This is a reblog of my site http://geekysweetie.com – Other stuff may appear here such as reblogs from other wordpress.com sites. I blog and reblog about anime, video games, kdrama, toys, technology, and kawaii fashion and decor.
I had previously played the Japanese version briefly of A3! Act, Actor, Addict, an otome simulation game that puts you in the role of a young woman looking for her father who went missing 8 years ago.
Cybrid has now released an English version of the game, which is good, because this one has almost no gameplay, and tons of reading (as most Otome and Visual novels). Which is why I only played the JP version very briefly, because I can’t read Japanese, and with little gameplay, and no story (since I couldn’t understand it) it became boring quickly. But now that it is in English, I’m enjoying it quite a bit.
The gameplay is almost similar to Love Live, except, you don’t actually do anything? lol. You collect the rare characters, and build your teams, and read their stories, but when it comes to rehearsals, you don’t interact at all. The outcome of the rehearsals is based purely on the stats of your cards, and the main focus of the game is on collecting rare cards and enjoying the story while unraveling the mystery of her missing father.
One day she receives a mysterious letter from the theater where her father used to work. They tell her they also have not heard from her father in 8 years, and that the theater is in dire straits and without her help the theater will surely close down.
The artwork is very nice, but it is static and a bit outdated when many similar games have Live-2D with fully animated graphics. The characters are cute and their personalities are interesting.
Depending on who you have in your team you will enjoy different scenarios and interactions while rehearsing and performing. Sometimes having certain characters will unlock special stories to learn more about the characters.
The game is old now, being out for a number of years, at least 3 or 4 that I know of, in Japan. Which explains why it is maybe lagging behind in some areas compared to similar games. But i’m still super excited, appreciative, grateful, etc that it finally got an English release. 🙂
It’s a free game and they give plenty of free gems, I have at least 6 SSR cards which you can see on my instagram feed. Muku is my favorite character and the Kitty Paradise card is my favorite. He is so kawaii :).
Anywas, I feel that the game is a bit dull and boring, unless you really enjoy Otome games – which I do – but for the average gamer, there is just nothing to do really in this game. It’s like Love Live, but with removing all gameplay elements. All you do is collect cards, “Bloom” cards (combine two of the same into one to upgrade them), train your actors, read the story, and perform different plays.
It would have been more fun if there was some type of interaction while performing, but it’s still a cute otome game if you like games of cute anime boys doing cute things, this game is for you. There are limited time events that give you the ability to collect special limited cards.
I recommend you check it out yourself, especially if you enjoy otome games.
Train your own actors in one of Japan’s top anime style mobile games, now in English! â– The Show Must Go On! You’re a former actress who in a sudden turn of events find yourself the director of a theater troupe on its last legs!
‎Train your own actors in one of Japan’s top anime style mobile games, now in English! â– The Show Must Go On! You’re a former actress who in a sudden turn of events find yourself the director of a theater troupe on its last legs!
BTS now has an official visual novel style game that puts you in the role of managing your favorite boy band. Unfortunately, it is a great concept but has poor execution. There are lots of features which sound fun, but somehow still miss the mark. Even if you love BTS, which I do, this game still feels dull and boring. But somehow it’s cute, and I still find myself playing it and hoping it will get better. I’m grateful they made this game and took time to translate the text to English. Even if it is rather mediocre at best.
Check out the full review below.
Name: BTS World
Genre: Visual Novel / Otome Game / Dating Sim / Manager Sim
The game has only been out for about 2 weeks at this point, so hopefully they can keep adding new updates to make the game more exciting. The first chapter is especially dull. It needs a better introduction to the game, because no one is going to stick around to keep playing when the first dozen or more missions are so lackluster. I keep playing to see the cute boys, but you could just watch BTS youtube videos and get the same effect lol.
Geeky: 2/5 – Gameplay is bad, story is boring, but yet, it is definitely geeky, only geeky girls (and guys?) who love BTS will play this game.
Sweetie: 5/5 – The game is cute, with each member being featured in their own chapters and putting you in the middle of their story – even though that story really isn’t good at all. I like being able to pretend to text/chat with BTS, and watch their cute reactions. Who is your favorite BTS member? I like Jimin and Jin. They are so cute.
Gameplay: 4/10 – I want to rate this higher… but I just can’t… It has so many features, collecting cards like in Love Live, visual novel/otome story like idea factory games, dressup minigames like love nikki, chatting/phoning like Mystic Messenger…. yet… somehow… even though it draws inspiration from all of these amazing popular games that I love… it somehow… feels flat to me… The features are there… but they lack heart if that makes any sense?
Also one thing that drives me crazy is we can’t take screenshots, and can’t share our cards / brag about rares, etc on social media; that kills a lot of the fun for me.
Story: 3/10 – The story is bad… really bad… Almost can’t force myself to keep playing the game because the story is so slow, boring, dull, just blah…. You guys know I don’t like giving spoilers when I review a game, I like to let you discover the stories for yourselves… I should add I’m not very far in the game yet? Maybe about half way through? Maybe it will get better?
To give you a “highlight” of the story “concept” BTS World takes place in an alternate universe where BTS has never met. You receive a strange message on your phone telling you that you have won a free ticket to a BTS concert, but when you arrive, it’s only a single member, who is waiting to sign a contract which you somehow mysteriously have been carrying around.
Surprise, you’re BTS’ manager. Only you have any memory of who BTS is in the “Real World”. Here in this alternate universe, you work at Big Hit and have been tasked with recruiting talent for a new boy band who will eventually become what we know as BTS.
You do this by progressing through a visual novel style game, although there are few choices along the way.
The game assumes alot about you as the player. It assumes you already know who BTS is, and that you have in depth intimate knowledge about each of the members of BTS. The game doesn’t really provide you any of this information, because why would you be playing this game unless you love BTS right? (that’s their thinking not mine, I personally “like” BTS, but I’m not really knowledgeable about every single member).
I think the story could be improved by assuming less. Giving the characters more… character? I want to learn/know more about each member of BTS while I’m playing… but I feel like it doesn’t really tell me much… which leaves me feeling uninterested…
The games first several missions are literally like “OMG it’s xyz Member, what’s he doing here? Oh he signed my contract, and teased me because I’m freaking out again. I’m a really bad manager. I will do my best to help BTS”
I rather it assume that the player only has minimal knowledge – or better yet even, no knowledge, of BTS. I rather see the members introduced doing things they enjoy/love, like what’s their favorite food, what other hobbies do they have aside from kpop, like maybe playing video games, playing basketball, reading, volunteering with animals, I dunno, whatever BTS does in their spare time.
I feel like that would add some… heart… or humanity… or something to this game…. Give me a reason to care about the characters….
The target audience of this game, the millions of ARMYs are probably perfectly happy with this game, as evidenced by the 4.8 rating on Google…. I don’t consider myself an ARMY… but I do consider myself a fan of BTS – as evidenced here the last month or two that I’ve been sharing my listening habits with you readers, you can see I constantly list BTS (among also other KPop artists).
But even though I’m a fan, I couldn’t tell you too much; hell I can’t even name every member honestly – sorry, I’m not like die-hard… I’m just kinda a casual fan… but I would like to play this game too… but it just… frustrates me that I feel detached from the story and characters because the game does nothing to introduce them, tell me about them, let me “get to know them”.
Which leads us to…
Characters: 7/10 – I’m rating this highly – I am taking points away for the lack of character “development” – but the characters are actual BTS members and they have made videos and pictures etc just for this game, which is really cute, where they speak right to you as a manager. And you can see cute clips and introductions and it’s very cute. I love the cute boys. That’s the only thing saving this game. lol.
Graphics: 8/10 – Sometimes… the graphics look very cheesy in the novel (main gameplay parts), because they are so stiff. I’m used to Live2D where the characters move fluidly… But… in other sections, even some high level cards, there is real video clips, and BTS is so cute, who couldn’t love the Graphics, really?
Voice: 10/10 – BTS provides voice clips for the game too. You can hear BTS talking to you :).
Music: 10/10 – What BTS game wouldn’t have good music? duh lol.
Replay Value: 2/10 – I’m not sure… it’s only been out for 2 weeks – will they have time-limited cards, special events, etc? I hope so, otherwise once you complete the story (which isn’t even that good in the first place) I see no reason to keep playing the game.
My Score: 51/80 64% D “Average Game For Girls” – Yeah, I’d say this game is really just Average. Much better games out there… but if you love BTS – and know a lot about BTS – like I know Millions of ARMYs do – then you will probably super love this game. For me, it’s just kinda cute/amusing but ultimately not a very good game at all, despite that I like BTS quite a bit, but my lack of intimate knowledge of the band and its members ultimately hurts my enjoyment of this game. Your mileage may vary, especially if you’re a BTS super fan. lol.
I had downloaded this game, Mr. Love Queen’s Choice, months ago, and forgot all about it, until I saw someone on instagram sharing a video stream of the game, and I was like wow that game looks fun. Then I saw it was by Elex, makers of Love Nikki Dressup Queen, and I was like, I need to play this game. Since then, I’ve sunk probably 20 hours into the game and am really enjoying it so far.
