Final Fantasy XIII-2: Lightning 03

In Final Fantasy XIII-2, it is revealed through the Arbiter of Time that this Lightning is only an exact copy of the actual Lightning that lacks a soul. She can learn all of the elemental spells just like her original counterpart, and has improved tiers in Thunder spells. One other significant difference is that this Lightning can cast Curasa and Curaja as a Medic, while the original Lightning could not.

Doesn’t she look beautiful? Just like the character herself! If anyone happens to know who the cosplayer is, please do let me know so that I can credit her! Thanks to Tricia for sending this in!

Source: Final Kingdom

Sailor Moon: Tsukino Usagi 02

Most of you have probably seen this commercial already, but I thought I’d feature it anyway since Usagi is so cute here! Just look at that adorable grin!

I’m not really sure if she’s officially cosplaying Usagi or not though! The second person to drink the green tea also looks like Ryu from Street Fighter to me, but I’m even more uncertain about that!

Have a look at the Kit Kat Green Tea commercial and please let me know what you think!

Source: Nestlé Philippines on YouTube

Spirited Away: No-Face and Ogino Chihiro (Sen)

Forced to work in the tyranical Yubaba’s bathhouse, Ogino Chihiro invited a silent, masked creature named No-Face inside the bathhouse, thinking he was a customer. Later that evening, while most of the staff were asleep, No-Face tempted a worker with gold. The greedy staff took the bait, only to be devoured by No-Face! He continued swallowing the other naive workers and began growing larger, causing massive damage to the bathhouse.

This photo reminded me of the time I featured a dog cosplaying Sesshoumaru! I guess cat owners are getting into it now too? I find the Chihiro cat to be particularly adorable with that kimono! Thanks to Casey for sending this in!

Source: From Japan Limited on Facebook

Fushigi Yuugi: Amiboshi

The elder twin of Suboshi, Amiboshi is a Seiryuu Celestial warrior born under the star “Neck (亢)”. He is able to emit chi through his mouth and uses the flute to control others. Amiboshi holds the instrument to the left when he is using his powers, and to the right when he is simply playing.

Under Nakago’s orders, Amiboshi impersonated Chiriko and grew close to Miaka and the other Suzaku warriors. He almost succeeded in killing the Suzaku warriors during their attempt to summon Suzaku, but the real Chiriko appeared and saved everyone. Amiboshi tried to escape, but Miaka wanted to save him, claiming that anyone who plays such beautiful music cannot be evil. He later fell into the river and was presumed dead.

I thought I recognized this stage actor! He is Hattori Tsubasa, who played Shikimaru Nara in the Naruto Musical! He is still as handsome as ever, and definitely suits the role of Amiboshi!

For the fans who saw Shu no Shou, how was it? Was it loyal to the original manga? Did you have a favorite character?

Source: Amipro
First Seen on: Crunchyroll

Fate/Grand Order: Ruler 02

Ruler is a taciturn and cool while acting as a Servant, but is naturally a plain and quiet 16-year-old. She puts order first, but she is willing to wield a sword for the sake of the rules.

In Fate/Apocrypha, due to the irregularity of the Great Holy Grail War, and the continued existence of the previous Ruler from the Third Holy Grail War, Ruler was not given a spiritual body, and instead possessed a human girl named Laeticia. Because of her faith, Laeticia accepts Ruler completely, and thus, they do not share two personalities in one body, but rather, their personalities have merged into one.

Isn’t Rith absolutely beautiful? It looks like Ruler has a “Lily” version like Saber too! I actually like her original look better, but this is also very beautiful!
If you like this photo, please support the cosplayer and her photographer in Facebook! Thanks to Lee for sending this in!

Source: Yu Xiang's Cosplay Photography on Facebook

Ken ga Kimi: Sagihara Sakyou

The son of the Sagihara family, direct vassal of the Fushimi feudal clan in the Yamashiro Province. The Sagihara family is a descendant of Amakuni, a group of blacksmiths that was formed back in the Heian period. They were also guardians who protected the Five Heavenly Swords in the past. After his family was killed, he threw away his status and came to Edo. While he might look like an inexperienced young master, he knows how to get on in the world due to his vagabond journey.

