This is Emily, also known as Kitara88 or Alias Takashi. Starting her cosplay journey in 2003, she won the very first award in 2006! In her deviantart gallery, fabulous cosplay pictures can be found. I was surprised by her “Hachune Miku harasses” cosplay the most. Ok, let’s welcome Emily and share her cosplay story together!
1. Please introduce yourself first?
Hi, I’m Emily but I usually go by my user name of either Kitara88 or Alias Takashi. I started cosplaying since 2003 and still counting!
2. What does cosplay mean to you?
It’s something special to me because it helps me break away from reality. Also it’s fun being someone else for the day ^w^;
3. What was your first cosplay?
My first official cosplay was Lulu from Final Fantasy X. It turned out alright and I had some help from my aunt. I didn’t own a sewing machine at the time so I had to sew everything. Bad idea for a newbie to start off with a complicated cosplay. During the convention, my cosplay started falling apart X___X;
4. Does your family support your cosplay?
One of my sisters supports my hobby because she says it allows me to be creative …. But my mother believes it’s a waste of time, space and money.
5. What is your most memorable cosplay experience?
Hard to say because I have lots of memorable cosplay experiences. I guess the most memorable would be winning my very first cosplay award in 2006.
6. What are your 2011 cosplay plans?
My plans are/were Hachune Miku from Vocaloid and Stocking from Panty and Stocking with Garterbelt. For Halloween, I am going to cosplay as Fear Garden Rin from Vocaloid.
7. I really like your “Hachune Miku harasses” Cosplay,could you tell me more about it especially the huge miku costume,it’s really funny~
I chose Hachune Miku because she is rarely done and I fell in love with her hilarious expression. Mascots usually receive the most attention and they are usually popular during conventions. I tried to make my cosplay to resemble a giant plushie doll to make it adorable. It took a lot of time to make and it was really hard to move in but seeing/hearing people reaction was worth enduring that sauna suit.
8. Do you make your costumes yourself or buy them?
I make them myself. I buy certain parts if they are available like pants or bracelets. No necessary to make pants if it’s available. Unless it’s not sold in stores, I will make them from scratch.
9. Any other cosplayers you like?
I have several cosplayers that I like. I admire PikminLink and Lord Masamune, their cosplays are absolutely amazing. I also admire my friends and their cosplays but there are too many to name ^^;
10. Do some changes happen to you after cosplay?
Thanks to cosplay/cosplaying at events, I got to meet many wonderful people and became friends with them. I also tend to feel more outgoing and happier when I’m cosplaying.
11. Any advices you wanna share with cosplay newbies?
I say start off with a simple cosplay first. Don’t dive into a complicated cosplay at the start (like I did). Do lots of research on the outfit and character. Remember to have fun! 🙂
