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Photo: The Neko Twins cosplay as Ibuki and Makoto from the Capcom video game "Street Fighter 3".

DENNIS: As an American-based cosplayer, do you see a big difference in terms of style and dedication to a costume from US cosplayers and cosplayers from other countries? LILY: I haven't really looked into cosplay from other countries, though I have seen and heard much about Japanese cosplay. I see a difference in their style of cosplay and dedication to a costume just as I see a difference in their culture and lifestyle. Of course, since the availability of games and anime is different in each country, one can expect that the cosplay trends and popularity of certain characters or series is going to be different as well. I see that American cosplay has less variety, smaller groups, and delayed trends compared to Japanese cosplay. KIE: In terms of fan cosplayers, no. I see just as much difference between West Coast and East Coast as I do between countries. The big difference with cosplay around the world is that in Japan, the country of origin, cosplay is much more commercialized. People can go to stores and buy costumes of popular characters, and there are professional cosplayers -- models, basically, who are just paid to wear the costumes. With all the commercialization, you see a lot of people with different attitudes towards cosplay; but the fans, who make their own costumes because they love the characters, are still the same.

DENNIS: What is the most satisfying and most frustrating aspect of being a cosplayer? 
KIE: The most satisfying is finally putting on the finished costume, stepping up to a full-length mirror, and thinking, wow… I did it, I made myself look like one of my favorite characters. Then, after months of preparation, you and your friends pull off a performance at a masquerade successfully and are finally able to rest. Of course, it also feels great when people call you by your character name, or say that you bear a striking resemblance to the character.
LILY: The most satisfying aspect for me is, as with any hobby, being able to enjoy myself and let go of real life worries and stress. Feeling accomplished after finishing an elaborate cosplay project is also really satisfying.
KIE: The most frustrating is when a part of the costume doesn't turn out how you wanted, and you have to keep reworking it until you get it right. The costume takes a lot longer than expected, and sometimes you have to rush things or cut corners. It's also frustrating when, after all your hard work, and finally making everything the way you want, you don't have much time to actually wear the costume.
LILY: (laughing) Probably the most frustrating aspect for me is wanting to make my costumes perfect even though it isn't actually possible. I don't always have the time and resources I wish I had for my costumes, either.

DENNIS: Have you experienced any freaky or embarrassing situations from cosplaying? May it be the costume or even experiences from fans?
KIE: No. We did receive a number of excessively rude comments from Pokemon-haters when we cosplayed Officer Jenny, but that's about it. We've managed to avoid such situations pretty well.
LILY: There are always weird fans and enemies around, but I haven't experienced any real trouble in my cosplay career. The most trouble I've had is with Aeris freaks. Aeris or Aerith is a character from the video game Final Fantasy VII. It's rather bizarre... some people just have an unhealthy obsession with Aeris, and it carries on to an unhealthy obsession with the girls who have cosplayed her.

PHOTO: Lily cosplaying as Yaguchi Mari of Morning Musume's "THE PEACE" at Fanime 2002. (Photo by Wayne Kaa)

DENNIS: Let's talk about some of the cosplays that you have done. First, let's talk about USA Musume. How challenging was it to do a cosplay and dance/vocal routine at Fanime 2002 of the popular Japanese idol group? KIE: Challenging? I didn't think of it as challenging, I thought of it as fun. And fun it sure was! I was only an understudy for "The Peace!" -- about a week before Fanime, I was asked to fill in for a girl who couldn't make it to the masquerade. I was happy to help out, because I already knew the song, and part of the dance, and "The Peace!" is one of my favorite Momusu songs. I was actually one of the original girls who was going to be in the group, but declined because I thought I was still allergic to feathers. The costume involves wearing feathers on our heads. I was really sad, because after seeing the PV for "The Peace!" I became a huge Momusu fan, and I really loved the outfits. Gold is one of my favorite colors! So I'm really glad I was able to be a part of this group after all, though I'm sad Allie couldn't make it. As for the routine, it was tough trying to get all nine girls together for rehearsal, but we practiced as much as we could, and had lots of fun doing it! Now that we've had a bit of experience, hopefully our future groups will go a lot more smoothly! Our second USA Musume performance, "Morning Coffee", was a lot easier to coordinate, and went very well. I'm really excited about our next big group!

