And we don’t mean going mano-a-mano, mind you. ;3

Last Saturday, after joining up with Fariz, Hexlord and LEon to help them in a private Miku cosplay photoshoot, I had the opportunity to interview the cosplayer, Ami, and boy, did she had a lot to say!

I have to apologize about the images in this post, though; since they’re from a private photoshoot, I can’t post higher-resolution photos, so you’ll have to make do with these thumbnails. (; ^_^)

Anyway, here’s how our exchange went:

The Interview

What made you interested in cosplay?

It’s a bit of a long story, actually. I saw cosplay on TV while I was studying in Singapore. I got a little curious, but I was still a bit clueless since I wasn’t really open. Then after I moved back to Philippines, there was a small convention near my house. When I saw cosplay with my own eyes, I got really interested and slowly started researching on my own. I also got a tip from my cosplaying friends that the best thing to do is to find your favourite character and cosplay as him/her. After I did, I just kept on cosplaying, and it became a way of life for me.

You said that your friends advised you to “find your favourite character”. Who’s your favourite character?

Miku Hatsune! *laughs*

Oh, really? What do you like about her?

Miku’s voice captured me the most. I got interested in Miku at first after listening to Alice Human Sacrifice, and realized that she, along with the other VOCALOIDs, was just a voice synthesizing program. Slowly, I started to listen to more of her songs like World Is Mine and Melt. I really got to love her so much, and cosplaying as her was so much fun. Since then it’s always been Miku, though I’ve been doing different “versions” of her.

Have you cosplayed as any other character?

Yes, I have! Miku is the first long-running cosplay I’ve ever done, but I cosplayed Yuko Ichihara from xxxHolic first. I’ve also done Lightning from FF13, Tyurru from Ninety-Nine Nights, Chrome Dokuro from Katekyo Hitman Reborn and Ranka Lee from Macross Frontier. I think I’ll have a hard time listing all of the other cosplays I’ve done!

When did you start cosplaying?

I started cosplaying back in 2008, I think.

Will you be cosplaying for a long time?

Yes, this will probably be a long-term hobby for me.

I can tell that your family supports your hobby. How far do they go to support you?

Um, so far they’ve granted everything I requested, and they constantly support me. At times they do complain about “financial issues”, but in the end they’ll always pull through.

Did you make your costumes, like this Race Queen Miku outfit, yourself?

Not exactly. I don’t really have to skills to sew; I prefer to get the materials myself and explain thoroughly to my tailor what I needed. If there’s anything else that doesn’t need sewing, I’ll just do it myself. If I need props, I’ll just work it out with my friends.

Then do you look up to those cosplayers who sew their own costumes?

Of course! I totally idolize them! I mean, some cosplayers here even buy their costumes, so when I hear about those who sew their outfits themselves, it makes me want to bow down to them. *laughs*

Do you have any other hobbies besides cosplaying?

I love to play DJ Max Technika and write fan-fictions. Although I’m not an awesome artist, I also love to draw.

Do you have any memorable moments while cosplaying?

Yes, I do! I think one of the most memorable times was when I decided to cosplay as Miku at a convention, and my best friend cosplayed as Rin. Suddenly, this group of VOCALOIDs came along saying “Come join our group!” and “kidnapped” us! We went around the convention “stealing” other VOCALOID cosplayers until our group had about 20 cosplayers and had a large photoshoot altogether.

You mentioned that you were part of a group called the BAKALOIDS. When did the group form?

It officially formed only January this year, so it was pretty recent. You can also check out our Facebook fan page, if you like.

Do you find it difficult to juggle cosplay with your regular “issues” such as studies?

There were times when there were lots of pressure points, but in the end I always manage to balance it out.

Do you have anything you want to say to all the cosplayers out there, especially the newer ones?

Well, don’t ever think that cosplay is something about who’s better and who’s not, and who has the nicer costume, or who’s prettier. Just believe in yourself, and that’s all that matters.

Afterthoughts

I was actually quite moved by the interview. I mean, everyone knows you have to be a real fan of a character to seriously cosplay as him/her, but hearing Ami talk about her roots with my own ears was just…wow!

Kudos to Hexlord for letting me tag along (though all I did was wave a reflector around), and also to Ami’s parents who also turned up to help their daughter out. Man, I wish my parents were that supportive. ( *A*)


Source: Pixiv by YahaKo

Also, thanks to Ami for cosplaying Miku (from the illustration above), and for the wonderful interview. Hopefully we’ll see more of her in upcoming cosplay conventions. ;3

It goes without saying that her outfit looks awesome, but I’ll let the photos do the talking. ^_^

Catch Hexlord’s and LEon’s photos of Ami on their pages too!

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