Monika, another talent cute girl i found in deviantart .Today , Monika join in our cosplayer interviews category to share her cosplay history ,tips and advices .Thanx Monika, XD
1. Please Introduce yourself first?
Hi! My name is Monika, more commonly known as London2191. I’m an 18 year old high school student and I love cosplay! I’ve been cosplaying for about 5 years now and I hope to continue it through college. I’ve done a lot of costumes from anime/manga to video games, but I really want to try doing more sci-fi/fantasy and pop culture costumes these coming years.
2.What does cosplay mean to you?
For me, cosplay is an amazing and unique way to express my creativity. It’s also fun to be able to act and dress like someone else for a day!
3. what’s your first cosplay?
My first cosplay was Temari from Naruto—I was a pretty big anime nerd back then, haha
4. Your family support your cosplay?
My mom is surprisingly supportive of what I do and I’m really grateful for that. And being asian, my dad disproves of it, but he does take an interest in what I do especially when it comes to prop making (the perks of having an electrical engineer for a father!).
5. What is your most memorable cosplay experience?
Every cosplay experience is memorable for me because I’m not the type of person who goes to 5-10 cons a year. For me, it’s 9 or so days out of the year that I can cosplay so I cherish every moment of it.
6. What’s your 2011 cosplay plan?
I’ve already created two costumes this year (Yukari Hayasaka from Paradise Kiss and Rainbow Dash from My Little Pony). As of now, I have a Little Sister from Bioshock planned as well as Belldandy from Ah! My Goddess and Sansa Stark from HBO’s new fantasy show Game of Thrones.
7. If possible, which anime you wanna cosplay most?
I’m not too big on anime, but I really enjoy manga and video games. If possible, I would love to cosplay Hoshina Airi from MeruPuri or Ashe from Final Fantasy XII.
8. Do you make costumes yourself or buy?
I make all my costumes. I love being able to wear something I’ve made and am proud of! The joy of cosplaying is taken away, in my opinion, when you’re not able to wear your own creations.
9. Any other cosplayers you like?
If you mean cosplay friends, definitely! I have a lot of close cosplayer friends and I enjoy cosplaying more when I’m able to cosplay with friends.
10. Do some changes happen on you after cosplay?
Definitely! Cosplay promotes a very close and unique community of people through which fans can share their love of anime, video games, etc. It’s something that has taught me that being weird isn’t so bad after all, haha. I’ve also learned so much from a lot of talented costumers that make me strive to be better at my craft.
11. Any advices you wanna share with cosplay newbies?
Keep going! Cosplaying has taught me so many valuable skills (especially ones that look really good on college applications!) and the friendships and memories that come with being a cosplayer are amazing!
12. When will you stop cosplay ?
I have no clue, haha. I feel like I may stop or at least come to a slow pace a few years after college, but who knows? Maybe I’ll transition to more adult costumes (opposed to Japanese school girl characters, haha), but I’m not sure. Life can take you anywhere and it’s too hard to predict what you’ll be doing in the coming years. Cosplaying is definitely an amazing hobby I don’t want to give up anytime soon, though!
