Photography by A Peace of Light
What is a “Tohru” and why did you cosplay her?
Tohru is from an anime called Miss Kobayashi’s Dragon Maid. I first caught wind of it in 2017 when I noticed all the folks at conventions were wearing maid outfits with giant tails. I didn’t think too much of it until, and this is true, there was a clip of the show on my youtube feed. It happened to be a clip that ultimately set up the events of the first episode. I watched it, thought it was amazing, and immediately set to Crunchyroll to watch the entire series. It’s only one season long and I lapped it up during my last few days of summer vacation. Why Tohru? Because she is spunky, fiery, and chaotic – just like me!
But it’s not a pokemon!!!!
I know! I know! Pokemon cosplay is kind of my thing… and to be honest, I don’t blame people for wondering why the sudden departure. But in my heart, Tohru is a canonical gijinka, meaning that it is an in-universe established humanizing of an animal form. So it mostly fits my M.O.! Don’t worry – I’ll be back to pokemon cosplay sooner than you think!
How did you make those wings?
I feel really cool about these! Ultimately, I used the following materials:
- 12 gauge galvanized steel wire
- Black electrical tape
- Black stick-on vinyl sheets
- Metal sheers
- Pliers
- Clear elastic band
I drew and cut out a basic wing shape by literally screen-grabbing the show and tracing Tohru’s dragon wing. I was able to bend a single piece of steel wire into the basic wing shape using the pliers. I added a 4” crossbar for stability and stuck it in place using the electrical tape. I secured the “bars” that make up the wing channels in a similar manner. I sandwiched that rig in between two pieces of stick-on vinyl and cut it down to shape. I lined the top of the wing in electrical tape for aesthetics. Finally, I made two loops of clear elastic and attached them to the frame using electrical tape. Pretty cool, huh?
How about the horns? How did you make those?
I made the horns out of 2 pieces of 8mm EVA foam that I got from tntcosplay.com. I like their product because it is easy to cut and sand. Additionally, both sides of their EVA foam is smooth, which makes it easier to work with! I cut 4 “Y” shapes. In two of them, I used a rotary tool to make a Y-shaped trench in 2 of the foam pieces. I sunk more steel wire in the channel and then sealed it up using the untrenched Y foam piece and contact cement. I rounded the edges of the foam horns using a rotary drum sander attachment. I carved the segments directly into the foam using an engraving attachment for the rotary tool. I formed the rounded shape of the horns by bending it into place (remember, the sunk-in wire will hold the bends!) and heat-sealed the foam with my heat gun. It’s important to heat-seal before painting. I painted one layer of primer + basecoat in spray paint and then did remaining coloring and detail work using acrylic paint. I sealed it with an enamel spray.
Any recommendations for people wishing to cosplay Tohru?
Honestly, when it comes to cosplay that appears “easy”, the devil is in the details. I highly recommend the online sites that sell pre-made Tohru costumes as I have never seen a Tohru costume I didn’t like! If you are a crazy person like me and INSIST on hand-making everything, then I really hope my quick “how I did _____” accessories can be helpful to you!
Where can I find you, follow you, or even sponsor you?
Please consider following me at the below social media platforms:
- facebook.com/minkthesatyr
- instagram.com/minkthesatyr
twitter.com/minkthesatyr
If you are interested in becoming a patron on patreon, you can follow me there for exclusive content, first release of content, and cool personalized rewards!
Thanks for reading!
Have a MAGICAL day!
Your mythical being,
-Mink the Satyr
Mink the Satyr is a Boston-based cosplayer, specializing in gijinka costumes. You can catch her updates on Facebook and support her on Patreon.