Release Date: I think I must have used Qoo App, because I am already playing the game, and it says Pre-register on the play store. Or maybe I got into beta? I am not sure, anyways, yes I am playing the game currently. You can check Qoo App, which is probably how I got it. And yes I’m playing it in English.
Overall: 65/80 81% B- “Very Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 3/5 – Basically just a card collecting game, but with a twist, you manage a TV studio and produce various korean tv shows and commercials. The cards have different skills such as if they’re good at drama or news or gourmet cooking shows, as well as stats for things such as affinity, decision, creativity, and other skills that you would expect an idol to need to have to be successful. Some cards are more rare than others. You can also level the cards up. But nothing too complex here, definitely a casual game.
Sweetie: 5/5 – there are otome aspects, sometimes the guys will call you, and it is partially voiced in English. The artwork is beautiful, the voice acting is pretty good, and the whole Kdrama Producer thing really speaks to anyone who loves simulation games.
Overview: 10/10 Mr Love Queen’s Choice lets you run a TV studio and recruit idols, as mentioned, with various specialties and stats. The main draw of the game is collecting idols, progressing through the story, and dating the idols. I think it is a unique concept, there’s a lot of idol producer games, but not too many that take a TV Studio theme.
Gameplay: 10/10 Gameplay is pretty simple, and if you’ve played Love Nikki you will be instantly familiar with the user interface as it seems to just be reskinned and given a new theme. No, this one is not a dressup game, but the way you progress through various levels, and the achievement system and basic interface are very similar. I give full marks to Gameplay because I’m really enjoying the simulation aspects of this game, casting idols based on their strengths as to who will perform best at various assignments. You also can experience otome game elements by choosing how to respond to various parts of the story. I am not sure how much consequence your choices carry – if any at all. But it is a nice touch.
Story: 10/10 – Actually for a mobile game, I’m really enjoying the story. First of all, yes I love korean dramas, and the thought of a game that lets you simulate your own Kdrama production studio, is a huge draw, but that’s not the only thing the story offers. You are daughter of a famous Producer who has passed away and left the studio to you, but it is struggling to stay afloat. As you struggle to step out of your Father’s shadow, and take the company to new heights, you also have recurring dreams about an accident that happened when you were a child. You narrowly escaped death and now your thoughts turn to trying to remember the face of the man who saved you all those years ago. As you’re occupied in your thoughts one day, you find yourself again in a similar situation and rescued by a mysterious man. Could it be the same man from your past? And why do these men keep appearing around you? One such man tells you that you are an Evolver, and that you do not know it yet, but you will soon awaken to your true powers. Leaving you (both as the character and the person playing the game) completely confused as to what he meant. Strange things also begin happening around town – could this be related to your supposed powers? The story offers a lot of mystery, intrigue, romance, and suspense. I have not fast forwarded or skipped a single screen.
Characters: 5/10 – I’m giving 5 out of 10 here. I do like the characters, and I appreciate they have a strong tie to the story, but there just aren’t enough characters to collect for an idol simulation game. I hope they continue to add new characters in the future!
Music: 5/10 – Kinda average, I don’t have strong feelings either way. I usually play mobile games on silent while other people are watching movies or something else anyways.
Voice Acting: 7/10 – I do like that they have voice acting in the game. It is in English, and some of the actors are really good… But some of them are not as good… I’d say overall though the acting is better than expected for a mobile game.
Graphics: 10/10 – I love the artwork of this game.
I am really into Idol M@ster Shiny Colors. Unlike other Idol M@ster Mobile Games or Love Live or Bang Dream, Idol M@ster Shiny Colors is not a rhythm game. Idol M@ster Shiny Colors is a simulation game. You are a producer and “hire” idols to work in your studio. You draw the idols from gacha.
Please note – I did not realize this when I played, but on your first 10 play gacha, you get UNLIMITED REROLLS by pushing the YELLOW BUTTON on the left. Once you are happy with your cards press the PINK button on the right. I didn’t know, I pushed the pink button and I only had one SSR. I have been thinking about starting over (and still might) but I think I had some pre-registration bonuses and other things I don’t want to lose by restarting the game. So definitely do not push the Pink button until you have the cards you want.
Collecting and dressing girls is the main appeal of the game. But what do you do once you have a team of idol girls? You can plan their schedule – like a true sim game. You can have them practice, give interviews, or other activities to promote their stats.
The stats also can be increased in a final-fantasy-style skill tree system where you spend skill points to unlock stat-bonuses like +20 vocals, +30 dance, +20 vitality, etc. Depending what “path” you take in the skill tree your girls will develop in different ways.
You have one main girl, and several other backup idols. The main girl is the one to gain from this skill tree system.
Performing a live show is quite different from other mobile idol games. It’s more almost like an RPG battle. You tap a girl’s face below the stage and then tap a “skill” along the left such as vocal, dance, etc. Then a colored bar will appear on the screen, try to time it right and tap the screen when the needle on the bar is in the white color. White will give you the highest bonus. Purple the least, and yellow a medium boost. You can also “link” your girls’ actions to perform together in one attack. On the right hand side of the screen are some other bubbles. i think, but could be wrong since I do not read Japanese, but think that you are competing against other idols, and as you perform these skills you can defeat the idols to the right hand side. But if you miss, you will notice your own idols on the left dropping off the screen. Once all the idols either on left or right are gone, the performance ends.
The artwork in the game is very kawaii, and SSR and higher cards have movie animations, both when retrieving from the Gacha and also when performing a live show. All of the idols are animated with Live 2D which brings the characters to life on your screen. Many of the cards have “multiple characters” on one card, and when performing a live show, or meeting the idols out in town, you may see special scenes featuring the characters all together.
The voice acting and music is also top notch as you would expect from an idol game.
Replay value is high due to limited time events that offer rewards such as gacha tickets and gems.
My only complaint is a lot of the gacha are for paid gems only. However, the gems are fairly cheap, you can get a few hundred gems for under $10 – I haven’t bought any yet.
Will we see Idol M@ster Shiny Colors get an English release? Probably not. They tried years ago to release some Idol M@ster games in English and it flopped – however, they wanted $65 for a mobile game – And worst of all, after it flopped, they pulled it down and even if you had paid for it you could no longer play it!!! I wish they would try again but with some of their “FREE” mobile games, either Shiny Colors, Theater Days, or Cinderella Girls. — But my hope is slim… However there are 2 things that give me a little bit of hope. 1.) They seem to understand that there may be English speaking players playing Shiny Colors, when the visual novel aspects come up and the choices appear, they show in English an emoji and English words that say “Perfect” “Good” “Normal” so even if you can’t read the choices you can pick the best response still. And when purchasing diamonds, the currency is shown in US Dollars, not in Yen, which is odd. I’ve literally never seen that ever before in any Japanese games. Which is a nice touch so I don’t have to try to convert it, if I ever decide to buy diamonds. And 2.) I have hope because we are getting more and more and more English idol games, with the upcoming Revue Starlight Re LIVE, or last year’s Bang Dream Girl’s Band Party and Utapri, or the ever popular Love Live School Idol Festival, we continue to receive more and more games in this genre, but we have yet to receive any of the free Idol M@ster games… Shiny Colors is only a few weeks old in Japan, maybe in a year or two we could hope to see an English release? But it is still fairly easy to play even in Japanese. But it would be nice to be able to enjoy the story! I’d be more likely to buy paid gems if the game was in English.
Scorecard:
Overall Score 70/80 88% B+ “Very Good Game For Girls”
Geeky: 5/5 – collect virtual waifus. very geeky. And simulation aspects set this game apart from other idol games.
Sweetie: 5/5 – the girls are adorable
Gameplay: 10/10 – finally a true simulation game, similar to Princess Maker or Tokimeki Memorial, you schedule your idol’s activities and watch their stats grow. I enjoy this much more than just a tappy tap rhythm game. Your girls develop in different ways based on your choices and I love that.
Story: 0/10 – I can’t read Japanese so this may not be a “fair score” but until an English version exists I can’t judge the storyline.
Characters: 10/10 – cute, gorgeous artwork, huge diversity of girls.
Artwork: 10/10 – cute, live 2D, SSR and higher cards have full movie animation sequences.
Voice Acting: 10/10 – all of the girls sound so cute.
Music: 10/10 – of course a game about idols is going to have catchy and cute music.
Replay Value: 10/10 – Lots of events, they give a lot of SR tickets and free Gems and the fact that this is a simulation game also adds replay value because the girls change based on decisions you make.
Overall Score 70/80 88% B+ “Very Good Game For Girls”
Revue Starlight Re LIVE is an idol simulation game based on the popular anime Revue Starlight. The game uses Live 2D technology to bring the anime characters to life. You can pre-register now for the English release at the Pre-Registration website at https://www.en.revuestarlight-relive.com/preregistration/
They are running an event for Pre-Registration where they will give out rare girls based on the number of users who pre-register. So get all of your friends to join so we can all benefit from more Waifus.
The game and anime story follows a group of 9 girls all competing for the center stage, the shining star, lead performer role. The girls who were once friends now find themselves as rivals.
Not many details are available on the pre-registration site, but I expect an experience similar to Love Live School Idol, Bang! Dream Girl’s Band Party, or Idol M@ster.
