the COSPLAY HEXAGON

^What makes a good cosplay, good?


But what makes a good cosplay, great?


How can a person achieve a note worthy, epic and truly memorable cosplay?


What is it with Jesuke, the Tux Team, Alodia Gosiengfiao and other famous cosplayers, that make people admire their cosplays?


Some would say, "Coz they're pretty".


For me, being pretty does not cut it. There are other cosplayers that are
pretty / good looking, too, but you do not see them judging cosplay competitions or winning international / big events now, do you?


Some would say, "Coz they have awesome costumes".


But not all cosplayers with extravagant costumes win. Sometimes those that cost less beat those that cost thousands of pesos and sometimes even dollars.


So what is it really?

hmmmmm... *thinking*

Anyone here know about Porter's Diamond?

This is Porter's Diamond:

Michael Porter (of the Harvard Business School is generally recognized as the father of the modern strategy field, has been identified in a variety of rankings and surveys as the world’s most influential thinker on management and competitiveness) theorizes that four broad attributes (see diagram above) of a nation shape the environment in which local firms compete and these attributes promote or impede the creation of competitive advantage.


Say what? ahehehehehehe


Talk of economics can be boring, I know (I've sat through countless hours of it in class XD) but we are not here to discuss International Trade. What Professor Porter is trying to say is that "there is not only one factor that makes something, in this case the economy of a nation, successful". There are a number of factors that need to be favorable to achieve success.


With this in mind, let us apply this principle to cosplay and we come up with what I'd like to call the COSPLAY HEXAGON or the 6 of Cosplay.



I think that all of these must be favorable in order to achieve a "good" if not "great" cosplay. Lack of one and you and up with something less than amazing. All of them are equal and none is greater than the other in my opinion.


Now let us break down the following determinants:




*COSTUME
Just to get it out of the way, I'd like to say that I do not care if you personally made the costume or you commissioned it. I am referring to the costume here itself and the quality.

Alodia Gosiengfiao as Amaha Masane
of Witch Blade
Awesome costumes, that is one of the reasons
she is very famous in the local community scene.
no wonder! Just look at her costumes!

When it comes to costumes, choosing the right color and fabric really make a difference. Wrong shades lead to being mistaken as other characters sometimes and wrong fabric choices can lead to disastrous effects. Always remember that we never want to look cheap.


Anyway, paying close attention to details can do wonders. It shows the level of skill and effort and even love that has been put into its creation.

Lillyxandra as Princess Zelda
Details!!! Such great eye and patience to create wonderful works!!!
*clap clap clap*
She really knows her stuff!

I consider shoes or the foot gear as an important part of a cosplay. I personally LOVE boots.
I just feel that having the right foot gear gives more of an impact and adds more flair to the over all outcome of the cosplay.

Yinneian as Kyoko from Skip Beat
Booooooots!!!!!!! those boots are totally to die for!!!!
if they were my size, I'd totally steal em ahahahaha I kid! I kid! XD

*WIG / HAIR STYLING
Anime characters have the most unique and wild hairstyles ever! Just look at yugi-oh for example XD ahehehehe Anyway, not everyone has colored hair. So wigs are a definite must. Having the perfect wig (styled of course) makes the greatest impact for a cosplay. I say this because characters are more recognized through their hair as it is one of the first things that will be noticed when you look at someone. Plus, with the proper wig, you can dress up in a lot more ways for a specific character.

Dukesawolf
Showcasing this wig she styled for a client

There is nothing wrong with using your real hair, but styling it the right way will make your cosplay much more accurate. That also goes for when you use wigs.

Ryoko-demon as Jesse
of Pokemon's Team Rocket
She styled that wig! Looks just like the actual character right?

Some people may confuse you for other characters if you are not careful. An example of this is Ami Kawashima and the School President of ToraDora. They both wear the same uniform and have long blue hair.

Another example is Yakumo Tsukamoto and Mikoto Suoh. Yakumo has black hair and Mikoto 's has a blue-ish tinge to it. Anyway, most cosplayers opt to use black when cosplaying either one.
With out contact lens, you may have some difficulty telling them apart.

But you can easily tell them apart through the way their hair is styled. I'm just saying, if the hair or wig is styled properly or is the right shade, it can make you more accurate and recognizable^^






*MAKE UP and CONTACT LENS
I really think that make up is essential. I just feel that your face has to be at its best and should be "dressed up", too. You are wearing a costume, your body is clothed in something that is not your everyday wear, so I think your face should not be left out. It just completes the over all feel of the cosplay.

Dark Diety as Kamui Gakupo
(Sandplay of the Dragon version)
This girl, in my opinion is absolutely a wonder with make up,
She's pretty with out it but she looks even more awesome with it.
Props to her make up skills, she can look all sweet and pretty
and all handsome and cunning, just with make up^^

Anyway, I am referring to good or proper application of make up here, most often than not proper make up application can alter your appearance to some degree and make you look like the character being cosplayed and covers some imperfections.


Coloring of eye brows is also an essential part of make up for a cosplay.


Contact lens, well, most anime characters have colored eyes, using contact lenses will make the character you are portraying more recognizable. But if you really can't wear contact lenses for some reason then I'd advise that you don't force yourself.

Pino
Another cosplayer I admire for her make up skills
(forgot what she's cosplaying here though, sorry >_<)

*PROPS and ACCESSORIES
So you've got the basics down viz. the costume, wig and make up. Let us not forget the props and accessories! yay!


