Young Woman Finds Comfort In Cosplay Craft

By Mohd Afiq Zulkifli

KUALA LUMPUR, April 19 (Bernama) – Crafting custom-made cosplay helmets or headpieces has helped Siti Nur Aisyah Johari cope with the grief of losing her loved ones.

Siti Nur Aisyah, 29, from Jitra, Kedah, said the loss of her father to lung cancer in 2018, followed by her mother’s passing from the same illness in 2021, as well as her brother’s death in a road accident when she was in primary school, left her with an immense sense of loneliness.

“I couldn’t sleep at night and felt so lonely with the house so quiet. I decided to find something to occupy my time so I wouldn’t dwell on those sad thoughts. Since young, I’ve been interested in cosplay, particularly in crafting the helmets of the fictional characters.

“So, I taught myself how to make them through YouTube, learning step by step over six months until I understood how to design, print and produce my own helmets,” she said, adding that she also began experimenting with 3D printing.

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Speaking to Bernama, Siti Nur Aisyah said she began pursuing the craft more seriously around 2023 and it has since then provided her with a steady source of income.

So far, she has created helmets for the characters in fictional series such as ‘Gundam’, ‘Predator’, ‘Power Rangers’, ‘Cybercop’ and ‘Kamen Rider’. She also accepts orders for bespoke designs tailored to individual customer requests.

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Priced between RM600 and RM900 per unit, her creations are considered more affordable than the market rates, which can run into thousands of ringgit for the helmets of certain characters.

Siti Nur Aisyah, who also runs an online food business, started her cosplay helmet-making venture with just a small RM300 3D printer and no formal background in the field of design or technology. Today, she owns 12 3D printing machines worth thousands of ringgit each. She also has three employees and operates from a rented workshop.

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She said each helmet goes through several stages, including digital design, a printing process that can take several days, followed by finishing work such as sanding, cleaning and painting to ensure a polished and durable product.

The helmets are made using polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG), a more durable type of plastic. Painting is done using spray and airbrush techniques to achieve a high-quality result.

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“The most challenging part is actually the design because every customer has different expectations. Some even request designs that don’t exist, so I have to think creatively and try to bring them to life.

“Sometimes the design alone can take days as it requires focus and repeated attempts to get it right. There are times it doesn’t work and I have to start over, but that’s how I learn and improve my craft,” she said.

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Active on TikTok under the account “Sya Cosplay”, where she has more than 50,000 followers, Siti Nur Aisyah said each helmet takes between two and three months to complete and is intended for fashion and collection purposes.

Notably, her creations have reached international markets including Australia, Singapore, Vietnam, Brunei and Indonesia.

“For me, this is not just about making money. The real satisfaction comes from being able to revive a passion I’ve had since childhood,” she said, adding that she receives nearly 100 orders each month

-- BERNAMA