2008-07-24

Cosplay Arts Festival




It was over, yeah. But it didn't remotely feel like it IS over...

It all started from signing up for it in one Sakuran meeting. I signed up for the event on impulse; just 'to experience cosplay'... My original decision was to cosplay as Shion from King of Fighters, but things just didn't go the way I planned. My decision was completely unrecognised by my mother, aka. my 'bank'. She commented that the items needed would cost too much. The wig, the spear and well, the effort. I was crushed. Shion was my choice, who else should I can I cosplay as?

Then she took my book on CAPCOM artwork and flipped through it, until she reached the chapter featuring the CAPCOM VS SNK game artwork...Sakura was chosen, and a new hope arose.

Things then happened in a whirl. Extra work, rehearsals, a photo shoot and basically sessions that occupied my schedule surfaced. Quite a lot of my time was taken. I don't know if I should say we suffered or had fun. Anyway, my mother was nagging me all along not to take part in such an event again when I got home after a particularly late rehearsal.

Then before I knew it, I was in the changing room, fully donned in Sakura Kasugano's high school seifuku and headband, which I was using as an improvised hairband. I was dusting on foundation and blusher, and asking if I had overdid my eyeliner. All of us cosplayers were chattering about everything under the sun, afterward, dinner arrived; we ate and waited, the room more quieter than it originally was. Afterward, someone suggested we get into our characters.

Suddenly, the spotlight was ready. We're on. I watched as each of us showed our stuff on stage. I was the last, and it soon was my turn. The spotlight landed on me, and I merged myself with Sakura's spirit.

A smile, a show of confidence, a dash toward the light, a shout, and a spirit of a youthful fighter. The cheers and jeers from the audience, a halt, and a confident wave. It was over. Just like that. My struggle, my joy, and my dedication, all on this online entry...

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