A game where you collect cute girls, level them up, add them to your team, and play a rhythm game in solo or multiplayer game modes while enjoying a simple slice of life story.
Although the gameplay may be simple, the allure of collecting rare and time-limited girls will keep players coming back.
There are many tutorials out there for how to play Japanese Google Play Store Apps on Your (non-Japanese) Android Device. When I got my Google Pixel 3 a few weeks ago I researched how to install games such as Idol M@ster Million Live. I found a tutorial of how to use Tunnel Bear VPN and create a 2nd Google account and change your country. I did so, and was able to download a few Japanese games no problem… but somehow inexplainably, a few hours later, without me doing any thing at all to my phone or new Google account, my country had changed to the United States. And Google has this weird policy where you can only change your country once every 365 days… I could in theory make about 365 different Google Play Store accounts – but there’s a much faster and easier way that allows you to download Japanese Google Play Store Apps without needing a VPN like Tunnelbear and without creating a 2nd Google Play Store account and without having to change your country.
The answer is Qoo App. I had used Qoo App before on Bluestacks to download some games so I was familiar already with the service.
Please Note: I have no idea how safe this is… I have not had any issues but I am not responsible for anything that may happen to your account or your device… Qoo App claims to personally verify every game on their site and be virus free. But I don’t actually know how safe this is – so please understand you are accepting some risk in using this service.
You will need to register an account and download the qoo app itself.
Qoo App cannot be obtained in the Google Play store.
But Android devices allow you to install apps from other sources – you will be presented a warning about how this app may harm your device – If you feel brave go ahead and accept the risk and install Qoo App.
Once Qoo App is installed, launch Qoo App to browse their games. It claims the games are coming directly from the google play stores. So now you can finally get those games that claim to not be available in your country.
Most games will not be in English – except for a few global versions of games that support multiple languages.
You can even Pre-register for up and coming games.
You can search for games with different tags, such as Otome or Fashion or Idol or RPG or Card to name a few! You’ll also be shown related similar apps to explore. You can also see the newest added games or see what’s popular right now.
Once you find a game you like, you can install it right from Qoo App.
After the game is installed, you will find it in your app drawer, just like a regular app that you would download from the Google Play Store. You don’t need to launch Qoo App to launch a game downloaded from Qoo App. Just launch the app right from your app drawer or create a shortcut on your home screen.
Qoo App lets you get games from Japan, China, Korea, and other Asian territories.
Not all games are available, but a huge selection are there.
Qoo App also has exclusive offers for in-game event items and bonuses.
They also provide reviews and news about new and upcoming Asian games.
Say goodbye to TunnelBear VPN and Hello to Qoo App.
I have a bad habit of not taking wig caps with me to my fittings and/or losing wig caps lol. I will buy wig cap before the anime convention next month. These pics aren’t great, because of no wig cap, and I also wasn’t wearing any makeup, not even lip gloss, lol.
But of course I was so excited that I couldn’t help taking like a million (OK about 40 lol) pictures in my costume.
As I was trying it on (and taking copious amounts of pictures in the fitting room lol) Kathy was putting the finishing details on the costume such as the ribbons on the crown and trimming the arm bands in the same cyan aqua blue color as the skirt / bows. That’s why you may notice some slight differences in each image. It was a work in progress.
It turned out SO cute though!!!
This costume has been a dream of mine for at least the past 3 or 4 years now. Ever since I got the UR Snowbird Kotori card in the Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game. I shamefully have not watched the Love Live School Idol Festival Anime yet – I hear it is really good though. I love the mobile game. Kotori is by far my favorite girl. I love all of her costumes. And her hair and face are just the cutest to me personally. Though everyone has their opinion on favorite girls when it comes to anime and games like this. There are a lot of other Kotori Minami Outfits I’d like to try someday.
But, the Snowman (sometimes also called Snowbird) Costume was my favorite!! I ordered a wand too but sadly it has not arrived – it’s been 3 months so looks like I got scammed – I would recommend not buying anything from Joebuy.com FYI lol. I have contacted their support 3 or 4 times inquiring about when my order will ship to no avail — but it’s probably just as well – while having a prop would make the costume more accurate, it would be a hindrance to enjoying my day at the convention. Hard to go shopping / carry a prop / carry shopping bags / and play arcade games or do an escape room puzzle etc.
This is (supposedly) a pic of the wand I had purchased (I say supposedly because these Chinese knock off sites are so notorious for stealing other people’s images etc). I purchased it on January 8th. This is now March 9th, and the order is marked as “processing” even though I have an email (and bank statement) saying that payment was received on January 8th.
Seriously guys don’t buy from this site… I’ve waited 3 months and it says it’s “In Stock” so why am I waiting 3 months? I think it’s a fake website / scam.
It’s a shame because it looked cute – and the snow bird to clip on my shoulder was perfect too — but like I said maybe it’s fate or kismet that the wand didn’t ship because I would have been stuck holding/carrying it all over all day.
As you can see, in the original Kotori Snowbird Costume – the top is like a teddy or lingerie, with a slit all the way down the front, bearing the stomach…
1.) I’m chubby
2.) I have scars from a surgery on my tummy
3.) I wanted to be a bit more modest because of my age (36).
Yet, even with the modifications to the top, it still perfectly captures the spirit and design of the character. I kinda like the fact that I “pulled off” a fairly accurate representation of the character as a “plus size” cosplayer. A lot of girls my size would be scared to cosplay a more revealing costume. But we were able to make a few modifications that made it more “plus size” friendly while still capturing the spirit and overall look of the original. I think us plus size gals should cosplay as whoever we want! And if you’re comfortable bearing your belly – more power to you, but I myself was not. The modifications to the top and skirt let me feel more comfortable – and still clearly represent the intended character. Anyone who has seen the UR Kotori Minami Snowbird Card in Love Live School Idol Festival would still know who I’m cosplaying as – and I don’t feel anyone would shame me for wearing something too revealing for my body size/shape (or age for that matter being in my 30s now).
People might still be like “EWW a fat Kotori.” but I don’t care. I’m comfortable in the costume, and feel it represents the character and does justice to it. I’m proud of my cosplay. And my opinion of my cosplay is the only opinion that should really matter to me. It has been a literal dream of mine for years now to cosplay this exact character. But I always wondered how I would pull it off, given my weight. But now, seeing my cosplay vision realized, it’s so exciting and so amazing and awesome. I’m so glad I stuck to my gut and my heart and went for the character I wanted to go as!!
This just proves cosplay is for everyone. You can always modify costumes to suit your needs. Just go have fun with it. You’ll be happy in the end. Even if you overhear people saying negative things, just ignore them, and enjoy your day. I’m sure I might get a few negative replies here about my costume, my appearance, my weight, or even the fact I haven’t watched the anime yet (maybe I’ll try to watch it before Tekko) (but at least I’ve played the game lol. I’m not a fake anime/gamer girl by any means. I do know the characters and chose this as a character and game that I love.)
Other modifications were made
– Skirt was lengthened a great deal.
No bloomers —
Because instead of thigh highs, I ordered custom leggings from Artscow.
I wish I had made the blue stripes on the one leg wider and more noticeable now that I’m looking at it. But overall happy and would recommend Artscow. Their lead and delivery time felt a bit long, but you can make any kind of leggings – or dresses – or anything you want with your own art work. It was easy enough to create a white/blue stripe pattern in photoshop and save and upload my design. Price was fair too.
I chose leggings instead of thigh highs because:
1.) I couldn’t find blue and white vertical striped stockings anywhere. – horizontal stripes a plenty, but vertical no where to be found.
2.) I know I could have bought fabric paint and painted my own stripes onto plain white opaque stockings
3.) But 1, I worried about a steady enough hand to make the lines look straight and neat and tidy.
4.) I worried that my thigh highs would roll down to like knee highs, which is usually what happens when I wear thigh highs. Especially since David Lawrence Convention Center is HUGE. And I’ll be doing a LOT of Walking…
I know in the original artwork for the card within the game, we can’t see what Kotori’s shoes look like. But action figures and other character goods have been released which show a blue heeled shoe.
I have a VERY wide foot – So wide that sometimes even buying wide shoes does not fit me…. I found a pair of DOUBLE WIDE shoes on amazon… They run actually BIG… I had to return and go a size smaller (in length) and still my heel pops out sometimes. My shoes are not pictured in any of my cosplay photos yet. And yes, I know they’re not the right shade of blue. But none the less, they are close…. They aren’t very comfortable… But women wear uncomfortable shoes all the time. I can do it too I guess, for a day…
These are the shoes I ordered:
I know, not exact, but you have NO idea HOW HARD IT IS to find a “CUTE” wide width shoe – period – and then expect it to be BLUE — or a very specific SHADE of blue??? Forget it LOL….. Not happening….
If I was a millionaire I would make my own company that made wide width shoes for young women that were cute, sexy, trendy, AND MOST OF ALL, comfortable!!
Like most women, I love shoes!! But I can’t buy/collect shoes like other women because they NEVER fit — and what DOES fit me — Birkenstocks, Clarks, Cobbie Cuddlers, Earth Brands, etc — do not offer attractive designs….
