THE COSPLAY: I found that out of all the player characters featured in Critical Role’s third campaign, Orym and I share the most features. The short brown hair, strong eyebrows, and delicate masculine features. While I don’t think that in order to cosplay a character well you need to share natural physical traits, this one was just too close to miss! I didn’t have to wear a wig or contacts for him, and no heavy make-up either (all of which I’m used to for my other cosplays). I love a full transformation cosplay, but this one was a simpler one to get back into cosplay again after a 2.5 year break.

WHAT DREW YOU TO YOUR CHARACTER?

I originally planned to cosplay Fearne, the fawn character from the same series as Orym. My sister and I both agreed however, that she would make a better Fearne, and I could make a pretty good Orym, mostly based on body type and my current haircut. 

I find Orym’s more quiet and ‘background' personality uncommon for the “main character” of a show and a really intriguing one. (I add quotes because in the format of Critical Role, there is no singular main character, but seven that collaboratively star and share in the creation of the story). Orym tends to not seek the spotlight but be at-the-ready to support his friends, which I can personally relate to. I also really appreciate that he is an explicitly queer character and his backstory and motivations are directly tied to this.

WHAT WENT INTO THE CREATION OF YOU COSPLAY?

The creation of the cosplay was a collaboration with my sister. She made the sword, shield and the base of the armor. She also helped start the sandals (which sadly fell apart on the walk to the shoot). 

The sword is a wood base with a clear acrylic panel in the center to allow light to peak through. Hot glue leaves created in a mold were stuck to the acrylic centerpiece with green resin. The swirls within the leaves were modeled by my sister and 3D printed. The shield is made from layers of EVA foam. 

The design was extrapolated from a half visible reference of the official Orym miniature shared by the show. We did our best to recreate the design and cut out the pieces with a Cricut to ensure they were uniform. The paint and weathering gave it a well-used and battleworn look. 

The underclothing was quite simple. The tattoo arm sleeve was very fun to make. We cut off a single leg of some tights, put it on my sister’s arm, I drew on it with fabric pens and then we sewed the shoulder end to the arm hole of the binder I was wearing underneath. This secured the sleeve well enough to keep it from sliding down.

WHAT WERE YOUR STRUGGLES?

The shoes! They looked so cute, but the staples we used to attach the uppers to the soles did not hold up to the stress of walking. We had to go back in and hand sew the straps to the soles of the shoes to wear them again.

WHAT WERE YOUR TRIUMPHS?

This was our first time making armor! The foam work was all done by my sister, and I painted it. We are super happy with how it turned out! I also love the tattoo sleeve and hand painted waist sash.

WHAT ARE YOU MOST PROUD OF?

I’m most proud of the armor, sword and shield. It is all shared pride with my sister.


BIO: I’ve been cosplaying for 8 years. This number doesn’t quite reflect the 2.5 year hiatus I took after January March 2020 however. I started with pre-made cosplays in 2014, my first being a group cosplay for Attack on Titan. The first cosplay I made (some of) was Percy de Rolo from Critical Role in 2016. I’ve grown quite a bit since then, made many cosplays, practiced more sewing skills making everyday garments, and while I don’t currently have as much time as I used to, cosplay is a very important hobby of mine.

WHAT INSPIRED YOU TO START?

My friends. We were a bunch of nerds who had never cosplayed before but were all into the same shows. I had also never been to a convention before, but I’d been told that it was more fun to go if you were dressed up. At the time, I also had the exact same haircut and color as Erwin from Attack on Titan, so it was super easy to choose a character. Sophie (part of our current cosplay group) was one of these friends that was with me from the very start! She had been going to Fanime for many years, and was the reason I felt comfortable going to a con in the first place. I can’t thank her enough. And when the next year rolled around I had the same haircut and color of Oikawa from Haikyuu!!, and the same group of friends were into that show, so that was a super easy choice as well. It just kept going after that!

I’d also been dressing up for Halloween and other events since I was a kid, and it never really stopped. My parents are also the type to like dressing up for events too, so they were super supportive the entire time as well. So even before I chose to go to a convention in costume, we had a lot of outfits and props lying around the house already. 

My sister is also a major influence on me. She was the one that really committed to building more complex costumes, made friends online for us to collaborate with, and is always down to do sibling/twin cosplays with me. She’s incredibly talented and persistent, and the inspiration that keeps me to continue pushing myself. 

WHAT DO YOU LOVE ABOUT COSPLAYING?

I love the artistic challenge of creating the cosplays, and the community it creates. I love the challenge of problem solving translating a 2D visual reference into a wearable 3D costume. I feel like every challenge I face, the more skills I build, and the more challenges I can face in the future. I also find searching for fabric one of my favorite things ever. Sewing is my favorite part of cosplay. I’m also very lucky that I can rely on my sister for foam work and props.  

At cons, you bring a lot of smiles to people’s faces, and it is so easy to make friends with shared interests. Since I graduated I’ve had this itch under my skin that came from not making as much art as I did during school. But now that I’ve been spending more time on cosplay, the planning, the construction, photoshoots, that itch is totally gone! And what makes it even more fun than illustration (which is what I majored in) is that it can be a group activity! You get to hang out with people, learn from and inspire each other. Cosplayers are always so fun to talk to and meet. 

Somewhat related, but cosplay actually led me to a much more healthy lifestyle. It changed my diet and exercise habits and I feel so much better physically and mentally than I ever did in school. It inspired me to take care of myself better! 

COSPLAY AND WORDS BY @CRAFT.BY.DAY
PHOTOGRAPHY AND DESIGN BY BRIAN NISHIMOTO