Halloween for Anime Fans Comes at a Price
The prices and costumes I am going to share with you are mostly from one particular site and the outfits were at times heavily discounted as I was doing this research.
Naturo Uzumaki (Shippuden - Sage Mode)
Cost: $76.90Discounted from: $107.66
Includes: Jacket / Pants
Naruto Uzumaki is pretty mainstream to the public thanks to the heavy rotation the anime that bares his name had for a while on Cartoon Network, but the costumes you find in most costume shops are pretty cheaply made. They are also about two generations behind on his look. What is surprising is that this outfit doesn't include a forehead protector. These are probably the least expensive thing I could find while searching the net. They range from $12-$8. Anyone can do a first generation Naruto look or his Shippuden gear. It would be cooler to be more up to date and go for Naruto's Sage Mode look. Problem there is that the jacket alone would be an added $54.95. Though this outfit first appears in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 162. You didn't see him in action until Ep. 163.
You possibly could get a pretty decent Naruto jacket at a local Hot Topic, but getting orange pants to match could be difficult. I guess that depends on your region. You also might be able to get the makeup and contact lenses to do Sage Mode. They have Sharingan Eyes contacts.
Watch Naruto in Sage Mode in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 163 (SUB) via HULU: HERE
Ichigo Kurosaki (Bakai)
Cost: $109.95Discounted from: $148.00
Includes: Jacket / Top / Pants
Ichigo Kurosaki could be a pretty cool costume that looks comfortable. It covers quite a bit so you aren't too likely to be cold in the chilly month of October. This is mostly a costume if you are a BLEACH fan. It's easy to get the basic Shinigami hakama outfit and cosplay as nearly any member of the Shinigami. A person should be more original and go for the full Bankai look. The flaw in this costume I can see is that it's missing the sharp suit-esque points at the shoulders. If you want to go that extra mile and do a hollowfication version of the Bankai Ichigo. The prices on Hollow masks aren't too bad that range in at $40-$9. What this costume doesn't include are the socks, sandals, or aZangetsu sword. The price of the sword can range at $155. Though really, you could make a cheap one. Just buy an inexpensive toy katana, screw a length of chain to the end of the handle, and spray paint it black. Ichigo's Bankai look first appeared inBLEACH Ep. 58.
Watch Ichigo in Bakai in BLEACH Ep. 58 (SUB) via HULU: HERE
Monkey D. Luffy
Cost: $59.95Discounted from: $83.95
Includes: Top / Pants
Monkey D. Luffy has to be one of the easiest things to cosplay as from all of anime. It's basically just a sleeveless vest, cut-off jean shorts, sandals, and his iconic straw hat. The first thing that caught my attention is that this costume doesn't come with a straw hat. One of those from this website costs $17.95. I personally don't see why anyone would need to have a costume made of this for you. Just go buy a red vest, take a pair of old-baggy jeans to cut above the knees and fray a bit, buy some sandals, and get a straw hat. That's it. It would look more authentic if the clothes were broken in, and the hardest thing to get is the right straw hat. The downside is that it's not really well suited for the cold October month right before November. Luffy has worn this outfit since One Piece Ep. 1, but through the years the color scheme has changed. Recently in the anime he's been wearing yellow on orange-red shorts.
Watch Luffy in the classic red and blue in One Piece Ep. 1 (DUB) via FUNimation: HERE
Lelouch Lamperouge (Zero)
Cost: $119.19Discounted from: n/a
Includes: Top / Pants
Lelouch Lamperouge dressed in his Zero outfit would make an awesome costume. The dark prince vibe would be perfect for the holiday. Though this costume does not include gloves or the ascot. There are two more things that really help make the look that are missing from this offer. Those are the cape and mask. The cape listed on this site that is sold separately was originally priced at $163.00, but discounted to a much more reasonable $36.95. The price for the Zero mask on this site was at a shocking $225.00, and that's discounted. This particular version of the Zero outfit, pictured above, first appeared in Code Geass R2 Ep. 2, but the original Zero outfit first appeared in Code Geass Ep. 4. I would wear this for Halloween if it wasn't for the huge price tag on everything. Also, you'd have to geass me to make me pay that much for a mask.
