At the 2025 ChinaJoy convention, a print model with millions of followers appeared in a handmade armor worth 20,000 yuan, followed by three assistants and two dedicated photographers. That post got over 100,000 likes that day. Meanwhile, a college student who had saved up living expenses for half a year for this cosplay outfit was quietly organizing her slightly pilling props in a corner of the same venue. These two scenes occurring simultaneously in the same place on the same day make one feel that the community is being changed by some force. Models are flocking into the cosplay circle, and many call it a ‘dimensional reduction attack,’ while others complain that their hard work on styling and details can’t match a pretty face. But is that really the case? To clarify, we need to set aside the glamour in the photos and carefully examine what’s happening behind them.
Models entering the cosplay world are essentially not the same type of players as cosers
Print models, influencers, and idols have been frequently appearing at conventions and cosplay-related social media lately. They have mature shooting teams, professional makeup artists, and even bring their own lighting and post-production editing teams. The ‘industrialized’ results are nearly impossible for ordinary cosers to replicate. But the key point is that models play by the rules of ‘portraying a persona,’ while the core of cosers is ‘recreating a character.’ These are fundamentally different. Models aim to look good and expressive in front of the camera; they usually don’t obsess over details like whether Gojo Satoru’s blindfold in Jujutsu Kaisen is flipped up or down, or how many scars Guts’ armor has in Berserk. Those details matter little to models, but for cosers, they are the soul.
So when models enter this circle, they are actually occupying the ‘high-glamour cosplay photography’ track. This path does not completely overlap with the average coser’s route of ‘daily interaction, character resonance, and community bonding.’ If ordinary enthusiasts are not pursuing commercial monetization, they are not even on the same competitive line as models. Because the essence of a convention is offline gathering and joyful sharing, not a runway show.The traffic models bring indeed makes some balance-conscious booths favor them, but that does not mean ordinary enthusiasts have lost their value. On the contrary, cosers who genuinely invest in recreating character details become even more precious amidst today’s increasingly flashy comparisons.
The term ‘involution’ is overused; the plight of ordinary enthusiasts is actually about being compared
The essence of involution is limited resources and homogeneous competition. But the current scale of the cosplay circle is far from ‘resource depletion.’ Data shows that the number of offline conventions nationwide in the first half of 2025 increased by 32% compared to the same period last year, while the growth rate of cosers was only 18%. That is, convention venues, sponsorships, and even photographer resources are increasing, growing faster than the number of attendees. So why do ordinary enthusiasts still feel they can’t keep up? The reason is that the benchmark has changed. Previously, people compared themselves to friends in their social circles; now it’s to million-follower influencers on Douyin and Xiaohongshu. The psychological gap from this comparison is generalized as ‘involution.’ But a psychological gap is not involution; it’s anxiety stemming from social media algorithms always showing you the best side. Every time you see a model-level cosplay photo, you feel inadequate. But this is not the circle eliminating you; it’s your own self-evaluation that’s off.
The investment of ordinary enthusiasts is time, passion, and hands-on skills. The investment of models is time and money. The outputs are different—one is for themselves, the other for an audience. If you insist on comparing output rates, you will certainly lose. But if you’re only doing it for your own enjoyment, to take photos with friends at conventions and hear a passerby’s thumbs up and ‘spot on,’ then you don’t need to meet model standards at all.There’s only one way to break through: redefine your source of happiness.
For example, you can consider the following directions:
1. Deepen your technical expertise.Focus on prop making and makeup details. Many conventions now have ‘prop exhibition areas’ and ‘makeup contests,’ where a model’s looks are less advantageous than your craftsmanship.
2. Go the storyline route.Form a small team and perform a scene from the original work at the booth. A model may look good standing alone for photos, but story performance requires coordination and chemistry—this is the charm of interactive cosplay that models can hardly steal away.
3. Move behind the scenes or into photography.If you really feel your photos can’t compete with models, go photograph others. Good cosplay photography is equally scarce and can be more memorable.
Amid intense comparison, the ecosystem of the circle is actually self-optimizing
The entry of models has indeed brought some bad practices, like ‘only photographing pretty faces, not accuracy’ and ‘only looking at makeup and costumes, not the story.’ But at the same time, this cross-border movement forces the cosplay circle to filter out genuinely passionate enthusiasts. Those who previously relied solely on looks to gain fans, without caring about character understanding, are now under the most pressure. Meanwhile, cosers who truly love the character, read the source material, and spend time studying details tend to have higher fan loyalty.
Additionally, convention organizers are adjusting rules. At the Guangzhou Firefly Convention in early 2025, ‘Best Story Recreation Award’ and ‘Handmade Props Originality Award’ were added for the first time. The winners were all ordinary enthusiasts, not models. This shows that organizers are directly responding to the involution trend.The clash between commerce and passion will eventually form a new balance, and in this process, those who maintain their original intentions will not be eliminated.
For those who genuinely love 2D characters and want to immerse themselves in cosplay culture, the best way to protect and nurture this little community is not to complain about too many models, but to stick to your own ways. If you think models are also playing with what you love, then talk to them openly and ask if they’d like to recreate a story together. It’s not just about photos; playing together is the origin of cosplay.
Ultimately, models come to cross over because this circle has vitality, energy, and commercial value. Their arrival shows the circle is growing. And the living space for ordinary enthusiasts does not lie in competing with models for who is more photogenic, but in whether you can find that moment of resonance with the character through cosplay.If you can, you will never be swept away.
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