A few of my very talented friends decided to do a super fun shoot (in 2019!) to commemorate the launch of the video game Devil May Cry 5! And look at how much fun it was! LOOK!

If you guys don’t already know, I have really, REALLY, talented friends, who are not only professional cosplayers, photographers and artists but also super creative in many other aspects.

So when a friend asked me if I would like to be a part of a cosplay shoot for the game, I was more than happy to join in. We each decided to do one character from Devil May Cry 5, and for about two months we worked on the outfit and the props we would need to cosplay that said character.

Now one thing you need to know about the Indian Cosplay Community is that for the most part I can say they are very encouraging and supportive. The professional cosplayers, or the ones who have better experience with intricate cosplays, are more than willing to help newbs like me to source the things we will need. (And of course, god bless Amazon)

So, we fixed on the date, decided on a location which we scouted much before, and of course asked a few friends to help us out! And here are the epic results.

Big, BIG shoutout and thank you to the cosphotograher and friend Prady Das for all the pictures! He is not only one of the most genuine, talented people out there, but the guy has mad skills with a camera! Follow him on Facebook and Instagram!

Vijay Sinha as Dante

Quite frankly one of the most spot-on cosplays in my opinion. Look at that SWORD! (And that jawline!) This guy is so talented and has a great attention to detail. I think you should totally stalk him and his work on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram! If you are wondering who made the badass sword- Surya Sreenivasan who btw, also does custom made orders.

Tanya Shringarpure as Lady

Such a natural. Also, such a ball of good vibes. Always so happy meeting her. Did you know she also rents out wigs for cosplays at realllyyy affordable prices. This woman is such a badass. I mean, look how BEAUTIFUL she is. Stalk her and her talent (and her adorable dogs) on Instagram!

Rohan Ramakrishna as Nero

All round good guy, in character and out! Follow him and his art (and his 6 pack) on Instagram!

Me as Nico

I’m going to be really honest with you but I am not as professional as the people above. In fact, cosplay to me has always been about doing something fun with your friends which may or may not include that much effort. But, I had an exceptional amount of fun preparing for this character because I got to UNLEASH my natural hair! (And wigs make my head hurt :P) Also the fact that this character always smiles, stands in easily imitable positions so technically all I had to do was smile in all my pictures. Which definitely eased my awkward picture sensitive nerves.

Of course this cosplay shoot wouldn’t have been possible without all the cos-help!

Thank you Neha (who is an incredibly talented cosplayer herself!) for suggesting I do this character in the first place, Ryan (who has his own webcomic, go check it out!) and Diechief (who is such a talented artist himself) for all the help :)

But I think more than the outfit or the pictures, the best part about doing this was just the creative and fun collaborative energy everyone had. For the first time ever, I felt comfortable in front of the camera (also because Prady was so nice :) and I had people around me who were having a ball and encouraging each other to do their best. THIS is what makes me want to cosplay more. Doing something fun with your friends and creating something that makes you happy. Isn’t that what it’s supposed to be about?

So for all you Indian cosplayers or otherwise, whether you are doing a shoot in a studio or in your home, whether you have just started cosplaying or have been planning to go pro, my small piece of advice to you would be this: enjoy the process of it all. And I promise you, no matter what the outcome, it will always be worth it :)

May you find more reasons to be creative,

Niki :)