Mini photoshoot: Captain Ukitake returns!

 Hello there~

As mentioned in my Kummacon summary I had a small-scale photoshoot of my good old Ukitake cosplay that I've finally repaired since the last outing in 2013. Or well, partially repaired because I have yet to fix the Sogyo no Kotowari twin swords.

For those who don't know this costume's history it's actually my fourth cosplay that I made (out of 50+ characters to date, including different versions) so yeah, it's definitely old by now. Yet I'm still quite proud of it. This was an ambitious cosplay back then to make but it was so worth it because the memories I've made with this costume at cons have been defining for me in so many ways. I have a deeply personal connection to this particular character and, although I might not be up to date on the Bleach series, Ukitake will always have a special place in my heart; cosplaying him has always carried with it a certain feeling that I can't quite put into words – he's more than just a character to me. And getting to wear this cosplay out and mend it after 12 years of neglect was nothing short of emotional.

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Jushiro Ukitake)

Photographer: Firith

Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

I'm so happy with how these photos turned out despite how much of a struggle it was to get the natural lights to work! I only have the very barebones camera gear so we were completely at the mercy of the harsh noon sun; we had to find shade under this big spruce with hanging branches. I kept getting my wig entangled in the barbs too and had to be freed a couple times. xD

I do have Ukitake's sealed form zanpakuto somewhere but that one also needs some alterations and repair before I can use it again, hence why I have no props this time. I just went for a leisurely moment kind of vibe and carrying props around would have hindered me from doing my work tasks at the con so yeah, there was that factor too.

Oh and yeah, some people might notice that I'm wearing brown contact lenses although canonically in the manga his eyes are green. I'm well aware of the eye color discrepancies in the anime and manga (Ukitake's not the only character affected lol) and I would have preferred to use green lenses, but due to the short notice on which I decided to cosplay Ukitake I simply didn't have time to order new lenses – and I only had a brown pair already available at home, so brown it was. For my next outing as Ukitake I will get green lenses for him because I deem the manga to be the more correct one because it came first.

Thanks for viewing, next up is the repair post about the captain's coat~
Do you have a favorite character in Bleach? :D

Hotaru of the Shiseiten – Samurai Deeper Kyo cosplay photoshoot!

Hello there! 

As I mentioned over at my Nekocon summary, I had a proper photoshoot for my Hotaru (also known as Keikoku) cosplay from Samurai Deeper Kyo while in Kuopio! I've wanted to get this costume photographed for so long since it's one of my favorite mangas and Hotaru is a character that I feel suits me. I'm really happy with how these turned out and I can't thank my photographer enough for being so patient with me. ;_;

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Hotaru)

Photographer: Firith

Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

 

This costume is entirely made by me, the tengu geta and sword included. I wear the shoes only for photos because, while they're made of solid wood and carry my body weight no problem (I've tested this and yes, standing is possible), they are tall and require an exceptionally good sense of balance –and even ground– to walk in. As much as I love cosplay accuracy I'm not going to risk breaking a leg for it, I'm not that hardcore. xD

Keen-eyed observers might also have noticed that I changed my watermark on these photos and yes, this is my new stamp that I will be using from now on in this blog! I've wanted to update my watermark for a long time but just haven't had the energy to do it before. There will be a transition period where most new content will have the new watermark but some might still have the old one – this mainly concerns circle lens reviews and some unfinished and obviously still unpublished cosplay WIPs that I have lying around.

I do plan to cosplay other characters from Samurai Deeper Kyo in the future, maybe already next year I might have bought some fabric on sale recently *cough* but I won't promise anything just yet! What I can promise though is that Hotaru will be seen in another con before the end of this year. ;) I might or might not try to get together a second photoshoot also~

Thanks for viewing~
Have a great summer wherever you are, stay safe and hydrated!

Kisuke Urahara mini photoshoot

 Hello hello!

Back when I was at Nekocon I had a quick photoshoot of my new Urahara cosplay from Bleach, which I threw together in panic like a week before departure. xD All things considered it turned out decently and, more importantly, it was comfortable to wear at a summer con. I'm so over the days of sweating to death for the sake of cosplay – I'm getting too old for that shit lol, I just want to be comfortable.

