#xianghua cosplay

[melaniefarnsworth]

Xianghua selfie!

#xianghua #soulcalibur #soul calibur 2 #soul calibur cosplay #xianghua cosplay #chai xianghua #cosplay #video games #fighting games #melanie farnsworth #azuredragon4

[thelovelylotusuwu]

In the middle of working on a cosplay of a certain character I love very much...hopefully you can guess the character whom I'm talking about 😌

💙💙💙💙💙💙💙💗💗💗💗💗💗💗

#xianghua #soulcalibur #cosplay

[labatmary]

First pic of my new cosplay: Xianghua second dress from Soul Calibur VI! . . . I can't wait to make a cool set with my friends 🖤, for now a simple photo behind the stage... . . . Thanks @fujikonphoto 🖤 Thanks @dabcosplay_wig for my amazing wig 🖤 . . . #chaixianghua #xianghua #soulcalibur #soulcaliburvi #sc6 #soulcalibur6 #cosplay #cosplayer #nerdgirl #italiancosplay #gamecosplay #soulcalibucosplay #xianghuacosplay #comicon #napolicomicon2019 #napolicomicon #cosplayphoto #cosplaygirl (presso COMICON) https://www.instagram.com/p/BxHjZppDXHW/?igshid=eebgzf2qw1nr

#chaixianghua #xianghua #soulcalibur #soulcaliburvi #sc6 #soulcalibur6 #cosplay #cosplayer #nerdgirl #italiancosplay #gamecosplay #soulcalibucosplay #xianghuacosplay #comicon #napolicomicon2019 #napolicomicon #cosplayphoto #cosplaygirl

[nesagii]

Re-drew and re-sized(like 4 times) the design on the back Xianghua's jacket. I am a lot more happier with this :) now i gotta get it onto my tablet! . . . . . . . . . #redo #soulcaliburVI #Xianghua #design #details #cosplay #happy #patience #cutout #gold

#cosplay #design #redo #patience #xianghua #soulcaliburvi #details #cutout #happy #gold

[lightofhope18]

Ok wow, I actually found photos of my Xianghua costume from the 2013! Also featuring my signature pose. 📷- CTGraphy - - #cosplay #cosplayer #cosplaygirl #cosplaying #throwbackthursday #cosplaytbt #cosplaythrowback #soulcaliburiv #soulcalibur #soulcaliburcosplay #soulcaliburivcosplay #xianghua #xianghuacosplay #midoricon2013 #throwbackthursday

#cosplaying #soulcalibur #midoricon2013 #throwbackthursday #cosplay #cosplaythrowback #soulcaliburivcosplay #xianghua #soulcaliburcosplay #cosplayer #cosplaytbt #soulcaliburiv #cosplaygirl #xianghuacosplay

[tifarobles]

Video Games That Shaped Me

Video games have been a huge part of my life as far back as I can remember. The first game I ever played was Fischer Price’s School Bus Driver when I was about 3 years old. From there, video games began to shape my life. From the relationships I built with my family to the career I went into, video games were there every step of the way. 

Super Mario Bros 1 & 3

While we didn’t play the 2nd game very much, my brother, mom, and I played both Super Mario Bros 1 and 3 more times than I could count on our classic Nintendo. My mom and I were both terrible. We never could beat the game. However, my brother rocked at figuring out where all the secret one-up mushrooms were, finding all the shortcut tubes, and beating all the boss battles. Some of my best memories include playing these games, having the goal of seeing every level, and laughing with my mom when we got as far as we could without my brother’s help.  

Mortal Kombat

With Mortal Kombat on the Super Nintendo, my love of fighting games was born. We played through as many of these games as we could get. My brother even had the official Strategy Guide (this was a hard copy magazine before the internet was easily accessible). I went from playing Sonya (because she was the only girl option) and Scorpion (because he’s rad) to Kitana being my absolute favorite character to play. As a little girl, I liked that she was pretty, mysterious, super tough, and used gorgeous fans as weapons. Her Kiss of Death Fatality was a huge plus, especially because I had enjoyed Sonya’s in the first game. I also really liked that she ended up aligning as a good character and that her twin sister was he archnemesis. That storyline blew my little mind. 

