Our contributor connected with JooA Song (송주아), popular South Korean cosplayer, racing model, and internet personality, for her reflections on Anime Expo 2026, Silver Palace, and cosplay performance.
Cosplaying Gratia at Anime Expo 2026
Michael: You appeared at Anime Expo as one of the official cosplayers for Silver Palace. What was the experience like for you, and what surprised you most about the event?
JooA: It was such a fun and memorable experience. I was especially happy that everyone seemed to enjoy my stage performance. Seeing the audience react so positively made the whole experience even more enjoyable for me.
Michael: Many of your cosplays are instantly recognizable because of the attention you give not only to the costume itself, but also to posing, expression, and presentation. When you’re preparing for a new character, what part of that creative process do you spend the most time thinking about?
JooA: I would say performance is the most important part for me. To bring a character to life as authentically as possible, I think things like facial expressions, gestures, and the way you behave on stage are incredibly important. I spend a lot of time thinking about the character’s personality and asking myself, “How would this character act in this situation?” I try to reflect those details in my performance.
Michael: Silver Palace has a beautiful visual style that blends fantasy and steampunk. What did you enjoy most about portraying Gratia during Anime Expo?
JooA: The character I cosplayed was Gratia. At the time, her animations and many of her detailed in-game movements had not yet been revealed, so I spent a lot of time thinking about how I should portray her. I decided to give her a feeling that was both cute and strong. Later, when I saw her actual in-game animations, I was really happy to discover that they were very close to what I had imagined and tried to express through my cosplay.
The Art of Bringing Characters to Life
Michael: Cosplay often involves balancing accuracy with your own artistic interpretation. When you portray a character, how do you decide where to stay faithful to the original design and where to add your own personal touch?
JooA: Rather than adding my own personal touch to every aspect of a character, I tend to place more importance on staying faithful to the original design and characterization. To me, the essence of cosplay is bringing the character from the game into the real world, so I try to stay as true to the original character as possible.
Korean Cosplay, Global Audiences, and Fan Connections
Michael: Korean cosplay has become increasingly well known around the world over the past several years. From your perspective, what makes the Korean cosplay community unique?
JooA: To be honest, I’m not deeply involved in the Korean cosplay community itself, so it’s difficult for me to describe exactly what makes it unique. But I do feel that Korean cosplayers are just as kind and warm as the cosplayers I’ve met in the United States. There is a Korean word, jeong (정), which is difficult to translate directly into English. It describes a kind of warmth, affection, and emotional connection between people. In Korea, we often describe someone as having a lot of jeong, and I think that sense of warmth and kindness can also be found among Korean cosplayers.
Michael: Anime Expo brings together fans from dozens of countries. Was there a conversation or interaction with a fan this year that you found particularly memorable?
JooA: I’m the type of cosplayer who prefers to give a performance rather than simply pose on stage. Whenever I performed, I could feel that the audience was enjoying it and responding to what I was doing. Because of that, rather than one particular conversation or interaction, I would say all of those moments with the audience were memorable to me.
Michael: Many people only see the finished photos online, but they don’t always realize how much work goes into creating them. What is one part of cosplay that you think deserves more appreciation?
JooA: As I’ve mentioned several times, I think the expressive side of cosplay deserves more appreciation. A small gesture, a subtle facial expression, or even the angle of your body can communicate so much about a character’s personality. These details may seem very small, so they can easily be overlooked, but I believe they are incredibly important when it comes to truly bringing a character to life.
Michael: As social media has become more global, you’ve had the opportunity to connect with fans from many different countries. Has interacting with an international audience changed the way you think about cosplay or content creation?
JooA: I’ve had the opportunity to travel to many different countries and interact with fans from all over the world. Before experiencing that myself, I thought each country might have a very different way of enjoying and appreciating cosplay. But after traveling and meeting so many people, I realized that cosplay actually gives us a strong sense of connection. Even though we may speak different languages, we are all people who love and enjoy the same culture. That realization made me feel that, in a way, we are all part of one community.
JooA Song on Future Cosplays
Michael: Looking ahead, are there any characters, series, or creative projects that you’re especially excited to cosplay in the future?
JooA: At Anime Expo, I cosplayed Gratia from Silver Palace, but I would really love to cosplay Cinderella in the future. I did see that the fellow cosplayer I worked with had a bit of a difficult time because of Cinderella’s wig, but the overall quality of the character design and cosplay was absolutely amazing. It definitely made me want to try portraying Cinderella myself someday.
Michael: Finally, do you have a message for everyone who visited the Silver Palace booth during Anime Expo 2026, as well as for Anime Diet readers and your fans around the world?
JooA: Thank you so much to everyone who visited the Silver Palace booth at Anime Expo 2026. I truly appreciate your support, and I hope you’ll continue to follow and support Silver Palace in the future. Thank you as well to Anime Diet readers and to everyone around the world who continues to support me.
