Summer Cosplay Hacks

With summer coming up, most cosplayers are getting ready for conventions and meetups, too excited to remember exactly how hot a wig and costume can get under the sun’s unforgiving rays. Going to Kuronekocon every August has given me plenty of experience with just how brutal cosplaying in 100-degree weather can be, but it’s also taught me some important tips and tricks for staying cool while cosplaying in the summer.

A lot of cosplayers may be tempted to tough the heat out, but heat stroke and heat exhaustion do happen and they are no joking matter. Planning for the heat may seem like a hassle, but it could make the difference between enjoying your con to the fullest or retreating back to your hotel sick and miserable after only a few hours.

To make sure you can enjoy cosplaying in the summer rather than suffer through it, here are a few things I’ve learned in order to deal with the inescapable heat:

Make or look for cosplays made from natural fibers. This might not seem like a big deal and it can potentially mean spending a little bit more, but believe me–you will feel a major difference just by doing this. Polyester traps heat and sweat against your skin. Sound pleasant? It’s not. And in severe heat with more layers than advisable, it can be dangerous. On the other hand, natural fibers such as cotton and linen will breathe and wick away sweat, letting you stay way cooler.

Stay hydrated. Seriously. Drinking water and stopping for bathroom breaks may seem like an inconvenience, but they are a lot less inconvenient than a heat migraine which can be debilitating and bring your whole day to a halt. Carry water with you if at all possible.

Speaking of staying hydrated, freeze half a bottle of water the night before con. In the morning you can fill it up the rest of the way and it will help ensure you have ice cold fluids all day long.

Replenish lost electrolytes. If you’re sweating, you’re losing electrolytes. And if you’re cosplaying in the heat, chances are pretty good that you’re going to sweat a lot. Replenishing those lost electrolytes will not only help protect you from heat-related illness, it will also make sure you feel your best and can enjoy cosplaying to the fullest. I like these single-serve electrolyte powder packs that you can just pour right into your water bottle. These ones have no added flavors, sugars, or any other fillers. It’s just the electrolytes you need, nothing else.

Pick heat-friendly cosplays. (Seriously.) Save your heavy faux-fur and wool cloak for winter cons and pick something a little lighter to wear during the summer. It is okay to have seasonal cosplays. I have cosplays I can only wear during the cooler months. And I have others that I’d freeze in during winter. If you’re not sure whether a cosplay will do well in the heat, wear it during a hot day for a trial run.

“Cheat” on layers. If you are stubborn enough to have a cosplay with several levels during the summer, remember that you can cheat a bit to stave off the heat. If your character wears a long-sleeve button-up shirt and a jacket for instance–opt for wearing a short-sleeved button-up shirt instead. No one will see the sleeve anyway, and it’ll save you a few degrees. You can also use faux collars sewn right onto vests and skip the undershirt all together. Also, if you are crazy enough to wear a cosplay with a coat during the summer, don’t be shy about taking it off. If you’re wandering around the vendor hall doing some shopping give yourself a break. You can always put the coat back on for photos.

That brings us to another point. Take breaks often. Limit your time outside in the heat, take frequent breaks to walk through some air-conditioning to cool down, and if you feel the start of a headache or experience any dizziness or just feel miserably hot, head to the bathroom and run some cold water over the inside of your wrists. This will help your body to cool down quickly.

Keep cool with a handheld spritzer fan or cooling towel. My good friends Danny and Cleo spend most of the hot, August convention here with spritzer fans in hand, spraying themselves down to survive the scorching heat. These little contraptions do work wonders to cool you down, and if you’re worried about messing up your makeup you can always spritz your neck, arms, legs, chest, or any other exposed skin. Plus you can use the fan as a regular fan, too. You can also use a cooling towel to keep the heat at bay even in the hottest cosplay. Putting one around the back of your neck does wonders to keep you cool.

That’s it for now–I’ll be putting these tricks to the test tomorrow for Lilac City Comicon (cosplaying Kageyama and Todoroki), so I will let you know how that goes in my next post!

Did I miss any tips for beating the heat in cosplay? Leave a comment and let me know below!

Have fun cosplaying this summer and above all else, stay safe!

Just as a heads up, there may be affiliate links in this post. These don’t cost you anything extra, but they help me earn a small commission and that helps me keep this blog running so that I can provide even more anime and game reviews plus cosplay tips and tricks!

Review: Sakura-con 2019

Hey guys! I’m back from Sakura-con and I had an amazing time! I stayed with a couple of very good friends on the outskirts of Seattle and had a blast cosplaying in a small group with them. There were a lot of hilarious shenanigans, some nice pictures, epic photobombs, and reunions with other faraway friends I haven’t seen in a while.

Day zero was pretty laid back, it took almost no time at all to pick up our badges (we pre-registered) and I said pretty comfortable cosplaying casual Todoroki. We also picked up some groceries that day to prep bento box lunches for the con this year! It was a lifesaver to have a real square meal midday and, to my surprise, we didn’t need to go out to eat even once the whole weekend. Battling the lines at fast food joints or sushi restaurants is a struggle unto itself, so I was glad to save the money and time. Cleo and Danny, the friends I stayed with, conspired to draw an adorable Kageyama on my milk which was too cute!

