Posts Tagged ‘cosplay’

KumoriCon has come and gone and in its wake there are nothing but memories and pictures. What surprised me about this year’s convention is that there was no one overreaching fandom that dominated this year’s cosplays. There are plenty of Hetalia and Scott Pilgrim/Ramona cosplays but nothing ever dominated the weekend. Everyone was happy to share their love about something all weekend though and without further adieu, the weekend that was in picture form.

Oh and as a side note, the camera I had with me wasn’t my usual so some of the pics came out blurry. Sorry about that.

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On one of my days in Seattle, I found myself with little to do and nowhere to go. I thought that I was bound for a lonely day of wandering around the city when I happened upon something interesting: a wolf goddess of harvest who was equally bored and wishing to be shown around the city. I knew that no one would believe me however so here is photographic evidence of the day I spent with Holo the wise wolf!

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Sorry it took so long everyone but I’ve finally posted my photos from this year’s event. Included below are the best photos for cosplayers and panels which includes the Gothic Lolita Fashion Show and Cosplay Chess. If you see one of your photos and would like to be credited, feel free to drop an email to admin@otakureview.net or leave a comment here and I’ll update the photo accordingly.

Follow me below the jump for all the photos!

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August is almost here which also means so is the next cosplayer of the month! You still have a few days left to enter. We are setting the deadline for July 28^th. We will still be accepting entries that day until midnight pacific. If you miss out, don’t worry because you can always enter for September’s COTM. Remember to send us your name, age, and location with a picture of you in cosplay to otakureviewcosplay@gmail.com. Everyone and anyone may enter.

I’ve really enjoyed all the entries so far and I’m looking forward to hearing from everyone and checking out all the amazing pictures!

 ”Hey, can I take your picture?” A small flash of adrenalin goes through your chest as you hear the words ring in your ears. It’s the start to a long and joyful day of the same complement to be received and repeated and you’re always pleased to incline yourself to it. Pose after pose, as the day gets longer the weight of arms and props grow heavier. By the end of the day you are ready to retire the costume and slip into something less exhausting to relieve your body and be yourself again, then a horrifying reminder hits you; the fighter costume you’re wearing tomorrow has that huge sword!

Holding a stance is not always the easiest thing to do. It looks so easy to do when we watch anime characters do it but when you try to mimic the move for a photo op, it can turn out disastrous. So, how about a few things to practice to avoid any catastrophes?

Try this: Stand in a wide horse stance (legs apart a half foot wider than your shoulders on each side with toes slightly pointed inwardly) lower yourself down to a half squat over one leg while keeping your feet in place. Try holding that for at least 30 seconds for a good stretch. Now here comes the hard part; move over to the other leg without using your hands. It may take a few tries to get there but this will help you with your balance, flexibility, and awareness of your body.

For your arms, practice throwing punches. Hold yourself in a sturdy stance with your arms by your sides with elbows bent and then focus on a point ahead of you, about three feet forward, at your mid chest level and fully extend your arm to it. Try doing it quickly out then back or just all the way extended and holding it there. Think about how your arms are moving and what level they are at. Remember that for the next time you are taking pictures.

Always remember to complete a motion. If you’re going to go for it, go for it! You are already in costume now it’s time to put the play in cosplay. Show off those moves and get some great pictures!

Your body is always a concern for you, but is even more on your mind when thinking about cosplay. Today I want to share with you a few tips that will help keep your body healthy, body tone, and mind a little more focused.

Number one: Exercise! We all fear the word but really, it’s not that scary. You don’t have to spend hours a day doing something you hate. Taking just ten minutes a day can make a major difference!  First, you need to figure out a plan. What are you willing to do and when will you be able to do it? Different physical activities can help people out in different ways. Some people find swimming to be the best work out for them while others prefer running. Try to pick something that will get your lungs working and blood pumping. Be sure to plan time for a cool down. While doing your cool down focus on your breathing and what your body is doing. Count ten slow breathes and then try to slow your breathing and heart rate.