Final Fantasy VII, VIII, & XI

Obviously, Final Fantasy VII was going to be on my list. I was obsessed with this game. I’ve probably started FFVII over 100 times in my life. I absolutely loved the characters and all the deep backstories. I wanted to be Tifa, wanted someone like Aeris as my best friend, and dreamed of someday meeting my Cloud. I experienced my first bout of depression with Aeris’s death and did my first cosplay as Tifa, both as a child in my bedroom and at my first gaming convention (PAX 2008). This game changed my life more than any other game ever has. It led me down the path to be a gamer.

My love for Final Fantasy didn’t stop there. I have to give credit to the love story and graphics in FFVIII and the thematic elements and amazing characters of FFXI. All of these games inspired me to create my own characters, which eventually turned into my novel (launching on Kickstarter next year!). When I was given the nickname of Tifa upon moving to Seattle, I gladly accepted it. 

Crash Team Racing

This game was simultaneously the closest I got to being good at a Crash Bandicoot game and the closest I ever got to being good at a racing game. My mom and I would play this game for hours. I was already a big fan of Crash Bandicoot’s adorable face, silly characterization, and his little sister Coco, but when this game came out I loved the franchise even more. I enjoyed playing Coco (again, the only girl option) because her driving style fit mine and I thought she was really cute! Usually, my mom and I would sit down and play until we played through all the racing tracks. Some of them were miserable and sometimes I was actually pretty good. This game will always have fond memories for me. 

Soul Calibur II & IV

The only arcade game I ever really got into playing was Soul Calibur II. There was only one arcade that I remember going to while growing up, and it was on the bottom floor of my favorite mall in Spokane. There was a machine with Soul Calibur II and I always played Xianghua. With so many woman player choices (finally!) I was drawn to the small, modest brunette with a sword. I liked that she played fast with a feminine style. I picked her up quickly and could pwn random teenage boys that walked by wanting to play. It was the first time I felt confident playing against people in a game. My love of the franchise continued with IV and I even considered trying my hand at tournament play. Instead, I buried myself deep into the character creator, making over 150 characters in the game. Sadly, my skillful muscle memory wasn’t retained for the most recent release of Soul Calibur VI, but at least the character creator is even better.  Wolf Among Us

The Wolf Among Us was the first game in adulthood to captivate my attention in the way JRPGs used to. I fell in love with Snow White and rooted for Bigby to end up with her. In fact, I was a big fan of all the powerful female characters in the game, from Faith to Bloody Mary. I was impressed with the dark setting mixing with beloved classic fairytales and the unique aesthetic of Telltale games. I was deeply involved with the story, anticipating each episode as it released and playing through them in one sitting. From there, I read the graphic novel and played through most of the other Telltale games. Wolf Among Us remains in my top two favorite games that I have played as an adult. From a story perspective, it’s number one by a long shot.  Stardew Valley

My other favorite game of adulthood. I’ve already talked about how Stardew Valley has helped me with anxiety and insomnia, mentioning the 140 hours I played during maternity leave. However, I didn’t mention that it was also helping me through the depression of losing my “dream job”. This was two months after Xander was born and the day before Trump was elected. That November was one of the hardest times of my life, full of scary uncertainty and doubt. I had three things to rely on: my precious baby boy, my loving husband, and my farm in Stardew Valley. The citizens of Pelican Town were there for me whenever I needed a reminder that there was good in life. 

Overwatch

Overwatch is the only First Person Shooter that I have ever liked. I was fascinated with the story and characters the first time I saw a trailer come through while working on the Xbox dashboard. The graphics were beautiful, it felt like the characters would have complex backstories, and I’d heard that the play style was interesting. If only it wasn’t an FPS, I kept saying. When it released, Overwatch was all people around me talked about. Eventually, Mike and a few friends convinced me to try it. They had explained that Reinhardt didn’t even have a gun, that I could hold up a big shield and swing around an hammer. I learned quickly that I could play Reinhardt as a tank. My favorite part was riding the payload to the finish line. I was hooked! I put in a good 25 hours with Reinhardt before branching out, playing Bastion, Mercy, and Junkrat. Mike and I played online with friends many times while Xander was really little. It was the only game I have ever experienced that way and I’m so happy I gave it a chance. 