Source: STELLARIUM

Such a lovely photo! Zixell is quickly becoming one of my favorite cosplayers! Her expression looks so serene. I wonder if those “fireflies” were added after the photo was taken, or if they sprinkled silver dust during the photo shoot?

In any case, please do support Zixell via her Archive, Facebook, Twitter, and World Cosplay! Thanks again to Hitori for sending this in!

Source: Zixell on World Cosplay

Final Fantasy XV: Prompto Argentum and Noctic Lucis Caelum

The puckish playboy Prompto befriended Noctis in his school days. He wears a chip on his shoulder as an outsider to the royal circle, but remains eager to do all he can for the cause. A friend who has been a bad influence to Noctis since his school days. While he can get carried away easily, there's another side of him which is driven to help friends in need. 

Source: Final Fantasy Wiki

I know they are probably models for the Roen clothing line, but wow, Prompto looks amazing! I think many of the fans are disappointed with Noctis’ hair being blue, but he looks fantastic as well! Hopefully, we’ll get better shots of these “cosplayers” soon? Thanks to Chia for sending this in!

Source: Final Fantasy XV on Facebook

Yu Yu Hakusho: Team Toguro

Team Toguro consists of the “human turned demon” Toguro siblings and two demons, Karasu and Bui. Karasu and Bui both lost to the Toguro brothers in battle and subsequently joined their team for the Dark Tournament. Toguro-otouto (Younger Toguro) is rated as a B-class, absolute strength demon, while is brother, Toguro-ani (Elder Toguro) is a demon shape shifter. As for Karasu, he is a “Governor-rank” demon who can create bombs using his aura undetectable by lower level demons. Last but not least, Bui is a demon warrior who has a battle aura so immense that we wears heavy armor to suppress it.

Nothing beats a classic, and this team of cosplayers definitely did a great job portraying the antagonists of this series! If anyone happens to know who the cosplayers are, please let me know so I can credit them! Thanks to Rey for sending this in!

Source: Tagalog Anime on Facebook

World Canvas: Sera Asprec

Sera Asrec is an art student with heterochromia iridum, or different colored eyes. As a matter of fact, her left eyes gives her the ability to look into a person’s past and retrieve their darkest secrets by observing their artworks or their handwriting. This ability is very helpful for her brother’s work at the museum as Sera can give him unique information about deceased famous artists. However, this ability also made Sera distant from the people around her.

One day, she met child prodigy, Rhiannon Estrella, and realized that she could not read any information from her at all! It was the first time Sera’s ability failed to work, which made Sera even more curious to know who Rhiannon really was! What sort of secret could a young girl be guarding so securely?

Many of you might not be familiar with this character as World Canvas is a local manga published in the Philippines. Mayu Ma Cherie cosplayed Sera so well that I couldn’t resist featuring her!

If you’d like to see more of Mayu’s cosplays, please visit her on Facebook and support her! On the other hand, if you want to know more about the series, please visit the mangaka’s Facebook, Color-LES aka Godley Malabanan! Thanks again to Mayu for letting me feature this!

Source: Mayu Ma Cherie on Facebook

Dead or Alive: Ayane 05

Although she appears to be cruel, Ayane is not completely heartless. She has working relationships with a few people and even emotional attachments to Hayate and Genra. However, she might be a little too attached to them to the point that she regards them to be her only reason for living. When Genra passed away and Hayate became angry with her, she tried to commit suicide, evidence of Ayane’s emotional instability.

Do you guys recognize this cosplayer? I’ve featured her before cosplaying the same character in a differnt outfit. Her name is Rainer Tachibana and she now has a Facebook page, so please continue to support her as always! Thanks to Janice for sending this in!

Source: Rainer Cosplay on Facebook

Uta no prince-sama: Ichinose Tokiya and Ittoki Otoya 04

愛故Diving …And rising ハートが
My heart is diving …and rising with love!
導くMusic まるごと 虹になる
This guiding music's entirety will become a rainbow!

