THE COSPLAY: Studio Ghibli films have stayed close to my heart since I began watching them. I did not grow up on them, but was introduced to them in my early adult years by university friends. 

Almost immediately, I fell in love with the style of storytelling that Miyazaki used to capture simple joys in life. Additionally, I was further enthralled by the films’ use of strong female characters who are the heroes of their own stories. Of all of these, I felt my spirit stirred the greatest by San, the heroine in Princess Mononoke. Her strength comes from her own heart, as well as those of her adopted wolf family, and that of her beloved Ashitaka. While she is ready to lay down her life for her forest, she grows to realize that humans and nature are both stronger when they find a way to coexist and work together to live.

Originally, Princess Mononoke was my second cosplay I ever created. Even then, I was inspired to make my own original design of one of my favorite characters. Many of the materials in my original build that carried on to my current version are recycled and thrifted materials. I wanted to use this build to convey the importance of being as environmentally friendly as possible when creating costumes. In a large sense, the cosplay world has a reputation of being wasteful, with mass production of cosplays by overseas companies and waste created in making a costume from scratch. This is the complete opposite message behind the source material of this cosplay, so I wanted to bring some of the original spirit of the film into my build.

All of my fabrics, except for my fake fur, were made using thrifted bedsheets, curtains, and pillowcases. My leather is sourced from old leather garments, and couch cushions that were headed to the landfill. The beads on my cosplay are harvested from a beaded curtain that a neighbor of mine was giving away.

To update my cosplay to incorporate skills I have learned over the past year, I added new elements and updated old ones as needed. I wanted to create a Princess Mononoke that was both beautiful and terrifying, so I came up with an original design dubbed “Warmaster Mononoke.” My vision for this build was to create a version of San that might exist in the real world, or one that could possibly exist in an alternate universe of the film. 

I built an entirely new mask and spearhead from 10 mm EVA foam, and used a soldering iron and foam clay to add texture and dimension. I also built a wolf shoulder piece out of worbla, EVA foam, and lots of feathers. My other main addition to my project was Ashitaka’s sword, made from EVA foam and worbla, as well! This project was one of many small pieces, as shown by my strapping, beadwork, foam kodamas, and many more details. One of my favorite parts of my cosplay was the weathering. For this I used many different kinds of brown and gold paints, inks, and even a toothbrush and a cheese grater!

The entire cosplay was handmade, by me. I am filled with so much joy for being able to share my original design, with the world, and bring “Warmaster Mononoke” to life!


BIO: Hi, I’m Poppy, of Poppy Lop Cosplay! I am a native to the California Bay Area. Being a neuroscience major, my first love in life is STEM. However, cosplaying has quickly become one of my favorite things to do in my spare time. I began cosplaying in general and making my cosplays in January 2021 due to an abundance of free time given to me by a series of life events. 

Since my first convention in late August of 2021, I have won multiple awards (Judge’s Choice at SiliCon, Honorable Mention at Powerhouse, Second Place Journeyman at Dreamscape) and been on panels (Armor Attachments) and in publications (Cosplay Zine, The Cosplayer Annual). 

Still, I definitely feel like I have much to learn! With each cosplay I make, I try to teach myself at least one new skill, or to figure out new techniques and methods of crafting cosplay. Documenting my cosplay journey on Instagram has definitely had its challenges, but I have been so honored to learn from so many talented seamstresses, foam smiths, wig stylists, prop makers, and many more! Every new build I try to make as many work in progress pictures, videos, and tutorials as I can to share what I have learned. Join me on my Instagram page as we can continue to grow, together!

COSPLAY AND WORDS BY @POPPYLOP_COS
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO