thelastblackmoon

[thelastblackmoon]

My Sailor Star Healer Cosplay 💚✨

Although Fighter was my number one for the longest time, Healer came in and stole my heart after seeing the Sailor Moon Cosmos Movies. I thought their personality shined the most and loved the sass. That, combined with going back to the 90's version and fully appreciating their ✨attitude✨ made .e super excited to finally cosplay them.

As I mentioned in my post breaking down my Sailor Star Fighter cosplay, these costumes took a lot of inspiration from the Sera Myu versions. They offered a lot more support and coverage which was far more functional than any other version.

I left out a few details like the Golden belt on the shorts and the way the top had a black backing of sorts for modesty/support. I opted to go with the more 90's style shorts and add slits, and then simply have a thicker band on the top.

Sera Myu influenced my suit quite a bit, but I also leaned into the 90's version as well as suited my own design ideas.

I break down how I made my Sailor Star Yell prop in another post, so I'll leave it at that for this Sailor Star Healer showcase.

You can find my Sailor Star Fighter behind the scenes post here:

[thelastblackmoon]

Yaten Kou | Sailor Star Healer Cosplay 💚✨

I had an amazing time at Anime NYC 2024!! I was able to make it to the Sailor Moon Cosplay Meetup as Sailor Star Healer and also get some AMAZING photos beforehand.

Photos from the meetup are kind of few and far between, so next time I hope to take more myself so I'll have the memories. At least I have some!!

Photo: KathleenRoseStudios, Editing by Me

[thelastblackmoon]

🌸💚✨FAQ✨💚🌸

❓How do I know which ticket to buy?

↪️Convention websites usually stipulate if you’ll need a special ticket to cosplay or take photographs. Some cons require you to purchase an additional “Cosplay License” ticket along with a General Admission ticket. It’s typically inexpensive, tacking on about 500~1,000￥ to a 2,700￥ (on average) daily ticket.

❓What are the change rooms like?

↪️Rooms vary by con, but typically the larger/more popular the con is the more cramped the rooms can get. The floor is usually covered with a tarp that has spaces taped out for cosplayers to get ready. These squares can be quite small, measuring as little as 60cm x 100cm from what I’ve seen. In stark contrast, smaller cons with fewer attendees can have far more space, and I’ve had an entire room to myself before.

❓What are some “exceptions” to the rules?

↪️One main rule I see a lot is “underwear or clothing that can be mistaken for underwear is forbidden” but I’ve also seen a LOT of cosplays that toe that line. It usually comes down to wearing tights/body foundation and also the discretion of con staff, but it’s better not to bet on the latter.

❓What if someone asks for a photo outside the cosplay area?

↪️Mistakes happen! It’s best to politely turn them down, although they shouldn’t have asked in the first place. The rules are in place to not only protect cosplayers, but also to prevent blocking foot traffic or accidentally photographing guests who don’t want to be photographed/filmed. Commemorative selfies are usually permitted so long as you don't obstruct anything or include people outside the subjects.

[thelastblackmoon]

Here is the Full English Dubbed version of Nagareboshi He 2023 from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos The Movie 💖✨

Lyrics:

Search for your love, Search for your love,

Forever dazzling, glittering like a star;

That smiling face of yours always lights up my heart.

Every moment with you I cherished (you’re my eternal starlight)

But on that fateful day, although I fought for you

I wasn’t strong enough, nothing that I could do.

All that I have left is this pain (I can’t forget you sweetheart)

Search for your love, the only star in my sky,

Search for your love, oh baby please don’t cry,

Search for your love, truthfully,

All I want is you in my arms.

Always, I’ve been searching for you (searching through the night)

Chasing after what you left behind (your lovely scent)

Right now, I’m calling for you (Moonlight Princess)

My beloved Princess

Just answer me (answer for me)

Oh hurry, please (answer for me)

Just answer me (answer for me)

So tenderly (answer for me)

Search for you love, search for your love

Search for you love, search for your love

Out in the universe, up in that barren sky

I see a shooting star, now I’m wishing you’re mine

Talking to myself like you’re with me (Will my wish come true tonight?)

But time is flying by, too many years have gone

And now I’m someone else, is it time to move on?

