Alan Harder the renowned name in the Chattogram cosplay scene has been a revelation to the cosplay community of Bangladesh. He has repeatedly impressed us with his amazing cosplays and with every project he gets better. There is a negative side to being successful as a cosplayer as the majority get complacent over time. However, Alan Harder is not one of those as he takes every project very seriously.
Similar to the other Chattogram cosplayers Alan Harder is very passionate about cosplaying and dedicated to the art giving his all every single time. The same can be said for Arpita Sangma, Ero Senpai, Tanjida Mumu, and Saad Dewan whom I have featured previously but in Alan’s case, he takes the commitment to a whole new level.
I had no idea that he would be so young when I saw him in full Chainsaw Man gear during AnimeCon Chattogram 2023. Yes folks, Alan Harder is just a college student and in the first year to boot. He is a proud member of the Bangladesh Association of Cosplayers (BAC) House 2 aka Chittagong Cosplayers. Alan is also affiliated with the famed Chittagong Anime Bhokto.
The Typical Yet Inspiring Tale
“Well, it all started when I was young. I used to watch a lot of superhero movies, cartoons and anime. I was always interested in their powers, weapons and equipment. So, I started learning how to make those at home. I remember making Spider-Man’s web shooter, Naruto Kunai knives, and swords of different characters.”, Alan Harder answered my question of how it all started.
“Crafting became a hobby to me. And I had a huge collection of this stuff. I started learning graphics design, VFX and CGI work to make myself look like those characters and visualize myself with those powers. I used to follow foreign cosplayers from a very young age.”, he continued.
“I didn’t know cosplay events also exist in Bangladesh. A close senior who was a member of the Chittagong Cosplayers told me about the cosplay events and its community. When I started learning about our country’s cosplay community, I became excited to meet the cosplayers. So, I decided to go to an AnimeCon and thought to myself what could be a better way to attend a cosplay event than going there as a cosplayer? So that’s how my journey started.”
“So, who’s your inspiration?”, I enquired. “I always loved dressing up as my favorite character. That is what gave me joy when I was a kid. So, my childhood actually turned into my inspiration. I used to admire a lot of cosplayers from our country and also from foreign countries. Their cosplays are really good and that’s what also inspired me.”, Alan Harder pointed out his childhood fantasies as inspiration. Now that is something unique.
“Tell me about your favorite characters and your first cosplay experience!”, I probed. “Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan was a character I admired the most. I cosplayed as Levi in my first cosplay competition. Then I cosplayed as Chainsaw Man. This is a character I’m relatable with. Bro literally has the same goal in life as me.”, Alan reiterated, “My first cosplay was in January 2023, Chittagong Winterfest. I cosplayed as the fan-favorite character Levi Ackerman.”
“I have attended two conventions as a competitive cosplayer. Chittagong Winterfest 2023 and Chattogram AnimeCon 2023 Sakura.”, he stated his competitive cosplaying experience, “I’ve won two awards for cosplay. Achieved 2nd place in ‘Home Contest by Chittagong Cosplayers’ as Levi Ackerman and got 4th place in ‘Chattogram AnimeCon 2023’ as Chainsaw Man.”
“Can I get an insight into your future projects?”, I cheekily probed further. “I’ve few on my mind. One is Gojo Saturo from Jujutsu Kaisen. One is a variant of Spider-Man (won’t reveal which variant cause it’s a top-secret one). And I also wanna do a Naruto character.”, Alan Harder revealed all his upcoming projects readily although he refused to divulge any info on the Spider-Man version.
Alan Harder’s Take On Cosplay
“To the main question. What cosplay means to you?”, I asked. “Cosplaying has always been interesting. Dressing up as my favorite character is something that I always loved. Now I don’t think it’s about the cosplay anymore, it’s about the community that kept me going. I’ve to mention this community since it is one of the safest, least toxic and supportive communities ever!”, was Alan Harder’s plain reply.
