Seventy weeks before she was killed, Christina Grimmie sat with friends and watched the last episode of the Death Note anime.  As so many of us have done, and like us all, it was viewed with gleeful anticipation, as her Instagram snapshot confirms.  An event worth recording.  An excuse for a party.  One of us.

What's your professional opinion about ready-made Misa outfits, such as those in the Death Note News Cosplay Store? Any other pieces in there decent enough for a Misa-Misa cosplay? (Be honest!)
I personally would never buy a Misa cosplay. I much prefer making her clothing and enjoy being able to say that I made it and it's accurate. Looking at the Death Note News store, the options are very nice and the most accurate I've seen for pre-made costumes.

last tips for anyone reading, who wishes to create their Misa cosplay from scratch?
From scratch? Make sure you pay close attention to your reference photos. Pick out every detail before you sketch it out and don't forget about her jewelry.

What's your professional opinion about ready-made Death Note costumes, such as those in our Cosplay Store? Any pieces in there decent enough for a Mr Wammy cosplay? (Be honest!)
I didn't see any Watari cosplay items in your store, so I don't think these would work out!  [Ooops! ~ Matti]  Ready-made cosplay items are nice for people who do not have the skills to make things themselves.

When I started cosplaying Watari, I did not have the skills to make a suit coat, which is why I bought one from a thrift store. When buying ready-made items, the most important thing is how they fit you. If you want it to look like it was made specifically for you, you should probably go with a site that takes your measurements to make sure you have a nice fitting costume.

If not anything there, where would YOU source items to cosplay Quillsh Wammy?
I would go to a local thrift store and try on the nicest looking men's suits there.

Any last tips for anyone reading, who wishes to create their Watari cosplay from scratch?
Spend extra time on make-up and wig/moustaches. These parts of your costume will give a recognizable face to your cosplay.

How would you go about creating a costume for Watari/Mr Wammy?
Find at a flea market some suit that fits you and buy some white shirts for men.  They are not that expensive here - about like 10euros. Buy some fake moustaches, and a pair of Santa's glasses, then colour them grey. Add men's shoes, of course.

A nice wig is also good to get, but your own hair works too.

What clothing and/or props do you feel are essential Watari costume items?
Men's suit.

Is there more to cosplaying Wammy than the outfit? (Look/behaviour etc.)
Just to have fun.  That is most important to me and nothing else. <3

What's your professional opinion about ready-made Death Note costumes, such as those in our Cosplay Store? Any pieces in there decent enough for a Mr Wammy cosplay? (Be honest!)
I haven't looked for any custom made Death Note costumes; but the ones that I found right now, most of them seemed really nice and need just a little bit of changing.

Any last tips for anyone reading, who wishes to create their Watari cosplay from scratch?
Go look for a cheap men's suit and start from that. :D  Nowadays it is way easier to look like a man than it was then (when I cosplayed Watari).

But do it!!! GO FOR IT!"!!! You can rock it. :D

All due applause and accolades are directed towards:

Sakiko Rau - who kicked us off with an essay on why she (and we) should like Matsuda from Death Note. She will also be jumping on board as a regular columnist writing from a Japanese perspective.  You heard it here first.

Lua - who did so much in the background to keep the home fires burning, as well as penning a philosophical analysis of Touta Matsuda's importance within the Death Note narrative.

Aerial Skye - who gave us cosplay advice for Matsuda costume creation.

All on the Death Note News Community Touta Matsuda Pinterest Board, for maintaining a steady flow of interesting images and links whatever the month.

Lei K - who turned her considerable talent to Touta Matsuda artwork especially for this event.

Silent Reaper - who allowed us to share her classic comic strip Matsuda's Rant.

Deacon (and the Tuxedo Team), especially Beyond Infinity/Jin - who let us publish their photographs of an amazing Matsui cosplayer.

Ziferonan - who gave us full rein to plunder an extensive collection of Matsuda fan-art, fan-fiction and cosplay too.

Stella Meyer - who not only sent in her Matsuda artwork, but answered questions providing insight and tips on creating the same.

Liam Dodd - who brought an air of the academe to proceedings with a scientific examination of Death Note's infamous Matsuda rescue with a mattress.

Emerald-Moonlight - who let us loose on her gallery and permitted the republication of three pieces of her Matsuda art.

MRSJeevas - who wrote Matsu fan-fiction for this event, though that's not nearly all, considering that in another guise, she is Matti - who researched, edited, proof-read, wrote and caused a backlog on much else that was published this month.

Tarot Mikami - who took us once again into the depths of the tarot's secrets, this time with a distinctly Matsuda Death Note flavour in regard for his monthly focus.

And, of course, all who read and commented, shared links and discussed these articles elsewhere. 

And prepare to do it all again, this time with the focus on Wammy.