Day one we started with Stardew Valley cosplay, and I had a chance to cosplay Elliott! This was my second time officially cosplaying him, and it was a lot of fun. The wig is a bit of a handful, but not too bad. In the evening we switched over to Haikyuu cosplays for the rave and I had a chance to sport one of my favorite cosplays: Kageyama. This was just a casual round, but it was still a ton of fun to run around as him. There were quite a few less Haikyuu cosplayers this year, but I’m hoping they’ll resurge when season four is released.

Day two was a bit more chaotic, mostly because that’s when this year’s big cosplays came out. Cosplaying from Kamigami no Asobi was a lot of work, and it is the first time I’ve worn a very, very long wig. I’ll admit, I’ve gotten pretty used to short wigs that are light, stay (mostly) out of the way, but Balder’s wig was long and heavy. It was overwhelming, sometimes. It felt like I was being dragged backward by my head for at least part of the morning, and I kept getting caught on things. But, looking back on the weekend I really do love how the wig looked. It was a hard cosplay to walk around in, but we got a few very excited people complimenting us and asking for photos, and we had fun taking pictures out by the rose bushes, too.

After we were worn down, we switched back to Haikyuu cosplay, which was a really nice break from the difficult, somewhat restrictive outfits for Kamigami no Asobi.

I adore cosplaying Kageyama, and this was no exception. I brought my Molten volleyball with me, too, and passed the ball back and forth a bit in the park while catching up with friends. My elbow has been a bit touchy ever since a bad case of tendonitis in October (and reinjuring it a few times), but bumping and setting didn’t seem to bother it too much, so I’m hoping it’s slowly but surely mending.

The last day of the convention is always bittersweet, but I loved cosplaying Todoroki, and he has quickly surged through the ranks to become one of my favorite cosplays. The outfit is comfortable, I relate a lot to him, and he’s just a lot of fun to run around as. There were plenty of other BNHA / MHA cosplayers, too! Just rushing through the vendor hall in search of Danny (Midoriya) I had two love confessions from two separate Bakugos which was an awesome surprise, and got a hug from someone cosplaying Midoriya’s mom (along with her asking me to promise to protect her boy).

The one hiccup that I ran into with Todoroki is that his white boots slid down pretty easily… so that morning I sewed the boots to the pants out of sheer necessity. Just a couple stitches to keep them up. I’m excited to cosplay Todoroki in the future, too! Next time, though… maybe I’ll add some elastic to the top of the boots.

All in all, Sakura-con 2019 was a lot of fun and I really enjoyed going! And… for next year we just might be plotting some fun panels including a Haikyuu!! maid “cafe” panel. To raise funds for nationals, of course. I’m very much looking forward to cosplaying maid Kageyama, whacking Danny (Hinata) with my foam tray of treats whenever provoked, and preserving his dignity by running to block any straying eyes anytime he bends over. (Not that there’s any real danger with all the petticoat fluff and bloomers… but it’s the thought that counts.)

Do you guys have any fun cosplay plans you’re working on? I’d love to hear them!

Cosplay Update: Todoroki (BNHA)

Hey guys! With Sakura-con coming up in just about one week, I finally had the chance to test out cosplaying Todoroki from Boku No Hero Academia / My Hero Academia (BNHA / MHA).

I’m still working on finishing up the jacket and vest for Balder from Kamigami no Asobi, but hope to be able to test run that cosplay soon as well!

In the meantime, here’s how Todoroki turned out:

All in all, I’m really happy with how the homemade scar makeup worked out! It turned out to be a decent color and was easy to work with.

I really thought that styling Todoroki’s wig and some aspects of the makeup were going to be a lot like cosplaying Kageyama–one of my favorite characters to cosplay–but I quickly found that I was way off with that assumption. The wigs operated completely differently, and the dual coloring and scar makeup was definitely a curve ball.

The eyebrows especially were tricky, being two different colors. I had to try to find a sweet spot between still looking symmetrical and a good match and being clearly two different colors. Next time, I think I would make the eyebrow on the scarred side a little darker even.

For Sakura-con, I’ll be cosplaying a casual version of Todoroki (on Day Zero) and will also be cosplaying him in his gym uniform on Sunday (Day Three). I got to test both out:

Casual Todoroki

Gym Uniform Todoroki

I wish that I could wear contacts, especially cosplaying characters with unusual eye colors such as Todoroki. Unfortunately, an allergy to a preservative in almost all contact solutions and eye drops makes it impossible… the last time I tried, I went to the eye doctor due to chronic pain only to be told I had abrasions across the surface of both eyes from the reaction.

So, no contacts for me. My eyes do sometimes change color though–they are usually blue-green but almost always turn gray when I cosplay Kageyama. I was curious to see what would happen with them when I cosplayed Todoroki since the makeup and wig are two-toned.