I’ll go to next
I’ll try to all

さあ
Come on,
駆け抜けろ
Let's run though
ドアの先へ
That door ahead!

道の果てには何があるのだろう？
What will be at this road's end?
まだ見ぬ光の先 ワクワクがまってるさ
Where the light is excitedly waiting unseen!
始めよう物語
Let's begin this story!

“Roulette”
Lyrics by: Kasi Time
Translated by: ☽ Moonlit Sanctuary ☾

What an adorable cosplay pair! Otoya is cosplayed by Masami and Tokiya? You might remember this cosplayer! She was featured before cosplaying Ikki from Amnesia! So please be sure to support Zixell via her Archive, Facebook, Twitter, and World Cosplay! Thanks to Hitori for sending this in!

Source: Zixell on World Cosplay
First Seen on: Uta no Prince-Sama Roleplay on Facebook

Fate/Stay Night: Saber 18

記憶の波間に浮かんでる横顔
The side of face, floating between the waves of memory, 伸ばした指からこぼれ
Spill through the extended fingers. 陽炎の向こう揺らめいた景色は
The scene seen through rising heat, wavering, 幻としても愛しいもの
is a illusious yet lovely thing.

涙の意味さえ解らずにいたこと
Understanding not even the meaning of tear 幸せと言えた不幸
Is a misfortune called “happiness”. 言葉にできない切なさのカケラが
The fragments of pain, which cannot be expressed in words, 瞳にあふれてく
Overflow in the eyes.

“My Dream”
Lyrics by Anime Lyrics
Translation by Mirror Moon

Isn’t she beautiful? I really love the pose, and the intensity in the cosplayer’s eyes! Although it looks like she’s in construction site? There are a lot of hollow blocks in the background!

Anyway, if anyone knows who the cosplayer is, please let me know! Thanks to Olivia for sending this in!

Source: Land of Otaku

Ano Hana: “Menma” Honma Meiko 02

When Menma first appeared in front of Yadomi Jinta, she has aged somewhat, but she still retains her childlike speech patterns and tendencies. She is also clothed in the same white dress that wore on the day she died. Although Jinta is the only one who can see or hear her, Menma appears to have the ability to interact with the world around her. In one episode, she even cooked ramen for Jinta to eat!

Just in case there are readers who aren’t familiar with Ano Hana, the full title of this anime is “Ano Hi Mita Hana no Namae o Bokutachi wa Mada Shiranai” (The Flower We Saw That Day), but it is more commonly referred to as Ano Hana since the title is so long.
 
Anyway, doesn’t SeeU look adorable as Mena? If you love SeeU’s cosplays, please don’t forget to visit her Weibo account to support her! Thanks again to Ruby for sending this in!

Source: 小柔SeeU on Facebook

Final Fantasy XIII-2: Noel Kreiss

A cocky yet soft-spoken individual, Noel Kreiss is a self-sufficient hunter  who suffers from amnesia due to the effects of a time paradox. As he is from a future where humans are almost extinct, Noel has trouble with his speech and can be very straight-forward. He loves to explore new places and meet new people, but he tends to be overprotective, evident with his first meeting with Serah despite hardly knowing her.

Just look at that amazing weapon! The details for this cosplay are absolutely stunning!

If you love this cosplay, please be sure to support Japanese cosplayer, Yuu Asaka on her Archive, Blog, Cure, Tumblr, Twitter, or World Cosplay accounts! Thanks to Louie for sending this in!

Source: U5 (yuu asaka) on World Cosplay

Ghost in the Shell: Kusanagi Motoko 03

I’m sure everyone’s heard about it by now, but I wanted to hear what CH readers think about this and feature Scarlett Johansson on Cosplay Holic too.

For me, I’m not that upset that she’s portraying Major Kusanagi in the Hollywood adaptation. From this first look, I’m actually pretty excited about this film. I am wondering why they didn’t hire an Asian actress to play the Major’s role, but at the same time, Major Kusanagi always felt like a tall, heavy individual to me. She’s half-cyborg after all, and I’m thinking Asian actresses standing side-by-side with other Caucasian actors might make her look petite? Maybe?

