It's Worth It!: An Interview with Cosplayer Yashafluff

Yashafluff, also known as Yasha, is a cosplayer that has been active for over ten years, and is a strong believer of cosplay being a fun hobby that can be enjoyed by everyone no matter their level of skill. Her cosplays have been seen in several official capacities from companies like Yostar and HoYoverse, and she is known within the community for her high level of accuracy when it comes to portraying the characters she's cosplaying. While she's an accomplished cosplayer, her true specialties like in cosplay makeup and wig styling, topics which has hosted panels on. We were lucky enough to catch up to her recently at FanimeCon in San Jose and we discussed her start in cosplay, the struggles of attending events while being a full-time student, her viral encounter with Yoko Taro, and lots more! Fans of Yasha, or those discovering her for the first time, will want to read on and definitely check out her work via the social media links at the end!

A-to-J: Thank you for the interview! For those who may not know you, could you please give us an introduction?
Yasha: Hi! I’m Yashafluff, I’m just a cosplayer. I’m also a student so that’s why if you ever go on my social media I talk about medical stuff which can be kinda gross for some people. It’s okay. They’re still here so it can’t be that bad, right?

A-to-J: Yeah! What made you get into cosplay?
Yasha: Interesting story. You know back in the day when anime and stuff wasn’t actually cool? In high school I did a lot of sports because I was like a "jock". I had already watched anime in high school but I didn’t tell anybody because nobody liked that stuff to the point where it was Gaia Online roleplaying nerds. It was kinda embarrassing, but in college there was an anime club. I had never seen an anime club so I decided to join just to see what it was about. I ended up joining and they were going to a local convention which I didn’t know was a thing like: “Do people who like this stuff gather?” So I was like: “I’ll just go for the experience. Not because I really like it or anything. Just for the experience.” So I ended up going but I also liked YouTube videos and I saw that people dressed up. So I was like: “I guess you have to dress up to these things.” Obviously, you don’t have to dress up to these things, but I convinced myself because I wanted to do it like low-key. So I ended up dressing up and now I’m here ten years later. Yeah, I think I really liked it and I was just a fuckin’ closet weeb.
A-to-J: That’s so funny! That’s exactly what happened to me!
Yasha: Really?
A-to-J: Yeah, I joined an anime club and they were like: “Oh, we’re going to a convention!”
Yasha: Yep, never fuckin’ turn back. You just hear: “Oh, I guess I’ll go like once.” and now it’s ten years later. I get it.

A-to-J: You had panels both yesterday and today. Can you tell us about them?
Yasha: It was actually my first time ever doing a panel. I was afraid nobody would come so I told my friends: “Please come support me! If there’s nobody, I can at least talk to you guys.” I always get questions about how I do cosplay makeup, so I’ve always wanted to do a cosplay makeup panel and my first panel was on cosplay makeup. I said: “People who keep asking me how I do my makeup come to my fucking panel!” They ended up coming and it was actually really cool. I didn’t think people would come, but they did. They even brought notebooks and they took notes. Afterwards they told me they learned a lot and were asking for the slides after.
A-to-J: Cosplay makeup is really complicated. You have to also match it your face too.
Yasha: That was my main thing. You can’t just look at tutorials and assume that it will look the same on your face. You have to understand your eye shape and lid space. Honestly, you should have come to my panel. I would have talked about it for A SOLID 40 MINUTES.
A-to-J: Yeah, I’m so sad I missed it. There were so many panels I could keep up with it.
Yasha: I get it. My second panel was about photoshoot prep from the cosplayer’s side and communication between cosplayer and photographer. It’s a lot more complicated because I feel people who don’t have experience doing photoshoots don’t know what to expect. So I talked about things you should communicate, different photography styles, and how you can’t expect other people to accommodate what you want. It’s about understanding both sides because in the end, photography is an art for the photographer the same way that cosplay is an art for the cosplayer. It’s all about collaboration and communication. That was my second panel and I did it with Ying [ying_verse], a friend of mine.

A-to-J: How does Fanime compare to some of the other conventions you’ve attended?
Yasha: I think I’ve told this before, but I’m like a simp for Fanime. Last year one of my friends was a guest and I got to tag along. I’d heard good things about Fanime for a long time and I’ve been going to Fanime for five years I think. This is like my sixth year. So my friends who always love this because they’re local, and with my friend who got to guest, I got to see behind the scenes. The whole motto of Fanime is “For Fans, By Fans.” I’m sure every con has a fancy motto about certain things but it’s hard to find a place that truly lives up to their vision and mission. Fanime is all volunteers. They all really, fucking care. Sorry for my language. And I got to see it firsthand and I was like “Wow!” I already loved this con, how chill it is and all the people and now I got to be a part of it. Super cool. There’s less industry here but [whispers] it doesn’t matter because all the people here are super cool.

