So once upon a time, it was Halloween, 2011. I had a meager cosplay budget and a trip to Walmart with my name on it. I picked up just a short, pink wig, a black tank top and just enough supplies to make a pair of goggles with my mom. So I chose to be Aero that year, but one look at the picture and you can spot it. I'm missing her scarf and sleeves, aren't I? You can't see it, but I'm also missing her shorts and boots. Who am I? I am incomplete Aero, of course. And why am I incomplete? It's not for lack of budget, it's in protest. What am I protesting? This photo was taken of me just three months and a few weeks after Capcom pulled the rug out from under everyone, and cancelled Mega Man Legends 3 just hours shy of it's demo's release for the Nintendo 3DS via eShop. More than a year of advertisement, including a multi-page spread in Nintendo Power, all gone in a heartbeat. The excuses and lies from Capcom all foolish and without merit. So just as Capcom's commitment to the fan-studio project MML3 was incomplete, so was my Aero. July 19th will mark five years since Capcom's mistake, and that is why Im sharing this with you all now. There is a sound movement you can join here in saving this project. Show Capcom they were wrong to drop MML3! For more information, please watch my brother's video below. |
0 Comments
Yes, I am in costume writing this, how did you know? Any place you see a blue link, it'll take you to one of my costume pieces, in case you would like the look too! I purchased my Sailor Moon costume one piece at a time over the course of two months. Budgeting out your cosplay is a responsible way to make sure you have everything in time, without skimping on the electric bill. Two months out is reasonable enough, especially if you have a few overseas pieces. For example, anything from Hong Kong, Japan or China will set you back about 6-12 weeks delivery. I also made sure most of the costume qualified for the $35+ Free Shipping, and trust me, it counts. Without it, my wig could have set me back $22 in shipping. O_O The first thing I ordered was the wig. It claims to fit a size 14 US in hat size, but it's really best on a 10. I wanted the official Sailor Moon wig, but there's no way it would fit me. Ahhh the curse of having a large head. ><;; It took a little practice, but my wig stayed put for most of the day. As a bonus, it came with a super big, super comfortable wig cap! To make sure it worked though, I washed my hair the night before, braided it in a ponytail, pinned the ponytail back, and then put thin clips all over my flyaway curls before putting on the cap and wig. The head pieces? Well that's a two piece set! The main clips, tiara, choker, gloves and most importantly ~ THE SAILOR COSTUME!!! ~ all came from Leg Avenue's official Hot Topic Sailor Moon costume set! Ahhh the costume is so breathable! The most comfortable part of my cosplay, the costume stretches and breathes with your skin.I bought a large, because I eat just about as much as Usagi, and I still had room to spare. I almost had to pin it in the back, but letting it loose felt very comfortable. The gloves are short, and kept sliding down..... but.... I can use them for Sailor Mars or Sailor Chibi Chibi Moon cosplay too..... Still, the head pieces come in embroidered gold.... Usagi wears white. The fix? I busted out my sewing kit, clipped off the red jewels, sewed white silk over the gold patches, then re-sewed the red gems back on. Only took 25 minutes, which gave me enough time to watch a classic Sailor Moon episode for reference. While I had a needle and thread out, I also doctored my new pair of Ellie Cha-Cha boots. I couldn't quite cut it right, but I added a strip of White Leather to each boot. At 54" I have enough for other crafts too, maybe a new bag? I haven't decided yet. The boots have a six inch heel, so my husband joked with me that I picked the wrong Sailor Guardian. I'm 5'6, so he said I should have gone as Sailor Jupiter. I just love that he remembers Makoto's height! He also wants to see me in a Codename Sailor Earth costume, so it looks like I have some more sewing to do. The boots by the way have plenty of room in the toe, but the leg parts are WAAAAAYYY tight, I had marks on my ankles after taking them off. (And just like Usagi.... I fell off of them.) The tiara also needed help, so I used a gold Sharpie marker to draw on Usagi's lines. I'm tempted to buy another set now, so I can do a Crystal cosplay, heeheehee! I used the same marker to draw on crescent moons to the boots. Next of course were GE Animation's official Sailor Moon drop earrings! ...... Which sadly do not come with earring backs. WTF?? (Were mine defective?) So I had to borrow earring backs from another pair. Still, they come into the ear hole via hooks, so I probably would have been fine without them, but I feel safer with backs. They're light on my ears, so I kept forgetting I had them on. There is copyright test on the back, but unless you put them in backwards and took an ear selfie, nobody will notice them. And what Sailor Moon cosplay is complete without the Proplica Sailor Moon Wand? Yes, this is the most expensive piece of the whole cosplay, and I couldn't take it to work, but it comes with a cute stand, booklet and different versions of the crystal, in case you want more manga inspired cosplay. I had to take it completely apart to put in the 3 LR44 batteries, and I needed a special screwdriver, but trust me, it's worth it. Aside from the settings you already saw for the sound effects or the effect with Usagi and a Youma's voice, there's a secret setting for Queen Serenity's voice, from episode 44!! My Japanese is a little rusty, but finding that little hint in the booklet was exciting. Since I had to go to work for costume day, I did have to wear a pair of khaki jeggings underneath, because the skirt is so short. But luckily I washed them with pink and yellow clothes, so they got brightened in the wash slightly, and I got to stay warm. I honestly have never loved cosplaying quite as much! Not only did I go to my day job as Sailor Moon, I also went through town dressed up. Did you see me? And of course, when I was at Gondolier's..... I ordered a crescent moon shaped calzone! But someone stabbed a knife into it just before the waitress served it to me. Was this a sign from the Dark Kingdom? And someone had a red Mustang! Can you just imagine Tuxedo Mask having this car? Make the top red instead of black, and it matches what he drives in episode 62. Of course when I had to go to work, I wore my Sailor Moon lanyard, which has the words "SAILOR MOON" printed all over, in case anybody asked who I was. It comes with a free Sailor Moon keychain where she's holding the Moon Stick. I'm tempted to buy other key-chains to hook next to her, so I can bring a team with me, and since they're light rubber/plastic, it shouldn't weigh too much...... or I might settle for Chibiusa and Chibi Chibi. I had to wear sunglasses because I suffer from migraines, and they help reduce my sensitivity to light, so I chose a white pair. Why white? Because when Sailor Moon first debuted, she had white goggles that mimic Codename Sailor V's of course! I can't wait to do this again! The costume has to be hand washed in cold water, but it's so worth it. |
CosplayingCodename Sailor Earth, aka Koriander, LOVES to cosplay! Archives
October 2016
Categories
All
|