Meet the ‘Cosplay Auntie’ of Singapore
by Nicholas Yong
(Photo: Billy Niko of Pandaboo Studios)
She’s affectionately known to local cosplayers as Aunty Shirley. And she’s a regular fixture at cosplay events like Anime Festival Asia and the Singapore Toy Game and Comic Convention, where she always gets a big response.
“People there will run to me and hug me, and they will call me auntie or grandma or even mama. We go for karaoke or makan (food) and I feel so young,” says Shirley Chua, 68, with a smile.
Even though Chua is decades older than most of her fellow cosplayers, she has more than 3,300 fans on Facebook. Now, her face is even emblazoned on the side of a Jetstar Airways airplane.
The mother of one is among 50 outstanding Singaporeans featured in a commemorative livery on one of the airline’s A320 planes, specially designed for SG50. She was chosen from among 500 contenders.
(Photo: Jetstar Airways)
Speaking to Yahoo Singapore at the unveiling of the plane on Thursday, Chua has an endearing child-like enthusiasm as she talks about her pride in being among the chosen 50.
“I’m so excited! Last night, I even dreamt that I was late for the event. I kept asking my son am I late, am I late,” she exclaimed.
It all started with sewing costumes for her son Skyy Sia, 28, who started cosplaying as a teenager. It took a few years before the housewife began to share her son’s passion. “I had always wanted to cosplay but I didn’t see any old people doing it,” recalled Chua. “Then in 2011, I told my son I wanted to join in.”
(Photo: Marcus Ho)
Since then, Chua has cosplayed characters such as the Fairy Godmother, Storm and Superwoman. She enjoys the thrill of being on stage and “doing the catwalk”, and sews her own costumes with materials sourced from places like People’s Park Centre. It takes her up to a month to make the more complicated costumes, which usually cost between $15 and $45.
Chua is also an inspiration to the local community. Occasional cosplayer Nicole Teh, 29, said, “I find her very sweet and caring. To me, she’s like a maternal figure in cosplay. If you go to a convention that she’s attending, you can count on her to say hi. She makes me smile,” says the public relations executive.
Through her hobby, Chua has made many friends and sent out a positive message to others. She said, “I have met many teenage fans who introduced their parents to me. They are sometimes concerned that their kids might get into bad company, but when they meet me, they realise that it’s just a passion.”