Memories just aren’t the same (please stay by my side sweetheart)

Search for your love, a sea of stars in the sky,

Search for your love, I sail into that ocean,

Search for your love, suddenly,

Everything is all swept away

Always, we’ve been searching for you (searching through the night)

Chasing after what you left behind (your lovely scent)

Right now, hear our voices (Moonlight Princess)

Our beloved Princess

Just answer me (answer for me)

Oh hurry, please (answer for me)

Just answer me (answer for me)

So tenderly (answer for me)

[thelastblackmoon]

Here's an explanation of the Unspoken Rules of Cosplay in Japan!! There are SO many written rules for Japanese Cosplay Conventions, but those are all easy to read up on and understand. What's not as easy to figure out are the unspoken rules that are rooted in Japanese culture & society. If you don't understand the way of life in Japan, you may feel a little lost! Let's learn about the fine print within the fine print.

If you have any questions that aren't in the FAQ, please ask away int he comments!!

✨FAQ✨

❓How do I request/give permission if I don't speak Japanese?????

↪️The short answer is to either study key phrases or to simply print out a cheat sheet to show to people. I'll make a post on the best phrases to know for cosplay events both as attendees and cosplayers.

❓Why can't I cosplay in public? I've seen it on social media before.

↪️This is another question that needs its own post. The short answer is that many places require permission to shoot, and you also don't want to be a public nuisance and risk damaging the reputation of the cosplay community as a whole. Just because you've seen people do it doesn't mean you should copy them!!

❓What is SNS?

↪️It stands for Social Networking Sites, and is the most common umbrella term for Social Media. I also want to make another post for the many strange acronyms and phrases that Japanese people/the cosplay community have that are worth knowing.

❓What do you mean by "chaos" at American Conventions?

↪️Think about Katsucon, Holiday Matsuri, or Colossal Con (sorry West Coast people, I can't vouch for cons over there) and the 🫣festivities🤐 that occur there. Many hotel cons turn crazy after dark and include drinking, 18+ events, partying, and a general atmosphere of lawlessness--despite the valiant efforts of the organizers. It's kind of the opposite of Japanese cons which are incredibly organized and quite sterile in comparison.

The main takeaway is to THOROUGHLY read and understand the rules of the con and take them seriously. Japan has a lot of societal rules and while you may see some people break them, it can be irritating or downright rude to the people around them 🆖🚫

Try to understand Japanese culture and see things through the lens of Japan 🇯🇵🗾

It's ALWAYS better to be safe than sorry!! The last thing you want to do is make a fool out of yourself and/or your community when you're a guest in Japan. Let's do our best to learn the ways of Cosplay in Japan!! ⛩️👘

[thelastblackmoon]

Rest in Peace, Yuri on Ice :')

[thelastblackmoon]

Anime Japan 2024 Review!

My Sailor Star Fighter Cosplay at Anime Japan 2024

I went to both days of Anime Japan 2024!

The con saw about 133,000 attendees this year, but despite the huge turnout Tokyo Big Sight had plenty of space to handle it. I arrived at around 9am and bought tickets at the door for about $18 USD / 1-day pass. I also picked up my tickets for the next day, so I spent a total of $36 for the whole weekend. I lined up when the doors opened and it took about 45 minutes to enter the con/building which is honestly amazing considering everyone went through a bag check. The weather was ideal, but I imagine if it was too sunny or raining then the wait would be miserable.

Inside I received a detailed floor map that also had English, so it’s convenient for overseas fans who don’t know Japanese but have English skills. The map was incredibly detailed and accurate and helped me find the booths I was looking for easily.

On the subject of booths, the industry presence was INCREDIBLY strong. All the big name Animation Studios had extensive setups. “Booths” is a complete understatement. Some companies had full on sets built with hallways to walk through/view exhibits. Others had complete stage setups with light scaffolding and multiple professional grade cameras & audio recording for live streaming.

I didn’t get tickets for the special stage events, and because my focus was cosplay I didn’t bother getting livestream tickets. The programming seemed extensive from what I saw in the pamphlet I was given as well as the gigantic wall dedicated to posting the schedule. I took a walk around on Sunday when I wasn’t in cosplay and it was honestly breathtaking. There were so many freebies, merch for sale, screens everywhere showing trailers for new releases or showcasing work that has been popular, and speakers playing anime themes. I think if you’re not prepared for an insane amount of stimulation it’s easy to get overwhelmed.

