Puia R Siakeng on taking Mizoram’s cosplay to the global stage

It was actually mind-blowing to hear my name on the big stage. I kept my expectations low the whole time, and did not pay much attention to the results being announced since my fellow competitors were amazing too. But the moment I heard that I was one of the champions, I immediately stopped what I was doing and had to celebrate with my mom, as she was with me at that time. I never thought that I would be the first person to win not only in Mizoram but in the whole of the Northeast.

That first person is my mom, of course. She knows every detail of my journey from the start till now.

As a veteran cosplayer of 14 years, I’ve been through a lot of ups and downs during this journey. Today, I can happily say my family fully supports what I do and is excited for what lies ahead. To earn that kind of support, I realised that we sometimes have to prove our dedication through actions and hard work, showing them what we are truly capable of creating with our own hands, rather than just talking about it. Chen Stormstout is a heavily textured, physically complex character to pull off.

The most challenging part of this build was getting the character’s shape right—specifically, the fat suit. I ran so many experiments because I was terrified of looking like a mascot character or a balloon creature. I kept asking myself: “How would an actual panda warrior walk if he existed in the real world?” and “If someone hugs him, will he feel soft?” After exploring countless approaches, the ‘pillow method’ worked beautifully and truly did justice to the character. It took me three months to build this specific costume.

My crafting process has drastically evolved. Over the years, I’ve learned to make weapons, swords, and armour much lighter than I used to. My early paint jobs were plain and simple, but now my colouring techniques have far more texture and depth. I also used to struggle with sculpting monster characters, but I’ve discovered how achievable it is using sponge foam and lightweight clays. These days, I always design with lightweight materials in mind because they allow for much better flexibility and movement on stage.

Back then, we had to rely on basic materials like cardboard or use hairspray as a makeshift substitute for wig styling. Everything we used came from local stationery shops. Today, it’s a completely different story. The more you explore the city, the more unique materials you can discover. Now, I have a go-to list of local shops that I visit every single time I start a new project.

I believe the youth of Mizoram have a natural passion for art and creativity, and cosplay is the perfect medium to bring that out. It allows people to express themselves openly and share their dedication with others. I hope my journey inspires more people to join in, and that we continue to sustain the wonderful, supportive community we’ve built here.

My plan for next year is to compete at the international level again, and, after that, I will go to the ICC in 2028, where I will cosplay as a character called Sun Wukong, the Monkey King.

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