You don’t have to go far or go out to get a good work out. Nor do you need any special equipment; I am all for jogging around the block in my pajamas (as I have been accused of on occasion). If that’s what you got to do then just do it. It’s simple, easy, and will make a world of difference. Doing a little bit of exercise will make you more invigorated. You’ll find that you’re more ambitious to get things done… perhaps even finishing up that cosplay you’ve been meaning to.

Number two: Watch what you eat. By this I don’t mean look at the yummies and then eat them all. If you are cooking lunch, for example, but need something right away before the hungry monster eats you curb it by drinking a full glass of water and then have lunch when it’s ready.

Speaking of lunch, here is a great Miso Soup recipe:

INGREDIENTS

3 cups dashi*
1/4 cup miso (either red or white miso)

CONDIMENTS
1 teaspoon of wakame seaweed**, chopped finely (optional)
1 slice of tofu an inch long and half an inch wide, finely diced into cubes
2 teaspoons of very finely chopped green onions

Put the dashi in a saucepan or small pot and bring to a near boil. Place the miso into a small hand held sieve, dip it into the dashi in order to moisten, and then with a spoon, stir and push the miso through the sieve. Continue dipping and stirring until all the miso is dissolved into the dashi. Add the tofu and simmer. Serve the soup into a lacquer bowl and garnish with the chopped onions.

And for dessert try a rice pudding or Sorbet (it’s very satisfying!).

Counting calories can get tiring, so here are some other suggestions on how you can still watch what you eat. You can boost your metabolism by eating spicy food and there are a lot of wonderful spicy foods out there to enjoy so it really doesn’t feel like you are dieting. Also you can try to eat foods that have a lot of fiber in them. Instead of eating potato chips when I get the salty munchies I go for a few Triskits instead. Your body will thank you when you become a wise old sensei somewhere. Your body is the most amazing thing that you have. I hope that you take good care of it and feel good with it. When you feel good in your own skin, you feel better in your cosplay.

*Dashi is a stock made from Konbu (kelp) and Katsuo-bushi (dried bonito fish). It is used frequently in Japanese cooking from soups to vegetable dishes as the foundation ingredient.

**Wakame seaweed is very popular in Japan for it’s subtle flavor and slightly chewy texture. You can usually find it sold dried but when reconstituted in water, it swells up into bright green leaves.

Looking good isn’t everything; a large part of cosplay are the pictures. This is what you have to show the world. It’s the proof of your product. So flaunt it! It takes talent from both the photographer and model to get a great shot. So why not try to do the best job you can on your part?  You can always improve the quality of a photo by keeping a few things in mind (or just a few things on hand.) Here’s a list of a few things you might want to throw in a bag and bring with you to a photo shoot.

Photo Shoot Survival Kit:

Safety Pins – Always good to have on hand. If a costume piece rips you can temporally repair it to finish up your photo shoot.

Bobbie Pins – Handy for more than just hair! You may have to secure again a wig or use it to reattach a cosplay part to yourself.

Double sided tape – Better than one sided tape. It can substitute for regular tape as well as hold fabric in place.

Foundation powder – You wouldn’t want to have a shiny face in your best shot. Don’t be afraid to ask the photographer if you’re a little shinny during your photo shoot.

Lip gloss – Lips are very matted and don’t reflect light the same way your skin does. Even just a small bit of very neutral lip gloss can make all the difference in a picture.

Comb – You never know what the weather may be like or if your photographer will want to use a fan. A nest of hair is not always a good thing. Just take a moment and run a comb through your hair or wig and get ready for the next fabulous shot.

Something to always keep in mind is that you are a character. Body language tells us about who you are trying to portray. Be true to your character; take some time the day or so before you attend your photo shoot and practice posing in the mirror. Learning what angles look best for you will help to find what hides your flaws and what shows off your best features. An example would be that I have very shadowed eyes with low eye brows. A good angle for my face would be to lift my chin up to allow more light around my eyes. 

Remember that you can talk to your photographer. They aren’t going to bite, they are there for you. Let your photographer know if you’re uncomfortable with anything. Not only will you not like it but it will show on your face or body language. But most of all remember to have fun!

