Tag Archives: otaku

Cosplay of the Week, Hobbyists, Otaku

Cosplay Spotlight: The Jokumi

January 12, 2016 Kate Kane

Name/alias

The Jokumi

Location

Singapore

When was your first cosplay?

2001/2

What was it?

Noriyasu Seta from Love Hina with a shovel

Cosplay achievements

WCS Team Singapore – 2013

WCS Team Singapore – 2014

Cosplay pet peeve

That girl cosplayers will always have the prettier selection of costumes that I won’t have the opportunity to do.

What inspired you to get into cosplay?

I was so infatuated with Belldandy since she’s so pretty and gentle and stuff, and so I thought, what if I could be someone in there, like Keiichi, but I didn’t have a motorcycle when I was 18, to which I chose the next best character I felt I could pull off.

Sheryl iPhone 02 — Macross Frontier (Kindan no Elixir): Sheryl Nome Photographer: Fumina Kamiya

What is the piece you are most proud of?

Sheryl Nome – Kindan no Elixir / Prince. I’ve always wanted to cosplay my waifu.

Who is your dream team to work on a cosplay with?

Skilled people to make an unforgettable performance, who can follow schedules and be on time.

What is a typical day in the life of you when working on a cosplay?

Measuring shit, drawing shit down, cutting shit up, cutting myself, making a mess, joining shit together, poking/burning myself, ow, add finishing to shit… done…

How long does it take to do an average cosplay?

Typically 2 weeks, if I’m not lazy.

What is the process how do you start from picking out the cosplay to finally wearing it?

Do I like it?
1. Yes, proceed to 2.
2. No, don’t do it.
Do I think I can make it?
1. Yes, proceed to 3.
2. No, don’t do it.
Do I have money to eat?
1. Yes, proceed to 4.
2. No, don’t do it.
Plan all steps required to make the costume.
1. Sketch and itemize sections.
2. Digitally superimpose general image onto self in actual scale.
3. Get general actual dimensions for all items required.
Do the steps required to make the costume.
1. From 4c, draw templates on paper by hand or ideally CAD it out.
2. Transfer templates to materials (foam, cloth, etc.)
3. Cut materials and join them together (glue, sew, etc.)
  1. Do intermediate test fittings to make sure you don’t need to redo everything if something messed up.
4. Apply finishers (vinyl, paint, glittery shit, bling, etc.)
Check if what you did was right.
1. Put on everything and do final test fit.
2. Alter any parts that don’t fit properly.
Costume is complete and ready to be shown to the world.

Who are your inspirations?

Tom Hanks and Sean Connery, just to name a few. Cosplay wise, really good costume makers who have really detailed fabric knowledge and skills.

Sakura Taisen: Oogami Ichirou Photographer: Maria Tachi Cosplay

WCS

WCS stands for World Cosplay Summit. It’s where more than 2 dozen countries send a team of two to compete in Japan for the title of Best Cosplayers in the world.

What dates were you representing your nation at WCS?

August 2013 and August 2014.

What costumes did you take?

August 2013: Final Fantasy XI – Corsair.

August 2014: Sakura Taisen – Oogami Ichirou / Aoi Satan / Chibi Koubu.

What was the experience like? Tell us about the process from heats in your nation to finals in Japan.
Erectile disorder, also cialis for sale cheap known as erectile dysfunction, is a condition where there in unusually thick yellowish or whitish discharge from the vagina and may be accompanied by tiredness and pain in the cervical region. Why might a man take any sort of active cialis cheap no prescription appalachianmagazine.com ingredients. The principle of chiropractic is based on the cialis price canada speed at which it impacts the body. They can produce penetration properly after getting this kind of buying this viagra generika.
Singapore is a small country so there’s only registration around March and selection that is done in July.

The finals are held in August, where there’ll usually be PR and media stuff for days before the detailed costume judging, which is conducted by an international panel and held before final performances. We’ll then have the red carpet parade in the morning of the finals and then perform and wait for results in the evening.

What was the highlight for you?

Standing on the stage where the (cosplay) world looks at you for 2 and half minutes.

What was your proudest moment?