Then again, with that Dragon Ball Movie fiasco, I guess I can understand where the haters are coming from. Hopefully, Hollywood has learned from their mistake? At least we have Snow White and the Huntsman’s director, Rupert Sanders behind the scenes.

For now, I guess we can only wait and see for the 31st of March 2017 release.

Source: Gizmodo

Vocaloid 2: Kagamine Len and Rin 12

焼けた野原に佇む子供
The children who stand on the scorched plains 
無力なその手で 墓を掘り続ける
continue to dig graves with their powerless hands

戦場の跡で 名も知らぬ少年と
Atop the scarred battlefield, they covered the bodies 
残った躯達に土を被せた
of nameless boys and the remaining corpses, with earth

奪い、奪われ 残った絶望
Steal, be stolen from, what remains in despair 
憎み合う果てに
The consequence of mutual loathing 冷えた骸を抱いて
As I embrace a cold corpse, 
温かな瞳が閉じていくその度、
Each time still-warm eyes begin to shut 
咽び泣いた
I sobbed choked with tears

“Nemesis of the Ruined Kingdom”
Lyrics and Translation by
Vocaloid Lyrics

Aren’t they sweet? Too bad we can’t really see the cosplayers’ faces, but the way they’re posed fits the song quite well too! Thanks again to Raymond for sending this in!

Source: Picasa

Fushigi Yuugi: Yuki Miaka 03

Miaka is an outgoing, optimistic individual who has a tendency to be guileless and sentimental. Although she seems naive, she tends to surprise people with her insightful comments. She can be generous to a fault, and cares greatly for others, perceiving herself to be a considerate person.

Miaka also loves to eat, and is interested in any types of food. She is also an avid fan of anime, imitating several characters during the course of the story.

What do you guys think of Tanaka Reina’s portrayal of Miaka? You might recognize her as a former member of Morning Musume, and now the current leader of the four-member girls band, “LoVendoЯ”!

I’m curious, has anyone here seen the musical yet? Was it any good? Thanks again to Mica for sharing this!

Source: Amipro
First Seen on: Crunchyroll

Guilty Crown: Yuzuriha Inori 07

誰かが君のことを嘘つきと呼んで
Even if someone were to call you a liar
心無い言葉で傷つけようとしても
And try to hurt you with heartless words
世界が君のことを信じようともせずに
Or if the whole world doesn't even try to believe in you
茨の冠を被せようとしても
And try to put a crown of thorns on your head
私は君だけの味方になれるよ
I can still become a friend only to you
その孤独 痛みを私は知っている
I know of that loneliness  and that pain

so, everything that makes me whole

今君に捧げよう
I will dedicate them all to you now

I’m Yours

“My Dearest” by Anime Lyrics
Lyrics by Rei | Translation by Hinamawari

Another amazing cosplay by Chinese cosplayer, SeeU! I’m not sure if this Facebook Page is actually maintained by her or of it’s fan made, but please do continue to support her through her Weibo! Thanks to Ruby for sending this in!

Source: 小柔SeeU on Facebook

Fate/Grand Order: Ruler

Ruler is one of the Servants of the Protagonist of the Grand Order. Her True Name is Jeanne d’Arc, also known as Joan of Arc, the Saint of Orleans.

Joan was a Catholic Saint born in Domrémy, France, who claimed that she had received the command of God to fight. She heard the Lord lament that the world had changed, and that the people were compelled to become either beasts or food. Joan later liberated Orléans in the Hundred Years’ War.

I think Jeanne has become my new favorite character, just a little above Saber. I used to read about Joan of Arc when I was in high school and admired how brave she was to fight for God.

In any case, if anyone happens to know who this cosplayer, please let me know so that I can properly credit her! Thanks to Jeanne D'Arc for sharing this!

Source: Jeanne D'Arc (Ruler) on Google+

China's Cosplay Boom

I was watching NHK Newsline yesterday and saw an interesting segment about “China’s Growing Love Affair with Cosplay”. Apparently, cosplay events are being held in Beijing every weekend! That’s right, every weekend!!!

