Shinkohyo - Soul Hunter
Worn:
Otakuthon 2018 (Montreal, QC)
Status: Hiatus for repairs
Why Shinkohyo?
One of those crazy cosplays I decided to do because I have a bit of a thing for nostalgia. As well Soul Hunter / Hoshin Engi was one of my favourite animes as a teenager, and it still holds a special place in my heart. Shinkohyo always makes me think of old school animes with out there hair and even more out there clothing. Well, truth be told, 90% of the characters in Soul Hunter / Hoshin Engi are basically just that with their hair and clothing.
I'll be honest right now, my cosplay of Shinkohyo doesn't match a single source image. And there are a couple of reasons for this. His design changes from the manga, to the anime, to the remake anime. And even in each there are inconsistencies - his colours even change depending on the source. I had to take some creative license when it came to interpreting this craziness that I chose to take on. But, I am happy with the end result.
Main fabrics used in this costume were poplin (white and blue), and taffeta (black). I used red satin as well, and unsure what fabric the yellow was as it was only marked "CLEARANCE" at FabricLand, but it was the perfect colour/texture.
The hat is a simple cone shape sewn up both sides. There is buckram inside to support the shape and keep it sturdy. The 'brim' is the same blue poplin used in the gloves and pants. It's simple triangle shapes and sewn onto the bottom of the hat. The shape is supported with regular interfacing. The ball on top is a styrofoam ball painted black, with a wire inside and hand sewn onto the hat.
The wig was the longest process of the costume, taking me over a week to complete. I am not 100% satisfied with the end results so I intend to remake the shape eventually using varaform as recommended by a friend. I used craft foam that I shaped with a heat gun and is hand sewn into the wig. The fibers are glued on top using regular school glue. The balls at the end of the odd shape are styrofoam balls wrapped in a doubled weft of hair glued in place. The underside was painted to save time. I used a Rocky and Long Wefts in Silver from Arda Wigs Canada.
The earrings are simply just styrofoam balls painted and attached via wire to earring hooks with closing backs.
The scarf is a simple tube sewn up. It was carefully stuffed before I sewed the ends shut. The seam sits in the back.
Otakuthon 2018 (Montreal, QC)
Status: Hiatus for repairs
Why Shinkohyo?
One of those crazy cosplays I decided to do because I have a bit of a thing for nostalgia. As well Soul Hunter / Hoshin Engi was one of my favourite animes as a teenager, and it still holds a special place in my heart. Shinkohyo always makes me think of old school animes with out there hair and even more out there clothing. Well, truth be told, 90% of the characters in Soul Hunter / Hoshin Engi are basically just that with their hair and clothing.
I'll be honest right now, my cosplay of Shinkohyo doesn't match a single source image. And there are a couple of reasons for this. His design changes from the manga, to the anime, to the remake anime. And even in each there are inconsistencies - his colours even change depending on the source. I had to take some creative license when it came to interpreting this craziness that I chose to take on. But, I am happy with the end result.
Main fabrics used in this costume were poplin (white and blue), and taffeta (black). I used red satin as well, and unsure what fabric the yellow was as it was only marked "CLEARANCE" at FabricLand, but it was the perfect colour/texture.
The hat is a simple cone shape sewn up both sides. There is buckram inside to support the shape and keep it sturdy. The 'brim' is the same blue poplin used in the gloves and pants. It's simple triangle shapes and sewn onto the bottom of the hat. The shape is supported with regular interfacing. The ball on top is a styrofoam ball painted black, with a wire inside and hand sewn onto the hat.
The wig was the longest process of the costume, taking me over a week to complete. I am not 100% satisfied with the end results so I intend to remake the shape eventually using varaform as recommended by a friend. I used craft foam that I shaped with a heat gun and is hand sewn into the wig. The fibers are glued on top using regular school glue. The balls at the end of the odd shape are styrofoam balls wrapped in a doubled weft of hair glued in place. The underside was painted to save time. I used a Rocky and Long Wefts in Silver from Arda Wigs Canada.
The earrings are simply just styrofoam balls painted and attached via wire to earring hooks with closing backs.
The scarf is a simple tube sewn up. It was carefully stuffed before I sewed the ends shut. The seam sits in the back.
I made a custom pattern for my cape using my shoulders as a point of reference given the shape of it. It's doubled to prevent any raw edges. The back of the neck is sealed with a more decorative stitch. I pressed it before doing further work. It connects to my shirt currently via velcro. I plan to use a different method soon. The balls at the end are done the same way as the one on the hat.
The shirt is also a custom pattern, but I used the sleeve pattern from one of my Simplicity Patterns. The outer part is poplin, and it's lined with a type of linen that I bought a few years ago and ended up not using. So it makes the shirt really soft inside. The red circles are traced from kitchen mixing bowls. They're cut out of satin and are attached via applique. The collar is finished with white bias tape. The balls on the shirt attach the same as the ones on the cape and hat.
For the gloves I had to trace my boyfriend's hands and then scale them down so my gloves would fit me. They're the same poplin as on the hat and pants. The ends were done in craft foam painted a custom grey to match his and secured with contact cement.
The pants are no pattern at all. I just sewed strips of poplin to each other. There's an elastic waistband at the top. At the bottoms of the legs is additional elastic to create the poof at the bottom.
Making the shoes was a fun task. I took a plain pair of shoes that I bought at Value Village and added the crazy shape using L200 foam that I bought from CosplaySupplies.com. I made the pattern for the top of the shape first and they are secured to the shoes with contact cement. I created an additional under shape to extend the sole of the shoe. I covered and finalized them with more taffeta.
Photography:
Cosplay backdrop photos @ Otakuthon: Victor - my boyfriend
Photoshoot @ Otakuthon - Elemental Photography and Design
The shirt is also a custom pattern, but I used the sleeve pattern from one of my Simplicity Patterns. The outer part is poplin, and it's lined with a type of linen that I bought a few years ago and ended up not using. So it makes the shirt really soft inside. The red circles are traced from kitchen mixing bowls. They're cut out of satin and are attached via applique. The collar is finished with white bias tape. The balls on the shirt attach the same as the ones on the cape and hat.
For the gloves I had to trace my boyfriend's hands and then scale them down so my gloves would fit me. They're the same poplin as on the hat and pants. The ends were done in craft foam painted a custom grey to match his and secured with contact cement.
The pants are no pattern at all. I just sewed strips of poplin to each other. There's an elastic waistband at the top. At the bottoms of the legs is additional elastic to create the poof at the bottom.
Making the shoes was a fun task. I took a plain pair of shoes that I bought at Value Village and added the crazy shape using L200 foam that I bought from CosplaySupplies.com. I made the pattern for the top of the shape first and they are secured to the shoes with contact cement. I created an additional under shape to extend the sole of the shoe. I covered and finalized them with more taffeta.
Photography:
Cosplay backdrop photos @ Otakuthon: Victor - my boyfriend
Photoshoot @ Otakuthon - Elemental Photography and Design