Cosplayer Spotlight: Daniela Carvajal

A little bit about Daniela: Daniela Carvajal is a cosplayer, fanfic writer, singer, pianist, and amateur makeup artist from Quito, Ecuador. She currently resides in Springfield, Mo. doing her studies at Drury University. As a fan of anime she naturally came in contact with an anime/brony club of the university. Being a member of that anime club is what landed her at her first anime convention in the United States, Naka Kon 2014, where Melon Pop had the privilege of conducting an interview with Ms. Carvajal.

Mr. J.:  How many other cons have you attended?

Daniela:  Well, back home cons happen once or twice a month, but they are around 300 people so they are really small. They also don’t have things like panels or guests speakers so it’s more like people running around chasing cosplayers.

Mr. J.:  You mentioned that the conventions where you are from are much smaller. Where are these conventions typically held, and are these conventions all about the cosplay?

Daniela:  Ecuador is a small country with a population of fourteen million people where otaku stuff isn’t really that famous. This is the reason most conventions do not have much publicity. You basically see the same people every time you go. Most of these events are held in the three biggest cities of the country: Quito, Guayaquil, and Cuenca. Since the conventions are very small the cosplay is a very competitive issue. Seeing more than three cosplayers in the same costume as you can get overwhelming which usually causes cosplayers to start criticizing each other about the quality of their costumes (it can be a complete cat fight, I swear).  The most anticipated thing of these events is the cosplayers, so we are kind of a small celebrity gang there (and you better be good at it or you’re not going to receive the attention you expected).  All the best cosplayers are treated as idols and everyone has high expectations of us. If you were good once, you better keep up the good work on your costumes, otherwise THEY WILL TALK. Don’t get me wrong. I know it sounds like it’s a very heavy environment to be in, but apart from the cat fights everything is lovely. We are a very small community and we always try to make things fun. There are jerks everywhere in the world but the cosplayers and the community in general have learned how to get some fun from the competitive environment. That has pushed me to keep up my remarkable job. I am a perfectionist after all, and I have a reputation to take care of!

Mr. J.:   Can you tell us about the cosplays you have done so far?

Daniela:  I have seven cosplays in total. My first was Hatsune Miku, then Athena from Saint Seiya, Asami Sato from The Legend of Korra, Korra from The Legend of Korra, April O’Neil from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Asuka Langley from Neon Genesis Evangelion, and Raven from Teen Titans. 

All these cosplays were completed over the span of two years! Click here to see all of Daniela’s cosplays!

Mr. J.:  What is your favorite cosplay that you have done so far?

Daniela: Can I say two? It definitely has to be Raven and Korra, in that particular order. Raven is my queen okay, I had to do it.

Mr. J.:  Any plans for future cosplays, or any characters you’ve already picked out?

Daniela:  I mean I’m an all random person when it comes to this. At the start of this year I had planned another list, but as of now my next three costumes when I return to my country are:
Lilymon – Group cosplay for Digimon
Elsa – Frozen
Either Shego – Kimpossible or a really cool retro version or Wonder Woman

Mr. J.:  Any helpful hints you could give to cosplay beginners such as issues you have learned to deal with through experience that someone new to cosplay may not know about?

Daniela:  Be cheap, but not when you really need it. You can find cheap resources for your costumes, but it takes dedication and patience (and running around searching for various options.) If you want to do a good job then you'll probably find that the things you need are hella expensive. If you can’t find anything cheaper then you’ll have to sacrifice your money for the sake of the costume. Quality is going to be rewarded whether it is in cash, in won contests, or simply the compliments and constructive criticism people give you about the finished product.  That, folks, stays with you forever!

Consider the colors and patterns very carefully.  If you really want to have a quality costume then please notice the details. It is important to notice things like the shade of color or if a character’s outfit is shiny or not.  I may sound bitchy but that matters because people (and I declare myself guilty) notice those tiny details and criticize them. Trust me, you don't want an Akatsuki cape made out of 100% silk and shine your way through the forests of Konoha, completely noticeable to your enemies. Meh, not a good idea.

For the love of every God, BE HUMBLE! Never, I repeat, NEVER get cocky when people compliment you. I've seen it before, and trust me, instead of looking cool you just look like a jerk to people. Don't show off because you're not the only cosplayer in the place. Say thanks to the compliments and dismiss the rude comments, because guess what? There is going to be tons of it. Never let that disappoint you. Remember, it is (and should always be) about having fun.

Mr. J.:  What is your process when designing a costume from the character selection to the finished product?

Daniela:  Okay. I know some will say, Oh I choose the characters I most identified with, but truth is that I have done characters that I can't really remember much about, (Athena) or simply don't know about (April O'neil.) A note to beginners: you will end up doing that too some day. Of course it's not preferable to do that because cosplay involves more than just a cute costume, but I think it’s just one of those things that happens.

“So yeah, apart from that, I basically decide my costumes on how much they make me fangirl like an idiot. Being a singer myself Miku was my first one because OMG she is a freaking holographic singer! Korra is a badass. I'd love to fight like her if I could actually move a leg, and Raven is... Raven!”