It's been pointed out to us that Taylor Swift was sporting a Death Note Mello hair-do at the 58th Annual Grammy Music Awards last month.  Take a look, see what you think:

I don't know.  It wouldn't be the first time that Taylor Swift's Death Note fan credentials have been highlighted.  But on this occasion it does all seem a little tenuous!

Half the friends listed in it admitted that they also owned replica Death Notes.  They were fans too.  Though reports have been careful to add that none of them had written each other's names in it.

The girl in question didn't anticipate any hassle.  Probably because she saw no danger, only fun.  On account of the fact that a shinigami's notebook of death is a fictitious thing; and anyway, she didn't own one.  She'd crafted it herself in her bedroom.  No Ryuk in attendance.

No-one was ever going to die.

The fund-raiser occurred on March 14th 2016. During the morning, the girl had misplaced her Death Note - which is described as little more than a booklet or pamphlet - and a teacher found it.  Flicked through, discovered the names and raised the alarm.  All they needed to do then was identify who owned the prop.

They evidently knew enough about Death Note to link the item with the student in Light Yagami cosplay.

She got in trouble over coming as Kira (well, as Kira WITH notebook) and was told not to mention the forthcoming discipline to anyone.  However, being a pre-teen and probably chaffing under the absurdity of the situation, she 'vented' to a male schoolmate - whose name was also on the list.

He freaked out and phoned his parents, one of whom came to the school to 'voice their concerns'.

Next thing you know, a local sheriff had also arrived at the school - possibly called in by the parent - to investigate the threat.  One report says she was charged with 'inducing panic'; another says no charges were filed at all.

Nevertheless a three day suspension from school it was, and the rest of the world rolls its eyes with utter incredulity.

We've already glimpsed Fausto the Endless once, illustrating the introductory header in our mid-event round up for Month of Kira art and articles.  Here's another image from that same shoot.  There will soon be a whole lot more from her portfolio, which make this one look quite prosaic in comparison.

Poor Fausto the Endless really wanted to join in further by filling in the questionnaire prepared for Light Yagami cosplayers. But time wasn't on our side.

Hopefully we'll get the chance to grab her again for advice on costuming as Kira. Not to mention sharing cosplay staging tips, given those elaborate recreations of famous Death Note scenes that adorn her environment.

There will be plenty of opportunity forthcoming in one of our later Death Note Month of... events.  It would be particularly appropriate, to invite further input from Fausto the Endless, when we get around to hosting Month of L.

Take a good, hard look at these amazing pictures from her cosplayed Death Note scenes. Captured here in handcuffs, depicting Death Note during L's bout of demonstrating dodgy detention techniques and a wanton disregard for the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. But how many separate cosplayers do you count?

Just the one. But that one is brilliant.  The wonder of modern technology allowing us to see Fausto the Endless in costume as BOTH Light Yagami and L simultaneously. Be honest here, even knowing that, can YOU tell that the Death Note characters are cosplayed by the same talented lady?

Though granted she elicited some help from her friends for this reproduction of Death Note manga cover art in cosplay.  The red-shrouded figures of death are played by Milana Tepesh, Yuna Kairi and Luka - members of Russia's WTF Cosband, which is headed by Fausto the Endless herself.

You can read more about how they pulled off such intricately cosplayed Death Note images, in a September 2014 report on DeviantART about their photoshoot.

Otherwise, catch up with Fausto and her WTF Cosband on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Ask; or, if you speak Russian, Fausto The Endless on VK and WTF Cosband's Official Page there too.  All of those locations show more Death Note cosplay pictures from the collective not shown above, in addition to those from all their other costumed endeavours. 

Colour us impressed.

Any last tips for anyone reading, who wishes to create their Kira cosplay from scratch?
MAKE-UP. Really, don't neglect your face! All the clothes and wigs in the world won't seal the final touch like make-up.

In the end, I was using tape to change the shape of my facial features, I used female-to-male make-up techniques, I used eye-liner to make my eyes pop. Make-up is very important. Don't neglect it.

I personally did bind as well. I won't advise binding for health reasons, but I didn't cosplay without strapping down my D-cups. Just make sure if you bind, bind carefully and be mindful of technique. It's easy to cause serious injury if you don't bind correctly.

Only generally related to Death Note this, Squad Six Cosplayers' Lara has given us the heads up that she'll be part of an ensemble costuming quartet hosting a panel at Triad Anime Convention this March.   Sewing, and Props, and Wigs... Oh My! is an all-encompassing cosplay advisory gig, with freely available tips on just about anything you ever wanted to know about dressing up as your favourite manga/anime character, plus a few things you didn't know to ask.

However, it is worth mentioning the panel here, because there are at least two known Death Note cosplayers on it.  Hence attendee questions in that direction are likely to be more than adequately answered.

Lara will also be joining the rest of Squad Six Cosplayers the following night for Blasting Off Again! Team Rocket panel, celebrating two decades of Pokémon.