“I feel like this is where I belong. Chittagong Cosplayers is not a community it’s a family to me now. The bonding between cosplayers, the way everyone supports each other, and helps each other is really wholesome. I also have to mention its admin Mahir Bhaiya and Raisa Apu for holding this community together. One of the best leaders I’ve met in my life.”, Alan praised the efforts of the Chittagong Cosplayers leaders.
“I really focus on the crafting in my cosplays. I watch a few tutorials first, then use the templates from online for measurements. And then I start making the props. Sometimes I paint them before sticking them together and sometimes I paint them after I put all the pieces together. It depends. I am really bad at tailoring. So, my sister helps me with my costumes. Trying to get better at it with her help.”, he shared his experience of crafting and tailoring.
“What about makeup and wig styling then?”, I hinted. “To make the cosplay as accurate as possible it is pretty important to style the wig and do the makeup in a proper way.”, he declared. Then I asked the all-important question, “Is it necessary to be in character while cosplaying?”. “Of course! Being in character is the key to self-confidence and during performance, it is the thing to focus on. You have to be totally in the character in order to make the whole thing look real and accurate.”, exclaimed Alan Harder.
Alan let me in on a really interesting experience of his. Well, it was funny and awkward at the same time. “In my first cosplay event, I was obviously nervous but there was a girl who was more nervous. She was like ‘Hi, I’m your biggest fan! Can I…. Uh…’ She was even nervous to ask for a picture. She didn’t even know me but told me she was a fan. Then I asked ‘Let me guess, you’re a fan of Levi Ackerman. The character. Not me. Right?’ She replied ‘Yes but you’re him!’ that was both funny and wholesome at the same time.”
Experience Of ACC23
“I was badly waiting for it after the first event. When I got the news, I was super excited!!”, Alan Harder shared his excitement of the AnimeCon announcement. “Did you have the confidence to do well in the contest back then?”, I probed. “Of course! I worked day and night for weeks to make everything perfect. But my main goal wasn’t to win the competition but to win the hearts of the audience which I think I’ve done pretty well.”, was Alan Harder’s enthusiastic reply.
“I started two weeks before the event. Took me a lot of work to make the props. But this time it wasn’t the only thing I focused on. I wanted to do something more interesting. I wanted to recreate a scene from the manga. To make a lasting impression I worked on a script and tried my best to make the performance even more exciting. I asked my friend, Tarin (who cosplayed as Makima) to help me with the performance.”
“It was an honor to be judged by the top cosplayers of Bangladesh. I took it as a job to impress them. Really felt so hyped up for performing on stage since I was waiting for that moment for a long time and worked so hard on it.”, Alan Harder shared his experience of being judged and performing on stage, “I literally had goosebumps when the crowd went wild. It felt really amazing when everyone was screaming and cheering. At that moment I knew, all the hard work that I’d done was worth it.”
Finale
“What is your final goal as a cosplayer?”, I asked. “It has become a part of me. I don’t know about being on the top list but I surely want to become everyone’s favorite. A cosplayer everyone loves. Cause I’m the side character who steals the show ;-)!”, Alan Harder answered, “Every day cosplay getting popular in our country. People are getting more interested in this stuff and the community is getting bigger.”
“Well, my friends have become fans. They really hype me up so much that I feel so confident to do my cosplays. And my mom literally pushed me and gave me the courage to do my first cosplay so they’re pretty supportive about it. And also, my relatives are quite supportive too.”, Alan replied when I asked about the roles of his family and friends in his endeavor.
“You just gotta have faith in yourself. Just got for it. Whatever your heart desires. In our society, there will always be restrictions, rules, and gossip against it. You sometimes might get bullied or face difficult situations. Are you ready to smash them all and chase your dreams? You have to break those boundaries and spread your wings. Do not care about what others think, do what you want to do.”, is his advice to aspiring cosplayers.
Finally, Alan Harder said a few words about Deshi Geek itself, “Deshi Geek has always been my favorite. I have joined their podcasts several times. The admins are so friendly and helpful. Thanks for the opportunities, you guys gave us.” That was it for this interview and peeps follow Alan Harder and appreciate his works through the following links,
