MANILA, Philippines—First of all, you need to do well in other aspects of your life. This means getting decent grades in school, for example, because doing other activities will then likely earn the support of your parents.

Second, keep in mind that cosplaying is not cheap. So save up. Better-quality materials (cloth, accessories) usually cost quite a lot, but the effect has a great impact. You also need to know where to find good materials with reasonable prices.

Third, study the character that you want to cosplay. Go for a character of similar body type, so you will resemble your character more. Study the character's mannerisms, gestures, facial expressions, poses. The more things you learn about your character, the better you will be at portraying him or her.

Always wear a wig. Even if you can style your own hair to match the character's, a wig will make you look more animated and fantasy-ish. It's part of the costume, and adds greater impact to the character you're cosplaying.