Some may be expecting me to be all organized and say that I start budgeting for the thing... I don't. I go completely blind on it and trust me, I don't know in reality how much I've spent on my costumes (don't even want to stress about it.) Also doing cosplay here and doing cosplay back home is different because of prices. It can definitely get a little more expensive to do cosplay here in the states. My Miku costume cost me $120 completely:  The wig, the accessories, the handmade items, everything. Here in the states that same costume could get really, really expensive. For example, the face paint I need for my raven cosplay cost me $2 back home, but here the face paint of the same quality cost me $8 so the prices are really different. What I’m going to do now is just go back home, do my costumes, and bring them back.

So, when I finally make up my mind (because if someone has seen my project list, it is huge) the first thing I think about is the fabrics. Questions I ask myself are: What type of fabrics will I use? How do I want the costume to look? What patterns could I use to give it a little bit of my own style? What wig will I use? Also I always, always plan my makeup with anticipation.

So after deciding the fabrics and the actual design of it I buy the fabrics, of course. Unfortunately I am terrible at sewing so someone else takes care of that part, but I guide her through all of it so it ends up like I want it. When it is done I usually wear it multiple times before ever going to a con and showing it. I do this because, first, I'm excited, okay? And second, to be sure everything is in place so I don't have accidents at my cons. I put together the whole thing: wig, makeup, costume and shoes, so that I can judge if anything needs to be changed or improved, or if it's good enough and meets my expectations. I also get feedback from friends and family.

Mr. J.:  You also cosplay with your fiancé. Would you say that cosplaying together has been beneficial to your relationship?

Daniela: Yes, we do! To be completely honest with you, my fiancé isn't exactly into cosplay but he is a lovely man and he always supports me. When we did Mako and Korra we were having a pretty harsh time. To make things better he proposed the idea that he could be my Mako (knowing Makorra is my OTP) and that meant the world to me. We arranged everything and did his costume in no time. He arranged a photo shoot, and even encouraged me to participate in the cosplay contest in the biggest con of the city with him. We totally improvised the thing, and we managed to get first place because of a single kiss.

We were thinking about cosplaying the Adams, The Joker and Harley Quinn, and also Lydia and Beetlejuice. Those projects will have to wait for a while because he is leaving for Germany soon. But yeah, our Makorra cosplay made our relationship stronger, and I hold that in my heart with intense love. We were struggling so much at the time and it just made us love each even more. If that didn't happen, we probably wouldn't be dating five years now!

Mr. J.:  When did you first start watching anime, and what is the show that really stands out in your mind?

Daniela: I'm a proud otaku since I was 11 years old, yay! And because of that the show that I always remember and is very close to my heart is CardCaptor Sakura. Syaoran and Sakura should've at least kissed in that movie, I'm telling you!

Mr. J.:  I also noticed you are a writer of fan fiction. What are some of the fan fics you have written, and is there any place that someone could read them?

Daniela:  Oh gosh you discovered me! Fan fiction writing is another of my hobbies, as well as Character Roleplay (something really new to me at the moment, but its fun!).  If you want to RP with me, by the way, I do have to say I only RP on Tumblr. If you are interested go check my blog on http://www.theamethystbird.tumblr.com/.

My fan fiction writing is mainly focused on Romance, angst and/or Drama, (I'm in love with romance okay?) and some of the stories I've written so far are from Naruto, Avatar: The Last Airbender, and Teen Titans.  If any of you sweetie sweethearts want to check out my stories you can definitely go and check my ff.net profile.

I do have to warn you that most of my published stories are written in Spanish because it is my main language and that's how I started, but don't worry, there are and will be more stories in English because I... kinda got sick of Spanish fan fiction like a couple of years ago. But yeah, if you do read my stuff I will have to apologize for a couple things. I will probably have misspellings and grammar errors so I am deeply sorry if you notice them! I do not have a Beta reader as of now so I just publish the thing without really checking grammar and stuff. I swear to my Goddess it is not going to be super trashy though. The second thing is that I am very slow at updating stories. Writer's block is always following me around and sometimes I just can't think of anything... But I don't abandon my stories. That’s for sure!

Mr. J.:  Finally, do you have any plans to attend any future cons in the U.S.?

Daniela:  Absolutely! Although it’s going to be very expensive and I'll have to save money, I'm probably coming back to Naka next year and maybe metrocon in Florida. As of this year I am not sure. I return to my country for the summer but hey, don't worry folks, I'll be right back! (Because, college...)

We would like to thank Daniela for such a wonderful interview. We really enjoyed our time talking where her, and all of the insights she gave us into the world of international cosplay. Daniela is an amazing cosplayer with a great personality and we encourage any of you reading this to go check her out and support her.

You can view her cosplay gallery at www.malacoderma.deviantart.com or check out her facebook page at www.facebook.com/daniratoecosplay. Show her some U.S. love and clickity clack that like button!

We look forward to following her progress and we are very excited to see her future projects! Thanks again to Daniela Carvajal and we’ll see you on the con circuit!