My usual eyecolor, blue-green with central heterochromia (the golden ring around my pupil) vs. the clear gray they turn when cosplaying Kageyama.

Fun fact: Todoroki has a form of heterochromia (complete heterochromia) that results in his two-tone eyecolor. I actually have heterochromia as well in a different form (central heterochromia). And while I was really hoping for two different-looking eye colors on each side… I didn’t get that. But, my own heterochromia seemed to stand out more while cosplaying him.

Instead of blue-green, they seemed to change almost to a pale blue, and the gold heterochromia that is usually pretty narrow spread out in a wide sunburst from the pupils.

Not exactly the two-tone look that Todoroki’s eyes have, but it was still interesting… and hopefully will look close enough to his natural gray and teal eyes in photos at the convention.

Anyway–back to sewing for me, I have a lot to do before the convention starts next week! What cosplays are you guys working on? I’d love to hear!

Ultimate Convention & Cosplay Packing Checklist

With Sakura-con looming on the horizon, I’ve been sewing, packing, and crafting up a storm for the cosplays I’m working on. As I print out my cosplay packing checklist for the convention, I wanted to share a modified version of it with all of you! Remembering to bring a crucial piece of a cosplay–like a wig!–can make or break a convention. If you travel for cons, whether they are on the other side of town, the other side of the state, or the other side of the country, make sure you’re prepared with this checklist.

The Ultimate Convention Packing List

Important Documents

Convention Registration Receipt / Documents
Hotel Booking Confirmation
Flight, Bus, or Train Rickets (departure and return)
Driver’s License or Valid ID
Reference Pictures of the Characters You’re Cosplaying

Wig and Hair Care

Wig heads, Stands, and T-pins (as needed)
Got2BGlued Hairspray (works on wigs and real hair!)
Hair Ties
Wig Caps
Gentle Detangling Brush for Wigs
Wig Pins and Bobby Pins

Makeup

Foundation, Primer, Blush, and Setting Powder (if needed)
Plain Chapstick
Angle Brush (these are perfect for eyebrows)
Eyeliner, Mascara, Lipstick, Eyeshadow, etc. (as needed)
Makeup Remover Wipes
Compact Mirror

General Hygeine

Shampoo and Conditioner
Deodorant
Dry Shampoo (if desired)
Soap
Hair Brush
Toothbrush
Toothpaste
Floss
Feminine Hygiene Products (even if you don’t think you’ll need them! You might, and someone else might)
Travel-Size Bottle of Laundry Detergent
Tweezers
Nail Clippers
Razor(s)

Electronics

Cellphone
Phone Charger
Portable Charger for phone (with cord)
Camera
Extra SD card
Camera charger

First Aid

Benadryl
Zyrtec (if needed)
EpiPen (if needed)
Ibuprofen
Band-aids
Any Prescriptions

Casual / Street Clothes

Pajamas
Bras and Underwear
Socks
Shirts
Sweater, Coat, Gloves, etc. for the Weather
Jeans or Comfortable Pants
Swimsuit (for the pool!)

Food

Filtered Water Bottle (so you can fill it up anywhere!)
Fruit Leather (easy to pack around with you)
Brown Rice Rollers (also easy to pack around with you)
String Cheese (also easy to pack around with you)
Yogurt and Bananas (for a quick breakfast on the go!)
Dark Chocolate (when you’re tired and need a pick-me-up)
Bread, cheese, and deli meat (for a quick sandwich between changes or after coming back from a long day at the convention–you can use jam and peanut butter if you prefer, too)

Miscellaneous

Cash (for food, merchandise, and fun–I put mine in separate envelopes for each day–this prevents running out of cash (and starving) the last day of the convention)
A Small Wallet
Breakaway Lanyard (You can easily pull these off without lifting them over your head! Perfect for not disturbing a carefully-styled wig, hat, armor, etc. when asked for photos.)
Compact Umbrella
Contacts, Contact Case, and Solution (if needed)
Eyeglasses (if needed)
Sewing Kit (for cosplay emergency repair)
Safety Pins
Emergency Flats (trust me, these will save your feet from those awesome but painful cosplay shoes)
Hot Glue Gun and Glue Sticks (for cosplay emergency repair)
Large Trash Bag (for dirty clothes)

For Each Cosplay:

Binders, if needed
Shoes or Boots
Socks
Pants, Skirt, or Dress
Shirt, Vest, Jacket, Cloaks, or Cape
Wig
Jewelry (earrings, necklace, bracelets, armlets, circlets)
Crowns, Hats, Helms, Veils, or Headdresses
Gloves
Belts, Ties, Scarves, Sashes, or Cravats
Bag, Backpack, or Purse
Props: Animal Companions, Swords, Staffs, Volleyballs, Books, etc
Eye Accessories (glasses, monocles, goggles, blindfolds, etc)

One last packing tip…

There is one more thing I do when packing for a convention that helps a lot, especially during rushed mornings and frantic costume changes. Store everything you’ll need for each cosplay in a vacuum-seal bag. Use one bag for each cosplay, then shove all the bags in your luggage. You don’t need a vacuum to seal or unseal them–they are basically just enormous ziplock bags. You can squish any excess air out of them simply by pressing down or rolling, which helps save space.