A-to-J: They really are! Do you craft all of your cosplays?
Yasha: I do not. I blatantly say that if you want any tips to make anything, do not ask me. I do not know how to make anything. The only things I do are my makeup and my wig and to be honest, you should never think you can’t be a cosplayer just because you can’t make stuff. I’m a fulltime student and I’m getting my master’s right now. I don’t have time to make anything but at the same time I don’t want the joy of cosplay to be taken away from me just because I can’t make something. You should always make it blatantly obvoious like I do not have any prop making skills or sewing skills. It’s all either bought or by friends. If I credit it, you’ll know it was by someone else. I can’t make anything unfortunately.
A-to-J: Same with me.
Yasha: It’s okay, that doesn’t mean you can’t cosplay. It doesn’t make you any less of a cosplayer. It just makes you not a crafter. I’m not a seamstress, and I’m not a crafter. I’m just a cosplayer. I’m just a dude.

A-to-J: Conventions are always crazy fun. Do you happen to have any crazy convention stories you can share?
Yasha: I’m trying to thinK. Crazy convention stories? I’m gonna be honest though; I’m pretty... what’s the word? I’m pretty introverted. Like lowkey, I just go around and I meet up with my friends and go be an idiot in a very clean and pure way. And then afterwards, I’m like: “All right! That was too much people!” So then I go eat and I go lie down. So I don’t really have anything crazy that I can think of right now. Because all I can think of is that I have an exam on Tuesday that I haven’t studied for yet. Oh my god! During my panels, when people were coming in, I started talking to them about glaucoma because my exam on Tuesday is about the eyes and the head, nose, and throat. Yeah, I had to think about that. I was like: “Ears, head, nose, and throat.”  
A-to-J: It helps you study, I guess.
Yasha: It did help. I still don’t know any of the meds so I don’t think it helped enough. I’m gonna need to talk more about it.

A-to-J: Do you happen to have a favorite character from any series that you prefer to cosplay?
Yasha: It kinda depends. So what’s really preferable? For conventions, I purposefully pick outfits that I can be comfortable in. As you can see, I’m Pizza Hut Ningguang [from Genshin Impact] today. Yesterday, I did Yukata Kronii [from Hololive En Gen 2]. Those are simple and comfy, those are convention outfits. Outfits that I really love I wouldn’t wear at a con. Things are fragile, things will break off, things will get caught on stuff, things will get smelly and dirty, people are touching you. Like my favorite outfits are not the ones that I wear to cons. They’re usually ones that I save for location shoots because I do a lot of location stuff. So, I don’t have a specific one I like because I feel like my favorite always ends up changing, but I guess it’s like comfort versus prettiness.
A-to-J: Very relatable and understandable.
Yasha: I don’t wanna be at a con where I can get stepped on and break things.
A-to-J: That’s exactly what I told him [Referring to other A-to-J people off-screen.] about the last time I cosplayed.
Yasha: [whispering] Cosplay is suffering.
A-to-J: It is...
Yasha: It is, but like..
Both [Unplanned!]: It’s worth it!
Yasha: [slaps table] There it is! You get it, girl! You get it!

A-to-J: Have there been any cosplays that have been horrible to wear?
Yasha: Girl, just let me pull up my cosplay list. I am the type of person that if I want to do something, I’m gonna do it. So I’ve shot in like below zero weather, I’ve shot in the rain, I’ve shot in the snow. I’ve had things where I had to tape it onto me because that was the only way to keep it on, and it was so cold than when I ripped it off, it took off skin with it. Like every single cosplay I could tell you all the suffering that I’ve gone through, but like you said earlier, it’s worth it. I can’t even list a specific one, they’re all kinda struggling. It’s because if you want to do it on location you don’t get to decide on the weather. But you know what? It’s a collaboration. The photographer isn’t gonna have another day where they’re free so you’re just gonna have to suck it up and do it.
A-to-J: It’s for the pics. It’s all for the pics, right?
Yasha: Yeah. Actually, now that I think about it, Signora [from Genshin Impact]. I think that was the most suffering. Somebody bought a Signora print recently and I remember the story. Everything was flash glued on my body, but it was raining and it was too humid so things were falling off my body while I was taking photos. Life is hard. That’s okay. It was worth it. 