 

I know, I have yet to write the WIP post about this costume but I will do that when I got the time, right now there's a lot going on. But anyways, let's get over to the photoshoot results!

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Kisuke Urahara)

Photographer: Firith

Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

 

I didn't have time before the con to make any kind of props as this cosplay was very last-minute and spontaneous. It would have been cool to have Benihime or at least a fan, a walking cane or any recognizable item that Urahara sells in his shop. Oh well, maybe someday I'll add something extra to this costume.

That's all, stay fresh cheesebags!

~ Shiro Samurai

[Sponsored] Cosgeeker Hetalia Revolutionary War America mini photoshoot!

Hello again!

 

Back when I dressed up to get the costume review photos done I hadn't counted on there being enough time to get a few photoshoot-esque pictures taken on the same go but... surprise surprise. :D It was a bit too cold for my liking (you ever had that thing when you're outside in winter, without gloves, and after a while your fingers cramp up and you can't hold anything without dropping it?) but as the Finnish saying goes, "cosplay without pain is pretending".

 

So this costume is sponsored by Cosgeeker, a Shanghai-based online cosplay shop. It's a quite newly launched store, at the time of writing, but they are expanding by the minute. I'm always super honest about anything I review, sponsored or not, but I want to confirm that I am indeed pretty damn satisfied with this costume and definitely plan to wear it more times in the future.

Oh and yeah, this outfit is not actually called a Hetalia cosplay on their store (heck, Hetalia's glory days are long over but the fanbase is very alive still) but in fact an Alexander Hamilton uniform from the Hamilton musical. That didn't stop me from making the observation that the suit looks like a revolutionary war soldier's uniform and thus I clocked the idea to cosplay said version of America!

I will include some links after the photos on where you can get your own cosplay like this – or any other costume you desire! Be sure to take a peep~ 

 

Photo time!

 

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (America)

Photographer: Sacchan

Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

 

Link to Cosgeeker main page: Cosgeeker Online Cosplay Store

Costume link: Cosgeeker Alexander Hamilton Red Uniform Cosplay Costume

White costume version: Cosgeeker Alexander Hamilton Uniform Cosplay Costume

BONUS: USE DISCOUNT CODE CGSS129 TO GET 12% OFF~

(using the code doesn't benefit* me, it just saves you money!)

 

At the time of writing the red version of the Hamilton costume that I'm wearing is selling for $69.99 excluding shipping and handling fees. It's a steal – I can't recommend it enough if this is a costume that you're interested in wearing. It's not historically accurate by any means if you're deep into re-enacting history but if you just want it for geek conventions, Halloween, themed events, theater, school plays, bachelor parties or the like then it surely gets the job done. :) 

The costume looks quite impressive, it's comfortable to wear and you will immediately feel important and fancy with all those ruffles and shiny buttons everywhere lol. I can't wait to get my hands on some props to make a proper, more gritty photoshoot later!

Cosgeeker didn't disappoint me, in other words. My contact person spoke very good English (considering the store is based in China) and everything was produced and arrived in a timely manner. There were no weird chemical smells, sewing and fabric quality is good for the price and it's just overall great value if you want a costume ready-made and are on a budget. Of course they sell more than just Hamilton costumes though – there's the currently popular anime series, some evergreens like Star Wars and Marvel superheroes etc.

* = as in I don't get any monetary benefits from any sales. But if many people use the code it can help me get to do more reviews in the future which is a win-win situation, you save money and I can help the cosplay community even more~

 

That's all I have to say for this time! Thanks for reading my blog!

A big thank you also goes to Cosgeeker for this opportunity! ♥

~  Shiro Samurai says bye bye.

Touken Ranbu Kashuu Kiyomitsu mini photoshoot!