By doing this, you can grab the bag for the cosplay you’re putting on and save time rummaging and searching for each piece. These bags work wonders for storing your cosplays later, too.

If you are flying or taking the train or bus, make sure that your luggage fits their requirements (and make sure your shampoo, makeup, and any other liquids are packed according to TSA guidelines). Always tell someone where you’ll be staying and how to get ahold of you, and if you are meeting up with a group be sure to schedule meeting times and places in advance.

I also highly recommend doing a dry run and trying your cosplays out before you pack and leave for the convention to make sure everything works, everything fits, and you haven’t forgotten a crucial piece….

Whether you are traveling near or far, be safe, have fun, and check your packing list twice before you leave!

Did I forget anything on here? Let me know in the comments!

Sakura-con Cosplay Lineup

Hey everyone! As I finish watching My Hero Academia, I’ve been hard at work on getting my cosplays together for Sakura-con. It’s hard to believe the convention is only about a month away, now! I am excited to share my cosplay lineup with all of you and can’t wait to debut a few new cosplays (as well as some of my old favorites).

On Day Zero, I’ll be cosplaying casual Todoroki (My Hero Academia / BNHA), on the morning of Day One I’ll cosplay Elliott (Stardew Valley), and in the afternoon will switch to Kageyama (Haikyuu!!) which is always one of my favorites. Day Two brings Balder (Kamigami no Asobi), and Day Three will be Todoroki again–this time in the UA athletic uniform.

This will be my first time cosplaying Todoroki and Balder, which is very exciting!

Balder and Todorki have both presented interesting challenges that I’ve been hard at work on. Todoroki’s outfit is straightforward, but thanks to my allergies I’m extremely limited in what cosmetics I can use. I ended up mixing together makeup for the scar by hand. I’m pretty happy with how it turned out! Simply mixing some red mica pigment and French red clay with my existing foundation did wonders! It swatched well and I can’t wait to try it out in a makeup test.

Balder has been a challenge for different reasons–sewing ones, mostly. I’m creating nearly the whole cosplay from scratch and it is… complicated, to say the least. The white jacket is riddled with gray accents and panels, and it is embellished with gold trim in various designs. I’m not using a pattern for either. Instead, I simply folded a shirt in half that fit well, set it onto the fabric, and traced around it essentially four times. The sleeves will come later.

Because I’m working without a pattern, I gave myself generous wiggle room (about an inch or two all the way around) and after pinning everything together… started moving the pins in, cutting the collar while I had it on, and getting one side just right before copying the adjustments onto the other side. It’s a round-about way to do things but it usually works well!

I finished the ear cuff for Balder, as well! It just slips right onto my ear, no piercings required. I bent the metal rays of the sun with pliers and used clear silicone glue to adhere it to the cuff. Gluing metal is always tricky, but the silicone seems to be doing the trick so far.

Before the convention, I will definitely be doing a trial run of the two new cosplays. I’ll post pictures when I do! In the meantime… I still have a lot of work to do on Balder’s jacket, and I have a volleyball to pump up.

Any conventions that you guys are preparing for, or cosplays that you’re working on? I’d love to hear about it!

First Impressions: My Hero Academia

It’s been a hectic week, but with Sakura-con fast approaching it’s about time I caught up with My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia). I loved what I saw and heard about Todoroki so much that I agreed to cosplay him after only having seen three episodes. A few friends were also cosplaying from BNHA and Todoroki was, miraculously, not spoken for, at least for this convention, so I was quick to volunteer.

With April (and Sakura-con) fast-approaching though it’s about time for me to catch up with the series. I started watching more this week and I’m half-way through the second season and eager for more.

My Hero Academia (Boku no Hero Academia), or BNHA for short, is an anime that takes place in a world where amazing powers (called Quirks) have become a regular phenomenon for the general population. This gives rise to a society of heroes and villains, and even everyday workers with super abilities.

Despite how common people with superhuman abilities are in the BNHA universe, there are a few people who do not have any special abilities (Quirkless). The story begins with Midoriya, AKA Deku, a boy who dreamed of becoming a hero but discovered at a young age that he was Quirkless. He never gave up his dream despite bullying and insurmountable odds. When he throws himself into a fight with a villain in a desperate and foolhardy attempt to save his friend, he catches the eye of All Might and is offered a rare way to obtain a powerful Quirk.

Deku barely makes it through the entrance exam to a prestigious hero academy, UA, and struggles to learn to control a Quirk so powerful that it destroys his body every time he uses it. Meanwhile, villains aren’t sitting still–they are preparing to make a big move that throws all the student’s lives in danger.