A-to-J: What are some of your current favorite anime?
Yasha: So, I actually don’t watch a lot of anime because anime takes focus. [Laughs] Not that I don’t have time to focus. I’d rather read manga, it’s faster to read. The last anime I watched was Bocchi the Rock! I read a lot of fucking manhuas. I’m not gonna talk about those because some of them are a little spicy. [Noblewoman’s Laugh] I think the most recent manga that I read was Oshi no Ko, but I actually read that years ago before it became an anime so I had to catch up to where I was. I’m still not even fully caught up. I thought I was fully caught up but you know how some websites update and some don’t? I thought I had caught up and now I’m not. Too many things are happening. It’s so real though. Idol culture is terrifying. I mean we all knew that. If you like K-Pop and stuff like that we all know. Even J-Pop too. Idol culture is scary.
A-to-J: Idol culture is scary. I’ve been in it since I was like 14.
Yasha: Really?
A-to-J: Yeah. Just like local stuff.
Yasha: This is why your hair looks so cool. There’s like certain aspects like looks people have and you’ve got that vibe. I see it.
A-to-J: Thank you.
Yasha: I dance like a fucking... You know like in those car dealerships, the inflatable tube-y things? That’s what I look like when I dance. And, then I’ll fall over.
A-to-J: I actually do that on purpose.
Yasha: Oh no, it’s not on purpose. That’s the extent of my dexterity, that’s all I got.

A-to-J: We understand that you’ve done some official cosplay work for Yostar and HoYoverse. Can you tell us about how those experiences and how they differ from cosplaying for fun?
Yasha: I don’t accept jobs unless I already like what I’m doing. Unless they’re paying me a lot because I have a lot of student debt. [Both laugh] I’m like drowning in student debt so sometimes, it’s worth it but I don’t know. I think I’m just really grateful that people reach out to me and like my cosplays mostly because I’m pretty derpy. I’m like: “You sure you want me to represent your brand?” It’s just feeling grateful for stuff and opportunities to collab. But I mean, it’s work in the end. It’s work and it’s tiring, but it’s nice to work with people that you also admire as well. You know what I mean? I think the last thing I did was last AX [2022] at least in person but we do small collabs hosting-wise. Hmm... I don’t know. I’m trying to think.   
A-to-J: I think that’s the reason why they chose you though. You’re very relatable. Everyone’s derpy and dorky. That’s why we’re all here together.
Yasha: Aren’t brands supposed polished? [Laughs] I’m just kidding.
A-to-J: I think it’s changing nowadays. It’s better to be more relatable.
Yasha: I hope so. I did tell everybody I had to do a prostate exam before I came here.
A-to-J: Did you?
Yasha: Not on myself obviously. I’m a PA student so we had a whole male GU (Genital Urinary) exam. Sorry, I don’t know if this is appropriate. We had to do a whole standardized patient where it was like an hour and a half and the patient walks you through it because they’re also licensed to teach. He’s been teaching it for 10 years. We’ll be in small groups and have to do the whole thing not just the prostate exam. We have to do it all. I learned a lot, and after that I drove the Fanime. [Both laugh] I remember being in the car driving to the airport and thinking to myself: “I have a really fucking weird life!” but it is what it is.
A-to-J: [Adding to Yasha’s thoughts] A lot of people don’t know about this but this is what I’ve been doing.
Yasha: My classes think I’m at a wedding, but it’s fine.

A-to-J: Does this mean that you’re a big fan of Genshin Impact? [Referring to the question previously about official cosplay work.]
Yasha: Yes! You know how some people are hardcore gamers? I’m a student right? So I think: "Enough! I don’t want to think anymore!" When I play games I just want to exist in a place where I don’t have to think. Things are pretty and I’m having a good time. So I won’t say: “Oh, Shinobu’s the meta. What are her teams?” and everything else. Genshin is just a game that I can roam around, find things, have a great time, and hear some great music. Genshin is something that I actually keep up with. Though I do call them my chores because I have to do my dailies. They are chores, but I do like Genshin.  

A-to-J: You went viral a few years ago when Yoko Taro [Director of Nier Automata among other things.] signed your thigh. Can you tell us about that?
Yasha: Okay. Some friends and I were all in line to get VIP tickets. We were at the end of the line and I remember thinking: “Damn, if Yoko Taro signed my ass, I’d let him!” or something like that. I was joking, but my friend joked back: “What if he signed your thigh?” and I was like: “Haha... but what if?” So then I just remember being anxious in line because we were at the end so I had a lot of time to think about it, and I was just like [whispers] “Do I want him to sign my thigh? Do I have the balls to have him sign my thigh?” And I thought about it for so long. I’m the type of person that doesn’t really prepare, I kinda just do it, I kinda just go with the flow. So once I got in front of him, I was like: “I’m gonna fucking do it!” I was so nervous in line, but once I got in front of him I wasn’t nervous at all. I felt like I was on top of the world and I was like: “Hey, I really love your work. Could you sign my thigh though?” And he was just like: “What?” I think he understood the English part because he ended up getting a up, getting on his knees, and then signed my thigh. And I was just like... I don’t know. I felt like that was the peak of my life and it’s gonna go down hill from there. But, for now, it’s equally as good so I’m gonna hopefully stay up there. Basically, I’ve got massive balls, and I don’t know where they came from.  
A-to-J: So, since then, have you ever had a chance to meet him again?
Yasha: No, I haven’t. He only visits the US for events and stuff and he doesn’t visit often for events. Does he?
A-to-J: I don’t even know.
Yasha: I don’t think he does.
A-to-J: He’s a very reclusive person.
Yasha: Yeah, he’s a very reclusive person so I think that’s why I had to get that VIP ticket. Also, my friends are awesome because I had artbooks and stuff like that. You only get one signature. The thigh didn’t count as a signature, but I did wear tights by the way so I do have his signature. That’s the only reason I asked because I didn’t just want it to wash off. So I have that and my friends who were with me took my books and stuff and got additional signatures for me, so I ended up having all the merch. I basically forced my friends to come with me and then they got me all the merch.
A-to-J: That was worth it.
Yasha: It was so worth it. Super worth it.

