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Nowhere is this more true than in anime related cosplay, wherein its much more than a mile spent traipsing in another's footwear. It's probably several, and not just the shoes either.
All day spent in character at conventions, or clambering into awkward places to position oneself for photographs - after minutely studying the manga or anime for clues on how to appear recognizably convincing - can certainly provide insights into the persona being aped. So much so that you have to ask yourself - if it happens to me, then it certainly has to have been experienced by the original character too. The old adage states that none may be understood, until a mile has been walked in their shoes. |
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Blinding Detail in Death Note Matt Cosplay
blAIRbender cosplays Matt |
Like the anecdote shared by a friend, blAIRbender, following her quest to create a cosplay for Death Note's Matt that was exact in every detail.
Many hours were spent scrutinizing images from the manga; sourcing and moulding materials; then engaged in painstaking assembly. Finally she held a perfect replica of Matt's goggles. It was only when she came to wear them - particularly over several hours - that she realized Matt must spend a lot of time demisting said goggles. The slightest hint of perspiration saw the lenses fogged from edge to edge. As far as goggle fog goes, it takes about two to five minutes after putting them on initially, depending on how warm you are at the time and the room temperature. After that, they are constantly foggy on the inside. They will fog in all weather conditions. My dad recently mentioned that there is a spray that exists that would prevent fogging, but I haven't looked into it any further.
Also his peripheral vision was non-existent.
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God knows why he favoured that sidewards look, while keeping Takada under surveillance. Misdirecting her gun-toting louts into thinking he could see them too?
Though it would explain how Matt was able to miss all of those wide escape routes in the spaces between encircling cars. For want of opaque side panels on fashionable googles, thus fatally assuming that he was surrounded.
Though it would explain how Matt was able to miss all of those wide escape routes in the spaces between encircling cars. For want of opaque side panels on fashionable googles, thus fatally assuming that he was surrounded.
Matt regretted choosing solid sides on goggles that mist up at inconvenient times |
Matt's side blinding googles meant he missed escape routes opening up to his right |
Mello Cosplayers Concentrate on Chocolate
There's also the friend cosplaying Mello, who emerged smug and filled with insights from a taxing day at an anime/manga convention.
Though it had been fun, the organizers hadn't quite got the hang of crowd control - bottlenecks formed wherever the flow beached (regularly); heavy-handed security unsympathetically carried out long-winded checks at every juncture; rooms not allocated with any apparent common sense - and the venue became increasingly hot and stuffy.
Moreover, food vendors were not spread out, resulting reputedly Hellish conditions, as people crammed into a single section of the arena looking to dine. Each of them subject to long waits in queues for food, tables or simply somewhere to sit. Over-heating, factitious, shouted at by security.
Though it had been fun, the organizers hadn't quite got the hang of crowd control - bottlenecks formed wherever the flow beached (regularly); heavy-handed security unsympathetically carried out long-winded checks at every juncture; rooms not allocated with any apparent common sense - and the venue became increasingly hot and stuffy.
Moreover, food vendors were not spread out, resulting reputedly Hellish conditions, as people crammed into a single section of the arena looking to dine. Each of them subject to long waits in queues for food, tables or simply somewhere to sit. Over-heating, factitious, shouted at by security.
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My Mello cosplayer informed me that she was the only person in her group not losing focus and fainting with hunger.
She was the one with a bar of chocolate to hand, which kept the energy levels raised nicely. Maybe that's why Mello risks all to ensure he has his confectionery to hand (fifteen boxes at least)? Perhaps he's prone to bouts of low blood sugar. The Mafia would be terrible company within which to loose concentration, or collapse in a heap on the floor. Or he's worked out the advantage in always having food to hand, when you never know what meals will be delayed and what leadership opportunities could arise on a bite of chocolate. |
Chocolate helps you keep your head, while all about you people are losing theirs |
Risk Assessment for Rosaries in Mello Cosplay
Mello's rosary was caught on his handcuffs again |
Best one I heard is a little too risque to share here. Let's just say the cosplay didn't end with bedtime, but did scream to a sudden halt shortly thereon.
Instead I'll mention the friend of a friend who ended up in an emergency room, due to the crucifix - on the end of her cosplay Mello rosary - swinging up to nearly take her eye out, after it got caught on the furry costume of a tall man in front. A strange combination of her shrieking, him stopping dead and a sudden crowd surge from behind did the rest. Such things must occur to Mello too, though I can't help thinking that when they do, somebody could well end up dead.
You'd be amazed on what a rosary can get stuck on, trapped inside or otherwise threaten to garrotte its wearer in any number of inventive ways.
Unless you habitually cosplay Death Note's Mello, in which case none of the above even counts as news anymore. You've been there; not only got the t-shirt but also the thread burn scar on the back of your neck. Nor do you have any patience with those who blithely state that the rosary should have snapped. You also have snapping rosary stories. Plus a plentiful supply of 'nearly snapped Mello cosplay rosary' scares to add into the general mix. |
Don't Misa-Misa the Sunscreen!
Misa Amane always looks stylish, with her fashionable togs revealing random bits of her body to the rays of the sun.
So what would happen if she'd forgotten to apply the sunscreen before she went out? Misa cosplayer Ayane Maro found out, when she did just that at Tokyo's Comic Market.
So what would happen if she'd forgotten to apply the sunscreen before she went out? Misa cosplayer Ayane Maro found out, when she did just that at Tokyo's Comic Market.
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The full story (with pics) is told in Tweets above from the lady herself, or check out a version in English by Brian Ashcraft (Cosplayer Forgets Something Very Important (Kotaku, August 17th 2015)).
Got any Death Note cosplay tales of your own? Or facets unknown about your character until you donned their clothes?
Comment and let us know about them! Such things are the fodder of fan fiction, entertaining in their own right and might even tip off new cosplayers in the Death Note community, before they make the same errors common to all who preceded them.
In the meantime, there's a collection of cosplay Death Note items available on our website for those perfecting or putting their costume together.
Comment and let us know about them! Such things are the fodder of fan fiction, entertaining in their own right and might even tip off new cosplayers in the Death Note community, before they make the same errors common to all who preceded them.
In the meantime, there's a collection of cosplay Death Note items available on our website for those perfecting or putting their costume together.