Anyways — I think I’m going to wear my shoes from amazon (pictured above)… I may regret it – I haven’t broken them in — the toe box is a little too narrow, the heel is a little too wide, the top of the toes feel like they’re putting pressure on my toes. A bit – like not overly uncomfortable… I dunno lol. It’s like they’re not as comfortable as my Go to Shoes / Sandals (Clarks usually) — But sacrifices must be made in the name of fashion — at least when it comes to cosplay! LOL… But all this walking…. Maybe I will bring a backpack or some type of tote bag large enough to fit a pair of comfy shoes and trade off if my feet are hurting too much – I don’t want to ruin my whole day at the convention and not enjoy myself! And I could use said tote or backpack to store my goodies, my wallet, and anything I pick up at the convention.
So after writing this last paragraph, I took a break from writing this blog post, and decided to order a custom print crossbody bag that should hopefully be able to fit a comfy pair of shoes.
I ordered this from Artscow whom I also ordered the leggings from. I am kinda iffy as to if it will arrive before Tekko but nonetheless, I will use the bag on other occasions, even including just everyday use. And it’s not like this is the last time I will wear this costume either, so I will have it for next time I bust out the Kotori cosplay 🙂 To get free shipping (for orders over $20), I also ordered a Mini button with the same image (for just $0.99 – much better than the nearly $20 shipping fee lol).
I’m not even sure it’ll be large enough to fit a pair of shoes? I hope so though. I found this other crossbody photo bag on another site, for like twice as much (shown below)
Now clearly that looks large enough to fit a pair of sandals, flipflops, or flats.
The measurements on snaptote’s site are as follows:
9.5″W x 12.25″H x 1″D
The measurements for the one on Artcow are as follows:
10.25″(W) x 12″(H) x 2.5″(D)
Which means if those measurements are accurate Artcows is a bit wider, a quarter of an inch shorter, and almost 3 times deeper….
If the picture from snaptote is accurate in showing the bag on a woman’s body….
That should be plenty big for shoes —
If not… Well a girl’s gotta have a purse anyways — and I like the idea that my purse will show people “who I am” – both at the convention as part of my cosplay — and for everyday use by showing I’m a geeky anime and gamer girl. So all is not lost even if it doesn’t suit my plans for packing a spare pair of comfy shoes lol.
It’s like someone can come up and ask me who I am supposed to be at the convention and I can show them my purse and tell them I’m Kotori Minami from Love Live School Idol. OR Someone on the street or at a store or restaurant could see my bag and be like OMG I love Kotori too, or I love Love Live School Idol Festival too! Or even just “I love anime too” or even just “I love your bag!” I get compliments all the time anymore when I’m out I think it’s 2 fold – 1 I’m happier now than I have been in a long, long time. People are drawn to that happy energy – and 2. I buy 95% of my outfits on amazon and etsy custom made, and really weird farout there, I will do some reviews of some of the shops I frequently purchase from online, but the number 1 place I have found is on amazon and called CowCow – not to be confused with ArtsCow. I haven’t tried making a dress on Artscow yet – they do have that option though. – I have unicorn dresses, cat dresses, dinosaur dresses, candy dresses, rabbit dresses, just all these wacky crazy print dresses lol. Everywhere I go, people take notice because I’m unique and stand out because I’m not afraid to be myself and embrace it and rock my geekyness. I get compliments all the time. For a long time too I was dying my hair rainbow colors – but had to stop because of my hair getting so damaged from continuous bleaching. I also had a formal event to go to, so seemed like a good time to give my hair a break for a bit. lol.
My Fashions
Anyways the last prop that you haven’t really seen up close yet is the crown. I ordered this crown on ebay for hella cheap, and my seamstress sewed the blue/white striped bow onto one end. It clips into hair with two barrettes. It is a little heavy and weighs the wig down some. I’m hoping once I have wig cap and wig on properly it will be less slippery.
Yes, I know it’s not quite the exact shade of blue, but close enough and so cheap (I think it was like 2 dollars).
I even have the perfect nail polish for my costume too, assuming I can remember what shade this was lol. I always get my nails done at the salon because Gel polishes are just so much better than regular polish, Lasts 3 or 4 weeks and I can go swimming in it or do anything and it doesn’t come off. So nice.
#shiny #sparkle my new #mermaid #mermaidnails #nails #manicure #manipedi #nailart #turquoise #teal #cyan #aqua #bluegreen #greenblue #bluenails #greennails #kawaii #cute
Having shown you everything there is to see, I will leave you with some close up larger images of my costume itself. Sorry these pictures are pretty terrible. I actually had a really stressful bad day yesterday – Seeing my costume — and my boyfriend’s reaction to my costume though made my day so much better / darn near perfect lol. But the stress from earlier in the day left deep shadows on my eyes and broke out my skin a bit. I also don’t have any makeup on, not even lip gloss, and had no wig cap, so my dark hair is showing through / looking a mess lol.
Hopefully I will take more pics at Tekko – I was just excited lastnight seeing my finished costume for the first time and wanted to see the “complete look”.
If you see me at Tekko feel free to say hi!! Come talk to me about some Shoujo anime/manga, video games, or Asian Balljointed Dolls and similar toys. I’m really shy but if others talk to me first, I generally will reciprocate 🙂 I’m just recently getting back into cosplay and conventions. I’m dragging my boyfriend to Tekko with me even though he’s not into anime – It’s so nice to have someone to go with. We are both looking forward to the Escape Room and Arcade and other fun activities – Maybe some Board Games. I’m probably mostly looking forward to the Dealer Room LOL I wonder if they will have any Asian balljointed dolls or accessories, or pure neemos, or other dolls? Not that I can afford to spend much there this year :(… Life happens lol. Next year I will plan better and save more. :). My upcoming trip to Peru and some unexpected car repairs have zonked me hard. We’re also looking to do a short overnight/weekender local roadtrip type trip next month (potentially if it isn’t booked full yet). It’ll still be fun though just to wear my costume and walk around looking at everything and playing in the Arcade and Escape Room with my boyfriend.
I’m really looking forward to Tekko – it will be my first anime convention in probably 10 years or more. I’ve (recently) been to a few other geeky conventions but not anime specific, nor as large as, Tekko. I used to go to Tekko when it was further north outside of pittsburgh – I forget where? A marriott somewhere – maybe cranberry or monroeville- when it first started and for the first 3 or 4 years. – Man it’s been forever since I’ve been back to Tekko. I can’t wait! We will have so much fun.
Here are a few pics showing more of the details of my costume. Please excuse that they’re not photo perfect yet (no wigcap, shoes, makeup etc and I’m looking a little stressed/tired) — The costume is still cute though!! Can’t wait to wear it at Tekko!!
I have a bad habit of not taking wig caps with me to my fittings and/or losing wig caps lol. I will buy wig cap before the anime convention next month. These pics aren’t great, because of no wig cap, and I also wasn’t wearing any makeup, not even lip gloss, lol.
But of course I was so excited that I couldn’t help taking like a million (OK about 40 lol) pictures in my costume.
As I was trying it on (and taking copious amounts of pictures in the fitting room lol) Kathy was putting the finishing details on the costume such as the ribbons on the crown and trimming the arm bands in the same cyan aqua blue color as the skirt / bows. That’s why you may notice some slight differences in each image. It was a work in progress.
It turned out SO cute though!!!
This costume has been a dream of mine for at least the past 3 or 4 years now. Ever since I got the UR Snowbird Kotori card in the Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game. I shamefully have not watched the Love Live School Idol Festival Anime yet – I hear it is really good though. I love the mobile game. Kotori is by far my favorite girl. I love all of her costumes. And her hair and face are just the cutest to me personally. Though everyone has their opinion on favorite girls when it comes to anime and games like this. There are a lot of other Kotori Minami Outfits I’d like to try someday.
But, the Snowman (sometimes also called Snowbird) Costume was my favorite!! I ordered a wand too but sadly it has not arrived – it’s been 3 months so looks like I got scammed – I would recommend not buying anything from Joebuy.com FYI lol. I have contacted their support 3 or 4 times inquiring about when my order will ship to no avail — but it’s probably just as well – while having a prop would make the costume more accurate, it would be a hindrance to enjoying my day at the convention. Hard to go shopping / carry a prop / carry shopping bags / and play arcade games or do an escape room puzzle etc.
This is (supposedly) a pic of the wand I had purchased (I say supposedly because these Chinese knock off sites are so notorious for stealing other people’s images etc). I purchased it on January 8th. This is now March 9th, and the order is marked as “processing” even though I have an email (and bank statement) saying that payment was received on January 8th.
Seriously guys don’t buy from this site… I’ve waited 3 months and it says it’s “In Stock” so why am I waiting 3 months? I think it’s a fake website / scam.
It’s a shame because it looked cute – and the snow bird to clip on my shoulder was perfect too — but like I said maybe it’s fate or kismet that the wand didn’t ship because I would have been stuck holding/carrying it all over all day.
As you can see, in the original Kotori Snowbird Costume – the top is like a teddy or lingerie, with a slit all the way down the front, bearing the stomach…
1.) I’m chubby
2.) I have scars from a surgery on my tummy
3.) I wanted to be a bit more modest because of my age (36).