And this hobby is not limited to the fans of anime and manga. A politician from the city of Shaoxing is cosplaying in order to promote local tourists spots where plum flowers were in bloom. And she is getting a lot of positive reactions for her photos!

One cosplayer, Liu Siqi, is a freshman at a university who says cosplaying allows her to escape from reality. And that she likes meeting and making new friends through events.

I’m sure a lot of cosplayers will agree with Liu, but events every weekend? If that were to happen in the Philippines, I wonder if event organizers would be able to earn any profit? What’s more, cosplaying is a fairly expensive hobby!

If you’re interested in the full article, or if you’d like to watch the video, please visit NHK’s website. I’m curious though, would you attend cosplay events occurring every weekend if it happened in your country? Would you cosplay as well, or look around?

Also, if anyone knows who they are cosplaying as, please do let me know so that I can add a proper tag for them!

Source: NHK World

Zootopia: Judy Hopps and Nick Wilde

Judy Hopps, a bunny from rural Bunnyburrow, fulfilled her childhood dream in becoming the first rabbit officer of Zootopia. However, even though she graduated at the top of her class, Chief Bogo still doubts her potential and assigned her to parking duty. She later meets Nick Wilde and Finnick, partners in crime, during one of her shifts.

Well, aren’t these two the cutest couple you’ve ever seen? Please support Chinese cosplayers SeeU and Xiao Xiao Bai as Judy and Nick respectively by visiting their Facebook pages! Thanks to Kristine for sending this in!

Source: 小柔SeeU on Facebook

Vocaloid 2: Kagamine Len and Rin 11

空想で這われた
I creep out from their daydreams 
最初から繋がってない絆が
From the beginning it was a disconnected bond 
浮かぶ感じ不安男子
Feelings that rise, but anxious boy
触れないほどもう退いて
If you don’t want to touch me that bad, then just leave

全体 feel me?
Do you feel me all over you? 
限界，君？
Are you at your limit? 
暴走しかないない毎度だけ
Nothing but going reckless every time
確かなことなら
If you’re sure about it 
そう躊躇う顔を捨て
Then throw away that timid face

“Sake★BEAT”
Lyrics and Translation by
Vocaloid Lyrics

Why is this Len so handsome?! I really hope the cosplayer is a guy or else, I don’t know what to do about these feelings! Rin-chan, please trade places with me! Anyway, thanks to Raymond for sending this in!

Source: Picasa

Fushigi Yuugi: Nakago

One of the strongest Celestial warriors among the Seiryuu, and even the Suzaku warriors, Nakago is the main antagonist of Fushigi Yuugi. He is charismatic, manipulative, and does not hesitate to eliminate those who are no longer useful to him. He has exceptional control over his chi, enabling himself to become psychokinetic as he can fire energy blasts and set up force fields. He is also skillful in using a whip and sword.

JURI, who portrayed Amame Hikaru from The Prince of Tennis live-action film, will be playing Nakago in the upcoming two-part musical adaptation of Fushigi Yuugi entitled “Shu no Shou”! The play will be performed 15 times at Owlspot in Tokyo from April 8 to 17, 2016. Tickets are now available on Amipro Ticket Service, but according to Crunchyroll, tickets for April 9,16, and 17 are already sold out.

Personally, the cast looks pretty impressive! But I’ll be posting only my favorites on this blog. If you’d like to see the whole cast yourself, feel free to head on over to Crunchyroll! Thanks to Mica for sending this in!

Source: Crunchyroll

Card Captor Sakura: Yue 04

In contrast to his kind and gentle alter-ego, Yue is a serious and aloof individual who is extremely loyal to Clow Reed. Similarly, although Yukito is fond of Sakura, Yue is reluctant to accept her. As the series progresses, however, Yue begins to respond to Sakura’s request that, rather than being his master, she wanted to be his friend.

This series of photos of Loki Heart cross-playing shocked me; in a very good way! I’ve always admired her cosplays as female characters, but I never thought she would cosplay one of my favorite male characters! (Although technically, CLAMP did state that Yue is neither human nor male!)

Please support her in her new Facebook Page: Loki Heart! Thanks again for letting me feature this!

Source: Loki Heart on Facebook