Since I’m only halfway through the second season I can’t speak for the whole series, but so far I am really enjoying watching BNHA. I love the variety of Quirks, personalities, and character designs–there is a ton of creativity poured into this series. It may be early but I already adore Todoroki who is, so far, everything I expected. Deku is a likable, earnest character who is a ball of nerves and smiles except when things really, truly get serious. I’m not a big fan of Bakugou so far–but I’ve heard he gets some good character development later so I will reserve judgment until I watch a bit more. I will say that I love how well-rounded and unique the side-characters are as well! I feel like they are very involved in the storyline and there is something to love about each and every one of them.

The worldbuilding in BNHA is incredible, too. The presence of Quirks has visibly changed how society runs and has even affected the culture, marriages, and jobs. Chaos from the battles between heroes and villains affect day-to-day life for regular people, and powerful hero agencies have become corporate powerhouses. A sense of pseudo-royalty hangs around families with powerful Quirks including All Might–but also including Endeavor and Todoroki, and Iida and the brother he looks up to so much. This powerful family line provides them with a sure path to heroism (or villainy) but isolate them socially.

I won’t complain too much because at the end of the day I’m excited to watch more BNHA and I am really enjoying it–but there are a few small things that bug me. Bakugou is one of them–but that may change as I watch more. What I can say is that, through the middle of the second season, his character is a bit one-dimensional and the way he treats others can be pretty… extreme. Just thinking about him and Deku as kids is a bit uncomfortable… it seems like it was one-sided abuse all day long for Deku, and yet Deku thinks of him as a friend. I am still hopeful that Bakugou will get some character development (and maybe some respect for his comrades), though.

The other main things that bothered me were hard for me to put into words for a long time. It manifested as just a weird feeling about the main character, Deku. Don’t get me wrong! I like him a lot! He’s very sweet and I love how determined and caring he is. I really loved the way he reached out to Todoroki and tries to help all his fellow students–even if it causes trouble for him. But, I felt like he backpedaled a lot with using his Quirk. In the beginning, it destroyed his body every time he used it. It put his place at AU at risk, his dreams of being a hero at risk, and of course, it put his health in immediate danger. And yet… in the middle of season two, some of the other characters applaud Deku for every tiny moment of slight control he has (doing some damage to himself but not as much), but it feels like his mentality has not changed. He willingly destroys his body even after he starts to learn some control just for the sake of tapping into that power, leaving part (or all) of himself out of commission each time.

This mindless self-destructive tendency makes sense in the beginning, but Deku is incredibly clever. I’d argue that the way he studies his opponents, uses his environment, and analyzes them for weaknesses is one of his most powerful tools. It’s what makes him different. So this habit of continuously destroying his body and taking himself out of commission seems very… brash, and lacks his usual careful strategy. This is just a minor complaint though, and I’m sure he’ll (hopefully) gain more and more control.

Deku after breaking four fingers and his arm with his Quirk, ready for more.

The big complaint that I had was that, even though I love Deku and always feel like I’m rooting for him, he feels worryingly close to a Mary Sue. He was Quirkless and was magically handed the most powerful Quirk (possibly) ever so that he could achieve his dream, and everyone is amazed and adores him (except Bakugou who, arguably, plays the part of arch-nemesis for the first part of the series).

I wasn’t sure why it bugged me so much until I spoke with someone who put how I was feeling into words. “I think it would have been a better story if Deku remained Quirkless and became a hero despite that,” Nova told me over the phone last night. And there it was. All of my weird, unnamed frustration put into words.

It wasn’t Deku being Mary Sue-ish that gave me that weird off feeling. It was the fact that, by magically giving him a Quirk, the series is re-affirming all of his fears in the beginning: that the Quirkless cannot become heroes. They lost the opportunity for a story about someone making it against all odds and turned it into a story about someone making it against most of the odds.

The fight scenes that I like the most with Deku are the ones where he uses his quick-thinking, environment, and analytical skills to beat someone else’s Quirk without using his own. I would have loved to have watched a series all about someone like that–someone brilliant but Quirkless–rising to the top through hard work and incredible cleverness as they outdo other heroes and bring down villains.

But that’s not what we got.

Small rant aside, I do love BNHA so far and I am excited to watch more tonight. So–don’t get the wrong idea. Flawed or not, I love the story and I adore the characters (especially Todoroki, but that’s another rant for another day). And with villains plotting in the background… I’m curious to see how everything turns out.

When I finish catching up with BNHA I will post here with my final thoughts, as well! And in the meantime, besides watching at the edge of my seat, I’ve been secretly working on cooking up (literally) my own makeup for Todoroki’s scar…. Wish me luck, makeup is tricky territory with my allergies. Nonetheless, I hope I can do him justice when I cosplay him!

2019 Cosplay Plans

Looking back through all the cosplays I did last year makes me think… I really need to clean out my cosplay closet–because I already have more planned for 2019.

Granted, I will have my hands full with a lot this year since I’ve been busy building violins and might be moving this summer, but here are the cosplays I have planned so far:

Conventions

This is always up in the air. Traveling is expensive and depends a lot on other people as well. It’s a lot cheaper to travel in a group, after all. Luckily we do have a couple local conventions, Lilac City Comicon and Kuronekocon, plus I’m also hoping to make it back to Seattle for Sakura-con this year. It’s always really nice to visit Seattle since I have friends and family in the area.