Good day beans~

I promised a mini photoshoot after the Kashuu Kiyomitsu cosplay costume review I did recently and here it now is! Fun fact about this photoshoot is that we actually took these photos at midnight. Yes, we have midnight sun up here where I live and it means that the sun never sets during the summer. And yes, you get used to it. I would have loved to get more photos but we got so bombed by uninvited guests that it got unbearable fairly fast... namely a metric fuckton of mosquitos that assaulted both me and my friend at all times. I don't know why but my whole life I've been a literal mosquito magnet, it's horrible, I can barely go outside during summers without getting at least half a dozen bites within minutes. ;_; I AM THE UNDISPUTED KING OF MOSQUITO BITES LOLOLOL. And summer nights are the worst but our only option was to take the photos on this one day because the weather was clear (it rained the other days) and well, we just had to endure getting eaten alive. No joke but I swear we had at least fifty flying suckers buzzing around us at all times – we were swatting them and cursing profanities every second because you literally could not take a pose without having at least ten of the fuckers somewhere on your costume. Tbh it wasn't as graceful as the photos make you believe. xD I have pictures on my camera where I have three on my forehead alone and I just can't. Just looking at some of the unused photos makes me feel the itch. D:

But now it's photo time!

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Kashuu Kiyomitsu)

Photographer: Heesman

Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

 

Kashuu is definitely a character that I will revisit more times in the future; I really like his overall design and color scheme! I want to do a few minor changes to the costume though before I officially debut him so yeah, will probably take a while before I wear this to an event as I want to make it a tiny bit easier to wear for extended durations.

That's all for now! Thanks for reading my blog!

~  Shiro Samurai says goodbye.

[Sponsored] Star Wars Obi-Wan Kenobi photoshoot!

Good day everyone!

To better showcase my new Star Wars costume from CosplaySky I wanted to have a photoshoot with it! This is my first time cosplaying a non-anime character, aka a movie/real-life actor/face character, which is a huge step out of my comfort zone. Obi-Wan was my first favorite character when I watched all Star Wars movies for the first time last year (yes, I'm late to the party) and I felt like I wanted to do him, despite the challenge it would provide as I feel like I'm too young to pull him off realistically. I wish I had darker crepe wool for the facial hair (as I can't grow my own in the same shape as his) but all of the darker colors were out of stock when I ordered, rip. ;_;

I will include some links after the photos on where you can get Jedi tunics like this – or any other costume you desire! Be sure to check them out~

But now it's time to indulge in a galaxy far, far away.. enjoy!

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Obi-Wan Kenobi)
Photographer and stylist: Sacchan
Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

Want to be one with the Force too? Check out the links below!

Link to CosplaySky main page: CosplaySky Online Cosplay Store

Jedi tunic link: CosplaySky Star Wars Kenobi Jedi TUNIC Costume

All Star Wars costumes: CosplaySky Star Wars costume selection

I just want to say a few words about this costume as well. ^^

It's nice, easy and comfortable to wear, except that the tabards like to fall off my shoulders if I move around a lot but that makes sense as they're only secured in place by the belt. x) This is great even as a generic Jedi outfit (you don't have to be Obi-Wan) if you want to dress up for the next Star Wars movie marathon or something! Fans who don't have super high accuracy standards will surely enjoy it, just like I do. Overall I'm really pleased with this costume and I'd warmly recommend CosplaySky to my fellow geeks and costuming fans alike.

Pssst, be sure to check out my detailed and 100% honest review about them here ~

~ Bonus photos ~

One does not simply oppose the high ground.

Jedi frog dance. Remember to serious-face.

That's all I have to say for this time!
Thanks for reading my blog and may the Force be with you.

A big thank you also goes to CosplaySky for sponsoring me! ♥

~  Shiro Samurai says farewell.

Fruits Basket Hatori & Ayame photoshoot

Hello people!

Some of you who read my Kitacon summary might remember that I mentioned that I had a quick cosplay photoshoot during the con. I debuted my Hatori Sohma costume and my friend Firith did Ayame Sohma to accompany me. ^^ It was quite chilly outside but we managed to get at least a few usable photos, even though a big chunk was unusable because of wrong focus or just not sharp enough. The photographer was my brother and he's sadly not very camera savvy, but we did the best of the situation and got a few good shots.