Watch the reveal of Zero in Code Geass Ep. 4 (DUB) via Bandai: HERE
Sakura Haruno (Shippuden)
Cost: $80.00Discounted from: $128.00
Includes: Top / Elbow Socks / Gloves / Shorts / Apron / Leggings
Sakura Haruno's outfit from the Shippuden era of the story would make a nice costume for girls. Right off the bat, I can't help but notice how much they offer for this outfit. Most of the guy's costumes are pretty bare bones. Naruto's base costume is just the jacket and pants. The forehead protectors aren't listed for either Naruto or Sakura. It might be harder to find one for Sakura since at this stage her's had a red cloth in place of the standard blue or black. It also doesn't offer a wig with the outfit. None of the others I listed had wigs, but the pink hair is absolutely iconic to the character. Finding a short-pink wig is easy enough in any costume shop. This was really the stage in character where Sakura stopped playing the victim and began to get into the fighting. Little less crying and more kicking ass. She first appeared in this outfit in Naruto Shippuden Ep. 1. She hadn't seen Naruto in two years at that time. She asked him if he thought she had changed, and like an idiot he said she didn't.
Watch Sakura in her new clothes in Naruto Shippuden Ep 1 via HULU: HERE
Misato Katsuragi
Cost: $155.12Discounted from: $119.95
Includes: Top / Elbow Socks / Gloves / Shorts / Apron / Leggings
Misato Katsuragi has a pretty cool outfit for a Halloween costume. The only thing missing from this list is the silver crucifix, and I didn't find one available in the accessories. The jacket is easily one of the more iconic touches for Misato cosplay. You are going to have to find the shoes, too. The rest is a sexy black dress and a red baret. The design is such that it wouldn't be at all surprising if this kind of fashion would become every day wear in the near future. A downside to this outfit would probably be that you shouldn't be surprised when all the guys at the party keep trying to give you beers. Now that I say it, the idea doesn't sound too bad, but you know what they are after. Just follow Misato's lead. Only go after emotionally unavailable bad boys you have a past with, or awkward youths with daddy issues and an absentee mother possessing a giant Eva. That should keep you out of most trouble. We first saw Misato in this outfit in Neon Genisis Evangelion Ep. 1, but as luck would have it. You can see Misato in crisp high-def on the release of the Blu-ray Evangelion 1.11 You are (Not) Alone. Tom Pinchuk even did a review of the Blu-ray on Anime Vice HERE.
See a promo clip for Evangelion 1.11 (DUB) on Blu-ray via FUNimation: HERE
Nico Robin
Cost: $161.93Discounted from: n/a
Includes: Dress / Shirt
Nico Robin has had numerous dressed in the One Piece anime, but this is one of my favorites (second to her Thriller Bark Arc outfit). Not only does she have a very mature sexuality, but she's incredibly intelligent. As with Misato's dress. This is an outfit a woman could really wear out anywhere. It's a real dress. Now, I saw another version of this dress on another site, but it was priced at $320. Mind you, It looked as if the dress was made from real black leather. The site I found this picture on doesn't offer the thigh high boots that Robin wears with the dress. The downside is that you really don't look as if you are even in a costume. Everyone at an anime convention would know who you are dressed as. It would get my attention, but at a regular party. Everyone is more likely to ask you why you didn't dress up. Robin wore this outfit through the entire Water 7 Arc and Enies Lobby Arc and had it on between One Piece Ep. 230-312.
