Cosplaying is a labor of love. Doing it with your partner takes that to the next level. So what’s it like to date and dress up with a person who can bring your fantasies to life? Cosplayers-slash-content creators Zackt and Roxanne Kho, a couple that has gone viral with their spicy Genshin Impact shoots, share their modern fairytale with us.
Zackt started cosplaying as a hobby at 12 years old. However, it wasn’t until his college freshman year in 2014 that he was able to invest in it. On the other hand, Roxanne started attending cosplay conventions in 2011. After a hiatus in college, she was able to get back at it after meeting Zackt in 2015. They’ve been making cosplay magic together since. We caught up with the couple just in time for love month.
Did you meet through cosplaying? How long does it take for you to prepare a cosplay together?
Zackt: We met outside of cosplaying actually. Before I took cosplaying far more seriously, I was more active in the K-pop community as a dancer. I performed at an event and that’s where I met Roxanne. She asked for a picture after my performance and after that we became friends.
Roxanne: I actually messaged him because the photo we took together got deleted because my phone didn’t have enough space [laughs]! We got together after a year and he invited me to attend a convention with him. I told him I was anxious but he reassured me and introduced me to some of his friends. From then, we started cosplaying our OTPs and we’re lucky that we’re doing it as a full-time job now.
Usually for video game characters, it takes us two to three weeks because the designs are very detailed. For anime cosplays, you can actually prepare it in a week—especially if the items needed are already available.
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Zackt: The trickiest part for me is the planning on how to assemble the costume pieces and figuring out what materials will best suit our vision for the character.
Roxanne: We coordinate with our tailors which fabrics we prefer for our costumes and the shades we think are better, etc.
Which Genshin characters did you enjoy cosplaying the most?
Zackt: For me, it was Zhongli. Not only is he my favorite in-game character, he’s also the one that we had exciting shoots for. We shot the cosplay in three different locations: a Chinese temple, a homemade set, and an actual waterfall! The costume itself also ended up very regal-looking so that really gave me some kind of confidence boost.
Roxanne: For me it’s Ningguang. I really relate a lot to the character because of the values instilled in me. Preparation-wise, I found her costume the least stressful and most enjoyable [to work on]. I think we have similar facial features, so the makeup is easier to do than most of the characters.
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What other characters outside of Genshin have you enjoyed cosplaying together?
Zackt: Before Genshin Impact existed, one of our biggest projects was for Final Fantasy VII. Cloud and Tifa is our ultimate OTP as a couple and to pull that off was such a dream for us.
Roxanne: We also cosplayed a lot of pairs like Howl and Sophie from “Howl’s Moving Castle,” Momo and Shoto from “My Hero Academia,” Shinobu and Giyuu from “Demon Slayer,” Jessie and James from “Pokemon,” and many more. Actually, our cosplays are not limited to pairs because we’ve also cosplayed siblings like Pramanix and Silverash from “Arknights.” We’ve also cosplayed the father and daughter duo [from “Arcane”], Silco and Jinx.
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Do you consider the time spent cosplaying together as dates? How about the time you spend playing Genshin together?
Zackt: Well, cosplaying is definitely something we have both enjoyed from the start. But because of the direction we took, it ended up as part of our work. It’s the same with gaming since we’re both streamers now.
Roxanne: Before, 80% percent of our dates were actually going to places to buy the stuff we need for our next projects then just eating together after shopping.
Zackt: We still enjoy those together, but I think what we really consider as dates are the times in which we can rest and relax together after.
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Do you think cosplaying is an underrated couple’s activity?
Zackt: Yes. We both believe cosplay is a high form of expression of love for your favorite characters. For a couple like us who enjoy the same shows and games, we have a lot of fun bringing our beloved characters to life.
We’ve been into the arts our whole lives. So at the same time, it’s another way for us to exercise our creativity together too.
Roxanne: We’re very lucky that we complement each other’s talents and there’s a fair division of work for both of us when working together. Although we can do each task alone, we trust the other can do it better.
What are the perks of dating a fellow cosplayer?
Roxanne: I think one of the greatest perks is that we can be our own OTP. I’m very happy that I can convince him to cosplay my 2D husband and bring him to life!
Zackt: For me, it’s being able to look at my partner in awe as she dresses up as my anime crushes before my eyes [laughs].
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Any words of advice for gamers and cosplayers looking for love?
Zackt: It’s definitely a fun and great experience to enjoy the same hobbies with your partner. I’ve seen a lot of people in the community who prioritize that when looking for love and it’s good because it helps you be free in enjoying what you love.
My advice? Although it may be a good factor to consider, you should also not forget to prioritize looking for a partner who shares the same values and priorities in life. Those are two factors that’ll help you build your relationship’s foundation and propel it into the future.
Roxanne: Same with what Zack said. Cosplay and games can be the start and it can really be a big advantage because you can understand each other more.
Art by Pammy Orlina
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