“I’m boyish, and I unconsciously frown most of the time,” Dana tells us as she prepared for our photoshoot, fixing her blue wig with bright red streaks that has become the trademark of her chosen character. “I guess that’s what Ryuko and I have in common, and probably the reason I love her so much, ” she laughs heartily. “But in real life I’m actually a happy person, and I’m always confident in everything that I’m doing.”
Dana was bubbly and eager and enjoying herself when she was cosplaying, which was why we chose her as our latest Cosplay Model for our website. Featuring Dana as Ryuko Matoi of Kill la Kill in her first online feature for arkadymac.com.
“I love anime. I love the many amazing characters. I’ll never get to see or meet them in person, so I portray them and be them,” she replies, explaining why she started cosplaying. “I started cosplaying way back in 2011. I was a noob who wore a red and black gothic lolita outfit and thought I was already cosplaying,” she laughs as she recalls.
“I love cosplay. I get to meet new friends with the same hobby. I get to become more creative. Cosplay makes me happy,” she tells us when we ask her what benefits she got from cosplay. “But cosplay can be challenging too. I had to lose weight just to fit Ryuko’s appearance. My waist used to be size 36 but because of my dedication to cosplay Ryuko, I managed turn that 36 into 29.”
“My fondest memories of cosplay was when I was with my Kill la Kill group,” she tells us with nostalgia. “I consider them my first cosplay friends, and I hope I can get to cosplay with them more.”
We ask Dana what other things she enjoys besides cosplaying. “I love to draw and I’m really good at it. I love singing that I even join mini contests. I frequently do karaoke when I’m bored. I love dogs and I treat them like real babies.”
What keeps Dana cosplaying? “The outcome of my cosplay. I’m always excited about the result and the comments I get when I successfully portray the character I cosplay.”
We wish to close this feature with some words from Dana: “I would like to say a big ‘thank you’ to my Kill la Kill cosplay friends and supportive boyfriend who made me want to cosplay more, and thank you to those who took a look at my feature.”
We at the website hope you can continue to support Dana in her endeavors. Thank you for dropping by, and do visit us again for more cosplay features here at arkadymac.com.
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