FUNimation's airing of One Piece on their site hasn't reached the point for this outfit, but see Robin's first episode in One PieceEp. 67 (SUB) via FUNimation: HERE
Kallen Kozuki
Cost: $89.95Discounted from: $125.93
Includes: Jumpsuit / Undershirt / Sleevelets / Shoe Covers / Belt
Kallen Kozuki's original outfit is a real sexy bad girl look that makes for a good costume. It's the 'SEXY' choice you always seen in costumes for women. The odd thing that is missing is the headband. All the members of the Black Knights who were originally Japanese rebels wore those. It was sort of a signature. The headband is sold separately for $10.00 on this site. There is no wig either, and as with Sakura. The hair color is a pretty important part of the character. It's just getting wig-hair in those spikes would be difficult. We first saw Kallen in this gear back in Code Geass Ep. 1. She had several other looks, but she came back to this one from time to time. It's a really sexy outfit, but I doubt few could fill it out as well as she does in certain spots. Some of the outfit is so exposing that it would not be ideal if it gets cold where you are for Halloween.
Watch Kallen in this outfit in Code Geass Ep. 1 (DUB) via Bandai: HERE
As I said earlier. These outfits cost a bundle. In their defense, the reason these outfits don't come cheap. It's because they are custom made to the person who orders them. Someone actually sits down at a sewing machine and makes this just for you. It's the difference of buying a suit off the rack and having one custom made. These aren't just simple one wear costumes. These are often actual clothes that that you can wear and wash multiple times.
What do you think of this list? Would you wear any of these or have a costume you'd like to wear.
-Kristoffer Remmell ( FoxxFireArt) is a freelance graphic artist, writer, and over all mystery geek.-
Lets just say none of us did in the end, mainly because it was so freaking expensive.
I suppose it kind of makes sense though, especially for people like us outside of Japan, those costumes aren't very easy to come by.
Agreed Cape. I remember back in the day when I was heavy into Anime having a few Cosplay buddies. They were big time into the whole thing and the guy who made an Awesome Hellsing outfit for Anime Expo that year (he ended up getting to work at the booth even) sunk well over $300 into the outfit, let alone the resin guns! Holy crap!
Sure, I spend lots of money on things, but as a big fat guy I'm not doing cosplay because it just doesn't look right on me. Oh well. *Shrugs*
cool
I'd certainly like to do the Zero cosplay.
@Gozertc:
If cosplay was isolated to those it only looked good on. You wouldn't see 80% of the cosplay you do. It's not about everyone else. Do what makes you happy.
@coates32:
I don't think it was appropriate to mention the site's name. I was writing an article about how expensive cosplay can be. I wasn't going to advertise for some website I knew nothing about.
Anytime you want to dress up as a character and you want to look authentic it's pricy. I remember looking at star wars costumes years ago and the price for an authentic Boba Fett helmet was $80. The same goes for comic book costumes. My wife and I actually made our own shihakushos and dressed up as bleach characters. We got a pattern and bought the fabric and my wife and mother-in-law did the sewing. We made two and it cost us about $100 for both of them.
Have that Boba Fett helmet, it is way too roomy, know with helmets the opposite is usually said, but in this case I had to rig some padding and wear a wool knit cap underneath to keep it from wobbling all over when I turned my head... That said the helmet was not the shocker of the costume price wise, the actual armor ran about the price of a good used car.
Think I'm going to go as Super Saiyan Gohan in his Saiyaman costume sans helmet this year, have all the clothing, and as a natural blonde just need to spike up my hair.
Cool and very timely article FoxxFireArt. I'm a poor college student so nothing fancy for me (and I'm not a cos[player). I'll be Shaggy from Scooby-Doo.
Though I suppose it's a time vs. money problem. When you're younger, you have all the time in the world, but no money, when you're older you have more money to spend, but no time.
In either case, if you're looking for an expensive Halloween costume, those listed in this article will be fine. If you're looking for a decent quality costume, you will be disappointed left and right by the poor build quality of each article of clothing you get from these people. Chinese costume manufacturers are always shit tir when it comes to cosplay.