Halloween Tricks With Cosplay Queen, Yugana Senshi Uon
By Rachel on
Tuesday, 29th October |
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Better known as Yugana Senshi Uon, Ann Louise Wong is a professional cosplayer and cosplay critic who has performed and guest judged at countless cosplay events. Warranted, her social media feed is a sight to behold, as she morphs from one character to another with precision, post after post. The colours of her make-up and outfits are bold and bright, while the details are devotedly on point.
Six years of experience, with an impressive following of 51,000 and counting, Ann’s foray into cosplay was a breakthrough in more ways than one. The Borneo native recounted being constantly body-shamed for gaining postpartum weight.
“I was told that I could no longer chase my dreams or be fit again. After being fed those lies over and over, I began to believe them. Someone who I considered to be a good friend even suggested that my husband should leave me. That was the last straw that broke the camel’s back,” said the mother of one.
Instead of drowning in the negativity, Ann gained newfound courage to achieve her goals and dreams – one of which is cosplay! And like it was meant to be, with a good serving of beginner’s luck, her first cosplay was a hit and went viral (top image).
In the spirit of Halloween, we speak to the person behind the characters about her creative and courageous vocation.
First of all, what’s the story behind your stage name?
My name, Ann Louise Wong means ‘Gracious Warrior Yellow’. Translated to Japanese, it becomes Yugana Senshi Uon.
Tell us about the various genres of characters that you have cosplayed.
I generally cosplay characters from any genre as long as I love them – novels, games, comics, movies, mythology, original artwork, even food! I think I am more well known for my interest in the genre of genderbend, which is playing the opposite gender counterpart of a fictional character. The other genres I have done are steampunk, gijinka (anthropomorphism), crossplay, and hijab.
How do you typically decide which character to costume-play? Is there a specific type of character that you resonate with?
It can be that I love the portrayal of a character in the movie, or that I love the costumes. Sometimes, I feel a sense of personal connection to the development of the character. Regardless of character, I always research on their background, characteristics, and overall costumes and props to better understand how to bring them to life. I tend to love characters that are strong but maintain their feminine side with a costume that has more details.
Does your daughter like cosplaying too?
Yes, she does. Her first cosplay is a genderbent Joker, then Minion, Buttercup, Chucky’s bride, and her most recent, Poison Ivy. We’ve done a few cosplays together too.
Which is your personal favourite cosplay?
Harley Quinn from Arkham Knight.
What is the most extravagant cosplay you’ve done?
Lotus Angel Warrior, as it was the first time I made a fully armoured cosplay. The time it took to source for the right material and import them from the USA was cut-throat. It took a lot longer to make as compared to my other costumes as I had to wait for various materials to arrive from other countries.
As a professional cosplayer, what does Halloween mean to you?
A time to run and hide, if I am being honest. This is when a lot of strangers, and people whom I have not heard from in years, would text me to get my costumes or make-up services for free.
Although I personally love Halloween, I usually stay low-key about my cosplay during this time. Let the non-cosplayers enjoy the limelight and a glimpse of the cosplay world.
Let’s hear it from a professional judge’s mouth: what defines a good cosplay?
A good cosplay is when a person wants to play a character he/she loves and be part of the community. But in a competition, the basic guidelines are: character accuracy and detailing, neatness, relevance of performance, storyline impact, creativity, good usage of space, visual power, properly timed element of surprise, and appropriate usage of additional elements.
Any tips for those who are looking to dress up this Halloween?
Once you have chosen a character to cosplay, do order or make the costume early. For those who are looking into doing special effects (FX) make-up, ensure it’s suitable for use on your face and body – there is a difference between cosmetic grade and non-cosmetic grade make-up.
Be respectful of others who are also in costumes during Halloween. Basic human etiquette still applies when one is in cosplay. Ask for permission before taking their pictures, do not touch them or their costumes without permission, do not make fun of those in costumes or make lewd or crude remarks. Last but not least, have fun.
Capture your Halloween moments in the Lil’ Photobook, just like Ann! :)
And finally, tell us about your experience making the Lil’ Photobook.
It was truly eye-opening. I never expected it to be such a pleasant experience. The online editor was so easy to use, with ample basic editing tools. I could do a lot customisation as per my own needs.
The final product is superb, even better than I thought. The delivery time was very prompt, and customer service was excellent. Honestly, I am sold!
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