Cosplans: Version 1

It is currently 8:06pm on Sunday 28th March, and because of a fairly busy work week I have not got anything more in-depth prepared for this week’s article.

And then I realised, I have never really talked about one of my favourite hobbies on this site yet: cosplay.

So, I figured that when it comes to weeks when I am not able to put out something substantial like an original story or a case study on one of my characters, instead I can put my infinitely growing cosplay list into something quick and easy to write as I give three characters I want to cosplay along with what they mean to me.

With that preamble out of the way, let us begin.

KDA Ahri (All Out) – League of Legends

Although I said this will include what characters mean to me… it is actually quite difficult for me to elaborate on that for League of Legends characters, as I do not and have no interest to play the game itself. So, why Ahri?

For a start, I would be lying if I said that I was not heavily into the videos and songs put out under the KDA banner, which forms the minimum amount of interaction I need to feel comfortable cosplaying from something.

Secondly, the entire aesthetic of the All Out outfits is right up my alley. Holographic fabrics and styles, whilst difficult to integrate into an everyday wardrobe, are insanely fun for standing out in the crowd and looking like a glamourous disco ball.

The asymmetry of Ahri’s outfit is also surprisingly pleasing for me. The bodice has the one long sleeve with the crystal decoration on the shoulder contrasted by the short fingerless glove with crystals embedded into it, and the skirt is half of a circle skirt in holographic fabric with a more ruffled translucent piece of fabric adding a nice bit of swish to it all.

Plus, blonde hair with pink ombre? Perfection.

Marnie – Pokemon Sword/Shield

Now I can actually get into a character where there is some emotional investment into them. For all of the continuing issues I have with Sword & Shield, the characters and writing are not going to be one of them.

Whilst I have an appreciation for all of the rivals in game for various reasons, Marnie’s motives really made me feel for her, to the point of pondering to myself: “Can I just let her win the League? She deserves it more than me.”

Simply wanting to bring pride to her slightly neglected hometown carries a lot more weight than most previous rival backstories and gives context to some of Team Yell’s actions. (NB: I’d be remiss to not mention that I’d totally love to do a Team Yell group cosplay one day, either as a Marnie or cheering on another Marnie.)

As for her design, it is mostly simple, but effective. The only really complex part of her design would be her hair, in my opinion. The fringe and pigtails are simple enough, but the spikes atop those pigtails and the dyed/shaven parts on our-left, her-right would be quite difficult to replicate accurately in a wig.

The dress and jacket would be quite straightforward to find, with 3D-printed accessories and bits filling in the decorations nicely (and would mean I could buy a jacket with decent pockets to use).

Though I would definitely want to splash on some nice boots for Marnie, cause every good punk/goth aesthetic character needs boots that are both comfortable and stylish.

Marieya Ebontide – OC

This is a shock isn’t it? My disaster Shadow Fey cleric I write the most and play the most being on my cosplay list?

But honestly, in the short* time I have been playing Marieya she has become a significant part of my downtime. I am constantly trying to write new stories for her, looking into feats, spells, and equipment she may benefit from later on down the line, and every so often I ask my mate bretticus.llewellyn.art to draw her doing something silly. (Go follow this man, he is a fantastic artist, and is responsible for the art of Marieya you are seeing now)

Marieya would definitely be an outfit I commission a professional seamstress for, as there are many aspects of the outfit that would be difficult to recreate in the exact way I would want them to be.

On the plus side though, the way I have Marieya visualised in art means I would not need to employ much grey body paint, as I specifically made it so she is covered from neck-to-foot, including leather gloves to avoid needing to paint my hands/work with imitation gloves.

I would also request that the base outfit be made not too thick, both so if I wear the outfit with armour I am not overheating due to layering, and so that if I do need to be warmer, I can get a design where Marieya has a cute winter coat to wear.

Conclusion

Three cosplans out of a list that grows every single week. Expect more of these in the future, especially as the amount of work I need to do during the week ramps up.