Yet, even with the modifications to the top, it still perfectly captures the spirit and design of the character. I kinda like the fact that I “pulled off” a fairly accurate representation of the character as a “plus size” cosplayer. A lot of girls my size would be scared to cosplay a more revealing costume. But we were able to make a few modifications that made it more “plus size” friendly while still capturing the spirit and overall look of the original. I think us plus size gals should cosplay as whoever we want! And if you’re comfortable bearing your belly – more power to you, but I myself was not. The modifications to the top and skirt let me feel more comfortable – and still clearly represent the intended character. Anyone who has seen the UR Kotori Minami Snowbird Card in Love Live School Idol Festival would still know who I’m cosplaying as – and I don’t feel anyone would shame me for wearing something too revealing for my body size/shape (or age for that matter being in my 30s now).
People might still be like “EWW a fat Kotori.” but I don’t care. I’m comfortable in the costume, and feel it represents the character and does justice to it. I’m proud of my cosplay. And my opinion of my cosplay is the only opinion that should really matter to me. It has been a literal dream of mine for years now to cosplay this exact character. But I always wondered how I would pull it off, given my weight. But now, seeing my cosplay vision realized, it’s so exciting and so amazing and awesome. I’m so glad I stuck to my gut and my heart and went for the character I wanted to go as!!
This just proves cosplay is for everyone. You can always modify costumes to suit your needs. Just go have fun with it. You’ll be happy in the end. Even if you overhear people saying negative things, just ignore them, and enjoy your day. I’m sure I might get a few negative replies here about my costume, my appearance, my weight, or even the fact I haven’t watched the anime yet (maybe I’ll try to watch it before Tekko) (but at least I’ve played the game lol. I’m not a fake anime/gamer girl by any means. I do know the characters and chose this as a character and game that I love.)
Other modifications were made
– Skirt was lengthened a great deal.
No bloomers —
Because instead of thigh highs, I ordered custom leggings from Artscow.
I wish I had made the blue stripes on the one leg wider and more noticeable now that I’m looking at it. But overall happy and would recommend Artscow. Their lead and delivery time felt a bit long, but you can make any kind of leggings – or dresses – or anything you want with your own art work. It was easy enough to create a white/blue stripe pattern in photoshop and save and upload my design. Price was fair too.
I chose leggings instead of thigh highs because:
1.) I couldn’t find blue and white vertical striped stockings anywhere. – horizontal stripes a plenty, but vertical no where to be found.
2.) I know I could have bought fabric paint and painted my own stripes onto plain white opaque stockings
3.) But 1, I worried about a steady enough hand to make the lines look straight and neat and tidy.
4.) I worried that my thigh highs would roll down to like knee highs, which is usually what happens when I wear thigh highs. Especially since David Lawrence Convention Center is HUGE. And I’ll be doing a LOT of Walking…
I know in the original artwork for the card within the game, we can’t see what Kotori’s shoes look like. But action figures and other character goods have been released which show a blue heeled shoe.
I have a VERY wide foot – So wide that sometimes even buying wide shoes does not fit me…. I found a pair of DOUBLE WIDE shoes on amazon… They run actually BIG… I had to return and go a size smaller (in length) and still my heel pops out sometimes. My shoes are not pictured in any of my cosplay photos yet. And yes, I know they’re not the right shade of blue. But none the less, they are close…. They aren’t very comfortable… But women wear uncomfortable shoes all the time. I can do it too I guess, for a day…
These are the shoes I ordered:
I know, not exact, but you have NO idea HOW HARD IT IS to find a “CUTE” wide width shoe – period – and then expect it to be BLUE — or a very specific SHADE of blue??? Forget it LOL….. Not happening….
If I was a millionaire I would make my own company that made wide width shoes for young women that were cute, sexy, trendy, AND MOST OF ALL, comfortable!!
Like most women, I love shoes!! But I can’t buy/collect shoes like other women because they NEVER fit — and what DOES fit me — Birkenstocks, Clarks, Cobbie Cuddlers, Earth Brands, etc — do not offer attractive designs….
Anyways — I think I’m going to wear my shoes from amazon (pictured above)… I may regret it – I haven’t broken them in — the toe box is a little too narrow, the heel is a little too wide, the top of the toes feel like they’re putting pressure on my toes. A bit – like not overly uncomfortable… I dunno lol. It’s like they’re not as comfortable as my Go to Shoes / Sandals (Clarks usually) — But sacrifices must be made in the name of fashion — at least when it comes to cosplay! LOL… But all this walking…. Maybe I will bring a backpack or some type of tote bag large enough to fit a pair of comfy shoes and trade off if my feet are hurting too much – I don’t want to ruin my whole day at the convention and not enjoy myself! And I could use said tote or backpack to store my goodies, my wallet, and anything I pick up at the convention.
So after writing this last paragraph, I took a break from writing this blog post, and decided to order a custom print crossbody bag that should hopefully be able to fit a comfy pair of shoes.
I ordered this from Artscow whom I also ordered the leggings from. I am kinda iffy as to if it will arrive before Tekko but nonetheless, I will use the bag on other occasions, even including just everyday use. And it’s not like this is the last time I will wear this costume either, so I will have it for next time I bust out the Kotori cosplay 🙂 To get free shipping (for orders over $20), I also ordered a Mini button with the same image (for just $0.99 – much better than the nearly $20 shipping fee lol).
I’m not even sure it’ll be large enough to fit a pair of shoes? I hope so though. I found this other crossbody photo bag on another site, for like twice as much (shown below)
Now clearly that looks large enough to fit a pair of sandals, flipflops, or flats.
The measurements on snaptote’s site are as follows:
9.5″W x 12.25″H x 1″D
The measurements for the one on Artcow are as follows:
10.25″(W) x 12″(H) x 2.5″(D)
Which means if those measurements are accurate Artcows is a bit wider, a quarter of an inch shorter, and almost 3 times deeper….
If the picture from snaptote is accurate in showing the bag on a woman’s body….
That should be plenty big for shoes —
If not… Well a girl’s gotta have a purse anyways — and I like the idea that my purse will show people “who I am” – both at the convention as part of my cosplay — and for everyday use by showing I’m a geeky anime and gamer girl. So all is not lost even if it doesn’t suit my plans for packing a spare pair of comfy shoes lol.
It’s like someone can come up and ask me who I am supposed to be at the convention and I can show them my purse and tell them I’m Kotori Minami from Love Live School Idol. OR Someone on the street or at a store or restaurant could see my bag and be like OMG I love Kotori too, or I love Love Live School Idol Festival too! Or even just “I love anime too” or even just “I love your bag!” I get compliments all the time anymore when I’m out I think it’s 2 fold – 1 I’m happier now than I have been in a long, long time. People are drawn to that happy energy – and 2. I buy 95% of my outfits on amazon and etsy custom made, and really weird farout there, I will do some reviews of some of the shops I frequently purchase from online, but the number 1 place I have found is on amazon and called CowCow – not to be confused with ArtsCow. I haven’t tried making a dress on Artscow yet – they do have that option though. – I have unicorn dresses, cat dresses, dinosaur dresses, candy dresses, rabbit dresses, just all these wacky crazy print dresses lol. Everywhere I go, people take notice because I’m unique and stand out because I’m not afraid to be myself and embrace it and rock my geekyness. I get compliments all the time. For a long time too I was dying my hair rainbow colors – but had to stop because of my hair getting so damaged from continuous bleaching. I also had a formal event to go to, so seemed like a good time to give my hair a break for a bit. lol.
My Fashions
Anyways the last prop that you haven’t really seen up close yet is the crown. I ordered this crown on ebay for hella cheap, and my seamstress sewed the blue/white striped bow onto one end. It clips into hair with two barrettes. It is a little heavy and weighs the wig down some. I’m hoping once I have wig cap and wig on properly it will be less slippery.
Yes, I know it’s not quite the exact shade of blue, but close enough and so cheap (I think it was like 2 dollars).
I even have the perfect nail polish for my costume too, assuming I can remember what shade this was lol. I always get my nails done at the salon because Gel polishes are just so much better than regular polish, Lasts 3 or 4 weeks and I can go swimming in it or do anything and it doesn’t come off. So nice.
Having shown you everything there is to see, I will leave you with some close up larger images of my costume itself. Sorry these pictures are pretty terrible. I actually had a really stressful bad day yesterday – Seeing my costume — and my boyfriend’s reaction to my costume though made my day so much better / darn near perfect lol. But the stress from earlier in the day left deep shadows on my eyes and broke out my skin a bit. I also don’t have any makeup on, not even lip gloss, and had no wig cap, so my dark hair is showing through / looking a mess lol.
Hopefully I will take more pics at Tekko – I was just excited lastnight seeing my finished costume for the first time and wanted to see the “complete look”.