LILY: My Fanime 2002 USA Musume experience was really stressful and really rewarding at the same time. The outfit was fairly simple, and I didn't have many lines in the song to learn. Learning the dance routine was both easy and enjoyable because of our good rehearsals at the convention. What was challenging was preparing all of this in the given time. One of the girls had dropped out last minute and my friends asked me the Saturday before the convention to fill the empty spot. I was at school then and already had another skit and costume to work on for the Fanime masquerade. This made it even more difficult to take on the project last minute. Luckily, a friend offered to sew the dress if I did take on the project. It sounded like so much fun, I couldn't refuse.

My friend and I finished gathering the materials and started working on the costume two days before the convention started. I was totally stressed out trying to work on the costume, my homework, and the skit routine in just a couple days. Some of the USA Musume girls helped me during the convention and even backstage at the masquerade to finish up the costume. My sister and I, as well as three other USA Musume members, entered the Fanime masquerade with two skits and had to quickly change into our PEACE costumes backstage after our first skits were finished. The whole experience was really stressful and fast paced, but I really loved it. DENNIS: Kie, you also did a cosplay for 3nin Matsuri. How did that come about? KIE: Well, after declining the Peace group, I found pictures of 3nin Matsuri and thought, oh my goodness these costumes are so obnoxious! But wait! These are my three favorite girls. I didn't even know Aya Matsuura was connected with Momusu at the time! And Rika's outfit is actually really cute! Besides, how could I resist curled pink wigs? I then found their song "Chu! Natsu Party", and it quickly became my favorite Hello Project! song. I was really glad to be a part of the group, because I love the song and routine so much. It was a lot of fun, and a few people even recognized the costumes! I love our little group, and can't wait to wear the costumes again.

PHOTO: Kie cosplaying a 3nin Matsuri's Matsuura Aya.

DENNIS:  Both of you also did a Hamasaki Ayumi segment with the cat costumes. Was that a difficult costume to make and obviously you both received a lot of attention from fan boys at the convention. How did that feel? Did you both have a lot of guys trying to pick up on you?

LILY: I didn't work on the costumes much myself, but it's not a really difficult costume to make, either. Our mom made the bodysuit, Tiffany, our third kitty, cut the wigs for us to match her own, and my sister did almost all the rest of the work since I was busy at school and she had time off. In costume, we got a lot of compliments, stares, and other such attention, but no one bothered us or approached us in a rude manner. We had our stalkers, but they were harmless and stayed at a distance. All three of us have been cosplaying for several years now, and we're used to such attention.
KIE: The Ayumi cat costumes were not particularly hard to make. We coordinated these costumes with our friend Tiffany (Umigoddess), she would be Ayumi, and we would be her "kitty sisters", in different colors. We all got the same wigs, which Tiffany cut to Ayu's hairstyle, and matching shoes and rhinestone belts. It took a long time to fit the bodysuits (the fabric was not very stretchy) and glue on all the rhinestones on the nails and ears, but there was nothing hard about it. Actually, we did not have any problems with fan boys. Aside from photographers and Ayumi fan girls, no one approached us.

DENNIS: Lily, do you get into character when you cosplay?
LILY: Somewhat. I like to get into character when I am posing for cameras or audiences or performing in a masquerade and such, but otherwise I like to be myself and try to keep a happy, friendly attitude. Being courteous to others in public is much more important than getting into character. I've seen too many cosplayers who insist on staying in character all the time, even while they are portraying bad-tempered, evil, or obnoxious characters. This usually just comes off as unfriendly. It's not acceptable to be rude and immature just because the character you are portraying acts so. It's ok to frown and act moody for the cameras, but when the cameramen are finished, you should smile and acknowledge your fans.

DENNIS: Both of you have dressed up as Street Fighter related characters. Is it safe to assume that both of you are into video games?
KIE: Yes. In fact, we are more gamers than anime fans. The majority of the costumes we plan to make are from videogames. We've been playing computer games and video games since we were very little, and it remains one of our favorite past times.
LILY: Well, I'm actually much more of a gamer than an anime fan. Most of my cosplays and future cosplay plans are from computer or video games. I've enjoyed video games all my life, and most of my friends are gamers, too.

