Let the World Tour Of Cosplay continue! We had so much fun last month visiting Spain with Juby Headshot, that we decided to stay in Europe just a little longer. So we’re heading North to France to meet a particularly gifted Cosplayer named Nuna Cosplay!
No matter how simple or complex the costume, Nuna – aka Christine – always brings an incredible fire and elegance to her Cosplay. So let’s see how this Master of Beauty & Badassery got started, what she has planned next, and what Cosplay is like in beautiful France.
First thing’s first: I’m sure you’re wondering how she got the name “Nuna Cosplay” if her name was Christine. Well Nuna is actually a tribute to her mom, as “Nuna” is the feminized version of the Portuguese surname “Nunes”, which happens to be Christine’s mother’s maiden name. Though “a rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. So whether you call her Nuna Cosplay or Christine, you’ve got to call her awesome!
Christine first started cosplaying all the way back in the Summer of 2008 while she was still in school. After seeing some cosplayers at a convention in Paris, she wanted to give it a shot too, so she was quick to go and get a Tifa (Final Fantasy VII Advent Children) costume from ebay; but that wasn’t enough. She wanted to start making her own costumes and that led her to creating a tribal skin version of Sheva Alomar from Resident Evil 5.Christine sees both of these costumes as the ‘start of her cosplaying’.
Since then, Christine has done almost 30 costumes and most of them have been made completely from scratch by her – although she’s not opposed to a little help from friends. Sadly life gets in the way sometimes, and you can’t dedicate all the time you’d like on a Cosplay. Thankfully she has a lot of amazing cosplayer friends who not only help each other out when it’s crunch time; but also buy older costumes from one another when the need arises. It is this sharing and mutual support that has helped Christine be everything you can imagine. “From a cutie and funny character to a powerful goddess with no emotions”, she’s done it all and has succeeded each time!
When it comes to ‘selecting’ a costume, Christine follows the path of most by choosing one whose character design she likes or personality she admires. Although there is one other means by which she selects a costume, and that is by ‘synergy’. With a lot of Cosplay and photography friends, sometimes they all get together and decide upon a duo or group Cosplay that would really look amazing together. Christine’s work is wonderful; but it’s when she’s with her friends that she really shines. They all have so much fun together, you can’t help but smile!
With so many costumes under her belt, it must be hard to choose a favorite. Do you choose a recent favorite or a character that you’ve loved from childhood? For Christine, if she had to choose it would be either Seraphina or Camus, both of which are from the anime Saint Seiya. Growing up, Saint Seiya was one of Christine’s favorite TV shows and both characters hold special importance to her, such as how Christine is an Aquarius and Camus is the Guardian of Aquarius. Although from a technical standpoint, it’s her Seraphina costume that really stands out considering it combined extensive sewing and armor making with foam, wonderflex and worbla.
Sadly though, Cosplay in France is still a little stigmatized. It’s regarded as a “hobby only for children” or something to “disguise yourself at a carnival”. Outside of this, it’s something to be hidden or else you run the risk of not being taken seriously. And it’s not just public opinion that can be disheartening; but also the ‘jealousy, hatred and criticism’ that sometimes follow Cosplay – even in France.
Although despite all these drawbacks, Christine says the greatest feeling is finding those few people that are just as pure and passionate as you. The number of Conventions have grown in recent years and with large gatherings like Japan Expo, the European Cosplay Gatherings (ECG) and World Cosplay Summit (WCS), there are more and more chances to meet incredible new friends who understand what Cosplay is truly all about.
By now, we’ve heard a lot of Cosplay Definitions; and even though they all come down to the same idea – “cosplay for thyself” – Christine gave us a very INSIGHTFUL alternative definition.
“Cosplay is a way to release oneself from daily troubles without headache, and above all else, it’s a form of art. The most important thing about Cosplay is of course having a good time because it’s a hobby; but on the other hand to make it your best, use your passions and represent the Cosplay community as best you can.” – Christine
We always see Cosplay as a release from the stresses of life; but sometimes it’s hard to remember that it’s still a hobby and form of expression. Maybe others might not like your vision. Maybe they will. The most important thing is that YOU give it your best shot and no matter what, remember the Cosplay community as a whole. You’re all there for the same reason – Cosplay – and you represent a piece of the Cosplay Community to whomever you meet. So have passion in what you do! Have fun! And remember to give others the same respect you want to be given.
When she’s not cosplaying, Christine is working hard but still remembers to save a little time for going out with her friends. Although if she had the time, she’d love to get back into drawing, horseback riding, badminton and playing video games regularly. Now most of her spare time is dedicated to Cosplay; but that’s okay because Cosplay helped her become less shy and has given her tons of new opportunities – such as modeling.
After one of her photographer friends asked about it, Christine decided to give it a shot and try something new. Modeling and Cosplay might seem like they go hand in hand, but there are some obvious differences. All in all, modeling is actually more casual an experience due to the simpler clothes and more controllable lighting. But in the end, Cosplay will forever be her first love!
So what’s next for Christine? Well her next Cosplay will be from the anime Silent Mobius with one of her best friends! But can you expect her at any Cons outside of France? Well she didn’t comment about any Cons outside of Europe; but he did say she’d love to visit Conventions in London and Italy because they seem less focused on competition and more about making friends. So if you’re pin Italy or London, get ready! And hey, if she ever wants to visit a Convention in the United States, this Panda is more than happy to help out!
As we end, I just want to give a big thanks to Christine/Nuna Cosplay for chatting with me. It might have taken a while to organize, but I think it was definitely worth the wait! And if you readers want to see more of her work and keep up with her latest costumes, be sure to follow/wish her well on Facebook, Twitter and/or DeviantArt. And I’ll see you all next month for our next Cosplayer Of The Month. So stay tuned!
*All Photo Credit goes to their original takers including, but not limited to Khriess Photography, Julien Rico photographe, Nakana-Focus Photographes, Nakana-Focus, Shudan Pictures, Wenbin Photo, Aleke Photography, R.M. Photography, Thibault Demorat, Omaru, N8e, Wilou Photography, Steeve Li Lun Yuk Photography
The Insightful Panda 
I love the way you described my dear Nuna ! It was very pleasant to read
Awww, thanks so much Lily! Glad you liked it! I also Cosplay and know how much work goes into it and how everyone has their own story to tell. So I like to honor those who inspire me, and write them the best article I can 🙂
PS: Your stuff is amazing too! Your recent Scarlet Witch is especially fantastic! I would be honored to do an article with you in the future (2016 or so)