If you see me at Tekko feel free to say hi!! Come talk to me about some Shoujo anime/manga, video games, or Asian Balljointed Dolls and similar toys. I’m really shy but if others talk to me first, I generally will reciprocate 🙂 I’m just recently getting back into cosplay and conventions. I’m dragging my boyfriend to Tekko with me even though he’s not into anime – It’s so nice to have someone to go with. We are both looking forward to the Escape Room and Arcade and other fun activities – Maybe some Board Games. I’m probably mostly looking forward to the Dealer Room LOL I wonder if they will have any Asian balljointed dolls or accessories, or pure neemos, or other dolls? Not that I can afford to spend much there this year :(… Life happens lol. Next year I will plan better and save more. :). My upcoming trip to Peru and some unexpected car repairs have zonked me hard. We’re also looking to do a short overnight/weekender local roadtrip type trip next month (potentially if it isn’t booked full yet). It’ll still be fun though just to wear my costume and walk around looking at everything and playing in the Arcade and Escape Room with my boyfriend.
I’m really looking forward to Tekko – it will be my first anime convention in probably 10 years or more. I’ve (recently) been to a few other geeky conventions but not anime specific, nor as large as, Tekko. I used to go to Tekko when it was further north outside of pittsburgh – I forget where? A marriott somewhere – maybe cranberry or monroeville- when it first started and for the first 3 or 4 years. – Man it’s been forever since I’ve been back to Tekko. I can’t wait! We will have so much fun.
Here are a few pics showing more of the details of my costume. Please excuse that they’re not photo perfect yet (no wigcap, shoes, makeup etc and I’m looking a little stressed/tired) — The costume is still cute though!! Can’t wait to wear it at Tekko!!
I have a bad habit of not taking wig caps with me to my fittings and/or losing wig caps lol. I will buy wig cap before the anime convention next month. These pics aren’t great, because of no wig cap, and I also wasn’t wearing any makeup, not even lip gloss, lol.
But of course I was so excited that I couldn’t help taking like a million (OK about 40 lol) pictures in my costume.
As I was trying it on (and taking copious amounts of pictures in the fitting room lol) Kathy was putting the finishing details on the costume such as the ribbons on the crown and trimming the arm bands in the same cyan aqua blue color as the skirt / bows. That’s why you may notice some slight differences in each image. It was a work in progress.
It turned out SO cute though!!!
This costume has been a dream of mine for at least the past 3 or 4 years now. Ever since I got the UR Snowbird Kotori card in the Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game. I shamefully have not watched the Love Live School Idol Festival Anime yet – I hear it is really good though. I love the mobile game. Kotori is by far my favorite girl. I love all of her costumes. And her hair and face are just the cutest to me personally. Though everyone has their opinion on favorite girls when it comes to anime and games like this. There are a lot of other Kotori Minami Outfits I’d like to try someday.
But, the Snowman (sometimes also called Snowbird) Costume was my favorite!! I ordered a wand too but sadly it has not arrived – it’s been 3 months so looks like I got scammed – I would recommend not buying anything from Joebuy.com FYI lol. I have contacted their support 3 or 4 times inquiring about when my order will ship to no avail — but it’s probably just as well – while having a prop would make the costume more accurate, it would be a hindrance to enjoying my day at the convention. Hard to go shopping / carry a prop / carry shopping bags / and play arcade games or do an escape room puzzle etc.
This is (supposedly) a pic of the wand I had purchased (I say supposedly because these Chinese knock off sites are so notorious for stealing other people’s images etc). I purchased it on January 8th. This is now March 9th, and the order is marked as “processing” even though I have an email (and bank statement) saying that payment was received on January 8th.
Seriously guys don’t buy from this site… I’ve waited 3 months and it says it’s “In Stock” so why am I waiting 3 months? I think it’s a fake website / scam.
It’s a shame because it looked cute – and the snow bird to clip on my shoulder was perfect too — but like I said maybe it’s fate or kismet that the wand didn’t ship because I would have been stuck holding/carrying it all over all day.
As you can see, in the original Kotori Snowbird Costume – the top is like a teddy or lingerie, with a slit all the way down the front, bearing the stomach…
1.) I’m chubby
2.) I have scars from a surgery on my tummy
3.) I wanted to be a bit more modest because of my age (36).
Yet, even with the modifications to the top, it still perfectly captures the spirit and design of the character. I kinda like the fact that I “pulled off” a fairly accurate representation of the character as a “plus size” cosplayer. A lot of girls my size would be scared to cosplay a more revealing costume. But we were able to make a few modifications that made it more “plus size” friendly while still capturing the spirit and overall look of the original. I think us plus size gals should cosplay as whoever we want! And if you’re comfortable bearing your belly – more power to you, but I myself was not. The modifications to the top and skirt let me feel more comfortable – and still clearly represent the intended character. Anyone who has seen the UR Kotori Minami Snowbird Card in Love Live School Idol Festival would still know who I’m cosplaying as – and I don’t feel anyone would shame me for wearing something too revealing for my body size/shape (or age for that matter being in my 30s now).
People might still be like “EWW a fat Kotori.” but I don’t care. I’m comfortable in the costume, and feel it represents the character and does justice to it. I’m proud of my cosplay. And my opinion of my cosplay is the only opinion that should really matter to me. It has been a literal dream of mine for years now to cosplay this exact character. But I always wondered how I would pull it off, given my weight. But now, seeing my cosplay vision realized, it’s so exciting and so amazing and awesome. I’m so glad I stuck to my gut and my heart and went for the character I wanted to go as!!
This just proves cosplay is for everyone. You can always modify costumes to suit your needs. Just go have fun with it. You’ll be happy in the end. Even if you overhear people saying negative things, just ignore them, and enjoy your day. I’m sure I might get a few negative replies here about my costume, my appearance, my weight, or even the fact I haven’t watched the anime yet (maybe I’ll try to watch it before Tekko) (but at least I’ve played the game lol. I’m not a fake anime/gamer girl by any means. I do know the characters and chose this as a character and game that I love.)
Other modifications were made
– Skirt was lengthened a great deal.
No bloomers —
Because instead of thigh highs, I ordered custom leggings from Artscow.
I wish I had made the blue stripes on the one leg wider and more noticeable now that I’m looking at it. But overall happy and would recommend Artscow. Their lead and delivery time felt a bit long, but you can make any kind of leggings – or dresses – or anything you want with your own art work. It was easy enough to create a white/blue stripe pattern in photoshop and save and upload my design. Price was fair too.
I chose leggings instead of thigh highs because:
1.) I couldn’t find blue and white vertical striped stockings anywhere. – horizontal stripes a plenty, but vertical no where to be found.
2.) I know I could have bought fabric paint and painted my own stripes onto plain white opaque stockings
3.) But 1, I worried about a steady enough hand to make the lines look straight and neat and tidy.
4.) I worried that my thigh highs would roll down to like knee highs, which is usually what happens when I wear thigh highs. Especially since David Lawrence Convention Center is HUGE. And I’ll be doing a LOT of Walking…
I know in the original artwork for the card within the game, we can’t see what Kotori’s shoes look like. But action figures and other character goods have been released which show a blue heeled shoe.
I have a VERY wide foot – So wide that sometimes even buying wide shoes does not fit me…. I found a pair of DOUBLE WIDE shoes on amazon… They run actually BIG… I had to return and go a size smaller (in length) and still my heel pops out sometimes. My shoes are not pictured in any of my cosplay photos yet. And yes, I know they’re not the right shade of blue. But none the less, they are close…. They aren’t very comfortable… But women wear uncomfortable shoes all the time. I can do it too I guess, for a day…
These are the shoes I ordered:
I know, not exact, but you have NO idea HOW HARD IT IS to find a “CUTE” wide width shoe – period – and then expect it to be BLUE — or a very specific SHADE of blue??? Forget it LOL….. Not happening….
If I was a millionaire I would make my own company that made wide width shoes for young women that were cute, sexy, trendy, AND MOST OF ALL, comfortable!!
Like most women, I love shoes!! But I can’t buy/collect shoes like other women because they NEVER fit — and what DOES fit me — Birkenstocks, Clarks, Cobbie Cuddlers, Earth Brands, etc — do not offer attractive designs….
Anyways — I think I’m going to wear my shoes from amazon (pictured above)… I may regret it – I haven’t broken them in — the toe box is a little too narrow, the heel is a little too wide, the top of the toes feel like they’re putting pressure on my toes. A bit – like not overly uncomfortable… I dunno lol. It’s like they’re not as comfortable as my Go to Shoes / Sandals (Clarks usually) — But sacrifices must be made in the name of fashion — at least when it comes to cosplay! LOL… But all this walking…. Maybe I will bring a backpack or some type of tote bag large enough to fit a pair of comfy shoes and trade off if my feet are hurting too much – I don’t want to ruin my whole day at the convention and not enjoy myself! And I could use said tote or backpack to store my goodies, my wallet, and anything I pick up at the convention.
So after writing this last paragraph, I took a break from writing this blog post, and decided to order a custom print crossbody bag that should hopefully be able to fit a comfy pair of shoes.
I ordered this from Artscow whom I also ordered the leggings from. I am kinda iffy as to if it will arrive before Tekko but nonetheless, I will use the bag on other occasions, even including just everyday use. And it’s not like this is the last time I will wear this costume either, so I will have it for next time I bust out the Kotori cosplay 🙂 To get free shipping (for orders over $20), I also ordered a Mini button with the same image (for just $0.99 – much better than the nearly $20 shipping fee lol).
