Happy new year everyone!!! To all of you who've supported this young blog so far, thank you. I hope everyone had a nice celebration. For me? Well, it was a calm one with my family. 2014 sounds like a promising year, I've liked so far how everyone seems to agree this is more a "plot development" year, while the past one was more for "character development". I want to believe in this, so everyone, let's make that a reality!

For many, Christmas was also the time to cut Levi Heichou's cake. So, still with that mood, I want this to be the entry to open the year.

Our next Lance Corporal had a small feature in the past Review I did for Vee's 1994. I mention this because that's how I found her, through her version of that story's Levi. And it was her strong expression what made justice to this character. You'll get to know a cosplayer who brings characters to life from her own hands, and this dedication just deserves to be acknowledged.


A fan of anime for many years since her friends got her into it, Mana found out about Shingeki no Kyojin also thanks to them. "At first I was a little annoyed, like I always am when something I'm not particularly interested in is so popular among my friends" Mana says. But SnK is everywhere! It couldn't be helped, she ended up giving it a go. The results? Watching the 14 episodes that were out so far, and all thanks to the characters' quality and the "brutal reality" as she calls it, they're involved in as the story develops.

"If it makes me jump in my seat and scream, I love it." Mana admits. And I think SnK manages to satisfy those wishes just fine.

Mana's choice to express her newborn love for the story and its emotionally captivating characters was... cosplay, of course. And after exploring the characters as more episodes came out, Mana made connection with the character that stars these Sessions: Lance Corporal Levi.

Weeks later, Mana's Levi had come to life for one of the biggest conventions in her area. And here we'll learn more on how she did it! Now, it's her turn to speak

B: How did your passion for cosplay begin?
M: It's a funny story, actually. I met that one girl in the metro, she just started a conversation with me because I had a band name written on my sneakers and she liked it too. We exchanged contacts and a few weeks later she asked me to join her cosplay group because they had a member shortage and wouldn't make it for the con. I agreed, because it seemed fun. We did a Shiki cosplay, I hadn't watched it at the time, I just wanted to help -laughs- But once I got into the con backstage with all those cosplayers and gorgeous costumes, I was amazed and wanted to be like them. I didn't start cosplaying more seriously until a year later though. The reason being a musician I really admired (and of course, wanted to cosplay) that happened to have a fairly tough costume. It was a challenge that made me improve and once I was rather good at making the stuff, the passion came, and the positive feedback and my love for anime have fueled it so far.

B: What do you like about cosplaying?
M: Oh, everything! Starting from the moment I decide on my cosplay, while watching the show, the "oh, this character! I want to cosplay them!" , the material-searching process (I make my own costumes), the actual sewing and prop-making... I guess that would be my favourite part, actually. Making the costume itself. I tend to pick difficult cosplays, so it's always a challenge and it excites me greatly! Of course, wearing the costume is wonderful, becoming your favourite character for a day is amazing, plus you finally get to show off all your hard work. It's a chance to meet lots of great friends too.

B: For how long have you been cosplaying Levi?
M: My Levi got a debut on a con in my town, which was held at 1st of september (2013), if I remember correctly. So that would make it exactly three months.


B: What do you like about this character that made you decide it was him you wanted to cosplay?
M: He's so cool! I love characters like him, strong, calm, and unexpectedly kind. I think he's got a lot of depth and I just loved him from the moment he appeared. Plus, I thought he'd physically suit me best out of the SNK characters, since he's known for being short, and I'm 5'0.

B: Have you cosplayed other characters before? What does it take for you to decide what characters you want to cosplay?
M: Yeah, I've cosplayed a lot of characters. I usually pick characters that I can either relate to a lot, or ones that I learn from and wish to be like. Sometimes a character happens to be both and I really can't help cosplaying them. I try not to pick really tall characters or ones that I wouldn't be able to pull off though. I'm really short, so all of the tall guys are out of my range -laughs-.

B: How long does it take you for you to transform into Levi? 
M: Depends on whether I'm putting my 3DMG on or not. The makeup is fairly simple and putting the costume on isn't all that hard either, but I was so excited about making the 3DMG that I didn't put much thought in what happens after I make it and how it's going to attach to my body, so I kinda had to tie it to my belts with a cord on various places and it takes me a lot of time.
So I'd say, about 45 minutes for the makeup and costume and an hour for the gear.


B: What habits and qualities do you have in common with this character?
M: I don't have that much in common with Levi. I'd say, we're both short, dark haired, and not afraid to speak our minds. 

B: What make up products do you use to create the Levi look?
M: Oh, just normal cheap make up I got from local stores. I'd like to write down a list of products with their names and brands and stuff, but there isn't anything like that, it's really just cheapo stuff I got from the 1$ shop. 

B: Between those product, if you had to choose only three for a quick transformation at a convention for example, which would they be?
M: That's tough. But I'd probably pick the eyeliner. I can do my brows and eyes with it, and those are the most important part of the Levi look in my opinion.

B: What features of this character did you pay attention the most to recreate them on your on face?
M: Again, eyes and brows. My eyes are really rounded so I couldn't achieve the result I hoped for while attempting to recreate his, but I did spent hours on looking at reference images.

B: Tell us what you consider it takes to flash Levi's trademark expression. Show us your best Levi expression.
M: Hmm well, it's probably about his eyes. He's got really small irises so it looks like he's glaring all the time. His brows are kinda straight and it makes him seem indifferent, so I guess the expression is a bored glare or something. Here's my shot. I tried, okay? 


And here comes my favorite part... the make up! So far Mana has shared some of the features that have given her trouble when it came to achieving her final look for the character. But... with her great results, it's natural to wonder how she did it.

Mana herself put a detailed tutorial for everyone! So remember, if you have similar features to hers, specially when it comes to eye shape, pay extra attention to her tips!  Let's go through her transformation:


B: One of the main insecurities that stops many from doing a certain cosplay, are the lack of physical similarities between them and the character. What do you think of that? Could you share any words to these people?
M: I don't think that should be something to stop you. People should cosplay the character they love no matter what they look like. Earlier I said I try to stay away from characters I won't be able to pull off, but that's because I usually cosplay competitively. I think anyone's free to enter contests, of course, no matter the difficulty of the costume or the physical similarity to the character, but I want to be at my best for competitions. 
Still, I look nothing like my characters most of the time. Sure, I try to pick them short so the height difference isn't striking, but I don't have a small pretty face like an anime girl (or Levi -laughs-), but it doesn't matter. It's all about loving cosplay, and loving the character, in the end. And I guarantee that once you get into that cosplay and go to a con, you'll attract fans of the show and find some new friends. So go for it, people, cosplay all you want! 

B: You wake up and find yourself literally in the SnK universe. Would you be in the Military? Which Division would you choose and why?
M: Woah scary! I'd like to say I'd join the Recon corps, but I don't know if I'm capable of that. I guess I'd try to get military training and if it works out, make my choice later on. 

B: Finally, some words for SnK fans and any person who's passionate about cosplay:
M: If you want to cosplay, don't let anyone stop you and do your best! With experience you'll become real good at it and be proud of yourself. It's all about having fun~

Mana brought a character to reality by pushing aside insecurities and boundaries. It's all about dedication, practice, and of course... love for the character.

It's easy to see yourself in her story: the friend that introduces you to that world, the process of falling in love with it, and then finding what you like for yourself and express yourself in the way you prefer! So reading her words was very inspiring, just as it is reading every cosplayer's reality. In and out of cosplay, today's Lance Corporal is a hero...