[Cosplay Model: Hisui] Striving For A Happy Ending For the People Around You and For Yourself 

 

Does The Heart of Justice Still Exist?

Every man admires a hero fighting for justice. The struggle between good and evil… protecting the ones they love, the fight, the pain… and the victory. But victory isn’t the endgame; the endgame is seizing peace and happiness!! 

 

Men out there, do you remember that feeling? Do you remember that awesomeness you longed for as a kid?

 

We here at DoujinWorld… have completely forgotten that feeling. With every step that we took toward adulthood we lost that feeling and realised that there was no such thing as pure justice in the world. 

 

But!! Let’s reach out and grab that feeling one more time. Let’s get fired up!! Our guest today is Gokai Red!!… being cosplayed by Hisui.

 

“Shake my hand at Theatre G-Rosso!”

 

Nothing begins without a handshake!! 

 

Yeah! I get so pumped when I hear cosplay mentioned. And I think it’s safe to say that boys in Japan have been conditioned to get excited when they see the colour red, right?

 

“Now I am cosplaying a hero, but actually when I was a kid I was so afraid of tokusatsu* that I couldn’t watch them. I couldn’t directly watch the scenes in which  people were being attacked by the bad guys, so I would run away… I really liked seeing the robots though.”

 

(*Tokusatsu: a live action film or television drama that makes heavy use of special effects)

 

No, no, no! It can’t be! The same guy who was afraid of tokusatsu when he was a boy is here dressed as Red? That’s such an awesome story!    

 

“Thank you (laughs) I was into otaku culture when I was in high school and it was around that time that I also started getting into tokusatsu heroes. How do I put it… I think it may be a good thing that adults dared to teach us these good, albeit preachy, lessons. There are some things that really hit home when you hear them being spelled out for children. Like truly understanding the importance of friendship.” 

 

 

Important Lessons Can Be Taught Through Children’s Shows

For sure! I think that maybe those of us adults who have lost that sense of innocence should watch some tokusatsu. Funny enough, as of the date this article is being written “Hanzawa Naoki” the TV drama is currently a big hit! It seems like the world is looking for a hero. It may be in a sense a sort of poetic justice, don’t you think? 

So, when you started cosplaying tokusatsu heroes, did anything within you change?

 

“Of course I am centred in reality and I can’t really say that I am on a quest to defeat evil or save the world or anything, but I just think that it’s important to keep your heart in the right place. It’s just the little things… For instance, I focus on things like being mindful of the people around me and trying not to be careless. I hope for everyone around me as well as myself to be happy and that is the kind of children’s program that I strive for.”

 

Gokai Red doing the interview. I feel pretty honoured…

 

Everyone is connected. Even the people who came together to make this interview are a “circle” of people. If we are all considerate of each other’s happiness and continue on the right course, there will be a happy ending for everyone!! Everyone is the hero!! 

 

“Actually, doing this kind of cosplay allows me to have a lot of interaction with children. They rush to me in complete awe. They seem to genuinely believe that I am a hero and at first it made me a bit anxious. But I thought I cannot squash their dreams!! I tell myself  “I am a hero in the eyes of those children!!” and that gives me strength to carry on. Of course, it makes me happy that they are happy and I hope that I can become a good memory for them.”

 

Having Red at the office may be safer than having a security guard…

 

Capturing the atmosphere in this photo; the flag has been raised.

 

A photo of the magnificent transformation captured in the ruins! How exciting.

 

 

What Should You Be Aware of When Doing Gawakosu? 

The reason why I really feel the kindness and conviction in each and every one of Hisui’s words is probably because I have cosplayed heroes before and I have met kids who grow up aspiring to do the same thing. Speaking of which, there is one more thing that one should be aware of when doing tokusatsu hero cosplay. What is that?  

 

“Heatstroke.”

 

Yes, heatstroke~!! Right~ It seems pretty hot in there~…Wait…that happens?!

 

“Yes, it happens. Now because of the coronavirus everyone goes about their daily lives in masks, right? A hero’s mask is exponentially hotter and more uncomfortable. The suit isn’t necessarily that breathable either, so I often feel faint and unwell. I try not to get to the brink of actually passing out being covered up in this full bodysuit cosplay… which is called gawakosu. If you’re someone who is thinking of dabbling in gawakosu you should make sure to do things like drink lots of water, take breaks and really pay attention to the condition of your body.”

 

 At first when I heard the term “heatstroke” I thought, “Is that a hero joke??”, but I truly understand now. If you’re harming your health, it defeats the entire purpose.

 

Hisui doesn’t just do tokusatsu hero cosplay. Here’s a photo of him as Diablo X from Monster Hunter XX.

 

 

 

Cosplay Connects Us Through Feeling and Culture

Hisui talked about some of the amazing encounters he’s had through cosplay.

 

“If you’re into the same things as others then you’ll definitely make good friends. Especially if you’re a good match as people… there’s that too. In group shoots, you not only get to know each other and admire each other’s cosplay, but you’re also able to influence others as well. One time before, during a shoot there were some high school boys close by that said something like “That’s so cool! I want to try it too. Maybe I’ll take a shot at making one (a costume)” The idea that the costumes and items that I’ve made from scratch can leave such an impression on someone I have no connection to and they will take that to the next generation I think is absolutely amazing!!”

 

The spirit of justice will continue on through others… Cosplay will also transcend generations within our hearts. Doesn’t the thought just warm your heart? Finally, Hisui spoke to us about his thoughts on cosplay. 

 

“Since cosplay is expressed with your body it truly is “The only means of expression we have in this world.” Even if you don’t have costumes or tools, if you pose as the character that can also be the beginning of cosplay, right? If you look through things like SNS, you may see a lot of amazing cosplay and you may become a bit hesitant, but there is no rule that you have to do this or that. So to all the people who want to try cosplay, please don’t be afraid and just jump into it!!”

 

He doesn’t just enjoy gawakosu. Here’s Lacan from Granblue Fantasy.

 

 

• Hisui

Twitter：@hisui_vtr

 

Tumblr：hisuivtr

 

 

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