In addition… and this one is still up in the air, but I might also be going to Nan Desu Kan in Denver this summer. We’ll see.

Cosplay Plans

Would you believe I’ve already started on some new cosplays? Well, it’s true. Here’s what I have on the books for new cosplays so far! Take them with a grain of salt, though. Plans change on a whim and a lot of these depend on battles with the sewing machine and frantic prayers to the crafting gods.

Zuko (Avatar the Last Air Bender)

I have been wanting to cosplay Zuko for years, I kid you not. So when I heard that a few of my good friends were putting together an Avatar the Last Airbender cosplay group… you better believe that I almost fell over in my excitement to offer to cosplay Zuko.

Baldr (Kamigami no Asobi)

This is another cosplay that I’ve been wanting to do for a long time! I’d love to cosplay Apollon, too, and hope to in the future since the only real difference is a wig and a small accessory (the divine shackle). I’m going to focus on Baldr for this year, though, which is really exciting since I’ll have a small Kamigami no Asobi cosplay group to look forward to!

Todoroki (My Hero Academia / Boku no Hero Academia)

Okay, bear with me. I still need to watch more of My Hero Academia, but from the few episodes I’ve seen I can tell that it is up my alley. I can also tell right away that I’m going to like Todoroki, so I’m really looking forward to finding out more about him and cosplaying him this year.

Keith Kogane (Voltron)

Yes, yes. I know. Everyone and their dog is cosplaying from Voltron, and everyone is especially cosplaying Keith. But, I have to admit, I do really like him as a character, and with a good friend cosplaying Lance… I simply can’t resist the opportunity.

And since Kageyama is one of my absolute favorite cosplays (and one of my favorite characters)… and Esselle is one of my absolute favorite writers, I’ve also been working on a couple AU cosplays for Kageyama based on fanfics that she writes:

Kageyama (Haikyuu!!–Somewhere to Belong AU by Esselle)

First of all, Somewhere to Belong is an absolutely amazing fanfic. It’s one of my all-time favorites, though I guess I probably feel that way about most of Esselle’s fics. It’s a Haikyuu AU fic where Hinata is a Sun God who walks among his people during the Summer Solstice.

Once a year, all the villages that follow the way of the sun offer up one of their own to be taken to the sun god’s divine temple. Kageyama Tobio, an orphan and loner, never wanted to be chosen—and until the sun god appeared, no one ever wanted to choose him, either. All Tobio wants is to find a place he fits in. What he actually gets is another story entirely.

This was a tricky one to try to cosplay because I am fairly certain that Kageyama is not wearing a shirt for most of the story, but I tried my best to draw a design inspired by it (including Hinata’s golden collar-style necklace that he lends Kageyama), and I will do my best to create it. Wish me luck!

Kageyama (Haikyuu!!–Heaven Sent AU by Esselle and Really Corking)

This is another incredible Haikyuu AU fanfic, by Esselle and Really Corking that takes place in the old Roman Empire.

When lowly acolyte Hinata is tasked with bringing his temple’s monthly tax payment to the Centurion’s Villa, he hardly expects to have an encounter with Kageyama, the lavishly wealthy landowner and decorated army general himself. But Kageyama turns out to be far more interested in Hinata than the money, believing him to be a gift sent from the gods themselves. Before Hinata realizes what’s happening, he finds himself agreeing to stay at the villa, where Kageyama can spoil him to his heart’s content.

To Hinata’s surprise, he soon finds himself growing attached to the brutally blunt yet strangely sweet Kageyama; but he is worried he won’t be able to hold the attention of a man who has everything, even as Kageyama starts to become everything to him.

This one was also tricky. Kageyama has a few notable outfits in it, but his more lavish togas are pretty sparse on top, and even though I do have skin-colored binders, I’d prefer something that covers a bit more on top. I ended up picking one of his simpler togas, instead:

Heaven Sent AU, Kageyama and Hinata–art by kkumri.

And so far that’s it! Which is to say… I think I’ll have my hands pretty full. What about you guys? Do you have any fun cosplay plans for 2019?

(Cosplay) Year in Review: 2018

Whew! 2018 was a crazy year. I felt like I was playing catch-up for half of it, and had more projects than I knew what to do with. I did get the chance to try out some new cosplays and attend a couple of conventions, and enjoyed spending time with friends, though!

Sakura-Con 2018

Sakura-Con was the first convention of 2018 for me! It’s in Seattle, Washington, not too far from home, and it’s always an exciting chance to visit my good friends on the western side of the state and my sister who lives near Seattle as well!

While I was at the convention, I cosplayed Kageyama from Haikyuu!! (a cosplay that is near and dear to my heart) as well as Shirabu from Haikyuu!!, Nagisa from Free!, and a Pirate AU version of Nagisa from Free! The Pirate AU Nagisa cosplay was built pretty much entirely from scratch (including the bird, which was once a sock) and it was a lot of work but so rewarding! I felt like a learned a ton while working on it.

Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!) at Sakura-con 2018.

Nagisa cosplay (Free!) and Shirabu cosplay (Haikyuu!!) from Sakura-con 2018.

Pirate Nagisa cosplay (Free!) at Sakura-con 2018.

Magi Photoshoot in the Park

I broke out my Alibaba (Magi) cosplay for the first time in a while last spring, too. I hadn’t realized how much I’d missed cosplaying him! I worked so hard on his sword, which is carved out of wood and has real red tiger’s eye stones set in it, so I always have a lot of fun swinging that around.

Alibaba cosplay (Magi) at a local park.

I was able to get a few pictures of my Kageyama cosplay outside of cons as well during a fun photoshoot at a local park.

Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!), photo by Jordan Nutter.Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!), photo by Jordan Nutter.

Lilac City Comicon

When Lilac City Comicon rolled around, I was pretty overloaded, so I decided to just stick with a simple cosplay that I love, which is Kageyama from Haikyuu!!. I went as casual Kageyama one day and went in uniform for the other.

Casual Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!) at Lilac City Comicon 2018.
Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!) at Lilac City Comicon 2018.

Remaking Kageyama’s Crown

My homemade Kageyama crown started wearing out pretty bad by summer. It was flimsy and battered and I was sure after all I’d learned that I could remake it better than ever–so I did. The new crown is still a bit fragile, but it is more flexible, easier to repair, and I’m a lot happier with how it looks. Just like the old one, it is mostly made out of paper, paint, and a tiny bit of fabric.

Old Kageyama crown (left) versus new Kageyama crown (right).

Kuronekocon 2018

Kuronekocon was a lot of work with two new cosplays (Adrien from Miraculous Ladybug and Panini from Chowder), but it was a lot of fun and it’s always nice to meet new friends and catch up with old ones. I also cosplayed Kageyama from Haikyuu!! and did a quick evening Nagisa cosplay (from Free!) on the last evening of the convention.

Panini cosplay (Chowder) at Kuronekocon 2018.

Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!) at Kuronekocon 2018, photo by Jordan Nutter.

Kageyama Tobio cosplay (Haikyuu!!) at Kuronekocon 2018, photo by Jordan Nutter.

Kageyama cosplay (Haikyuu!!) and quick Nagisa cosplay (Free!) at Kuronekocon 2018.

Adrien cosplay (Miraculous Ladybug) at Kuronekocon 2018.

Pandora Hearts Photoshoot

I had the chance to get a few pictures of my Oz cosplay (Pandora Hearts) during a photoshoot which was exciting, too! I haven’t cosplayed Oz much, but he is a character that is near and dear to my heart and I would love to cosplay him more often.

Oz cosplay (from Pandora Hearts), photo by Jordan Nutter.
Oz cosplay (from Pandora Hearts), photo by Jordan Nutter.

Cosplay Halloween Party (Rowan Witch Kageyama)

For Halloween I went to a get-together with a few friends to celebrate, and threw together a very, very quick and informal Rowan Witch Kageyama cosplay based on a Haikyuu!! AU fanfic that I’ve been writing. It was a lot of fun! And, although this cosplay was thrown together in just a couple days, I would love to cosplay it again with a little more preparation someday.

Rowan Witch Kageyama cosplay (Haikyuu!! AU).

Stardew Valley Holiday Party

Winter is a reclusive time of the year for me, but it was a wonderful treat to catch up and cosplay with good friends for a holiday party at the end of the year. It was also my first time cosplaying Elliott from Stardew Valley! We had a whole Stardew Valley group!

Elliott cosplay (Stardew Valley) at the holiday party.

It’s pretty shocking to look back and see just how many cosplays I’ve worked on last year! If you want to know what I have planned for this year stay tuned–I’ll have a post up soon with some of the exciting new cosplays I have planned, from some of my favorite AUs, beloved classics, and a popular hero anime.

What was your favorite cosplay of the year? 🙂

Lessons on Creating Cosplays from Scratch

Hello, hello!

Welcome to my humble blog. If you don’t know me already, my name is Michelle, also known as Rynthae online. I’m a cosplayer, crafter, writer, artist, violin-maker, anime aficionado, and frequent misadventurer.

My Arabian Nagisa (from Free!) cosplay, which was made from scratch. Photo by Shelby Mclachlan.

Although I started out buying ready-made cosplays, I’ve delved into the territory of frequently making my own cosplays, or modifying ones that I do buy. It was somewhat terrifying in the beginning. I started with building props–keyblades, swords, jewelry, etc–and while I loved doing that, sewing was never my forte. Even after having sewn whole cosplays from scratch I’m not sure it’s my forte. However, I will say that flying blind while sewing waistcoats and harem pants has taught me a few things.

Seam Rippers Are Your Best Friend

I always rip out a seam at least once per cosplay. No matter how long I’ve been sewing or modifying things, it seems to be a rule of the universe: I will sew something upside-down, backwards, or inside-out at least once.