Photographers lining up to photograph my Sailor Star Fighter Cosplay

One the subject of Cosplay, I would have liked to have a little more space for the cosplay area. Cosplay tickets cost an additional $6 USD to participate/use the changing rooms. The rest of the con was so huge, so in comparison it felt cramped when trying to take photos/line up for a shoot. That said, the changing rooms were easy to find and spacious inside. I went as Sailor Star Fighter from Pretty Guardian Sailor Moon Cosmos and it was very well received. The dress code is more strict at this convention so while I was moving about (especially on the con floor) I was required to wear something to cover my costume. This didn’t bother me at all though since most cosplayers don’t venture out onto the con floor but stay in the cosplay areas and change if they’d like to walk around. There were a lot of really great cosplays, and I was able to see most of them since nearly all the cosplayers chose to participate in the cosplay parade that went around the con!!

All in all it was an extremely positive experience, and out of all the cons I’ve been to in Japan (which is only about 8 but I’ve been to some multiple times) I’ve enjoyed this one the most in terms of feeling fully immersed in anime/pop culture and really being WOW’d by the setups at every turn. I highly recommend anyone who enjoys anime/animation industries to visit Anime Japan.

A photo of my Sailor Star Fighter Cosplay taken by @ kokensns [Twitter / X]

[thelastblackmoon]

My Handmade Sailor Uranus Cosplay!!

This was the second Sailor Fuku I'd ever made after Sailor Mars. The easiest parts of the suit were the bows, collar, and choker. All were incredibly straightforward and fun to make. The true curse was the goddamn skirt and hip rolls, but regardless of how annoying they were I think I managed to do a good enough job:

The hip and shoulder rolls also gave me a lot of trouble since i had to draft a pattern from scratch and it was my first time doing so, but I'm INCREDIBLY proud of how well it turned out.

The brooch and tiara were crafted by my friend @/boozeycosplay in Instagram. I asked them to include a gold foil inlay of Sailor Uranus' planetary symbol, which you can see when the brooch catches the light.

This Sailor Uranus Cosplay was entered into Queen City Anime Convention's Cosplay Craftsmanship Competition alongside @/kawaiikiwicosplay [IG] winning us First Place in the Beginner category!

[thelastblackmoon]

My Handmade Sailor Star Fighter Cosplay!!

This design is a mashup of the Classic 90's anime, the Sailor Moon Musical Sera Myu, and a little bit of Cosmos/the manga thrown in! I felt like taking a bit from each would make it an awesome representation of all versions. It also helped me conceptualize a design that I felt would be more beautiful irl and on my own figure.

The colored tiara and hair tie calls back to Cosmos, and the ear piece with the star mic is also more manga accurate:

Most of the costume is based on the Sera Myu version since it offered the most support as well as a level of coverage I was comfortable with. I opted for thicker holographic straps and higher waisted shorts that both looked more flattering and made the suit feel more battle ready:

I used the coloring from the 90's Anime, leaning towards an ultra shiny black rather than a dark blue/navy. The entire look was based on the holographic effect that the fabric I used had, so each piece incorporated that flare. I also wanted to keep the original v shaped design on the shorts, and while the gold belt that the Musical version featured worked to break up the fabric, I opted to avoid it and instead put in slits to offer more mobility while helping the bottoms flare & look smaller.

I stayed pretty classic for all the props, using a 3D rendering designed by @digitalauge-de as a reference alongside official artwork and proplicas I have:

The Sailor Star Yell prop features remote operated color changing LED lights inside. I'll do a separate post breaking down the Sailor Star Yell prop, earpiece, and brooch later!

I'll also do a more in-depth breakdown of drafting & constructing the costume itself at some point, but there's so much behind the scenes material to go through it'll take a hot second to organize it into one post.

[thelastblackmoon]

Sailor Star Fighter~

[thelastblackmoon]

✨💚Happy Birthday, Sailor Star Healer | Yaten Kou💚✨

After making Sailor Star Fighter, I went for a slightly updated version here for Sailor Star Healer– I originally designed the suit to be a mix of the 90’s & the musical, but now there’s a Cosmos twist! I LOVE the look of the colored coded tiaras, earrings, and hair ties (which you can’t see here, but it’s there) so I tweaked the design to incorporate them. The next time I cosplay Fighter I'll have the new Cosmos Tiara for them ^^

I keep talking about how one day I'll share all my behind the scenes/WIP photos, but I just haven't gotten around to doing it yet. I'm most excited to share my process for making the Sailor Star Yell prop, which lights up although it wasn't on in the above photo. I still have a LONG way to go when it comes to cosplay creation, but given my current self I'm so, so happy and proud of what I've done.

