OKAMI!!!

[furtech]

So here's the project that's owned my life for the last few months...





Anything Goes School of Masquerade Arts (AGSMA) decided to take on the video game OKAMI for Anime Expo this year. The game is a gorgeous take on Japanese folklore using traditional waterbrush techniques for both the look of the game and for gameplay. My job was to make the costumes for the title hero and one of the bosses, Ninetails.



I wanted to try a lot of new things for these costumes, incorporating bunraku puppetry, Noh theater, leg extensions and some trick to pull off the nine huge tails of my costume. Since these were 4-legger costumes, they also had to be designed so that we could actually walk a little in them. All new challenges! Very exciting!

Here is a pic of our group: this is why I love AGSMA-- everyone did a fantastic job on their costumes and I know the attention to detail was foremost in the minds of everyone because of our frantic emails and pleas for references to every little thing!



Here's a cute pic of Amaterasu and the peach sprite, Sakuya:



Everyone did an outstanding job on their costumes-- I feel very happy seeing these pics. I couldn't see -anything- in the costume, so I had no real idea how everything turned out!.

Comments

[spotweld.livejournal.com]

Holy crap... I'm seriously gobsmacked with awe here.
Dude!

Do you know how many fangirls want to hug you right now.

[swirling-chaos.livejournal.com]

Oh wow, they all turned out so beautifully! Wonderful craftsmanship, as always. :) I'm playing Okami right now and I'm hooked on it, so I really enjoyed seeing these costumes.

[frysco.livejournal.com]

Wow... That's just amazing...

I'd love to find out how to do the arm extensions there. Once looked at piping myself, but couldn't really see a way to make it work for my size of hands. Though, it seems that you've used something else instead?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Sooper sekrit ninja cosplay technique: heat gun+dremel+manyheatblisters=thin arm extension! Basically sliced and folded the pipe, then blasted it with the industrial heat gun and folded and formed it to fit my arm snugly and have a thick, re-inforced extension. Not perfect, but it worked for this project.

[mistahbojangles.livejournal.com]

Wow! The last picture does an incredibly good job of hiding the person in the costume! Does the person in the costume have to do alot of push-ups?

[furtech.livejournal.com]

No, but Mich is a superb taiko drummer, so=strong arms. I was impressed with how well she did the 4-legged walk! I can only manage a few feet and she did twenty or thirty easily.

[skiefire.livejournal.com]

These are your first quad suits, right? You nailed it first time.

They are incredible.

[burmecian-storm.livejournal.com]

So... where do I bow to you now?

AWESOME.

Great seeing you again at AX, even if it was on the last day. ^^

[furtech.livejournal.com]

Mea culpa: wished I could have hung out with you and other friends more, but I was tooling on the suits until the masquerade (and then some). That's what Animagic and PMX are for! Friendly hanging out!

[iisaw.livejournal.com]

Wow... just... wow!

[nesting.livejournal.com]

these are absolutely amazing! Beautiful work!

[animecat.livejournal.com]

Simply amazing work, Lance. You've woken the costuming urge in me yet again, as it seemed to have been dwindling. I'd like to try a quad suit someday, but am having trouble finding a character to portray.

Still, Amaterasu is breathtaking, and I honestly wish I could see this in person someday. Incredible... absolutely incredible.

[yarwick.livejournal.com]

Apologies for the late response, but these both look extremely well made and pull off the effect quite superbly. :)

I know there are a lot of difficulties to overcome, but it's a shame there aren't many more quadsuits or makers experimenting with them out there.  It's nice to see these two adding to what is hopefully a growing list!