For me, this is the best part of cosplay cause I enjoy making something out of nothing. I like it when my brain tries to figure out how I can make this with that and seeing them done.


As with costumes, I do not really care if you made your own props or you commissioned them. The end product is what matters, as long as it looks fine and is satisfactory then you get a dollar from me^^. But if you did make 'em then wow! You deserve an extra pat on the back for that.

Cvy as Steam Punk White Rabbit
with her awesome clock XD
steam punk is so cool and that clock works!

Props and accessories for some people don't really mean that much, some even think that it is just for added flair. But who would not want that extra flair?


Props are fun! Especially in photos, they help you make poses easily.


But, yeah, they can be a bit of a hassle to tranport.

Lyron Decy Cueto Aquino
as Priss Asagiri of Bubble Gum Crisis
ahehehehehehe Yep, that's a guy in there. A smexy guy XD
Anyway, this isn't really props, but he makes them well so he falls in this category XD

Anyway, there are a lot of characters that look the same, i.e. have the same hair style, wear the same costume. But through the props/ accessories that they carry, you can tell them apart easily.

Yuuko and Enma Ai have the same hairstyle and same red eyes. Both also wear a kimono, in the anime you can easily identify who's who but in cosplay it's hard to distinguish which is which.


But through props, it can be easier, if you're cosplaying Yuuko then having a mokona or a pipe will make you more yuuko-ish, and if you are Enma Ai then having the straw doll will make you more hell girl-ish.

*COMPATIBILITY AND CHARACTERIZATION
Compatibility refers to how well one carries the cosplay. Does it suit him or her? What things does the cosplayer have in common with the character? Same hair? Same smile? Same build? Or maybe even same personality.

h-a-z-y as Zafina of Tekken
*fan girl screams* I'm big fan of this gal, she knows her body well
and really gets to know the character she portrays.
Here she is being smexy and so kick ass

and here she is being so moe and adorable
h-a-z-y as Mio Akiyama of K-on!

Some seem to think that it is sort of "cheating" if you cosplay characters that kind of look like you. I see nothing wrong with it. No one wants to look bad in anything so why would it be cheating if it looks good on you?

tux team as Rurouni Kenshin Characters

Cosplay is for fun, so if you really want to cosplay a certain character, go for it. Even if it doesn't really suit you but if you feel that it will make you happy then go. At the end of the day, it's what you think. Don't mind them, heck, don't mind me! aheheheehhe I'm just saying, work with what you have and utilize them well^^ Do your best to be excellent even if it is just for fun.


Characterization refers to how well one becomes in character. Stage performances, facial expressions and poses fall into this. How far will you go to bring a 2D character to life?

maritinesumaki as sir gai of naruto
He looks so much like Sir Gai that it's creepy aheheheeheh XD

But I think that characterization should be limited to posing for photos, stage performances and simple activities that dont bother other people.


There are characters that are known for their bad behavior, but remember, you are in the real world with real people. To avoid any drama or trouble, it's best to mind your manners. Because not everyone understands what cosplay is, some don't really care, some think they are a cut above the rest and take pleasure in simply bad mouthing others. It's best to keep it clean and safe, that way, life would be more fun and hassle free.




*PERSONALITY/ THE COSPLAYER/ YOU
At the end of the day, a costume will be just a costume when no one is wearing it.
It won't be cosplay if all of the other components are just sitting in a bag or hanging on a mannequin.


I added this, the Person or the Cosplayer to the Cosplay Hexagon because I feel that no matter how awesome your costume is, when the person lacks that special something about themselves, they will not be remembered.

Jesuke as Squall of FF Dissidia
kyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!~ ♥
She's really nice although she's famous.
She's the Joker on Cosplay Gen's 1st issue.
♥

I mean, there are a lot of Naruto Uzumaki cosplayers, dozens of L cosplayers, hords of Haruhi Suzumiya cosplayers in cons but there are some who really stand out. And you just cant help but flock over to them XD


Same costume, same wig, same accessories same everything but when a different person wears all of those, some how the cosplay itself changes.


The person is indeed a very important component of a cosplay^^.

Kunebitt as Yoko Littner of Gurren Lagann

and still her in boy form as Zero Kiryuu of Vampire knight
She has already worked with Alodia, the tux team and other famous personalities but she has still retained who she really is,
a fun and loud person that you cannot help but befriend^^

tux team
plus kune
as Naruto Shippuudden characters.
Epic, nuff said.

Apart from cosplay, the tux team is known for their love of photo bombing.
Epic photobombers are epic XD
I think it's nice that they cosplay in a group and always go to cons together.
If the tux team has bombed you (photo bombed that is XD)
then consider yourself lucky aheheheheheh
they are so lovable and I'm so glad that
I had the pleasure of meeting and befriending them.

Yep, lucky one here o/
aheheheheh
photo by Niko "shinn" Cruz

Hope this helps.
good luck with your cosplays!

*******************************

thanks for reading!

 jaa! visit me again, ne!

     arigatou! (*^3^)/~

FACEBOOK PAGE : http://www.facebook.com/jaroukasama
WORLD COSPLAY : http://worldcosplay.net/member/jaroukasama/
INSTAGRAM : https://www.instagram.com/jaroukasama/
DEVIANT ART : http://jaroukasama.deviantart.com/
TWITTER : http://twitter.com/jaroukasama