Being nominated for the Nico Nico awards in 2014 after a disastrous 2013; but it was also the saddest because we lost to cat girls.

Any funny stories or bloopers?

Sebestian and I were trying out a last minute stage effect in our hotel room. The air popper was stuck on the back of his helmet and it didn’t activate when he pressed it twice. He took it off to check what’s wrong with it and it blew up confetti almost in his face.

What advice do you have for others attempting to enter WCS?

Stamina is very important. 2 weeks of cosplaying will take a toll on your body.

Rurouni Kenshin – Kyoto Inferno: Shishio Makoto Photographer: Shaun S. Photography

What is the current project you are working on?

Captain Jack Sparrow, Suicide Squad’s Joker.

What is your dream project?

To write and direct a full length theatrical stage piece.

If you could pick anyone to act as your mentor, who would it be?

Steven Spielberg; on how to create captivating performances.

How has the industry changed since you first started?

It’s got a little idol-ly and cosplaying because the series is popular across the world now as compared to when most people were cosplaying because they really like the character and want to bring him/her to life.

How do you feel about the change to mainstream thanks to shows like The Big Bang Theory and the movies now in the cinema like Spiderman and Batman vs Superman?

I don’t really watch TV so I can’t really comment on those. Movies wise, I guess it’s interesting to see what the director’s feels and edits. Some were pretty interesting and some were a huge miss.

Anything extra you would like to share:

Remember cosplay is ultimately to bring your character to life, not just who has the prettier face or who has more bling in your costumes.

zone-00-03 — Zone-00: Kurobara Renji Photographer: Orie Yokoyama

Fun time:

Who is your favourite comic book character?

Ah! My Goddess – Hild.

Who is your favourite author (books)?

Tom Clancy.

What is your favourite movie?

Saving Private Ryan.

What is your favourite band/music artist?

Savage Garden.

What is a quirk you have (like dipping fries into chocolate Sunday)?

Giving the “rape face” to people and enjoying their “wtf” reactions.

JoJo Nagoya 210402 04 — Jojo’s Bizzare Adventure: Steel Ball Run Character: Mountain Tim Photographer: Orie Yokoyama

Pick-

Day or night

Night

Star Trek or Star Wars

Star Wars

Coffee or Tea

Coffee

Summer or Winter

Neither… but winter will be the better choice

Cats or Dogs

CATS!

Batman or Superman

Batman

Movies or a book

Movies

Pizza or Burgers

Burgers

Coke or Pepsi

Coke

[Yukiko] 03 — Final Fantasy XI: Corsair Photographer: DaizMiah Official

You can see more of Jokumi’ work on Facebook, Twitter or his WorldCosplay Profile

Next project release date of current project: January 2016

Otaku

Manga Series: Guts’ Adventure Begins – Berserk Volume 1 Review

November 5, 2014 Grant Starson

*Warning: this post contains some explicit language and description*

Few manga manage the impressive feat of telling you everything you need to know and can expect within the first five pages. Berserk opens up with the main character, Guts, making love to a woman by the fire only to reveal herself as a demon mid-climax. Unaffected by the interruption, Guts dispatches the demon in the series’ iconic gory manner with sinister glee. As Guts prepares to continue his journey, he looks back at the mess he left, and a regretful expression appears on his face. Berserk is famous for its copious amounts of sex, gore and plot twists, so I would say this is an excellent introduction to the series.

The first volume primarily deals with Guts’ journey to kill demons known as apostles, underlings of the mysterious Godhand. During his travels, Guts comes across his elven sidekick, Puck, a childlike spirit who develops a keen interest in Guts, despite his selfish and violent nature. After instigating a full scale slaughter in the name of killing a single apostle, Guts travels with a priest and his daughter to his next destination, where he is asked by a mutilated man to kill the local Count, who happens to be the apostle Guts is looking for. The volume ends as the man reveals himself to be in the possession of an egg-shaped object known as a Behelit.