Youtube is Your Other Best Friend

I have limited “real” sewing knowledge–I simply do it anyway. I took a short Home Ec class in middle school once where we sewed pillows (admittedly not very high on the difficulty chart) and I occasionally did battle with my parent’s possessed sewing machine. Usually, that resulted in the bobbin spewing forth a stream of knots before devouring whatever fabric I was working with. I have received some good advice from friends and family, but I’ve also found Youtube to be an incredibly helpful resource. Even if you think there is no way there’s a video for the strangely specific situation you’re in… chances are, there’s a video for it. Really.

Pure Stubbornness Determination Always Prevails

I’ve been there. Two in the morning, having already ripped a seam three times, double- and triple-checked to make sure I was doing something right only for it to turn out wrong. Again. It’s tempting to give up when this happens. It’s tempting to say “I’m just not cut out for this” but the truth is: no one is really cut out for this. Everyone is always learning. Everyone runs into snags or gets confused. Don’t give up. Keep trying, and if what you’re doing doesn’t work, try something else.

I made a tiny vest for the cosplay above three times. Those three times were sewn and ripped and sewn again multiple times each. I spent as long on that vest as I did on almost the rest of the entire outfit. Why? Because I am perpetually confused by linings, apparently. I couldn’t get the vest to flip right-side-out after sewing it. I tried everything, tried ripping different seams to free up different parts, but no matter what I did, I always ended up with the vest lumped and trapped inside of the lining with no way to free it. I got so frustrated with the whole thing that I cut down the middle of the lining, in the inside back of the vest, flipped it out, and sewed the cut line back together.

It was unconventional, but it worked.

Creating cosplays is different from creating clothes in that you have more liberty to break the rules. Don’t give up. Keep working, keep trying, and when all else fails: try something different.

Don’t Be Scared of New Materials

For years I made props out of cardboard and paper. It was an elaborate process to create solid, durable 3D props out of them, but I was quite happy with the results. By comparison, wood scared me. It was an unknown. The idea of working with power tools felt terrifying, and for a long time I shied away from it.

Because I was so nervous about working with wood for the first time, I didn’t realize until far later that it was actually easier to work with. It took less time, it was sturdier and often lighter, and I could carve details instead of only painting them. And speaking of paint–the wood was a lot easier to paint, too. As scary as power tools were, I came to really appreciate the belt sander and the dremel for carving.

And you know what? I went from being someone who was scared of wood to someone who works with it regularly. I really think that building a few elaborate swords out of wood gave me a lot more courage to dive into violin-making, which I absolutely love.

Math Offers Answers

Cue the groaning. I know, you would rather eat a whole cardboard box than do math–but really, it comes in handy for creating cosplays. Not sure how long that sword or staff should be? Easy trick–pull up a reference picture of it in the hands of the character you’re cosplaying. Put a sticky note by the head of the character and make a mark for how big it is from the chin to the top of their head. Now measure your head from the chin to the top of your head and write that down on the sticky note. Then use your marked length on the sticky note and measure how long the prop is in head lengths and multiply that by your head length for a perfect proportional prop.

That’s just one example. Sewing is full of opportunities to use math and the most comfortable you are with using it, the less you will need to rely on patterns. (And let’s just admit, most patterns are more confusing than they need to be, anyway.)

Spend Time on the Details

If you’re ever tempted to cut corners, remember this: having a nice clean paint-line, hemming the fabric of your cosplay, and styling your wig can make a big difference in the overall look of your cosplay. These things really pull it together. Details are a chance for you to make this cosplay as beautiful as it can be, to give it a sense of realism whether it is a volleyball uniform or a mage’s cloak. When you spend extra time on the details I promise, people will take notice, and they will be impressed.

Cosplay Is For Everyone

I know you know this, but it’s easy to forget that this also applies to you. We’re all our own worst critics. We all look in the mirror and our eyes are drawn right to the spots we stress about most. Be kind to yourself. Cosplay your favorite character. Whether they are bigger, smaller, taller, shorter, the same gender or different, the same age, whatever. The people who truly matter will support you. If someone doesn’t like it, that speaks more about their own insecurities and shallowness than it does about you.

I’ve gone to conventions with no makeup before in 110 degree heat, stressed because my skin is never happy. Everyone was more kind and welcoming than I could have ever imagined. I have extensive skin (and food, but that’s another story) allergies, so I’m very limited in what makeup I can wear. I can’t wear contacts for the same reason. And you know what? People still ask to take my picture. People who love the same series still get excited to see me. I’m by no means skinny, but I cosplay two athletes (Kageyama and Nagisa), and as worried as I was the first few times, but people were truly happy to see me at conventions and meetups and had nothing but kind things to say. Those cosplays have become some of my favorites over the years, too.

When people look at you, they won’t see whatever you worry most about. They will see a character they love and a potential friend. So, be brave. Cosplay your favorite characters. And most importantly, have fun.