Cosplay originated in Japan. Now, enthusiasts like Andreas escape their everyday lives across the globe by immersing themselves in fantasy worlds.
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00:00I'm Andreas, a 26-year-old software developer, but I'm also 19-year-old Reinhard von Astrea,
00:16the Sword Satan of the Kingdom.
00:21It sounds like a cliché, an IT guy who works in a basement and is sensitive to light.
00:29For me, it's actually true.
00:51It's not easy to find time for everything when you're working 40 hours a week, and some
00:55people work even more.
01:07I wear contact lenses to complete the look.
01:10It's not the end of the world if you don't wear them, but it looks cooler.
01:29I always think I look really weird because of how unnaturally pale my skin gets and the
01:34colors I use.
01:36But when I've got the wig on, and the whole look is complete, all the elements come together,
01:42and it works.
01:59There you go.
02:00That's Reinhard von Astrea.
02:03He's a knight from a highly respected order.
02:07Basically, he fights on the side of good against evil.
02:15He's also got a really powerful sword.
02:21Walking around with a weapon makes you feel a bit stronger.
02:24It's a lot of fun.
02:26It's incredible how much you can transform yourself.
02:30You know what you look like when you see yourself every day.
02:35But then you can transform into a completely different person, so that your cell phone
02:40no longer recognizes you, and friends no longer recognize you.
02:46It's completely fascinating.
03:00It's a lot of fun to slip into a different role.
03:07You can try things you might not normally be able to do in everyday life.
03:12And all in a safe environment.
03:18That safe environment could be a convention or a photo shoot with friends.
03:23It's great.
03:26You can try new things without being afraid.
03:44For me, working from home means a lot of sitting around on my own.
03:48I miss my colleagues, but it also allows me to get a bit more sleep.
03:53That's a benefit for a late riser like me.
03:56I also like to get sleep on my lunch break.
03:59It's pretty handy to be able to take a little nap without people judging you.
04:03After a power nap, I feel much more productive.
04:20Time for my lunch break.
04:22I've already figured out how much protein I need.
04:25So I make sure the weight is just right.
04:30I want about 120 grams.
04:34That's 126 grams.
04:36Perfect.
04:37I follow my nutritional plan closely.
04:39That's all I'm having for lunch.
04:45This is an anime series set in a dystopian future.
04:48It's kind of a cyberpunk world where everything is hopeless.
04:53People work 80 hours a week because of the implants inside them.
04:57Of course, there have to be heroes who make things better, whether it's fighting against
05:06big corporations or helping people in society.
05:09You can't have a dystopia like that without a glimmer of hope.
05:29At first, I just wanted a flat stomach.
05:31Then I thought, okay, I'll try this low-carb diet and I'll do these two weeks of intensive
05:36training to build the abdominal muscles.
05:41And I actually ended up with the beginnings of those muscles.
05:44I was quite proud because I'd never had them before.
05:48I wouldn't have thought it was possible.
05:59This is really good for washboard abs.
06:02It's really intense and it gives your abdominal muscles a great workout.
06:28Sometimes it's sad and frustrating that I don't see them very often, because these days
06:32I live a long way away.
06:37I think I made this for Grandma Elli.
06:41She wanted all the pictures, so I put them all together.
06:46That's Grandma and Grandpa's golden wedding anniversary.
06:52Mom's 40th birthday.
06:56They're beautiful pictures.
06:58That carpet was our favorite photo spot.
07:04Thank goodness that's gone.
07:09I was 14 when my mother died.
07:11It was a really emotional time, especially being a teenager and going through puberty.
07:23My mother had prepared me well, so I was able to get through it.
07:30I know I had a good relationship with my mother and that the time we had together was beautiful.
07:36It was still extremely sad at the end, but it was easier to deal with emotionally.
07:44At the time, Andreas was still our little boy.
07:51The others had left home already.
07:53She took special care of him.
07:58And yes, our interactions with one another were more intense around that time.
08:03But thankfully there were no problems.
08:09We had no disagreements.
08:17It also showed me that you just have to enjoy every moment you get in life.
08:23That was an important lesson.
08:25And that's how I go through life.
08:31It's about seizing opportunities and daring to step out of your comfort zone and try new
08:36things.
08:43You need a diamond blade and moisture to cool it.
08:45It isn't really designed for that.
08:49We make things together.
08:52Sometimes we talk and talk about the technical details of something and neither of us understands
08:56the other.
09:01But we both mean the same thing.
09:04Even if he gets me to sketch it, he won't understand what I mean, and vice versa.
09:11But in the end, we're talking about the same thing.
09:14That's pretty funny.
09:16But we still help each other.
09:18And sometimes we do know what the other is talking about.
09:22And we understand each other.
09:26It's funny to realize that I've adopted more of his character traits than I thought.
09:33Of course I don't only ask him about technical things.
09:36I also get life advice from him.
09:38Like if I have important decisions or problems or anything like that.
09:42I know I can ask him.
10:03I do feel like a hero.
10:06It can make me feel really strong.
10:09I mean, if you really want to embrace a role, you just have to think yourself into it.
10:16That's what actors do, when they lock themselves away and learn everything by heart until they
10:20can just be that person.
10:23I try to do that.
10:25And I do end up feeling like a hero.
10:28Like Reinhard van Astrea.
10:32I think there's an overlap when it comes to trying to do good and trying to be humble.
10:42Those are things that I at least try to achieve.
10:47As Andreas in my normal everyday life, I would like to help people a lot more.
11:02Another fascinating thing about cosplay is that gender roles are completely blurred.
11:32It's totally diverse when it comes to characters.
11:37Of course there are male characters, female characters and everything in between.
11:42And that's reflected in the cosplay world.
11:45It doesn't matter what gender you are or what gender you cosplay as.
11:51Everyone's accepted.
11:53And everyone can take part, however they want.
12:04It'd be cool if we could all make the world a better place, each in their own way.