Upcoming costume plans!
Oooh, it's been a while since I've updated on here.
So, anyway. I'm pretty much settled in with what I'm planning to do cosplay-wise for the next six-or-so months - I'm not making any plans beyond March 2009 simply because I'm applying for JET this year and can't be sure that I'll be able to get to any other events or anime cons until I know whether I've been accepted onto the programme.
Basically, there are only two events/cons I'm definitely going to - the Grand Cosplay Ball and Minamicon. I'm giving the October London Expo a miss because, even if I just rewear an old costume or two, it's a big added expense that I'd rather avoid. Depending on how things go, though, I might go to the May Expo next year, and I might make a costume specifically for it - which isn't something I normally do because as much as I like going to London Expo, it's not a proper anime con, is it?
Anyway. I don't usually give away what I'm planning on doing for any specific cons until I know for sure that I'll have them done in time - I feel guilty about saying what I'm planning to do and then having it fall through (even though my costumes are usually based on characters that hardly anyone knows or cares about :P ). But equally, publicly stated that I'm going to do something commits me further to doing it and spurs me on, so here we go!
Firstly, for the Grand Cosplay Ball, kuro2shiro and I are doing a slightly unconventional partner cosplay - Lamiroir and Machi from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney:
There were exactly three thoughts that went through my head when I played the third chapter of Apollo Justice and saw these characters:
1. Ooooh, I really wanna cosplay as Lamiroir! :D
2. Ooooh, Luke would be the most adorable Machi! :D
3. Ooooh, those would be perfect for the Grand Cosplay Ball! :D
Fortunately Luke rather liked the idea too, so no arm-twisting was required! I expect that Machi will be the more complicated of the two costumes, since it'll require some interesting wig-styling and I have yet to find a suitable costume pattern that I can adapt into Machi's outfit, but I suspect Lamiroir may be the more time-consuming of the two, since it involves painting a buttload of constellations onto her cloak and I don't even want to think about those ruffles just yet!
Moving on to Minamicon, I have a few things in the works. Firstly, there are the two costumes I hinted at in the Big Cosplay Blitz post before Amecon, which I will now reveal to be... Viola from Eternal Sonata and the Medicine Seller from Mononoke:
The Medicine Seller is actually being made for Luke, who's wanted to do the character ever since he first saw Mononoke - and let's be honest, the Medicine Seller is badass. I haven't got all the materials for the costume yet but it is well underway, as you can see here:
Right now I'm just trying to work out how to cleanly attach the collar of the kimono, but I don't need to worry about that bit just yet. Making the obi will be interesting, and I'm rather looking forward to doing the makeup - it's a funky makeup scheme! This will also be my first attempt at styling a wig properly (because we don't like to talk about my infamous Shinobu wig...). So that'll be interesting!
As for Viola, she's a remnant of an Eternal Sonata group I was meant to be in for Amecon, but which fell apart before the con. I do love the character design and since I'd already bought many of the materials, I thought it'd be a shame not to follow through on making the costume. I have pretty much everything I need already, although I need to get some suitable footwear and find some tights that will sit low enough for me to wear them. And on a similar note... I need to lose weight. Or at the very least, I need to tone up. I have plenty of time to attain this goal, and I figure a modified, healthier diet + dramatic increase in exercise levels will get me there by the time Minami rolls around. If I still have a little bit of a paunch by then I can always cut the skit a bit higher, but I'm certainly too chubby right now to pull it off. Unless I want to make people throw up. Which I don't.
I have two other Minami plans, which I haven't started on yet. The first is Ginrei from Giant Robo:
Apparently, in celebration of Minamicon's 15th year, several people are doing retro cosplays, and several people are defining "retro" as "anything that was current when Minamicon started". So Giant Robo fits right in. I'm planning this as a masquerade costume because I've thought of a cool little twist to put on the costume, and it involves a bit of a performance. It remains to be seen whether I'll be able to pull it off, but if I can, then it'll be epic.
My second plan is the Death Records Manager from Detroit Metal City:
It's not much of a costume, and if I don't get it done in time for the con I won't be too bothered. But Detroit Metal City is awesome, and the manager is hilarious. I like the idea of having a costume that'll allow me to drink and swear a lot and claim that I'm in character! Besides, it looks pretty comfortable, which will make a change from pretty much all my other costumes ever :P
Lastly, just in case I do decide to go to the May London Expo and fancy doing some cosplay. Some people on Cosplay Island have been talking about doing a Soul Calibur group for some time next year, and while Luke reckons I'd make a good Shura (silly boy), I rather like the look of Kamikirimusi:
Nice kimono, cool hair, giant club (although I may not be able to make that)... I love the design! Like I say, it's not certain whether I'll make this or not, but it's certainly something I'd like to do!
Phew. So that's a busy few months. Hopefully I'll be able to do them all (or at least most of them)...!