[thelastblackmoon]

✨Taiki Kou Cosplay✨

The Sailor Moon Cosmos Movie version of Taiki has me 100% sold, that mustard suit from the 90's can burn--

[thelastblackmoon]

Sailor Uranus Birthday Countdown:

🌠1 Day🌠

TOMORROW!!!

[thelastblackmoon]

Sailor Uranus' Birthday Countdown!!

🌠2 Days🌠

Here's my cosplays to celebrate early!!

[thelastblackmoon]

out of reach

(inspired by this trend on twitter)

[thelastblackmoon]

Sailor Starlights, Stage ON!!

Sailor Star Fighter @thelastblackmoon

Sailor Star Healer @ jessicarosecosplay

Sailor Star Maker @ rbenzieart

Photo @ iShinobiStudios

All cosplays were made by the person wearing it!!

[thelastblackmoon]

Sailor Moon Cosmos Movie - The Three Lights new song 「Star Line」 English Translation Breakdown Pt. 1

So I just finished translating the lyrics of the Three Lights new song 「Star Line」 and I wanted to break down all the nuanced language that was used (that machine translation won't tell you lol) because OH BOY does it add SO MUCH. Disclaimer that I'm no professional translator, so if there are any mistakes or additional meanings that I missed, please let me know!!

Let's jump right into it and start off with the first verse:

Amai koi no kaori matotte mo sono kokoro wa mitasarenai no kai? Oh you... oh you…

Even if I’m wearing the sweet fragrance of love Is there no way for me to satisfy your heart? Oh you… Oh you…

Here the Japanese uses the sentence ender "no kai" which is typically used towards children or...girlfriends. Just who is it we're talking to so intimately, HMMMM??

The next verse is more poetic:

Kimi no te ni sotto fureru dake de Sono hoshi no hikari de wakarunda It’s you… it’s you…

With just a gentle touch of your hand I can tell by that starlight It’s you… It’s you…

Now this is a very literal translation, but there's more to it than "I can tell by that starlight/the light of that star it's you..." We're not talking about the light of the stars above. In this case, that starlight is a direct result of the hands brushing--it's more akin to sparks flying. A more poetic translation would be something like "I can tell that you're the one from the sparks that fly when our hands brush" but I didn't want to wander too far from the original.

Moving into the bridge, we see something interesting going on with the kanji/given reading:

Hate shinai [sora] wo koe deaeta Furueta kimi no hāto wa hanasanai We fatefully met across an endless galaxy I’ll never let go of your trembling heart

Again, I went with a literal translation here according to the official lyrics as they were written. I chose to include "fatefully" as it sounded nicer than "per chance" which "deaeta" implies.

However, what's more interesting is what's going on with [sora] which means sky. I put it in brackets because the in the song they sing "sora/sky", but the official lyrics assign the kanji "galaxy" to the word. This adds context, clarifying that this meeting happened not only underneath this very sky, but rather across the entire universe/within this specific galaxy.

In case you weren't sure who this song is about, this detail gives you another hint: It's someone from a totally different galaxy.

I want to chip away slowly at the chorus because this next line holds so much meaning there are literal articles on the one phrase used here:

Koikogarezu ni kono ai ni Oborenayo oborenayo Longing so deeply for this love Don’t drown in it, don’t drown

The phrase "koikogareru" has VERY deep meaning. On the surface, it just means to be deeply in love with someone. HOWEVER, it also carries a strong sense of longing. There is sometimes the context of that love being out of reach or impossible, like with an upperclassman or even a teacher/instructor. This intense yearning can cause pain because of how overwhelming it can be, but in other cases it can simply be considered admiration. It depends on the context, which the rest of the phrase provides:

The second half of this sentence references that intense feeling of love, and follows up with the repetition of "don't drown in it [those feelings]" / "don't lose your head over it" doubling down on the sense of struggle against the feelings. This isn't just admiration, it's a feeling that is so deep they have to tell themselves over and over again that they mustn't drown/lose themselves in it.

This is the phrase that set me off on picking apart the nuances of the translation because it adds SO MUCH MEANING that English speakers would miss if they were just running things through machine translation, or just looking at a literal translation.

Anyway, I'll break down the rest of the chorus and get into verse two soon, but I'll leave things at that for now. If you'd like to see the whole translation I posted it here:

https://wikimoon.org/index.php/Star_Line

Please let me know if I missed anything or got something wrong!! I'd love to hear what other Japanese speakers think ^^