and asked a bunch of fierce cosplayers one simple question: What is it about cosplay that you love so much? 

Scroll down to see their answers! And to check out more of SDCC 2019's best cosplay looks, click here!

(Words, interviews, and photos by Raffy Ermac.)

Sailor Moon-inspired outfits from 'Sailor Moon'

"I like being able to be different characters and show off the things I love." -Bridget, @cheeseburgerchan (right)

"I like playing with makeup and having an excuse to wear something really crazy without people telling me 'It's not Halloween.'" -Sarah, @neorococo (left)

Vegeta from 'Dragon Ball Z'

"I like it (cosplay) because it feeds my soul," -Brigette, @bbbfineart

Jessie and James of Team Rocket from 'Pokémon'

"Being recognized, and being able to dress as someone completely different than what you actually are." -Vita, @vitarey (right)

"I think it's just getting to be living out a part of your childhood that you didn't think you could actually have the opportunity to do is a lot of fun." -Mychal, @mychalsorensen (left)

Sailor Saturn & Sailor Pluto from 'Sailor Moon'

"Being a beloved character for a day, and seeing other people from the same show cosplaying as characters, it's been amazing." -@jaybcutie (right)

"Usually we cosplay as characters that we really love, we grew up watching. Just to be them for a day or a few day is really exciting to us, and it's a dream come true." -Jeneé, @jammin_jenee (left)

Wonder Women

"I enjoy, personally, making the cosplays probably more than I actually enjoy wearing them, but I actually like wearing this one." -Liz, @ambrose_cosplay (right)

"As for me, it's more about expression, just showing a bit about who you are inside. I love dressing up. It's one of my favorite things to do. So although she likes making them, I like wearing them and being in character for the day." -Valentin, @valster1990 (left)

Storm & Jubilee from 'X-Men'

"I like it because it gives you an opportunity to become someone else. I admire Jubilee and I feel like she's the most underrated X-Men, so it's nice that I can actually become her for Comic-Con." -Shanae, @itswondawoman (right)

"It's beautiful to see that there's thousands of other people that share the same love as you. We're all celebrating the same thing: movies, comics, superheroes. It's a joy just to be around other people that love the same things like you." -Shaniece, @supawomnsupafly (left)