DENNIS: For the newbie cosplayer, can you give us your top three advice for them if they want to get involved in cosplaying. KIE: First, think carefully about the characters you choose to cosplay. It is good to pick a character that already looks kind of like you, or whose style will flatter you, but you will have more fun and be more inspired to work on a costume if you pick someone you really like. Don't let others pressure you into doing a costume just to be part of a group, because it's trendy, or even "because it hasn't been done before". Remember that there are many cosplayers out there, with varied tastes, and don't worry about what characters other people choose. Cosplay a character because you really want to do it. Second, don't let yourself get too ambitious or carried away. Know your limits, and be reasonable. You will not be able to do an amazingly complicated costume your first time, so save your dream costumes for later, when you are more skilled. Pick costumes at your own level, that you know you can get done in the amount of time you have. Also, don't be afraid to ask for help -- there are a lot of things you can learn from the people around you. Last, have fun. This is a hobby, don't take it too seriously. If cosplay stresses you out, or is interfering with your life, step back and take a break.

PHOTO: The Neko Twins cosplay as Yun and Yang from the Capcom fighting video game, "Street Fighter 3".

Look at what you're doing, and try to keep everything in perspective. The point is to have fun, and if you're not having fun, something is wrong. Remember why you decided to start cosplaying in the first place, then go out, be social, and have fun.
LILY: First...Have fun. This is a hobby. If it's more work than play and it's not enjoyable to you, then you don't have to do it. It doesn't matter if you don't know how to make anything now or don't have any good costumes yet. You will make mistakes, but you will also learn as you go. As long as you have fun doing this, it should be worth the effort. Just try your best and enjoy yourself.

Second... Make friends And don't be so quick to judge people. Your cosplay experience will be more enjoyable if you share it with friends. There are cosplayers who have many different styles, available resources, or experience levels. Some have expensive costumes, some have ghetto costumes, some are makeup and hair artists, some can't even wear makeup… your goal shouldn't be to make friends with the prettiest and most popular cosplayers. Make honest friends, not just friends who can further your cosplay career.

Third...Plan ahead. Something can always go wrong last minute, and you don't want it to be so major that it will ruin your whole convention or whatever other cosplay event you're attending. You won't be able to plan for everything, but knowing you have a couple alternatives should take away a little stress.

DENNIS:  For those who are new to cosplaying, they will notice that many of you belong to a group or a circle of cosplayers. Are these groups public, members only or area-based type groups? What advice do you have for those who want to join a group?
LILY: Most groups or circles of cosplayers are really just private groups of friends. Some met and became friends at conventions or other cosplay events while other know each other from their personal lives. Others yet form groups because they are family and enjoy the hobby together. My advice for those who want to join a group: you'd do better just creating your own new group with the cosplaying friends you make. You could always advertise that you're looking to form or join a group, but groups usually work much better when all the members are friends.

PHOTO: The Neko Twins cosplaying as Mint and Maya from the RPG videogame "Dewprism". Photo by Wayne Kaa.

KIE: In most cases, they are just a group of friends. Joining a group? Start your own! Gather your friends, and do something together. Or start talking to people and perhaps you'll make some new friends, who will invite you into their groups. DENNIS: How much longer do you want to cosplay? Or is this something you see yourself doing for a very long time? In the future, would you want your own children to cosplay? LILY: Cosplay is something I see myself doing for a long time, but it's only a hobby and doesn't deserve top priority in my life. In the future I may need to cut back on the cosplay or stop for a while, but it's something I really enjoy and I hope I would be able to easily pick it up again after a rest. I would not want my own children to cosplay when they're young. If, when they have grown up, they decide they want to make cosplay their hobby, I would be happy to see them do so. KIE: I don't think I'll ever tire of costuming. My costume list is so long, it'll take me a long time just to complete it! I'll continue cosplaying as long as I can, but I think as I get older I'll probably be doing more original and fantasy costumes rather than cosplay. For my children, it depends what they like, and what they want to do. I will definitely make costumes for them for Halloween, and if they want to pursue costuming further, I would gladly help them.

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