So, anyway. I'm pretty much settled in with what I'm planning to do cosplay-wise for the next six-or-so months - I'm not making any plans beyond March 2009 simply because I'm applying for JET this year and can't be sure that I'll be able to get to any other events or anime cons until I know whether I've been accepted onto the programme.
Basically, there are only two events/cons I'm definitely going to - the Grand Cosplay Ball and Minamicon. I'm giving the October London Expo a miss because, even if I just rewear an old costume or two, it's a big added expense that I'd rather avoid. Depending on how things go, though, I might go to the May Expo next year, and I might make a costume specifically for it - which isn't something I normally do because as much as I like going to London Expo, it's not a proper anime con, is it?
Anyway. I don't usually give away what I'm planning on doing for any specific cons until I know for sure that I'll have them done in time - I feel guilty about saying what I'm planning to do and then having it fall through (even though my costumes are usually based on characters that hardly anyone knows or cares about :P ). But equally, publicly stated that I'm going to do something commits me further to doing it and spurs me on, so here we go!
Firstly, for the Grand Cosplay Ball, kuro2shiro and I are doing a slightly unconventional partner cosplay - Lamiroir and Machi from Apollo Justice: Ace Attorney:
There were exactly three thoughts that went through my head when I played the third chapter of Apollo Justice and saw these characters:
1. Ooooh, I really wanna cosplay as Lamiroir! :D
2. Ooooh, Luke would be the most adorable Machi! :D
3. Ooooh, those would be perfect for the Grand Cosplay Ball! :D
Fortunately Luke rather liked the idea too, so no arm-twisting was required! I expect that Machi will be the more complicated of the two costumes, since it'll require some interesting wig-styling and I have yet to find a suitable costume pattern that I can adapt into Machi's outfit, but I suspect Lamiroir may be the more time-consuming of the two, since it involves painting a buttload of constellations onto her cloak and I don't even want to think about those ruffles just yet!
Moving on to Minamicon, I have a few things in the works. Firstly, there are the two costumes I hinted at in the Big Cosplay Blitz post before Amecon, which I will now reveal to be... Viola from Eternal Sonata and the Medicine Seller from Mononoke:
The Medicine Seller is actually being made for Luke, who's wanted to do the character ever since he first saw Mononoke - and let's be honest, the Medicine Seller is badass. I haven't got all the materials for the costume yet but it is well underway, as you can see here:
Right now I'm just trying to work out how to cleanly attach the collar of the kimono, but I don't need to worry about that bit just yet. Making the obi will be interesting, and I'm rather looking forward to doing the makeup - it's a funky makeup scheme! This will also be my first attempt at styling a wig properly (because we don't like to talk about my infamous Shinobu wig...). So that'll be interesting!
As for Viola, she's a remnant of an Eternal Sonata group I was meant to be in for Amecon, but which fell apart before the con. I do love the character design and since I'd already bought many of the materials, I thought it'd be a shame not to follow through on making the costume. I have pretty much everything I need already, although I need to get some suitable footwear and find some tights that will sit low enough for me to wear them. And on a similar note... I need to lose weight. Or at the very least, I need to tone up. I have plenty of time to attain this goal, and I figure a modified, healthier diet + dramatic increase in exercise levels will get me there by the time Minami rolls around. If I still have a little bit of a paunch by then I can always cut the skit a bit higher, but I'm certainly too chubby right now to pull it off. Unless I want to make people throw up. Which I don't.
I have two other Minami plans, which I haven't started on yet. The first is Ginrei from Giant Robo:
Apparently, in celebration of Minamicon's 15th year, several people are doing retro cosplays, and several people are defining "retro" as "anything that was current when Minamicon started". So Giant Robo fits right in. I'm planning this as a masquerade costume because I've thought of a cool little twist to put on the costume, and it involves a bit of a performance. It remains to be seen whether I'll be able to pull it off, but if I can, then it'll be epic.
My second plan is the Death Records Manager from Detroit Metal City:
It's not much of a costume, and if I don't get it done in time for the con I won't be too bothered. But Detroit Metal City is awesome, and the manager is hilarious. I like the idea of having a costume that'll allow me to drink and swear a lot and claim that I'm in character! Besides, it looks pretty comfortable, which will make a change from pretty much all my other costumes ever :P
Lastly, just in case I do decide to go to the May London Expo and fancy doing some cosplay. Some people on Cosplay Island have been talking about doing a Soul Calibur group for some time next year, and while Luke reckons I'd make a good Shura (silly boy), I rather like the look of Kamikirimusi:
Nice kimono, cool hair, giant club (although I may not be able to make that)... I love the design! Like I say, it's not certain whether I'll make this or not, but it's certainly something I'd like to do!
Phew. So that's a busy few months. Hopefully I'll be able to do them all (or at least most of them)...!