What better way to debut my online Costume Closet than by focusing on
one of my favorite anime characters? I'll be chronicling my trials and tribulations
as I start exploring the world of anime costuming.
WARNING!
There are spoilers ahead. Especially for episodes 6-8. If you haven't seen
those episodes, please get off the computer and go watch them. Seriously,
though, if you haven't made it that far in the series, I'm probably going to spoil
a nifty little surprise for you. I'm going to be talking about my reasons for
picking the costume I've picked, and a few other things as well, and
I'm not going to mince words trying to get around the spoilers. You've
been warned. Thank you for your time.
End of Spoiler warnings.
Decisions, Decisions
My favorite costume in the entire Fushigi Yuugi anime has got to be that
gorgeous outfit that Miaka wears for the Suzaku summoning. Of course,
when I first saw the first episode, I didn't know what the neat costume
was, only that it was way major cool. I wanted one. However, I am not,
nor have I ever been, a slender, daintily built Japanese schoolgirl.
Onto my second favorite costume in the series. That would be the outfit
Yui wears for the Seiryuu summoning. My gawd! There's even
less of that than there was of Miaka's ceremonial outfit! See my
above comment describing my build.
Well, Subaru's got a really cool costume too. And it covers a great deal more
than Yui's, and it something that I honestly think I could pull off.
However, I've already dyed my hair purple. Nuriko has got to be one of
my most favorite of the seishi. In all actuality, I actually prefer his "boy's" clothes
over the things he wears as one of the Imperial Princesses. But, y'know
what? I think those Imperial Princess gowns are awfully pretty too (even if
they do have pink in them). And given a choice between one of those
fitted coats with set-in sleeves and high collar, or a flowy gown that's mostly
straight seams, I'm gonna pick the one that's easier to make. Especially with
Hallowe'en just around the corner.
Concept Sketch
I spent about an hour watching those first episodes that Nuriko appears
in (aw gee, poor baby, what a horrible task, yeah right), playing the
play-pause-rewind-play-pause game while I frantically sketched the costume.
It's actually such a simple costume and the sketch was really done in about
fifteen minutes. The only reason I inked it and colored it was to show it
off here. Click
here to take a look at it.
Forthcoming
Fabric selection, construction details, and the finished product.
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