A-to-J: Is there anyone else you would want to get an autograph on your thigh from?
Yasha: Oh no. Do I have to narrow it down?
A-to-J: You can do like top three, five or whatever. Doesn’t even have to be a ranking just one person that comes into your mind.
Yasha: Sorry, my brain is only filled with anime. [Both laugh] So I was like: “Are they real? Can they come and sign my thigh? No... That’s not a thing.” Right now, I can’t think of anyone specific because... Now, I’m thinking of K-Pop artists. Damn, I don’t even want them to sign my thigh; I want them to step on me. [Both laugh] That’s not right. I’m not sure, I’m just going to go with "not sure", and I’m slightly embarrassed that I told you about the other thoughts. But it’s fine. I’m not sure. I’ll have to get back to you on that.
A-to-J: How about like not a cosplayer but which character?
Yasha: But, if we’re talking characters, I was like: “Hmm... Honkai Star Rail. Have you seen Kafka?"  
A-to-J: Yeah.
Yasha: Oh, Kafka would fuck me up. Anyway, you all understand. I’m sure you relate.

A-to-J: What are some of you upcoming plans after Fanime?
Yasha: I’m not sure if I can go to AX. It’s questionable. Usually I go to AX if it’s a work convention since it’s a big industry one, but also I had to deny a couple of industry things because I thought I didn’t have that day off and it’s like percentages off your final grade every single class that you miss. So, I was like: “I’m terrified and don’t want to miss any class.” But they said they might actually give us that Monday off which means I can have all of AX off. So hopefully AX, but unsure. [Editor's Note: Yasha did attend AX this year.] 
A-to-J: So if not AX, is there another one planned?
Yasha: Maybe Otakon. I’m not really sure. I don’t really plan, I just do things off what I feel like and then I just go do it. Even for photoshoots. I remember getting Nilou [from Genshin Impact] and it was wintertime and I was like: “I want a beach shoot!” Then I turned to my friend and said: “We’re gonna do a beach shoot. Can we do it?”  And she’s like: “Sure.”  So everyone’s in a winter coat and I’m there in like a... Well, it’s Nilou so it’s like a fucking bralette and my friend is like: “We’re doing it.”  Pre-editing, my skin was like bright red from the wind. But it’s fine. It was worth it.  
A-to-J: It’s more stress-free that way I guess. Not planning things.
Yasha: I plan when I get motivated for stuff. I think it’s the ADHD in me. You get hyperfocused on something and that’s when I start planning, but before that I don’t think about it. It’s day by day. I don’t know what’s going on.  

A-to-J: So, do you have any final messages for your fans?
Yasha: I think if you guys every want to start cosplaying just don’t take yourself too seriously. Now, with like a lot of social media, you compare yourself right?  It’s like: “Oh, I worked really hard on this cosplay and it didn’t get that many views. It didn’t get that many likes.”  But if you cosplay, is it for you or is it for the views? If it’s for you, and you’re happy with the photo, your friends are happy with the photo, it’s easy to say that should be it. I know it’s not that way. Sometimes it’s just easier to remember that if you’re cosplaying for yourself, and that brings you joy, keep that joy. If other people like it too, that’s just a bonus. Try not to take yourself too seriously unless you’re doing it as a job. Then you really have to take it seriously. It’s a job, you gotta be on point. If it’s for fun, don’t forget that this is a hobby and hobbies are meant to be fun. If it stops being fun, maybe take a step back. Don’t take yourself too seriously. Go have fun.
A-to-J: Thank you!
Yasha: Yeah!

We'd like to thank Yasha for the interview and we strongly encourage everyone to check her out via the links below. As always, keep an eye out for more from Yasha in the future! Also, special thanks to FanimeCon for this opportunity!

For More Information On Yasha:
Instgram: https://www.instagram.com/yashafluff/
X: https://twitter.com/yashafluff
Twitch: https://www.twitch.tv/yashafluff
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​The above interview was conducted by Hinacchi, with assistance by Manuel Figueroa and photography by Tony Dinh. Transcription by Jeffery Kelly.