Germany 🇩🇪
Naraku (solo): Hello my beloved loving, my name is Naraku Brock, 38 yearls old and been in the cosplay scene longer than half my life, which is 25 years. Over all these years I have represented my country before at ECG 2014 (Solo), C4 2022 and WCS 2023 (Team). So I gained stage experience since 2006 through panels and numerous competitions. This has allowed me to meet many new people, and my family is growing and growing. I’m all the more excited about the ICL Finals to meet old and new friends.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): Hello ♥ We are Shusei and RenTao, a cosplay duo which has been cosplaying together for over 15 years, haha time sure flies. In 2022 we had the opportunity to represent Team Germany at the ICL through the online selection. We’re now incredibly excited to take part again thanks to the preliminaries at Animuc.
In our daily lives, we both work at a school. Outside of cosplay, we also love traveling and playing video games, we seem to be fans of seeing many different worlds, haha
How did you discover cosplay and what made you start in this hobby? How long ago?
Naraku (solo): Even before I was 10, I went to medieval markets with my family and often dressed up. So, it was only logical and natural for me to portray characters from manga and anime as soon as I learned it was possible. As a result, I sewed my first costume in late 2000 and wore it to my first big convention in 2001.
Shusei (duo): I sewed and wore my very first cosplay in 2007, but truly got into the hobby around 2010, the same year I met my (now) wife. Since then, we’ve been cosplaying together as a team. I honestly don’t remember how I discovered cosplay, but I instantly fell in love with the idea of becoming a character. Even now, I still love crafting their outfits and bringing them to life, especially on stage.
RenTao (duo): I discovered cosplay through an anime and manga magazine. It had a small feature about a convention, and I was completely mesmerized by a photo of people in costumes of my favourite characters. I sewed my first cosplay in 2006, but it really became a huge part of my life around 2010 when I started cosplaying with Shusei ♥ I love sewing, painting, and especially the “play” part of cosplay. Creating the costumes of characters I adore and becoming them on stage is what made me fall in love with the hobby.
What does cosplay mean for you? And what is your favorite part of the hobby?
Naraku (solo): It’s a big part of my life. I met all my friends from the cosplay/Japan scene. I learned a lot through this, which I can also apply in my everyday life. And also travel the world as a judge, give panels, sell my cosplay books, and share my knowledge with others.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): Cosplay has become a huge part of our lives, we’ve spent so much of our free time on it over the years, and we still do. Through cosplay, we’ve met so many wonderful people and formed friendships that have lasted for over a decade. Even though not all of them are still active in the hobby, we’re still close and spend a lot of time together. Cosplay even brought us together as a couple, we’ve been in a relationship for over ten years and are now also married.
One of our absolute favorite aspects of cosplay is the joy of meeting people while in costume and all the great conversations that just naturally happen. We also really love being creative and cosplay sure has a lot of aspects where you can be creative. Another thing we especially enjoy is the atmosphere at cosplay competitions. Cheering for others, sharing the excitement backstage, and being constantly amazed by everyone’s creativity. It’s such a warm environment especially in this time and age. This sense of community, mutual support, and sportsmanship is something we truly value. Celebrating each other’s efforts, no matter the outcome, is such an important part of what makes cosplay so special to us.
What changes do you see in the cosplay community in your country compared to when you started?
Naraku (solo): In the beginning, we were a very small group. Everyone knew everyone. Now it’s grown. Of course, there are some people here and there who cause problems, but overall, the scene is pretty quiet and normal. Unfortunately, you don’t know everyone anymore. I miss that family feeling every now and then.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): The cosplay community in our country has definitely grown a lot over the years. Back when we started, there were only a few big conventions that everyone would attend. Nowadays, there are many more events and not just the large ones, but also lots of smaller, local conventions across different cities. This has helped connect the community more on a local level, and people can now meet and engage with fellow cosplayers right in their own area. Even though the scene has become much larger and not everyone knows each other, the overall vibe has stayed consistent. There’s still this open, friendly atmosphere that makes the community so welcoming.