Cosplayers: Shiro Samurai (Hatori Sohma) & Firith (Ayame Sohma)
Photographer: Frozen Angel
Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

I just want to note that even though I used a real cigarette as a prop (Hatori is a smoker) on one of the photos I'm not a smoker myself. Firith let me borrow a cigarette but it wasn't lit.

I don't have anything else to say. Thanks for viewing!
Shiro Samurai out.

Touken Ranbu Tsurumaru Kuninaga photoshoot!

Good day everyone!

I bring to you today a photoshoot of my Tsurumaru Kuninaga cosplay! ♥

I got a chance to review a cosplay costume from the awesome store Cosplaysky earlier and, after a lot of thinking, I decided to bring Tsurumaru home! I love his design to bits and he's just so pretty anyway, I couldn't resist waaah! ;u;

I will include some links after the photos on where you can get a Tsurumaru cosplay costume like this – or any other costume you desire! Be sure to check them out, eey! ヽ(*´∀`)ﾉﾞ

But now...
Fruits of the photoshoot featuring our favorite crane boy, enjoy!

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Tsurumaru Kuninaga)
Photographer: Frozen Angel
Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

Link to CosplaySky's main page: CosplaySky Online Cosplay Store

Costume link: Tsurumaru Kuninaga Cosplay Costume (includes armor)
Costume link: Tsurumaru Kuninaga Cosplay Costume (without armor)
Alternative color version: Tsurumaru Kuninaga Cosplay Costume (black version)

Please note that the reason why the prices appear to be expensive is because the default currency option on the site is set to AUD, Australian Dollars, and NOT American dollars!!  
You can change the site's currency display settings at the top right upper corner of the site to USD, EUR or GBP on the drop-down box. :)

I just want to say a few words about this costume as well! ^.- 

It's really nice and comfortable to wear, except that the kimono top is a bit slippery and needs some safety pins (or double-sided tape) to stay properly in place, haha. I also had to do some small modifications to make some costume parts fit me better – nothing hard to do! Overall I'm really pleased with this costume and I'd warmly recommend CosplaySky to my fellow cosplayers and costuming fans alike! 

Pssst, be sure to check out my detailed and 100% honest review about them here ~

~ Bonus photo ~

#thuglife

 

The story behind this picture is that it was originally from another earlier photoshoot (the first one, since this current shoot was actually the second try) me and Frozen Angel had... or well, tried to have. I have different makeup too. The thing is that it fell through because of a strong wind of approximately 8 meters per second; the wind tossed my wig out of place all the time and it almost broke my armors too! D: We had to quit the shooting because it just didn't work out and yeah, ironically the only "useful" photo we managed to get was this silly thug!Tsurumaru. xD It was completely unintentional, lol. Can't be serious all the time ~

That's all I have to say for this time! Thanks for reading my blog!

A big thank you also goes to CosplaySky for sponsoring me! ♥

~  Shiro Samurai says sayonara.

Darkrai photoshoot – Harbinger of Nightmares

Good afternoon!

I mentioned having had a Darkrai gijinka (Pokémon) photoshoot during Cosvision and that I'd post the photos separately – this is it! These photos were taken on Saturday, around 16:00 local time, next to some ruins we found near the hotel we were staying at. I loved the location and it provided the backdrop I had hoped I'd find for Darkrai!

...

Blah blah blah. I won't keep you waiting any longer, so here!

Enjoy the photos! ~ (っゝω・)っ

Cosplayer: Shiro Samurai (Darkrai)
Photographer: Sacchan
Photo editor: Shiro Samurai

The eye makeup is done by Sacchan and the gloves are borrowed from FankiFox, just for this shoot. Thank you guys, you're awesome. ♥

The photoshoot was fun, although the sun was occasionally too bright and thus my white wig got overexposed on a lot of photos. :/ #whitewigproblems
Also, some people (presumably other hotel guests) passed us by but no one said anything, save for that some totally stopped dead in their tracks just to stare at us for some minutes. It was really awkward, lol.

That's all for this shooting. Thanks for watching! ^.^

~ Shiro Samurai out.