Year of Cosplay 2013

Someone please tell me where did 2013 go?

Ehm, okay. So on the last day of this year I figured I'd keep on to the tradition I kind of started on 2012 - aka a cosplay summary of the year. I found it fun so why not? :D

I could kick this thing off by first making a list of all the anime conventions I attended this year. In chronological order, of course.

Närcon Vinter - Linköping, Sweden

Desucon - Lahti, Finland

Skecon - Skellefteå, Sweden

Animecon - Kuopio, Finland

Närcon - Linköping, Sweden

Oulun Animeseminaari - Oulu, Finland

Tracon - Tampere, Finland

Kemin Mangapäivä - Kemi, Finland

Chibicon - Oulu, Finland

A pretty fair lot of cons if you ask me! 2012 I attended two cons more than this year but I have a feeling that next year I might attend even fewer because, well, life happens and so do money shortages. No shit.

   Hmm.. if I try to think which of these cons would be in my top 3 for the year I would say it's between Tracon, Närcon and Skecon. I can't put these in the order because all were fabulous this year.

• At Närcon I got new friends and new experiences (read: con camping!) and well, summer!Närcon is always a blast. Sure the location is a bit maze-like but all the things you can do at Närcon makes up for it tenfold! Then again I must admit that Josbaren wasn't quite as good this year as it was 2012...

• Tracon was very fun this year and I really enjoyed the symphonic wind ensemble. Also Tracon's location is just so me gusta, especially the outside area near Sorsalampi but the building itself is amazing as well. Tracon is for me Finland's best con, hands down.

• Oh, and then there's Skecon - the relatively new, small and comfy convention held at Skellefteå that this year moved to a bigger location (that is fucking awesome for photoshoots, I tell you!) and had Japanese guest artists. I must say Skecon did a big leap into improved awesomeness since last year and I hope that history's third Skecon will be even greater!

Okay, with the cons out of the way let's move onto the cosplays! Yup, this year I also made a list of all the cosplays I wore to cons.

I must admit that on 21st December I was trying to make a cool compiled photo list of my cosplays but I quickly ragequited because I just couldn't get it to work on my art program. So instead of some professional looking stuff, well... brace your eyes and feast on the greatest epitome of art the world has ever seen!

Isn't it beautiful? *Gwonam voice*

What do you mean I have character design preferences? Poor Kureno must feel pretty lonely in there... 

Yes, you are allowed to laugh. It's so beautiful, I know. It took me many hours on Paint to make. Yes, Paint. It's crappy on purpose, I promise I can draw better. Yes, Masamune's swords had to shrink to make space in the lower row... ja Ukitake on persjalkainen kaappi, tiedetään että on erittäin kaunis tapaus. :'D

Upper row, left to right: Kenshin Himura (Rurouni Kenshin), Toshizo Hijikata (Hakuouki), Espeon (Pokémon), Kazuma Sohma (Fruits Basket), Hajime Saitou (Hakuouki)

Lower row, left to right: Souji Okita (Bakumatsu Renka Shinsengumi), Masamune Date (Sengoku Basara), Jushiro Ukitake (Bleach), Kureno Sohma (Fruits Basket), Ryunosuke Ibuki (Hakuouki)

Then again these aren't all cosplays that I wore this year; I did different variations of some characters (rasetsu and SSL Hijikata for example) and I also rewore my sick!Okita (Hakuouki) cosplay for a home photoshoot and so on.

Hmm.. not so much more to say I guess. I already have some loose plans for what cons I will try to attend 2014 as well as some new cosplays I would like to do! Then again, I'm pretty sure next year will be mostly cosplay recycling for me because yeah, wish money would grow on trees.

Oh well, I just want to thank everyone who reads this blog and I hope you tag along with me next year! I won't reveal any new cosplay plans on my blog just yet but at least have a...

Happy New Year 2014 and let's keep on cosplaying!