[Cosplay] Prince of Tennis
It’s been so humid since the typhoon was gone. God, please end this summer as soon as possible. Now some companies are even working on Saturday and Sunday because they have to save the power. Of course so does my company. Instead of working on weekend, I am off on Monday and Tuesday. It’s not a good thing to me because I can’t join any cosplay events. Almost no events happen on weekdays. Even that, I do cosplay. It’s hard to find a photographer who can help me on weekdays, but I have to.
Anyway, this year I decided not to cosplay new characters because I bought a new camera. I prefer to take my old characters than cosplaying new ones, but…I cosplayed him.
He is Tedsuka Kunimitsu[手塚国光] in Prince of Tennis[テニスの王子様]. You know, this is so popular not only in Japan, but in Taiwan or Sounth Korea. Besides, this series has a live-action drama and a musical on stage called Tenimyu[テニミュ], which a lot of young good-looking actors show. It’s hard to choose who to cosplay because this series has too many boys. Tedsuka is the manager of Seigaku Tennis Club that the lead characters join. I must say other schools are far popular than Seigaku such as Hyoutei or Higa. Poor the hero Ryoma! Who is the real hero?
Put aside almost all the characters do not look like a junior-high. Still, Tedsuka looks like a salaryman no matter how many time I try to think he is actually 14 or so. Well, it is good to me because I am a salaryman. Even though this was my first time cosplaying Prince of Tennis, it was so challenging to me. First I have never played tennis, so I had to see how the cosplayers strike a pose. Also, I wanted to do this cosplay at a tennis court, so I went to my alma meter to ask a permission. First their reaction was negative, but I countinued to negotiate so they said yes.
So my friend and I went to the school around 16:00 or so because they appointed the time. When I changed and stepped into the court, some players surprisingly looked at me. It was a bit embarrassing, but we did our best.
I shall dedicate this cosplay to tasukihoneybunny. Enjoy. Read the rest of this entry »
[Intermission] Interview with bangin -4th Anniversary!- （４周年記念スペシャル）
Omg, OH MY GOD! It’s my 4th anniversary for this blog! I don’t believe it…no words to describe this feeling now. All I can say right now is, thank you very much for following my blog. If you happen to be a lurker, I would like to say hello and thank you as well. I still remember when I started this blog like yesterday. The regular visitors those days, alas, are all gone. Well I don’t know. I wish they were still interested in my blog. Anyway, although it is still July, so many things have happened this year. Maybe it is too much. So I nearly forgot my anniversary. Just like the 3rd anniversary, I got an interview hours ago.
–Hello, bangin. Nice to meet you. Shall we start?
Yes, nice to meet you too. Sure we can.
–First, happy 4th anniversary.
Thank you very much. I am quite happy that I could keep this blog so far…I can’t realize even now.
–I must say I am terribly sorry about what happened in Japan. That earthquake, I mean.
Well…yes, I shall accept your words. Of course I feel so sorry for those people who are living in that area.
–So, what I would like to ask you this time is, about your cosplay stuff. I am sure you have been a cosplayer for almost 4 years because I know your first cosplay happened just after you started this blog. I noticed you have been cosplaying a lot lately. Have you had a change or something in your mindset as you have cosplayed so far?
When I started to cosplay, I just enjoyed wearing the costumes I wanted to wear or act as I like. As I told you last year, I did an actor thing for two years and a bit. So I really like to be in the character I cosplay. That never changes no matter what.
–Why I asked above question is because your pictures have been better than before. Better than those photos shown last year.
I think that is thanks to the camera and the photographer. One of my best photographers is Hajime who is also a cosplayer. She spoke to me because I cosplayed Naoe Nobutsuna in Mirage of Blaze which she really really loved. She helped me with my cosplay because I had almost no photographers at that time. And the photos she took were very nice. Her camera was Nikon D40 which was far better the camera I had. She loves to take “cosplaying photos,” not portraits.
–What do you mean by that?
