Meet Shirumimi, a Singaporean cosplayer who balances the modesty of her hijab with her love of anime

Ever attended events like Anime Festival Asia, Japanese Cultural Festival or Singapore Comic Con? If yes, you’d have seen the throngs of people who creatively bring characters from film, television, books or Japanese anime and manga to life by donning colourful costumes – they’re known as cosplayers.

Among these enthusiasts is a cosplayer who wants to be known as Nur Mimi. While the nature of cosplaying is to don a larger-than-life costume of one’s favourite character, this 25-year-old’s approach is unique. 

She is a hijabi cosplayer who goes by Shirumimi.

The hijab is based on the religious concept of modesty, seen in the headscarf or headcover and modest clothes that Muslim women wear. A hijabi is the term for Muslim women who observe the hijab. 

As a hijabi, when Nur cosplays, she keeps her hair and her body appropriately covered.

“Many anime costumes are known for being revealing,” Nur said. “But I've learned that they can be creatively reimagined to suit a hijabi style.”

A LOVE FOR ANIME AND CUTE CHARACTERS

“Even though I’ve been watching anime all my life, it didn’t occur to me that I – someone who’s worn the hijab since I was a kid – could portray an anime character in my own way,” Nur told CNA Women. 

That changed early last year when Nur was re-watching an episode of Pretty Cure, her all-time favourite anime, for the umpteenth time. 

As she admired her beloved character, Honoka Yukishiro, a thought crossed her mind: “Could I possibly dress up as her?”

“I’d known about cosplaying for a while, but whenever I saw photos of cosplayers, they were often dressed in very tight or revealing clothes due to the original character design,” Nur said. 

“I don’t think it’s a problem by itself, but as someone who wears the hijab, it wasn’t something that was aligned with my values related to modesty.”

So she Googled “hijabi cosplayers”. To her delight, she found many cosplayers – especially in Malaysia and Indonesia – who, like her, wear the hijab and had been doing so for years while cosplaying. 

She quickly became a fan of Malaysian cosplayer Ai Nurul. Even if a character’s outfit was unsuitable for a hijabi – like Boa Hancock from One Piece, who is well-endowed and dresses revealingly – Ai Nurul managed to pull it off, Nur said. 

“It’s so impressive how she could resourcefully modify her costumes to maintain her modesty,” she said.

PATIENCE AND THE WILLINGNESS TO EXPERIMENT 

Inspired by these hijabi cosplayers, Nur started experimenting on her own to figure out how to style anime characters while wearing a hijab. 

What was particularly time-consuming and difficult: Getting the hijab to look like anime-style hair.

She declined to reveal her secrets but said: “It’s all about patience and being open to trying new ways”. 

"My two go-to tools for perfecting the hijab are, firstly, pins – I use lots and lots of pins,” she explained, pointing to the concealed pins securing her hijab to achieve the hairstyle of Sakura from Cardcaptor Sakura. 

“And secondly, the right innerwear to cover my neck and arms properly while keeping the essence of the original look.”

Another difficulty is in modifying the original costumes to make it more modest. This was particularly difficult for characters such as Yor Forger from Spy x Family and Elysia from Honkai Impact, both of whom wear revealing outfits like low-cut dresses and shorts.

“I always try different styles for hours before sticking with one that satisfies me,” she laughed. “I tell myself that it’s okay and normal if it turns out like a mess at first, but as long as I keep trying, I know I’ll achieve my desired look eventually.”

Almost two years after entering the world of cosplay, Nur has no intention to stop. To date, she has spent around S$1,000 on her costumes and modifications. 

“It’s a crazy amount that takes a lot to save – truly an expensive but fulfilling hobby,” the civil servant said. 

There are tens of thousands of anime characters out there, and the possibilities of cosplaying any of them are also similarly endless, she said. 

“I’d like to see how I can be more innovative when coming up with costumes of characters who inspire the most fun and creativity in me.”

BALANCING HER MUSLIM VALUES AND COSPLAYING INTERESTS 

As a hijabi, Nur acknowledges that she does sometimes grapple with how at odds cosplaying and wearing the hijab can be. 

“The hijab isn’t just about covering up but also about values like modesty and an outward expression of my identity as a Muslim,” she said. “So it was hard to reconcile that with the fact that a lot of anime characters are not modest at all.” 

Her perspective: Even though a character’s outfit may not be suitable for a hijabi like herself, she and other hijabis can still bring their own creative and modest spin to its design. 

What’s crucial is understanding her personal boundaries when engaging in her hobby.

“If I feel like I’m losing myself and straying away from my religion when I’m cosplaying, then I should be brave enough to let go of my hobby,” she said. 

“As much as I love cosplaying, if it compromises my identity as a Muslim or leads me to forget some of my religious values, I’m prepared to say goodbye.”