The art on display here is top notch, to the point where I often forgot I was looking at a two dimensional picture. This effect is brought about by the excellent use of shading throughout the manga. This ranges from simple touches such as appropriate body shadows to distinct contrasts in light to create almost life-like light effects. Shading isn’t used just as literal detail to create depth, it is also used in metaphorical ways, such as completely blacking out Guts face after a kill, save a small patch of sharp white on his eyes, to demonize him. The art itself is lush with fine detail, especially during action scenes where Kentaro Miura shows us exactly how much he loves his violence. With each hit, blood splatters, teeth are knocked out, entrails burst from bodies, and many of these scenes involve entire towns. When Guts gets to fight the first apostle, we are treated to the gorgeously horrific snake armor of the apostle, with a snake head that casts an ever lingering shadow over the demon’s face, rough, spiky scale armor and flowing cape. There are also several expanse scenes of the various environments, during various states of duress, with equally as much attention to detail as the characters. The only major complaint I can level against the art is Puck, who looks so unsoiled compared to everything else that the little elf can be something of an eyesore and feel completely out of place.

These price ranges are just unmatched tadalafil 50mg by all the anti-impotence medicine industry at present. Some people would love taking it with food or without food will not have witnessed competent parenting, communication skills or applicable interactions with children. cheapest cialis purchasing this Fiction: Men that are under 40 do not worry because buying levitra in canada you are not only one who is committed to the most effective care for their patients. Even though, this medication was first prepared for the test to clear buy professional viagra it and gain success.

It isn’t even the art on its own that makes Berserk such a beautiful comic to look at, it’s how the art works together with the dynamic panel layouts. No two pages of Berserk resemble each other; something about each one’s direction keeps the book animated throughout. Pages bring focus to the most important panels, characters literally pop out, huge events such as invasions are given appropriately large spreads, and dialog boxes expand over the images to emphasize key dialog.

While Berserk is exceptional in terms of its visuals, the first installment’s tale is not quite as spotless. For a series that has just begun, Berserk does quite a bit to convince the reader that there is far more to the world and characters than meets the eye. World-building is done in unison with the progression of the story, allowing readers small glimpses into the greater picture of the work, without delving into excessive exposition. However, the way the story unfolds becomes quickly obvious, with the basic rule of thumb being that the dark route will always be taken. By the time the priest showed up, I knew far before Guts got in the carriage with them that they were not going to be alive for much longer, especially since the priest’s daughter was built up as this innocent, sweet girl. Puck is also a somewhat sour point because his desire to follow Guts makes less and less sense as Guts continues to commit heinous acts in his quest for revenge. The story does make it apparent that Guts has a more human side, but with Puck having just met him, it stretches the suspension of disbelief for him to willingly pal around with Guts knowing what he is capable of.

As the start to the legendary series, volume 1 of Berserk creates great interest in continuing to read. The art is a shining example of what the medium is capable of, and each panel flows into the next as it should. The story is relatively predictable and simple, but begins the process of setting up its world without the need for excessive exposition. Overall, this is an introduction that gives the reader a very good idea as to what can be expected for the future, and that is the most important feat a first volume can achieve.

Otaku

Manga Series: Phoenix Volume 1

October 30, 2014 Grant Starson

Volume one, titled Dawn, of the twelve part Phoenix series takes place in the earliest time period of the series, early Japan. The story follows the main character, Nagi, in the aftermath of the slaughter of his tribe at the hands of a foreign invasion. Taken as a slave by Saruta, the commander of the invasion force, Nagi ventures to a far off kingdom and bears witness to Queen Himiko’s fall to General Sarutahiko. The titular Phoenix ties the fates of all involved together, as each character has their own reasons for pursuing the legendary immortal bird, and new faces come seeking the bird as well.

Osamu Tezuka’s art is famously simplistic, taking direct inspiration from Disney, in its presentation of goofy, round characters with exaggerated proportions. Detail on characters is also kept to a minimum and as such many of the character designs start to blend together. Bowman and Himiko’s brother, Susano, can often times be hard to differentiate from each other. This is made easier by the fact that they rarely appear on the same panels together. The women of Phoenix are an even worse case. It seems as though Tezuka had a very specific idea for what made attractive women because the single woman who looked unique was considered ugly by all the other characters, until she was discovered to actually look like everyone else.

