This Elsa Cosplay is Truly a Fantasy
The Disney movie Frozen isn’t just another adaption of a classic fairy tale, it’s a worldwide phenomenon. The character Elsa especially resonated with viewers, even though she isn’t the main protagonist of the story. People all over the world, young and old, fell in love with Elsa and related to her struggles of control and the challenges she faced to just be herself. Her main song, “Let It Go,” became an anthem of self acceptance.
Elsa is loosely based on the title character of The Snow Queen, a Danish fairytale by Hans Christian Andersen. In the Disney adaptation, Elsa is introduced as the elder princess of the fictional Scandinavian kingdom of Arendelle, heiress to the throne, and the elder sister of story protagonist Princess Anna.
According to Disney, “Elsa looks poised, regal, and reserved, but in reality, she lives in fear as she wrestles with a mighty secret – she was born with the power to create ice and snow. It’s a beautiful ability, but also extremely dangerous. …Elsa has isolated herself, spending every waking minute trying to suppress her growing powers. …She fears she’s becoming a monster and that no one, not even her sister, can help her.”
The movie Frozen had been in development at Disney for decades. Film executives, including Walt Disney, attempted to build on the character of the Snow Queen. Several film adaptations were shelved when they couldn’t work out the character. The Snow Queen of old is – as one might expect – cold, and the early Disney versions of Elsa had her as a villain in the vein of Cruella de Vil. The dilemma of what to do with her was solved by co-creators Chris Buck and Jennifer Lee by depicting Elsa and Anna as sisters. This led to Elsa being rewritten as a sympathetic, misunderstood character. And thus led to the sisters doin’ it for themselves. One of many reasons why Frozen is such a hit, and considered to be long-awaited milestone for Disney, is that sisterly love is what saves the day, not some prince or other male hero.
Even when Elsa isolates herself in a castle made of ice and snow, we know that she still has a warm, caring heart. She’s a beautiful person, inside and out, and we – the audience – yearn along with Princess Anna to reach and connect with Elsa physically and emotionally. Hers is something of haunted beauty, though. Her strife is palpable, which makes the film’s climax that much more of a triumph.
That beauty, longing, and determination come through in Asami_Gate‘s stunning cosplay of Elsa. This Russian beauty is a very accomplished cosplayer, and she absolutely nails it with Elsa. For one thing, she really looks like Elsa. But gorgeous bone structure does not a winning cosplay make. So let’s look at the full picture. The costume, wig styling, makeup, and posing are pure perfection. Add in the location and the beautiful, crystalline ice and snow effects, and this could be a promo shoot from the live action adaptation. Amazing. Completely amazing. Asami’s work elevates a lovely costume into a full cosplay fantasy.
Photography by Julia Filimonova
