Here at Bgeekyblog we have grown to appreciate the community of cosplay. There is something special about the cosplaying community that deserves more recognition for their craft. Countless hours and hard work go into the details of bringing to life beloved characters. Your gender, physical appearance or age should never hinder you from your passion to cosplay. Cosplay is for everyone.  With that ideal, we are excited to highlight Phil Mizuno!

1.) What sparked your interest in cosplay?

I went to my first anime convention back in 2013, and had no idea what cosplay was.I thought it was a little strange that people were dressing up as characters from Naruto, Attack on Titan, and League of Legends, but I also thought it was really cool.I had always loved Japanese pop culture, and I felt that cosplay would be a great way for me to meet friends.I only had less than a handful of close friends at the time, and I just really wanted to be able to meet people who had the same interest and hobbies as me.

 

2.) Who has been your favorite character to cosplay?

My favourite cosplay is also my favourite character, from my favourite anime, which is Koga from the series Inuyasha.Inuyasha was my gateway into anime and cosplay, and the only reason I wanted to try cosplay at the time was because of how much I loved Koga as a character.I still always get butterflies in my stomach wearing him even to this day because of how much this character has meant and done for me.

3.) What would be your dream cosplay?

I feel like my dream cosplay list keeps getting longer and longer! For now, my two dream cosplayers are full demon amor Naraku (from Inuyasha), and Berserker Cu Chulainn (from FGO).

 

4.) What has been the most difficult cosplay for you and why?

My hardest cosplay was actually the second cosplay I ever made, which was Vincent Valentine from FF7. I decided to be ambitious and make him from scratch, and I almost pulled all my hair out trying to complete him. It was the first time I tried resin casting, prop making, leather working, and crafting with worbla. It really was overwhelming, but I was really proud of how it turned out. It almost took me 2 months to complete, but wearing him for the first time was such an incredible feeling.

5.) If you could reenact any scene in cosplay from any fandom, what would it be?

I think one idea I’ve always had and wanted to do was re-enact a fight scene between Inuyasha and Sesshomaru (probably one during the 3rd movie). I always have loved fight scenes, and would love to be able to do it either in a skit, or for a photo set!

 

6.) You cosplay a lot of different fandoms.  Which character (if any) would you say you relate to the most and why?

I think the person I relate to the most is Viktor from Yuri on Ice. Viktor is a very sweet and caring person whose character helps nurture others to help them realize their full potential. I hope to be someone like that, who is able to help others pursue and reach their goals and dreams. Too bad I can’t skate.

7.) If you could hang out with any character from any fandom, which character would you like to hang out with and why?

I think I would be best friends with Ban from Seven Deadly Sins. He’s so cool on the outside, but he’s sometimes a huge dork. I feel he’s exactly like me, except I’m not cool! He also has a pub which would be a cool hangout spot.

8.) You’ve been to quite a few conventions in cosplay.  What has been your most memorable convention moment?

I think my most memorable convention moment would be 2017 Anime North. I was dressed as Beast from Beauty and the Beast, and, while at the con, people kept asking me “did you see the Belle?” I was really excited that someone else was cosplaying from Beauty and the Beast, and I looked around for her for around 2 hours. It got really hot outside, and I gave up looking for her to go back and change. While on the way back to the car, a mother walked up to me, and kind of did a pointing motion at me. I was confused, but then I saw two little girls hiding behind her legs, and one of them was dressed as Belle. She was really shy, but as soon as I held out my rose she came running towards me. We took some really cute pictures, and everyone was really happy that we finally met. This moment for me really made me realize that cosplay goes beyond just ourselves; cosplay really is just another vehicle in order to make other people feel good, and give them really nice memories like this one.

9.) According to your website, you have World Cosplay Summit judging experience.  What was that experience like to be a judge at an international level?

To be honest, judging for me is difficult since I myself would never enter a competition. I think it’s a huge privilege to be able to see all of these beautiful costumes up close, and it’s honestly incredible at how creative some people can be. I learn so much from listening to people about how they construct their costumes. Instead of a judging experience for me, I look at it as also a huge learning opportunity to become better at my craft. It’s also a lot of pressure to choose winners for each category, but I go into it with the mindset that everyone is already prepared, and wanting to be judged and critiqued for their costume. I really think it’s a positive experience for both judges and contestants.

10.) You create some very unique items for your shop and Patrons (Mizu, Kichizu, Kaijuzu, and Mizucorn).  What was your inspiration for the plushies and how much time/ work does it take for one to be made from an idea concept to the final product?

I feel like cosplay is such a great branding opportunity. Usually, cosplayers sell prints, books, posters and other paper products of themselves. While that’s really cool to do, everyone does it, and I feel like most paper products end up in drawers never to be seen again. I always had this idea to make a logo, and eventually turn that into a plushie (like a mascot). I felt that if I could create something that people could display, touch, and throw around, it might be more fun to have instead of a piece of paper. I’m slowly trying to expand into a lot of other things like apparel and vinyl toys, but I’m taking baby steps to ensure I don’t go broke trying! It doesn’t take too much time to come up with the drawing and concept, but the production time to complete it often takes between 1-3 months. It’s a huge waiting game and its a lot of money to invest in up front, but I’m happy with the final outcomes of everything so far!

11.) Hosting panels, traveling to conventions, keeping up on Instagram and Patreon and so much more, you do a lot.  How do you manage your time and balance everything out?

The simple answer is, I don’t! It’s very hard to continue to balance everything out, but usually I just take it day by day. I honestly never expected to get the chance to travel so much.  I’m so grateful to be given the opportunity to meet more cosplay communities from across the world, but at the same time, it makes balancing home life very difficult.

Between producing content for Patreon, shipping prints/merchandise, creating photobooks and merchandise, making costumes, and being active on social media, it really does get overwhelming sometimes. I do everything myself, so it’s been a challenge to learn to complete everything diligently. It’s a work in progress, but I love it.

12.) What advice would you give to people who are just starting out or getting back into cosplay?

My biggest advice for people would be that if you love a character, no matter what way you cosplay it, as long as you feel good while wearing it and are able to make other people feel good that’s all that matters. There are some characters that are definitely outside my skillset to make, but the magic thing about cosplay is that even if you put on a character wig and create your own version of a cosplay, people will still know who you are. I have done a lot of cosplays in casual clothing, and I feel just as good in those versions as I would wearing their elaborate costumes. Feel proud about what you wear, and remember that people will love to see you no matter what type of costume you are in.