I didn’t see the point at that time, but now I see. You know, cosplaying photos are pictures which clearly shows the mood of the series you cosplay. Not only a model, but a location, a camera thing, and photoshop have to work together. If you cosplay someone from Evangelion, the photos have to show that neutral mood of the anime. That is a cosplaying photo. I think that is an artwork. As I worked with Hajime, I started to love those photos she could take for me. But even that, I didn’t have such a skill like her because I didn’t have a digital single-lense reflex(DSLR). So I decided to buy it. This is how I bought my camera, Nikon D90 with a single focus lense.
–Sounds so expensive.
It is. But not so much. Because the latest version is Nikon D3, D90 got the price down. Anyway, I seriously learned how to use it in order to make cosplaying photos like Hajime did for me. But that was not enough.
–Why?
Actually, I tried to find some more photographers who could help my cosplays. I could find one or two. I hate to say, but none of them were good. Even though they were using a much better camera with a better lense, those photos were unsatisfying. The reason is only one. They are not otaku. They don’t know who I cosplay, that’s why.
Naoe Nobutsuna from Mirage of Blaze
–So you saying, otaku or not. Is that such an important thing?
Absolutely. Those photographers sure take good portraits. But it doesn’t mean they are good cosplaying photos because, once again, they don’t know who I cosplay. They don’t love who I cosplay. Hajime loves the characters I cosplay, that is why she can create cosplaying photos. How could we take out the mood from the cosplayer? Only those who love the character know how to.
–Ah, so love is everything for cosplayers.
Yes, love conquers all. We say 愛[ai] to mean love. If you are just a consumer, all you need is 萌え[moe], but if you want to create something, you need 愛. We cosplayers love characters we cosplay more or less. In order to make such photos, we do whatever. Sometimes, I had to ask people for a permission to take cosplays, or go to so a faraway place…That is because I love my characters. Having said that, Hajime doesn’t know all of my cosplays. So I had to find someone else if she didn’t know my character. Not anyone is good. They have to love the character I cosplay as much as I do.
–I see…so this is why your photos have improved.
Thanks to my friends, I could make it alright. I told you before, I was always a minor character like a waiter A when I was in the drama group. After all, I was never the lead. But I wanted to be all this time. That is why I became a cosplayer. Because cosplay always makes my wish come true. However, I found cosplay is not something I can do myself. Because you need someone who helps you with your cosplay. To create an artwork called cosplay.
The chime is ringing.
–Who is it?
I have no idea…I’ll go and see.
Takano: Hey man. Can I come in?
–Excuse me, sir. Are you the editor-in-chief of the Emerald department, Mr. Takano from Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi?
Takano: You are having an interview. Should I come back later?
–Oh no, it’s okay. We are almost done. What do you have in your hands?
Omg, Takano-san…is this…
Takano: ４周年おめでとう。
–That is very sweet. Why don’t we toast together?
Oh yes. I gotta go and get a glass.
All: CHEERS!
４周年、ありがとうございました！これからも頑張りますので、どうぞbanginを宜しくお願い致します！
Series: Sekai-ichi Hatsukoi [世界一初恋]
Character: Takano Masamune [高野政宗]
Cosplaeyer: bangin
Photographer: Uo-chan
[Cosplay] Hakuouki -Okita, Saito- Part 1
It’s July. How come times goes by so fast? Now it’s getting humid, but we refrain from using an air-conditioner because we have to save power. Ah I wish summer ends soon.
If you have followed my blog, you might know I have cosplayed Hakuouki[薄桜鬼] a few times. The character I cosplay from this series is Saito Hajime, and I have cosplayed with Chidsuru, Toudou, and Harada so far. This time, I could finally cosplay with Okita Souji [沖田総司]who is one of the Shinsengumi members. In this series, Okita is depicted as a bit mean guy although he is seriously sick. I think he is one of the most popular characters. No. 1 is Hijikata, 2 is Okita, and 3 is Saito.
I had never cosplayed with him, so I was really pleased. Also, the best thing is the location we used this time. Here is a certain themed village where a lot of shooting take place. Even real actors come. I could book this place, and took the Okita cosplayer and the photographer. The weather was not so good, but rain could make this cosplay better. Please enjoy the real samurai drama! Read the rest of this entry »
Japanese words of anime fans, by anime fans, for anime fans 