I’m not even sure it’ll be large enough to fit a pair of shoes? I hope so though. I found this other crossbody photo bag on another site, for like twice as much (shown below)
Now clearly that looks large enough to fit a pair of sandals, flipflops, or flats.
The measurements on snaptote’s site are as follows:
9.5″W x 12.25″H x 1″D
The measurements for the one on Artcow are as follows:
10.25″(W) x 12″(H) x 2.5″(D)
Which means if those measurements are accurate Artcows is a bit wider, a quarter of an inch shorter, and almost 3 times deeper….
If the picture from snaptote is accurate in showing the bag on a woman’s body….
That should be plenty big for shoes —
If not… Well a girl’s gotta have a purse anyways — and I like the idea that my purse will show people “who I am” – both at the convention as part of my cosplay — and for everyday use by showing I’m a geeky anime and gamer girl. So all is not lost even if it doesn’t suit my plans for packing a spare pair of comfy shoes lol.
It’s like someone can come up and ask me who I am supposed to be at the convention and I can show them my purse and tell them I’m Kotori Minami from Love Live School Idol. OR Someone on the street or at a store or restaurant could see my bag and be like OMG I love Kotori too, or I love Love Live School Idol Festival too! Or even just “I love anime too” or even just “I love your bag!” I get compliments all the time anymore when I’m out I think it’s 2 fold – 1 I’m happier now than I have been in a long, long time. People are drawn to that happy energy – and 2. I buy 95% of my outfits on amazon and etsy custom made, and really weird farout there, I will do some reviews of some of the shops I frequently purchase from online, but the number 1 place I have found is on amazon and called CowCow – not to be confused with ArtsCow. I haven’t tried making a dress on Artscow yet – they do have that option though. – I have unicorn dresses, cat dresses, dinosaur dresses, candy dresses, rabbit dresses, just all these wacky crazy print dresses lol. Everywhere I go, people take notice because I’m unique and stand out because I’m not afraid to be myself and embrace it and rock my geekyness. I get compliments all the time. For a long time too I was dying my hair rainbow colors – but had to stop because of my hair getting so damaged from continuous bleaching. I also had a formal event to go to, so seemed like a good time to give my hair a break for a bit. lol.
My Fashions
Anyways the last prop that you haven’t really seen up close yet is the crown. I ordered this crown on ebay for hella cheap, and my seamstress sewed the blue/white striped bow onto one end. It clips into hair with two barrettes. It is a little heavy and weighs the wig down some. I’m hoping once I have wig cap and wig on properly it will be less slippery.
Yes, I know it’s not quite the exact shade of blue, but close enough and so cheap (I think it was like 2 dollars).
I even have the perfect nail polish for my costume too, assuming I can remember what shade this was lol. I always get my nails done at the salon because Gel polishes are just so much better than regular polish, Lasts 3 or 4 weeks and I can go swimming in it or do anything and it doesn’t come off. So nice.
Having shown you everything there is to see, I will leave you with some close up larger images of my costume itself. Sorry these pictures are pretty terrible. I actually had a really stressful bad day yesterday – Seeing my costume — and my boyfriend’s reaction to my costume though made my day so much better / darn near perfect lol. But the stress from earlier in the day left deep shadows on my eyes and broke out my skin a bit. I also don’t have any makeup on, not even lip gloss, and had no wig cap, so my dark hair is showing through / looking a mess lol.
Hopefully I will take more pics at Tekko – I was just excited lastnight seeing my finished costume for the first time and wanted to see the “complete look”.
If you see me at Tekko feel free to say hi!! Come talk to me about some Shoujo anime/manga, video games, or Asian Balljointed Dolls and similar toys. I’m really shy but if others talk to me first, I generally will reciprocate 🙂 I’m just recently getting back into cosplay and conventions. I’m dragging my boyfriend to Tekko with me even though he’s not into anime – It’s so nice to have someone to go with. We are both looking forward to the Escape Room and Arcade and other fun activities – Maybe some Board Games. I’m probably mostly looking forward to the Dealer Room LOL I wonder if they will have any Asian balljointed dolls or accessories, or pure neemos, or other dolls? Not that I can afford to spend much there this year :(… Life happens lol. Next year I will plan better and save more. :). My upcoming trip to Peru and some unexpected car repairs have zonked me hard. We’re also looking to do a short overnight/weekender local roadtrip type trip next month (potentially if it isn’t booked full yet). It’ll still be fun though just to wear my costume and walk around looking at everything and playing in the Arcade and Escape Room with my boyfriend.
I’m really looking forward to Tekko – it will be my first anime convention in probably 10 years or more. I’ve (recently) been to a few other geeky conventions but not anime specific, nor as large as, Tekko. I used to go to Tekko when it was further north outside of pittsburgh – I forget where? A marriott somewhere – maybe cranberry or monroeville- when it first started and for the first 3 or 4 years. – Man it’s been forever since I’ve been back to Tekko. I can’t wait! We will have so much fun.
Here are a few pics showing more of the details of my costume. Please excuse that they’re not photo perfect yet (no wigcap, shoes, makeup etc and I’m looking a little stressed/tired) — The costume is still cute though!! Can’t wait to wear it at Tekko!!
I have a bad habit of not taking wig caps with me to my fittings and/or losing wig caps lol. I will buy wig cap before the anime convention next month. These pics aren’t great, because of no wig cap, and I also wasn’t wearing any makeup, not even lip gloss, lol.
But of course I was so excited that I couldn’t help taking like a million (OK about 40 lol) pictures in my costume.
As I was trying it on (and taking copious amounts of pictures in the fitting room lol) Kathy was putting the finishing details on the costume such as the ribbons on the crown and trimming the arm bands in the same cyan aqua blue color as the skirt / bows. That’s why you may notice some slight differences in each image. It was a work in progress.
It turned out SO cute though!!!
This costume has been a dream of mine for at least the past 3 or 4 years now. Ever since I got the UR Snowbird Kotori card in the Love Live School Idol Festival mobile game. I shamefully have not watched the Love Live School Idol Festival Anime yet – I hear it is really good though. I love the mobile game. Kotori is by far my favorite girl. I love all of her costumes. And her hair and face are just the cutest to me personally. Though everyone has their opinion on favorite girls when it comes to anime and games like this. There are a lot of other Kotori Minami Outfits I’d like to try someday.
But, the Snowman (sometimes also called Snowbird) Costume was my favorite!! I ordered a wand too but sadly it has not arrived – it’s been 3 months so looks like I got scammed – I would recommend not buying anything from Joebuy.com FYI lol. I have contacted their support 3 or 4 times inquiring about when my order will ship to no avail — but it’s probably just as well – while having a prop would make the costume more accurate, it would be a hindrance to enjoying my day at the convention. Hard to go shopping / carry a prop / carry shopping bags / and play arcade games or do an escape room puzzle etc.
This is (supposedly) a pic of the wand I had purchased (I say supposedly because these Chinese knock off sites are so notorious for stealing other people’s images etc). I purchased it on January 8th. This is now March 9th, and the order is marked as “processing” even though I have an email (and bank statement) saying that payment was received on January 8th.
Seriously guys don’t buy from this site… I’ve waited 3 months and it says it’s “In Stock” so why am I waiting 3 months? I think it’s a fake website / scam.
It’s a shame because it looked cute – and the snow bird to clip on my shoulder was perfect too — but like I said maybe it’s fate or kismet that the wand didn’t ship because I would have been stuck holding/carrying it all over all day.
As you can see, in the original Kotori Snowbird Costume – the top is like a teddy or lingerie, with a slit all the way down the front, bearing the stomach…
1.) I’m chubby
2.) I have scars from a surgery on my tummy
3.) I wanted to be a bit more modest because of my age (36).
Yet, even with the modifications to the top, it still perfectly captures the spirit and design of the character. I kinda like the fact that I “pulled off” a fairly accurate representation of the character as a “plus size” cosplayer. A lot of girls my size would be scared to cosplay a more revealing costume. But we were able to make a few modifications that made it more “plus size” friendly while still capturing the spirit and overall look of the original. I think us plus size gals should cosplay as whoever we want! And if you’re comfortable bearing your belly – more power to you, but I myself was not. The modifications to the top and skirt let me feel more comfortable – and still clearly represent the intended character. Anyone who has seen the UR Kotori Minami Snowbird Card in Love Live School Idol Festival would still know who I’m cosplaying as – and I don’t feel anyone would shame me for wearing something too revealing for my body size/shape (or age for that matter being in my 30s now).
People might still be like “EWW a fat Kotori.” but I don’t care. I’m comfortable in the costume, and feel it represents the character and does justice to it. I’m proud of my cosplay. And my opinion of my cosplay is the only opinion that should really matter to me. It has been a literal dream of mine for years now to cosplay this exact character. But I always wondered how I would pull it off, given my weight. But now, seeing my cosplay vision realized, it’s so exciting and so amazing and awesome. I’m so glad I stuck to my gut and my heart and went for the character I wanted to go as!!
