2 costumes: which one should I choose?!

[pok3ydot]

Hi, I'm new here. I plan to go to AX for the first time this year, and I want to try cosplaying! Yes, I am a newbie so at first I had no idea who I should cosplay as. I went for Kiki, from Kiki's Delivery Service because the costume looked fairly simple. It was going well up until I found out Attack on Titan/Shingeki No Kyojin was being made into an anime (I loved the manga so I was so excited for this), and now I've had a change of heart and want to cosplay Mikasa (she is so cool!) from the anime. The problem is, I already have all of my Kiki costume and props ready...and Mikasa's costume is much too complicated for my skills. I wasn't able to make her jacket and I can't possibly make the gear. I was thinking if I was to cosplay Mikasa, I'll just buy a jacket that has a similar color to hers and sew on the embroidery stuff, and wear everything else and go to AX without the gear...but I'm concerned that people will criticize me for not being accurate *rolls eyes*. So, who should I be?

In terms of appearances, I have short hair so I thought I could cosplay either one. Maybe Kiki more because I'm only 155cm and Mikasa is 170cm...!!


Here's my Kiki costume (cat not included yet):

Pros:
- is pretty much completed/has all the props (I will make the cat later)
- is ALMOST exact (I don't have orange flats)
- good to keep cool in the summer for AX
Cons:
- carrying around props is burdensome
- the petticoat underneath the dress is sooo itchy
- wearing heels and having to walk for hours...
- costume is too simple, character does not stand out/is not unique or popular so may end up meeting another kiki cosplayer
- would be a bit strange to wear in public outside AX

Here's my incomplete Mikasa costume (I photoshopped the boots and suspenders(will buy both later), black things around the hips (forgot to wear them in the picture), emblems on the jacket (I will sew on later), my bangs (I'll get hair extension and trim for that, no wigs for me!):

Pros:
- character is unique and may be popular? (and I love her character)
- uniforms look good (it's not too crazy so I can walk outside of AX without too many stares)
- boots are much more comfortable to walk around in
- no props to carry around so I can hold my bags and take pictures with my camera
Cons:
- jacket + jeans + boots + long-sleeved shirt + scarf = super hot in the summer
- no props, so it's incomplete?
- not accurate: jacket design is totally different, belt straps on legs and chest are thinner than the anime, suspenders will be different, not tall enough...
- may receive a backlash of criticism

So which one should I cosplay this year? And are people really critical if your costume is not exact? Is my costume WAY too inaccurate? I know both of my costumes are not going to be 100% exact because I like to edit the costume to look more modern and casual like you could picture it in real life.

I wish I could make a poll here...it would be a lot easier, but I don't know how to make one yet..

[WolvenDragon]

Why not cosplay Kiki this year and give yourself more time to put together Mikasa? Some people will be critcal and others won't, that's life. I hate to see the work you put into Kiki's go to waste though.
I don't see why Kiki's would look odd in public as long as you weren't carrying the broom. As for the comfort issue, you can buy flats since you seem willing to spend some money (having to buy things for Mikasa) if it's a big concern.

[Ose_93]

I'd say go with Kiki. Not because I think the outfit is necessarily better than the other, but because I personally prefer it. I don't think running into another cosplayer in the same outfit is a problem. I've done it, we took a picture together. XD

To be honest, I haven't actually seen anyone go as Kiki before. I'm sure someone has gone to AX like that, but I just didn't notice them. Either way, I don't see the problem here.

I agree that you should invest in some red flats. They shouldn't be too pricy and your feet will thank you. I also think that the cosplay isn't something to out there to be seen in public. Only the broom is. But, you won't get too many people thinking you are odd on a convention day. C:

[LluviaSarcasm]

Agreeing with the above~

[lillybearbutt]

I LOVE your Kiki. I agree with the above.

[pok3ydot]

Originally Posted by WolvenDragon

As for the comfort issue, you can buy flats since you seem willing to spend some money (having to buy things for Mikasa) if it's a big concern.

I have tried looking for orange flats, I really did. The problem is that I have size 4 feet. It is very hard to find any shoes in a size 4 that is not kid shoes. And especially with flats, most of them won't hug my heels so when I walk, my heel pops out. And I would rather not purchase it online, because I need to be able to try it on so I don't go through the hassle of sending it back to the seller. If it gets too uncomfortable I'll just walk barefoot I guess... but I would rather not buy shoes that do not fit me for just one occasion.

Originally Posted by Ose_93

To be honest, I haven't actually seen anyone go as Kiki before. I'm sure someone has gone to AX like that, but I just didn't notice them.

I agree that you should invest in some red flats. They shouldn't be too pricy and your feet will thank you. C:

if it's not noticeable at all...hmm makes me concerned it isn't a very unique character to cosplay

Thanks again for the comments everyone! I'll go as Kiki for now.