All aboard

I am getting really excited for ArcadeCon this weekend. I was up to 1am working on the cosplay panel which Fiona and I will be doing on Saturday morning at 10am I believe. It is similar to the Eirtakon one but a wee different so hopefully people will find it interesting.

I got the rest of my Rin cosplay stuff but the bows on her hair aren't quite like hers. I just got wide black ribbon and plan on putting my hair in little pigtails like hers and tie bows but last night from looking at pictures of Rin, she doesn't use ribbon but awh well it will do for the weekend, I will correct that part after the convention before I do a photoshoot. I know I am a perfectionist. >_< Other then that the top looks fantastic, I just got the vector print on the red top I got in a boutique, it looks really well. :)

I absolutely love Rin's pose here it is so full of power and very dominant. When I get the bows and get the brown loafers and that necklace, I am defiantly going to arrange a proper shoot doing that pose.



Giving I was so busy I only got around to watching two episides of Fate Stay Night, so at least I know Rin is not just a flirt, she also has a mysterious and serious, dominance to her. I think FSN is a good series, it kinda reminds me abit of Buffy Vampire Slayer kind if thing. I look forward to watching more episodes.

So I just need to pack for the weekend. Giving I will be staffing I am not sure if I will be able to take many pictures but I will bring my camera and try. :) I will also try and update my cosplay blog if I get around to it today as I will be putting it in as a reference in the panel.

So I hope to see many of you there, and do say hi. :) For the other readers have a nice weekend and thanks for your comments.

Ambitious outsider

I am not really fan of Lady Ga Ga, but I watched this video last night and found it very touching. Not because it is some famous celebrity reaching out to people who were effected by a disaster, she could of been anyone, or some unknown model, cosplayer whatnot saying this speech and I still would of found it very touching.



I really felt I connected alot to her speech. Her speech was reaching out to the Japanese people telling them not to give up on their dreams, ambitions and hopes for the future. Life is hard and we will always get ups and downs. There are times we are going to have to work hard to archive what we really want in life, opportunities don't knock on your door.

To be honest when I got home from Q-con, I felt alittle terrible as I felt nothing was happening, I got lazy, the internet and 4chan gossip nearly took over my life, I wasn't doing anything productive, it really wasn't healthy. I had a long think about things and asked myself what do I really want to achieve this summer, well I really want to focus on the Cosplay Ireland business, do many shoots, get out there more, be a product, make cosplays and dresses, learn Japanese.

How am I going to get there? Ok I have a small income but I will manage, if I really want something I will get it. I am going to look after myself too. Focus on the positive. I plan on buying fabric and making costume ideas I have for Asuka and Rei, be more focused. I really felt before going away to Q-con my life was upside down and I was stuck in a rut and now I am like I need to move forward and get the ball rolling, because time is ticking away.

I really felt connected to Ga Ga's speech as she says she worked very hard to be the artist she is today and says she won't give up on Japan the country that really inspired her. A year ago I use to hate lady Ga Ga as her image annoyed me but now I appreciate her as she is different and brings alot of colour to peoples' lives. I also want to become an artist in cosplay, acting, modelling whatnot and want my art to connect to people like the manga and anime artists who greatly inspired me. I always loved Lisa Simpson's quote in that episode when Bart becomes well known for his one line "I didn't do it"

If I ever become famous I would want it to become something worthwhile, not over some stupid fad.

That is how I feel about cosplay, I do it for self expression to connect and bring colour to peoples' lives, not just be a pretty stick girl in costume standing there. I want to entertain and perform, be art. I want to connect and be recognised.

Life is like a jig-saw puzzle things will not make sense, thing s will fall apart, you will be left unsure but if you keep positive as Danny says the rest will follow and everything will fall into place. I found an article from Danny Choo on how Japan inspired him to be what he is today a great read and very inspirational for me. I read it a few times to motivate myself, to achieve my goals.

Bad things will happen but in the end you just know something amazing will come out of it. It is all like Alice in Wonderland for me or American McGee's Alice, I fell down the rabbit hole when I left my room, started uploading my cosplay photos, doing shoots.



I encountered the Duchess, weird, strange people completely outside of my society bashing me, encountered the caterpillar who liked me and met wonderful people and became stronger. In the end you got to stay strong and just follow your heart, that is another reason why I appreciate Lady Ga Ga, she does her own thing and doesn't care what people think, not afraid to not stick to the rules, she is an inspiration to many people and that is something I aspire to be.

Haters are gona hate especially if your art is different and they are conservative but don't let them win. Life would be very boring if we were all the same.

I sometimes don't know why I exist.

Three of us. So many the same, so many without purpose..















I may be cold and emotionless but... I feel alittle fuzzy inside.

Photos taken by Stephen.

Just back from Q-con and fun was hard.

I had a good time at Q-con despite the disasters. Well on Friday it was a laugh getting the bus down with the GameStoc crowd.



Messing around with Stephen my pal for the weekend.




When we got to Belfast, Brendan met us and brought us to his house, we had tea and cake. Brendan put the arm cast on me, my prop for my Rei cosplay as I was cosplaying as her from the series when she is injured.

Got some pictures showing off the arm cast on Friday night back in the hotel. It is not real, it is just a prop. :p




Reaching for that beer.



Oh yeah on the Friday night at the convention, it was a great buzz and atmosphere seeing lots of excited cosplayers but unfortunately Stephen had an accident, fell and hurt his fist so was taken to hospital and was put in a cast. The irony.



The Saturday in my Rei Ayanami cosplay.