Why did you choose that project for the ICL national selection? Have you already decided on your finals project for Madrid? Can you give us a hint?
Naraku (solo): Snowwhite has everything I like and materials I enjoy working with. And not to forget: the details. So it was only logical that I use it for the preliminary round.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): It was actually a completely spontaneous decision. We had planned the performance with Alice and Hysteria for quite some time already, simply because we love the game so much. From the beginning, we knew we wanted to turn “the expected into the unexpected,” and those two characters were just a perfect fit for expressing that very relatable millennial existence crisis, haha.
As for the finals… all we can say as a hint is that we hope we’ll be feeling “f***ing fantastic.” We think fans of the series/game might be able to guess what that means.
Is this your first time competing in an international cosplay competition? What advice would you give to someone who wants to start cosplaying or join competitions?
Naraku (solo): I’ve been active in international competitions since 2014. There are only a few important things I recommend to others/newbies:
- Start early.
- Health comes first.
- There’s a second, a third, and a fourth chance.
- Don’t take on too many projects at once or in too tight a timeframe.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): This is our second time competing in an international cosplay competition.
If we had to give one piece of advice, it would be: “just do it”. Don’t let yourself be intimidated by others, even if they seem to be doing incredibly complex or impressive things. Everyone has their own pace, budget, and possibilities and that doesn’t make one approach better than another. And most importantly, don’t let perfectionism take the fun out of it. Cosplay should bring you joy, not pressure. Don’t be too hard on yourself or others, we’re all just having fun with fabric and foam.
What has been your most memorable cosplay experience so far?
Naraku (solo): That’s a hard question, because I have so many. I’d say King Joffrey (GoT). While I had a lot of negative experiences (not ECG’s fault), I also learned new things, got to know the ECG family, and was back at Japan Expo, one of my two most frequent foreign conventions.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): Our most memorable cosplay experience so far has definitely been the entire year of 2022.
After more than two years without conventions (for good reason, of course!) events finally started happening again. We got to see so many of our friends in person, and it made us realize just how deeply connected we are through this hobby. The sense of community felt stronger than ever, and it reminded us how much cosplay brings people together
What inspires your work the most—series, characters, craftsmanship, other artists…?
Naraku (solo): A wild mix. Back in my fairy phase, I primarily used material, pictures, or stories as inspiration. Today, its series and characters. And sometimes, peer pressure from friends, too. 😉
Shusei & RenTao (duo): What inspires us the most is definitely the way we hype each other up. We’re lucky to share not only the same hobby but also very similar tastes in games, series, and character-relations. That positivity really shines through in the costumes we choose to make, and you can see the enthusiasm we put into bringing those characters to life.
What are your expectations for your visit to Spain? Is it your first time in the country?
Naraku (solo): There aren’t many expectations other than the usual things I love about my travels: good food, good people, a good convention. If everything goes well, the competition is over, and we’re all still laughing and relaxed, it was a good time.
Shusei & RenTao (duo): Our main expectation for our visit to Spain is definitely to spend quality time together with everyone there. It’s not our first time in the country, so we’re also excited to experience Spain and its culture once again. We’re really looking forward to exchanging stories and sharing great moments with the other participants. Of course, we’re especially happy to reconnect with the Spanish cosplay community, which we’ve always found to be very warm and welcoming.
Describe the cosplay community in your country using five words.
Naraku (solo): Hardcore crafters who can’t stop
Shusei & RenTao (duo): “Sleep is for the weak” (everything is really early here)
Link to your Facebook page, Instagram and Twitter (add other social media if relevant):
Naraku (solo):
IG: https://www.instagram.com/narakubrock/
TW: https://x.com/NarakuCostumes
BSKY: https://bsky.app/profile/narakucostume.bsky.social
TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@naraku.brock
Shusei & RenTao (duo): https://www.instagram.com/Shusei_RenTao/
Naraku, Shusei and RenTao were selected at aniMUC.
