Cosplayer of the Week: A Shoot and Talk with Taiyo and Kōdai!
Sup Lyfers! Cobalt Cosplay here, back at it again from over the pond in the UK!
For anyone who has recently been to MCM Birmingham over here in England, there are two cosplayers that probably caught your eye. I’m talking about none other than taiyolux.cos and kodai.nox, also known as Taiyo Lux and Kōdai Nox! I managed to get a hold of both of them and get an exclusive first interview and photo shoot! These are two amazing and upcoming cosplayers, who were cosplaying Noctis and Prompto from Final Fantasy XV!
The Geek Lyfe: How long have you guys been cosplaying?
Taiyo: 8 Months!
The Geek Lyfe: And what drew you to cosplay? How did you find out about it?
Kōdai: Oh god I cant even remember… I think T mentioned it to me because we wanted to go to a con?
Taiyo: I’ve always been a gamer & nerd from birth so the idea of getting to bring everyone’s favourite characters to life is a must. My friend introduced me to cosplay itself though!
The Geek Lyfe: So what was your first convention, and what was it like?
Taiyo: October MCM London 2017: painkillers, dancing & the most fun I’ve ever had in my life!
Kōdai: Such a positive place, I’ve never met so many positive, accepting, friendly people in one place in my life. It’s so crazy having strangers asking for pictures and chatting as if you’ve known them forever because you both love a certain character or franchise.
The Geek Lyfe: Who were your first cosplays? And why did you choose that character?
Taiyo: My first full finished cosplay was Deidara from Naruto. I chose him because he’s a short, blonde, loud chaotic blur… I guess I can relate to that!
Kōdai: My first proper cosplay was Hidan from Naruto, he’s a chaotic boy with no restraint and a cool aesthetic.
https://www.instagram.com/p/BbZ2QoCn8Cw/?taken-by=w0lfcub
The Geek Lyfe: What is your next convention? And your plans for it?
Kōdai: We’re gonna be at Hyper Japan Summer Festival, again as Noctis and Prompto, as I think we have such a massive attachment to these characters and being these boys that they will be with us for a lot of cons. One of the plus sides to being best friends that cosplay best friends, it never gets old!
Taiyo: Hyper Japan July 2018. Right in that FFXV hype at the moment so will be doing Noctis again & carnival Noctis. It’ll be my stag do as I’m getting married this year. We’re gonna make the Princes bachelor party a real life event!
The Geek Lyfe: This question is quite a big one, but what exactly is cosplay to you, as an individual?
Kōdai: I guess its really about expression and having that creative outlet. I’ve always had a lot of energy and ideas that have never really gone anywhere, and I used to get really frustrated with that so there is that side of it. The other side for me is that I’ve always felt uncomfortable and unhappy in my body and the way I look. Being able to just embody their qualities is a really freeing feeling. It definitely makes me a more confident person.
Taiyo: I’ll try and keep it as short as possible, but cosplay for me is the thing that has been missing from my life. It’s the outlet I needed to channel all my frustrations and creativity into. I’ve been bullied most of my life for being a nerd or ‘different’ and I’ve always suppressed it in someway. Cosplay has shown me that its okay to be different. It’s okay to be yourself. As long as you’re happy and not hurting anyone, have all the fun you can! It’s completely freed me from every insecurity I had and all the shame I had about my interests.
(I’m not crying, you are!)
Quick fire round!
The Geek Lyfe: Cosplay Music Video or Photoshoot?
T: Photoshoot
K: Photoshoot
The Geek Lyfe: Homemade costume or bought costume?
K: Homemade
T: Bought (But modified!)
The Geek Lyfe: Cosplay, Crossplay or both?
T: for me personally FTM crossplay but I adore seeing everything!
K: Both!
The Geek Lyfe: Convention after party or early night back at the hotel?
T: HO BOY catch me at that after party
K: Catch me supervising him at the after party…
T: He’s not wrong!
and finally, Lewds or no lewds:
K *eye emoji* Taiyo lewds!
T: anyone who knows me knows my answer to this… L E W D S !
The Geek Lyfe: It is clear that even though you have only been cosplaying for 8 months you have your characters down! Is there any advice you can give to cosplayers wanting to improve, or even people who are wanting to come onto the cosplay and convention scene?
Kōdai: Just enjoy yourself, don’t get too hung up on the details, it all comes together on the day and all the things you’ve been stressing about wont matter. At the end of the day everyone is there to have a good time so just enjoy it whilst you can, because post con blues are real!
Taiyo: All I can say is go out there and have fun. Don’t let anyone tell you you can’t cosplay a certain character because of your size, height, gender etc. These characters are made for us all to enjoy. Take negativity with a pinch of salt. Be yourself and have fun! Enjoy conventions whilst you’re there, try not to fret too much over everything. Keep hydrated (I’m a hypocrite) and EAT YOUR DAMN VEGGIES!
For anyone who would like to follow these amazing cosplayers, they are on Instagram as @taiyolux.cos and @kodai.nox, where they are constantly uploading epic content and costests!
UK-based Cosplayer who has an innate love for Naruto, Doctor Who and all things blue. Still searching for a madman in a box...
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