The Saturday was fun as we got to the convention and there were lots of cosplayers standing outside.



Then I met Jax aka silverhairedsamurai for the first time in person. I met Jax last year on cosplay.com. It was nice meeting her and her friend from France and her photographer friend William.





Messing around with Jax's prop.

Nathan and Meave from the Nomcon committee came then.



The dealers hall. This was the main vibe to the convention and was where the traders and computer games events were.





Stephen got some pics of my Rei cosplay on the stairs.






Meteroid cosplayer, Stephen was impressed by her.



The Limerick anime fans. :p They are a nice crowd.



Me with Sean cosplaying from Soul Eater. It was him that said I should get my cast taken off as he noticed the swelling. Alot of people were very impressed by the cast but with the heat of the place and the masquerade wasn't until Sunday and my arm was very sore, I had to get in touch with Brendan to remove the cast and he did.

I learned a lesson as impressive the cast may look for a cosplay it is not worth it, great for shoots but not for a con and especially if you have to sleep in it. I had to stay in the hotel for a few hours to rest my arm so I ended up missing a good lot of the convention but my arm was fine though and it was a very interesting expereince. Hey you know what they say, artists must suffer for art. :)

The Saturday night was the best of the whole convention as there was a big rave on and we all danced and I had great fun hanging with the Nomcon crowd as well as my Eirta friends. Unfortunately I don't own a compact camera and only have DSLR camera so didn't get any pictures sorry. :(

On the Sunday, my eyes were in pain from the lenses, my feet were killing me from dancing in those high heels the night before, I felt run down and started to get a cold. I unfortunately had to drop out of being in the cosplay masquerade as I really wasn't feeling well. It was a big pity as I was really looking forward to being in it but it was a great expereince sitting and watching the masquerade for the first time, as I was in the masquerade back in 2008 and I always judged them so it was a new expereince and was a fun watch.

I still cosplayed on the Sunday but just went as the class rep Hikari, giving my plan was to cosplay as bandaged Rei all weekend it was the only cosplay I had and giving I have Hikari's hair and nobody cosplays as her really. I might do a proper shoot as her giving I aim to cosplay as many of the Evangelion characters I can.






Impressive art.



This is very impressive.



Some pictures of the cosplay masquerade.



This Pokemon cosplayer used her child as a prop. :p It was cute and adorable though.



Jen's prop is very impressive, her talented boyfriend made it. Giving she was staff, she couldn't enter the competition unfortunately.



The cosplayers after the masquerade getting their photos taken.




These Silent Hill guys were extremely impressive, loved them on the stage. These were one of my favourite at the con.

Well despite being sick and everything not gong to plan, I still had fun at Q-con meeting old and new friends. I chatted to this guy who was in the artist alley named Paul, he is a big Evangelion fan and thought I was cosplaying as Asuka. :p I like meeting people like that.

I experienced the con as an attendee, which is good as I know what it is like for attendees being at Eirtakon and it is very important that staff remain friendly as staff were very friendly and I know it is stressful but there were the odd people who weren't friendly and being an attendee I knew what it was like and how important it is. Nevertheless it was fun and I look forward to ArcadeCon on this weekend.

Also I better start cracking on the cosplay panel I will be doing at Arcadecon, it will be pretty much the same panel I done at Eirtakon and Experience Japan but will add in abit of Western cosplay into it giving it is also a sci-fi con and talk about Cosplay Ireland. ^^

I also need to get my Rin Tohsaka cosplay completed, which is the plan for tomorrow.

Q-con this weekend

I am getting very excited for Q-con. The last time I was there was back in 2008. I have been meaning to go back afterwards but something always got in the way but now I am defiantly going and really can't wait!

I will be cosplaying as Rei Ayanami (of course :p) in bandages, and an arm sling. I also plan on taking part in the masquerade which is strange for me as I am normally the judge. I did take part in the masquerade when I was at Q-con in 2008 and that was when I was Erotica lolita Rei Ayanami, being on the stage was a terrific expereince. I am kinda debating should I act as Rei on the stage instead of just standing there showing off my costume. I will take a look at Rei's poem and will maybe say a line from the poem while on the stage.



I have been meaning to write up a blog post of my fondness for playing Rei but I will get on to it anytime. I think it will be important to explain why I cosplay as Rei and how I relate to her but for now the poem or Rei's monologue will give you an insight into her character. It is a great listen and very haunting.

Here is a picture of Stephen and I at Q-con back in 2008. I need to re-do that ero-lolita Rei costume and get good pictures in it.



I am really looking forward to seeing the amazing cosplayers and seeing everyone. It is great that the anime, gamer, nerd community here in Ireland is quite small so everyone kinda knows each another and while at conventions there are like reunion parties. :)

Also I will be shooting with Brendan on the Friday and Saturday, alittle experiment Brendan wants to try out so it should be fun.

Also looking forward to meeting another passionate cosplayer Silverhairsamurai and passionate cosplay photographer Gambitlebeau.

So I will be away all weekend but will take lots of pictures and report when I get back. :)

I also got then ArcadeCon the weekend next, then Brocon in Limerick, then a nice long break then Nomcon and before we know it will be Eirtakon. I am a busy bee.

Rei shows off her leg cast

My Rei leg casted cosplay from that Wednesday. The shoot was done in an old church ruins beside where I live. It was lovely there really peaceful and isolated. It was afterwards I thought my Rei elegant gothic outfit would of really worked there but awh well, always next time hey. Thanks to Brendan - for the shoot and for doing the cast. :) It was nice meeting Sam too who accompanied Brendan that day and also does shooting with Brendan.