Waking late one morning to yellow eyes piercing right through your heart, pinning it to your spine is never what one expects. All types of questions arise but the first to reach your whispering lips are, “Where… where am I?”

Suddenly all worry melts away with the realization of these words: “Oh yeah! We’re at the con!” As small a detail and simple it may be, colored contacts can create a large impact on your cosplay. Unfortunately, irritated eyes can have a large impact on you. It’s very important to take proper care of your eyes.

Remove your contacts every day/night for at least six hours. Do not sleep with your contacts in. It may be tempting to just lie down and pass out after a long day but it only takes two minutes to remove your contacts and put them in safe keeping. It’s worth the money you spent on them and more importantly, your eyes.

To properly remove and clean your color contacts use a no-rub multipurpose solution. Some solutions require you to rub your lenses in your hand with the solution but this can damage the color. You might also want to look for solution made especially for sensitive eyes even if your eyes are not sensitive. The size of the bottle of solution you get is up to you. If you don’t use it very often you may want just a small bottle because the solution will expires six months after opening.

When using more expensive lenses or ones that are made to last for a year, you should also use protein removing tablets to prolong the life span of your contacts. It’s also known as enzyme or enzymatic contact lens cleaner. They use enzymes, proteins naturally produced by all living organisms, to break down soils, stains, and calcium build up. It is natural so there are no worries about toxins. Soaking your colored contacts in this type of cleaner once a month will keep the color looking vibrant for several months!

For good storage of your color lenses use a screw-down lid case so that the solution does not leak out. Though if you don’t use them very often, check on them and refill the container every other month or so.

Here is a check list for those of you who have never worn contacts and need to know how.

1. Make sure your hands are clean and sanitary.

2. Take out your contact lens and rinse each side of it with your solution. (You may want to drip a drop of solution on your finger to get the lens out… it won’t sting that way)

3. Fill you container full of solution and place the colored lens in it. Use fresh solution every time. And screw the lid on tight. 

All done! Yay that was easy and took less than two minutes!

I am pleased to introduce you to Mark Mathews, a cosplayer from a small town just outside of Amherst, Massachusetts. He is a highly dedicated cosplayer, paying attention to detail and doing whatever it takes to protect it. While interviewing him he related to a story that proves this point.

How did you get into cosplay?

“I got into cosplay mainly because of a girl I was dating back in 2007. After a lot of begging she convinced me to go to Connecticon with her. At first I was really skeptical about it, I had never been to an Anime convention and I was expecting it to be really lame. Well needless to say it was AWESOME! I fell in love with Cosplay after that.”

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Got Ink?

Having a tattoo can say a lot about a person or even their personality. Everyone has their own opinion on the matter. Most people who do have tattoos don’t try to cover them up. In fact, try to do the exact opposite and show it off as often as possible. Even if you love the ink you have there are some times that it gets in the way a little. One of those times may be when cosplaying a character that it doesn’t quite suit.

So here are some subjections! 

To cover your tattoo with make up my best suggestion would be to use stage make-up, though any make-up will do. First you will need: 

Red Lip Color (not gloss)

A slightly cooler (or lighter) colored Concealer Foundation

A matching to your own skin color Concealer Foundation

Translucent Powder

A Fluffy Blush Brush 

The first thing you will do is cover the tattoo, or part of the tattoo, with a thin layer of red lip color. Do three layers, making sure it dries between coats.

Next, cover the red area with your cool colored concealer foundation. Blend the edges as well. Make sure that is fully dry before moving on.

Cover the tattoo with the foundation that matches your skin color. Blend it all together.

To prevent smudging and shininess, take your fluffy blush brush and dip it in the translucent powder and brush it over the area that you have just been working with.

Tah-dah! No more ink. 

You can also try covering it up with fabric. A skin colored shirt or thick pair of tights are always s good bet but I’ve recently found a product called Tatjacket that works just as well.

Whether you choose to cover up or not is up to you. Happy cosplaying everyone!