Where many of us show appreciation for video games by playing and politely discussing and debating them with others, some people take it to the next level. We’re talking about cosplayers, of course; those crafty people who put together costumes that bring video game characters to life. This time around, our look into the world of cosplay that involves Rebecca, a.k.a Serinide, who was kind enough to answer a few of our questions.

Question: For anyone who isn't familiar with you tell us a little about yourself?

Reb: Oh boy, let's start with a basic intro then... I'm Rebecca, but people online call me Reb! I'm a twenty year old full-time university student currently working on obtaining two degrees in marketing. I'm also a huge world traveler, having lived in Germany, America, Greece, and soon England in a few weeks. However, my online shtick (that most people in real life don't know about me) happens to be dressing up as anime girls and helping run social media for esports teams in my free time.

Question: When did you start cosplaying, and how did you get involved?

Reb: I started cosplaying when I was in the 8th grade at age 13, which feels like an absolute eternity ago, probably because it's almost been a decade now! I got involved in the scene mainly by using Twitter to make friends with other creators and share my work. Though I must say my first cosplay “break” was with my D.Va cosplay which I offhandedly threw on /r/overwatch one day and it ended up hitting the top of all of Reddit. From there my growth and involvement has grown exponentially. This includes landing jobs in the industry working and cosplaying for esports teams, which has resulted in some of the most challenging and rewarding adventures in my life so far.

Question: You’re studying marketing while cosplay seems to be your thing. What is it that made you get into cosplaying?

Reb: I got into cosplaying because I was an overweight, acne-ridden, socially terrified fourteen year old girl that had just started at a Catholic high school and knew no one. My first cosplay was Homestuck related because I wanted to fit in with the nerd group and make friends, which at the time was extremely hard for me due to social anxiety. I think the entirety of those four years I said maybe ten words total, exchanging real life socialization for posting on Twitter and making friends with people that had similar hobbies all across the world instead.

Question: What are some games that you play? Can you remember what the first game you fell in love with was?

Reb: Right now due to a huge school and job workload I haven't had the chance to play games in quite a bit, but League of Legends and World of Warcraft will always be those games that I'll keep coming back to no matter how much time I spend away. However, I plan to start streaming very soon, so I'll be diving into some indie games too! The first game I ever fell in love with was Pokemon Silver at age 4 (yes, really). I was born in Greece so when I first moved to America I knew absolutely no English, and Pokemon Silver is the main reason I learned so quickly. My mother recalls that one day she watched me playing on my Gameboy and realized that I knew exactly what I was doing instead of pressing buttons at random like she assumed was happening. I think that's where the obsession all started, and it hasn't stopped since.

Question: Do you make cosplay/costumes for others?

Reb: I don't make cosplay for others, keyword being yet. I would really like to spend this next year honing my skills of prop-making and sewing to potentially put myself out there with commissions, but thus far it's all been a time issue due to the huge amount of university and job related work I've had to focus on.

Question: As a female, you probably get quite a few rude and sexist comments. How do you deal with that and does it ever affect you?

Reb: Truthfully? I've been on the internet since I was very, very young. My Neopets account dates back to June 23rd, 2004 when I had just turned six. By this point my skin is probably classified ahead of diamonds on the toughness scale and I would make that claim that literally nothing affects me. People that follow my Twitter account can attest for the satirical and dry replies I come up with to turn typically terrible things, like rudeness and sexism, into a joke on the aggressor's behalf.

Question: Do you have any interesting upcoming plans? What can fans expect to see from you in the near future?

Reb: Oh my god, yes. A literal plethora of upcoming plans that I haven't even hinted at yet on any of my socials. Looking towards the future a brief list of upcoming things (that I'm allowed to talk about!) includes obtaining DSLR and photography equipment, building a new PC for the specific purpose of streaming, attending more high volume events (Blizzcon and Twitchcon anyone?), merch collaborations with companies, and pumping out at least five new cosplays a month as opposed to the typical two or three that I average every quarter. Things are definitely picking up pace and while it's scary, it's absolutely exciting too. I never imagined this level of support from people on behalf of something that I considered just a hobby.

Question: What is your own personal highlight of working in the industry?

Reb: My own personal highlight is definitely all the like-minded people I get to meet. After being a loner for most of my life there is nothing compared to the feeling of walking into a room and feeling like you're home because of all those present with similar hobbies and stories. Words cannot describe the amazingly kind, generous, thoughtful, and selfless friends I have made by simply attending conventions and tournaments, and I'm so grateful that I have the opportunity to keep attending and meeting more and more people.

Question: When you are not cosplaying what else are you up to, what are your hobbies and interests?

Reb: Oh man... cosplay has been my main interest for so long that it's almost hard to answer. Obviously video games and social media, for sure. But aside from that many people don't know that my first choice in studies was actually zoology, not marketing. I'm extremely passionate about animals, specifically birds, and I wanted to become an ornithologist. Other hobbies of mine include makeup, traveling, and graphic design.

Question: So what does the future hold for Reb and where can we expect to find you?

Reb: The future of Serinide is wildly turbulent right now, and in all positive ways. In the past six months alone my reach has doubled from 20,000 to 40,000 and it is only projected to grow exponentially. Not to mention hitting 300 patrons in the first month of having my Patreon open, which is allowing me to create a ridiculous amount of new content. Which is kind of terrifying really, but in an exciting way! My main personal hope is to continue to be viewed as a down-to-earth meme maker that dresses up as anime girls and is easily approachable both online and in real life.

Question: NoobFeed has a lot of love for you. We think that you’re among the most beautiful cosplayers. Tell something for you fans here. And, how about a special picture for us?

Reb: Why thank you, NoobFeed, I really appreciate that! I suppose to all my “fans” (I use that word loosely, y'all know you're like family to me more than anything) your support does not go unnoticed, and without it I wouldn't be able to continue to do what I love while also studying and working full-time. I sincerely thank you from the bottom of my heart, and I'm excited to see where things go from here! As for a special picture, here's an unreleased photo from my newest Patreon set of my Bewitching Nidalee cosplay.

Many thanks to Rebecca for taking the time to talk with us! We wish her all the very best in her upcoming project. If you want more from Serinide, keep up with Reb and follow her on Twitter.

Sarwar Ron, NoobFeed
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