I can’t imagine my life without video games! What games have shaped your life?

#video games #nostalgia

[fairwindcosplay]

I have a whole bunch of Katsucon backlog photos to upload, but today I wanted to re-share an old favorite: Sophitia! Soul Calibur was my first (and remains my favorite) fighting game series, and Sophitia immediately became my main. Even though now I’m much better with Xianghua, Sophitia’s character arc and drive to protect her family mean so much to me. I’m dying to do a full on-location shoot with her sometime!

Sophitia Alexandra: Fairwind Cosplay Costume by Chiara Scuro PC: The Fan’s P.O.V.

#cosplay #soulcalibur #sophitia #sophitiaalexandra #videogamecosplay #cosplayer #cosplaygirl #womenofcosplay #soulcaliburcosplay #fightinggame #badasscosplay #thefanspov #immortalcon #namco #sophitiacosplay #worbla #cosplayprops #videogames #nostalgia #gamergirl #warrior #stagecombat

#worbla #nostalgia #immortalcon #soulcalibur #sophitia #videogamecosplay #fightinggame #gamergirl #namco #cosplayer #videogames #womenofcosplay #thefanspov #sophitiaalexandra #cosplayprops #sophitiacosplay #cosplay #warrior #soulcaliburcosplay #stagecombat #cosplaygirl #badasscosplay #sophitia alexandra

[melaniefarnsworth]

“Ahem! How’s that?”

Just sneaking in a picture of my Xianghua cosplay.

#xianghua #chai xianghua #soul calibur 2 #soul calibur cosplay #xianghua cosplay #soul calibur #soul calibur ii #chai xianghua cosplay #cosplay #xianghua soul calibur #soul calibur xianghua #sc2 #scii #video games #fighting games #melanie farnsworth #azuredragon4

[melaniefarnsworth]

“You're going to regret this!”

Another picture of my Xianghua cosplay.

#xianghua #chai xianghua #soul calibur 2 #soul calibur cosplay #xianghua cosplay #soul calibur #soul calibur ii #chai xianghua cosplay #cosplay #xianghua soul calibur #soul calibur xianghua #sc2 #scii #video games #fighting games #melanie farnsworth #azuredragon4

[melaniefarnsworth]

"I'm stronger than all of you!" Another picture of my Xianghua cosplay.

#xianghua #chai xianghua #soul calibur 2 #soul calibur cosplay #xianghua cosplay #soul calibur #soul calibur ii #chai xianghua cosplay #cosplay #xianghua soul calibur #soul calibur xianghua #sc2 #scii #video games #fighting games #melanie farnsworth #azuredragon4

[melaniefarnsworth]

"I said no mercy!" In 2018, I began constructing my Xianghua cosplay. I created my own patterns for the clothing, styled the wig, made the headband out of Worbla and painted the shoes.   No Name (the sword) is made from a wood furring strip board.  The cross-guard is made of Worbla. I used embroidery thread to make the tassel. At AnimeNEXT 2019, I entered the Hall Cosplay Contest, which is a craftsmanship competition based on costume construction and accuracy.  I won Honorable Mention. Xianghua is another favorite of mine in the Soul Calibur series and cosplaying as her is fun!

#xianghua #chai xianghua #soul calibur 2 #soul calibur cosplay #xianghua cosplay #soul calibur #soul calibur II #chai xianghua cosplay #cosplay #xianghua soul calibur #soul calibur xianghua #sc2 #scii #video games #fighting games #melanie farnsworth #azuredragon4

[nesagii]

So a little tip I like to do to save my patterns. I trace them onto clear vinyl so they are sturdy and dont rip! Easy to store and reuseable! Gonna be cutting out the pattern for Xianghua~ <3 . . . . . . . . #Xianghua #cosplaytip #advice #reusable #patterns #vinyl #sturdy #cosplay #soulcalibur #bandainamco

#patterns #bandainamco #reusable #cosplaytip #sturdy #soulcalibur #xianghua #advice #cosplay #vinyl

[eveille52]

Completed commission, Xianghua from Soul Calibur VI. #cosplay #commission #cosplayersofinstagram #soulcalibur6 #xianghua

#commission #cosplayersofinstagram #cosplay #xianghua #soulcalibur6