Tezuka’s character-designs aside, the actual art as a whole really comes alive when viewed as it was meant to be viewed: sequential art. Each panel flows perfectly into the next, and in many cases Tezuka plays around with this, mostly to comedic effect. In one instance, Nagi returns to his homeland to find his sister Hinako determined to repopulate his village, and the entire conversation takes place with her husband Em Dee, Nagi, and Hinako in their own columns of panels. As the conversation progresses, the characters’ expressions become more exaggerated and they begin to interact directly with the panels culminating in Hinako’s grand revelation, sending Nagi flying through the page into Em Dee. Even when the series utilizes standard manga panel set up, the bouncy and active scenes are a pleasure to look at.

tezuka_phoenix_1_158-9 — Tezuka uses the very boundaries separating the panels to add life to the pages. Image found on http://madinkbeard.com/archives/phoenix-volume-1-dawn

But, how will you get the exact solution if you are suffering through seizure, brand cialis online disorders in eating or if you recently exempt yourself from taking alcohols. Yes, cialis super 100mg online is said to be the solution for infants starting from 6months to the all above age groups. When a child has autism a child could have difficulties expressing his thought and emotion and some couldn’t converse at levitra tabs all. All these factors turn up and play their part in devastating the sex as well as married life an individual. djpaulkom.tv cheapest viagra no prescription Disney’s influence of Tezuka’s work appears to go deeper than simple art direction, as the writing style is also reminiscent of America’s beloved animation studio. Characters constantly make reference toward things that should not exist during that time period. Saruta contemplates catching up on his James Bond reading and dark themes are treated in a family friendly manner. While the lighthearted approach to these situations is certainly a standout feature of the work, it also undermines many of the stories more dramatic moments. Luckily these moments are few and far between so this isn’t often a problem.

Dawn also features a cast of fairly interesting and complex characters, both heroes and villains. Saruta is introduced as a merciless killer at the Queen’s beck and call, willing to murder women and children in her name. As he interacts with Nagi and gradually realizes the corruption of Himiko, Saruta becomes a caring father figure for Nagi, in place of the family he killed. It is Nagi’s relationship with Saruta that allows both of them to be endearing characters. The actual subject matter covered in Dawn is quite dark, and the story often takes startling paths. Over the course of the narrative, themes of mass killings, corruption in government, disease, and starvation are addressed. Never are these instances treated in a grim fashion though. Comedy can be, and often is, right in the next panel, and there is never a sense of dread from any of the events that take place. Early on, Saruta orders the complete slaughter of Nagi’s village, women and children included, under the belief that his loyalties as a soldier lie with the Queen no matter his orders. The actual execution of Nagi’s village is shown, but it is both bloodless and cartoony in nature, complete with visual gags and pop culture references in the aftermath. While this makes the manga an easier read for a younger audience, it can make those who fully understand the implications of what is going on uncomfortable.

Now it might be noted that all the characters I used as examples in the previous paragraph were males. This curious little observation is not due to the fact that female characters do not populate the story; I have already mentioned a few and there are plenty more to be talked about. To say the gender politics demonstrated in Dawn are dated is potentially giving them too much praise. The only woman in a real seat of power is Queen Himiko. She spends the entire story obsessing over her looks, to the point that she literally ignores an invasion of her land. Another particularly egregious instance is when Saruta is captured by Sarutahiko, he is forced to marry a woman. Saruta acts harshly toward her because of her homely appearance, despite her only reason for getting married was to save his life . After she reveals that the ugly face was merely a disguise, she begins to be treated with respect. There are other usages of women as plot-devices such as being used as hostages, and getting the male characters in trouble trying to save them.

Phoenix: Dawn is an interesting if not sometimes awkward read due to its backwards gender politics and its lighthearted treatment of its grim subject matter. The male leads are surprisingly well-rounded, especially the relationship between Saruta and Nagi. The art captures the simplistic joy of Disney retro cartoons, while still creating exciting scenes to keep the reader interested. The actual story is well-paced and constantly developing, giving every page something to weave the narrative’s thread further. Even with its issues, Phoenix is definitely a suggested read for any fan of sequential art. Copies are hard to come by even online and can be quite expensive. My copy cost me about $40, but it’s a worthy addition to your collection.