All the right stuff
By now, you should know the score--cosplaying is a worldwide phenomenon, spanning all corners of the globe with video game appreciation by way of amazing costumes. Todays talented interviewee, Bastet-sama, hails from Argentina, and has an uncanny knack for capturing fighting game females in cosplay form. Were King of Fighters Angel to spring to life from a Neo-Geo cabinet, we imagine that this is exactly what shed look like. We asked Bastet-sama about her dedication to the hobby, with plenty of shots to vouch for her skills
All photos credited to MandragoraX.
GamesRadar: Why did you start cosplaying? What was your first costume?
Bastet-sama: I always loved to wear costumes, ever since I was little; it's always fun to play the role of someone else. I guess it was a natural thing when I started to go to anime conventions and saw other people wearing cosplays of their favorite characters. I wanted to try that too! I did, and Ive loved it ever since then.
GR: What does cosplaying mean to you?
BS: Cosplaying for me is an art. The art of bringing a fictional character into reality, making people forget about who you are, and convincing them that you are the character brought to life. Thats what I try to do in every cosplay I make.
GR: How much of a time-investment is this? What do you like to do outside of cosplaying?
BS: Taking cosplay seriously required a lot of time. For me, its very difficult, because of my work and responsibilities, but I always make some time to hone my cosplay craft. Besides cosplay, I like to play videogames and play the bass. I draw too, but that's part of my job. I also work out and practice martial arts--I like to be in shape.
GR: What's the strangest thing (material, prop, etc) you've used to complete a costume?
BS: I had to think this question over for a while, because I don't recall working with many "strange materials." But the strangest thing I did for a cosplay (it was a modeling commissioned work of an Original Character) was a life-size snake "plushie" that had to "crush me" in the pics.
GR: How much do you worry, if at all, about getting the look exactly right, down to the last detail?
BS: I worry 100% down to the last detail. In fact, I'm training very hard at the gym right now, because I want to do a very accurate Cammy cosplay. I'm not really interested in people saying ''Bastet-sama is cosplaying as Cammy.'' My goal is for people to say ''That's Cammy,'' and forget about me entirely. When the actor is more important than the character, you are losing the point of cosplay. That's why I'm very picky with the details.
GR: Whats your favorite video game?
BS: My favorite video games are Okami and Fatal Frame III. I've recently been playing Granado Espada, an online MMO game which is very addictive. I like retro games a lot too, because I grew up playing them.
GR: How you do choose which characters to cosplay?
BS: I have to love them in some way; could be the personality, the costume, or both. I like to cosplay video game characters the most--I think it fits with me.
GR: Whats your favorite costume among the ones youve worn and/or made?
BS: My favorite cosplay is my Elementalist dress from Granado Espada, which took me almost half a year to complete. I put a lot of effort into it, and I'm very happy with the result.
GR: What tips do you have for entry-level cosplayers?
BS: Never forget to enjoy what you do, and put all your heart and effort into it! With that attitude, you can achieve anything.
GR: What's the ultimate cosplay costume youve always wanted to make?
BS: I'm working on another Elementalist dress cosplay thats extremely complex. Itll probably take a lot of time, but when I do finally finish it, it will be my ultimate cosplay creation.
GR: What's your favorite food?
BS: I love Chinese food!
GR: Thanks for your time! Anything else youd like to add?
BS: Thank you very much for this interview!
Angelic
To see more of Bastet-samas copious amounts of spot-on cosplay, you can check out her personal website, both of her Facebook fan pages, Twitter, and Deviantart page, all of which are chock full of pictures of her amazing cosplay. Go ahead and give her a shout-out in appreciation of her fine work! Weve included more of our favorite shots of her video game and anime cosplaying--probably because we cant get enough of Bastet-samas Angel.
For more stunningly accurate cosplays, check out the Monika Lee Cosplay Spotlight and the Rainer Tachibana Cosplay Spotlight.