This just proves cosplay is for everyone. You can always modify costumes to suit your needs. Just go have fun with it. You’ll be happy in the end. Even if you overhear people saying negative things, just ignore them, and enjoy your day. I’m sure I might get a few negative replies here about my costume, my appearance, my weight, or even the fact I haven’t watched the anime yet (maybe I’ll try to watch it before Tekko) (but at least I’ve played the game lol. I’m not a fake anime/gamer girl by any means. I do know the characters and chose this as a character and game that I love.)
Other modifications were made
– Skirt was lengthened a great deal.
No bloomers —
Because instead of thigh highs, I ordered custom leggings from Artscow.
I wish I had made the blue stripes on the one leg wider and more noticeable now that I’m looking at it. But overall happy and would recommend Artscow. Their lead and delivery time felt a bit long, but you can make any kind of leggings – or dresses – or anything you want with your own art work. It was easy enough to create a white/blue stripe pattern in photoshop and save and upload my design. Price was fair too.
I chose leggings instead of thigh highs because:
1.) I couldn’t find blue and white vertical striped stockings anywhere. – horizontal stripes a plenty, but vertical no where to be found.
2.) I know I could have bought fabric paint and painted my own stripes onto plain white opaque stockings
3.) But 1, I worried about a steady enough hand to make the lines look straight and neat and tidy.
4.) I worried that my thigh highs would roll down to like knee highs, which is usually what happens when I wear thigh highs. Especially since David Lawrence Convention Center is HUGE. And I’ll be doing a LOT of Walking…
I know in the original artwork for the card within the game, we can’t see what Kotori’s shoes look like. But action figures and other character goods have been released which show a blue heeled shoe.
I have a VERY wide foot – So wide that sometimes even buying wide shoes does not fit me…. I found a pair of DOUBLE WIDE shoes on amazon… They run actually BIG… I had to return and go a size smaller (in length) and still my heel pops out sometimes. My shoes are not pictured in any of my cosplay photos yet. And yes, I know they’re not the right shade of blue. But none the less, they are close…. They aren’t very comfortable… But women wear uncomfortable shoes all the time. I can do it too I guess, for a day…
These are the shoes I ordered:
I know, not exact, but you have NO idea HOW HARD IT IS to find a “CUTE” wide width shoe – period – and then expect it to be BLUE — or a very specific SHADE of blue??? Forget it LOL….. Not happening….
If I was a millionaire I would make my own company that made wide width shoes for young women that were cute, sexy, trendy, AND MOST OF ALL, comfortable!!
Like most women, I love shoes!! But I can’t buy/collect shoes like other women because they NEVER fit — and what DOES fit me — Birkenstocks, Clarks, Cobbie Cuddlers, Earth Brands, etc — do not offer attractive designs….
Anyways — I think I’m going to wear my shoes from amazon (pictured above)… I may regret it – I haven’t broken them in — the toe box is a little too narrow, the heel is a little too wide, the top of the toes feel like they’re putting pressure on my toes. A bit – like not overly uncomfortable… I dunno lol. It’s like they’re not as comfortable as my Go to Shoes / Sandals (Clarks usually) — But sacrifices must be made in the name of fashion — at least when it comes to cosplay! LOL… But all this walking…. Maybe I will bring a backpack or some type of tote bag large enough to fit a pair of comfy shoes and trade off if my feet are hurting too much – I don’t want to ruin my whole day at the convention and not enjoy myself! And I could use said tote or backpack to store my goodies, my wallet, and anything I pick up at the convention.
So after writing this last paragraph, I took a break from writing this blog post, and decided to order a custom print crossbody bag that should hopefully be able to fit a comfy pair of shoes.
I ordered this from Artscow whom I also ordered the leggings from. I am kinda iffy as to if it will arrive before Tekko but nonetheless, I will use the bag on other occasions, even including just everyday use. And it’s not like this is the last time I will wear this costume either, so I will have it for next time I bust out the Kotori cosplay 🙂 To get free shipping (for orders over $20), I also ordered a Mini button with the same image (for just $0.99 – much better than the nearly $20 shipping fee lol).
I’m not even sure it’ll be large enough to fit a pair of shoes? I hope so though. I found this other crossbody photo bag on another site, for like twice as much (shown below)
Now clearly that looks large enough to fit a pair of sandals, flipflops, or flats.
The measurements on snaptote’s site are as follows:
9.5″W x 12.25″H x 1″D
The measurements for the one on Artcow are as follows:
10.25″(W) x 12″(H) x 2.5″(D)
Which means if those measurements are accurate Artcows is a bit wider, a quarter of an inch shorter, and almost 3 times deeper….
If the picture from snaptote is accurate in showing the bag on a woman’s body….
That should be plenty big for shoes —
If not… Well a girl’s gotta have a purse anyways — and I like the idea that my purse will show people “who I am” – both at the convention as part of my cosplay — and for everyday use by showing I’m a geeky anime and gamer girl. So all is not lost even if it doesn’t suit my plans for packing a spare pair of comfy shoes lol.
It’s like someone can come up and ask me who I am supposed to be at the convention and I can show them my purse and tell them I’m Kotori Minami from Love Live School Idol. OR Someone on the street or at a store or restaurant could see my bag and be like OMG I love Kotori too, or I love Love Live School Idol Festival too! Or even just “I love anime too” or even just “I love your bag!” I get compliments all the time anymore when I’m out I think it’s 2 fold – 1 I’m happier now than I have been in a long, long time. People are drawn to that happy energy – and 2. I buy 95% of my outfits on amazon and etsy custom made, and really weird farout there, I will do some reviews of some of the shops I frequently purchase from online, but the number 1 place I have found is on amazon and called CowCow – not to be confused with ArtsCow. I haven’t tried making a dress on Artscow yet – they do have that option though. – I have unicorn dresses, cat dresses, dinosaur dresses, candy dresses, rabbit dresses, just all these wacky crazy print dresses lol. Everywhere I go, people take notice because I’m unique and stand out because I’m not afraid to be myself and embrace it and rock my geekyness. I get compliments all the time. For a long time too I was dying my hair rainbow colors – but had to stop because of my hair getting so damaged from continuous bleaching. I also had a formal event to go to, so seemed like a good time to give my hair a break for a bit. lol.
My Fashions
Anyways the last prop that you haven’t really seen up close yet is the crown. I ordered this crown on ebay for hella cheap, and my seamstress sewed the blue/white striped bow onto one end. It clips into hair with two barrettes. It is a little heavy and weighs the wig down some. I’m hoping once I have wig cap and wig on properly it will be less slippery.
Yes, I know it’s not quite the exact shade of blue, but close enough and so cheap (I think it was like 2 dollars).
I even have the perfect nail polish for my costume too, assuming I can remember what shade this was lol. I always get my nails done at the salon because Gel polishes are just so much better than regular polish, Lasts 3 or 4 weeks and I can go swimming in it or do anything and it doesn’t come off. So nice.
Having shown you everything there is to see, I will leave you with some close up larger images of my costume itself. Sorry these pictures are pretty terrible. I actually had a really stressful bad day yesterday – Seeing my costume — and my boyfriend’s reaction to my costume though made my day so much better / darn near perfect lol. But the stress from earlier in the day left deep shadows on my eyes and broke out my skin a bit. I also don’t have any makeup on, not even lip gloss, and had no wig cap, so my dark hair is showing through / looking a mess lol.
Hopefully I will take more pics at Tekko – I was just excited lastnight seeing my finished costume for the first time and wanted to see the “complete look”.
If you see me at Tekko feel free to say hi!! Come talk to me about some Shoujo anime/manga, video games, or Asian Balljointed Dolls and similar toys. I’m really shy but if others talk to me first, I generally will reciprocate 🙂 I’m just recently getting back into cosplay and conventions. I’m dragging my boyfriend to Tekko with me even though he’s not into anime – It’s so nice to have someone to go with. We are both looking forward to the Escape Room and Arcade and other fun activities – Maybe some Board Games. I’m probably mostly looking forward to the Dealer Room LOL I wonder if they will have any Asian balljointed dolls or accessories, or pure neemos, or other dolls? Not that I can afford to spend much there this year :(… Life happens lol. Next year I will plan better and save more. :). My upcoming trip to Peru and some unexpected car repairs have zonked me hard. We’re also looking to do a short overnight/weekender local roadtrip type trip next month (potentially if it isn’t booked full yet). It’ll still be fun though just to wear my costume and walk around looking at everything and playing in the Arcade and Escape Room with my boyfriend.
I’m really looking forward to Tekko – it will be my first anime convention in probably 10 years or more. I’ve (recently) been to a few other geeky conventions but not anime specific, nor as large as, Tekko. I used to go to Tekko when it was further north outside of pittsburgh – I forget where? A marriott somewhere – maybe cranberry or monroeville- when it first started and for the first 3 or 4 years. – Man it’s been forever since I’ve been back to Tekko. I can’t wait! We will have so much fun.
Here are a few pics showing more of the details of my costume. Please excuse that they’re not photo perfect yet (no wigcap, shoes, makeup etc and I’m looking a little stressed/tired) — The costume is still cute though!! Can’t wait to wear it at Tekko!!
kawaiifluff 