Cosplayer of the Week: The_Fantastic_Nami

It all started when I saw a girl called Alodia Gosiengfiao on television back in 2009. She was wearing nice outfits and costumes based on anime and gaming. I was fascinated because I always love those genres. I never have done anything cosplay related before since I was always so busy with my pageant career. However, it never left my mind.

Fast forward to 2013 and I started researching it. I then found kanji cosplay work, Kinpatsu cosplay, evil ted on Youtube, and I just binge-watched their work and finally decided to try my hands on it in 2015. My link/warcraft mashup cosplay I used for MCM Comic Con was my first ever costume. I didn’t know I don’t know anything about cosplay, I had no cosplay friends, so I just took my 2 friends to the convention. The reception I got was overwhelming. I just did it again and again and the rest is history. I really didn’t expect anything to come out of it. I just tried it for no reason and see how it is then now. It is such an amazing hobby that I now enjoy!

 

Out of all the years you have done cosplay, what has been one of your more favorite/proudest memories? 

Proudest?  Every time I complete a costume I am always proud. However, when it becomes a big deal, THAT IS WHEN I AM THE PROUDEST. You see, in cosplay you never know what will hit. I’m not the typical nerd since I love fashion, I love fitness, I love looking good, and in my mind, cosplay IS fashion. You won’t see me on forums trying to know what’s the latest cosplay trend that people will grab and use for klout. I make my own thing and so far at least 3 of my cosplay gained online notoriety.

Well, maybe a bit more than that but. The most famous are my Monster Hunter costumes, Samus (which is recent), and my redesigned Sora from Kingdom Hearts. The last one has been recreated by many. 

Proudest PROUDEST like achievement moments? I don’t know yet. maybe once I win a major championship award. Which I KNOW will happen someday soon :)… but as of now, I’m just enjoying the moment.

Many people online will simply see one of your images, appreciate it for the moment, and move on. However, I know that a lot of care and time goes into photoshoots. Could you describe your process for a cosplay photoshoot from the concept to when it hits your fans? 

Well, it depends. The self photoshoots I always try to keep it minimal on background, neutral background, lighting, some photoshop to clean up and correct the flaws here and there and lightroom adjustments. I see where cosplayers are artists. WE ARE FANTASY.

When I am doing cosplay, I believe I’m a magical being. I DONT WANNA LOOK RELATABLE. I think the magic of cosplay is like going to Disneyland and seeing the magic of you being a mythical creature. When I do my own shoots, the background should be neutral so it focuses on the detail of my work. The less clutter of background you have, the more colors will pop and the more details will be visible. When I do self shoots I make sure that the focal point is the work. ( unless it’s a sexy themed shoot. The focal point is then the body and poses ) but as an artist, the focus is on the details. Photoshoots also require good lighting. So you have to take care of those as well. 

At convention shoots, I like to have fun. I’m very confident and once photographers or videographers point the lens in my face, I just pose and go for it. That is why many photographers and videographers like to work with me since I like the camera.

I have pride and self-esteem! Because I know better than anyone else that my work is good! I worked hard to be in shape before the convention so that when I encounter photographers, they can immortalize my work!

Out of all the cosplays you have ever done which one was your personal favorite even if it was not super well received by fans? 

My favorite cosplay was Sora and it was well-received by fans by also hated by some. lol. I LOVEEEE that impact when I make something. It is like an avant-garde fashion. People love and hate it. They can be so conflicted over my original pieces of art. So based on the impact it made, Sora is my favorite. It was so good that it gets replicated a lot. 

At the time I had no idea if anyone would even like and then it just exploded. Like I said before, you never know what hits!

You feature a lot of awesome geeky content, what is your absolute favorite geeky medium? (Video games, anime, comics, film, etc.) 

Definitely anime. I game but I only play things that are visually breathtaking. For example, Bayonetta, Kingdom Hearts, God of War, and many more. However, anime has a different magic to it. It tells a story, it takes you to another planet. It is whimsical and inclusive. Anime freed my creative heart and anime even inspired some of my fashion. 

Anime teaches me to be myself and look good while facing the obstacles on the daily.

Subbed or Dubbed Anime?

SUBBED!!!!!! Dubbed should be a crime ughhh lol ( Personal opinion. Don’t shoot me. )

It is apparent that you hustle to provide content for fans but when you actually have a day off, how do you spend it? 

I work, work, work, work, work, work, and work. Whenever I feel like I need a break, I simply go on vacation. I go to either London or Los Angeles to ESCAPE IT ALL. I drink, have fun, go on exclusive cocktail bars, shopping, meet people!  I work so hard and sometimes I don’t stop working. The perks of having a hobby as some type of work is you feel like you’re not actually working. Yet there are deadlines, photoshoots, workouts, and more! 

You just radiate such confidence and the swagger of a champion. However, a lot of geeks often struggle with overwhelming self-doubt, anxiety, and depression. When you have those bad days and get down on yourself, what do you do to remind yourself that you are wonderful?

Life has been horrible to me in the past. I’m different from most since I came from a  poor family. I’ve been bullied, I failed school. However, it’s up to me to change my situation. Your life is your choice. What you are now, your current situation is a choice that you consciously made at some point in the past. Your past experiences may it be good or bad can shape you.

If you had a bad experience. Will you continue to be in a rut? Or will you escape and find your own way to get out of it? Success is a mindset. It’s easy to blame the world or people around us for our misfortunes, it’s easy to find faults, it’s easy to find excuses since there are a lot! The real challenge is finding the confidence to get out of your misery, change your mindset, and change how you see the world.

If something goes bad, try hard to think of something positive about it. If you fail, remember that you’re alive and that there is still next time,. If your heartbreaks think that there are many other people to fill that void. There’s always a way to get out of problems. But it is up to you if you wanna stay depressed or look for that way out. I know that it is easy to say, but that mindset is how I got out of poverty. Now I’m doing way better! I typically listen to audiobooks in the morning, start with “the secret“. I firmly believe in the power of the law of attraction. That your thoughts manifest into whatever you set them to.

I still get quite a few pieces of hate and hate mail. But HEY! If I spent time dwelling on that negativity, I wouldn’t be the force that I am now!

What is one piece of advice you wish you received when you first got into modeling/cosplay? 

Do it because you wanna do it for fun. Don’t come here for fame or money. You won’t see any of it unless you prove yourself.

Let’s be honest and keep it real here. Do you wanna be a successful cosplayer? Then reaching for drama, calling out people, and trying to be fake positive won’t answer your prayers. If you wanna make it big on this cosplay game then you have to make amazing cosplays.

Choose. Do you wanna do it for hobby or do you wanna make money?. If you want a hobby then just make amazing costumes and you are good! But if you wanna profit off of cosplaty then TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF. You have to make sure you go to gym, make sure you look aesthetically good because you are essentially selling the product that is your brand. 

That may be a bitter pill to swallow but you need to know this if you seriously want to profit off of cosplay.

Where can we find you online?  

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