Tell me about the outfit you are wearing – who are you cosplaying and how did you decide to pick this particular character ?
I was cosplaying Bridget from Guilty Gear, a popular fighting game series. Bridget was a young boy, one of two twins, whom his parents raised as a girl to avoid bad luck. He works to earn back his manliness by becoming a bounty hunter, and fights with a yo-yo and his mechanical robot teddy bodyguard, Roger.
Tell me about the process of making your outfit – was it easier or tougher than you imagine it to be ?
Making Bridget look good look a lot of effort. It seemed like a simple enough costume- a simple white dress, blue vest, veil, wig, shoes, collar, yo-yo, and bear. What it really became was a hell of a project. Before the costume itself was even under construction, I started taking lavender oil extract to soften my features, and searching for less painful ways to shave my legs. A real perfectionist, I had to work out, lose a little weight, and learn how to do makeup. My wonderful cos-enthusiastic girlfriend did all the sewing while I worked on my figure and my props.
The shoes turned out to be one of the hardest to complete parts of the costume. Oddly enough, a pair of blue boots seemed to be so elusive that it took me weeks to find a suitable pair. As for the armor on the shoes, that was simple. we shaped some craft foam and that was it!
When I debuted the costume for the first time, I discovered that despite my great physical condition, my legs looked too manly to convince anyone. Hence, I added the light tights to smooth out my legs. Still had to shave, but at least now It was a more convincing costume. Crossplay is hard for a guy like me! Though if it’s Bridget, is it really crossplay?
Any interesting stories from people’s reaction to your outfit at the con ? ^^
Oh, SOOO many. It’s really easier to just list the quotes:
“OH MY GOD, BRIDGET! Will you Yaoi with me!?”
“That’s really a girl! I checked!”
“Jesus- It’s Bridget… done CORRECTLY… THE HORROR!”
“Girls who play Bridget are such cheaters. Props, man, props.”
“I’ve been playing the game for years… and you’re the best Bridget I’ve EVER seen at con!”
“What’s up, sexy lady?”
“If you ever need an alibi, kiddo…”
How did you get started cosplaying and what got you interested ?
An old girlfriend of mine forced me . But really, I wanted something simple to do, and as it turned out, I really liked the character Kyou from Fruits Basket, and so I started playing him at Anime Expo 2006. I’ve used the costume every year since then. It’s fun getting tackled, all you Kagura cosplayers! Anyways, since that year, I couldn’t even imagine showing up to con out of costume. It’s just essential!
What are the con did you first attended and what’s your favorite con that you’ve attended so far and why ?
My first ever convention was Anime Expo 2006, and it was a blast! There’s no con in the U.S. than could ever top it! Still, if I were to pick a runner up, It’d be Nan Desu Kan in Denver. It was at NDK ‘08 that I met Caitlin “Kit” McElhaney, love of my life and a wonderful cosplayer!
What does cosplay mean to you ?
Cosplay means to emulate the dress and eccentricities of your favorite anime characters as much as you possibly can. It draws people together, and is a wonderful, creative hobby! I always look for opportunities to cosplay. For me, emulating a character means dedication and persistence, as you can see from my description above. I try to push my own personal envelope, and try to do things people don’t see a million times a con (Plenty of girls can do Bridget, but few guys can find the courage!)
If you had unlimited funds/technology/time, what is your dream cosplay ?
Oh dear god… what WOULDN’T I do? But if that was the case, I would do Tetsu Hayami from Blue Submarine No. 6, complete with my own Granpus. (If you haven’t see Blue 6, you MUST check it out!).
Keep cosplaying, and always push your limits!
