With Gatchaman Crowds Insight currently airing, I finally went back and watched the original series. I wish that I had watched it sooner, because it’s a great show, and I have quickly became very attached to Rui. I’ve been looking for a new comfy costume for a while, and Rui’s super cute outfit from episodes 3 and 8 was just what I needed.
This costume was the simplest I’ve made in a while, taking only a couple of weeks to put together. Most of the time spent on the dress was just making and attaching the ruffle at the bottom. I intended to reuse the petticoat from Sophy, but it was a little bulkier than I needed, so I made a lighter one. The only other piece which I had to construct was the bunny-ear hair bow. Each ear has a wire and some felt padding to give it its shape.
This is the first time I have cosplayed a character with a tattoo. I didn’t want to have to draw it on each time that I wear the costume, so the solution that I came up with was making it a sticker. To my knowledge, there is no official art that shows the tattoo at a decent size, so I did my best to draw the design based on somewhat inconsistent animation from the series. Once I had drawn the image, I ordered a sheet of stickers from StickerYou. They look great, and, while clearly not designed to be stuck to a person, the adhesive lasts for many hours. While they’re not perfect (they are a little shiny), I would definitely recommend this route to anyone else who prioritizes ease of application and removal.
I’ve seen other cosplayers go with either pink or blonde for Rui’s hair, but neither looks quite right in my opinion. I decided to look for something in the middle. The wig I went with is a little too dark, but the length and the mix of hues are spot on, so I’m satisfied with it overall. This outfit has one of the simplest of Rui’s hairstyles, so I luckily didn’t have to do much in the way of styling.
Since I was making this to be a comfortable secondary costume for cons, I conceded slightly on the shoes. Rui’s have a higher heel and an ankle strap instead of a top strap. Aside from comfort, these shoes had the upside of already being the right color, so I didn’t need to paint them. For the tablet, I found a broken one being sold for a few dollars. It doesn’t turn on, but it’s in perfect condition, making it a fine prop. Finally, the glasses are just my normal everyday glasses. It’s nice to be able to cosplay without contact lenses for a change.